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

thin of the Coinim:cial 'frivoilers' School eit 1,),. an-
Ste :d wqs c,lebrtte,l by a public dinner at the London
Tavern, Bishoi,sg,,te-street, at which nearly 300 gen-
tlemen were present.
The Right lion. the Lord M-..yor occupied the
chair, supported by John Masterman, Esq., 1\1.P.,
Mr. Alderman Sidney, M.P., Richard Groucock,
EA., Rev. Charles Atarsliall, George Mo:)re, Esq.,
Arthur Wilcoxon, Robert \Vilcoxon, Jelin Bradbury,
E=q., Nicholson, Fsq., Robert Lawson, Esq ,
Robert Clarke, EA., Mr. Under-Sheriff Allard,
John Baggalay, Esq., G. W. Lees, Esq., William
APCullock, E.sq , Ciemet,t Choke, Esq , and ninny
other g•-ntlemen interested in the prosperity of the
institution.

The occasion was graced and enliv(nEd by the pre-
sence, of a good number of yourg and elekantly
dressed ladit s, who occupied the gallery at the foot of
the room ; and dui ing part of tl:e proceediLgA 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.

Th,i vocal and itnitrumental music during the
evening w a of the very liigh,st merit, the proKrAmini--,.
including the names of Alessrs Young, Laud, Hobbs,
and Machin as vof....ilists, those of the talented
and worthy Mr. Distin and his Sons, as instrumental-
ists, the latter of whom, father and sots, to their
great credit, kindly rendered their valuable services
gratuitously.

- 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 i❑ which the business of the school is at
present conducted is an old family mansion, situate at
IVanstead, on the borders of Epping Forest, which
has been temporarily converted for 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 character
of a charitable institution—their aim is simply to give
to the charitable operations of the society the widezt
possible range, believing that the true estimate of a
cherity is to be formed not by the splendour of its
structure, but that the noblest institution is that
which effects the greatest amount of goal. On this
account they seek to obtain an extensive, but not a
costly pile—a commodious, but not a magnificent
ferring 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
eeceetitous 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 Mayon proposed " The health of their
Gracious Sovereign," to whom, for so many reasons,
their allegiance and affection were due.

The ntiiional 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-
bf-rt, 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. Maclin,
followed by a fantasia.from Figlia del Regginiento,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
r ow 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 meking ; and I hope and
trust as it proceeds it will still continue to be ex-
tended and enlarged.—(Applause.) I believe, its 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 Masterman,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), 105/.;
Messrs. Peck, Brothers, 1051. ; the Proprietors of the
Daily News, 1051 ; J. B. Walker, Esq. (the produce
of the song above-mentioned), 1051. ; National Mer-
cantile Assurance Society, 100/. ; Richard Groucock,
Esq., 52/. 10e; Sampson Copestake, Esq , 521. lOs ;
Messrs. George Smith and Sons, 52/. 10s. ; Robert
Clarke, jun., Esq., 52/. 10s.; Messrs. J. and W.
Nicholson and Co., 1051.; T. H. Crampton, Esq.,
21/. ; Rogers, Lowry, and Co., 21/.; Macgregor,
Esq., 211.; Welch, Margetson, and Co., 21/ ; 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. lie 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. He was quite sure the company
would all join him with acclamation in drinking his
Lordship's good healtrh.—(Cheers.)
Drunk with enthusiasm.
The LORD MAYOR 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 drunk by the assembly. lie 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
wowed 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 had 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 peer 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 Geoucoce: said he had the greatest
pleasure iii proposing to then a toast which he mas
sure they would all receive with the greatest pleasure.
It was the health of John Masterinan, Esq.—(Cheers.)
He need only mention the name of that gentleman to
insure their epplause, and he was sure he need not
tales up any of that time which he knew they were
so ardently intent upon, that evening, de-
voting to the interests of their charity ;
is ut he was certain none of them would
consider, in mentioning to them the name of their
i worthy president, and in calling to their recollection
what seine 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•
Lion and attention to their interests that he had ever
since manifested, he (Mr. Groucock) would be thought
las wasting much of their time. lie was sure they
would all join with him in applauding, not only the