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

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 18, 1846.

ASYLUM FOR WORTHY AGED

AND DECAYED FREEMASONS.

The eleventh anniversary festival in aid of the Asylum
ior worthy aged and decayed Freemasons, wi,s held last
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
tr.ble 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
Z«tland, 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 orra of Robert le Diable. %I hieh was ex-
quisitely performed by Mr. F. Chatterton, and raptur-
(lusty encored.

Tile CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the toast of the
evening. Eleven years had now elapsed since it had
seemed de:drab-le 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-
m) ed 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 4,000/., and they
ought to have had ten times that amount.—(Cheers.)
He thought it most desirable that an asylum should-be
erected f,r worthy and 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 2dminister to his wants.—(Cheers.)
If the object of the Institution was pleasing to the craft,
he trustt d 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 ct aft 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.
Duett, "Finale to The Crusaders"—The Misses
Turner.

Duett—Horn and Pianoforte, Signors Puzzi and
Nei; ri.

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 he exhi-
bited in the good work, that it might be called his work,
and his alone.—(Loud cheers.)

Drunk with three times three.
Fantasia lon the sax horns, beautifully given by the
Messrs. Diann, and loudly encored.
Br ether CRUCEFIX rose to return thanks, which he
did in a short but el( quent speech, apologising for his
brevity by statiMg that he had a great deal to
read. He then proceeded to read the report, from
which it appeared that negotiations were in pro-
gress 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
he brought about, and which will form what 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 toe 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
VMS 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 full
attendance. The novelty of a bishop presenting a bible
and a prayer-book has worn off, the flowry 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 klliairman—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 bis 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, of the proceeding is speedily dissipated when we
fia that at such a very early stage of the business as the
first toast, after the healths of the Royal Family having
been drunk, the labourers had entirely expended their al-
lowance of beer, and were compelled to keep up their
enthusiasm as well as they could, with empty mugs, to
the end of the entertainment. When the Bishop of
Chichester was toasted, the gentlemen present pledged
him in a bumper ; but the labourers were forced to
gesticulate with nothing to drink, like the happy
veasantry' 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 pax.' Archdeacon Manning adopted the
slime 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 t 3 gratify their avaricious appetites. Well
may the working man entreat to be saved from his
biriimentdus,wwuhriT frtuhmoseawffthuot
affection,
amuedt u
that s character
u e
utteral l upon
him to work from aM ction, and to show an utter ccjn-
tempt for pay. Surely he already accepts the minimum
heard of things being so dear that ttey are not
ruf
rebry wagesas on which it is possible to exist. We have
to be had for love or money. The toil of the la-
bourer
vices purely fosriml love, laitutlearotifclbeothth.at
but
ts it hueki
friends the protectoionists'would like totobtain e ethni as
t paid
ds-
think he will be perpsueatsd
without having to expend any,
money at all.
the labourer is, we do not
ctin
.be for into a belief that such a pro-
positiongle benefit. We wonder if it bas

ever occurred to the Duke of Richmond to pay a
hundred times as much wages to a man who works
with a IN gard to his employer's interests,' as his
Grace would pay to a mere every day labourer working
for lucre—or, in other words, toiling for his own and
his family's support. Surely the emp!oyers ought to be
satisfied with the labour, such as it is—and it surely
is cheap enough at its present miserable price—
without grumbling that the article is not given in
a spirit of the purest disinterestedness. One might as
well taunt a servant with a love of lucre for wanting his
wages, or a tradesman with sordid considerations for
sending in his bill. The agricultural labourers cannot
afford to put money entirely out of the question, though
.their employers, by reducing wages to the lowest pos-
sible point, take care not to encourage sordiness too far,
or, at all events, not to give avarice too much to feed
upon. It is quite clear that the motive for giving what
are by courtesy termed prizes to the agricultural la-
bourers, is that they may become more valuable in a
pecuniary point of view to their pretended friends. This
was avowed at the West Sussex Agricultural Associa-
tion, and the purpose is, perhaps, legitimate, or even
laudable; for, as a general rule, workmen, in becoming
more valuable to their masters, must be happier in them-
selves.
" We fear, however, that there is too much hollowness

in the words of encouragement addressed to them, and
that the premiums offered are too nominal and contempti-
ble to have much influence in producing the desired
effect. The distribution of a few Bibles and Prayer-
books and a few prizes varying from ten shillings to four
pounds, will not compensate for a year's privation,
caused by a rate of wages so miserable as to be wholly
inadequate for comfort, and frequently insufficient for
support. That such is the doom of the labourer, almost
every day's experience affords some proof, and we need
go no further back than our paper of yesterday for a
strong case in point. Under the title of The Poor Law
in a Rural District will be found the report of some
proceedings taken by the parochial authorities to
force upon a married labourer earning only Bs. a week,
the maintenance of his mother, whom he declared himself
unable to support. The energy with which the overseer
went to work to prove the man capable of bearing the
burden affords an amusing illustration of the difference of
treatment the labourer experiences as the hero of after-
dinner eloquence at protectionist meetings and in the
board-room of his own parish, to which he is summoned
that another weight may be thrown upon him in ad-
dition to those he is already struggling to bear. In the
case to which we allude every inquisitorial measure
seems to have been adopted for the purpose of proving
that the labourer earning eight shillings a week and
having to keep a wife ought to spare the parish funds by
taking also the support of his mother wholly upon him-
self. First he was taxed with having four pigs and six
stocks of bees,' as if a man could keep his mother all her
life on honey and pork, and could afford to expend these
luxuries upon her. It turned out, however, that half the
bees were dead, and the pigs were still unpaid for. So
that before his mother could be fed from these sources
there was a mortgage to be paid off ; and the magistrate,
acting probably on this view of the question,
refused to make the order for which
the parish authorities had applied. We
should be glad to know whether this poor man, if he
were to enter the Duke of Richmond's service, full of
affection for the nobleman who has expressed so deep a
ccncern for the welfare of the labourer, and who, actu-
acted by his affection, would be worth a hundred ordi-
nary labourers—we wonder, we repeat, if he would ob-
tain from the Duke of Richmond a hundred times, or
even ten times, or twice, the amount of wages usually
paid ? If masters were to be found to appreciate such
zeal as it deserves, it is most likely that the poor man
whose case we have referred to, and many others in
similar circumstances, would not have to appear before
boards of guardians to resist orders for the support of
their aged parents. The labourer, however, can be
much more cheaply cared for in an after-dinner speech
than by giving him a lair remuneration for his services.
' Civility costs nothing ;' but unfortunately it is intrin-
sically worth nothing to the party on whom it is bestowed."

TRADE OF THE GAMBIA. RIVER,
AND THE MANCHESTER CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE.

The House of Commons have just ordered to be
printed the petition of merchants and trades connected
with the Gambia, and the Chamber of Commerce at
Manchester. As many of the facts adduced must possess
considerable interest for such of our readers as are en-
gaged in the African trade, we submit the substance of
this document, which commences by showing that the
trade in which the petitioners are interested is one which,
apart from the insalubrity of the climate, necessarily in-
volving considerable personal and pecuniary risk, is ex-
posed to the general competition of French, German, and
American traders, whereby profits are rendered extremely
limited and precarious. The trade from this country is
carried on by residents at the British settlement of
Bathurst, on the island of Saint Mary's in the said
river, where the affairs of the colony are conducted by
a Lieutenant-Governor, assisted by a Legislative and
Executive Council, whose local expenditure and the
salaries are defrayed out of the revenue derived from
duties levied upon merchandise imported into the settle-
ment. The power of imposing duties and taxes is vested
in the Legislative Council, consisting of Governor,
Chief Justice, Colonial Secretary, Queen's Advocate,
Military Commandant, and one merchant ; and the
Executive Council empowered to collect those duties are
the Colonial Secretary and the Collector of Customs.
Whence it appears, that the commercial interest of the
colony, from taxes upon which is derivedthe whole of the
colonial fund dispensed by the local government in pay-
ment of salaries and other expenses, is only allowed one
member in the seven composing the legislative body em-
powered to impose those taxes, the remaining six consist-
ing of officers holding Government appointments, includ-
ing the Colonial Secretary and Queen's Advocate, whose
salaries are charged upon the revenue of the colony.
The trade is also placed under special disadvantage by
an independent French station at Albreda, on the north
bank of the river, which the British Government has
hitherto neglected to remove, notwithstanding that ex-
clusive possession of the Gambia has been guaranteed to
Great Britain by France. The French merchants at
Albreda, not being burdened with an expensive civil es-
tablishment, import goods, forming the staple of trade,
free of oppressive import duties. The duties upon mer-
chandise, up to a recent period, at Bathurst, were three
per cent., ad valorem on all imports, an "extra"
sixpence per gallon, equal to twenty-five per cent.
additional on all spirits, and a farthing per pound,
equal to five per cent. additional on tobacco ; and the
aggregate collected by direct and indirect taxation
amounted for the year ending sth January, 1845,
to nearly five thousand pounds, while the value of the
whole British trade of the river did not exceed seventy
thousand pounds. Seven and a half per cent. in favour
of the French trader at Albreda, because, as the colony
of Bathurst is maintainel solely by commerce, all taxa-
tion, whether direct or indirect, necessarily falls upon
its trade. The petitioners have learnt, with considerable
alarm, that the council of Bathurst has increased the
import duty from three to four per cent. ad valorem, im-
posed an extra duty on wines of sixpence per gallon,
equal to an additional ten per cent., and further contem-
plates the imposition of fresh taxes on property. British
trade at the Gambia has already been placed under such
disadvantage, that additional burdens will totally
deprive it of all chance of successfully. confronting
foreign competition. The root of misgovernment
lies in the constitution of the Council of Bathurst. There
is no legitimate check upon the expenditure of the Exe-
cutive. Local ordinances take effect from the moment
of their enactment at the colony, the assent of the Colo-
nial Minister being taken for granted. It would be wiser
economy to abandon the present establishment altoge-
ther, and, if British authority is to be maintained at the
settlement, to assimilate its government to the plan pur-
sued at the forts on the Gold Coast prior to their late
resumption by the Crown; because neither the state of
the military defences of Saint Mary's, and certainly not
the interests of its trade, either justify or require the
present scale of taxation and expenditure in operation
at the colony. Petitioners, in addition to the compe-
tition at Albreda, have to contend against Americans,
Germans, and other foreigners afloat at the native
trading stations on the neighbouring coast, where no
import duties exist, and, as the produce which is brought
down from the interior is naturally attraeted to the
market where it can be bartered to most advantage by
the native traders, the visible effect of the system of le-
gislation complained of has been the gradual transfer of
the trade from the British settlement to those places on
the coast where the foreigner, in consequence of his ex-
emption from the taxation to which the British merchant
is subject, derives most advantage from the traffic ; for,
although drawback of the "extra" duties on wines,
spirits, and tobacco is allowed on exportations from
the British settlement, still the general impost rate, now
increased to four per cent. ad valorem, is retained, while
the expense of landing, warehousing, and transhipping
goods stored in depot at Bathurst, for the coasting trade,
operates as injuriously as a direct tax ; and thus the
British merchant, in endeavouring to follow the trade
which has been driven out of the river by an impolitic
system of taxation, finds himself still pursued and
thwarted by its consequences. Wherefore, petitioners
trust that such measures will be adopted as will confer
upon the commercial interest at Bathurst adequate re-
presentation in the Legislative Council of the colony, and
thereby relieve them of the grievances of which they
complain.

The Count P. E. De Strzelecki has just been pre-
sented with the Annual Gold Founders' Medal of the Royal Geo-
graphical Society, to mark the high sense entertained by that learned
body of Count Strzelecki's distinguished services in the department of
physical geography and discovery,

MURDER IN LIVERPOOL.—On Monday evening, a
woman was killed by her husband, Richard Wignall, in Gore-street,
Toateth-park. Wignall was at once taken into custody. He is a
joiner ; and it is said, that being reproved by his wife for being absent
all day, and neglecting to do a job which he promised a neighbour,
his anger was roused, and he struck and kicked her, ending by a
heavy blow upon her head with a piece of wood, which killed her
upon the spot. _

- THE LEAGUE.—We nnderstand that the members of
the Anti-Corn-law League will assemble in a day or two after the
Corn Bill has received the royal assent, and will declare that the
object for which they united has been accomplished. They will than,
it is said, announce that no further subscriptions ^ required, and
will adjourn the sittings of the League si""i"... rre A committee will be
appointed to see that no attempt is e-
ode to repeal the Bill, or to
re-establish protection. If no 5"..-•
.., attempt is made, the League will
never assemble again ; 13 • •
'.:.. if It is, it will immediately be called to-
gether to defend w
...at it has already won. Its Ife or death will
therefore de:
„ond upon the conduct of the protectionists themselves.
:Tee League has been dissolved, the friends of free trade will
AF.,efteeralled together, and steps will be taken to acknowledge the un-
exampled services of Mr. Cobden to the cause of commercial freedom.
Liverpool Times.
SWARMS OF BEES.—During the past week many
hives of bees in the tom( and vicinity have each sent out a strong
independent colony. A swarm was discovered on Friday night in
the Kelso Library-room, on the Chalkheugh, which was secured in
a hive by the librarian next morning. There is little doubt that this
was a swarm cast off from a hive belonging to Mr. Fergusson, in the
garden at Abbey Green, on the Friday afternoon, as they were fol-
lowed a good way in that direction.—Kelso Chronicle.
On Thursday morning last, about eight o'clock, a man
namedSmlth, from Belfast, was killed on the railway near Harring-
ton, by a splinter from a stone which he and others were in the act
of blasting. The misfortune was purely accidental, and no blame can
Dc attached to any one.—Cuutivrion4Pocquee.

LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE.

The Rev. Dr. Scoresby, in a lecture delivered on Fri-
day, at the Collegiate Institute, Liverpool, gave the
following account of the process adopted by Lord Rosse
in . casting the speculum of his monster telescope :
With
thes not.
latter.m
adopteda materially er i
labnl y.
thesdeviatedrcAgal rrssemtaaian:
egeg
greatest
otr,
feo
triumphs.imhtv the
Newton.
hn
soe.pnekccHei eda
stated
Ts,
usedhahnoedwd
tetpi
hivffirnaeocrtpu,
and
tolhhrt
ye-e
With regard to the metal for the specula, Lord Rosse
oht propor-
tions
copper in the proportion of 58.9 of the former, to 126.4
in this case was so great that Dr. Robinson, the cele-
bratedh.ad9iaadsetroonnoemoefrhoifs
construction of a speculum of nine or ten inches was as
much as any optician in
.London would like to undertake.
Not more than two sometimes out of thirty or forty would
be fit for use. The metal was so brittle that it flew to
'nixes cooling, or by the mixture of air bubbles it was
rendered so porous as to be unserviceable. The getting
of a complete one was quite a matter of chance. Lord
Ross, had reduced it to as great a certainty as any other
species of casting. He resolved to attempt, not a nine
or ten inch, but a three feet, speculum. He commenced
by casting it in separate pieces, but he found at the
joinings, though very beautifully done, that there was a
little refraction of light; he therefore gave up that idea,
and determined to persevere in getting a complete one.
The ordinary process of the foundry had been previously
used. He rightly considered the flying to pieces to arise
from the cooling of the external surface before the middle,
and the consequent too great tension of the former. To
get rid of this he assumed that he must make the mass
cool at the bottom first, and gradually up to the top. He,
therefore, adopted' a mould of cast iron, with a rim of
wood round it, to facilitate the cooling below, and check it
above. The plan was completely successful in prevent •
ing the flying to pieces; but it was found impossible, in
Iv. e nst
otmh ee ande mw les
0%76 ov
af
naci
er
the one his Lordship
anduri hfnoegr
ep
,ionr
we stahsaep
nipmee
caeert
sea
sdl
rayts:u spaurnad e
thought of was this—he took a large quantity of iron
hoops and fixed them in his mould with tie edges down-
wards, forming a compact solid mass, the upper surface
being afterwards beautifully smoothed with a lathe. He
considered that the air carried into the mould with the
burning metal would be able to force its way between
the hoops, while yet the latter presented a sufficiently
close groundwork for the casting. His expectation was
completely realised, and he obtained a six feet speculum
without a single air-bubble.
After the casting came the process of annealing as in
making glass. And such was the ponderousness of Lord
Rosse's speculum, weighing three or four tons, that it
was deemed necessary to leave it in the oven for sixteen
weeks. It was then capable of being ground and po-
lished with ordinary care. In these respects Lord
Rosse had also made gnat improvements, producing
every variety of motion by means of his steam grinders
and polishers, so as to avoid the slightest inequality of
surface, and even guarding against the consequence of a
change of temperature while the process was going
on. The size of his specula rendered it neces-
sary to use machinery ; but, in order to get as
near an imitation as possible of the human
hand, his Lordship had adopted a coat of soft pitch,
covered by a coat of hard, the one giving the yielding
quality of the hand, the other taking up the powder.
It was not the least of Lord Rosse's merits, Dr. Scoresby
observed, that he had perfected his mighty instrument,
the most exquisite piece of workmanship of its kind
that the world had ever witnessed, without any other
aid than that which his own country afforded. He had
sought out his own workmen, and he had trained the
rude blacksmith to be his assistant in the most refined
operations of human ingenuity and skill. It was hard
to say whether the genius which suggested and governed
his labours, or the patriotism which led him voluntarily
to incur such accumulated difficulties in their prosecu-
tion, was the most to be admired.