The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-02 00:00:00

[ONE PENNY,

DINNER, Tv MR. CHARLES DICKENS IN'

NEW YORK.

. -
On Saturday the 18th ult., a dinner in honour
of Mr. Charles Disks= was given at Delmenico's,.
in New York, by the pets of the United States.
" Although but few of those who were present'
on this occasion had previously met Mr. Dickens
(says the New York Times), it was, nevertheless;
for them, if not for him, a reunion in very truth,
Familiar in our mouths as household words' and
the names and sayings and doings, of the characters
of his creation, and through them, long ago—some
of us when first we began to run ad read—we had
an introduction to their author. It was like meeting
an old friend, who had often entertained us, and
endeavouring, in a feeble way, not to discharge,
but to convey to him a sense of our indebtedness.."'
About 200 gentlemen set down to table. The
dining-hall was tastefully decorated with the
British and American colours, and the tables we
adorned with bouquets and vises of flowers.
Horace Greeley presided, and on his right was the
guest of the evening. Some delay was caused iu
the commencement of the festivities by the sudden
illness of Mr. Dickens, and it was reported that
he would be unable to attend, but to the great
gratification of the assemblage he made hitt
peras= is thusiimplimrApost a 1 flifteisekhid.
at once entered the dining-room leaning on the
arm of the chairman. The cloth having been
removed. Mr. Greeley rose and proposed • tfe
toast of the evening.

Mr. Dniester, who on rising to respond was received
with such loud and long-continued cheering that he had to
stand for some time awaiting an opportunity to speak, it
as pertly follows :—Gentlemen,—l cannot do better t
take my cue from your distingnistied president, and refer
in my first remarks to his remarks in connection with the
old, natural association between you and m WIND I re-
ceived an invitation from a private association of working
members of the press of New York to dine with them to.
day, I accepted that compliment in grateful remembrapce
of a calling that was once my own, and in loyal symptsiby
toward a brotherhood which, inspirit,l have quitted.
(" Geod. good.") To the wholesome training of severe new.-
paper work, when I was every young man, 'constantly rifer
my first successes ; and my sons will hereafter testify of
their father that he way always steadily proud of that
ladder by which he rose. (Great cheering.) If it were
otherwise. I should have but a very poor opinion of their
father, which, perhaps, upon the whole, I have not.
(Laughter and cheers.) Hence, gentlemen, under any cir-
cumstances, this company would have been exceptionally
interesting and gratifying to me. But whereas I supposed
that, like the fairies' pavilion in the " Arabian Nightn,"
it would be but a mere handful, and I find it turredt,
like the same elastic pavilion, capable of comprehending a
multitude, so much the more proud am lof the bono)m of
being your guest ; for you will readily believe that, the
more widely representative of the press in Ameriaa,my
entertainers are, the more I must feel the goodwill and the
kindly sentiments toward me of that vast institution.
(Applause.) Gentlemen, so much of my voice has safely
been heard in the land, end I have, for upwards of
four hard winter months, so contended against what I
have been sometimes quite admiringly adored was " a
true American catarrh"—(laughter)—a possession which
I have throughout highly appreciated, though I might
have preferred to be naturalised by any other outvpird
and visible means—(renewed laughter)—l say, gentle-
men, so much of my voice has lately been heard, that I
might have been contented with troubling ypu . no
further from my present standing-point, were it not a
duty with which I henceforch ch.trge iityself, not only
here but on every suitable occasion, whatsoever and
wheresoever, to express my high sod grateful sense of my
second reception in America, and to bear my honest testi-
mony to the national generosity and magnanimity.
(Great applause.) Also to declare how astoundtta I
• have been by the amazing changes that I have-seen
around me on every ride, changes metal, changes
physical, changes in the amount of land subdued
and cultivated, changes in the rise of vast new citing,
changes in the growth of older cities almost oat of
resognition, changes in the growth of the graces and ono-
, nities of life, changes in the press, without whose advance.
meat no advancement can take place anywhere. (Ap.
plume.) Nor am I, believe me, so arrogant as to suppose
that in five and twenty years there have been uo changes
in me, and that I had nothing to learn and no extreme
impressions to correct when I was here first. (Applause.)
And, gentlemen, this brings me to a point on which I Nave,
ever since I landed here last November, observed a strict
silence, however tempted sometimes to break it, but in
re-
with your good leave, take you forum to which I will,
into my confidence now. (" Goon, go on.") Even the press,
I being human. may be sometimes mistaken er misinformed,
end I ratio: think that I have in one or two rare induce,
known its information to be not perfectly accurate
with reference to myself. (Laughter and applause.)
Indeed, I have now and again been more surprised
by printed news that I have read of myself than by any
other printed news that I hare ever read in my cement
date of existence. (Laughter.) Thus, the vigour sad
perseverance with which I have for some months past
been collecting materials for, and hammering away at, a
• new book on America, have mush astonished me—ire-
I newed laughter)--seeing that all that time it has been
perfectly well known to my publishers on both sides of
the Atlantic that I positively declared that no conside-
ration on earth should induce me to write one. (laughter.)
But what I have intended, what I have resolved upon
I (and this is the confidence I seek to place in you), is,
on my return to England, in my own English jour-
nal, manfully, promptly, plainly, in my own person,
to bear, for the behoof of my count-eau, such
testimony to the gigantio ohmage in this country
as I have hinted at to-night. (Applaue.) Also, to
record that wherever I have been, in the smallest
places equally with the largest, I have been rdeelved
with unsurpeasable politeness, delicacy, sweet temper,
hospitality, and consideration, and with unsurpaandife re-
spect for the privacy daily mimed upon me by the nature
of my evocation here and the state of my health. a(A.p-
plause.) This testimony, so long u I live, and so long as
my descendants have any legal right in my books, I shall
muss to be republished, as an appendix to every copy at
these two books of mine in which I have referred to Ame-
rica. (Tumultuous applause) And this Linn do and
cause to be done, not in mere love and thankfulness, but
because I regard it as an act of plain justice and honour.
(" Bravo," and cheers.)

At the conclusion of Hr. Dickens's speech the
band struck up " God Save the Queen," and the
whole company, rising, joined in singing the air.

CO-OPERATIVE MOVEYRRIT IN THE 131111.01H0
TILDE& —Last evening a crowded meeting, of operatives
connected with the various branches of the building trades
was held at the Cabinet Thestew, Liverpool.street, g.'s-
cross, Mr. W. Morrison, M.P., in the chair in fartheyance
of the otroperative movement in the building trade. The
chairman entered at some length into the principles off co-
operation as applied to produceon, and expected the
pleasure he felt at finding the building opts gives now
about giving practical effect to these principles ly the
establishment of a building company on a Inge wile to
hell
execute any contracts, however large, with w *fey
might be entrusted. The existing organisation, the
trades could not mate a better nee of their war
then in endeavouring to work out the principle c Co-
Mr. Alfred Walton, architect, then &cloistered
rieetimLeeting, giving some practical advice as to the welting
of the proposed company. He was *seed to leaf that
about 2,000 shares lad been taken in the colony
by bui operatives.—Mr. George Potter point out
the advantages and benefits of aroperstion. It as a
most effective weapon with which to mewl ahribm and
look-onts.—The Hon. Auberon Herbert said the In of
capitol and labour applied to production was one the
highest phases of co-operatics. He believed the sent
movement had in it all the elements of success . 'lsola-
tions in accordance with the object of the meettnikwero
'adopled, and a vote of thanks to the chairman .aded
Me promodirse. It
BRITISH HONE FOR INCERAHLRB.—The 91)11tTi-
bailor announced at the festival dinner of this chit., on
the 29th ult., amounted to the handsome snot of 2,11001.
Neuralgia and rheumatism can be data by
s sanetio Plash and Bala Remiss, prices 16s. lipd lac
ittlitol n.liol all perfumers and chemist,. PM pbleta upon applies.
tiou. Wolesale, IL )(proud's sad eons, I, Ores" Usefroug
*NS, W.,snd 93 sod 96, elty-teed, A.o.—iadvt.l i