The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-17 00:00:00

Newspaper Press Pund.

The annual general meeting of the members of the asso-
ciation was held on Saturday at the Freemasons' Tavern
Great Queen-street—Mr. S. C. Hall in the chair.

Mr. H. G. WARREN, the hon. secretary of the society,
read the report,'of which the following is the substance:—
"The committee congratulate the society on the steady
progress which has been made during the last 12 months.
The number of members on the books is 192, of whom 40
are life members and 152 annual members. Of the 192
members 133 belong to London and 49 to the country. The
number elected since the 30th June last year is 64. During
the year the society has lost three members by death ; the
widows of two of them have received assistance from the
fund. The second annual dinner was held on the 20th of
May, under the presidency of Mr. Charles Dickens, who
made an eloquent appeal on behalf of the fund. Subscrip-
tions amounting to upward of £1,200 were announced, the
larger portion of which has been already received. The
president, Lord Houghton, has evinced his continual zeal
in the institution by presiding on several occasions at meet-
ings of the committee, and by making valuable suggestions
for the government of the institution. :The total receipts
during the past year (irrespective of dinner tickets) were
£1,265 2s. 10d. The society has now £1,500 stook in the
New 8 per Cents., and £6OO on deposit at the City Bank,
leaving at the bankers at the end of the year a balance of
£lB3 Bs. 4d. The income of the society at the present time
may be thus estimated :—From interest on investments,
£6O ; annual subscription of members, £156 ; annual dona-
tions, £l2B ; making a total of upwards of £340. Neither
of these items has, however, yet reached the amount stated,
owing to the present period at which many gentlemen were
elected, and to the fact that a largo portion of the subscrip-
tions and donations fell due on the day to which the ac-
counts are made up."

The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report.
Mr. H. OTLEY seconded the motion, which was agreed
to unanimously.

The election of Mr. C. Shand and Mr. C. V. Boys as
members of the committee pro tern was then confirmed. Mr.
Loa and Mr. Justin M'Carthy were also elected members of
the board ; and Messrs. Downing, Evans, and Saunders
re-elected auditors.

Mr. H. OTLEY then moved for the appointment of a com-
mittee to consider the rules of the society, especially in re-
ference to drawing a line of distinction between its benevo-
lent and its provident character, the management of its
funds, and the appointment of its officers. All other socie-
ties, whether those connected with particular professions or
calling; and those of a larger scope as regarded member-
ship, acted upon the principle of keeping the two objects
which he had mentioned separate and distinct. Referring
to the societies connected with the profession of artists, he
found that in one society the sole object was benevolence,
which was tantamount to the relief of the improvident ; in
another society the provident element was alone recognised,
and in the third both these principles formed together the
basis on which the society was formed. The object of his
motion was to assimilate this society to those institutions.
Ho was desirous to see a graduated scale of subscriptions
adopted, from which an annuity fund might be created, to
which a member, when old and disabled, could apply, not
as matter of charity, but as a matter of right.

The CHAIRMAN thought such a change would be prema-
ture. It would come about in the growth of time and the
in the Artists' Pro.
Mr. WILLIAMS seconded Mr. Otley's motion, and referred
vgirdoewntthFund, of
moans,
an
referredsag had
t b been
y Mr. the
0 case
ey.
to the case of the General Theatrical Fund, whore the
benefits to be derived by members are positive and well
ascertained—not depending on the caprice of a committee;
t l
and where the annuityfundwas created out of the accumu-
lation made by adding the surplus income of one year to
the surplus income of another.
Mr. COOK moved as an amendment the previous question.
After a long discussion the motion was negatived by a,
largo majority.

Mr. FINDEN then proposed a variety of amendments tO
the rules as they at present stand. A motion of his to double
the subscription of the country members was negatived.
At his instance, however, the life subscription was raised
from £5 ss. to £lolox., and the secretary made a paid in,
stead of an honorary officer of the society.
The proceedings then terminated.

The Trial of Constance Kent.
lor;

SALISBURY, Saturday Night.
It is not likely that Constance Kent will be put upon
her trial until the latter end of next week, though, of course,
130 ebxeaecnt deapyenced,ann
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of hearing the case, and especially of trying to obtain a.
view of this extraordinary criminal. Mr. Coleridge, Q.C.,
will be leading counsel for the defence. One of the most
interesting parts of the trial, it is expected, will be his
cross-examination of the Rev. Mr. Wagner. When this
gentleman gave evidence before the magistrates at Trow-
bridge, he resolutely declined to give any information re-
specting the manner in which Constance Kent was first
induced to confess her alleged guilt. Sir George Grey sub-
sequently declared that the Rev. Mr. Wagner had not the
slightest pretence for thus insisting upon what he was
pleased to term the "sacred seal of the confessional ;" and
as Mr. Coleridge is admitted to be one of the cleverest
cross-examiners on the Western Circuit, Mr. Wagner will
either have to divulge the whole secret attending the
unhappy girl's confession to him, or suffer for conscience
sake by going to prison. The Rev. Mr. Wagner is the pro-
minent witness, as he alone can tell what pressure it was
which induced Miss Constance Kent to proclaim herself
the perpetrator of this foulest of murders. Miss Graeme,
the lady superior of the establishment at Brighton, where
the prisoner was staying at the time she came forward and
stated that she was guilty, is not quite so mysterious a
witness ; because, although at the magistrates' examina-
tion at Trowbridge, she at first solemnly declared that
the relationship existing between her and Miss Kent had
been as that of mother and daughter, yet upon a very little
pressing she readily told nearly all that she knew, if not
all. There are many rumours as to the exact line of de-
fence which will be adopted, but nothing is definitely
known. It is not probable that her plea of guilty will be
received by the learned judge who has to preside, especially
considering the remarkable circumstances under which it
was forced from the prisoner, but that the case will be
allowed to go to the jury upon its merits. Apart from her
confession, the evidence adduced before the Trowbridge
magistrates, though sufficient to warrant a committal, is by
no means conclusive of her guilt ; but it is possible some
other evidence may be brought against her at the trial. It
is said that Or. Bucknill, who was formerly the chief modi-
d
it g
to cal adviser at the county asylum at E, nhso ranks
to r , Devon-
shire, h
as
b an
a authority
pin l his i s now employed by Government, a
the
eat present whether Dr. Bucknill has given any such
't • n or whether the counsel tor the defence ever aanudtoo
f profession,
insanity ; i
butlas
advised
t is
not he defence
proper
to
BL
o.puno ,
con-
templated relying upon such a plea. It is true that since
Miss Constance Kent has been in prison at Devizes she has
not manifested any strong symptoms of an unsound intel-
lect ; but it is not to be understood that her friends ever
pretended she was subject to repeated attacks of a homi-
cidal tendency. Mr. Karslake, Q.C., conducts the prosecu-
tion.

CRYSTAL PALACE.-FIVE SHILLING DAY.-OR
Saturday:tho admissions on payment were 11,762; do. by
season tickets, 8,533; total, 20,295.

THE COUNTESS DE Monwo.—The Countess do
Montijo, the mother of the Empress Eugenie, has just un-
dergone, at her residence in the Rue do l'Elysee, a painful
operation on the organ of sight. It was performed with.
great skill by Dr. Libriech, assisted by M. Rayer. The
Empress and the Emperor visited the patient in the evolve
Lug' ad did 119 t IWO till nine o'clock.