The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-18 00:00:00

COUNTY OF YORK.

June 17, 1847.

NEWSVFNDERS' BENEVOLENT
AND PROVIDENT INSTITUTION.
The eighth anniversary general meeting of this
excellent society, the object of which is to grant pensions
and temporary relief to masters and servants engaged in
the sale of newspapers, who from age, infirmity,
or distress, may require assistance, was held
last evening at eight o'clock, at Anderton's hotel,
Fleet. street. Mr. L. Wild, of Catherine-street, was
unanimously called to the chair in the unavoidable
absence of the President, Mr. Harmer. from illness, who,
however, sent a donation of 101. los., and expressed
himself as keenly alive as ever to the great importance
of the institution.
The CHAIRMAN said he was sure they must all regret
the circumstance which had rendered the absence of
their worthy and benevolent President necessary ;
but, at the same time, they must also be glad
to find that he was recovering, and that he
was the same good friend they had heretofore
found him. Fur himelf, he might say that he
should leave nothing undone to promote the
prosperity of the institution in every way in his power.
The SECRETARY (Mr. Cole) then read the report,
which simply stated that, during the last three years
the improvement of the funds had steadily progressed,
and that during the past year they had added 50/. to the
permanent Stock. A candidate had offered himself
for one of the pensions but he had been removed by
death ; his widow applied for and received aid, but she
only lived a few weeks after. No other application for
a pension by a member of the institution had been made
during the past year ; but the committee had felt
themselves bound to grant temporary aid to
an extent considerably beyond what they considered
the society should be calle'l upon to make to parties
who had never joined it as members, or added
one farthing to its funds, yet as the applicants were
known to be thoroughly deserving of commiseration and
it was allot ded to them—still it was a gratifying
tact, that so few among themselves had been necess‘tated
to claim the advantage of the society's benefits,
but this enabled them to afford extraneous aid.
The funded stock is 8501. The committee
trusted that their inconsiderate fellow- tradesmen would
join them in the laudable work they had in view, by
donations or small annual subscriptions, and thus ensure
for themselves and those dependent upon them the aid
of the society iu the hour of need.
The accounts showed the disbursements to have
been 1391. 16s. 3d., and the expenditure 82/. 9s. 10d.,
and that a balance of 571.65. sd. remained in the hands
of the treasurer.
Mr. Tom Ass presented a donation of 101. 10s. from
Mr. l)ouglas Jerrold, (or rather, Douglas Jerrold's
Maly Newspaper,) who had intended :o have beea
present ; but the dangerous illness of his daughter in
Guernsey, had called him suddenly from town, and
rendered his absence unavoidable. He assured them that
Mr. Jerrold felt the deepest interest in the institution,
and as he had received the utmost kindness front the
trade, not only in London, but in the provinces, he felt
that he was doing no more than his duty in presenting
the Society with this donation. He also wished to be-
come a contributor of 21. 2s. a year.
The announcement was received with the warmest de-
monstrations of gratitude, and the Chairman, on behalf of
the meeting, cordially thanked the donor, who was, on
the instant, elected one of the vice-presidents, as also
was Mr. Bond Cabbell, M.P.
The committee and the other officers of the institution
having been re-elected, and a vote of thanks passed to
the Chairman, and suitably acknowledged by him, the
meeting sepatated.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.—Mr. Macready takes his
farewell for the season to-night in his masterly delineated
character of King Lear. Numerous foreigners of distinction
have taken boxes, the tragedy being by desire, and the ce-
lebrated songstress Jenny Lind bas also secured a private
box to witness the eminent tragedian in Shakspere's master-
piece.
A LIMB Or TIIE LAW IN A TRAr.—On Monday
last, at the Police office, Blackburn, before Eccles Shor-
rock, Esq., Arthur Martin, railway guard, appeared
against George Baron, small debt bailiff, and Henry
Johnston, whom he charged with extorting money
from his wife on false pretences. Mrs. Martin
stated in evidence that on Wednesday, the 9th
of June, her husband being from home for a
few days, the defendants came to her house,
and demanded Cs. on account of Mr. Ingram,
cabinet-maker, &c., due for repairing a chest of
drawers. Mrs. Martin denied the debt, stating that
she had bought the drawers on the condition that they
should be repaired if necessary, from the wood shrink-
, ing, within twelve months, at Mr. Ingram's expense.
The wood had shrunk very much, and she had sent
back the drawers to be repaired, for which the alleged
debt was incurred. She asked the defendants to defer
pressing their claim till her husband came home,
but they remained in the house for a considerable time,
declaring they had a "wapentake" for her, and would
proceed to the last extremity on the following morn-
ing, at nine o'clock, if she did not immediately pay
the debt, Baron at the same time producing a piece
of paper, which he alleged to be the " wapentake;
which, on being disclosed and handed to the witness,
on her paying the 6s. 6d. for Baron's trouble,
was found to be the tradesman's account. Being
called on for his defence, the myrmidon of the law
smiled most insinuatingly, and said the thing was all
a mistake, and that he bad told Mrs. Martin that Mr.
Ingram had been served with a " wapentake," and that
he might have to do the same by her to morrow morn-
ing, at nine o'clock ; not that he then had a " wapen-
take" or " proper law" for her. That he had so threat-
ened, however, was clearly proved.—He was ordered to
pay back the money and costs, 9s. ; which he left the
Court to raise by help of " wapentakes," mock or real,
or such other influences as he could put is operation.—
Manchester guardivi