The Express.
London, England, 1865-04-13 00:00:00

ROYAL OZNBRAL IHSATRICAL FUND. I

Let evening the twentieth anniversary of this
bpi Saba was Mil a► He reeseirosi Tarim ;
Vasa Occurs kr lir disk. There Ina a petty Duper-

...••wf.

After the mod level eat emettalutiousil tomb, which
OPINO Yenned with the Sisaliontay eathndelem.
tbo (tiffs, a hilnelladag the tent of the
imelene, said Mat is Impede( the prosperity of
the lord Theatrical Feed, he had to maple with
It the same of the hest and truest friend which
the feed poseneted—that of Mr. Budtelon.
hem) The lean which he was about to prone, pre-
sented idea! under various (aspects to those who occupied
Ms same position be had the honour to fill that eves-
dm He should wander tie portion which the phew
essapisel in Nord to the emotes of his art and its Meade.
dampt the mead abases wig* the month reformers had
Idled to swam away wee that of Brummagem paritardsm—
rhear, hem," sad Impliter)—which bad all the narrow-
s.' el view and all the inteleramos of puritsahm. without
esifescrificing herds which distinguished the puttees
of di The Breemeglet peellme regarded the Air sa hall
Inked epos • pine ef red eleM (Limekiln.) Ose at the
Ilkerabi of this dem stand lately, to Scotland, that he sew
mbar= in • mates tiling • mac on • Sunday. (Laughter.)
deaths', who was cost a lined. slime into Ike essaneemeat
el a railway Is whish he sad somas [elands VINO
isssaiss up to that diaper, and objected to their molds( we
grant mends. (Laughter.) The mins clam of Need dr
Stand to sorties me who wen members of aischaeice
matitation smog themselves by iodise novels after their
day's with. (Linglitm) Now he thought that me of the
airvisa whin the ado, rendend to the rioted° was, that he
deiOt az days in the weak the battle of the pudic spinal
eheruneoageas puritans. (Hear, hoar.) Thanes regarded
6M position of the actor towards his Mends, who did not re-
member with *sauce the first night he went to the play?
sad then was not • period of life from childhood to old age
which the player did act do his utmost to polity and to
diner. (Hen, hear.) Bat there was a time whim the
*mew, from failing health, was no logger able to
amiss and antertnn—whoa the doctor told him that
he meant to preserve his life he MOSS cease to fellow Ida
proleence. (Hear, bear.) The public eye could not fellow
ihe snakes actor. The pallid caly looked at les weenseem
Who, thee, ma to follow the retired player when Ohs
Wits were out, the curtain down, and We theatre empty?
lie was ghetto say that at this moment of distress the best
helping Ueda were bold out to the poor aotor—the Made
et his brethren is art. (Hear, Mar.) In the application et
the foods of the charity there was no dint:Mem of deft
All, from the Mehra to lin lowest membess of the pram
Me, were 'godly eligible. (Hear.) In contusion, he
mosomeaded the innienion to the grateful and symps-
*MN consideratine of the public. (Cheers.)
Mr. Beam/roes, is reaming Meeks, ssid-
-As this is the twentieth samsl dinner of le=
theatrical Food, stall of which, with but one exceptioe,
have been protect is my capacity of neurone, you will en
Mat I have spoken nineteen times on behalf of our
lastitutioe, sod as my subject must always be the same,
re may eattirelly suppose that I hays quite exhausted it ;
while, oe the other han may natunlly suppose that you
ban hod quite esough of me • hut as my main object ha
bees at ell times to touch your hearts scd dip into your '
poked--(laughter )—I ma only my I will contrive to do
my best to animplish that task, aided by our exeslleet
"Minoan, Mr. Wilkie Colins, whose presence here this
analog is an neat of which every member of our fund
sad every bird to it cannot but feel greatly gratified,
"momently when I tell you that for this. lam "Oven MONS
bee prevented his [Main a promise to preside over us ma
me of these occasious. But here he is at lest, and I only
hope his coming( out to.Dieht will not be injurious to him,
mere panicutuly es it is now "After Dark," and that oe.
✓im home he may not 'Dopester any " Women is White*
—daughteri—although I must make the delicate ceefessios
it I have lately formed en acquaintance with " A Women
is Mauve "—(laughter)—in whose society I have here se
mosedingly happy that I hops it will be a sag time'
before I shall have to part with it. (Cheers) However,
its with Irene pride and pleasure that I see our author,
"The Woman in White in the chair, sod to know
Oat his name will be strolled oil the list of distin-
guished novelists who have cane forward to plead the
were of our fund at these testiest'. We an proud el that
; indeed we Dash% to la, wham it mediae such swan
es Biz Edward Bulwar Lytton, Mr. Charles Dickens, the
late deeply-deplored Will Mann= Muttony, Mr. '
Shirley Brooks, and now,though last not bent is our "dear
bee," Mr. Wilkie Collie". Now, gendecon, it is my duty
le tell you the stated our twat and what in do with it.
Our capital when this night is over will amount to 13,500/. ;
bat large as this sum may seem it is hardly sufficient to
all that Is required of ut,for we have V annuitant* 13
of whom are ladies and Dios are gentlemen. Why Meddles
should be se much in the majority I do not knew, except
that, on reference tet the registrarrnerare weekly return,
we invariably find there an more girls horn in every seven
days than boys. I will not say that this is an argument in
favour of polygamy. I will only °kerne it is an established
feet In addition to the number of annuitants wow on our
fund, we soon expect °thee to claim their rights—indeed,
go numerous have beans the animate that, in order to
pay • fair proportion of the amenities we have beet com-
pelled to resort to our reserve feed ; for, during the last 12
mouths we have disbursed to.. retired snots and actresses
MU 10a., have also paid the funeral expenses of three de-
emed wanton, amountlag to 291., sad have ironed to
the widow of a late subionler 241. Se. ; making altogether
sit Ws • sum distributed daring the past year than 1,0401.
dad *ow' slatterns°, I most tell you of a severe disap7
poistnint we have met with. At one of our dinners, held
at the Leaden Tavern in 1852, the Ist" much-respected Mr.
T. P. Cooke was sitting next to me. Previously to my usual
Mann on the occasion he informed me it was his intention
Weave oar feed a legacy of I,oool.—(cheers)—or pro-
perty representing that amount. I announced his inten-
tion on that evening, which announcement was received
with prolonged cheers. That is DAM 13 years ago. His will
wen made to that effect, sad sot till within • short time of
his decease did he alter that (document in favour of
the Dramatic College : his reason for so doing was, as I
have heard, that he considered the General Theatrical Fund
so prosperous that it did not require such a legacy, while it
meld be of the greatest service to that exedleat initiation
Me Dramatic College. Of course Mr. Cooke bad a perfect
right to do as ha liked with his own, and all we could do
me to submit to the disappointment aid endeavour to
Owner some way to make up for it. We accordingly took
a benefit at Drury-lane Theatre, which, though it produced
sanely -LOW., including 25 guineas kindly end generously
given by tin Priem et Wales for his box on that oocaron,
we should have cleared much more had we feet been pieced
between two fires. Our benefit took piece en Mooday,
Felt. 13. On the Monday before that meat Mr. Paul
Beffotd appealed to his friends and the public, and
with such a triumphant result—(cheers)—that I am glad
to may it was of the greatest service to that jolly comedian.
Min, on our Woodsy the day was very inclement, bitterly
sold, with wind and stow assailing our visitor' ; while
for the Wednesday following, the benefit of the sufferers
by the burning of the Sauey Theatre was announced,
which wis happily another pest success. We have car-
tinily received a very liberal donation during the year; still,
gentlemen, we want all the aid you can extend to us. We
went all loes who are rich to think of us headsomely,
mid those who are not no to do the best they can. As n-
est& Mr. T. P. Cooke, we make no complaint; and I only
Malt, indeed of seeing his deserted chair he were again
swept us, with his popular face, wearing his Cape Bt.
Timm% medal. sod listening to the loud cheers that always
rested him when be iron to return thanks for the navy.
rhos».) Gentlemen, while you are seated here recogniriog
ear cause - which is Oleo the cause of the drama—its
sheering to see how nobly it is headed by the names
el her Handy and the Prince of Wales. It is
also cheering to the lovers of the drama to read in the Court
Meads r how frequently our popular prime and his equally
popular princess are seen at our theatres, taking • great
Merest in the representations, end to hoar of the prince
y complimenting and couragiog the actors, and
Cerner:ll en
1 in his power to follow the example of his illus-
trious and lamented father in upholding the arts and
sinuses, with the stage sad it. charities ; while our
ream Queen in her inherent dos not forget us, for
we an spin in receipt of her queenly donation of 100/.
reiners.) Thus you see, gentlemen, bow the actor's art
mad the actors are encouraged. And why should they net
be encouraged? As a class they are industrious, honest,
venous. and charitable. I have frequently read of the
"proverbial profane:ad jealousy" of the performers—a
term used by people who know nothing at all about
theni—for doing my more than 30 years' ccostant
estimation in the theatres I have seen so little of proles-
deal jealousy that I really do not believe in its existence,
etrent to any extent that can entitle it to be called " pro-
verbial." As to the kindness sad generosity of the actors
mad actreseas, that I will allow to be proverbial ; for »wi-
led how they hays thronged to support the many chari-
table bonen given meetly at Drury.lan Theatre—given
lo the daytime, too, when most of them had to go through
their duties at night. Look at the may enbacriptios lists
published on behalf of tome professional calamity, tome
egad or seedy performer—des bow well such lists are filled
se. As for their charities, look at the Dramatic College,
Alleysee College at Dulwich, the Drury-lane sad Coveot-
peon Foods, the Dramatic Sick Feed, and this our
tieseral Fund—all founded and sustained by the actors.
Who, thee, can with any consomme rail at the theatre
read its members? No on, except Idawworm and
SSW fanatical mountebanks. And now, gentlemen, having
prow the professors of the dramatic art en excellent cha-
ncier penally, I sill conclude by speaking of ourselves,
avid the members of the Feed that you have assembled
bin to-night to counieneace and help. Oar accounts are
epee to impection ; we always present as secooked ba-
lemersheet ; oar nearetary is always correct in his figures ;
the treeineer has sever absconded with any of the mosey ;
ad seas of us has ever been hang, or eves transported,
asemit with delight when receiving the applause a
Me public. Thereto», gentlemen, with these agreeable
adsetioes I Isere sir cease in your warm hearts and in
roar epee hands. (Great cheering.)
TM ether tarts of the evening were the " Drama" and
the "Prefessiousle who gave their services on the omission.
reinipte steciested to 350/.
the seeded arnmements were coodeoted wider the
ithesties of Mr. C. Cooke, sad wise most ably carried out
kitFuebrooke, Miss Jolla Cooke, Mr. Perris, Mr.
Mr. Bathos, Ms. Is m^ as.