The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-08 00:00:00

STATIONERS AND PAPER MA-

NUFACTURERS PROVIDENT SOCIETY.

The eighth annual dinner of this society took place at
the London Tavern, on Tuesday last. Mr. H. Teape,
the wholesale stationer, presided on the occasion, sup-
ported by his partners, and by Mr. Dickinson, Mr. Hol
lingworth, Mr. Gausten, Mr. Joynson, Mr. Evans, Mr.
Hunt, Mr. Boyle, and indeed by nearly all the principal
paper manufacturers and stationers, amounting to 90 in
number. _ _ _

After the usual loyal and constitutional toasts, Mr. I.
E. Cooper, the honorary secretary, read a report of the
proceedings of the society, from which it appeared that
since the last anniversary the funds of the society, after
deducting all expences, had increased by the sum of
651/. 2s. 3d., thus making the total funds of the society
amount to 6,8251. 7s. ld., of which 6,7541. 13s. 9d. was
invested with the Commissioners for the reduction of the
National Debt. _

The toast of the evening, " Prosperity to the Stationers
and Paper Manufacturers Provident Society" followed the
report, and in proposing it the Chairman dwelt in forcible
terms on the great benefits derived from this institution,
and after having read a letter from Mr. Spalding,
recommending the plan adopted by his own firm of
rewarding the faithful services of their assistants by
making them members of the society, an example which
if generally followed, would have the most beneficial
effects, he urged upon the meeting the necessity of
making a vigorous effort to carry out the suggestion of
Mr. Hollingworth, the chairman of the last anniversary,
for the completion of the permanent fund, and he set the
example by contributing twenty guineas himself, and by
handing in a list of further donations from his friends,
amounting altogether to 721. 55.; this was soon followed
by a numerous list of donations from the several stewards,
making a total of 6201.; and no little enthusiasm was
created when Mr. Joynson, one of the vice-presidents,
who had contributed fifty guineas for himself, and
twenty-five guineas for his son, in order to increase
the funds to 8,0001., offered to the meeting to double his
contributions, provided the other contributors would
follow his example, snd the challenge was accepted by
the majority present, though ultimately it was thought
more prudent to defer the further donations until the
next anniversary, at which Mr. Joynson was requested,
and agreed to take the chair, and most of those present
pledged themselves to support him or the occasion; and
there seemed to be entertained but little doubt that on
that occasion the permanent fund of 10,0001. would be
completed.
Various other toasts connected with the institution
and the trade followed in rapid succession, and the com-
pany departed about eleven o'clock, after having had one
of the most successful meetings of the society. Mr.
Harker officiated as toast-master with his usual ability,
and the vocalists, under the direction of Mr. Ransford,
added much to the pleasure of the evening, whilst the
dinner was such as to keep up the reputation of the
London Tavern.

RESTRICTIVE LEASES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—In the proceedings of the self-styled " Irish
Council" of Tuesday last, I find a Mr. Bourke, a D.L. in
this county (Meath), stating that " it the landlords and
farmers of Ireland employed a sufficiency of people to
improve their lands, the poverty of the country would
be greatly diminished; and if the former insisted on
their tenants employing more people, they would, in a
great degree, enrich both the tenantry and themselves."
He is perfectly right, but was too much surrounded
by the Meath graziers to grapple with the cause of in-
sufficient employment, or denounce the restrictive leases
which palsy exertion, and pauperize the very tract of
country which in this council he represented.
Irish bravery is a fine expression, but Irish cowardice
is never heard of, and yet it is the want of moral
courage (not physical) which hoodwinks the Adminis-
tration, and deceives the English nation in reference to
the source of Ireland's ills. The aristocratic patriot is
perfectly safe in abuse, merited or the reverse, of Go-
vernment, but shrinks from the exposition of local
abuses and domestic oppression.
I could augur
The Irish party struck me, from the commencement,
nasothparalleleffective w t h
othe
well-poised ridicules
fromniu
the exclusion ofe ;
discussion at its formation meeting, or the preposterous
admission that " assent to the resolutions proposed was
not to be considered as binding the members to their
support;" or the basis of union so ingenuously put for-
ward by Mr. Mansell last Tuesday being " an agreement
not to differ!"
Amongst the signatures to the lengthy chain of reso-
lutions in the first instance presented to the Premier
by their deputation, my eye was caught by that of an
extensive proprietor, who owns a thousand acres of
grass land in this locality, and ties up his tenants by
penal clauses to preserve ninety out of each hundred
unbroken! while the secretary to the relief committee
here applied as vainly for a contribution, as I did
annually, previous to the application of the poor-law to
Ireland, when forming a summer fund for the sale of
meat and potatoes at half-price to the unemployed at
the dead season.

This course is too common in the midland counties,
prevents a sufficiency of labour existing for the hands,
and thus not only makes the enterprising and unfiltered
farmer and the benevolent free leasing landlord suffer,
by the necessity of additional poor-rates consequent on
insufficient employment, but also plants in poverty the
seeds of indolence and disorder.

I do not think it has been mentioned by the friends
of Ireland, in and out of Parliament, how essential to
its interests a curb on this practice has become.
I am, &c.,
E. TIGHE GREGORY, D.D., LL.D.,
Rector and Vicar of Kilmore, Meath, and Chaplain
to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.
Paget Priory, Kilcock, Ireland, July 3, 1847.