The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-22 00:00:00

LOXDON„ THURSDAY

NEWSVENDERS' BENEVOLENT
AND PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.
The first annual dinner of the Newsvenders' Bene-
volent and Provident I❑stitution took place last even-
ing at the Albion, Aldersgate street, Mr. Charles
Dickens in tl:e chair. Upwards of a hundred gen-
tlemen were present, and amongst them we observed
Mr. Robert Bell, Mr. Richard Taylor, Mr. Henry
Colhurn, Mr. Jerdan, Mr. Leach, Mr. Pickersgill,
and Mr. Mark Lemon. Messrs. Staples served up
an excellent repast, and after Non Nobis had been

sung,
The usual loyal and patriotic toasts were drunk
with all the honours.
The CHAIRMAN then rose, and said that it had now
become his duty to give to them what wai usually
called "the toast of the evening." There fore, his
duty, 83 Shakspare said, "could not be silent;" but
he wculd promise them that what he said should he
said earnestly and to the purpose, and at once as much
and as little as possible. As he learned from the
pamphlet which had been placed in his hands, "it
was ten years since, the newsvenders, being a large
and an industrious body in London, established
a benevolent and provident institution, for granting
temporary relief and permanent assistance to
persons engaged as masters and servants in that
body ;" and he observed that the institution,
so originated, had this excellent feature—that only
those were eligible, as its permanent pensioners, who
were members of the society, and bad contributed to
its funds—as he thought, a very salutary and wise
regulation, not only as encouraging provident habits
and a very wholesome feeling of brotherhood, hut
also as sparing the reduced recipients of their bounty
any humiliation in the receipt of those funds—(Loud
cheers)—as inspiring, which he considered was a most
excellent thought, "I can take the money without a
blush. I did a just thing when I subscribed to this
institution ; and I did it for others no less than my-
self. I did not then know that the hour of sickness
and distress which comes to so many of us would
come to me; but, being come, I thank God I is as
mindful of it, and that I can take this pittance with
an independent spirit and an upright head."—(Cheers.)
This institution, although it had a portion of 1,0001.
hard money at interest, which was a very tolerable
fortune for a very young creature, was still exceed-
ingly young. As yet its whole ife had been passed
in the nursery. It was so young, indeed, that it had
never until to-day come down to show itself after
dinner.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) But as there
was in the infancy of almost all young creatures a
certain period when the frame was collecting vitality
for future stature and strength, so he believed of
this creature that it had employed these ten years
in taking the necessary amount of sleep and very
mild sustenance, and that today a young giant was
exhibited to them for the first time, which, like the
giant in the " Arabian Nights," would contemp-
tuously kick over the casket which had contained it,
and, unlike the giant, never be able to get into it
again.—(Loud cheers.) The rapidity with which
healthy children out-grew their clothes was, he be-
lieved, a frequent subject:of complaint in most families
—he knew it was in his.—(Cheers and laughter.)
If this child of theirs did not grow out of his first suit
of 1 0001. whilst the nap was yet glossy upon it so
as to compel them to measure him in quick succession
for a suit of 2,0001., 5,0001., and 10,0001., all he meant
to say was, that the fault would be theirs alone, and
that they would deserve to be made an example of as
most unnatural parents.—(Loud cheers.) For hi:n-
self, as a friend of the family, he never should be
satisfied unless he had an opportunity of saying to the
grown-up bantling, " I knew you when you were a
mere baby, with a very weak chest.—(Laughter and
cheers.) I sat at the head of the table on the very
first occasion when your pinafore was taken off,
and now I see you a strong man—who, if I may
venture to adopt the phraseology of the sporting
portion of the press (with which they were, no
doubt, all familiar) may be heard of once a year at
the bar of the Albion, whose money is ready for all
corners, and who will be very glad to meet with
any customers who may do me the honour of calling
upon me."— (Laughter.) The claims of the news-
venders as a body, upon one another and upon the
public, to erect a provident institution of their own,
and not only that, but to elevate themselves and those
whom they employed in the social scale, in intelli-
gence and good conduct, seemed to him most unde-
niable. It was not that they toiled in all weathers
—that they were up early and late—that they were
watching whilst others were sleeping—that they were
at our doors daily throughout the year ministering to
our requirements, although this was much, and in
virtue of which we owed them a debt of gratitude ;
but it was because they were connected with that
great power which had become the axis upon which
the moral world turned round.—(Great cheering.)
Humbly connected, no doubt, but usefully and in.
separably, they were to that fountain of knowledge to
all men, which was popularly called " the press,"
what conduits were to a well of water, or what the
pipes which undermined the streets of this city were
to the great gas works from which the light came
that turned the night into day.—(Cheers.) It was that
they went for ever between us and those mighty en-
gines which, working night by night, the w'.ole
night through, were felt in their faintest throb
throughout the civilised world.—(Cheers.) It was,
that those men should be in a high degree worthy
of their trade, and should not be behind the members
of any other industrious calling—but should be up
with the foremost.—(Cheers) It was not more than
250 years since that the very first idea of a newspa-
per
to
was conceived
theesived sinpanh thisis aisrimanaddelt was
—tostimulnatoet
200 the
people
years since the first notion of a regular newspaper in
anything like the present form was reduced to prac-
tice. A hundred and fifty years ago there did not
appear to have been a single daily newspaper in Eng-
land, and, ten years later, only one. When he com-
pared such a state of things with that which now ob-
tained, he felt as if the humble men who were con-
nected with newsvending ought to be in advance of
those times in some proportion to the newspapers
which they sold, and that they should, and that they
might composedly take their stand upon the footing
of their useful trade, and be as recognised and as much
respected in it as the papermaker or the printer.—
(Cheers.) The object which had brought them
together that day might at first appear small enough ;
but it was so great and comprehensive in principle
that it deserved their best consideration. His opinion
was, however humble, that every follower of that
great plough which was ever stirring up the world,
and knew no season of pause in its work,:wsis de-
serving of their highest consideration. Therefore, he
proposed to them to drink heartily and cordially
" Prosperity to the Newsvenders' Benevolent and
Provident Institution."—(Loud cheers )
The toast was drunk with three times three and one
cheer more.

Mr. RICHARD TAYLOR had the privilege of giving
the next toast, though he felt himself inadequate to
do it justice. It was a very happy thing for this in-
stitution that it had for its chairman on the present
occasion a gentleman so much distinguished as was
Mr. Dickens—distinguished in various ways —not
less for the excellence of his genius in having taken
the lead in works of imagination, but for the admi-
rable tendency of all his works—the great knowledge
of human nature which they displayed, and their
tendency to improve the minds of all who read them,
and inspire them with a love of their fellow creatures.
—(Cheers.) After some further complimentary
remarks, Mr. Taylor proposed " The health of their
Chairman, Mr. Charles Dickens."
The toast was drunk amidst great cheering.
he CuAntma" in acknowledging the compliment,
said he thanked them most heartily for this very cor-
dial mark of their goodwill, which, he confessed, he
could not separate from something of the earnestness
of private greeting, rather than of mere public wel-
come.—(Cheers.) He thought that having been
himself a speaker so often already he should now
confine himself to producing divers unwilling gen-
tlemen whom he saw around him, and contemplating
their sufferings and their triumphs.—(Laughter.) To
thanking them for the honour they had now done
him he could not,. forget that his first entry into
life, his first success in life, and his first view of the
bearings of life around him were in connexion with a
London daily newspaper. That connexion had always
lived in his remembrance, and he acknowledged it as
a source of great pride and pleasure.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN subsequently rose and gave " The
Press in all its Ramifications, and Mr. Jerdan, in
connexion with Periodical Literature."—(Cheers.)
Mr. ..1-zaDAN returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed " The President,
Vice-Presidents, and Committee of Management of
the Institution."—(Cheers.)
Mr. GILBERT then proceeded to read the report for
the past year, by which it appeared that the funded
property of the institution amounted to 1,0001, and
that the contributions of parties who were unable to
attend the dinner exceeded 1001., including Mr.
Crompton, 101. 10s.; Mr. Harmer, in addition to
several previous subscriptions, 10/. 10s.; Mr. Morgan,
101. 103.; the Morning Post, 101. lOs ; Mr. Byfield,
Si. 55.; Mr. Whiting, Si. 55.; Mr. Water M.P., 51.;
Mr. %Vali, M.P., 51.;
Mr. Cassell, Standard' of Free-
dom, 51. The contributions at the dinner table
amounted to a liberal sum. Mr. Dickens subscribed
51. ss. ; Mr. Dawson, 5/ 55.; Mr. Woodburn, Si. 55.;
the Examiner, 21. 25.; Mr. Charles Knight, 21. 2s. ;
Mark-lane Express, 21. 2s. • the Record, 21. 2s. ;
Mining Journal, 21, 2s ; dr. Pickersgill, 31. 3s. ;
Scripps and Sons, 101. 103. ; and Mr. H. Colburn,
Si. ss.

The next toast was " Mr. Pickersgill and the
Artists."

Isle. PICKERSGILL acknowledged the compliment.
Mr. Robert Bell gave " The Health of the Pub-
lishers of England and Mr. Henry Colburn."
Mr. COLBUEN returned thanks.
Several other toasts were afterwards drank, and
the company separated at an early hour.
The mance arrangements were under the manage.