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

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 was usually
called " the toast of the evening." Therefore, his
duty, as Shakspare said, "could not be silent ;" but
he would promise them that what he said should be
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 Dewsvenders, being a large
and an industrious body in London, established
a benevolent and provident institution, fur 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 had 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, but
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 was
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 life 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 subjecrof 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 1 000/. 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,C00/., 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 him-
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 know 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 whole
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 nay 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 was conceived in this island—to stimulate the
People to resist the Spanish armada. It was not 200
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 newseending 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,:was 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.
The CHAIRMAN, in acknowledging the compliment,
said be thanked them most heartily for this ♦ery cor-
dial mark of their goodwill, which, he confessed, he
could not separate from something of the earnestne,s
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.) In
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 connexien 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. JERDAN returned thanks.

The CIIAIMMAN 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 1,000/, and
that the contributions of parties who were unable to
attend the dinner exceeded 1001., including Mr.
Crompton, 10/. 105.; Mr. Harmer, in addition to
several previous subscriptions, 10/. 105.; Mr. Morgan,
10/. 105.; the Morning Post, 101. 10s.; Mr. Byfield,
5/. 55.; Mr. Whiting, Si. 55.; Mr. Walter, M.P., 51 ;
Mr. Wall, M.P., 51.; Mr. Cassell, Standard of Free-
dom, 51. The contributions at the dinner table
amounted to a liberal sum. Mr. Dickens subscribed
Si. ss. ; Mr. Dawson, Si. 55.; Mr. Woodburn, 51. 55.;
the Examiner, 2/. 25.; Mr. Charles Knight, 2/. 2s. ;
Mark•lane Express, 21. 25.• the Record, 21. 2s. ;
Mining Journal, 2/. 2s ; 111 r. Pickersgill, 3/. 33. ;
Scripps and Sons, 10/. 103. ; and Mr. H. Colburn,
Si. ss.

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

Mr. PICKERSGILL acknowledged the compliment.
Mr. Robert Bell gave " The Health of the Pub-
lishers of England and Mr. Henry Colburn."
Mr. COLIII.7IIN returned thanks.
Several other toasts were afterwards drank, and
the company separated at an early hour.
The musical arrangements were under the manage•

Before the time that railway lines, with their
branches extended from London to almost every sea-
port town and fishing village along the coast, the
London fish market was supplied with cod, ling,
skate, turbot, halibut, plaice, soles, Johny-dories,
&c., from the deep seas, the decked-welled smacks
proceeding hundreds of miles to sea, where the very
strongest and best description of fish are to be had.
Those fish were brought up to Gravesend living in
the vessels wells. At midnight the fish were taken
from the wells, and sent up the river to Billingsgate
market, to be sold at five o'clock in the morning.
They often were jumping on the salesmen's tables.
The London inhabitants at that time could actually
get living fish in their houses to cook for breakfast.
Like beautiful features suddenly changed by small-
pox, how suddenly have the features of our fish
market been changed since the construction of rail-
way lines. All open-boat and shallow water fishers
along the coast, (whose fish immediately die, or at
the farthest very soon after they are caught, as they
have no wells to keep them alive), thinking they will
receive high prices at the London market, they put
their fish on the rail, before even consulting the wants
of the inhabitants of the towns they belong to, and
send them direct here. Were only a few to act in
this manner, perhaps the effects might be salutary
enough for the London market, as dead fish never did
fetch such high prices as living ones do ; and thereby
poor people might be enabled to purchase fish (such
as they are) at a reasonable rate. But the fact is,
many hundreds of fishermen, from all parts of the
coast, keep sending their catchings by rail in the
same way. The consequence is the market is often
times glutted to excess with a readily perishable
article. They are sold, of course, at prices low
enough; but fish is an article of food, if kept too
long after dying, in (what is termed) a fresh state,
they are dear even as a gift. So many dead shallow.
water fish being brought to market daily, (all looking
well enough, although not near so good in quality ss
the real deep-sea living ones), they are purchased by
many who can afford to pay s better price for living
fish. The results are the decked-welled smack
owners, who are obliged to uphold their vessels at
considerable expense (and in consequence of the
competition offered to them by so many open-boat
fishers, whose expenses are small in comparison),
are not realising above half profits sufficient for their
living fish, so as to enable them to pay their crews'
wages and provisions found them. So that, from this
statement, it would appear that they are daily sinking
money. I have been told by a party who ought to
know pretty well, that within the last nine months
the smack owners for supplying the London market
with living fish have sunk capital to the amount of
nearly 30,0001.
From the above it will be seen who are the
parties in the fish trade that suffer from the evils
caused by railways, namely, the smack owners
and the smack builders. As it cannot be ex-
pected that the smack owners can carry on much
longer at the losing game they are now going on
with, should they find themselves compelled to aban-
don the deep-sea fisheries, what then, it may be asked,
is to become of all the hands now employed in those
vessels, amounting to above 250 smacks, nine hands
on board of each ? It is to be hoped that some
speedy measure will be adopted to avert such an evil
as this step would cause by railway traffic in dead
fish. The present felt and supposed evils caused by
rail way traffic in fish, let us now see who are the
parties that the change of wind has blown good to.
I would say, first, railway proprietors for convey-
ance; second, carriers from the railway to market;
third, basket makers which the fish are packed in ;
fourth, the increased supply of fish has more than
doubled the number of retail dealers, particularly
those that may be termed butchers. The hawkers,
of course, seek out customers to buy their fish who
cannot find time to go to market or a fishmonger's
shop to purchase.
The black and white sides by the change having
now been shown, the question that will naturally be
asked is—Where is the remedy ? The moot feasible
remedy that I can see is, that which would do pretty
fair justice to all parties, as the pecuniary interests of
few would be effected by the change.
Let a stable joint-stock company be formed, and
purchase all the smack property from the private
owners at a fair valuation. This company would
keep the smacks going, not only because they are
better calculated for training youth to be able seamen
than open boats are, but because they would be able
to keep up a supply of the very best description of
deep sea fish, as they used to have in olden times.
Now that there are railways, there would be no oc-
casion for the smacks to come to Gravesend. The
fish could be landed at the nearest port from the
fishing ground—Berwick-upon-Tweed, Newcastle,
Hartlepool, Hull, Yarmouth, or in fact any handy
place. Taken from the smacks' wells, packed in ice,
and put upon the rail, they would arrive in London
market as fresh as if they bad just been hauled from
a depth of 60 or 100 fathoms water.
- I am, Sir, &c.,
H. DEMPSTER.

,1 I
INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.—At tale
meeting of Tuesday, Joshua Field, Esq., president, in the
chair, the discussion upon the Grimsby Decks being
continued, the speakers, kd by the Very Reverend the
Dean of Westminster, were induced to diverge very
widely from the original subject, to point out the ac-
knowledged advantages that would result from engineers
poisessing a more accurate knowledge of geology, and
being able to discriminate between strata by an exlmi.
nation of the component parts, and to decide upon their
origin, as a guide in judging of their capability of sup-
porting the weights likely to be placed upon them in the
construction of works. The Reverend Dean gave many
instances where, in his opinion, more accurate knowledge
would have secured greater success, or have presented
casualties. On the other hand, although it was admitted
that an accurate knowledge of geology was most valu-
able to engineers, it was contended that they were not
so ill-informed on the subject as had been assumed. In-
stead of accusing engineers of knowing so little, it was
rather a subject of surprise that they knew so much; fur
no profession demanded such varied acquirements or the
exercise of such general common sense and judgement.
The discussion was closed by the Dean of Westminster
giving an example.of the urgency forengineers becoming
geologists; and on Mr. Bendel stating that the clay at
Leith was so hard as to require to be blasted, and yet
that, when exposed to a small current of water, it com-
pletely dissolved within a fortnight, he at once explained
it, as arising from the presence of a multitude of minute
particles of mica, whose non-adhesive properties pro-
duced the speedy disintegration of the mass. This was
admitted to be the tacit, and bad been observed and al-
lowed for by O.) engineer in the construction of the
works. The paper announced to be read to the meeting
of Tuesday, November. 27, was "An Account of the
Southend Pier; and Notices of the Ravages of the
4,Teredo Navalis,' in timber structures," by Mr. John
Paton.

DEATH OF CHARLES GORING, ESQ., M.P,—The
mournful intelligence reached us on Monday that at
half-past nine o'clock on the preceding evening this gen-
tleman breathed his last, at Wiston House. Mr. Goring,
who had'married so recrntly as September last, had been
more or less indisposed for some months, which caused
the postponement of the nuptials. A fortnight ago his
illness assumed a more serious aspect, ultimately taking
the character of typhus fever, under which he sank on
Sunday evening, as already stated. Mr. Goring sat for
the borough of Shoreham and rape of Bramber ever
since 1841, and his death causes a vacancy in the re.
presentation.—Brighton Guardian.
SERIOUS OCCURRENCE AT BRITANNIA-BRIDGE.—A
mishap of a very serious kind occurred yesterday fore-
noon connected with the operation of lowering the great
hydraulic machine from the summit of the pier. The
capstan gang, nine or ten in number, seized with a
panic, suffered themselves to be overpowered; and the
consequence was most serious injury to two of themen
—one being dreadfully bruised about the head, the other
having sustained compound fracture of the thigh. The
tide being favourable, the poor fellows were taken in a
boat to Carnarvon hospital. The press went to the
bottom, and will have to be fished up again.-IVorth
Wales Gazette.

THE HORSE GUARDS CLOCK.—Report states that
the Horse Guards clock ill probably be brought under
the operation of the Winding-up Act, in consequence of
some irregularities that have lately been ob,ervi d. We
regret to say that its old hands have not been so faithful
as heretofore, though there has been no actual stoppage
of the works. We cannot undertake to say the cause of
this melancholy change in the habits of the cluck, but
Oleic is reason to believe that there are, as the saying
is, " wheels within wheels."—Punch.
BIRMINGHAM, WEDNESDAT.—The visit of the Lord
Mayor and Sheriffs of ncon to the Exposition of .Ma-
nufactures at Bingley House, in this town, has been una-
voidably postponed.
Borrowed thoughts, like borrowed money, only
reveal the poverty that compelled the loan.—Lliza Cook's
Journal,