The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-18 00:00:00

ROYAL GENERAL THEATRICAL. FUND.

The annual dinner of this admirable assepiationjaple
place yesterday, at the London Tavern, wlffin there was
a very full attendance, The Right Hon. Lord :renter-
den presided and Amongst those present were Viscount
Reynhatu; Messrs. C. Dickens, C. Lemon, B.. Webster,
C. Mathews, IL C. Ibbotson, Captain Chappell, Messrs.
A. Bell, A. Wigan, 4'. Creswice, T. P. COoke, E. T.
Smith, W. R. Sams, D. Roberta*, Dr. Ilastive, .Mr. W.
H. Wills, Mr. C. Manby, Dr. Forbes Winslow, &c.
The dinner was placed upon the table in Messrs.
Bathe and Co.'s best style, the wines,being excellent.
The usual loyal toasts hiving been disposed of,
The noble CIIAIII3INN gave " Prosperity to the Royal
General Theatrical Fund." He observed that up to a
certain period there was no doubt that the English drama
had advanced as the people had progressed in .civilisa-
tion, and it probably reached its greatest eminence in*
reign of Queen Elizabeth, when undet royal patronage it
flourished apace. .But darker days came; and during the
gloomy sway of the Puritans laws were passed againsti
the Profssiors of the draina, more disgraceful, indeed, to
those who made them than to those against whom they
were framed, but still of thadinst elisCoaraging character.
It•had been said by. many who tookat•snperfieial. yield of
the drama that at the period to which he., had first
alluded it was characterised by coarseness.. But, those
fine gentlemen—those extra-purists, if he might use the
term, betrayed not only a want of knowledge of history,
bet ignorance of the manner 'of the tinien whiCh they
pr )fessed to criticise, for they forgot, that the art of the
player or the author was to depict the foibles .o# the the age;
and the. disgrene, if any, was that of their ancestors,
who had been guilty of- the licentiousness which had
been represented and.condecnned ppon the boards. :In-
deed, the Lord Feppingtens were -confined to no age or
clime ; 'they abounded equly in the old time as in the
Present; and Vanbrugh or Cengreee drew theirfineladies
and gentlemen from real life, as did: the meet 'distin-
guished and successful of our own modern dramatic
writers. (Hear.) No class of,men were, nepreenbject to
privation than dramatistsi ; and of leterditys, he 'sas glad
to say, philanthropy, which, in this happy land, was
Confined to no particular class, had embraced thespoor
brofession of an actor, .and the, glorious institution' the'
anniversary of which they were thte day assembled to,
commemorate, reminded its humblest and sweet unho-
noured‘votary that when an arduous life had been spent
in the inetruction and amusement of the public, that
public would not suffer the worn•put And indigent actor
to sink into destitution and misery. (Cheers.) It was
not every one who could be a Siddons or a Kemble ;
.and it was for those -who, although they might possess
genius, talent, and industry, were still unable to ever-
come the difficulties inherent to their position as mem-
bers of an extended body, that this fupd was necessary.
It happened to a few dramatists that, even after an ac-
cideut, they had been enabled to obtain the patronage of
the public. The elder Mathews had achieved that suc-
cess, but whoever heard of a lame harlequin, or a crip-
pled clown who had been equally successful? To such
this institution was of' the most essential colt-sequence.
In the decline of life it relieved their necessities, and ena-
bled them to pass the remainder of their days in compa-
rative rest and quietness. And was it not right that
they should ! (Hear.) Sir Walter Scha, presiding on a
similar occasion to the present, had observed, with a
pathos most affecting, " Will you allow Jack Falstaff—
honest :Tack Falstaff—to,go to bad without his cup of
sack ; or the poor actor to retire to his crib with bones
more marrowless than thcisc of Baequo ?" (Cheers.) Ho
(the-noble chairman) was indeed 'glad that in these mo-
dern times the destitute members 'of a profession, once
honoured and rtspected, could say like Prospero,"That
breath of yours has filled my rail." (The toast was
drunk with applause.)
Mr. 13IICESTONE having beendeudly called for• rose to
return 'thanks. He spoke as follows lord and
gentlemen, in return Mr the enthusiastic manner with
which you have received what yeu are always pleased
to consider the toast of 'the evening —" Success to the '
General Theatrical Fund"—scrupled with 'my name, as
the treasurer, I am happy to say that my reply to that
toast will consist of scarcely anything but a continuous
account of our pro4rerity avcl wefiltuess ; while our first
cause for gratification must be in haVing secured So ex-
cellent a chairman as the nobleman now presiding over
us. The directors of the feed are exceedingly grateful
to him for having undertaken the office, at what we di e-
metically call "a very short notice," but I am convinced
the ability with. which he wilt perfarin his duties vsill
nut require him to ask "for your usual kind indul-
gence." 112 obtaining a president for these occasions,
we have to encounter a difficulty Which did not belong
to the festivals of Drury-lane and Covent-garden, where
it was the master* to have a Royal and perpetual chair-
man. The General Theatrical Fund, knowing the love
of the public for novelty and variety, think it best to
change the president every year ; consequently the mem-
bers are annually asking each other, " Who is to be our
chairman at the next dipper!" And we always find
a great- relief to our- anxiety -vrhen -we en ineerwith
gentleman like Lord Teuterdsn, who cheerfully and
without hesitation secedes to oar request ; while, as a
patron of the drama, a lover 'ef the actor's art, and a
member and vice-president of the only dramatic club in
London—" The Garrick"—no one can better under-
stand our wants and wishes, or osleai more eloquently
in behalf of them, than our noble chairman of this
evening. I have now, gentlemen, is proceed td tell you
of the condition of our fund. The details may be
rather dull, but still it is necessary you'sbould be ac-
euainted with them, and learn to what purposes your
generosity' has' been applied. It is now well known
that the General Theatrical Fund receives as Members
every ee,fornier, singer, dancer,— pantomimist, and
prompter in the kingdom, whether theyrnay be profession.
ally engaged either in town or country ; consequently
it cannot be a matter of surprise that the number of our
members now amounts to 149 ; that at this time we
have 11 annnitents receiving from 301. to 901. per are;
num ; aacj thee the sans g'ven last year to pay such an-
nuities was 256/. Fifty pounds a'se have been returned.
to widoWs and orphans, and 201. ariplied to 'defray the
funeral expenses of deceased members. Thus you will
perceive, gentlemen, that our circle of help and useful-
ness is greatly enlarged, while I. am happy to tell you
that our means are increasing in proportion, for with
what we nossees, added to the munificent annual' done-
tion of 1001. just received front her most gracioue Ma-
jesty, and the estimated amount of 'your liberality this
evening—and that you will be liberal I sin sure—we
Icalculate that to-morrow morning we shall he masters of
a capital 'closely approaching 10,0001. I must also in-
form you, gentlemen, that through the exertions of our'
old friend and naval ally, Mr. T. P, Cookra and after
many months passed in consulting legal authority re-
specting his trusteeship of a defunct fund, called "The
Coburg," the members of which are all as defunct as the
fund, after leaving in Mr. Cooke's hands the amount of
their subscriptions, lie very naturally and honestly con-
sidered that, the best way to dispose of money to which
there were no claimants was, not to put it into his own
pocket, but to give it to us. Therefore, after a consi hr.
able period of delay, occasioned ty the required legal
proceedings, Mr. Cooke has handed to our mod the
handsome sum of 161/. It would have been more, gen-
tlemen, but for law expenses. Still, 'to do justice to our
legal friends, it is but right I should state they only
charged us the costs out of pocket—a pleasieginstance
of generosity in gentlemen who sometimes consider costs
as a more important matter, a d. more necessary to be
paid at once, than any amount that it may be their
business to procure. Titus you will see, gentlemen, that
the fund you are met together to serve is in• a prosper-
ous condition, and it is also gra'.ifying to know, that
whatever maybe the state of the stage in the present
day, the position of the actor as regards his provision
when he can no longer follow hie pursuit is tar
superior to what it was formerly ; for while the Gene-
ral Theatrical Fund takes under its care all performers,
that of Drury-lane provides for its own, and the, princely
capital which belonged to what was once Covent-Barden
Theatre enables those who were members of that departed
temple of the drama to live in comfort, and reflect upon
the bygone glories of their day, though the magnificent.
edifice which was the scene of those dramatic glories is
now in ruins. In addition to these sources for the sup-,
port of the retired actor, we hope ere long to name an-
other, from which he may not only claim an Reeding, but
his children as education ; for surely the noble bequest of
the ancient actor, Edward Alleyne, and his beautiful.cole
lege at Dulwich, ought not to be entirely closed against
the actor of the piesent day, especially as the funds of
that endownment are now increased far beyond what the
generous and genial founder ever dreamt of, while the
share that the actor asks of so much wealth ie so very
little. Should this be accomplished, gentlemen, the thanks
and gratitude of the whole profession are due to the ac-
tor who has stirred in the cause, and who has made it
his thought for years—my old friend and cue-fellow Ben-
jamin' Webster. It is, therefore, pleasant to know, atthis
particular time, when a sour intolerinee still stands in
the way of making our Sundays a little more cheerful,
and more to be welcomed-and-enjoyed by the working
clams than, they arnat present—it is, indeed, refreshing
for us to see that such intolerance does not preVeat the
good that is being d9ne to the condition of the "poor
player." Though do not imagine this gloomy spirit would
not proveet your charity in such a cause, if it conldeand
point to Exeter Hall as the proper recipient of yciur
bounties—that saintly temple,. whichoehea rented by
wine friends of mine for the purpose'of giving concerts,
the directors at the hall absolutely objected to the sing-
' ing of that thoroughly English ballad, "Sally in our
Alley,"unless the verse was omitted which -rune thuti:—
"Of all the clays that's in theme* . . ,
I dearly love but one day,
And that's the day which comes between ,
, A Saturday and lionalay."- •
They wouldn't have it ; Of course not—they would not
allow the poose'prentice can guy account on that deer "to
be drest all in his best to walk abroad with Sally."
Still it is to be hoped that a fanaticism, which
,some
pepple cannot understand is not religion, may hereafter
have as little to do with, the honest and wholesome ie..
creation'of the people, as it can ever, hace to do with the
prosperity of this institution—a prosperity which is now
confirmed, and fOr which we have chiefly to thank-our
warmest, our oldest, and "best friend—Ur; Chiirles
Dickens.,
.Never ou.any opcasion has he deserted us=
never has he been absent from our eleven festivals, and.
which. festivele, without 'his-happy presence, would be
as the day without the-sun. Ana tiow,:gent'etnen, • I
leave the OM el_tta ituaci 19. yourtearte, wad especially