The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-01 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON GENERAL

PENSION SOCIETY.
The anniversary festival of this institution was held
last evening, at the London Tavern. His Royal High-
ness the Duke of Cambridge in the chair. Amongst
those present were Viscount Lake, Sir George Larpent,
Sir T. Wilson, Luke James Hansard, Esq., George
Cruikshank, Esq., J. T. Bedford, Esq., &c.
The usual loyal and constitutional toasts having been
unanimously responded to,
The CHAIRMAN proposed " Prosperity to the fund,
and may it flourish for ever." In doing so, he
said that the society was commenced in 1818, under the
auspices of his late Noble Relative the Duke of Kent. In
1828 the funds were so great that the institution was en-
abled to pay 1/. Ils. a month to the male and 1/. 2s.
to the female pensioners. The subscriptions at that
period amounted to 9,276/. 10s.; but in 1828, the funds
began to diminish; and in 1833, the managers were
obliged to reduce the pensions of the men to 45., and
the females to 3s. He did not say that the subscrip-
tions, which had brought about this reduction, had been
withdrawn, because he believed that they had been given
to other institutions which had been formed for a similar
object, the initiative having been given by the institution
whose anniversary they had met to celebrate. However
from 1836, the funds began to improve, owing to the
exertions which were made by the friends of the insti-
tution, and they were now enabled to pay the males
11.75., and the females 18s.—(Cheers)—and their great
ambition was to restore the pensions to their former
state.—(Cheers.) Another argument in favour of that
institution was this—that each male candidate should
introduce, at the time of his admission, three new
subscribers, and each female candidate two sub-
scribers, who should continue to contribute
to the funds during the whole period they
received aid from them. The half of the
receipts were devoted to present emergencies, and the
other half was invested for future contingencies. His
object in taking the chair was to promote the object
which the managers had in view, and he trusted that
they would induce their friends and others to join the
Institution.—(Cheers).
The toast was drunk in a bumper.
Sir GEORGE LARPENT then proposed the health of his
Royal Highness, which was warmly responded to.
The CHAIRMAN felt the utmost interest in the prosperity
of the Institution, and should feel happy to do all in his
power to promote its prosperity. It was seven years
ago since he presided over one of the anniversaries
and he trusted that the effect of his taking the chair on
that occasion would be the means of restoring the pen-
sions to their former amount.

Mr. RICHARDSON, the Secretary, said in 1818, when
the society was honoured with the presidency of his
late Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, that benevolence
had not taken so wide a range as it had at the present
moment ; nevertheless, the society gained rapidly in
public esteem, and the payments at one period amounted
to 10,000/. a year ; in fact, their coffers were so full that
they came to a resolution to elect 100 pensioners twice a
year, and the excitement at the elections was not unlike
that which prevailed at a contested election • but since
that period, Lambeth, Southwark, and other large locali-
ties, had established similar societies, and those who
had supported the parent society were profligate enough
to forget that they had rendered themselves responsible
for the pension of nearly 700 individuals, and that the
directors, by their withdrawal, were unable to pay them
their stipends. His Royal Highness had said that there
had been a transfer of charity, and that it had been
diverted into other channels, but there should have
been no transfer of charity whilst the pensioners
who had been elected lived.—(Cheers.) In 1828 their
means were so crippled, that they were obliged to re-
duce the payments to 3s. for the men, and 2s. to the
women. They could better imagine the feelings of those
who had been led to believe that their pensions would
be permanent, than he could describe them when they
found that their small means of subsistence had been
thus reduced. Many thought that they ought to sell
out, and abolish the institution altogether ; but still a
great number were of opinion that they ought to pro-
ceed.—(Loud cheers.) And as a great step in that
direction, they had solicited his Royal Highness to
take the chair. One important feature in this
society was this, that the votes given to unsuccessful can-
didates were kept as a ledger account, and registered in
their favour at any future election.—(Hear, hear.) His
followingß o
ryhalllsiugdobhofsncnkeroisnirpssotwi:moinnisgTghhttihenraDetttuuhtirhcenee tocooruchriassme institution palace
wwaisthin the
a fair sa-
tisfactionwary oef being restored to the state it was in in 1818.
broifr,dg7th:2ole.vnjuinne.
BrkindeAffosrmhdb,,ur2groteootlno.:
amounted to upwards of 1,000/.; amongst them were the
ni:Daleruyilde.EEostsclql73.,n-le°oel.leiuoc.y,..,.
ELsocird"
S.
Law, Esq., 211. ; N. J. Prescott, 101. ios. ; Sir d. Lar-
-150L01.1. 1.1 theja.
pent, 101. 10s.
The object of the institution is to give permanent re-
lief without distinction of religion, sect, or country, to
decayed artisans, mechanics, manufacturers, and trades-
men of good character by allowing them pensions, not
to exceed 31s. per month to the men ; and also to poor
deserving widows, not to exceed at any time 225. per
month, such pensions to be payable monthly. None to
be admitted candidates under sixty years of age, cases
of total incapacity only excepted, and the female pen-
sioners to be elected never to exceed half the number of
males.
Mr. Toole was the toastmaster.

FLANDERS MAIL.
BRUSSELS, MAY 29.—Our market to-day was better
supplied with corn than heretofore. There were above
100 sacks of native wheat and 60 of rye, both fell in
price. At noon the price of wheat was 31f. 10c. to
33f. 10c., and 22f. to 25f. for rye. There is every ap-
pearance that the price will continue to fall, and this is
the more evident from there not having been any foreign
loan in the market. Our populace still continues their
senseless exasperation against the bakers.
The market at Louvain to-day was equally marked by
a fall in the prices. The report of the governor of the
province of Antwerp relative to the agricultural pros-
pects of the country, is highly satisfactory.
BRUSSELS, MAY 28.—0 n the night of the 20th, a
collision took place on the Northern Austrian Railway,
between the two trains which met near the village of
Pousrain. Three men of the company were killed, and
another severely injured; none of the passengers received
any injury. The loss occasioned by the collision is
estimated at 30,000 to 40,000 florins.
BERLIN, MAY 27.—A considerable sensation is excited
here by a circumstance which has happened to M. Vo,l
K., a deputy of the Diet. He was invited to the office
of the President of Police, where he was shown a copy of
a letter which he is said to have written home to Prussia
immediately after the speech from the throne. M. Von
K. was asked whether he recognised this letter as
having been written by him, but he refused to give any
answer. This affair has excited much sensation in the
Assembly, and perhaps, called forth the declaration of
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Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial:
office from the Governor-General of Canada and also
from the Governor of t.ie other North American Pro-
vinces,