The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-29 00:00:00

guest that he was on the threshold of bleak Novem-

ber.

The most sanguine of the stewards had not

expected more than three hundred visitors, but the
fineness of the day, the contemplated presence of
royalty, and the deep interest taken by the commercial
community in the institution, combined to swell the
company to nearly double that number ; so that, as
the dinner hour approached, something very like short
commons was apprehended by the more hungry of
the visitors. That calamity was, however, happily
avoided, through the elasticity of the commissariat de-
partment, which was found quite equal to the unexpected
inroad, and sent every one back to town perfectly satis-
fied with the entertainment. His Royal Highness Prince
Albert arrived shortly after one o'clock from Windsor,
and the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor nearly at the same

was proposed.)
Mr. G. Moons, having first thanked the company for
the very warm manner in which his health had
been received, begged leave to offer a few observations
upon what was after all the real business of the day.
Having glanced at the early history of the institution,
he said that the building in which they stood was a
great fact, which would last after their children's chil-
dren, but was, at the same time, one in which the orna-
mental had been throughout made subordinate to the use-
ful. He also congratulated the company on the circum-
stance that the actual expense had not very considerably
exceeded the origihal estimate. They had expected the
building would have cost 15,0001.—it had cost more than
20,0001. ; but then their contracts had to be made at a
time when there was a great and sudden rise in the price
of labour and materials. (Hear.) Any excess, however,
in the cost of the building was fully compensated for by
the advantageous terms on which they had acquired their
land, having obtained 25. acres for 2,0001., a capital in-
vestment, for which the society was mainly indebted to
Captain Huish, who sat near him. (Cheers.) The diffi-
culty under which they now, laboured was the finding of
the last 5,0001., and he trusted that the liberality of that
evening would very much diminish the difficulty. (Hear.)
Let the building be once paid for, and every gentleman
and lady present might rest assured that the institution
would go on prosperously from that day forward.
They had 15,3381. invested, from which they derived
an income of 6001. a year, and this, with the Annual
subscription, would be amply sufficient, for be it remem-
bered that the commercial body formed no mean ele-
ment in the wealth and resources of this country.
hear.) They bad at present 142 children in the school,
and in December would elect in as many as the funds
would admit of, for now there was happily no excuse on
the score of room. As the institution took care of the
children from the age of seven to fifteen years, very few,
of course, had left during the first seven years, but now
the admissions and discharges would go on more regu-
larly, and there was this peculiar advantage in their
schools, that after the pupils were discharged they had
an almost certainty of future employment amongst the
commercial body, as who would not exert himself to
promote the welfare of a deceased colleague's orphan ? It
had ofte❑ been said, and he confessed he had sometimes
said it himself, that it was impossible to get the com-
mercial body to combine for any useful purpose, but be
was happy to say that their schools formed an exception
to that rule ; for although the employers had certainly
done something, it was mainly to the commercial travel-
lers themselves they were indebted for support. (Hear,
hear.) Having again urged the company to promote the
building fund, and warned commercial travellers that
they would be looked upon as the black sheep of "the
road " if they neglected the orphans of their deceased
brethren, Mr. Moore made a special appeal to the
ladies, who, he said, might become life governors at
half the sum fixed for gentlemen, and proceeded
gratefully to acknowledge the support the institution
had received in Liverpool, Manchester, and Bristol. In
conclusion, he congratulated the company on the fact
that the whole of the arrangements of the building had
been approved of by Prince Albert, who had been good
' enough to say that he had obtained a great many vain-
' able hints for the Wellington College of which his Royal
Highness was governor. His Royal Highness had also
given the munificent donation of 100 guineas, and had
consented to become the patron of the institution.
' A list of subscriptions was then read, and the contents
of the purses announced, the whole amounting to nearly
2,0001. One of the largest donations was from Mrs.
Cuffiey, of Birmingham, whose purses exceeded 2001.
The remaining toasts on the chairman's list were then
disposed of, and the company separated. The musical
arrangements were under the direction of Mr. F. Mori,
and Mr. Harker was the toast-master,

THE HIGH PRICE OP BREAD.

TUMULTUOUS MEETING IN HYDE-PARK.

Some time since Sir Richard Mayne, the chief com-
missioner of the metropolitan police, as well as the Se-
cretary of State for the Home Department, were found
fault with for interfering with what was termed
the liberty of her Majesty's subjects, and a grave
question, it will be remembered, arose, not only
out of doors, but also at the special committee appointed
by the House of Commons, as to whether the Govern-
ment ought or even had the power of preventing large
assemblages of persons from meeting in what is termed
the people's park.
The result of the special commission is not at present
known, but whatever it may be quite sufficient trans-
pired yesterday to show that unle,,s the police are em-
powered to nip these gatherings in what is teohnica.lly
termed the " bud," it is impossible to tell to what extent
mischief may be carried out.
As was generally understood, the meeting took place
at three o'clock yesterday afternoon in Hyde-park, on
the green sward between Kensington-gardens acd the
Royal Humane Society's receiving-house.
The various delegates appointed at the previous meet-
ing on Sunday last were in attendance to give their re-
ports, and to state what the millers said should be the
market price of flour during the ensuing winter ; but
upon the chairman commencing to explain what would
in all probability be the price of the flour, and conse-
quently the charge of the 41b. loaf, a scene of indescrib-
able confusion took place, and loud cries of "No mono-
poly" ensued. Order, however, was soon restored, when
a man standing at the rear of the chairman moved that
those who could not hear should be allowed to hold two,
three, or four separate meetings in different parts of the
park. Without putting the resolution to a show of
hands four meetings were formed.

One of the speakers began by stating that Sir Benja-
min Hall was no doubt a good man, and much respected
up to the time he brought into Parliament his new bill,
which, having now passed the Legislature, every one was
enabled to see was calculated to carry out nothing more
nor less than class legislation. (Rear.) Would it be
believed by that meeting that in order to be qualified to
become a vestryman under Sir Benjamin's bill he must
be rated at—he could not say whether it was 301. or 401.
per year. (Cries of " Shame," and " Let us go and see
him," and " We will make him alter his bill, if not we
will serve his house as we did Bobby Grosvenor's.")
Another fellow (for no other appellation can be ap-
plied to him) cried out, "I know where Sir Benjamin
Hall lives ; come with me and I'll show you what to do."
In a moment a tremendous mob, probably 800 persons,
followed this misguided man towards South-street-gate,
leading across Park-lane, when, to their astonishment,
they espied two police constables on horseback, with
cutlasses at their sides. This at once struck terror into
their minds, but the officers passing along quickly the
mob made for the mansion at the corner of the street,
and would no doubt have riddled the place had the same
officers not returned at a sharp trot.
It should, however, be stated that Sir Benjamin did
not reside in the house, and the majority of the police,
although kept out of sight, bat located in the neighbour.
hood, would have been quite sufficient to quell auy dis-
turbance of such magnitude. The officers on horseback
rode backward and forward, and eventually succeeded in
clearing Park-lane and South-street of the populace,
when two respectably•dressed men were seen near the
Victoria-gate' and the snob at once made an onslaught
upon them, for what cause could not be learned ; hut
one thing is quite certain, that the parties commenced
pelting the gentlemen and they shouted "Down with
the spies !" and had it not been for Police Sergeant N
5 of the division, who protected the two at the moment
stones and clods were g beir plentifully thrown about,
they might have been killed.i
The mob then started eff in the direction of Mayfair,
and having reached Curzon-street commenced smashing
the windows. Another Part of the crowd took South-
street, and pelted a public-house, breaking one or two
of the windows, and nearly killing a gentleman who was
writing in the parlour. The destruction of property,
however, was far more serious in the neighbourhood of
May-fair, and would have been still greater had it not
been for the timely arrival of the police.
Several persons were taken into custody, two by Mr.
Inspector Jackson of the D division ; but there is too
much reason to believe that the principal ringleaders
have escaped, and there is no doubt but their object was
simply to get up disturbances to perpetrate robberies, as
several persons bad their pockets picked, and it was
stated that an inspector of police, in plain clothes, well
known for his discrimination in detesting offenders, had
been robbed of some amount of money whilst !listening
to the speakers in the crowd.
By eight o'clock last night the parks and the streets
adjacent began to assume their usual state of quietude,
but the police were wisely kept in reserve in case of a
fresh outoreak.
The conduct of the police cannot be spoken too highly