The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-22 00:00:00

Atithe end of thelast century. All the news was con..
tamed in a sheet not much larger than a single sheet
of the Saturday Review. But, as the morning shows
the day, as childhood shows the man, so the Ames
newspaper indicated, not only what that newspaper
would become, but what other journals might also
become, if they were left to the full action of free-
dom. Your chairman has pointed out to you the
marvellous advantages of the public Press, and has
described to you most graphically and beautifully
the weary days and nights which the reporters pass
in furnishing forth to mankind an account of what
passes in the Houses of Parliamept. And I must,
for one, confess and admit the truth of his remarks
with regard to the exercise of that judicious skill
in the reporting of speeches which some of us too
often make, which cuts off the redundancy, and
which often corrects ungrammatical expressions,
and gives to the public all that they desire
to know, and which all the science of condensa-
tion can accomplish. (Cheers.) But Mr. Dickens
has not pointed out to you two other circumstances
connected with the labours of the daily journalist,
which to my mind were as marvellous as were those
which he had portrayed. Take the leading articles
of the daily journals. They seem to us so simple
that when we read them we think we might have
written them ourselves. But any one who reflects
upon the enormous amount of knowledge and labour
which are required to produce them, and the power
of condensation which is applied to illustrate the
arguments whichgive to the public all they require to
know, will understand how mistaken we are. (Loud
cheers.) And there is another thing in the history
of journalism not less remarkable, and that is the
criticism of the books which issue from the press, and
the graphic accounts which are given by the corres-
pondents of Crimean wars, Indian mutinies, and
American rebellions. (Cheers.) Then if these be ad-
vantages which we derive from the press, surely we
ought to think of the hard work which is undergone
to bring these matters for our advantage dailybefore
us. (Cheers.) I will not attempt to follow the beau-
tiful language which Mr. Dickens has employed in
pointing out to you how their brains are taxed
nightly and daily for our benefit. But there is one
thing which I would venture to add to his remarks,
and it is this, that those gentlemen who write in the
public journals are not buoyed up, as other literary
writers are, by the satisfaction that they can estab-
lish for themselves a reputation which will hand
down their names to posterity. In the beautiful
language of a commentator, it was not the miserable
£5 which rewarded Milton for his immortal work,
nor did he accept that sum as a reward for his
labours, for he knew that that the real and substan-
tial reward for them was immortality, and that thus
posterity would pay him. (Cheers.) This immor-
tality these gentlemen of the press cannot hope to
attain, writing as they do anonymously. Ladies
and gentlemen, these are considerations which ought
to induCe us to give them the only remuneration we
can afford them, and that is to contribute all the
means we can possibly apply for their benefit when
disease or infirmity is wearing them out. (Cheers.)
Various other toasts having been given,

The healths of the vocalists and the ladies were
proposed and drank with hearty enthusiasm.
In the course of the evening subscriptions were
announced amounting in the whole to about £1,200.
The large gallery was filled by elegantly dressed
ladies, whose appearance imparted great brilliancy
to the scene. The vocalists and instrumentalists,
all of whom gave their services gratuitously, occupy
the highest rank in their profession, and exerted
themselves with a zeal and fervour that cannot be
too warmly recorded. Mr. Sims Reeves was; unfor-
tunately, absent, owing to severe inflammation of the
eyes, but Mr. Cummings sang for him " The Death
of Nelson" in capital style. Miss Louisa Pyne
charmingly gave Balfe's air, " The Power of Love,"
and being encored, sang with expressive effect Moore's
charming song, " The Harp that once in Tara's Halls."
Madame Schumann most skilfully played on the
piano an Andante and Rondo Capriccioso from
Mendelssohn's " Midsummer Night's Dream." Miss
Emily Soldene charmingly gave 'Toward Glover's
song, " Sing Gaily," and llerr Joachim was ready
with his violin when the evening was too far ad-
vanced to enable him to indulge the audience with
the display of his marvellous talents, the same cause
preventing Mr. W. Harrison from rendering those
services which are always so much appreciated.
A better dinner and wines were never set upon the
tables of the Freemasons' Tavern. They reflected
the highest credit on Mr. Banks, the old manager
under the new company. Mr. Harker officiated
with his usual tact as toastmaster.

We subjoin the answer sent by M. Berryer to an
invitation to attend the dinner :-
4,31 y dear Mr. Gruneisen,—l feel very much flattered, and
am deeply grateful for the invitation which you have sent
to me from the committee of the Anniversary Festival of
the Newspaper Press Fund. I regret all the more not to
be able to go to England this spring as I had hoped. It
will be utterly impossible for me, in consequence of my
numerous duties hero, to leave France at this period of the
year, and especially during the second week in May. I
have read with respect the list of the members of the
Benevolent Association of which you aro ono of the trustees.
I should have felt much honoured to be present at the said
banquet with so many celebrities, and most assuredly if I
had had the opportunity I should have complimented them
with all my heart for the support and help which the in-
stitution they have founded offers to the writers of the
daily and weekly press. I congratulate, although away,
your happy country, to have no other care than to honour
and reward the men who have devoted themselves to the
most practical and most precarious portion of social free-
dom, whilst we have fallen back in France to the sad neces-
sity of devoting our efforts to regain for the most noble
and patriotic minds the right and liberty to enlighten their
fellow citizens and to protect their dearest interests. Be so
kind, my dear Mr. Gruneisen, to express for me my thanks
and respects, and receive, &c.,

" Paris, 27th April, 1865."

" BEILRYEIL

CLAIMING HIS OWN !—Yesterday a young man
made his appearance at the entrance gate of the Tuileries
Palace, stating himself to be the Comte de Chambord, come
to take possession of his family residence. He refused to
give any other name or any address, and was therefore
transferred to the madhouse of Bicetre.

A WEDDING FROM THE FISH MARKET. -- The
vicinity of a fish market is about one of the last
places in which ono might expect to meet with a display
ofwhiterosettesancl
both
gayequipages, yet at the market in
Great Charlotte-street were to be witnessed yester-
day morning. Never before had the bonny fishwives
looked so gay and fantastic, nor ever before were seen in
front of the market a couple of such profusely-adorned
coaches. The occasion was a wedding—the bride being
the daughter of ono of the oldest established dames in
the market, the bride herself a vendor of periwinkles
at the entrance thereto. She is remarkably petite,
general plaything for the whole fraternity
of fishwives,
somewhat " innocent," and exceed-
ianngalyishaarsmort of
harmless. being
ss.The bridegroom is a person noticeable on
account of his personal infirmities, being a cripple and un-
able to go about without the aids of crutches. At an early
hour all was bustle and flurry, and shortly after ton the
two coaches before alluded to drove up, the first one
containing the " happy pair." After the convey-
ance had become laden with as many of the
" scaley" sisterhood as could force themselves into
it, they were driven off to St. Peter's Church,
followed by one of the most heterogeneous processions,
perhaps, ever witnessed. An immense crowd collected in
front of the church; and much merriment went on without
whilst the marriage was proceeding within. The cere-
mony over, the multitude in the street became boisterous
with fun. As the twain who entered the holy edifice
came out one, a number of the fishy sisterhood "strewed
their path with flowers," or such substitutes as could
be collected from the vicinity of the vegetable
market. The bridal coaches, by arrangement, had
been placed at a telling distance from the church door, and
the veiled and blushing bride was carriod by her maids
to her carriage, the bridegroom hobbling after her as
best he could, whilst the air was rent with loud laughter

and huzzas. .. . .

• ___ _ _
" There came a sound of

revelry by night"—from Gough's beerhouso, in
Rostock-street. The whole of the fishwives and
their husbands in Liverpool, with troops of friends of the
bride and bridegroom, were celebrating the event of the
morning. Never was ball-,room more gay and lively.
Sprightly music lent its aid, and waltz, polka, Schottische,
and country reel went merrily on until it was an-
nounced that the bridegroom's coach was in waiting
without. This was a conveyance highly appropriate to the
occasion. It was the well-known donkey landau that has
of late become so familiar in the town. The " noddies"
were gorgeously caparisoned and bedecked with flowers.
After the coach had received its happy burthen it was
driven, as were the coaches from the church, amidst
shouts and cheers and boisterous laughter ; but the re-
joicing at Gough's was kept up until policeman 10,001
interposed his authority to prevent rejoicing running into
riot.—Liverpool Post.