The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-27 00:00:00

THE CALEDONIAN Asnux

The forty-fourth anniversary festival of this in-
stitution took place yesterday evening at St. James's-hall,
under the presidency of Lord ELCHO, M.P., and was
attended by upwards of 100 gentlemen, among whom were
Sir John Heron Maxwell, General Matheson, Sir James
Mee/nude Sir A. Stuart Donaldson, Sir David Baird,
R. Campbell, Esq., Sir Alexander Gordon Cumming,
Captain D. Cameron, Captain T. Porter, Mr. Sheriff Lusk,
Mr. D. Macrae, Re.
Previous to and during the pilgrims of dinner Mr. Roes,
the Queen's piper, performed a variety of Scotch nationalain
on the bagpipes, to the great delight of the assembly. The
juvenile brass band of the asylum, under the bandmaster,
Mr. R. C. Field, was also present, and enlivened the pro-
, ceedinp by executing well selected pieces at intervals.
I The object and the present position of the asylum
I may be gathered from the following printed statement
lathed by the directors: " The Royal- Caledonian Asylum
was established, and is maintained, for the purpose of sup-
Anis and
.educating the children of sokbers, sailors, and
Marines, natives of Scotland, who have died or have been
disabled in the service of their country; and of indigent
Scotch parents resident in London, not receiving parochial
relief. The large number of orphans and widows who were
left destitute at the conclusion of the great war in 1815,
induced many leading Scotch gentlemen who had pievionaly
obtained a charter of incorporation, by the style and title of
the Highland Society, to originate a charitable institution
for the relief of the children of those bravo men, to whose
self-devotion and military prowess the British Empire was so
deeply indebted. To isatruct and support thews children was
• duty binding not only upon `-lem,hmen but upon all other
British subjects to whom Providence had given the means of
assisting towards the relief of the fatherless and the
widow. There are at present one hundred and seven-
teen children in the asylum, sixty-eight boys and
forty-nine girls, thirty six of whom are the chil-
dren of the brave soldiers who died in the Criinekti war.
Ten boys and eight girls have laen admitted into the
asylum during the past year, and eight boys and one girl
have left the asylum, and have been provided with situa-
tions, in which they are conducting themselves to the satis-
faction of their employers."
After the usual loyal and national toasts, the children in
the school, of both sexes, entered the room, and passed be-
fore the chairman, in marching order, their healthy and
happy appearance tilling the whole aseembly with satisfac-
tion and alight.
The CHAIRMAN then the toast of the evening,
viz. "The Royal edooian Asylum, and may the
children of the brave never want • protector,' sod
eloquently urged the claims of the institution to the sup-
port of the Scotch leakiest* in London.
The toast was moot enthusiastically responded to.
The next toast was, " His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch,
the President of the Institutioo," proposed by Sir J. H.
Maxwell, Bart.
Among the remaining toasts were, "The Chairman,"
"The Highland Society of London," "The Sheriffs of
Leedom and Middlesex, "The Medical Officers of the
• ASllum," sod "The Secretary of the Asylum."
in the course of the proceedings the CHM RMAN presented
to hes Majesty's piper, Mr. Ross oo behalf of the Highland
, Society, a gold medal bearing • suitable inscription, as • tee-
tinionod to his merit. ; and
• Mr. Ross made an appropriate acknowledgement.
i The total subscriptions announced reached newly MOO/.
i The vocalists present on the occasion were Miss Stabbach,
• Miss Fanny Huddart, Mr. John Morgan, and Mr. Walworth,
r Mr. F. Baden being the conductor ; Mr. Rust was the toast-
' master.