The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-02 00:00:00

Total

[P ,ICE SD.

speaking in my managerial capacity—if I wanted
any assurance--which I never did, for I hope I have
long known better—that men of imaginative pursuit%
can co-operate as steadily and staunchly as any other
order of men, I should find it in the undeviating
punctuality, the regular order, the forgetfulness of
self, and the consideration of others which, behind the
scenes, off the stage, in the bare daylight, when the
lamps were out, and there was no gilding on the gin-
gerbread, knit our little association together in most
unusual ties. And if I wanted any assurance from
you that we are not likely to be very wrongheaded or
mistaken in the objects we have at heart, I shall find
it in the fact that every one of the three eminent
writers to whom we had the high gratification of ren-
dering most timely assistance by our theatrical per-
formances before the guild was devised, have since
been placed upon the pension list, and that I know
with a delicate consideration for their feelings most
truly affecting to themselves, and most truly honour-
able to her Majesty and Lord J. Russell.—(Cheers.)
I have now the great gratification, with the chair-
' man's leave, of proposing to you to drink " Prospe-
rity to the Manchester Athenaeum." —(Cheers.) I
cannot disguise from you that I feel a kind of ardent
godfatherly satisfaction in proposing the toast, for I
can never forget that I had the honour of presiding
over the first of its great meetings.—(Cheers.) I can
never forget that I am one of its honorary life mem-
bers, and that my parchment of enrolment in that
capacity occupies a proud position upon my study
wall at home.—(Cheers.) In short, I belong to the
family, and I contemplate the family greatness to-
night with a glow of family pride.--(Cheers.) Long,
therefore, I most sincerely pray may the Manchester
Athenaeum flourish, a pattern to the rising enterprise
and energy of England, and a vigorous branch of that
great social tree which, under the name and form of
such institutions, has happily for all sorts and condi-
tions of men struck its roots deep into this land. Long
may political divisions and party dissensions be forgot-
ten here, and very long may my old friend Mr. Crosby,
in the character of an allegorical lion, lie down with
the Radical in the form of an allegorical lamb on this
peaceful neutral ground.—(Laughter and applause.)
Long, very long, may the Manchester Athenaeum in-
crease and prosper, work and strive—a noble tmblem
of the wonderful place in which it rears its head ; and
long may its young men, generously united to ad
vance generous objects, render such faithful pyblie
service as they have rendered the GuiteL4Viell- •
terature and Art.—(Applause.) I beg to call upon
you to drink " Prosperity to the Manchester Athe-
naeum."—(Cheers.)
Mr. ABSALOM WATKIN having responded,
Mr. T. FAIEBAIRN proposed the next toast,
" Science and the Fine Arts. In proposing the
toast, he mentioned the names of Mr. A. Egg and
Mr. F. Stone. The latter gentleman returned
thanks.
Dr. JAMES BAHMLBY expressed the great gratifi-
cation that he felt at being surrounded by many of
those distinguished persons who had shed so much
lustre upon, and had imparted so much value and
leaven to, the periodical literature of this country.
He would, with their permission, without further pre-
face, give the toast of " Prosperity to the Periodical
Literature of England."
Mr. CHARLES KNIGHT responded to the toast. lie
said—Mr. Mayor and gentlemen, I feel it to be
great honour to have my name associated with the
toast that has now been proposed, " The periodical
press of England." There was atime, in my re-
membrance, when the periodical press of England was
a
not what it is now. It was not thing. of universal
diffusion and expectation : it was a
that was
confined to a few magazines and reviews;t mg
thing that had not entered into the heart it
tf
wasa
Man-
chester. But when I now speak of the
oPeriodicals
literature of Englaud, and see around me
have directed and elevated it, and who have raisede who
lt
into an instrument of great moral and social advance-
ment, Ido feel that it is a proud distinction to be
connected with that toast. Gentlemen, if I understand
that toast rightly, by the periodical literature of Eng_
land you mean literature which, distributed in small
portions, and at a cheap rate, finds its way into bee
cottage, and into the garret, into the factory, and
into the reading-room ; upward—into the kitchen,
and then into the drawing-room ;—that literature
which has a universal diffusion.—(Hear, hear, and
applause.) This is the characteristic of the great
literature of this age. And when I see that it is
literature in thatform which hashed its lest and noblest
currency from the hands of my dear friend, Charles
Dickens, I do say it is a proud thing to respond to
this toast. Doubtless I bad something to do with this
great current literature, but I have not aspired to
make it such an instrument and agency. 1 worked
with humbled materials. It is some twenty years
since the "Penny Magazine" came into this town,
and I believe I did some good.—(Loud cheers.) It
is not without a feeling of awe that I have looked for
some time upon what is the characteristic of the
periodical literature of the present day. I have seen
it from a very small beginning ; and there now gees
for waid, in the parcels from the London booksellers,
which have grown throughout the land with infinite
ramifications, periodical literature for which the
people of England pay a million per annum. I speak
not of that which is to come afterwards, " the press,"
—that is, the newspapers—hut I speak of the perio-
dical literature simply. It is a good thing, or it is
an evil thing. I do truly believe it is a great thing.
I do believe that what is evil in it, and there is evil
in it, will be corrected by what is good in it. I do
believe that the good will extinguish the evil, and
that the periodical literature of England, which I
have to speak of, will be an emblem of the growing
refinement and educated spirit of the nation. Gen-
tlemen, I cannot speak of literature without associat-
ing with it the great object in connexion with which
I have the honour to be your guest this day. I do
believe, if there is anything to be deplored in our
periodical literature—if there is anything that is
wanting in its character—if there is anything that
has a tendency to lower the moral feeling of England,
it is this : that there are some men who are so pressed
by their necessities and their position, that they are
ready to do any work that is presented to them in
the shape of mere hireling service. If there be an
institution which is to rescue such men from their
unfortunate condition, and to rouse them to feel the
great responsibility that every man ought to know
that he wields—it is an institution which shall place
them in independence, and say to them, " For God's
sake, never degrade yourselves by writing against
your conscience, for a mere venial payment of your
pen," which shall extend to these men some effectual
relief. We should teach the people to discard all that
is poor and mediocre in literature, and to make our
periodical literature the opening key to the great
body of the people, of the treasures of past times. It
cannot be said of the people of Manchester, that—
" Knowledge to them her ample page, "
Rich with the spoils of time did nc'er nereb
es h ter
That cannot be said of the People of tirraryi
when you open the doors of your Free
beg to propose to you "The Free 'Library of Man-
chester."
The Town and
Sir JOHN POTTER responded totheo toast.
Mr. FRANK STONE then proposed
Trade of Manchester."
responded, and proposed
Mr. TuomAs BAZLEnTtry.”—(Loud cheers.)
"The Press of this country"—(Loud
ponded.
Mr. ROBERT
Soy ET proposed as the next toast
Mr. JAMES
fir.
Research, connected with
" The Cause o' pacer Cunningham."
the name of Dia_r;
received with much applause.
ThepastswClllllclNGHAM briefly responded.
Mr. °rE- .yproposed " The Lancashire Witches,"
Mr. Goose-
d Mr. PoTTN.e. padded, " The Health of the Ladies
50associated with us this evening," including
werewho
Mrs. nickens and other ladies he bad the pleasure to
see present.
The toast was received and drunk with great ap-
plause.
The company separdted about ten minutes to twelve
o'clock.

[ADVERTISEMENT.)—THE ROYAL EXIIIIIITIOA.---A
valuable, newly-invented, very small powerful waistcoat
pocket glass, the size of a walnut, by which a person cab be
seen and known lit miles distant ; they answer every purpose
on the Race-course, at the Opera-houses ; country scenery
and ',ships are clearly seen at 12 to 14 miles; they are in-
valuable for shooting, deer stalking, yachting, to Sports-
men, Gentlemen, Gamekeepers, and Tourists.—To be bad
at 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly, observe, opposite the
York-hotel. Telescopes—A new and most important in-
vention in Telescopes, possessing such extraordinary power!:
that some, 3 inches, with an extra eye piece,
_, Will
show distinctly, Jupiter's Moons, Saturn's Ring, and
Double Stars. With the same Telescope, weighing "1.1 lan—t
ounces, can be seen a person's countenance 3i mil"
and an object from 16 to 20 miles. They supersede Inger
ai
other kind for the waistcoat pocket, and are of larger and
sizes, with increasing powers acoordingly,
course glasses, with wonderful powers;
.1./1
clearly seen from 14 to 16 miles distant: lu
Solomons, Opticians, have invented
Spectacle Lenses, immediately they are
feet vision, every object appears iear an
aged defective sight becomes bright
its youthful, natural, and originalA state.
Or-
game Vibrator, and all kinds...
ratar
of extreme deafness.-39_:_.A. te
0.F...7 .. be
rs•S. and B.
'3l
laced before imper-
rinable preserving
a distinct, the most
e and brilliant, is brought to
The Invisible Or-
of Acoustic instruments for relief
le-street, Piccadilly, ob-
serve, opposite the York .IPI Le
—oa Saturday notice was pub-
liclyCuSTOMS REFORasPito•in
House " that the Commissioners
given at the C
v case of seizure in London under the
will be prepared in
lrcnalinn being made to them in writing.
Customs, upon anPer
_r the
o,goods, &c., may be desirous of
and where the ow:ppoint one of the members of the Board
such a course,
to take the evidteeace on oath of the merchants or other par-
the property on the one side and of the de-
ties claiming
officers on the other, supported by 'that of. any wit-_
taining
andaay be necessary for the proper investigation ot-
nesses t
the eiT, to report the same for the Board's decision,
ly to the practice now observed in cases of complaints
agreeably A
and others against officers."
of inerchan • e Board have issued
was also published, to the effect that .‘ the A sec( rid notice.
United Kingd( m
directions to the officers of Customs of the
1, boat, or goods,
1 that whenever they seize or stop a areeis known, or his
P
; they are to furnish the owner, wh.en.
the grounds of the
agents, with a written notice specifying
detention."