The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-18 00:00:00

ASYLUM FOR WORTHY AGED

AND DECAYED FREEMASONS.

The eleventlianniversary festival in aid of the Asylum
for worthy aged and decayed Freemasons, was held Tait
evening at the Freemasons' Hall, Brother J. B. Byron,
Vice-President of the Society, in the chair.
At six o'clock, about 150 brethren and gentlemen sat
down to an excellent dinner, which was put upon the
table in Bacon's best style, and after the cloth was with-
drawn, the Benedictus was sung by Messrs. Binge,
Crouch, Collier, and Jolley.
Mr. Higgins, the toast master, then entered upon the
execution of his duties, which he performed in admirable
style.

The usual loyal and national toasts having been
drunk,
The CHAIRMAN proposed the health of the Earl of
Zetland, the Grand Master.
The toast was drunk with the utmost enthusiasm, and
was followed by a fantasia on the harp from the airs in
Meyerbeer's opera of Robert le Diable, a hich was ex-
quisitely performed by Mr. F. Chatterton, and raptur-
ously encored.
The CHLtinast- then rose to propose the toast of the
evening. Eleven years had now elapsed since it had
seemed desirable to certain members of the craft, that
an asylum should be founded for worthy aged and de-
cayed Freemasons. It was scarcely possible to pass
through any road leading from the metropolis with-
out finding some asylum for aged persons connected
with some charity. But there was no asylum for aged
Freemasons, and this had been felt as almost a disgrace
to the craft. They were possessed of a splendid hall in '
which they held grand festivals, surely then it was their
duty to hold out a brotherly hand to worthy but de-
cayed Freemasons, and to provide for them an asylum.
—(Hear, hear.) It was eleven years since the scheme
had been proposed, and he was surprised and sorry to
find that in that time it had not been more effectually
carried out. They had even now only 4,0001., and they
ought to have had ten times that amount.—(Cheers.)
He thought it most desirable that an asylum should be
erected for worthy add decayed Freemasons. Poverty
was frequently the consequence of unavoidable misfor-
tune, and what could be more gratifying than to have
an asylum where the more fortunate brother
could go and shake his poor brother by the
hand, and administer to his wants.—(Cheers.)
If the object of the Institution was pleasing to the craft,
he trusted they would show the interest they took in it
by the liberality of their subscriptions.—(Cheers.)
This charity did not interfere with any other masonic
charity. It claimed assistance from the craft solely on its
own merits. He trusted that the appeal would not be
made in vain, but that that night would prove a
triumphant answer to it.--(Cheers.) He concluded by
proposing "Prosperity to the Asylum for worthy, aged,
and decayed Freemasons."—Drunk with three times
three, and one cheer more.

Duet,--'
Turner.

"Finale to The Crusaders"—The Misses

Duet,—horn and pianoforte, Signors Puzzi and
Negri.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of Brother
Crucefix, the treasurer, and the Committee of the Asy-
lum.—(Cheers.) In proposing this toast, he might say
that he was proposing the health of Brother Crucefix,
for such was the zeal, talent, and energy that ho exhi-
bited in the good work, that it might be called his work,
and his alone.—(Loud cheers.)
Drunk with three times three.
Fantasia on the sax•horns, beautifully given by the
Messrs. Distin, and loudly encored.
Brother CKUcEFIX rose to return thanks, which he
did in a short but eloquent speech, apologising for his
brevity by stating that he had a great deal to
read. He then proceeded to read the report, from
which it appeared that negotiations were in pro-
gres3 for bringing about a union between this charity
and the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution—" a
union," said the speaker, " which I trust will ere long
be brought about, and which will form whist other
folks, speaking in other places, would call an extended
Grand Junction line of charity.—(Loud cheers.) The
statement of the accounts was also read by Brother
Crucefix, from which it appeared that the Institution at
present possessed—
In the Consols... £3,353 18 10
In the Cripplegate Savings' Bank 122 13 3
Dividends due next month 4B 16 10
In the hands of the treasurer 270 9 4

3,800 18 4
At the conclusion of the reading the report, Signor
Brizzi sang an exquisitely beautiful Italian aria, which
was encored:

Brother BREWSTER proposed the health of the Chair.
man.—Drunk with three times three.

Fantasia,—pianoforte, Mr. Kiallmark.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks, and proposed " The
health of the Ladies,"—Drunk with all the honours.
Air—Brother Crouch—" Kathleen."

The TREASURER then announced the amount of sub-
scriptions collected in the room was 5671. Bs. This
announcement was received with loud cheering.
Several other toasts were drunk, and the conviviality
of the evening was kept up until a late hour.
During the early part of the evening the gallery was
crowded with ladies.

WEST SUSSEX AGRICULTURAL

ASSOCIATION.

SHEEP SHEARING.

Although the humbug of agricultural associations is
pretty well exploded, they are nevertheless kept up in
certain localities, where here and there an honest far-
mer is beguiled of his guinea to reward the Squire's
shepherd or housemaid for his or her faithful services,
and to keep up the delusion that the rent receiver's and
rent payer's interest are one and inseparable. Of
course. Goodwood will be the last place to discontinue
this crafty trick. But, nevertheless, the interest of these
meetings flags, and the managers of this drooping con-
cern, like the managers of sinking and dying out theatres
resort to all sorts of shifts and meannesses to induce a f ull
attendance. The novelty of a bishop presenting a Bible
and a Prayer-book has worn off, the dowry speeches of
eloquent archdeacons have lost their attractive power,
and so a rumour was industriously set afloat that Lord
George Bentinck and Mr. Disraeli would certainly
be. present at Goodwood Sheep Shearing (which
took place on Tuesday week) to dispel the usual
dulness by smart addresses to the tenant.farmers.
The bait took ; there was a goodly attendance of eager
agriculturists to see and hear the new Tory lions : and
as they who gave rise and encouragement to the trea-
cherous report feared that disappointment might stir up
angry feelings in the breasts of the disappointed, the
smiles and graces of illustrious ladies were cunningly
introduced and called into action to turn aside the wrath
of the bamboozled and beguiled dinner-eaters. There
was only one feature at the dinner worth recording ;
and that is emblazoned with such consummate art by the
Times, whose notice we shall presently lay before our
readers, that we shall not here say another word about
it. The Chairman—now universally recognised as " a
dull, blunt Duke "—repeated his old dull speeches, all
the members of his family were grossly flattered, and
the honest farmers and industrious labourers were
smothered with the hollow praises of " farmer's friends,"
who extort from them the uttermost farthing in rent,
and think their day-long labour rewarded by 65., 75., or
Bs. a week. The after-dinner scene was a barren waste;
not so the following description of it which we borrow
from our talented contemporary the Times:—
" The labourer is still the theme of eloquence at agri-
cultural meetings, where his importance is energetically
urged and his condition spoken of with affectionate in-
terest. To hear the speeches of protectionists at their
dinners, where the labour is never omitted as a toast,
and is sometimes tolerated as a guest, one would ima-
gine that the humble cultivator of the soil must be
better provided for than the members of any other class
of industry. Goodwood on Tuesday was the scene of
one of those annual meetings which are held in many
parts of the country for the purpose of giving the wor-
thy labourer his reward, in the shape of ten-shilling
prizes, for the twelvemonth's stock of virtue he may
have exhibited. The Duke of Richmond was in the
chair, supported by a Bishop, an Archdeacon, an Ho-
nourable and Reverend, and an M.P., besides a num-
ber of clergy and landowners of the district ; while, to
do honour to the humble hero of the day, the Duchess
of Richmond and the Ladies Lennox were present in a
side-gallery. There is something very beautiful in
the idea of the master sitting down to the same
meal with his men, and the presence of a galaxy
of godliness is highly appropriate to such a truly
Christian act as the feasting of • the employed by
the employer at his own table. The charm, how-
ever,is speedily dissipated when we
thatfin o f tahte proceeding
such
a very
early stage of the business as the
first toast, after the healths of the Royal Family having
ewl lietdh toee
empty
yp upu their
etinr
been drunk, the labourers had entirely expended their al-
the end of the entertainment. When the Bishop of
ehnntshaunscieasomf baeserw,
elaln
asd wtheerye
Chichester was toasted, the gentlemen present pledged
him in a bumper ; but the labourers were forced to
ccoourcip,
gesticulate with nothing to drink, like the happy
peasantry' we see on the stage, tossing off copious
draughts of mere atmosphere to the long life of their
Prince. The whole proceeding, however, was of the
same false, unsubstantial, and dramatic character as the
phantom libations of the humbler portion of the guests.
The Duke of Richmond's speech was crammed with clap.
traps, which would have told admirably on the audience
at a minor theatre, but which could not for a moment
stand the test of sober criticism. He talked glowingly
of the honest, meritorious, and industrious labourer,'
and added, that one man who felt a deep interest in
the welfare of his employer is worth a hundred of those
who only worked for the sordid consideration of their
daily pay.' There is something absolutely comical in
the idea of taunting a poor wretch who gets perhaps
eight shillings a week with ' the sordid considerations
of their daily pay.' Archdeacon Manning adopted the
same truly comic conceit, and reiterated the Noble
Chairman's sentiment, that one man who worked
from affection was worth a hundred who worked merely
for lucre.' This high disdain for filthy dross ought not,
we think, be exacted from labourers at eight shillings a
week, who certainly, if they are actuated by the sordid
love of lucre imputed to them by their employers, have
very little to gratify their avaricious appetites. Well
may the working man entreat to be saved from his
friends, when those who assume that character call upon
him to work from aff. ction, and to show an utter con-
tempt for pay. Surely he already accepts the minimum
of wages on which rt is possible to exist. We have
heard of things being so dear that they are not
s benefit. We wonder if is has
to be bad for love or money. The toil of the la-
bourer is an article that has hitherto been paid
little
of bnth ; but it would seem that his
for by a
friends the protectionists
would like to obtain his ser-
vices purely for love, without having to expend any
money a. t all. Simple as the labourer is, we do not
position, pan be for hi
think he will be persuaded into a belief that such a pro-