The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-28 00:00:00

elusion. (Hear, hear.) For we have not only the model
before us, but we have now in the bank upwards of 3501. ;
and there need therefore be no further anxiety as to the
ultimate settlement of this memorial to the entire satig,
faction of all parties here assembled. (Hear, hear.)
Gentlemen, we have associated ourselves together
in promoting this testimonial not simply I believe
as admiring critics, but also as lovers of true philan-
thropy. For I am sure it is impossible to rem;
the memory of Thomas Hood without entertaining
feelings of profound admiration for the humanity apple
rent in all his writings. It seems to me, as far as IWs
been enabled to learn from the disjointed fragments of
information which the public have as yet obtained, that
his whole life appears to have been one continuous
struggle against poverty. (Hear, hear.) With extra-
oalinary genius, and a truly and splendidly poetic tem-
perament, he was, nevertheless, compelled by necessity
to forego the seductions of the Faeryland of poetry in
order to obtain bread for his family by his labours es 6
wit and a jester. (Hear, hear.) I have always thought!
and I think this the more I reflect on the career of
Thomas Hood, that there is something much more
pathetic in the recognition of his humourous writings
than in that of his more plaintive productions. It hag
always appeared to me exceedingly touching—that rain
of tears that falls in the intervals of his innocent laughter,
(Cheers.) And in that charming model, to which
have already referred, we have this recorded in a grace-
ful manner through that comic mask (partially veiled) by
the side of the lyre. We ought to recollect that Hoea
has given us reason to regard his memory with feeling!
of gratitude, not simply in reference to the past, not
merely in, remembrance of our having read his product
Lions once, or twice, or three times, but we ought to feel
a special gratitude to Thomas Hood for the store of con.
solation which his works will always afford us in the
future. (Cheers.) I think if I had the toothache I could
almost forget the pain I suffered in the whimsicalities of
his " Comic Annual"—(a laugh)—while lam quite or°
that, if I had the heartache, I should find it assuaged bb
those fictitious sorrows to which in his more tender effusions
he so frequently gives utterance. (Cheers.) I find that
I am wandering into a kind of presumptuous dialer"
tation on his genius. I hope, however, you will forgiVa
me, for I assure you I esteem it as a great privilege tine
patient hearing you have accorded me, because it afford
me the opportunity of proposing to this meeting, through
our excellent chairman, a vote of thanks to, and a re'
cognition of the services of, Eliza Cook, and those gs 11"
tlemen who have been associated with that lady during
some months past in these proceedings. (Cheers,)
Mr. HART reminded the meeting that the roods;
would have cost a much larger sum than that mentioned
in the report had it been prepared under other cirouol"
stances, but no doubt the artist sympathised with the
object of the subscribers, and he had, therefore, CO'll
sented to do the work for a much less sum than he other.'
wise would have been entitled to demand. (Hear, hear.)
Now, he thought that being so, they ought to embody
the liberality of Mr. Noble in the resolution which had
just been proposed. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. W. C. KENT cordially acceded to this prer"
sition.

Mr. HART had very much pleasure then in seconding
the resolution, but, in doing so, he must be allowed to
make a few remarks upon the different sorts of servdee°
which had been rendered by the various parties
engaged in this graceful undertaking. (Hear, hear....
According to his view the subscribers had done
the least in the matter, because it was easy for
them to cont ibute according to their means, and there
was an end to their trouble. It was not so, however,"4th
the originator of the memorial and the committee. Ne_'',
to the originator, he thought Mr. Murdo YOring was or
titled to much credit in the matter, for hp4ivst only srfr
scribed a very handsome sum, but had also given a large
amount of time to the undertaking, and afforded adver'
tising facilities for enabling the committee to make their
wishes known throughout the length and breadth of the
land. In addition to that, Mr. Young had guarantee('
to the sculptor the 4001. which he claimed for his splen'
did work, and on the whole, therefore, he thought that
gentleman ought to be put down as the largest subscriber
to the memorial. (Hear.) He would take nest the
gentleman who had contributed so much towards the
success of this effort in the character of honorarY
secretary. (Hear, hear.) That gentleman had aly"t
voted a large amount of time and anxiety to the s
ject, as, indeed, had all the members of the committee's
and it was especially necessary that they should mart
their sense of the willingness and efficiency with which
those services had been rendered by distinctly referring
to them in the resolutions then under consideration-
(Hear, hear.) To show how energetic these gentlemen
had been in the discharge of their delicate functions, b°
need only mention that the numerous and aristocrati°
committee which had been formed for raising a wen°.
ment to Tom Moore had been unable to come within
three-fifths of the sum which the Hood Memorial Coin;
mittee had collectel in the metropolis. (Cheers.) That
fact was sufficient of itself to justify the suggestion WI
had ventured to make, and he hoped the meeting wen%
find no difficulty in adopting it. In conclusion,
would take leave to observe, that,he thought the result
of this movement said' something for 'the feeling of the
public in England, and clearly evinced their all:
preciation of true merit and talent. (Hear, bean)
One would have supposed that the memory of the Pleb
would have become dim by this time ; but no After the
lapse of seven or eight years, it was still green in the
hearts of his countrymen, and they readily subscribea
the funds to erect a monument in honour of his geninn
and worth. (Cheers.) All this, he thought, was matter.w
for congratulation, and should not be forgotten, ne,..
that they had almost arrived at the final stage of theP
proceedings. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution, as amended, was then put from
chair, and carried by acclamation.
Mr. WATKINS said it would afford him great PI 'on
to communicate to Miss Eliza Cook the kind eipreeel....-
of thanks which the meeting had been
pleased to P":
to her. (Hear, hear.) For himself, all he could ea;
was, that he felt more than compensated for the exer-
tions he had made in the cause by seeing the success
which had attended their efforts. (Cheers.)
Mr. YAPP suggested that when the monument Wan
ready the subscribers and the public should be Inadle
aware of it, in order that they might attend at Kent;
green Cemetery and see it uncovered. This was
mode adopted abroad, and he thought if it were followed
here it would be tantamount to erecting another racoon:
ment to Hood, because it would draw the world to the
sacred spot to pay the homage due to the memory °i
the poet. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. WATKINS said he would take care that this sur
gestion should be duly attended to.
Mr. R. MARTIN said there was one other duty which
they had to perform before they separated, and that scr
to pass a cordial vote of thanks to their excellent chair'
man man for the kind and liberal manner in which. he ha"
acted in taking the chair at this and the former
public meeting of the subscribers. (Hear, hear.) Mr.
Wyld had taken a deep interest in this matter from .
beginning, and he thought they ought not to separtto
,"
without offering him in return their hearty than,_ar
(Hear.) He therefore begged to move that the corol'"
thanks of the meeting are due, and are hereby given, t°
the chairman for his conduct in the chair. (Cheers.) ,
Mr. MURDO YOUNG had very great pleasure in second'
ing the motion. He had known Mr. Wyld for many year*
and the longer he knew him the more he respected him'
(Hear, hear.) He deserved great praise for the interest
he had taken in this cause, and the admirable manner in
which he had conducted the proceedings of their meet.
ings. (Hear, hear.)
The motion having been carried by acclamation,
Mr. Wu]) said it was customary amongst English'
men either to sing " God Save the Queen " at their
meetings, or pass votes of thanks to the chairman-4f
laugh)—and he was at a loss to discover the sense of itJ
unless it was for the sake of keeping up the old 010-
tions that prevailed amongst us. (Hear, hear.) For hi°
own part he thought a man ought to feel himself 010
ciently honoured by being allowed to occupy the position
which he had been placed in that night, for Tom 1102
was the man who, to give the true direction to the phi
lanthropy of the age, and therefore to be associate'
in any way with his name must indeed be an honour'(Hear, hear.) Tom Hood first
, he repeated, was the
man to point the finger of charity in the right direction
he did so too long before your Lord Ashleys had entered
the field, and they should be looked upon only as 1!:,
followers. (Hear, hear.) Tom Hood cast the light of or_
genius in the proper place, since it touched not only thin'
own hearts, but the hearts of the whole British public;
and to be engaged in any way in an undertalans.„.
to pay a tribute to his memory was an hovel--
which be might well feel proud of. (Hear, hear.) They'
in fact, were handing down to posterity a monunlel2
which, while it showed the respect of England for udi
,t
worth and genius of the dead, would also reflect ere'',
upon themselves ; and, therefore, he thought that,
stead of looking for this vote, he ought to thank them
for allowing him to take part in such a noble wort'
(Hear, hear.) England was now, and he hoped ever
would be, the gem of the seas ; but the day might co
when bereft of her colonies,. she would stand alone 113,,
her glory, and then the descendants of those now leavt
her shores would return as pilgrims to visit the 01',1°—
where rest the ashes of such glorious men as Tom B°°d:
(Cheers.) Then would this, and all similar monument'
be be pointed at as the mile stones which their forefather tohad erected to mark the progress of civilisation, and
recal the efforts which had been made to promote ""
happiness of the whole human race. (Cheers.)
The meeting then separated.

RAILWAY ACTS.---Yesterday a return was issued for
specting railway acts passed in 1852. In the year ed
acts were passed. The increase of mileage occaaie_„%,
by the same was 36 miles and 79 chains. The ;morn;
of capital occasioned by them, 835,6641. ; and the e
crease of loan, 143,0151. The total actual inanes°
occasioned by the 51 acts was 692,6491.
FAMILY ROMANCE ; OR, EPISODES IN THE DOinESTIO
ANNALS OF THE ARISTOCRACY, By J. B. Burke, -rasn".o,
au Thor of "The Peerage," &c. 2 vols.—lt were imP-se
sible to praise too highly, as a work of amusement, they°
two most interesting volumes, whether we should 11%.
regard to its excellent plan, or its not less excellent 83 yd
cution. The volumes are just what ought to be ill if
on every drawing-room table. Here you have 13i11.
fifty captivating romances, with the pith'of all their e
terest preserved in undiminished poignancy, and an their
may be read in half an hour. It is not the least of
merits, that the romances are founded on fact—or whad,
at least, has been handed down for truth by long ice
tion—and the romance of reality far exceeds the rera—te,d
of fiction. Each story is told in the clear, unau.,e-wle
style with which the author's former works have ;the
the public familiar ; while they afford evidence e`
value, even to a work of amusement, of that hiet°rA of
and genealogical learning that may justly be expect,euand
the author of the " The Peerage and Baronetage; pver
" The Landed Gentry"—each the best of its kiilLe-d, a
published. The aristocracy and gentry cmeP„i33ians--
great debt to. Mr. Burke as their family ~,,„r
Omsk/rd.
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