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

Total

- .11111
sPeakihg in my hafinereriat r. Gacit¢.if I %%044
any assurance--which I never did, for I hepe I have
long known better—that men of imeginative pursuits
can co-°Pe"e
cg steadily and staunchly as any other
order of
men, I skald find it in the undeviating
punctuality, the regular crier, the forgetfulness of
self, and the consideration of others which, behind the
scenes, off the stage, in the here daylight, when the
1 lamps were out, and there wee 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 bare at heart, I shall find
it in the fact that every one of the three eminent
writers to whom we bed the high gratification of ren-
dering most timely assistance by our thoatrical per-
formances before the guild was devised, have since
been placed upon the pension list, -rid thee I know
with a delicste consideration for ;11,..‘:ir feelings most
truly afft,ctino• to themselves, and inost truly honour-
able to her Majesty and L,rd J. Russell. (C ters.)
I have now the great grdtifica•ion, with the
man's leave, of proposing to yon to drink " Pr %int:
rity to the Manchester /Übe! zearn."—((;neers.)
cannot disguise from you tba: I feel a kind of aro e,nt
godfatherly satisfaction in proposing the toast, for 1
can never forget that I haul the honour of presidia
over the first of its great twetingE.—(Cheers.) I ceie
never forget that I DM one of it,. honorary hie mein-
bere, and that my parchment of enrolment in that
capoity occupies a proud position upon my study
wall at house —(Cheers.) In short, I nen,eg to the
family, and I contemplate the family greateees to-
night with a glow of family pride.—(Cheer,.) Leong,
therefore, I most sincerely pray may the Manchester
Atheraeurn flourish, a pattern to the rising ento.rpr,
and energy of England, and a vigorous branch of Met
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 emblem
of the wonderful place in which it rears its head ; and
long may its young men, generously united to Ed
vance generous objects, render such faithful public
service as they have rendered to the Guild or Li-
terature and Art.—(Applause.) I beg to call upon
you to drink " Prosperity to the Manchester Aqua-
nwum."—(Cheers.)
Mr. ABSALOM WATKIN having responded,
Mr. T. FAIRBAIRN 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 BIRDSLEY expressed the great gratifi-
cation that he felt at being surrounded by many of
those distinguished persons Nebo bad 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. 118
said—Mr. Mayor and gentlemen, I feel it to be a
great honour to have mname associated with the
toast that has now been proposed,' " The periodical
press of England." There was a time, in my re-
membrance, when the periodical press of England was
diffusion and expectation not what it is now.
ectatTaito.n :es it
wasnowtaas tahintghinoo thatf f universal
n
confined to a few magazines and
the
reviews; it
ot
waswa a
thing that had not enteredz'
.s
chester. But when I nowspeak
literature of England, and see aowuhnod me those who
of the periodical
have directed and elevated it, and
it
into an instrument of great moral and socialb
ave
advance-
ment,
raised
Ido feel that it is a proud distinction
connected with that toast. Gentlemen,
if I understand
that toast rightly, by the periodical literature of Eg
land you mean literature which, distributed in small
portions, and at a cheap rate, finds its way into the
cottage, and into the garret, into the fac ory, and
into the reading-room ; upward—into the kitchen,
and then into the drawing-room ;—that literature
which has a universal diffusion.—(Hear, bear, and
applause.) This is the characteristic of the great
literature of this age. And when I see that it is
literature in that form which has had its last end 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 had 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 as very small beginning ; and there now goes
forward, in the parcels from the London booksellers,
which have grown throughout the land with infinite
ramifications, periodical literature for which the
people of England ply a million per annum. I speak
r.ot of that which is to come afterwards, "the press,"
—that is, the wAvspspers—hut I speak of the perio-
dical literature simply. It is a good thing, or it is
an evil fling. I do truly i2clieve it is a great thing.
I do believe that what is evil in it, and there is evil
in it, will be corrected by whit is good in it. I do
believe that the good will ez:ieguish 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
and mediocre h
tinelitoereantuinre,
key
yd toto
tmakehe
greatotr
treasures piserpiooodr nicaal at
body of the people, of the gof past times. It
o
cannot be said of the peoplef
Manchester, that—
" Knowledge to them her ample page,
Rich with the spoils of time did ne'er enrol."
That cannot be saidofManchester,
the people of ,
when you open the doors of your Free Librareh
beg to propose to you "The Free :Library of Man-
cheater. ,
Sir Joule POTTER responded to the toast.
Mr. FRANK STONE then proposed "Tae Town and
Trade of Manchester." and proposed
Mr. THOMAS BAZLEY responded,
vers. )
" The Press of this country." —(Lona el
Mr. ROBERT BELL responded%
as
the next toast
Mr. JAMES CROSSLEY prOpOsea
Researcn, connected with
" The Cause of Antiquarianning
ham."
the name of Mr. Peter
Cduwn ith much applause.
The toast was receiv_emim
briefly responded.
Mr. PETER Curer
"The Health of
sed "The Lancashire Witches,"
Mr. Caosseer pr_
added,
the Ladies
and Mr. POTTE.E
ted with us this evening," including
who were associa_
d other ladies he had the pleasure to
Mrs. Dickens and
see present received and drunk with great ap•
The Nast was
rause.
cc**any separstted about ten minutes to twelve
The
'clock-

[ADVEBTISESIENT.]—THE ROYAL EXHIBITION:A
newly-invented, very small powerful waistcoat
pocket glass, the size of a walnut, by which a person eat be
seen and known li miles distant ; they answer every purpose
en 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.—Te be had
at 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly, observe, opposite the
York-hotel. Telescopes—A new and most important in-
vention in Telescopes, possessing such extraordinary powers,
that some, 31 inches, with an extra eye piece, will
show distinctly, Jupiter's Moons, Saturn's Ring, and the
Double Stars. With the same Telescope, weighing only three
ounces, can be seen a person's countenance 31 miles distant,
and an object from 16 to 20 miles. They supersede every
other kind for the waistcoat pocket, and are of larger and all
sizes, with increasing powers accordingly. Opera and Ras-
course glasses, with wonderful powers ; an object 134.... Au B
clearly seen from 14 to 16 miles distant. Messrs. S. ""'" • .
Solomons, Opticians, have invented invaluable prese
Spectacle Lenses, immediately they are placed
feet vision, every object appears clear and distinct, ht
aged defective sight becomes bright and brilliant,
its youthful, nature, ami original state.
Or-
ganic Vibrator, and all kinds of Acoustic insttru
of extreme deafness.-39, Afficrmarlc-street,
,
serve, opposite the York Hotel.
CUSTONIS RFFoRM. —Oa Saturday
,6that
i Ear vpien!
teforet e
moit
is t9brought to
Ivisible "%lents for relief
Piccadilly, ob.
notice was pub-
liclythe Commissioners
given at the Custom House .
r 7ure in London under the
will be prepared in any ease of sei_nade t
o them in writing,
&c., may be desirous of
CanudAvonhes,reuitiholei
oef the merchants or other par-
to take the evidence on oat i
on the one side, and of the de-
ties claiming the propertytner, supported by that of any wit-
►
such a course, to appoint onei goods,
fothe members of the Board
oawlelireacti'c'tnhebeingdsl
taining officers ou the other,
for the proper investigation of
nesses that may be
of merchants.
the case, and to
agreeably to P
was also p
directions t
that whenever .
they are .
ts
agen , reportctice now observed in cases of complaints
necessary
the same for the Board's de hints
the
troathers against officers." A seechd notice
lined, to the effect that "the Board have issued
published,
officers of Customs of the United N.ingd.2l
r they seize or stop a vessel, boat, of gck'huZ
to furnish the owner, when he is known,
0.1
u 1.,.
with a written notice specifying the g
detention.