The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY E VENING, APRIL 29, L 69.

NEWS VENDORS' BENEVOLENT AND

PROVIDENT INSTIT U 7 lON.

The anniversary festival in aid of the funds of

this charity was held on Monday evening, at the
Freemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-street. In the
absence of Mr. Charles Dickens, the president,
Alderman Sir Benjamin Phillips occupied the chair,
and amongst upwards of 200 ladies and gentlemen
present were Mr. J. R. M'Lean, M.P., Mr.
George Elliott, M.P., the Sheriffs of London and
Middlesex (Messrs. Aldermen Cotton and Hutton),
Mr. Charles Dickens, jun., Mr.:Edmund Yates, Mr.
C. L. Gruneisen, Mr. F. Clements, Mr. P. Clements,
Mr. Aird, &c.

The usual loyal and patriotic toasts having been
duly honoured,

Mr. Alderman CorroN, in responding to the
toast of " The Corporation of the City of London,"
proposed by Mr. Adams, referred to the value of
the charity, and expressed a hope that it would be
well supported.

The CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of the evening,
" Prosperity to the Newsvendors' Benevolent and
Provident Institution." Before venturing to ex-
patiate upon the newsvendors he wished to say a
few words with reference to the newspapers them-
selves. He then referred to the early history of
newspapers, from their establishment in the 16th
century, pointing out how their legitimate influence
bore upon Kings, Lords, and Commons, and main-
tained the freedom of the people. But the ability
of the literary staff and the labours of the print-
ing-office would go for nothing were it not for
that distributing class, the newsvendors. It was
for the decayed members of this great, class that
he had now to plead. The institution was deserv-
ing of the support of all classes, and he re-

gretted that its financial position was not better,
and that its operations were crippled for want
of funds. He drew attention to the small amount
of subscriptions on the present anniversary, and ex-
pressed a hope that that gathering would result in
an accession of at least £5OO to the funds of the
charity, which he hoped would be distributed
amongst the necessitous newsvendors of the day,
and not be put away for the benefit of the next
generation. In conclusion, he expressed regret at
the absence of Mr. Charles Dickens, the president,
and hoped that the society would, nevertheless,
find its funds greatly increased by the proceedings
of the evening.
The toast having been drunk with enthusiasm,

Mr. EDMUND YATES proposed in complimentary
:erms " The Health of Mr. Charles Dickens."

A list of subscriptions, showing a s•.atisfactory
addition to the funds of the charity, was then read
by the Secretary.
Mr. CHAS. DICKENS, jun., in proposing " The
Ladies," said that, although his father had been
seriously indisposed, there was no cause for alarm.
It was true that he would be prevented for some
time from appearing i❑ the' capacity of a public
" reader," but lie would still be enabled to attend
to his literary duties, which would be conzinued as
heretofore.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN.

- - -
A correspondent of the Star writes on the subject
of women's property. He declares that good and
just Englishmen cannot be aggrieved if their
own practice is made the binding law on
all. Supremacy unsanctioned by law will in-
variably degenerate into lawlessness. Supre-
macy, in the sense of a right, is slowly relaxing
its hold upon society. Women have the more need of
protection for any property of which they may be pos-
sessed, as:they are excluded bycustom and law from the
rich pastures apportioned by men to themselves. He
affirms that if the principle of subordination and
abnegation of self on one side are essential to social
harmony, it had better be understood that
marriage settlements are illegal. The reformers
on this question are impelled by the guiding
principle of modern society, and the more woman
gains in independence and dignity the more she
gains value in her relation to man. In conclusion,
the writer says that if a mother's property cannot be
ler own, regardleEs of her responsibility to her
children, a father's property should come under the
same strict restriction : but in a Philistine age we
must be content with Philistine progress.

GO( D SEWS FOR FOITOOLIIOYS.

A society has been started to effect a reform in our
spelling, and it has just held a meeting at Liver-
pool. The society do not adopt the phonetic system,
which would alter 80 per cent, of the words
in the English language. They propose a
milder revolution, which would affect only
20 per cent. The changes consist for the most
part in omitting " unnecessary " letters, such as
the letters uqh in words ending in ough, and the
omission of the b in such words as debt and doubt.
The advocates of this change clearly attach no value
to - philology. Of course, the word det would
convey no indication of its derivation from the
Latin deiet ; on the contrary, it would seem to be
derived from a verb which has exactly the opposite
meaning, which implies that something has been
given, instead of that something is owed. The
advocates of this change cited W. S. Landor
Fran! tin and Swift as being on their side. But
these would have been the last to sanction alterations
which destroyed the history of our language. There
is more to he said for another change which was
suggested at the meeting, namely, that all regular
plurals should be formed in one way ; that words
ending in y, for instance, should become plural
simply by the addition of an s, instead of, as at
present, by a change into ie3.

The inquiry, too, amongst the slaves and others who
have come out of the Soumali country resulted in
nothing. Nobody had heard of the captives.

THE VOLUNTEERS.

In these days of army reform and military reor-
ganisation every little wind seems to turn public
opinion about. Ten years ago the volunteers were
the pets of society ; they are now the best-abused
set of people in England. A military spectator
of the Portsmouth Review writes to the
eepraph protesting against both extremes. He
admits that there is much that is anomalous, a great
deal that is absurd, in connection with the force.
They have no commissariat; they are badly orga-
nised in some respects ; they committed blunders—
perhaps serious ones—at Dover; and they have done
quite as bad elsewhere. But, notwithstanding, they
are not therefore to be despised. They have
shewn qualities of steadiness and solidity
which, should occasion require, will be brought out.
They know nothing as yet of military experience.
But an enemy would hardly invade without notice ;
and there would be time to organise, and to raise a
commissariat, &c., by the time the force would bo
required. The military correspondent does not say
why—supposing, as he does, that the volunteers
would be required in time of invasion—the organisa-
tion and the rasing of a commissariat, the teaching
in the art of arms and war, should not be carried out
rather in the calui dlys of peace than during a panic
caused by fear of invasion. Most probably he knows
no reason,