The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-18 00:00:00

OYAL FREE HOSPITAL, Gray's-inn-road.-
u The Weekly Board have great satisfaction in announc-
ing that the financial position of the Charity justifies their
opening two additional Wards for the reception of the pa-
tients; and they venture to rely on the continued liberality
of the public to enable them to support this considerable in-
crease of annual expenditure.

Contributions received by the Treasurer, Edward Mu-
terman, Esq., Nicholas-lane ; also by Messrs. Coutts and Co. ;
Drummond and Co. ; Herries and Co. ; Ransom and Co. ;
Prescott, Grote, and Co. ; Smith, Payne, and Co. ; Glyn and
Co. ; Jones Loyd and Co. ; Barclay and Co.'; Denison and
Co.; Williams, Deacon, and Co. ; Overend, Gurney, and Co.;
NisLet and Co., Berners-street ; J. Barned and Co , Liver-
pool ; and at the Hospital.

J. B. OWEN, Chairman of the Weekly Board.

BENEVOLENT ,SOCIETY OF S 7. PATRICK.

The annual dinner of this old but most excellent
charity was celebrated yesterday evening at the
Freemasons' Tavern, in accordance with the custom
which has been followed during the last 80 yeafs of
selecting Ireland's Saint's day as the most fitting
and appropriate occasion on which to appeal to
Irishmen for aid to help the children of their poorest
and most deserving fellow-countrymen in London.
There was not so large a muster on this occasion as
has generally rallied round the commemorative
festivals of the great London Irish charity, though
among those present were the Earl of Long-
ford, the Earl of Courtoun, the Bishop of Kildare,
Lord Arthur Hill, General Sir John Pennefather,
Sir Ralph Howard, Sir Bernard Burke (Ulster),
Right Hon. T. O'Hagan, Attorney-General for.
Ireland ; General Watkins, Colonel Dunne, M.P.,
Mr. J. O'Connell, M.P., Dr. O'Connor, Dr. Cur-
lahan, Mr. Lover, Mr. Herbert, of Muckross
Abbey ; Mr. Hamilton Geale, Mr. Bambridge,
&c. The Duke of Cambridge, as Earl of Tip-
perary, took the chair, and was received at the door
on alighting from his carriage, by a guard of
honour of the London Irish Volunteers. His Royal
Highness wore the Riband and Star of the Order of
St. Patrick, wearing also on the left breast, over the
last-named insignia, a small bunch of shamrocks.
The dinner, which was on a profuse scale of libe-
rality, was admirably served and done ample justice
to. At its conclusion, after grace had been sang
and the cloth drawn, his Royal Highness briefly,
but with much good taste and feeling, proposed
what are known on these occasions as the loyal
toasts, " The Health of the Queen" and "The Royal
Family." Alluding to the sudden death of the
Duchess of Kent, which had last year prevented
his presiding over the annual festival, he said be
did not think that on the next occasion of their
assembling together he would have to deplore a
still more dreadful loss—a loss which had not only
bowed down the Queen, but had afflicted the whole
nation—a loss which had rendered desolate one of
the most united homes in the kingdom. He could
not, even after the period which had elapsed since
this calamity had fallen on the country, refrain
from bearing his most earnest and sincere testimony
to the goodness and greatness of the Prince we had
lost. He had so completely identified himself with
English thoughts and English habits—he so
thoroughly understood ourselves and our ways,
that he was enabled from his exalted position to be
of the greatest service to the country and the
Sovereign, so that in every event which happened
from day to day the importance of his advice
and influence was felt, and always felt
for the benefit of this eountry. (Loud cheers.)
There never was a great man—for a great man the
late Prince truly was in the fullest sense of the word
—who, after he had passed away, left so few ene-
mies behind him. His Royal Highness said that
out of respect to the Queen's great grief he would
ask them to drink her health in solemn silence. The
Queen only could fully realize the greatness of the
bereavement which had fallen upon her and on the
country. He had had the honour of seeing her Ma-
jesty that day, and, though she had borne up under
her visitation with a fortitude which had excited
the admiration and sympathy of all, still, said his
Royal Highness, I believe that many—very many
years must elapse before she will recover from her
misfortune, if, indeed, she ever entirely recovers
from it during lifetime at all. The toast was drunk
amid profound silence, as was that also of the young
members of the Royal family. Sir John Penne-
father returned thanks for the Army, and Major
Snell for the Volunteers, on whose merits the illus-
trious chairman had passed a warm eulogium. The
little boys and girls belonging to the society to the
number of some 200 were then marched round the
room, and their clean attire, and cheerful, bright,
and healthy faces, spoke more strongly in behalf of
the value and practical usefulness of the charity
than any set appeal, however eloquent. After the
children had left the room, his Royal High-
ness gave the toast of the evening, and ex-
pressed his regret that the very unfavourable
state.of the weather had prevented the guests
from seeing more than a small proportion of the
children now being educated by the society.
There were now in the schools not less than 300
boys and 200 girls, and very many applicants were
still waiting for admission, for the building had
not capacity for containing a greater number. The
whole of these children were comfortably and suit-
ably clad by the society, and, while not over-edu-
cated, or taught in such a manner as to be dissAis-
fied with their sphere, they received such plain but
sound instruction as afforded the best means of
fitting the objects of the society's care for the duties
incident to their station in life. The result of this
proper system was that a very large proportion of
the children had passed from the apprenticeships
and early situations provided by the society, and
become respectable and independent members of the
community at large. Nor was it only to the mental
and moral wants of the children that the society
looked ; but they attended also, as far as their funds
would allow, to their physical needs, and during
the winter months gave one good hearty daily meal
to all their pupils. He was sorry that he did not
see more Irishmen there that night to rally round
a charity which, without sectarian or political bias,
only claimed support under its title of a purely
national institution. In conclusion, his Royal
t-lighness called upon the company to provide for a
continuance of the benefits which their generous
support had enabled the society to dispense for so
many years in ameliorating the social condition of
that large section of the labouring poor of London
for whose advantage the charity was founded. The
toast was received with prolonged applause, and a
most liberal subscription list bore testimony to the
practical effect of the duke's eloquence. The toasts
of " The President," " The Bar of Ireland," the va-
rious officers of the society, and " The Ladies who
had honoured the festival with their presence," were
each given and duly honoured, and the festivities
did not terminate till the evening was far advanced.
The musical arrangements were under the direction
of Mr. Land, assisted by members of the London
Glee and Madrigal Union, and the exertions of Miss
Wells and Miss Eyles were applauded with enthu-
r 4002.