The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-01 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL MERCANTILE
LIFE ASSURANCE SOCIETY.

The anniversary of this invaluable and most
excellent institution was celebrated on Wednesday, at the
London Tavern, on which occasion were collected t
gether some of the most influential gentlemen connected
with the City and the commerce of the country; among
whom we noticed Mr. Aldermen Sidney, Mr. Wilcoxon,
Mr. Waddington, Mr. Groucock, Mr. A. Wilcoxon, Mr.
Blandford, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Newbon, Mr. Broekirbank,
Mr. Ma) ne, Mr. Nicholson, Mr. M'Culluch, Mr. Peck.
Mr. Lawson, Mr. Baker, &c. Upwards of two hundred
gentlemen sat down at six o'clock to a dinner replete
with every delicacy the season could afford, and one
worthy the name of the proprietors of this establishment.
The chair was most ably filled by Robert Wilcoxon,
Esq , supported on the right by Mr. Alderman Sidney,
and on the left by Giles Redmayne, Esq.
The dinner, the good things of this life, having been
been discussed in a spirit worthy of so excellent a cause,
and the cloth withdrawn,
The CHAIRMAN rose to propose the first toast, the
" Health of her most Gracious Majesty the Queen."—
(Great cheering.) Born and living among them, they
had ample opportunity of estimating her character and
worth.—(Cheers.) Since she had ascended the throne
she had manifested on every occasion the greatest
anxiety to
,promote the prosperity of every class of her
people.—(Great cheering.)
" God save the Queen" was then sung in most excel-

lent style by the vocalists engaged.
The CHAIRMAN then said that the next toast be had

to propose was one in which he was sure all present
would join as heartily as they did in the last, it was the
" Health of his Royal Highness Prince Albert."—
(Great cheering.) As consort to their Queen
he was well entitled to their remembrance—(Cheors)—
but he was equally so on account of the many excellent
qualities that he possesied—(Cheers)—qualities, he
could unfeignedly say, that endeared him to the people
of the United Kingdom.—(Cheers.) To his name he
would also add that of Albert, Prince of Wales—
(Cheers) the Queen Dowager —(Cheers) and the
other branches of the Royal Family.—(Great cheering.)
The toast was drunk, as was that of her Majesty,
with the most loyal and enthusiastic applause. Glee,
" Here's a Health to the Prince and the Queen."
The CHAIRMAN then said that the next toast he was

about to propose was one truly national, it was " The
Army and Navy of the United Kingdom."—(Loud
cheers. It must be acknowledged by all that

this country was greatly indebted for her power
and her commercial prosperity, under the Divine
favour, to her religion, her laws, and the perseverance
of her combined forces.—(Cheers.) Ho trusted the day
was not far distant when wars and rumours of wars
would for ever cease—(Cheers)—when the sword would
be beaten into a ploughshare and the spear into a
pruning-hook.—(Cheers.) He thought that their meed
of prai e was eminently due to those noble men who,
not counting their own lives as an) thing, were ever
ready to stand up in the defence of their country, and
thereby secure to those who inhabited it all that they
desired, all that was dear to them, a happy and a peace-
ful home.—(Cheers.) The toast was drank with the
greatest enthusiasm.

- Duet, " Sound, sound the Trumpet boldly," was sung
in most excellent style by Turner and Farquharson
Smith.

The CHAIRMAN then rose and said, that the toast he
was about then to propose might be called the toast
of the evening.—(Cheers.) It was one in which he was
sure all present felt the most lively interest.—(Cheers.)
It was one that had such attractive influence, that to it
he felt lie was indebted for the present large, respectable,
and influential company by which he was surrounded.—
(('h:iers.) The toast was, " Prosperity to the National
MLrcantile Life Assurance Society."—(Tremendous
cheering.) It was the third anniversary dinner of the
society at which, by the request of all present, be had
had the honour of presiding—(Cheers)—and he could
not but regret that he did not possess greater ability to
fill a chair, which he was sure any gentleman, however
high by position, would feel proud to occupy. It had
been customary on that day for their chairman
to give them something like an account of the present
position and prospects a the society.—(Cheers.) Of
the past he would say but little—(Cheers)—they were
all familiar with the dangers, the trials, and the diffi-
culties which they had had to encounter—(Cheers)—and
how, through perseverance, energy, determination,
and an honourable and straightforward course
of action, they had overcome every obstacle to
their success.—(Cheers.) At the present moment,
it was his most gratifying duty to inform them that the
society was in a most flourishing condition, and that all
their transactions were most healthy and crowned with
success.—(Cheers.) At their last annual meeting, in
March, it was in the power of the directors of the
society to declare their first bonus—(Cheers)—and since
that period the progress of the society, he believed he
might say, had given the greatest satisfaction to every
oroprietor. The success of the present year was most
encouraging to the directors—(Cheers)—and with the
powerful support that they received, especially from
their friends, the commercial men, who were daily en-

listing under their banners and joining their ranks, in
carrying their principles through the length and
breadth of the land, he had no doubt that the time was
not far distant when they would become one of the
largest life offices in London, the emporium of the
world.—(Loud cheers.) Their losses during the
present year had been remarkably light, for during the
whole of the twelve months, from the Ist of January to
the present moment, the sum total of claims upon them
tor policies falling in amount only to the small sum of
600L--(Great cheering.) This result, he had no doubt—
and he was sure that every one present would agree with
him in that opinion—was owing to the care, the perse-
verance, and the watchfulness that had been exercised
by the directors in the selection of the lives that had
come before them. (Loud cheers.) It also
showed, on the part of the medical gentlemen connected
with the society, the discrimination and discernment
that they bad displayed. Irrespective of this, success in
every other quarter had been as great as the most
sanguine supporters of the society could have anticipated.
—(Cheers.) He believed that it was generally known
that they were now in the occupation of their new pre-
mises—(Cheers)—situated certainly in the first locality
of the city of London, and most desirably adapted for all
the necessities of the institution.—(Cheers.) He was
sure that the speculation that they had entered into in
purchasing those premises would be found to be most
beneficial to the society, not only as a purchase, but as
an occupation.—(Cheers.) Before he sat down he felt
anxious to say a few wards on the subject of life assur-
ance. Every one who heard him, he believed, would
acknowledge that it was a most valuable boon—
(Cheers)—and the blessings that it conferred could
never be over-rated.—(Cheers.) How many a poor
bereaved widow, he would ask—how many a poor orphan
and an orphan family had to bless the day when first
the husband or the father had the prudence, the fore-
cast, the thoughtfulness, the well-minded intention
of insuring his life, and thereby enabling his wife
and his children to insure to themselves a competency
during their lives? Such a competency had made the
hearth of the widow comfortable, the home of the orphan
happy. Such were the blessings that attended the form-
ing of companies like the present, and such were the be-
nefits that life assurance was calculated eminently to
impart.—(Cheers.)
The toast was drunk amidst enthusiastic cheering,
followed by a comic improvisation on the society, by Bru-
ton, in which the allusions to Mr. Alderman Sidney, who
sat on the right of the chairman, and Mr. Redmayne,
who occupied the seat to his left, created considerable
merriment. _

Mr. Alderman SIDNEY then rose to address the com-
pany. It was his pleasing duty to propose the next toast,
which he had no hesitation in saying would be received
by all present with the greatest enthusiasm. That toast
was " The health of their most excellent Chairman."—

(Great cheering.) He called upon them to drink the
of the chairman, in three paints of view—first,
as a merchant—(Cheers)—secondly, as a gentleman ;
and, thirdly, as a friend. He was known to most of
them, and he was known only to be respected. As the
chairman of the directors of the Mercantile Life Assu-
rance Society he occupied a very proud and gratifying
position. The urbanity of his manners, the excellence
of his judgment, and the good temper he had invariably
displayed, endeared him to all, and made the position
which he occupied one of the greatest benefit to the
s,viety a d to the public at large.—(Loud cheers.)
Upon the situalion which he filled that evening, he (Mr.
Alderman S dne)) telt that he need not offer any
eul.gium with respect to the conduct that he had pur-
:,ued.—(C,,eers ) His conduct had already drawn down
pl.:n(lns which were most deservedly bestowed. He
negeed, in conclusion, to propose the health of their
chan man, Mr, Wilcoxon, with three times three.
The toast was drunk amidst the most enthusiastic
cht•vring.

The (.3LIAIRMAN rose to return thanks amid great
the ring. He really did not feel himself competent to
give exp,es,ion to the feelings that animated
him for the very kind manner in which his
n -one had been mentioned by his worthy friend,
Mr. A qlerman Sidney, and for the warm receue
ion !NUL it had ire.t with in so large and so enli t•
-ied s. company ac that which surrounded him.—
~; beer It conid not bu: be gratifying to him to know
t,- feel that the hunabl- services which it had
been in his power to render to the society
had the ith a tused of approbation from
its tie-inters which he felt they did not deserve.—
(Cheers.; For the strong manifestation which he had
ja-it witnessed ir his favour he begged to return them his
most sincere thanks. To have such a demonstration on
his heliwf was the highest reward that he could receive,
end he telt that it was the greatest that the society couid
bestow.—(Cheers.) lie could not, however, receive
these praises from a meeting like the present without at
once acknowledging that h.?, was solely indebted
for them to the cordial assistance that he had re-
cei..ed from those by whom he was supported.—
(Cheering.) Not only to them were his thanks
due, but to the whole body of the proprietary and the
policy-holdcrs.---(Cheers.) He considered that it was
no mean honour to belong to a society like the present..
He was happy to think that he was connected with it
from its commencement, and that be • was one of
those who took his seat at the board at the very
first meeting of their directors.—(Great cheering.)
Since that period he had watched with the most careful
eye over the growing interests of the society; and
through evil report and good report he had nailed
his colours to the mast and had stood up, he
hoped he might say, its firm and its unflinch-
ing friend. It was true that he had often felt
himself incompetent to discharge as he could wish the
onerous duties that had devolved upon him as the
chairman of this society. But with the uniform kind-
ness, courtesy, and consideration which he had invari-
ably ever received from every member of the board,
together with the powerful assistance at all times ac-
corded to him by all by whom he was surrounded, he
felt that his "yoke was easy, and his burden light." In
conclusion, he begged most respectfully to thank