Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-02-15 00:00:00

BLUR-COAT BROTHERLY SOCIETY.

The annual reunion of the members and patrons of
the Blue-coat 'Brotherly Society was celebrated last
evening by a dinner at the Adelphi Hotel.. Upwards
of one hundred gentlemen sat down to the excellent
repast; and the dinner itself, it is hardly necessary to
say, was of the most *excellent description. Mr. Thos.
Wood, the master of the Blue-coat. School, and the.
president of the society,. occupied the chair ; and
amongst the other gentlemen- who were present were—
hiS Worship the Mayor, T. D. Anderson, Esci. ; Messrs.
Charles Turner, 'William Langton, J. B. Brancker, R.
Hutchison,• George Arkle, E. Gibbon, A: Castellain, J.
Bate-son, L. R. Baily, John Swainson, M. Gregson, the
Itcv.'W. H. Denny, Drs. Steele and Turner,' &c.
The toasts of "The Queen," and "His Royal High-
ness the Prince Consort, the Prince of Wales, and the
rest of the Royal Family," which were proposedby the
chairman, were responded to with the usual enthusiasm,
and musical honours.
" The Church" 'was responded to by the Rev. W. H.
Denny. The rev. gentleman said—lf it should ever
happen that the parochial system and the Established
Church of this country should become extinct, and
there should be substituted for it a system by
which the inhabitants should be gathered
.together
in , masses called congregations, and that there
should be' no Established minister, to go about from
house to house—if such a time should ever come,
he believed it would be the most ruinous of all measures
which had been carried in this country ; and that then
indeed and,.in truth mould occur what Lord Eldon said
at a previous period had occurred, that " England's sun
had set." (Applause.)
Mr. JOHN R. HUGHES, the vice-president, proposed
in eloquent and warm.terms, " The Army and. Navy,"
which was heartily reSponded to, two of the choir,
engaged on the occasion, siniging the duett of "The
Flags of Britain" in capital styli,
The CHARIMAN, in proposing the toast of the evening,
said the Brotherly Blue-coat Society had, now had the
experience. of many years, .for they were now celebrating
the twenty-second anniversary of its formation. They
believed they had' done much good—nay, they were
sure they had been privileged to have been the means of
effecting much good.. Since the • year 1838, no less
than 980 boys had been the objects of the so-
ciety's care, and had been .visited; advised, and en-
couraged, and in those cases where it was necessary other
assistance had been rendered, which had proved to be
most timely. aid. (Hear, hear.) It had always appeared
to his mind to be one of the, noblest features of the
society that while they were contributing their subscrip-
tions in aid of its several objeets, they were doing so
from disinterested impulses. (Applause.) • They sought
the benefit, .not of themselves, 'but -of those of their
young friends who, like themselves' had been inmates of
this venerable institution. (Hear, hear.) They sought
to rise above all sordid considerations, and they thought
and felt and acted for others. At no-former period had
the operations of the society 'been on a more extended
scale than they had been during the last' year, and at no
period had there been a more ardent desiie to carry out
the useful principles upon which the society was founded
than at the present time. • (Applause.) Let them all
unite in heart and mind in. this great object.. Let them
carry out with zeal and efficiency these useful, though they
might be humble objects' for which the society 'was
founded, and then they would have, the satisfaction of
knowing that they had been engaged: in a useful and
laudable object. (Applause.) He begged of them all
to unite with him in the toast of " The Blue-coat
Brotherly Society, and may all its proceedings be
characterised by brotherly love."
The toast was drank with enthusiasm.

Mr. Moony., the secretary of the Society, responded to
the toast in a few pointed and appropriate remarks. He
enlarged on the great, amount of good effected by the
Society, and congratulated the company on the prOS-
perous position which the institution hfid attained.
The CHAIRMAN proposed "The health of the Wor-
shipful the Mayor," .a .toast whith was received with
hearty cheers. . .
His Wonsuip, in acknowledging the compliment said,
that though it gave,him great pleasure to be present in
his official capacity, yet he felt even a greater pleasure
in being present as one of thetnistees of that invaluable
institution, the Blueicoat. School, as a patron of that
excellent society, the Blue-coat Brotherly Society,
(Applause.) If one might be allowed to feel some pride
at being connected with the parent—and there were
few institutionsin the town of which they had a .greater
reason to be thoughtful—still that feelinmust be very
much increased when they saw its promising offspring,
whose 22nd anniversary , they, had met to celebrate.
(Applause.) : He felt persuaded that the;oommunity at
large Were not fully aware. of the value of ;this younger
institution. It appeared to him to be impossible to over-
estimate the benefits which such a society as this con-
ferred. The very wants which were felt by young
.per-
sons on being launched upon the ocean of life—the want
of advice and encouragement, and it might be sometimes
the want of a kindly:eaution or- a warning, or of some
little pecuniary asOstancg to citable them to start in life
—were . here all provided... (Hear, hear.) How many
owed their, success in life to this, and how many traced
their misfortune's to their being deprived of such assist-
ance ? He attributed the future success of many of the
boys to the operations„of this. society.- (Hear; hear.)
His worship concluded by :proposing the health of the
president, kr. Wood, in highly eulogistic language. .
Mr. WOoD, in returning thanks, expressed his hearty
desire to do all that was in his power to flitther the Blue-
coat Brotherly Seciety, and that noble institution--the
Blue-coat School.

F. ALFRED SIIITg proposed the 'next toast—" The
Trustees of tie Blue Coat Hospital,"' which was heartily
responded to.
Mr. ,BEANCIEER returned thanks on behalf of the
trustees.

Mr. E. GIBBON proposed " The health of Mr." and
Mrs. Forster," the former master and matron of the
hospital, which was drunk amidst hearty applause; and
responded to by Mr. Waken.

. -
Mr. BRAKELL, in conclusion, proposed—" The town
and trade of Liverpool," coupled with the name of Mr.
Charles Turner, the indefatigable anA talented chairman
of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board.
Mr. C. TURNER returned thanks, expressing his con-
viction that the Blue-coat Brotherly Society was one of

the most useful associations that could be farmed in the

The toast of " Kindred Societies," proposed by the
chairman; and "The Blue-coat Boy all over the world,"
concluded the proceedings of a most agreeable evening.

MINISTERIAL INCONSISTENCIES.

. .
The Morning herald thus expresses the
sistencies of Lord Palmerston and Lord John
Russell, as regards their commercial treaty with
France :—,,

AS recently as the 23rd of July, 1859, Lord Palmer-
ston thus expressed himself in regard to a proposition
made by Mr. Bright, almost identical with the condi-
tions of the new treaty :—" I concur with my noble
friend that it is not expedient for this country to enter
into a treaty of commerce with any, foreign country,
founded upon a mutual arrangement of tariffs. That
was.tried on a formeroccasioriby this country with very
little success. The country to which you offer such
advantages supposes that we gain some advantage our-
selves. The true policy is to make for your own advan-
tage such diminutions of your Customs duties as you
think are calculated to promote your own interest and
not that of foreign countries." And . what, is the
opinion of " my noble friend" Lord John Russell on
the same subject ? Alluding to the free-trade tendencies
of the Emperor of the French on the same occasion, he
says—" I should be very loth to enter into any sort of
correspondence which might induce the party—not very
large in this country, but very powerful and numerous
in France, the protectionist party—to say that their
government had been bartering away their industry and
the profits of their toil to give it to England. The
question was discussed years ago, and as a result the
late , Sir Robert Peel concluded that our plan with
regard to free-trade was to establish it ourselves when-
ever we thought it desirable, and that without any bar-
gain or stipulation with regard to reciprocity." This
is unmistakeab:e language, founded on a just apprecia-

tion of the complications likely to arise out of a com-
mercial treaty. between two such countries as France
and England. Six months have not elapsed since those
words were uttered. The noblemen who then spoke
hold the same places in January; -1860, which they held
in July, 1859, yet they now come forward with a'com-
mercial 'treaty. ratified without any appeal to the judg-
ment of Parliament, cobbled up indeed with so much
indecent haste as to suggest the inference that as a pro-
position it would never be accepted by the nation. Lord
Palmerston tell us eve are dealing with an exceptional
case. Where is the exception ? It was known in July,
1859, that modifications were to be introduced in the
French tariff in 1861. Neither. Lord Palmerston nor
Lord John Russell could have been ignorant of this
fact. What is' to be thought of the statesmanship of
Minister:, who, within six mouths, so far abandon the
very principles of the commercial policy with which
they are identified as to become, under no pressure from
without, not the acceptors, but the proposers of a com-
mercial treaty ?