The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-15 00:00:00

NEWSPAPER PRESS BENEVO-

LENT ASSOCIATION.

The second anniversary dinner of this Association took
place on Saturday at the Freemasons' Tavern. The hall
presented a brilliant appearance, not a little owing to
the presence of ladies at the table, the usual regulation
of confining them to a gallery being most prudently de-
parted from. The arrangements were in every respect
admirable, and the musical department combined nearly
all the talent which the metropolis at present affords.
Amongst the professionalists who gave their valuable
services on the occasion were Mesdames Grisi and Al
bertazzi, Misses M. B. Hawes, Birch, Rainforth, anal
Fitzwilliam ; Signori Tamburini and Ivanoff; Messrs.
Balfe, Giubilei, Collyer, Jolly, Hatton, Atkins, Mor-
gan, and Bellamy. The conductor was Mr. T. Cooke,
assisted by Mr. Hatton. The company who sat down
to dinner amounted to about 250 ; and amongst the dis-
tinguished persons at the cross table we perceived his
Highness the Nabob of Oude, Lord Brougham, the
Lord Mayor, Sir M. A. Shee, Sir John Doyle, Mr.
Leader, M.P., B. D'lsraeli, Esq., M.P., Mr. Fresh-
field, M P., and G. Palmer, jun., Esq.
Lord LYNDHURST took the chair shortly after six
o'clock ; and after the cloth had been removed Non
Nobis Domine was sung.
The NOBLE CHAIRMAN then gave the health of the
Queen—a toast which he was persuaded that they
would receive with due respect and honour. The toast
was drunk with all the honours, and enthusiastic ap-
plause. " God save the Queen" followed, Miss Hawes
taking the second and Miss Rainforth the third verse.
The CHAIRMAN then gave " The Queen Dowager,"
which was drunk amidst loud cheers. Glee, " Sleep,
gentle Lady."
The next toast, " His Royal Highness the Duke
of Sussex, President of the Association," was very cor-
dially received. Aria, "Ah ! no la rosa e mia." Miss
Birch.

The CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of " His
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge," which was
drunk with great applause. Aria buffa, " Miei Ram-
poli." Signor Giubilei.
The next toast was, " The Navy and Army ;" for
which, after " Rule Britannia" had been sung, Lieu-

tenant AMsINK and Sir J. DOYLE returned thanks.
The NOBLE CHAIRMAN then said that he rose to
propose a toast which was more immediately connected
with the object of their meeting. Every object of real
benevolence met with support in this country,
but to those for whose benefit this Association was
framed they owed a debt of gratitude, and their
exertions in its behalf were, therefore, more im-
peratively demanded. Every person must be

ready to acknowledge with him the information, instruc-

tion, and amusement which was to be derived from the
public press of this country ; and that fact was proved
by the void and craving which every one in the country
felt on that unfortunate day which was distinguished as
the blank-post-day.—(Laughter.) There might be
deeper learning in other publications, but then the
newspaper was the production of a day ; nay, the
greater part of it was the production of a night.—
(Cheers.) It contained the daily history of the world
—(Cheers)—the daily history of man, his actions,
thoughts, pleasures, and pursuits. There was no engine
more powerful than the public press, either for good or
for evil. How important then was it that its aid should
be called in defence of virtue and morality ; and it be-
came the duty of every man sensible of the power of
this engine, to do his utmost for the purpose of adding
to the respectability of those who directed it—
(Cheers)—and who ought to be sought rather than
avoided as associates, and treated with the courtesy and
respect to which their character and attainments enti-
tled them. The press had by degrees become an im-
portant profession, and to those who supposed that only
a moderate share of abilities was requisite for it, he
would say, try your hands—(Laughter)—and if such a
person, perhaps possessing more acquirements, did at-
tempt to write a leading article, be would afterwards
entertain juster notions on the subject. Persons are
apt also to suppose that Parliamentary reporting was
merely mechanical ; but let any such gentleman begin
to report at one o'clock in the morning, a speech pro-
nounced by his Noble and Learned Friend (Lord
Brougham), a faithful report of which now appeared in
print at four o'clock, he would find the result very
different, and that his report would be nothing like the
. .

original. The first printed newspaper, entitled the
English Mercury, had originated under the direction

of the famous Lord Burlciih, for the purpose of cor-
recting the effects of a commercial panic. In 1821,

nearly twenty-four millions of newspapers were sold in
Great Britain, and since then that number had greatly
increased. If the press were sometimes made the ve-

hide of slander and falsehood, it also was open to every
one for the purpose of refuting falsehood and meeting
slander. He was sure that the toast of " Prosperity
to the Newspaper Press Benevolent Association" would

meet with a warm and cordial reception from those

whom he now addressed.—(Loud cheers.) The toast
was drunk with three times three, amid loud applause.
" Robin Adair," by Mrs. Fitzwilliam.

Mr. V. G. DowLitsw said, as Chairman of the Board
of Directors of the Newspaper Press Benevolent As-
sociation, the second anniversary of which they had met
to celebrate, it became his duty on behalf of the mem-

bers of the Association generally, to express their deep
and grateful acknowledgments, not only for the kind and

gracious manner in which their distinguished Chairman
had been pleased to signify his wishes for their pros-
perity, but for the hearty and not less generous spirit
in which the Noblemen and Gentlemen who had that

day honoured the festival with their presence had ex-
pressed their cordial acquiescence in the sentiments so
forcibly and so eloquently conveyed.—(Hear,)
The title of their society, that of " The Newspaper
Press Benevolent Association," in some measure be-

spoke its objects, which were to raise a fund out of
which to relieve the widows, orphans, or nomi-

nees of gentlemen who had devoted their lives in
contributing to the literary departments of the news
paper press of England, who might be left in a
state of destitution ; as well as to make provision for
the decayed members themselves, should they outlive
their energies or be incapable of continuing their useful
labours for their own support, or the support of those
dependent upon them. The great advantage, and indeed
absolute necessity of such a fund, had long suggested it-
self to the minds of men connected with the press—

men, who although themselves fortunate, had but too
many opportunities of witnessing the privations and
miseries of their fellow-labourers, who, after a life of un-

remitting exertion spent in affording information, amuse-
ment, and instruction, to the public through the co-
lumns of a newspaper, either sunk into decay, having
no means of subsistence, or, dropping into the grave,
left their wives or children, their mother or sisters, de-

pendent in all likelihood upon them for support, in a
hopeless state of destitution ; for on newspapers there
were no pensions for long and arduous services ; no
provision for accidents or casualties occasionally unavoid-
able to those whose duty it was to fill their columns. Se-
veral attempts had been made without success to create
such a fund : but it was not till the commencement of last

year, through the praiseworthy ex ertions of Mr. Anderson,
the editor of the Morning Advertiser, that the first step
towards this long desired object had been accomplished
by the formation of the present Association, the Direc-
tors of which were then chosen, and a code of rules and

regulations drawn up and approved by the general
body. The most prominent of these rules were, that
the requisite funds should be raised by annual subscrip-
tions from the members of the public press throughout

he kingdom themselves, and by voluntary contribu-
tions and bequest from those who sympathised with
,he founder in his humane and philanthropic views.

He was happy to state that success had hitherto at-
tended the Institution, that the foundation of that pro-

sperity which their kind and esteemed Chairman had
proposed as a toast, and which their numerous guests
had so enthusiastically cheered, had been fixed upon
e firm and promising basis. They had at this moment
invested in the public funds, in the names of their
trustees, 8001., while in their banker's hands, after de-
fraying all the contingent expenses inseparable from the
first formation of their Society, they had nearly 2001.
more. This was a nucleus of so promising an aspect,
that he had no doubt, like the snow-ball, it would
gather bulk in its evolutions, of which the progress of
that night, be was persuaded, would afford a convincing
proof, and young reporters, not yet born, when they
read the proceedings of this, their second anniversary, in
some future age,' would cherish their memories with

sacred and well-deserved affection.
Lord BROUGHAM (who was received with loud
cheers) proposed the health of his Noble and Learned
Friend who had kindly consented to preside at that
meeting. A more important duty had never been more
ably performed ; for it was an important duty to raise,
by all the means in their power, the respectability of the
press. A newspaper press was now as much a matter
of absolute necessity as that we should have light to
see by and air to breathe ; and the abuse of the press
was no more an argument against it, than it was an ob-
jection to sight, that it compelled us to see disagreeable
and even pernicious sight s.—(Cheers.) His Noble and
Learned Friend had deserved well of the press ; for
when he held the high office of Attorney-General he
had filed no ex officio informations.—(Cheers.) He
had enjoyed • the pleasure of a long and uninterrupted
friendship with his Noble and Learned Friend ; for they
were unlike other potentates, who were said not much
to love those who preceded, but still more to hate those
who succeeded them.—(Laughter.) Both for public
and private reasons, therefore, he felt great pride and
I gratification in proposing the health of their Chairman.
This toast was received with the warmest applause.
Lord LYNDHURST, in returning thanks,said that when
Mr. Dowling had proposed to him to preside on that
occasion, he had felt gratified by the proposal ; and the
result of the meeting had been to make him proud of
that position. He felt the greatest anxiety for the suc-
cess of the Society, because in that success the great
interests of the public were deeply involved. With that
view he bad undertaken the duty, and fulfilled it to the
best of his ability.—(Loud cheers.)
'l'he CHAIRMAN then gave, " Mr. Leader, the Vice-
President, and Donors of the Association."—(Cheers.)
Mr. LEADER then returned thanks.