The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-27 00:00:00

EV .4!NING EDITION.

COFFEE AND EATING-HOUSE

KEEPERS' ASSOCIATION.

The Second Anniversary Festival of the Coffee and
Eating-House Keepers' Association took place yesterday
evening at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street. At six
O'clock about two hundred and fifty gentlemen sat down
to a very sumptuous dinner, served up in the usual
excellent style for which the London Tavern is so emi-
nently distinguished. The Right lien. Lctrd NuGENT
;:resided.
After the cloth had been removed, and " Non Noble
Domine" sung by Mr. Ransford and the professional
gentlemen present,
The Noble CHAIRMAN said that he would
not ask them to fill their glasses in proposing
the first toast upon his list, for it was one to which the
heart of every true Englishman would respond.—
(Cheers.) " God bless the Queen, and may she enjoy
a long and happy reign in the hearts, as well as upon
the throne, and in the affections of a loyal and free
p2ople."—(Tremendous cheering.)
The CHAIRMAN said be rose at that early hour of the
evening to claim their indulgence, although he knew
that he was committing an irregularity, inasmuch as he
was going to give a toast which was not set down in his
list. Although it was the second toast he gave, he
trusted it would not be second to any one in the
affections, in the principles, or in the enthusiasm of the
~:ntlemen whom he had the honour to address.—
( Hear, hear.) He was about to give them a toast,
0 rich was not the watchword of a party, but the deno-
miti.,tion of an honour—not the watch-word of a faction,
but ;he denomination of an authority. It was a toast,
which in these times would be received with equal re-
et at the Court, at the table of the aristocracy, or
if, the assemblages of the democracy themselves—
., People of England.—(Cheers.) He was going
to ;ive a toast which he bad always drank with the
.test pleasure and enthusiasm. It was that power
1-,me which all power and authority was derived—the
l'e,ple.—(Loud cheers.) " The People, the true source
of legitimate power."
The toast was drank with loud and enthusiastic

Glee---" Merrily goes the bark."
(
The CHAIRMAN, after an appropriate tribute to the
elrtues of the illustrious individual to whom he al-
luded, gave " Her Majesty the Queen Dowager."—
(Much cheering.)
Mr. Lloyd sang "My Friend and Pitcher," in
beeutiful style, which elicited great applause.
The CHAIRMAN then gave " Her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Kent, and the rest of:the Royal Family
ii: England."---(Vehement cheering.)
The CHAIRMAN said he would now give them a
toast, which would, he believed, be most warmly re-
ceived. He would give them the health of the Patron
of the Institution, the Duke of Sussex—(Great cheer-
ing)—the last of their courtly toasts—not the last, for
he hoped as long as the good and great were esteemed,
the health of the Duke of Sussex would be re-
ceived with acclamation and applause.—(Loud cheers.)
His Royal Highness had long condescended to
honour him (Lord Nugent) with his friendship,
and had uniformly distinguished himself by his advocacy
of the rights of the people.—(Cheers.) He had ever
been the patron of literature and charity, and all that
could advance the true interests of a county in benevo-
lence, information, and industry.—(Loud cheers.) If
he was not that day amongst them, it was owing to the
I advance of a life spent in the public service ; and he would
1 ' add, the least benefited of all the branches of the Royal
Family, for whom the people of that country had done so
much. Would be say he was an ill-used man ? Ob,
ne, for he had received his best and purest reward in
the hearts and good wishes and affections of the people
of England. He would give them without further pre-
face " The health of their illustrious Patron, his Royal
Highness the Duke of Sussex, long life, and may God
bless him."
The toast was received with tremendous and renewed
bursts of applause.
The CHAIRMAN said he remembered many years
ago a person well known for his convivial habits and
his great liberality at his own table. When he was
no more, a high compliment was paid him, and the com-
pliment having passed, the complimenter said—" But we
feel that nothing can equal his deserts." The answer
was—" No ; nothing except his dinners."--(Laugh-
ter.) They had their desserts before them, let
them not forget the deserts of others. He
begged to give them a toast, which required
no preface. Good wine needed it not, and he would
give them the health of the " President and Vice-Presi-
dent of the Association."
I Drank with enthusiasm.
i Mr. HOMPHRRYS, the President of the Association,
s.ia he was deeply sensible and grateful for the honour
I which had been conferred upon him and his colleagues.
Ile had no further ambition than to receive their appro-
bation for his exertions for the good of the Association. It
i 13.4 ever been his pride and desire to do all in his
1, power to extend the usefulness of the Association, of
which he felt proud'and most honoured in being the
\
President.—(Cheers.) It. had ever since the institu-
tion of the Association Veen his most anxious desire—
A MEMBER—Speak out.
1). lr.HustrHaEvs—lf that gentleman was in his place,
he would find it difficult to speak at all.—(Loud
che .rs and laughter.) His whole thoughts had always
bee. for the advancement of the Society.—(Cheers.)
lie was glad to find so many of the trade present upon
the second anniversary of the Institution. Without
tic: it assistance the Committee would be able to effect
nothing, and lie called upon those who were present to
do all in their power to induce the majority of the
Eating-House Keepers to join their Society.—(Loud
cheers.) He called upon them to carry out the ob-
jrets of the Society, and he had no doubt their
( xertions would be gratifying even to themselves.
He trusted they would excuse him for being
unable fully to express his sentiments upon the
occasion, but he could assure them that to the last
moment of his life he would ever feel grateful, and
proud, and sensible of the honour which had been con-
ferred upon him.—(Cheers.)
Mr. DEACON, the Vice President, said he also was
very deeply impressed with the honour which had been
conferred upon him, and it would incite him to do all
!n his power towards the advantage of the Asso-
ciation—it had always been his proudest duty
to do so. He hoped the Eating-House Keepers
would join them cordially, and every one who in-
tlueed them to do so would do a benefit to the Asso-
ciation.—(Cheers.)
Mr. Slornan gave a most excellent improvisatore de-
scription of the whole proceedings of the evening. It
was received with much applause.
Mr. HUMPHREYS, in a highly eulogistic speech, pro-
posed the health of a Nobleman, whose whole life had
been siicnt in the service of the people. He would
give the health of their Noble Chairman, Lord Nugent.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks. He might envy
any man who could adequately address them, after the
enthusiastic manner in which his health had been re-
euived, but he could assure them he would not exchange
the feeliegs he then experienced with those of any man.
It was very gratifying to him to be called upon to preside
, ver a meeting like the present, instituted for the pur-
apse of establishing a public and diffusive charity—
a public and diffusive benevolence by the apportioning
of some portion of their surplus wealth in prosperity,
which would provide a refuge for those of their body
who might hereafter become destitute. Their body was
one entitled to the respect and gratitude of the country
—it diffused refreshment and comfort at a cheap rate to
a urge body of the public, affording at the same time
intbrmation and instruction on every literary and politi-
e.il matter which fitted men for the business of private
lit;, of commercial life, and which qualified them
fee the important statons which they were
cried on to fill as the free citizens of a great and intelli-
ge ,t country. Twenty-five years ago Coffee-houses
te ~ unknown in that or any other country—within
he: that period their number had been doubled, and
tl.er, ! were now upwards of 2,000 in London.--(Hear,
herr.) In these houses upwards of 9,000 daily papers,
bcsitles other periodicals, were taken in, affording cheap
and wholesome information and nourishment to those
whose habits and feelings unfitted them from enjoying
t: a, steam of a drinking house, or the intoxication
c fermented liquors.—(Great cheering.) Each of
t -4e houses had on an average two hundred
e - readers, and from that statement some idea might
b. :ermed of the numbers who visited these places,
were both information and refreshment were pro-
vit 'd at the lowest conceiveable charge—lower than
he (Lord N.) could have formed any idea of. Out
of the small profits of a cup of coffee and a penny roll
t''.e heads of these establishments could afford to lay
out three, four, and five hundred pounds a year in the
purchase of papers and periodicals.—(Hear, hear.)
'nese details would afford the public some insight
into the advantages derived from these institutions.—
(Cheers.) He was going down Holborn Hill the
other day, when he saw on s public-house an announce-
ment of " Reasonable gin offered upon the most mode-
rate terms, and on the most moderate principles, at
half a pint each."—(Great laughter.) Now, gin as a
medicine might be very good—conviviality might
be excited by good wine—but he would say that
those who preferred literature and intellectual en-
joyment
would be always ready to advocate the
interests of . the present Association.—(Cheers.)
He thought he had made out a strong case in favour of
the Institution, the success of which he was then advo-I
eating. It was an Institution which marked the march
of a free Government reposing itself upon public opinion,
which was the safest, the surest, and the only legitimate
ground on which to rest. There was one thing which
was wanted—Education.—(Cheers.) He hoped the As-
sociation would soon be able to rival in a good cause
other and m
they Nould more
pompous establishments He hoped
'educatioa of
fiolein be enabled to establish schools for the
they might bet enabled to
generation—(Cheers)—so that
tore provided for them to partake of the feast of litera-
, house Keepers. He hoped
by the Coffee-house and Eatine,--
ope j the institution would flourish,
not only for the sake those he saw around bin!,
but for the sake of the
great
Let the Society provide population of England.
means for their understand-