The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-11 00:00:00

ROYAL LITERARY FUND.

The anniversary festival of this society was held last
evening at the Freemasons' Tavern. The chair was
taken by his Grace the Duke of Northumberland; and
amongst the noblemen and gentlemen present were the
Archbishop of Dublin, Lord Campbell, Mr. Baron Parke,
Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, Viscount Ebrington,
Lord Bolton, Mr. Hallam, Vice-Admiral Sir Charles
Malcolm, Rear-Admiral Sir Augustus Clifford, Major •
General Sir John Rolt, Sir R. Joddrill, Mr. Cabbell,
M.P., Mr. Heywood, M.P., Mr. Walter, Sir John
Hensler, Mr. G. P. R. James, Sir Harry Ellis, Arch-
deacon Robinson, Mr. Sergeant Merewether, Mr. Adol-
phus, Mr. Thackeray, the Rev. Dr. Russell, Dr.
Beke, &c.
The party was much smaller than on such an occasion
we could have wished. It did not number more than
hem 70 to 100 persons.
In proposing the health of her Majesty the Queen,
the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND said, that since the ac-
cession of her Majesty to the throne she had been a con-
stant supporter of the Literary Fund.
The health of her Majesty the Queen Dowager, and
the other branches of the Royal Family, was then given,
and received with the amount of enthusiasm usual on
such occasions.
In reply to the toast in honour of the Church, his
Grace the Archbishop of Dublin returned thanks. His
Grace said that he felt some difficulty in discharging
the duty which had devolved upon him, as he could
not very conveniently say anything in praise of that
sacred profession of which he himself was a member.
The clergy,however, were not unmindful of their position,
for, while they contributed greatly to the litera-
ture of the country, they at the same time
had educated many authors who subsequently had
obtained a distinguished position in the country.
The object of the clerical profession was to enlighten
men's minds, and not to keep them in a state of brutish
ignorance. His Grace expressed it as his opinion that
the duty of the country was to educate the poor, so as
trash
oable them to discriminate between the mischievous
issued by a certain portion of the press, and the
sound and moral doctrines of men capable of instructing
upper classes
them. The
the market, or the cotttfahogree
cotnnsntlneilgxlhniowtn, between the higher and lower
orders was very
in influencewriting ,liotawnwed-ra was notnytot h
theeir wppossibleuribtlii
writings
ir.forhs
ooutnshleye,
Archbishop gehemr.classes of society hope to reach to
for the 51112 of the lower. As for himself, the
HthiasnGforaer heisagoawinn middleat h e
and
dd dloewvoetredelmasosrees ofo fhsisoetiiemtye
y returned thanks.
he felt it to be his duty so to do. '
His Grace the brie
ff
of the Army and NaIRMAN then proposed the "Health'
Ai
s jer.Generai
siarv,l.ol
x ROLT and Vice-Admiral Sir
JoTHNheMinekoeLosrf riszetourßnTeill=itsi..oAND,
on again rising,
trtehpose to you the
every
eerßoyal Literary
said—Gentlemen, I have now
information
toast of the evening, " Prosperity
Fund." The address will give you
respecting the institution, and I have onlyy to add a few
words for the information of those who are as yet
unacquainted with its operation. This charity is open
to all persons without distinction of country and clime,
and it is uninfluenced by politics or religion ; it has not
limits, in fact, but such as arise from its deficient finances.
Many who have devoted their lives to the cause of truth,
from the shores of the north to the sunny climes of the
Mediterranean, have been relieved from the funds of
this institution, and that assistance had been admi-
nistered by the committee in such a delicate manner as
not to wound the feelings of the unfortunate applicants.
The charity is one of the highest value, and it relies
upon your assistance for its aid and support; and that
assistance, I have no doubt, will be readily afforded.
Gentlemen, I have to propose to you " Prosperity to the
Royal Literary Fund."
The Rev. Dr. RUSSELL read the first report, in the
course of which he said, that thirty families of educated
men had been relieved by the society during the last
year, involving an outlay of 1,2301. Amongst the sub-
scriptions of the evening were her Majesty the Queen,
1001. ; his Grace the Duke of Northumberland, 1001. ;
the late President, 10/. 10s. ; the Earl of Ellen-
borough, 101. 10s. ; the Earl of Ellesmere, 101. 10s. ;
Archbishop of Dublin, 301. ; Mr. G. P. R. James, IW. ;
Monckton Mikes, Esq., M.P., 5/ ; Hon. Mountstuart
Elphinstone, Si. ss. ; Messrs. Longmans, 51. ss. ; Sir
John Swinburne, 101. ; W. C. Macready, 51. ; the
Bishop of Manchester, 101. ; Lord Viscount Ebrington,
101. ; Baron de Goldsmid, 101. ; Archdeacon Robinson,
IL Is. ; W. F. Ainsworth, Esq., 51. ss. ; his Excellency
the Belgian Minister, 9/. ; Chevalier Bunsen, Si, who
was prevented from attending in consequence of a com-
mand to attend his Royal Highness the Prince of Prussia
to the Ancient Concerts.

The Archbishop of DUBLIN :Froposed, in compli-
mentary terms, the health of the Chairman, who briefly
eplied.
His Grsce the CHAIRMAN then gave the healthy of
the Marquis of Lansdowne, the President, and Lord
Viscount llardinge, the latter of whom had consented
to officiate as chairman of the festival of next year.
Mr. JAMES proposed the health of Mr. Hallam and
the historians of England; and
Mr. Baron PARKE, in a complimentary speech, that
of Lord Campbell and the biographers.
Lord CAMPBELL said that he felt himself highly
honoured in having his name associated with the bio-
graphers of England, and in being, in that capacity,
brought before so distinguished a society. After some
commonplace political allusions, his Lordship said that,
amidst the changes and convulsions lately witnessed
throughout Europe, and amidst the republican feelings
now existing on the Continent, however greatly he
might dissent from such opinions, there was yet one
republic which he highly honoured—the republic of
letters. It was one and indivisible, and their motto
ought to be, " Liberty, equality, and fraternity."
The subsequent toasts were—" Mr. Thackeray and
the novelists,' "Mr. Lovell and the dramatists," " Mr.
Lester and the literary and scientific men of foreign
countries," " Mr. St. John and the travellers," "Vis-
count Ebrington and the stewards," and, lastly " The
Ladies."

It will be observed that in the list of toasts, numbering
no less than sixteen, there exists what appear& to us to
be a very curious omission. The society professes to
call itself a literary association, and as such it is to a
great extent dependent upon the assistance and support
of the daily press in London. It must be also borne
in mind, if we arc to deal with palpable facts, that
the most distinguished writers of the past and pre-
sent century either are or have been connected
with the metrcplitan press—they are men who,
for the most part, have passed through a university
career, whose daily toil in the field of politics is
unceasing, and whose influence, whether as individuals
or as a body, is greater, without any doubt whatever,
than that of any other class in society. They can guide
the public mind either to good or to evil ; they can raise
sedition or quell discontent ; they can promote morality
or subvert religion—in a word, by the daily exercise of
the power confided to their keeping, that power may be
productive either of an immense amount of mischief,
or induce results tending to the happiness of the
people, to the benefit of the State, and, by the pro-
motion of order, to the consolidation of society. Com-
pared with such a class there is no kind of literary
effort, however distinguished, which can in any way,
by the very nature of the case, bend to the same
extent the public mind to its absolute will ; and for this
reason " the press" has not been unappropriately termed
"the fourth estate of the kingdom." But, notwith-
standing all this, and in a society composed professedly
of literary men, and in the presence of a gentleman well
known in his connexion with a leading journal, no
mention whatever is made of the press, either as regards
oe wi
nlaa support t anomalous
o.
it w
oomission.nld
b e
a Tost
e
its bearings upon literature or upon
politics. To us,
we
a
confessattempt
find is
ea
reasons
sn s
of time, and we shall, therefore, leave the public to form
their own opinion as to whether literature
can
publicity but through the press ; or whether the gain
press
can continue to exercise its functions but by the aid of
the highest literary talent.
The subscriptions of th •
of 7001. e evening amounted to upwards

MASSACRi
AN ENGLISH
NGLISH
ATTEMPED CREW.
Intelligence of Ca APTURE OF A WHALER.
_
massacre perpetrated by the natives
of the New Caledonia Islands, was communicated yes-
terday at Lloyd's. T
briefly these :—The The unfortunate circumstances are
Vanguard, William Cunningham,
master, sailed from Son an ydney in the early part of October,
expedition to the N
the w New Caledonia Islands, reaching
western portion in th
natives exhibited friendly as-
sisting course of a fortnight. The
a feeling towards them,
the crew daily in obtaining a cargo of sandal-
wood. They obtained about twenty tons of it, when
one of the chiefs presented himself on board, and urged
Mr. Cunningham to take two boats up one of the bays,
where a large quantity of wood bad been collected for
him by his people. This was on the 19th of Nour ovember.r.
In consequence of the lateness of the h M
Cunningham declined then to go, but
re-
in the morning, requesting the
chief to
main on board for the night, which was ac-
cepted. At daybreak on the following morning,
the boats started in charge of Mr. Cunningo seamen the
seamen, the chief am and ten
officer, Mr. Bunting, tw,
steward and the cook being left i,ri the care of the Van-
guard. Scarcely had the captain aboat got out of sight
natives,
when a canoe, filled with approached the ship;
three of them were allowed to go on board, but upon, one
of them attempting to murder the mate with a toma-
hawk, they were turned out; the remainder attempted
to board the vessel, but were beaten off, and in
the
course of several successive attempts, it was necessary
to fire a musket. The canoe then retired.
They re-
mained in anxious suspense till two o'clocklth '
day, when from forty to fifty canoes, lade' e following
containing upwards of thirty men in each,) with natives,
the opposite side of the bay bearing were seen on
vessel. It being impossible to resist down upon the
force, the mate, with much judgment, so tremendous a
anchor, and making all sail, ran slipped her
wind. In passing through the the ship before the
and crew hadanded, not bay
where the captain
Mg could 'be aeon of