The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-16 00:00:00

ROYAL LITERARY FUND.

The annual general meeting of this society was held
on Wednesday at the Society's Rooms, in Great Russell-
street, Bloomsbury. The attAidance of members was
unusually numerous in consequence of a rumour that
some influential literary, men intended to offer serious
objections to the constitution and management of the
society. Among the members present were—Sir R. H.
Inglis, Sir Bulwer Lytton, M.P., the Very Rev. the
Dean of St. Paul's, Sir H. Ellis, the Rev. Dr. Croly,
Mr. C. Dickens, Mr. B. B. Cabbell, Mr. C. Dilke, Sir
J. Forbes, Mr. W. Dilke, Mr. W. Tooke, Dr. Arnott,
Mr. Godwin, Mr. C. Baldwin, Dr. Roget, Professor
Graham, Mr. P. Cunningham, Mr. J. Murray, Mr.
Longman, Mr. J. W. Parker, Mr. Colburn, Mr. Bent-
ley, Mr. Chapman, Mr. Bohn, Mr. Birch, Mr. Pickers-
gill, R.A., Mr. Hardwicke, R.A., Dr. W. Smith, Mr.
Panizzi, Mr. Colley Grattan, Mr. J. Forster, Sir C. P.
Roney, Mark Lemon, &c.
Sir R. H. Inglis was voted into the chair.
After the statement of the accounts had been read, on
the motion that the thanks of the society be voted to the
auditors,

Mr. C. DILKE said that at the anniversary dinner of
1853 the chairman of that dinner, illustrating the advan-
tages of the Literary Fund, quoted three cases in which
aid had been afforded to men of learning and genius, but
he had been obliged to go back into the last century for
his examples. He even believed that these parties had
been relieved 20 years before the founder of this society
(Mr. David Williams) died, and more than 20 years
before the society had a corporate existence. He should
now say a few words as to the economy with which
this benevolence was granted. In 1802 it was stated in
a report issued by the secretary that all the offices were
discharged gratuitously except those of collector and
messenger, and it was very natural that it should be so.
It was the policy of the founder that all the offices of
the society should be gratuitously filled, and when, in
1805, he had collected a sum of 6,0001., and when the
income of the society was 8001. a-year, the Prince Re-
gent was asked to give the society a place of abode near
the Palace. The founder contemplated that any house
or museum which might be given to the society should
contain a library of books and manuscripts, and should
attract the subscribers as to a common centre of com-
munication and action. The founder hoped that the in-
stitution might one day become a col!eae for decayed
and superannuated genius—the mostpitiable of all ob-
jects. If that common centre for literary men and pub-
lishers had been established, it would have been one of
the most beneficial things to literature and to literary
men that ever was projected. (Hear, hear.) The
Prince Regent did net give the society a house near
the Palace, but a sum of 2301. per annum was, by
his direction, charged upon the revenues of the duchy
of Cornwall to defray the expenditure for a house,
and the taxes. At the death of George IV. that
grant ceased, and now the society took its rank with
some others, and received an annual donation of 100
guineas from the Crown. The society had a great room
which was only used nine times a-year by the committee.
In IS4O the duties of the registrars were set down, and
it was arranged that a registrar should attend every
general meeting of the council and the general commit-
tee, that they should take minutes of the business trans-
acted and of the orders made at each meeting, and that
they should superintend the correspondence of the
society. Now, if the registrars performed that duty
without remuneration, what was there for any one else
to do ? The committee met nine times a-year. There
were three registrars, and, if they divided the labours
between them, each registrar would have three meetings
to attend, each meeting occupying about two hours.
The first assistance which the registrars applied for was
a clerk at 401. per annum. The clerk had now grown
to a secretary, and the 401. a-year had become 200/.,
while the same duty had been for years performed for
the Artists' General Benevolent fund for 50/. The com-
mittee ef that society met in a room at the Freemasons'
Tavern, which they paid for, and thus avoided a charge
for house-rent, and, as the committee met twelve times
a-year, the remuneration to the secretary of the Ar-
tists' Fund was 4/. 4s. a-day, which he thought ample.
He knew that the comparison he had before instituted
between the Literary Fund and the Artists' Benevolent
Fund had been met by the answer that this was a
fund for the relief of members subscribing to another
fund for the widows and orphans of members,
and, therefore, that no preliminary inquiry was
necessary. Now, he could not admit that dis-
tinction, for, if the committee of the Literary Fund pro-
perly represented the literary character of this country,
they would have some knowledge of men of genius and
learning, and he could not therefore admit the necessity
for this previous inquiry which led to so large an expen-
, diture of the society's funds. But he would give up the
Artists' BenevolontFund, and ho would take theArtists'
General Benevolent Fund, between which and the Lite-

racy Fund there was no difference whatever. That fund
was subscribed for artists generally, and he was sure
there was as much difficulty of inquiry in the one case as
the other. Collector's poundage (a per centage on the
money collected), advertisements, and expenses attend-
ing the anniversary dinner—charges which involved
questions of policy and management, and were therefore
open to discussion—he had omitted, and the comparison
was confined to the cost, in each case, of like .things ;
salary with salary, rent with rent, miscellaneous with
miscellaneous. Mr. alike proceeded to read the follow-
iug summary :
LITERARY FUND, ARTISTE; BENEVOLENT FUND.
Applicants relieved at a cost Applicants relieved at a cost
of— of-
-1844, 31 ... £535 610 55 £OO 17 9
1845, 3S ... 486 16 2 43 ... ... 82 810
1846, 46 ... 515 13 7 42 87 711
1847, 38 ... 504 5 9 55 106 19 2
1848, 50 ... 498 11 10 54 86 6 0
1849, 41 ... 527 18 4 57 ... 88 8 5
1850, 35 ... 496 11 0 69 86 13 8
1851, 51 ... 528 14 6 63 ... $8 8 4
1852, 49 ... 513 17 8 56 101 13 8
1853, 47 ... ... 506 4 5 65 8 14 4

429 £5,094 0 1 559 A;904 17 1
(Cheers.) In other words, every draught drawn for the
benefit of applicants for the society's aid cost 11/. 175.,
in addition to the sum voted by the committee for their
relief. (Hear.) He moved the following resolution :
" That, whereas during the 10 years from 1841 to 1853,
both inclusive, the cost of assisting 429 applicants to the
Literary Fund amounted to 5,0941. Os. ld. (exclusive of
collector's poundage, advertisements, and expenses attend-
ing the anniversary dinner) ; and whereas the cost of assist-
ing 559 applicants to the Artists' General Benevolent Fund,
within the same 10 years, amounted to 9011. 17s. ld. (also
exclusive of collector's poundage, advertisements, and ex-
penses attending the anniversary dinner) ; this meeting is
of opinion that the expenses of managing the Literary
Fund are unreasonable and enormous, and that a great
change must be made in the administration of its affairs."
The CHAIRMAN asked if the resolution was an amend-
ment to the motion before the meeting, or was proposed
as a substantive resolution ?
Mr. DILKE did not wish to cast any imputation upon
the auditors, and wished his resolution to be added to
the thanks to the auditors.
Sir B. LYTTON seconded Mr. Dilke's resolution.
The Rev. Dr. RUSSELL did not think it fair to adduce
the rent of the Society's chambers as a sum withheld
from the claimants. The payment of a secretary was,
he thought, fairly justified by the result. The secretary
bestowed a great deal of labour in obtaining the money
which formed the society's income. The amount re-
ceived in 1854 in subscriptions, donations, &c., was
1,1261.—a result which was obtained in consequence of
the letters sent out by the secretary. This society was
regarded throughout the world as the representative of
the general interests of literature, and its annual meet-
ings had an interest truly national. The committee did
not like, from motives of delicacy, to specify those who
had been the objects of the society's bounty, although
they knew them to be deserving. Deducting altogether
the cost of the maintenance of the house, which he held
to be a part of the concern, he then came to the question
of the payment of the secretary. Now, was he to be
paid at all, and, if so, did he receive an excessive salary ?
The-society must have some gentleman to live in thom
eir
house to manage their correspondence, and to whom
persons who came for information could be referred. Mr.
Dilke said the rooms were only wanted nine times a year,
but how wary times a year did literary persons come to
consult with Mr. Blewitt upon cases of distress ! Not
nine times a year, but every day in the year, and he
never came to the society's rooms without seeing some
one coming in or going out upon the business of the
society. He did not think that the secretary was over-
paid
by the sum he received, and he was, therefore, at
a loss to perceive how any fair charge of extravagance
could be alleged against the society.
The CHAIRMAN put the question, when there appeared
for Mr. Dilke's motion, 28 ; against It, 32.
The motion was therefore lost.
Thanks were then voted to the auditors and the regis-
trars.
Previously to balloting for the president, vice-presi-
dents, and officers of the society,
Mr. W. DILn said that he should not be supposed to
make this a personal question hewhen
his opinion that the high office of president, now filled
by the Marquis of Lansdowne, ought to be filled, a
question of principle, by the most distinguished literarysa
and scientific men who were subscribers to the institu-
tion. He accordingly moved that Mr. H. Hallam be
selected to fill the office.
The Dean of ST. PAUL'S—Have you received the con-
sent of Mr. Hallam to this proposal I
Mr. W. DILYE had not sought the consent of any
gentleman.
The CHAIRMAN stated that the proper course of pro-
ceeding was for each gentleman to hand up his ballot-
paper, when the name of any officer of the institution
could be erased and any other substituted in its place.
Mr. C. DICKENS was one who held that this society
should be entirely in the hands of literary and scientific
men, and that no other human being bad any business
with it. The committee had favoured the meeting with
the names of those whom they proposed, and he called
upon the chairman to real the names of those whom he
and his fr'ends proposed.
The CHAIRMA.N said that if any gentleman had yester-
day laid upon the table his list there would have been no
objection on the part of the committee to receive it and
print it. The balloting-paper had " ample space and