The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

ARTISTS' BENEVOLENT FUND.

The anniversary festival of the Artists' Benevolent
Fund was held on Saturday at the Freemasons' Tavern.
Great Queen-street. It was announced that the chair
would be taken by the Earl of Yarborough, but his
lordship was obliged to leave town on business of im-
portance, and at the last moment Mr. Rowland G. Al-
ston, late M.P. for Hertfordshire, undertook the duties of
chairman. The Artists' Benevolent Fund was established
in 1810, and obtained a royal charter of incorporation
in 1827. It consists of two separate and distinct
branches—the Artists' Annuity Fund and the Artists'
Benevolent Fund, the latter of which extends relief to
the widows and orphans of artists. During the past
year a sum of 7231. 15s. has been paid to forty-nine
widows of artists, and a further sum of 1471. 10s. to
thirty-one orphans. The total receipts for the past year,
arising from subscriptions, donations, and the dividend
upon 21,0001. stock, amounted to 1,4381. 17s. 3d., and
after all disbursements a balance of about 2501. remained
in the hands of the bankers. The company present
comprised Sir W. C. Ross, R.A. ; Messrs. David Ro-
berts, R.A.• Richard H. Solly, F.R.S. ; George Dodd,
M.P. • E. W. Cooke, A.R.A. ; Henry Weekes, A.R.A.;
J. F. ;VVillmore, A.R.A. ; Captain S. H. Lee • Messrs.
W. F. Beadon, J. Henderson, J. H. Mann, John' Dick-
undervariety th e
to directionthefe sfestive
voef
assemblage, Mr.J. L.Haantd-
enson, John uldjo, R. Twining; Dr. Thompson, Dr.
compliment to the Prince Consort, for his
Rowland, &c., and about 80 other gentlemen. The enter-
tainment and wines appeared to give general satisfaction.
the duties of toastmaster were, as usual, efficiently
toasts, the Chairman paid a well-merited
yi
gavec.ta i l
mze party,ectiand
dis-
charged by Mr. Harker. In proposing the usual intro-
ductoryted and
judicious and liberal patronage of the arts in this Athhanp7pusil
is country,
and was induced to augur well from this '
for the future prosperity and encouragementcirut
talent. The Chairman then gave the of native
even-
ing, "Prosperity to the Artists' Bensv toast of the
believed there was no institution of the
o ent Fund." He
peculiarly deserving of the pat metropolis more
lovers of art than that which heronage and support of all
advocating. .Independentlyof
had now th h f e onour o
their support, it was Well the claims of artists upon
known by all those who had
studied the history of the
back, that the more the world for three thousand years
the more the people arts were promoted and fosteredn
elevated, and the weremore
ci.vilized, and humanized,
were promoted. The _ the interests of society generalitnn read
e Secretary, Mr. Thistle o ,
the list of contributions during the evening,
which, including received
annual of 100
her Majesty's donation
• guineas, amounted to the sum of 3501: Some other
toasts the chair, and the
were afterwards given from
company separated about eleven o'clock.
cif

....- -
THE CERTIFICATE DIITY.—On Saturday the bill "NO.
2 " to repeal the certificate duty of attorneys, &C., was
Printed. It is proposed to have a registry of attorneys,
and for giving a false address or acting without a certi-
ficate to One an offender 501.