The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1853

LICENSED VICTUALLERS' ASYLUM.

POLITICS AND PROPHECY A T ENE FER•IIALL.

1 -•--
Yesterday an extraordinary general meeting of
subscribers to the shoe chanteble iustitution was held at
the London Tavern, for the ptic):;s• of devising m lice of
raising the capital fund to such nu amottn: as should ei
able the governon to raise the allowance of married cou
pits, inmates of the asylum, from Bs. &I. to 10s. per week,
act thoov of sole persons from 71. to Bs.

Last night Exeter-hall was throni,.ed by an eager
audience who had been invited by
the committee of the
Young Men's Christian Association, to hear the Rev. Dr.
Commit', lecture OU the " Signs of the Times."
The rev. gentleman commenced by remarking t 6 at we
lived In times of extrandinary Importance, lune follow. 41
scene, and event thundering upon event with startling
rapidity—and that as signs and warnings preceded the
cross so signs and warnings we were led to expect would
precede the second coming. From • number of passages of
Scripture, which he quoted, he drew the inference that
1,200 years was to be the period during which th! western
apostacy should continue, and dating the commence-
ment of that apostacy from the year 532, when
the
,Emperor Justinian first gave to the Pope
civil us well as ecelesiastical power that was
when the great papal organisation was first established,
1,260 years from that time would give the year 1793 as the
period when it should be shaken ; and, looking back to
history, it would be seen that it was is that year that God's
judgments began to fall upon the great western apustacy,
and the first part of the prophecy came into operation—
.' lie shall consume it with the spirit of Hie mouth." The
infidel spirit which was now prevailing in France, Italy,
and other countries was but the reaction from the tyranny
'of Rome. Again, the prophet Daniel prophesied that
' 2,300 years was the duration of the Mahnnsedan power,
which, dating from the time at which Daniel wrote, would
land us in 1820, as the year when the "drying up of the
Euphrates," the type of the Idal.omedan rule, should begin
to take place. In that year it nes ebserved by the " Annual
Register" that the Ottoman empire had reached its meri-
dian strength, and in the summer of that year Ali Pasha
revolted, and is the autumn the Greek insurrection broke
out. In a few years Greece was severed from Turkey, in
1828 Russia crossed the Balkan, and at this moment the
Turkish provinces of Berns, Moldavia, and Wallachia
were in the hands of the Russians, Algiers had
become a French colony, and Bagdad, sMectia, and
Medina had been almost depopulated by earthquakes
and plagues. In all this he saw the fulfilment of the
prophecy in the Apocalypse is reference to whis: should
take place on the opening of the sixth seal, when they
were told " the drying up of the Euphrates " should take
place. But though the Mahonausedan power must cease,
it did not follow that Russia should plant its standard on
the Mosque of St. Sophia. There was no reason to
suppose that the 12,000,000 of Turks should not be-
come Christians, and thus present a stronger barrier
to Russian aggression than they could now offer.
Again, .they might he sure that as soon as the crescent
waned and the Euphrates dried up, they would see an
awakening among the Jews—the conversion of that people
to the true faith, and their return to Jermslem. He saw
in the present position of Persia, Turkey, Russia, Austria,
the forcing of England and France into a participation in
the troubles of other parts of Europe, whether they would
or not, the working of the unclean spirits mentioned
in the Apocalypse, and which were to have power
until the opening of the e?veath seal. And he
saw evidence of the approach of that event in
increased inter-communication amongst people and nations,
the numerous inventions in science, the many valuable
medical discoveries, the preaching of the gospel to all
nations, and the coming out of so many of the Loru's people
from Babylon, which fulfilled the prophecies declaring that
it should be preceded by a travelling to and fro, the exten-
sion of knowledge, and the preaching of the gospel to the
ends of the earth. The events of the year 1818 were a great
wave rising and threatening to destroy, that wave had
receded but to gather fresh strength. It would return with
augmented force, and bursting over the nations of the earth,
would sweep away the corrupt weeds of centuries, re-
baptising and purifying, rather than overwhelming and
destroying, the earth; 1864 he calculated would bring
about the fulfilment of the apocalyptic prophecies, and the
commencement of a better age. The rev. gentleman then
referred to the table-moving mania, and expressed his un-
willingness to go the length of some writers upon the sub-
ject, who alleged that the influence at work was that of
demons or the spirit of the wicked.
The lecture was warmly applauded, and at its conclusion
the unanimous thanks of the meeting were accorded to its
author.

the chair was taken by ARTHUR Km BARCLAY, E.q.,
and at the same table were seated Sir Edward North Buz-
ton, !dean. Bevan, Engin, Wigram, and 1 other
influential representatives of the brewing, distilling, and
licensed victualling trades. The meeting was very fully at.
tended.

The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said that in
addressing so numerous sad highly respectable a meeting,
It might be necue-ry to explain why he sat there in the
position of their president, seeing that there were so many
of their own body who could better advocate the claims of
their noble institution. Those individuals, however, would
have an opportunity of add • g the meeting while mov-
ing the several resolutions. In looking fur a chairman,
he thought they had only done what they had
a right to do in calling on the representatives of those
trades which were intimately associated with themselves,
for assistance in carrying oat this charitable undertaking.
lie fully conceded the principle that those wholesale mer-
chants who supplied the licensed victuallers with their com-
modities, such as brewers, wine merchants, distillers, and
others—had a right, on an occasion of this kind, to rally
round thou who are their best customers. (Cheers.) 1t
was, therefore, that be was present on that occasion, being
intimately connected with their trade, and being bound, by
ties of long acquaintance and business connection, with
most of the gentlemen lie saw around him. (Hear, hear.)
He had been so long • brewer, and had seen so many
changes in his time—for gentlemen did change their brewers
from ‘varions causes—(",hear." and a laugh) that it
bad so happened that amongst the best and moat respectable
publicans in London—indeed there were few who were not
respectable—he had become acquainted with a very large
number of the trade, even amongst thou:who were not
clients of his own firm. It had been said that brewers
were a sort of tyrants, that the victualler were tied down
to certain brewers, and that changes such as he
had alluded to could not occur. His experience
was to the effect ;that changes were so fre-
quent as to cause considerable uneasiness amongst
partners in breweriee, who were constantly on the stretch
to keep their friends together as much as possible. His
belief was that the monetary transactions between brewers
and pubicans were pretty much the same as in any other
trade. There might be • little interchange of assistance
when required—they all killw that, and it was so in every
business; but this be did know, that there was a feeling of
intimate association between brewers and publicans which
existed in uo other business whatever. (Cheers.) There
were no persons upon whom the reputation of the brewers
depended more than upon the publicans, and, therefore, he
trusted that the brewers would do everything in their
power to promote the iotereste of such valuable associates.
(Hear, heir) He had said so much of an extraneous
nature in order to show why it was he stood there ; and it
was now kin helium to say a few words respecting the
object which had brought so many of the trade together.
(Hear, Sear.) They were assembled there to make an effort
of their own for the sapping of a noble institution, and he
trusted that every individual present would exert himself
to the best of his ability to augment the funds of an
asylum intended for thcse members of the trade
who had been less successful in life than them-
selves. It could not but be a feeling in the minds
of every one prevent, that an institution like this was
invaluable for the reception of persons who, having perhaps
begun business with bright hopes, good prospects, and the
sanguine feelings that inspire most young men, had yet
from one cause or another gradually sunk down in the
social scale, until at lut they were obliged to look to an
asylum for the alleviation of their distress, and a shelter
for their old age. (Loud cheers.) Let him beg of them to
consider how precarious was all mercantile property. From
the great merchant down to the humblest trader, uncer-
tainty was the common lot of all. The prosperous man of
to-day might, from a succession of unforeseen calamities,
such as alteration of neighbourhoods, or commercial panics,
sink down to such a position as to require from his friends
sad brethren in trade the means of preserving him front
the compulsory charity of the parish, or the cheerless fare
of the workhouse. (Hear, hear.) If he spoke thus strongly,
he only did it for the purpose of rousing to greater energy
the feelings of those whom he addressed. It he painted in
strong terms the possibility of calamity for some, it was only
to stimulate the exertions of the more prosperous, to do
what they could, and when they could, for the allevia-
tion of that calamity. And let him inure them that the
recollection of baying done se would be amongst the most
pleasing reflections of their lives. (Hear, hear.) Ile
would allude again to the absolute necessity of themselves
working for the welfare of their institution. They had
already Drought it to a very considerable position of pros-
perity, and he believed that it was the experience of all
those who had had anything to do with establishments of the
kind that the more prosperous the institution, the more
likely it was to get additional subscriptions. (lieu, hear.)
Once let it be seen that the subscription list was waning,
and friends fell off, and difficulties Increased, but prove by
your exertions that the undertaking was carried on with
energy and spirit, that directors were attentive, and pro-
moters warm and then, additional funds front the gene-
ral public would never be wanting. (Loud cries of " Hear,
hear.") What was really the state of the case ? Here, in
these metropolitan districts, there were something like
8,000 licensed victuallers, of whom, he had been told, the
subscribers to the institution numbered little more
than one-half. Was there not, then, plenty of ground to
explore ? He considered that so long as any member of the
oracle declined subscribing, the fact must be that he had
been unsolicited, and the coarse would be to get some friend
to precut* his subscription. (Hear, hear.) He was sure
they had done right in having this meeting, and calling on
the members of the trade for their contributions. He
believed that there would be a hearty response to their ap-
peal, and that, with • little exertion, they would get every
farthing they required. (Cheers.)
Mr. Joon.. the secretary, then proceeded to read the
report; which beim by _seegratelating the meeting on the
memos* of seselt leffilsenffial members of the brewing trade
as their ehairmaa sad the gentlemen who sat near him.
The object was to inumes the invested capital to such au
extent as to enable the managers of the institution to
increase the pensions of its inmates. At first the
allowance to married couples was 7s. a week, and
to sole persons 65., and this required an income of
8901. a year. The liberality of the supporters had
already enabled them to increase Is. 6cl. in one case
and la. la the other, making the yearly expenditure
1,2101. What they sought now was to raise such en additional
sum as would enable them to make the allowance to mar-
ried couples 10e. a week, and to sole persons Bs. Tile
amount upon which the society could really depend was
MU a year, arising partly from a fund of 9,2501, uf
which the brewers allowed five per cont., and the remainder
of voluntary contribution. In order to make the allow-
ances he had mentioned of 10s. and Bs. respectively, they
would require an income of 1,5601. a year, or a capital of
31,20 W., even if it produced five per cent. The capital sum
of 9,2501. left a deficiency of 21,9301.; but of that deficiency
they had received since August last, including 50 guineas
each from the principal brewers, a sum of about 2,0001.,
making the invested capital 11,2601. (Cheers.) They were
in this position, then, that they required a sum of 19,9301.
to bring their capital stock up to the necessary amount.
The institution was the most extensive is this country
supported by voluntary contributions; but this was
not surprising it was remembered that the
licensed victualling trade formed a more numerous body
than any class o the community. Althinigh they had
4,900 subscribers, there were not es yet mush more than
one-half of the metropolitan members of the trade contri-
butors. The report concluded with a long list of subscrip-
tions, amounting in the whole to 2,51101.
Sir E. N. BUXTON, Bart., warmly urged the claims of the
charity, and avowed his surprise and pleasure at the libe-
rality which, in so short • time, had raised the sum of
2,50 W. He trusted that the splendid list they had heard
read that day was only the force f success which
would completely effect the object they had in view.
Mr. LAMM, the Ant chairman of the society, moved
the first resolution, and at the same time took occasion to
compliment the chairman on following the footsteps of his
demised father in the support of this institution. He (Mr.
Larby) considered that, looking at the high prise of
provisions, the present stipend was insufficient for the sup-
port of the pensioners. The resolution expressed the
approval of the meeting for the attempt of the board to
raise the capital stock.
Mr. B. BATON seconded the resolution,which was carried
unanimously.
Mr. Sreoxer moved a second resolution, appointing a
committee of 50 members of the trade to co-operate with
the committee of management.
This resolution, stuck was seconded by Mr. StatcLatn,
was also carried unanimously.
Mr. VW:SEXY rose to move the thanks of the meeting to
the chairman of the day.ha (Loud cheers.) In doing so he
reminded the meeting tt when the society was established
in 1826, the father of their present chairman was one of its
first and warmest supporters. (Hear, hear.) He (Mr.
Vousely) thought that the thanks of the trade were due to
the brewers and wine and brandy merchants, who had come
forward to co-operate in the good work, but he could not
help remarking the omission of the distillers' names from
their list. (lieu, hear.) Hotfooted that those gentlemen
would see the report of that day's proceedings, and that it
would induce them to get up their " spirits " to a sub-
stantial " proof "of liberality. (Cheers and laughter.)
The vote was carried by acclamation, and votesof thanks
having been also passed to the several honorary officers of
the institution, the procedings terminated.

LETTERS AND NEWSPAPERS TO CALCUTTA.—
GENERAL POIII,OFfICZ, Dec., 1853. The Postmaster
General has been informed that the government express
from Bombay to Calcutta has been discontinued ; and that,
consequently, letters and newspapers addressed to Calcutta,
when sent via Bombay, can only be forwarded in future by
the ordinary daily mail. It is necessary to make this altera-
tion known to the public in the United Kingdom, as a
notice was issued in May, 1847, Renouncing the image-
moats under which letters mitglit be conveyed teCalcutta by
the
_government ezprese, if specially so ad,lreseod.
'JIVE LIVERPOOL ELECTION PETITION. The
Liverpool Albion states that the petition against the return
of Messrs. Ilorstall and Liddell has Immo. withdrawn.