The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-31 00:00:00

THE CALEDONIAN ASYLUM.

The thidietiLanniverstheA this,kticytataci tabz-
exceuent ay
of erring at the Freemason's Tavern. The patron of
file institution, his Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambridge, presided. His Royal Highness was sup-
ported on his right by the President, the Duke of
Buccleuch, and on his left by Lord James Stuart,
M.P. Many of the nobility and aristocracy of Scot-
land, and many distinguished Scotchmen were pre-
sent. About two hundred sat down to dinner, which,
with the wines, was highly creditable to the establish-
ment.

The cloth having been removed, and " Non nobis
Domini" chaunted by the vocalists, the Chairman
gave in succession the usual loyal and constitutional
toasts, which were, as usual warmly responded to.
The children who are educated, fed, and clothed,
by the institution, were then ushered into the hall.
They were all dressed in tartan—the boys wearing
kilts—and all looked healthy and happy. A more
gratifying sight we never beheld ; but it struck us
that the hair of the children—especially the girls—
many of whom had light blue eyes and auburn hair,
and nearly as many the sand-coloured hair of their
country, had been too closely cropped—that a bowl
had been placed on their heads, and that all the strag-
gling hair, which stretched beyond its limits, had been
clipped by the shears of the barber of the institution.
We knew a lady who discharged her servant because
she wore ringlets, and was taken for one of the family,
but we are at a loss to understand why the poor
forlorn soldier's daughter, whom misfortune
has compelled to seek shelter in the asylum,
should have her locks fashioned after the inmates of the
.
House of Correction The object of the institution
_

s to support and educate the children of soldiers,
sailors, and marines, natives of Scotland, who have
died, or been disabled in the service of their country,
and of indigent Scotch parents resident in London,
not entitled to parochial relief. It is only within
this year or two that its benevolence has taken a
wider range, as it has extended its benefits to female
children. In the year 1843, James Matheson, Esq.,
of Achany, M.P., offered a contribution of one thou-
sand pounds, provided the directors would undertake
to carry out the object without delay; and the pro-
position having been cordially acceded to, an addition
to the building was commenced in May, 1844, and is
now completed ; so that the house is capable of ac-
commodating 100 boys, and an equal number of
female children, my an appropriate manner, with ade-
quate play-grounds for each, and under such regula-
tious as to ensure a rigid attention to good order and
efficent discipline. Twenty-five girls will be ad-
mitted in June
next, which, with the boys already
on the foundation, will make an aggregate of 115
children, a much larger number than was ever before
admitted to the benefits- of the charity. The direc-
tors, therefore, appeal Innost earnestly to the present
supporter 4 -of
,the institution to come ,forward with
liberal donations for the purpose of, meeting the in-
creased demand made upon their funds, and to use
their best efforts in their' respectiVe circles, by clona-
l-lona and annual- subscriptionaligthent the fulids
of the institution ; and they beg to remind them that
they have been already compelled to sell 5001. of their
Stock, to meet in part the demands upon them, and
any further inroad upon. that fund will only cripple
the means of maintaini n,g the increased number of
children. The children :are admitted from the age of
seven to ten years, and. retained till they arrive at
fourteen, when they :are apprenticed to trades, or '
otherwise disposed of according to circumstances.
ttei oanc, herunder ;
and
theythe
aresuperintendence
once
a year
publiclyof m
They receive a plain, us dill education, and the utmost
care is bestowed on theix moral and religious instruc-
in the presence of the Presbytery of the Scottish
Church in London, and
.other clergymen.
ceoxapmeitneendt
The CHAIRMAN then xose to propose the toast of
the evening, but, owing' to nE' , the position assigned to
the press, but meagre •p o rtions of the speeches deli-
vered in the course of the evening were heard
by us.
His Royal Highness was
understood to say that those
who witnessed the checurful and healthy appearance
of the children must be sensible of the great benevo-
lence and national importance of the institution. It
was a pleasing thing to look upon their happy faces
and to know that their ',welfare was the object of the
institution—and God knew how many it had spared
from perhaps falling into' evil.—(Cheers.) They had
assembled to celebrate Use thirtieth anniversary of the
institution. It had stoocl thirty years; which was
owing to the great exertions of those intrusted with
its management, who ha d watched its progress from
year to year, and who had left nothing undone to
promote its interest in every way in their
power. At first not, more than twelve boys
were admitted to parti.:liipate of its benefits ; sub-
sequently, the number' was increased to forty ;
and ultimately, when t'ne building in Copenhagen-
fields was erected, to nin tet,y boys. But it was only
recently that it had been extended to female children,
and he had now the hEtp piness of seeing before him
forty-one girls—(Cheer s)—thus, owing to the ex-
ertions of the friends of the institution its advantages
have been extended to i Learly two hundred children.
—(Loud cheers.) He w-as delighted to see them look
so well, and as he had inspected the asylum he war
in a position to state th sr; it was conducted with the '
greatest regularity, and that in every respect it wtis
creditable to those plarsed over it. The annual ex-
pense of providing fo r 200 children was 3,5001.,
700/. only was derived fi,Din the funded property, thus
2,8001. had to be suppli e d by benevolence alone ; but
when he bore in mind tl ie support which it had re-
ceived during its exist ence, and the wealth and mu-
nificence of its friends, :he was confident that the in-
creased demand, owing to the extended nature of the
institution, would not 'be made in vain.—(Cheers.)
He considered it was an institution which eminently
deserved their encour ty,
;ernent, as its object was to
succour the young and •the helpless—(Loud cheers)._
and therefore he beg ged to give "The Caledonian
Asylum, and may the offspring of the brave never
want a protector."—(Tilinmense cheering.)
The toast was rest lc inded to with the greatest en-
thusiasm.

Mr. CHARLES Foal" a :s, the treasurer of the insti-
tution, said a gentlem as had presented the institution
with a medal of the v a lue of 255., for the purpose of
being presented from year to year to the best gram-
marian produced by t;1 e school. The youth selected
on the present occasi' 3ri—and he was not only selected
by the managers of e institution, but by his col-
leagues in the school , —was James Thompson, who
was scarcely thirteen y ears of age, and who was two
years younger than the eldest boy in the school. The
medal was placed round the boy's neck by his Royal
Highness, who hig'nl y complimented him on the
occasion. Mr. Forl )e s then went on to say that he
deeply regretted the w navoidable absence of the Rev.
T. C. Cook, the ins p 4 !ctor of the schools, who had
examined the childr er 1, and who would have stated
that they had given I ai m the greatest satisfaction.
The Duke of Buc w LERCH then proposed the health
of the chairman, w h ich was drunk with Highland
honours.

them fori
The CHAIRMAN b rie fly returned thanks, and pro-
ththe honour
pro-
posed the health of the Duke of Buccleuch, and long
Highland
they had conferred, upc in
him, and assured them that
no one felt more sinter hliofe no to
honours. h.
imfi wehDicuhke w a
thankedsalso drunk w
aly for the welfare of the insti-
tution than he did.

A number of other •toasts were also drunk.
The subscriptions in the course of the evening
amounted to 1,2661. Among the donors were Prince
Albert 1001., the Du' se of Cambridge 201., the Duke
of Buccleuch 501., the Duchess of Buccleuch
10/. 10s., collected 1- oy the Rev. Dr. Cumming 1001.,
by Captain Laurant, R.N.; 100/., and 4301. proceeds
of the Caledonian baJ (I, 2781. were also subscribed for