The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-28 00:00:00

T 17, N,

The CO MMERCI AL TRAVELLERS'
SCHOOL FOR ORPHAN AND NECESSI

TO US CiiILDREN.

Y.‘.sterdiy evening the anniversary of the founda-
tion of the Commercial Trvellers' Salcol at Wml-
stead was celebrated by a public dinner at the London
Tavern, Bisbopsgate-street, at which nearly 300 gen-
tlemen were preent.

The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor occupied the
chair, supported by John Masternnan, Esq., M.P.,
Mr. Alderman Sidney, M.P., Richard Groucock,
Esq., Rev. Charles Marshall, George Moore, ELI.,
Arthur Wileoxon, Robert Wilcoxon, John Br,:,dbury,
Esq., William Nicholson, Esq., Robert Lawson, Esq.,
Robert Clarke, E,q., Mr. Under-Sheriff
John Baggalay, Esq., G. W. Lees, Esq., William
M'Cullock, Esq., Clement Clarke, Esq., and many
other gentlemen interested in the prosperity of the
institution.

The occasion was graced and enlivened by the pre-
sence of a good number of young and elegantly
dressed ladies, who occupied the gallery at the foot of
the room ; and during Fart of the proceedings the
boys and girls now being educated and maintained at
the school, to the number of upwards of 70, were ad-
mitted to witness the festival.

The vocal and instrumental music during the
evening was of the very highest merit, the programme
including the names of Messrs. Young, Land, Hobbs,
and Machin as vocalists, and those of the talented
and worthy Mr. Distin and his Sons, as instrumental-
ists, the latter of whom, father and sons, to their
great credit, kindly rendered their valuable services
gratuitously. _ _

W The mere mention of such a charity as this ought
to recommend it to the liberality and benevolent
feelings, at least, of that large body of men employed
as travellers in a commercial capacity throughout the
whole country, if not of the mercantile public at
large. It may, however, be necessary to say that the
design of the institution is to clothe, maintain,
and educate the destitute orphans of deceased,
and the children of necessitous commercial
travellers of every denomination. The intentions of
the founders of the institution, young though it yet
be, seem to be carried out in an admirable manner.
The building in which the business of the school is at
present conducted is an old family mansion, situate at
\Vanetead, on the borders of Epping Forest, which
has been temporarily converted fur the purposes of
the charity ; but it will, be abandoned as soon as funds
can be obtained for the erection of a more suitable
asylum. The institution has only been in existence
three years, but in this brief period it has steadily
advanced and progressively acquired support. It now
numbers upwards of 4,000 subscribers and donors, the
majority of the latter being life governors. It has
a comparatively large and increasing number of chil-
dren under its care, and possesses all the elements of
an established and prosperous institution, save that it
has yet no permanent building in which to receive,
maintain, and educate the many applicants pressing
for a participation in its bounties. Intent on the ob
jects for which the institution was founded, the board
are not desirous to erect a costly and imposing edifice
—pleasing to the eye, but ill suited to the charact, r
of a charitable institution—their aim is simply to give
to the charitable operations of the society the widest
po.sible range, believing that the true estimate of a
charity is to be formed not by the splendour of its
structure, but that the noblest institution is that
which effects the greatest amount of good. On this
account they seek to obtain an extensive, but not a
costly pile—a commodious, but not a magnificent
building, preferring that the resources of the insti•
tution should be directed to their legitimate object—
the securing to as large a number of the orphan and
necessitous children of commercial travellers as prac-
ticable all the advantages contemplated by the foun-
ders of the schools.

To return to the proceedings of the dinner, the cloth
having been removed,

The LORD MAYOR proposed " The health of their
Gracious Sovereign," to whom, for so many reasons,
their allegiance and affection were due.
The national anthem—" God save the Queen."
His LORDSHIP next proposed a toast which he was
sure (he said) they would all drink with pleasure—it
was " The health of his Royal Highness Prince Al-
bert, Albert Prince of Wales, and the rest of the Royal
Family."
Ode—" Hail Albert."

The LORD MAYOR, in proposing the next toast,
said that this country stood pre-eminent for many
years past, and that pre-eminence was due in a great
measure to the army and navy.—(Cheers.) He
should therefore give them, with all the honours,
" The Army and Navy."
Song—" The Sailor's Friend," by Mr. Machin,
followed by a fantasia from Figlia del Reggimento, by
Mr. Distin and Sons.

The LORD MAYOR then rose to propose the toast
of the evening. He said—Gentlemen, the meeting
which we hold to-day is to celebrate a very rising
concern, which I am sure is well known to every
gentleman in this room. It is the formation of the
Commercial Travellers' School.—(Hear, hear.) It is
now three years since its first formation, and it is
really pleasing to see the progress which it has made
and the advance which it is making ; and I hope and
trust as it proceeds it will still continue to be ex-
tended and enlarged.—(Applause.) I believe, as I
have said before, it is now three years since the insti-
tution was first established; and there are now in the
school forty-five boys and twenty-five girls at the
present time, and it is the intention of the governors
to admit fifteen more boys in a very few days.—
(Applause, and cries " They will be admitted to-
morrow.") If that does not convince the present
company of the progress of the school I scarcely
know what will. But I say to me it is most pleasing
to reflect upon and to see the progress the schools
have made in so short a period of time, and I trust
they will continue to prosper, and of that there can
be no doubt so long as the labours of the directors
are employed to promote it.—(Cheers.) I have now
great pleasure in giving you as a toast " Success to
the Commercial Travellers' Schools, and may they
continue to prosper."—(Loud applause.)
The toast was drank with enthusiasm; and a song,
written, composed, and dedicated to the Commercial
Travellers of the United Kingdom, by J. B. Walker,
entitled " The Will and the Way," was well sung by
Mr. Hobbs, and encored vociferously.
The following subscriptions were next announced
by Mr. Harker, the toastmaster :—The Lord Mayor,
10 guineas; John Mastertnan, Esq., M.P., 10 guineas;
Benjamin Bond Cabbell, Esq., 10 guineas ; the
Railway Assurance Society, 10 guineas; George
Moore, Esq. (the treasurer of the institution), 1051.;
Messrs. Peck, Brothers, 105/. ; the Proprietors of the
Daily News, 1051.; J. B. Walker, Esq. (the produce
of the song above-mentioned), 105/. ; National Mer-
cantile Assurance Society, 100/. ; Richard Groucock,
Esq., 521. 10i.; Sampson Copestake, Esq, 521. 103 ;
Messrs. George Smith and Sons, 521. 10s. ; Robert
Clarke, jun., Esq., 521. 10s.; Messrs. J. and W.
Nicholson and Co., 1051.; T. H. Crampton, Esq.,
211. ; Rogers, Lowry, 'and Co., 211.; Macgregor,
Esq., 211.; Welch, Margetson, and Co., 211 ; and
many other smaller sums, amounting in all to 1,200/.
Mr. JOHN BRADBURY then said he had to propose
to them the next toast, which was the health of the
Right Hon. the Lord Mayor.—(Cheers.) He had
the pleasure to enjoy his Lordship's acquaintance, and
many opportunities of knowing his worth, and the
interest he took in the public institutions of London.
His Lordship had only held the office of chief magis-
trate of this city for a period of two months, and this
was the third time he (Mr. Bradbury) had had the
honour of meeting his Lordship on occasions of this
kind. He was quite sure, during his mayoralty, that
the Lord Mayor would be ever ready to come for-
ward, on all occasions, whenever his presence will be
of service, in promoting the charitable institutions of
this great city. lie was quite sure the company
would all join him with acclamation in drinking his
Lordship's good health.—(Cheers.)
Drunk with enthusiasm.

The LORD MAYQR said he rose to thank them for
the very great honour they had done him, by the
way not only in which his health had been proposed,
but druid( by the assembly. He felt he was then at
the head of a society which was, indeed, about to do
a great deal of good. The way in which it was
proceeding, the sums which were subscribed, and the
whole circumstances together, convinced him that it
would be indeed a most valuable institution.—
(Cheers.) All he had to say and to wish was, that it
might continue to go on as it bad commenced, and
that its progress eventually might be such that at
last it would be placed in that independent position
that there would be really no poor member in the
society.—(Cheers.) He had again to repeat to them
how thankful he was for the honour they had done
him in drinking his good health, and he could only
say that he wished the institution might last for ever.
Mr. RICHARD GROUCOCK said he had the greatest
pleasure in proposing to them a toast which he was
sure they would all receive with the greatest pleasure.
It was the health of John Masterman, Esq.—(Cheers.)
He need only mention the name of that gentleman to
insure their applause, and he was sure he need not
take up any of that time which he knew they were
so ardently intent upon, that evening, de-
voting to the interests of their charity ;
but he was certain none of them would
consider, in mentioning to them the name of their
worthy president, and in calling to their recollection
what some of the earliest friends of the society had
witnessed—the readiness with which he acceded to
their wish to become their president, and the devo-
tion and attention to their interests that he had ever
since manifested, he (Mr. Groucock) would be thought
as wasting much of their time. He was sure they
would all join with him in applauding, not only the