The Sun.
London, England, 1846-05-07 00:00:00

x'IROVIDENT CLERKS' MUTUAL
BENF.II_,.. A
A.TION AND BENEVOLENT
FUND.
licdicnenleerbrattooe
kthpelasceeconatd tehiLtiLo,zondoofnaTnnauvietrnan,
Ab
evening,pu to
connexion with this institution, and in aid of Re benevolent
annuitants in
fund. The election took place in the morning, 1. A. Smith
Esq., M.P., in the chair, when two individuals were elected,
annuitants; the one an aged clerk, 65 years, to a pension of
25/. ;Fthe other, the widow of a clerk, to a pension of 151.; in
neither case had they contributed more than four guineas to the
association. The Earl- of Dalhousie, President of the Board
of Trade, took the chair; was supported on his right by
Lord John Russell, and on his left by J. Wood, Esq., chair-
man of the Excise. Upwards of 200 sat down to dinner.
Amongst those present we observed J. A. Smith, Esq.,
M.P. ; W. G. Prescott, Esq. ; J. Mackillop, Esq. ; C. Kerr,
Esq. ; M. Boyd, Esq. ; J. W. Gilbert, Esq. ; Thomson
Hankey, jun., Esq. ell. Davidson, Esq. ; W. Thornton, Esq.;
J. Cook, Esq. ; J. Fletcher, Esq. ; G. W. Roberts, Esq. ;
Davidson, Esq. ; C. Cave, Esq. ; G. Pollard, Esq. ; J. Dent,
Esse ; W. Fraser, Esq. ; the Rev. F. Dollman, M.A., chaplain ;
R. H. Jones, Esq. ; T. Price, Esq. ; Thos. Alers Hankey,
Esq. • S. Anderson, Esq. ; J. Anderson, Esq., &c.
The following gentlemen sent letters, apologising for their
inability to attend from various causes :—Sir J. Hall, the
Governor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank of England, the
Rev. J. Vane, M.A., Sir J. Easthope, Bart., M.P., Alderman
Lucas, H D. Blyth, Esq., J. Deacon, Esq., J. Labouchere,
Esq., Sir G. P. Glyn, Bart., 'Sir C. Price, Basle Alderman
Thompson, M.P., Raikes Currie, J
Esq., M. Sir J. Lubbock,
Bart., Sir G. Larpent, Bart., T.
Baring, Esq., M.P., (in con-
sequence of an accident), A. W. Robarts, Este, C. G.
Thornton, Esq., G. F. Young, Esq., G. G. Barton, Esq.,
J. Alexander ankey, Esq., Samuel Jones Loyd, Esq.
" Benedictus" having been sung,
The CHAIRMAN, who was received with the most rapturous
applause, rose and said, there was one toast which, on every
occasion, and in every company which could meet within
the three kingdoms, commended itself without introduction
and without comment to those who were invited to drink it;
and he should think from that he would pay but a poor com-
pliment to that assembly if he seemed to suppose that it
needed either hint or word from him to call forth from
them loud cheers in drinking the health of "The Quite."
The toast was drunk with great enthusiasm, and was fol-
lowed by " God Save the Queen."
The CHAIIMAN then proposed, in eeccession, the Queen
Dowager, and Prince Albert, and the rest of the Royal
Family, which were equally well received. He then gave
the " -Army and Navy," and in doing so treated that they
would drink the toast in an overflowing bumper.—(Cheers.)
Under any ordinary circumstances the toast would have
been passed over as a matter of course, but with the Gazettes
of the last few weeks fresh in their memory—with the sound
of the Tower guns still in their ears, when, in fact, they re-
collected that the mails of the last weeks had brought
tidings of victory after victory—he thought he should not
be doing his duty to that assembly, or satisfy the expecta-
tion which, occupying the position which he did in- the
councils of her Majesty, they had a right to form of him, if
he did not give them an opportunity of "doing honour where
honour was due"—of paying a tribute of respect to the
British army and navy.—(Cheers.) They had nothing there
to do with the causes of the war and its consequences, but he
did think it was a matter of high congratulation and of just
pride to them to know that after so many years of profound
and prolonged peace, the experienceof the last few
years, above all, the experience of the last few
months, had fully proved to them that the soldiers and
officers of the British army were at that moment as fully
endowed with those soldier-like qualities which distinguished
their predecessors and led them to fame. It was quite
needless that he should pause for a moment to say that the
army with which they had to deal was no ordinary foe, but
one of undoubted valour, and reared in the strictest school of
discipline, by European ()facers, and well skilled in all the
science of European power ; and in the face of that they
had an army only partially trained in the arts of war, not of
experience, like those who were in the service at the close of
the year 1814; but they proved in India that the edge of their
sword- was not less sharp, and their hands not less capable of
wielding it, and that they were its capable of enduring hard-
ships as those who had-preceded them.—(Cheers.) Heaven
forbid that for many long years they
.should be again en-
gaged in war, but if occasion should arise for their services
they might rely with the most unsyrerving confidence upon
them.
The toast was warmly received.
Duet—" The Army and Navy."
The CHAIRMAN again rose and said—Gentlemen, I have
now the honour to propose a toast to you which na-
turally and necessarily must be one of the most im-
portant interest to those whom I have now the honour
of seeing before me. Gentlemen, I am about to pro-
pose to you to drink " Prosper* to the Provident Clerks
Association."—(Cheers.) It is a matter of extreme gratifi-
cation to me that in standing here to propose that toast I
am not standing as the advocateof a falling scheme, or am I
asking of you to drink the toast in the hope of prosperity to
that which might have hitherto been a falling undertaking.
Gentlemen, I am not in either of these positions; on the
contrary, we can say that prosperity has hitherto attended
this institution, and that, its prosperity with every passing
year increases in great and rapid proportion.—(Cheers.) I
will not trouble you by stating any facts in detail, but will
confine myself to- mentioning only the several points
which the worthy and learned secretary has been so
kind as to furnish me with. It is stated in these
papers that although the year 1845 was` the most
prosperous since the formation of the Society, the
period from the 31st of January to the 31st of March in this
year has not only been equally prosperous, but doubly so,—
(Loud cheers.) In 1845 the number of members who were
added was 211, the number who joined the benevolent fund
was 133, making the total number of members who joined in
1845, 344 ; but the quarter just ended, viz., from the
Ist of January to the 31st of March, there were 107
new assurances, and 40 new members to the benovolent
fund ; that is, the total number of members
this quarter was 147. If the proportion should con-
tinue, during the present year, to the same extent as it com-
menced in the past quarter, then there will be upwards of
600 members.—(Cheers.) Gentlemen, I am sure it will be
entirely unnecessary for me in a company such as this, com-
posed, I apprehend in a great degree of the members of the
society, and at all events fully versrd in matters of business,
it must, I say, be utterly unnecessary for me to pause for a
moment to mention anything with respect to this portion of
the business Every man in his experience, every man in
this room knows, that in all the many evils which one
suffers in life, "all the ills that flesh is heir to," that great
anxiety is felt by every man, however high his position in
life at times, and must have been felt, as to the fate of those,
in the future, who are both near and dear to him—as to their
fate when he is disabled or when he is gone ; and if that,
Gentlemen, is felt by those moving in a more independent
sphere, how much more, allow me to say, must it be felt by
the class of society whose claims I am advocating, whose
means, though comparatively limited, may never-
theless afford them an opportunity of providing
against the future, in however limited an amount.
And I am sure, although they will not perhaps say so, if I
ware to appeal to the experience of many of those I see here,
as tethe truth of what I have stated, that there are many
thousands who, before this Society was constituted, of which
they are now members, had nothing to look forward to—
they would answer in the affirmative; and that this Society
has been the means of relieving much of the anxiety to
which I have referred, by preventing persons from suffering
all the pangs of adversity. But, when these feelings are felt
by persons in comparative prosperity, they must be ten
thousand times more when entertained by those in adversity.
This, then, shows the necessity of persons joining the
Society who might say, " My circumstances may be worse
than they are now, and if anything should happen, what on
earth would become of those who depend upon me ?" (Cheers.) Gentlemen, in that question as put there is to be
found an answer. That answer is to be found in this Associa-
tion, of which you are members, and whose anniversary yon
are met to celebrate. He may do that which it is in the
power of man to do, to anticipate and control the future, by
means of mutual assurance. It will not, perhaps, raise the
curtain which shows the events of that future, but it goes a
great way to provide for that future. And it has this re-
commendation, that there are none whose means are so small
but that may obtain advantage from it—no man is so poor,
no clerk so humble, but may join, in order to provide for the
wants of the future by contributing towards its funds, which
will be fostered and cherished and paid to the
uttermost farthing.—(Cheers.) Such associations are of the
greatest value in this country, whose yearly increase is
wealth rivals and surpasses that of princes. It would not
be well for me to enlarge on this subject, inasmuch as this
address ought not to be permitted to degenerate into a lec-
ture or sermon ; but I must be permitted to advert to one
point. And permit me to say that that which I take the
liberty of recommending to you and to others of our humbler
brethren, is not that which Ido not practise myself. I do
not preach other than Ipractise. I feel the full value of what
can be done by MUTUAL ASSURANCE, for I believe without such
a system I should not estimate fully the advantages which I
am enabled to confer upon my children, who may perhaps be
poor enough at any time; but without such a society as this
your children would not, with any certainty, be provided
for at all. —(Loud cheers.) You have heard it, perhaps,
said, that although this Society may put it in the power of
any man, however poor, to pay something towards its funds
for his own behalf in the time of need, still the pittance upon
which many are called upon to subsist is so poor that
they cannot afford to spare any portion of it, as
it is swallowed up in his present expenses, and
therefore he trusts to the mercy of Providence
for the future. Gentlemen, I am the last man who would
say to you, or to others, not to trust in Providence ; I would
not say that it is not right to trust to the mercies of that
Providence; but; gentlemen, whenever that is addressed to
you in public, I would advise you to Make this rejoinder,
that no man has a right to trust to that Providence, which is
the attribute of heaven, until he has used his utmost exer-
tions to avail himself of the advantages which Providence
drbiuntibnegfo before Prosperity
pt
now extends to him, and whose decrees it is the duty of
every man upon earth to submit to. Cheers.) Gentlemen,
edroitwyn to
petrinheimel
Pro-
videntshall
Clerks'not
Association detain you from;"
to offer one word of supplication in its behalf. If there are
any here who have not followed the admirable example set
us by many whose names aPPeae upon this list, for many of
the most eminent of this great city have subscribed to pro-
vide the Benevolent fund, or are seeking
of relief to themselves and otherin to attain th e means
a the time of need, then I
would earnestly entreat
bers of this Association. youA to induce them to become mem-
nd I wish to impress this upon you,
that when you aid those who wish to aid themselves you are
benefiting yourselves likewise
ewise • and you are sure that the
duties of the committee w h i o have the management of this
Institution will be discharged with integrity and with con-
stancy.—(Hear, hear.) If any gentlemen have not followed
this
praiseworthy example, permit me, with every respect,
to suggest how good a work they will promote if they en-
deavour_ to induce others to become members of this Society.
You cannot be wrong in inducing, as far as it is in your
power, men to be provident for those that belong to them—.
provident for the future—you cannot be in the wrong in ad-
vocating the claims of a Society which has for its object to
succour the poor, to aid the widow, and to rescue the father-
less. The Noble Earl resumed his seat amidst loud cheers.
Tnosesoer HANREY, jun., Esq., said he had received per-
mission of the Chairman to propose a toast, but before he did
so, he wished to explain that the Governor of the Bank of
England was unavoidably absent on account of urgent busi-
ness, and that he had desired him to express his extreme re-
gret for the circumstance, and deputed him to be his re-
presentative. The toast he was about to propose was,
the health of the Chairman, who had so nobly cone
forward to aid them.—(Loud cheers.) They had met on no
ordinary occasion. The Institution was known almost to
every one present, and they knew how deep an interest
every, merchant in the City took in its rise and progress, and
it was, in his opinion, calculated to promote the best haterests
of those who were in daily and constant communication with
them. But, independently of the circumstance of their meet-
ing to celebrate an anniversary of the Institution, let him
remind them under whose peculiar patronage they wore as-
sembled. They had received that day a mark of the decided
sanction of—he would not ray a nobleman connected with
the commerce of the City—but of a nobleman filling the
highest office which any man could do in this great
country, as he presided over the great mercantile and com-
mercial interests of this great City.—(Hear, hear, aua
cheers.) He would not enter into his private 'yirtnes
but he did think he should ill discharge his duty,
if he were not to call attention to his public character,
and to lay that it Wan ill a great divot t 9 lain Public Oa"

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