The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-06 00:00:00

ROYAL GENERALATHEASTIOAL 117 ND.

The eighteenth anniversary festival of thin ingti.
Maim wee Mkt on Saturday, at the Freemasosi Tam;
wader the presidency of Mr. Charles Dickens. The deer
piny numbered more than 200 persona A numerous party
of ladies ocean.« the dais behind the chairman, sad she
filled the ghliery at the end of the ball. The noMeal gr.
rangignients were oo a complete scale.
After the meeel loyal and patriotic toasts,
The CHAzalus, io propereng " Prosperity to the Boyd
General Theatrical Fund," said the other night he wee
reading a paper by Steele, in the Tatar, Memos to times
when Mr. Powell's company of pediment* pappeta were in
high vogue with people of quality. In that number the
brilliant essaylat hada humourousdeacriptsocof aocistesithen
I raging between two ladies in Seth, Prodeatia and Florinsal,
' as to which of them should set the fashion to the greatest
number of imitators. In the coarse of this nob« atrioggle,
Plosimel bespoke " Alexander the Great," to be acted byWe
amelProdestis bespokethe "Oreatioeof the World
to be acted by the puppets. But at the sine time, to tie
«of Moe and ridicule of her rival, the puppet Eve, who
might have been indifferently modelled—(langhter)—was
fated to Min figure and mould as like Florimel as ever wee
me. Nov what were the miasiog charms and dideathes
paints in this wooden lady's anatomy did not appear ; bet it
did appear Wet kis wenhip the Mayor Inclined to the
wooden Ms of the googlies, and on high moral rounds he
greatly preferred the innocent puppets, to the wicked palm.
(Laughter.) As be bad a profound veneration for merit
end such like—(oontinusel laughter)—those meatinseste
cowed him to close the book, and to consider how tallith
they would rain if there were no memoir" bed
Mr. Powell, and no actors but puppets. (laugh-
ter.) In the first place there would be no fund, go
annual dinner, no chairman, no speech ; there would be pope
Saturday, nortreasury ; •but that was a great point which he
feared occurred again and again undo the presort repiew-
()oud laughter.) There woad he no colds ; so jealousies
AM the two leading ladles might dregs for any length el
tcsiri: the cameroom «Woo coming to words • and the
Media« might be packed up in the same *box with
the most red-nosed low comedian. (Laughter.) These
were points to be gained. On the other hand, there would
be lost the knimeo boa, which, after all, stood for a Me;
sad, though teat not least, that in.mense mount of conk«
and sat sfactioa which was derived by • large number of
well-meaning pimps from disparaging those who eater-
tined them. (Laughter.) He therefore ism to the easy
elusion that after all they must have those wicked players
against the puppets. For inumace, take the man they
saw last night m the play. " That man in the farce
laet night made me laugh en mush," nays Mr.
Portman Square at breakfast, " I hope there is will
wrong about him, but I think there must be." •ig
dear," says Mau Balm Hill to Mr. Bares Hill, " I wee
so profoundly affected that I felt it very difficult b re-
press my sobs when the poor marl king listened is vein far
the al his dnai doubter, that I really feel it
doe to myself to patroeise the egotism« this gagerning."
The man of business could comprehend no man who mad
not be found la the Poe Office Directory, yet he could «-
um
them that this was a basin«s wham wee managed wiflt
as much tact, as much art, as much skill, and as mime
as any other business of life could be «Mooted. 'l>•
theatrical feud, es they knew, was ow for graotlog amid
-
ties to such members as might be dimmalified Hem sea.
sickrooms, or other infirmities from pursuing Weir
sad also for extending aid to the sick sod the servivostt
We dead. Hs had had the honour of big nine of the lift-
ion from the hour of its first establialuesst, sad beitt
bear teetimoey with admiration to the extraordinary s
ass, with which its payments were node. They dffil net
come there that sight for a mere theatrical display, WO
give (rub guarantees for their homer, 'mighty, sod goad
faith. The chairman thee dwelt upon the awfulness and
humanisieg inliturc• of the Nap, sod celled We
guests to prove the ainaMq
_of their wishes on of the
restitution by oontribatisig Morally to its funds. (Cheare4
The toast was &wink with mooch sethusiorm.

Mr. Boomoxs, arasiparlisi, ritisr----anprefatary ra
marks, said—lt is now my duty, gentlemen, to proceed to
some tome and dry &nub, and to tall yea what we sr%
and whet waste doing. We have now eighlees ennuitanin.
mama from 301. to per annum ; el those eigh4ou you
will he pleased to bear that fourteen are ladies, while the
alias asuabar are living in comparative comfort oa what
thoy ere entitled to. and blaming the day when tbay Ina
became sutecribers to our fund. During the yosty_tar wo
have pail is Ulla anoulleate so Ws a sum thou 8021 la..
while, eller mooting mural ariwwsuy ezprasse, which are
set forth in our balance-sheet, our invested capital. after
this night is over, will not fall far short of 13,000!.; but we
amt mill °impala te he artful and INMltioas, sad Min com-
pelled to toll upon your reprove sal in every WRY' le ow
power ; for, over mod above these eighteen annuitants, we
Nall shortly Imo* five more eligible, and who will most
probably chum their mowed. (Cheese.) And sow, to sti-
moist* you to be liberal to-eight, 1 have may to inform you
that our good and gracious Queen still remember, the poor
player, and that her sixteenth munificent donation of 1001.
has bees waived. After some further remarks from
Bucketeue urging the claims of the icetitotioo,
The CHAIRMAN proposed "The Drama," which wad
briefly responded toy Mr. Amu) WIGAN.
Several other toasts were afterwards drank. The gab.
seriptioas collected alibi &awn amounted to 376/. la. 10d.

THIS EXHIBITION of ALUMINIUM and
Araninnum =OM
MOO IIFICIMINS, illustrating tar apedleatioa (Ornamental
Wad Useful)) of these interesting SlMaha are NOW ON VIEW at
MAPPIN 1110TILILItSA NEW
NEW 11.001118, 122, ILKONNTAT2I.IIT.
oa by Card.

fIEOOND-RAND PIANOFORTES.
G ix= DELL; ma WOOD Dm a Dap anselmaga
asaamt4imad Mirolokis. by the 'soot esteased =Wes, at
Ml* robes& trbm—Wl. Itayeat4driel

EVERYBODY KNOWS Mr. MILE&
Attred Webb Mlle. SWOT= MOM BOND-STKKET
to TI BROOK-STREIT Banoveraqwwe, to 1860.
The lea Trmaww Waft( by biro) In sal the New Patterns,
'BITTER THAN ,

TROUSERS.—Special attention is called to the
NUM SPRING GOODS, and gentlemen who do not mind
=fair price for a good pair of Monsen ran depend cm
end patter= that cannot be excelled, at
HAMILTON and KIMPIONS, TAILORS,
106, Strand (opposite karat Ea U).

gfte erprtso.