The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-21 00:00:00

aid those distinguished in pursuits similar to their owe;
whose youth they have seen prematurely broken by noble
' struggles fur independence, or whose age they have wit-
nessed a suppliant fur bounty, so administered as to embit-
ter every memory of service, and humiliate every honest
sentiment. _ .

of pride. But they desire to extend whatever aid they may
have the power to proffer or suggest, in the mode which
seems to them most respectful to the members of those pro-
fessions that give to all nations hi which they Nourish the
least disputable title to respect. They desire that the aid
should necessitate no degrading plea of poverty —no pain-
ful exposition of calamity and want; but that it should hear
the churactor of a tribute to merit, nut of an alms to desti-
tution.

" It is obvious that no fund would suffice to support all
those who have unsuccessfully applied themselves to litera-
ture and art; nor, did such funds exist, could so indiscrimi-
nate an application of them be contemplated by the pro-
posers of this plan. A large proportion of artists and
authors fail simply because their abilities are not suited to
the profession they have embraced ; and a fund applied to
the relief of these, though it might serve as a charity, could
nut pretend to be a tribute to merit. Although, therefore,
every insurer to the company which is connected with the
endowment proposed will have the right to offer himself as
candidate for the place of member or associate, it is hoped
that the election will always bill upon the worthiest candi-
date, without subjecting him to any inquisition as to his
private affairs or resources. The application fur the office
should be held a sufficient presumption that the candidate
dues not disdain the modest salary attached to it.
lu fine, the object of the promoters of this plan for the
benefit of their brethren compatibly with the cignity of
their calling, would be greatly misunderstood unless the
plan were regarded, first, as a means to support those fitted
by industry ur talent to render sees ice to mankind in the
curlier and ruder steps of their carter; and, secondly, and
more especially, as an uttering of gratitude to those who hare
made their order illustrious, maintained the renown of their
country in literature and art, or, even in humbler depart-
ments, contributed to the enjoyment and instruction of man-
kind. The fuunders of this endowment bold out to all whom
their society embraces the best saleguardsagainst the future
which it is in the nature of insurance societies to provide,
while exacting front each the reasonable guarantee, that as
far as his means may permit, he has exercised that ordinary
prudence to the want of which the distresses of a class have
been popularly ascribed.. To those writers enrolled in
their society whom sudden vicissitude may befall, and to
whom they cannot offer the posts at their disposal, they
leave the appeal to that occasional relief to which the laws
of the Literary Fund confine the uses of that noble institu-
tion. But the especial n:sources they desire to create are
those that would enable them to smooth the earlier path of
a future Southey—to sustain from despair the youth of a
future Chattertou—or, should a new Burns arise, to offer,
at the hands of men ennobled by the honours and degraded
by the humiliation of one of their brethren, something more
suited to the vocation of genius, something more worthy
the ornament of an age, than the place of an exciseman.
" It is with these views, :end to express inure emphatically
the nature of an association which neither arrogates the
disputable aims of Ulm academy, nor professes to bestow the
humiliating charity of an asylum, that it is intended, in
• accordance with Rae name given by old Saxon custom to
societies in which the members of a class contributed to the
benefit of each other, to call the institution proposed 'The
Guild of Literature and Art.' The residences attached to
the association will be simply designated lodges.
" The Life Insurance °fibs: with which it is proposed to
co-operate is the National Provident Institution, 4tl, Grace-
church-street, London. Selections from the tables of that
establishment are now reprinted for the purposes id this
Society, and will be by this Society circulated with all
needful explanation, and through every possible channel,
among the Professors of Literature and Art. But, on all
Insurances and deferred Annuities effected in that Office in
connexion with this Society, it is already in the power of
this Society to guarantee to return to the insurers five per
cent. ou the calculated premiums.
" lu the hope to bring the plan they thus define into
general notice, and to form the connuentement of the ne-
cessary fund, its originators have agreed to exhibit certain
Dramatic Representations in London, during this year DOI,
sous to place before the public, at a time when the other pro-
ducers of the country will receive a memorable attention,
the claims of a class whose productions form not the least
honour to England in the eyes of a foreigner.
" Expressly fur these dramatic representations, which
will be under the management of Mr. Charles Dickens, a
new comedy in five acts has been written by Sir Edward
Bulwer Lytton, and by him presented to his fellow lotion-
rers in the origination of the present scheme. It will he
acted by Mr. Robert Bell, Mr. Wilkie Collins, Mr. Dudley
Costello, Mr. Peter Cunningham, Mr. Charles Dickens,
Mr. Augustus Egg, A.lt.A., Mr. John Forster, Mr. R. IL
Horne, Mr. Douglas Jerrold, Mr. Charles Knight, Mr.
Mark Lenten, Mr. J. Westland Marston, Mr. Frank Stone,
Mr. John Tenniel, Mr. F. W. Toplemi, and others. Por-
tions of the scenery have been presented by Mr. Absolun,
Mr. Thomas Grieve, Mr. Louis Hanky, and Mr. TOM'.
Mr. Maclise, ILA., has offered to paint a picture (the sub-
ject arising out of these performatees) and to place it ut the
disposal of the Guild. Sir Edwin Landwer, ILA., has
also earnestly expressed his wishes to aid the design. Valu-
able assistance has been rendered by Mr. Benjamin Webster
of the Royal Haymarket Theatre.
" The first performance will take place at Devonshire
House, which his Grace the Duke of Devonshire has most
generously and kindly devoted to tin, purpose, on Friday,
the 16th of May, when her Majesty' the Queen and his
Royal Highness the Prime Albert will graciously honour
the performunee with their presence. Other representa-
':
tions of the comedy and an original farce will after-
wards take place at the Hanover-square Rooms, where
the moveable theatre, constructed for the purpose, and
opened at Devonshire House, will be erected for those occa-
sions.
"Should the dramatic representations be tolerably' success-
ful, it is expected that their profits (which will in due course
be announced) will suffice nor the erection of such buildings
as are ut present required—the ground being already
obtained as a free gift from Sir Edward lialwer
Lytton. For farther support to the endowment by sub-
wription, and especially by annual subscription, it is in-
! tended to appeal to the mildie, with the confident assurance
that it will he found worthy of support by all who would
generously desire to assist authors and artists themselves, in
one resolute effort to lilt the chiefs of their class front the •
chances of famine, or the relief that is bestowed upon a
pauper. The day, at least, has come when eivilisition
should no longer forget the eivilisers ; and when some
earnest attempt should be made to free our age and nation
front the charge of callous and ungrateful inditterence
through life to those who, after death, are revered as the
luminaries of time, and ranked amongst the loftiest nubility
of a land.
" In conclusion, the originators of the Guild of Litera-
ture and Art (into the more minute details of which it is
not now possible to enter) most earnestly iivite the co-ope-
ration of their brethren of all degree's, and &sure them that
the invitation is prothred in a paternal spirit, and with a
single desire to serve and raise the common cause. There
are few who cannot render some aid towards tide end. As
the originators have resolved to allow no slight consideru-
tions of personal inclination or convenience to stand between
them and the solid and enduring help they hope to give,
before the year is out, to the proposed endowment, so they
look for the true support of all their brethren, confident in
the worthy nature of their own motives, iu the justice of
the case, the comprehensive spirit of the project, and the
strength of union.
" And they assure their brethren that in all future pro-
ceedings, as in this initiative step, these will be their claims
on the confidence of their order. '

• It is father intended to appropriates portion of the firods ob-
tained, to nerve us tempura! WOOS toto>uch iwurers as an unusual
prca-ure of ,ideer-e aroma-lances may, in any one year, disable from
paying their customary insurances out of their own raluurces.

TIIE NIAGARA, Captain Leitch, left the Mersey o,
Saturday for Halifax and Boston, having on board the mails
for New York, Quebec, Montreal, Newfoundland, Re.
She carried out about 50 passengers, being a smaller number
than has of late left Liverpool for America by this line of
steamers ; but nearly all were parties engaged in trade and
commerce, many of those who have arrived by recent res.
eels remaining in this country fur the Great Exhibition.
The Niagara took out, also, a good general freight, chiefly,
we understand, for the spring markets. The weather was
remarkably fine, and a favourable wired for her outward
passage. fhe Canada, from Boston, is the next inward-
bound steamer, and is hourly expected.
OMNIIIUS IMPROVEMENTS. —ln consequence of
several proprietors of monibuscs basing been sununoned on
the charge that their respective 01111.111)11,1,11 did nut afford to
the passengers the space required by low, :a:vend of these
vehicles were brought to the Guildhall:yard on Saturday for
the inspection of the aldermen,befurc whom theinformations
had been laid. Amongst these were a Paragon and a Fa-
vourite omnibus, the former running between Brix- ,
ton and Rio Bank, and the latter between Wing-
tun and Westminster. Mr. Iranklinski, the proprie-
tor of the new patent omnibus now running between
Bayswater and Charing-cross, also exhibited his vehicle. i
The old omnibuses were measured, and it was stated
that they ought to allow sixteen inches to each inside
passenger, and the question was, whether they did so for
the three end passengers ? In the Paragon, the end seat
was detached, a decidedly improved arrangement, the end
seat holding three, and the two side seats fire each. The
patent omnibus has seats fur ten inside and ten out, allow-
mg from 24 to 28 inches for each inside passenger. This vehi-
cle presents some advantages which omnibuses have not, each
inside passenger being boxed off so as to be corn.
pletely isolated from his fellow passengers ; but
there is a window between each box which can be
let down, so that two adjoining passengers may converse;
but the window cannot be let dawn without the consent of
the passenger on each side of it. Another convenience is
that the conductor is communicated with by drawing a
string, which strikes a bell. The seats or boxes are up
prow:lied by a platform, and the top is reached by steps at
tho back, so that the passenger can mount much more
conveniently than he can upon the other omnibuses. The
division as to the old omnibuses will be found in another
column.
DEATH OF A MILITARY KNIGITT OF WINDSOR.—
The l'aited tierrice Gazette mentions the death of Major
Cnedock, one of the Military Knights. The late Major
Crsdock served formerly in the 73rd, and had received the
war medal for his services in the Peninsula, at Busaco,
Albuhera, Badajor, and Salamanca, lie also served at the
campaign of 1815, and was present at the battle of Waterloo.
WINDWARD AND LEEWARD biLANDsIGOMMAND.—
Major-General Wood,C.B. (local rank of lieutenant-general)
lately appointed to this command, accompanied by his two
aides-de-eamp, Capt. Deshon, 48th Regiment, and Capt.
Ramsay, 66th, left England for Harbadoes last week.