The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-20 00:00:00

TICAL FUND.

The fourteenth annual festival of this excellent
institution was held on ' Monday evening at the
Freemasons' Tavern, Gres, t Queen-street. There was
a very large attendance of , thefriends and subs cribers
of the charity. Covers w ?ere laid for abo-at 200.
The chair was taken by Mir. Charles Mathews, who
was supported by Mr. I3uckstone, Mr. Denjamin
Webster, Sir Win. Frasei :., Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., &c.
Afte
casts,
the usual loyal tc
sts,
N a The " CRAIIMA-N, , in :pi -o•posing " The Army and
servic
—vi, said" Personally I. Le knew very little of those
es, having never tl ined at a mess table in his
lue, beenthough he certaints- r could not Fiay he had not
in a mess. (Lang hter.) Indeed, he did not
recollect ever represen .ting a " Jolly Tar" on the
stage, but at the same time he felt a particular in-
terest in that service f, :om having ()nee got himself
into the " Fleet." (( Jreat laughter.) Those two
gallant services were, however, the most earnest
patrons of the drama , and the most distinguished
supporters of private theatricals, and therefore he
had the greatest plea sure in proposing the toast of
the "Army andNav
y," with which he would couple
the name of Sir Wilj liana Fraser (Applans
The toast was drunk
,4 'ith all the honouree.)
-
Sir WILLIAM FRA szireturned thanks,
The CHAIRMAN th
evening, " Prosperit to 1 proposed r the tom. tof the
Theatrical Fund," an to
to the Royal General
may not be dismissed t said—Gentlemen,/ this toast
feel the awful posit so summarily; and I begin to
(Laughter.) I ha•vc ~ion in which lam placed.
dation of appearin often experienced the trepi-
character, but I m s for the first time in a new
any responsibilit- iy safely say that I never felt
the present occa, equal to that I have incurred on
taken a new eh' .on, when I have not only under-
quite out of r raster for the first time, but one
rbeyond my ea y line, and one which I fear is far
. Bucksto Abilities. However, my manager,
I have , e, has insisted upon my accepting it,
are,
perhai at dared to disobey (laughter) for you
lug a pay „ not aware that the penalty for refus-
loss of Pi amounts to no less than three weeks'
here I I Lary, which I really cannot afford, so
though/ resent myself recklessly before you, and
Part .4 . cannot say that I have undertaken the
solid/
.t short notice," I certainly do most earnestly
diffie " your usual indulgence." (Applause.) The
eves Ities, I have to contend with are great. How-
eve
I am used to difficulties—(laughter)—and am
ready to face them in a good cause. (Cheers.)
P .7 may be divided, like a sermon, into three
i
rts. I have first to persuade you that I am the
:oper exponent of the subject in hand; next, that
Jein g the proper person, I am able lucidly to ex-
plain the object we have in view ; and lastly, that
I am possessed of the requisite eloquence to open
your hearts, and, what is more difficult still, your
pursestrings--(laughter and cheers)—that elo-
quence, in short which has been poetically described
as of force sufficient to extract a sixpence out of a
gas Pipe. (Laughter.) I was rather puzzled at first
to conceive why I should be chosen to occupy a
chair, honoured as it has been hitherto by men
eminent for their great public talents and no less
private worth, but on racking my brain to discover
why my friend and manager should thus have de- I
termined on placing me in so equivocal a position—
a position which I feel I am utterly unfit to hold—
(no, no)--and is laying me open to the many re-
marks which may naturally follow my presumption
in presenting myself before you as the advocate of
prudence and economy, I have at last come to this
conclusion, that he has selected me, not for the pur-
pose of setting me up before you as an example, but
rather as a warning. (Laughter.) Well, with all
my heart. If even in that capacity I can be made
serviceable to-day, I with pleasure accept the posi-
tion, and am ready to put my head in the pillory.
(Applause.) You will, therefore, be kind enough,
gentlemen, to look upon me in the light of a finger-
post, and allow me to point out to others that path
which I have not followed myself, but which I can
safely and conscientiously pronounce to be the right
one. (Hear.) The objects and advantages of the
admirable fund the interests of which we are to pro-
mote are too well-known and recognised to need any
advocacy of mine. Its various benefits and privileges
have been over and over again descanted upon by
your excellent treasurer, who is here, true to his post,
to reiterate his observations ; while your worthy
secretary sits in calm dignity—(laughter)—loaded
to the muzzle, with reports and figures respecting
the state of the funds. You will be pleased to hear
that I have nothing to do with the funds. (Laughter.)
I am happy to say it is a department with which I
am not called upon to interfere, so that the only
task that remains for me is to exert my powers of
fascination to induce you to swell the amount of
those funds, and aid the institution by a liberal
contribution this evening, and not only to produce
the donation from your right hand pockets, which
You have already placed there according to your
annual custom, but to extract that reserved fund
from your left-hand pockets, only provided in case
some brilliant burst of eloquence or extra touching
appeal should wrench the button from its guardian-
ship and magnetise the coy cash from its strong-
hold.
(Applause.) It is not by upholding and
dilating
upon the transcendant literary merits of
our national drama, nor on its instructive tendency
u—
nor upon the excellence of its professors—nor
upon their high intellectual gifts, that I shall hope
° warm up the pecuniary cockles of your hearts.
(Laughter.) It may, perhaps, be thought my duty.
too bring forward those often-urged claims to your
nsideration, but though I am here to do my duty,
Ido not think it a part of my duty- to teach you
tours• I have too much need to learn myself to
r athaler tothe teacher of others. (Laughter.) It is
s.„ your sympathy than to your duty that I
easier ; for however perverse it may be, you must
all nave observed that while stern duty is ever the
uoasted main •
kind s spring of human action, it is dear,
Yamathy, after all, that quietly performs the
sweete
mine is:ta Part of the work. (Applause.) Now,
duty ost -w altogether of sympathy, and I leave
- ( the question. There is no duty which
compels youth CI •
piDess of
the contribute to the comforts and hap-
brighter ho e declining days of those who, in
men 8 urs, have added only to your amuse-
has the pillow of the poor actor who
lior diivuefrterniin er years afforded you an innocent means
imoil
of
thgeyour minds from the worry and tur-
tle world, and carried you away for
anxieties of re
time world, f...
ig --om the carking cases and
and fatioeda life that weighed down your spirit
at the
time, Your frame. Now, you paid your money
-thou had
she matter
enYded . your money's worth, and there
oft°llr quinath ' there your duty ended, but not
his I wcaii, Y, for lam happy to say, and it is
lion and amuse remind you, that the mental relaxa-
lings at the doomrsents
or tha coalscnttle of
you purchase with your shil-
tnan's—(laughterra
a theatre are not like the fender
and the rerae Purchase at the hardware-
miaranot like the cigar you enjoy,
with ita butt end nceyef.
Which you throw away
in the corner of yo You have no lurking affection
whose shovel or wbestlr heart for the ironmonger
exchange for yonr cal, corkscrew you carry off in
whose choice Roan ,or even for the tobacconist
satisfaction, shared il
you puff with so much
friend who
accepts the thouh it he with your dear
You do not nudge Your • rality of your cigar case.
of pleasure, only checked
wire or a ewer with a grin
celebrated physician, an bY Yftr Politeness, as a
eomraissioner of Woods -a eminent ba • ter, or a
the streets. You have nod Porests passes you in
jthose still more commcncoongenial feeling towards
oyniente—your butcher aterers to your solid en-
monger. You point out, it Yoitr baker, your fish-
man, the great general, th rue, the
great states-
reverend divine with res
,e, learned judge, the
mixed with awe, sometimest• with admiration,
privilege of the favourite actwi)th 10,E,
; but it is the
that friendly, indulgent, affeert!'l"43 to meet with
that seems to proceed from a sortioofnate recognition
towards the person who has cif genial yearning
moments of depression—a kind ofd you in your
hours of pleasure enjoyed without gr,,titude for
membered without regret. (Appiaosan, cY, dre-
nent barrister, the learned judge, t6e) The eau-
- gener
~ divine, may all, in the exercise of their va • al, the
ens, have trodden in some way upon ris pro-
a7eau interests. The lawyer may have losettrns„of
)."--;the judge may have misdirected a
against Yft—the Ia jury
soles or hrotber era may. have omitted yo
even the vry • !a name in his despatch ur
you. 7 divine • feel uncomfeortable i himself may have made
but when did
,otrily.our boots from the pulpit ;
Robson friend . Keeley, or dear little
Webster or Compton iree
slead a Jury ? When did
suit ? (Laughter.) aarhe,rdl:l your money in a law
your son promotion ? Whenida!aul Bedford refuse
stone make you uncomfortable
113(1 Wright or Buck-
(Applause.) Your recollection!' a homily P Never.
drawbacks, and your association are all without
able. The only feeling at all sotessentially a.ree-
tionate character is, I think, that raanalisinlilar :free-
a favourite author; and how truly i
dideV towards
Irving observe, on his visits to estminstaearhingtoti
that notwithstanding the simplicity of the ThsbbeY,
ments in Poets' corner, the visitors to the '4'1,1:-
always remain longest about them. A kinder and
fonder feeling, he remarks, takes place of that cold.
curiosity or vague admiration with which they gaze
on the splendid monuments of the great and the
heroic ! They linger about these as about the tombs
of friends and companions, for indeed there is
something of companionship between the author
and the reader. Other men are known to posterity
only through the m
i
medium of history, which is con-
tinually growng-
faint and obscure; but the inter.
course between the author and his fellow men is
and immediate. He has ever new, active, lived for
*hem more than for himself—he has sacrificed sur-
rouaclink; enjoynx-'.., and shut himself up from the
ii,,s

late him c n his first appearance amongst us it this
pleasant I estival. (Applause.) It is, I know, his
maiden at tempt to support the responsibilities of
his presen t position; for though he has often ad-
dressed ar audience from the stage of a theatre, yet
this is the first time he has taken a chair, made a

speech,.. an, d carved a chicken at a public dinner—
(laughte r) —but lam sure you will acknowledge,
~although .t is his first appearance in the character,
i." 3 has gi v 'en no signs of being a novice, but seems
its practise, d and as adroit in his new vocation as he
1.8
allowed to be accomplished and unrivalled in his
old eee
on the stage. And while we cannot but con-
gratulate c urselves on the possession of such a chair-
man On thi s occasion, lam convinced he will ac-
knowledge that he may congratulate himself on
being
here. Few men have encountered more perils
than h
his e"--4.: le perils of management, which led to
aequain tance with two defunct gentlemen for-
merly knoi
,vn to the public as John Doe and his
brother -Jai( hard—the perils of four times crossing
the Atlai iti c—(twice there and back)—the perils of
traveil
ii'' thousands of miles on American rail-
toads and s teamboats—and though last, not least,
In_e Perils ( )f matrimony. (Hear, hear.) Having
f:reeunte re( 1 all these dangers, is it not a cause
thcon ;rt .tulation that he has come out of
era
anira‘n i 2 sat ety, and, in the full flow of his excellent
perils, :11 1 lil its, is enabled to turn his back upon his
in the eat `mss 'ge from seclusion, and publicly, appear
tired halal, te- —of charity? Knowing as Ido his re-
him heart */ '-'(laughter)--we ought indeed to thank
behalf this e i
—' ' ior what he has undertaken in our
have °min. , and to hope that all his reverses
passed I vway for ever, and that his future career
may be as in .osperous and as happy, not only as his
best frienr.s , can wish, but ashis great talent and