The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-29 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EV FN 1 a, DECEMBER :49, t r3bti

I am never surprised at what Englishman of set if they
have fair play. (Cheers ) But the exertions of the men by
whom this school has been established do call for our most
cordial admiration. Upon a former occasion there were
some regretful complaints that the number of commercial
travellers among our subrcribers was not larger. Let us
hope for better things. No class charity can ever expect to
have more than a certain proportion of that class among
its subscribers. It is highly to the credit of the great
body of commercial travellers, however, that two or three
thousand among them are annual subscribers to the insti-
tution. But if there was not ono commercial traveller
who subscribed this institution would in no degree be less
worthy of our support. There are children of worthy per-
sons left destitute—shall we not provide a home and a re-
fuge for them? Look yonder (pointing to the gallery at

the end of the room where the children of the school were
standing) what does it matter to me, or to you, who are or
who are not subscribers ? It is enough that we have done
our duty—have set an example of that duty, and made
clear to common sense the advantages which must spring
from following in the course which we have commenced.
(Cheers.) But such au institution, depend upon it, will
never want supporters among these who carry on the trade
of this great country. When we hare once reared life into
usefulne,s, and ripened the mind into thoughtful intelli-
gence, we can then only conjecture what may be thelreat
result of our labours. Franklin was once asked " What

is the use of your discovery of atmospheric electricity ?"
The philosopher answered the question by another, and
asked " -What is the use of a new-born infant ?" No per-

son among us can say what scientific discoveries may be
made, or what light may yet be diffused over the earth by

the soul of a single child. At the moment I am now speak-
ing this institution is preparing 150 of these human souls

for the broad thoroughfares of human life—thoroughfares
in which they may happily fulfil our objects, if we teach the

pupils to walk without atbirabling or falling. But neYer let

us forget that in a country as free as the air w• breathe

every thoroughfare has its upward slope to fame and for-
tune, which may be reached by the steps of the zealous and
the persevering. Your school may produce philosopher ■

and brilliant characters—such men have sprung from in-
ferior degrees of education, and a much lower state of
moral discipline than you can afford, and you may ulti-

mately have your shuts in the guides and ornaments of
society. This I will venture to anticipate, that the day will
come, and some among you may live to see it, when the

chair which I now fill will be occupied by some man who
has risen into wealth and eminence in society, having been
educated in your schools, and then, from the lips of that
man, some applauding audience will hear that truth which

can never be too often told, that not more surely does the
harvest spring from the corn seed than do the races of man
who sustain, ennoble, and enrich life, spring from the germs

of intelligence and virtue which are sown in the hearts of
children. (Loud and long-continued cheering.) The hon.
baronet concluded by calling upon the company to drink
" Prosperity to the Commercial Travellers' School."
The toast was drunk with the greatest possible enthu-
siasm.

Mr. G. ROUTLEDGE said ho had been requested to pro-
pose the next toast, and when he stated that it was the

health of their distinguished chairman, he felt that his
own inability to do justice to it would be overlooked in

the enthusiasm with which they would receive the mention

of his name. It would be presumption in him to dwell on
the various attainments of the right hon. baronet, but it
would be difficult for any one to speak of him without

reference to the high talents he possessed as a novelist,
dramatist, and a statesman. They had all reason to be
much indebted to him for his presence, for ho had attended

at great personal inconvenience; and when they thought
of the able and eloquent speech ha had delivered on behalf

of their institution, he was sure they would all join him in
thanking him for the service he had rendered. He begged

them to drink to the health of Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton.

;Cheers.) He hoped the hon. baronet would long enjoy

that proud position he had attained, and long lire to be an

ornament to the House of Commons, of which he was so
worthy a member.
The toast was drunk amidst great applause.
The CHAIRMAN said he wished, first, to thank Mr.
Itoutledge for the flattering terms in which he had pro-

posed him health. It was peculiarly gratifying to his feel-
ings that the compliment usually paid to the chairman on

those occasions should be addressed to him by a gentleman
who had done so much to obtain for his works, and for

works of a higher merit, a readier access to tho great
body of the people ; and he had done more than that,
for he had sent their books round the world, and he was

sincerely rejoiced to find that they were perused largely
by corouiercial travellers. Let him neat thank them for

the waimth with which they had responded to the toast.

The connection between literature and commerce was

one that dated from remote antiquity.

At boast they

,raced it as far back as those Phconician traders who

were said to have invented letters, and every day there
were fresh links connected between commerce and

literature. (Groat applause.) He had read with
much pleasure some numbers of a work, entitled " The
Commercial Travellers' Magazine," and so strongly on his
part did he feel that connection, that when he entered that
room, amongst strangers to him personally, he yet felt as if
he was coining amongst familiar friends. He trusted that
on leaving it that impression would be reciprocal.
(Cheers.) Now he turned willingly from himself to a toast
which it was his duty to propose to them. At an early po.
riod of the evening he said how much reason they had to
be proud of their British traders, not only for their wealth
and enterprise, but for their humane sympathy with suf-
fering and distress. To endorse a truth there was nothing
like a ♦isible illustration, and on this occasion he would
direct them for a personal illustration of what British

traders were to the gentleman who sat by his side, Mr.
George Moore, the treasurer of the society. He was an
eminent example of tho qualities by which wealth was ob-
tained, and of the virtue in the exercise of which it should
be spent. He believed he was proud of having been the
architect of his own fortunes. When he came to London
ho was but 17 years old, and was without a friend. At the
ago of 22 he became a traveller for an eminent firm in the
lace trade. His zeal and his abilities founded his reputa-
tion. That reputation led on to fortune. He became part-
ner in that great firm he had since so conspicuously ad-
They knew how well he had since used his ad-
♦antages for doing all the good in his power, in promoting
charities for the relief of distress and for the education of

the young. He had thrown his whole heart and soul into
services of that nature with as much ardour as if he were
again building up a fortune for his own children. So
much zeal was sure to be successful—of course it had suc-
ceeded. He called on there, as friends of the institution to
which Mr. Moore had rendered great services as its trea-
surer, to drink to that gentleman's health. (Cheers.)
Mr. GEO. MOGRE said it was now 11 years since he
had commenced to take an interest in these schools, and he
felt more embarrassed on this occasion than ho had on any
similar one, for their excellent chairman had pirated every
idea he had in his head on the subject of the institution.
(A laugh.) However, it was more his duty to give an ac-
count of his stewardship, as their treasurer, and to tell
them how that large sum of money they had entrusted to

him had been disposed of. He would, therefore, trouble
them with giving them a few particulars of the results of
his labours during the last eleven years. They had erected
a building which they considered faultless. The cost, in-
cluding gas-works (for they manufactured their own gas),
farm buildings, draining, water supply, and playground,
was 22,221/. The architect's commission and law charges
amounted to 1,2261., and that was a small item, he thought,
judging from the experience he had had of both architects
and lawyers. (Hear.) They had purchased 25 acres of
excellent land, for which they paid 2,0001. That made an
aggregate of 251,4471 They did not think their place
would be complete without a lodge and two cottages for
the farm labourers, and they had erected those buildings
at a cost of 6001. That made 20,0471., and he would say
there was not a better building in England than the Com •
mercial Travellers' School. Both the architect and the
contractor had done them ample justice. At the outset
there were some fears that the site would be found too low
and damp, but he was happy to say the climate was quite
healthy, and the periodical reports of the doctor informed
them that they had nothing to complain of in this particu-
lar. At this time they had in the schools 99 boys and 46
girls ; at the Monday's election there were received ten
boys and six girls, making 109 boys and 52 girls, altogether
161 children. Their funded property amounted to 13,0001.,
which produced an income of 4001. a year. The annual
subscriptions were 3,6001., making a total fixed income of
4,0001. Thishad been raised whilst they had been all along
grumbling about the fewness of their subscribers. (Hear.)
Their expenditure annually was now 4,5001., and he had no
doubt they would he able to say when they separated that
night, that, so far as general purposes were concerned, they
were free from debt. There was sufficient room in their
building for 145 boys and SO girls, altogether 225. If they
calculated the annual cost of maintaining them at 251. each
an expenditure of 5,6251. would be sufficient to take in all
the building would hold, and that, he had a strong impres-
sion, would include all the orphan children of commercial
travellers in England, Scotland, and Wales. (Cheers.) Up
to this time they had not exceeded their income, but if they
wanted to fill the building, they would require 5,6001. a
year. Now they had at present 4,0001. a-year, and the dif-
ference would enable them to fill it to the brim, and take
in every orphan of a commercial traveller in England. It
was the height of his ambition to expend the money they
entrusted to his care seas to do the utmost amount of good,
and he was gratified to inform them that out of 61 boys
who had up to this time left the institution, there had never
yet been one who had disgraced it. (Hear.) That was agreat
consolation to them. He was pleased to tell them that one of
the boys had subscribed the first tola guineas he bayed after

leaving to become a life governor. (Cheers.) Thirty-five girls
had left the school. Girls wore more difficult than boys to
place out in the commercial world ; but they were all doing
well, and one was engaged in a first-class school, and receiv-
ing a very handsome remuneration. The boys were mostly
placed in drapers' shops and warehouses, and some of their
friends, after they had taken one or two boys, had applied
for more. That was a proof that their system of education
was right, and that the boys were well trained to become
men of business. (Hear.) It was now eleven years since he
took the chair in that room, at a meeting of the commer-
cial travellers of England, to organise these schools. If
he had a regret upon this occasion, it was that he missed
some of the warmest and most ardent friends who had
worked earnestly in their day, to do their duty, and had
been called to their account. There were some persons
who opposed; the establishment of the institution at its
outset, and the principal one amongst the number was
the party to whom afterwards a mother appealed to sup-
port her infant. At the commencement the commercial
travellers subscribed 2,0001., and he had now the satisfac-
tion of telling them that they had on one day in October
last, on the spontaneous act of the committee, again sub-
scribed in half-crowns, crowns, and other sums, 1,0791.,
and which had freed them from debt. Although complaints
were made of the apathy of many, they must also acknow-
ledge the disinterested charity of a groat many, and especi-
cially of those amongst the travellers who had no families
themselves who could derive benefit from the institution.
In what he would have told them about their educational
department he had been anticipated by their worthy chair-
man. Indeed, he had anticipated him in all, save in these
figures. It was a proud day for him, although an embar-
rassing one, for ho could now hand over thistuilding to
the commercial travellers of England out of debt. (Cheers.)
He had published the accounts, and there were the re-
ceipts in full for all demands. All they had now to do was
to advance the annual income from 4,000/. to 15,6001., and
then there need not be a commercial traveller's orphan un-
provided for. The man who gave a sovereign to the society
would lay it out to his own gratification, for he would ex-
perience the luxury of doing good, and there was no enjoy-
ment equal to that. (Hear.) He knew that Sir Edward
Lytton had made a personal sacrifice in coming there that
night, and he, for one, begged to thank him. He had
thrown a lustre on their proceedings, and he hoped the
Almighty would spare him many years to benefit similar
institutions as he had theirs. He thanked them cordially
for the attention they had given him. He felt that his occu-
pation was gone, for they had got their building, and it
was clear of debt. It was, however, his ambition to con-
tinue to serve them in the same straightforward and honest
way that he hoped he had done up to this period.
Mr. G. HowELL proposed " The Lord Mayor and Cor-
poration of the City of London, and the health of Mr.
Sheriff Mechi." . .

Mr. Sheriff MECHI returned thanks. He need not tell
them that the corporation was looked upon as an institu-
tion nearly worn out, but he thought it would still last a
little longer. He believed our municipal institutions would
exist as long as England valued her freedom and indepen-
dence. The corporation possessed certai❑ privileges, and
they had obtained them in return for supplying the Go-
vernments with money in old times. At the present time
also, if they wanted money at the West-end they came
into the City for it, and if they did not in return give them
the privilege of taxing coals, they allowed them to take 3
per cent. for it. Thus was the City of London like the
beehive, where honey and money were made. He con:
gratnlated them on the large amount they had collected.
Ile hoped, however, they would not forget that there was
another society that depended on them for support—that
for the assistance of commercial travellers themselves.
(Hear.)
Mr. T. CIIAMBBRS, M.P., proposed " The health of the
Presidents,Vice- Presidents, and Trustees of the Commei cial
Travellers' Schools." Like Mr. Moore he felt condemned
to silence by the transcendent eloquence of their chair
man's speech. The lion. baronet said he came amongst
them a stranger. Now Sir E. Lytton had not the privilege
of being a stranger in any assembly where the English lan-
guage was spoken. The claims of the commercial travellers
to the regard of their countrymen could not be overrated.
It was upon their integrity that the credit of English com-
merce very much depended, and they were found fully equal
to the responsibility. The gentlemen whose names he had
mentioned for the next toast were a corporation, but un-
like the corporation of which Mr. Sheriff Mochi had spoken,
instead of their coming from the '.Vest-end to them for
money, they went to everybody for aid. He begged to
couple with the toast the name of Mr. D. Cronin. (Cheers )
Mr. CRONIN replied, and
The Rev. D. MooitH proposed " The Board of Manage-
ment," which was acknowledged by Mr. T. ROBERTS.
Mr. W. DELARIIE proposed " The Commercial Travel-
lers of England," coupling with it "The health of Mr. T.
Holt."

That gentleman returned thanks,
The remaining toasts given were " The National and
Mercantile Assurance Office," "The Honorary and Medi-
cal Officers," "The Stewards," after which the company

separated.
The amount of subscriptions announced was upwards of

1,5001.
The musical arrangements a era under the direction of
Mr. Lawler, assisted by Messrs. Genge, Donald King, and
Coward. The dinner, the attendance, and wines were
characteristically good, and Mr. Harker went through his
onerous duties of toastmaster with his usual ability.