The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-29 00:00:00

r`

ci

Z'..
.............•••••••...•••...• ‘
~...„.„/„.../..
4....‘„0........7./
~,,l/Cre/ CZL ,
le
/ in
th,
~, P,...4......;Viv:-
... --'
~.
...---0gi0ta,...k.-,
v....,..,-
~ e,i, "
i ~,, ~,,,,.., •...... . ,
~ -7 e '
--'-• ((r , - i ', : ---, - - ---\•-. -
71: i . ' 4' 0 .7:
~,( Ta°4-4jl 1 c 451131.. • , ^
~ - - Nkt'l .
• ... • A :j.R.
',-- • Z''' ,
rei
/..'',' i •,,, /,t, , r^ .
<47,A A" 41,-,,,,„
__, 0 i.? 6 ‘tIVI --- '.? is . ,.. .al, . , , :,4,,,,,---:,.:.
* / ,?. .: Ai.
„., ,- I
Y"'- V
• %ea
'fWi A , \
• ' ,-•, , rvo, --. t- - .0., 1 '7...,, atifillWieSti 11.1,;;L :DROIT. '‘ '
~,,-_„-. ,--/ ,
SriAr.er
• :- ....107,. ' DIE e24Tt ' 1", "./.r IP ...
- i e.,
e. i1tiv,;._,.,___:,,,7.H.,, "6 , N.,.

PRICE.... 4d.
STAMPED sd.

fund, but also a patron of the drama, I was one
amongst the thousands assembled who gave him a
hearty cheer as he passed by in his honourable state.

Certainly there were no men in armour or ancient
knights, as they used to be called in the civic pro-
gramme ; but as it was said that the expense attend-
ing them was applied to a better purpose, and as at
all times these knights were neither very striking
nor very steady objects in the cavalcade, their ab-

Bence was not particularly regretted. Having al-
luded to the men in armour, I am inclined to relate

an anecdote connected with them and a former Lord

Mayor's show. I once had occasion to represent
" Richard the Third" at the Haymarket Theatre,

but being unaccustomed at that house to warlike
tragedies, we had no suits of mail in which to encase

the captains and soldiers of York and Lancaster.
In this difficulty I applied to the then Manager of
Astley's Amphitheatre—not Mr. E. T. Smith, the
present one—for the loan of some armour, when
almost immediately afterwards a vanload arrived at
my stage-door. I sent my thanks to the manager
for his kind and prompt compliance with my .re-
quest, and experienced for him an indescribable
feeling of friendship, mingled with gratitude. The
only drawback to this generous action was that the
armour was very dirty and required cleaning. To

accompliSh .this my men were occupied for two or
three days in brightening it up. The night came
for the pertorniance of " Richard the Third." The
armour was donned by the actors, who went into
battle certainly, but under difficulties. My Earl
of Richmond (Mr. Howe), on lifting up his arm to
strike at Richard, could not get it down again, but
continued in that striking attitude to the end of the
play. Catesby and Ratcliff wandered about like

two animated Dutch ovens, and, being unable to see

through their vizors where they were going, came
into collision with each other ; some of the helmets
having been forced on the heads of some of the

soldiers, could not be got off again till long after
the tragedy was over ; while one disgusted super,
who had been laughed at by the audience and had
also experienced a tumble or two, was heard to say,
" If this armour dodge goes on I shall leave the pro-
fession." However, the tragedy was played but two
nights, when the manager of Astley's immediately
sent his van to fetch the armour away, because the
next day was Lord Mayor's-day, and it was wanted
for the show. I then discovered the reason of my
friend's alacrityin lending it me—it required clean-

ing, and I had to go to the expense of it instead of

him. Gentlemen, I must confess to having a certain

feeling of reverence for the chief magistrate of the
City, as my grandfather, Mr. Wm. Buckstone, was

a citizen and a member of the Drapers' Company,
and I recollect, when I was a little boy, he prophe-
sied that I should one day be an alderman, and that

he should live to hear the crier in court call out,

" Make way for Alderman Buckstone ;" but al-
though his prophecy did not literally come to pass,

still to a certain extent it has this evening been ful-
filled; for notwithstanding I have never been an
alderman, I am not now far from a Lord Mayor.
And now, gentlemen, it is time that I should leave
the City and come westward to the business of our
fund, and explain to those who may not be acquainted
with our objects what they are. The Royal General
Theatrical Fund was established about3o years ago,
for the purpose of admitting all persons as members
who had practised the art of acting, dancing, and
singing in Great Britain and Ireland. The Drury
Lane and Covent Garden Funds restricted their
members to performers who had been engaged for a
term of years at those theatres only. Our funds ad-

mit the entire class of performers in England, and
grants to such members life annuities at a certain
age, and under certain conditions. We have now,
gentlemen, 26 annuitants-16 of whom are ladies,
and 10 of them gentlemen, receiving from £3O to
£9O per annum. Our capital amounts to more than
£13,000, while during the past year-we have dibtii-
buted in annuities and for funeral expenses no less a
sum than £1,041, to which may be added nearly £lOO
for expenses in conducting the business of the fund.
From letters that I sometimes receive, it appears to
me many persons imagine that our fund is identical
with that excellent institution, the Dramatic Col-

lege, while some fancy it to be connected with
another excellent institution, the Dramatic Sick
Fund. Gentlemen, this is not the case ; we stand
quite alcne, and have no connexion with any other
establishment, although I must confess that I hope
to see the day when the resources of all the dra-
matic funds may become amalgamated, for such a
proceeding would produce an amount of capital so
enormous that every one of the institutions I have
referred to would stand upon a firm and lasting
foundation—a foundation which could not be up-
rooted, unless there should happen to arise a puri-
tanical revolution, which I hope is impossible. But
until such an amalgamation takes place, it behoves
all the members of our fund to be energetic in their
endeavours to increase its capital ; for we have still
much to do, and many to provide for. I also think
it is not generally understood that our fund, having
a Royal charter, can receive legacies. Surely there
must be many in this country who have passed their
happiest hours in witnessing the representation of
our drama ; to those I can only say, when you are
making your wills, do not forget us. On the last
page of our annual report of these festivals you will
find a simple form of bequest, in which you can in-
sert whatever you may please to give us ; while the
form has one great recommendation—it can be
copied, filled up, signed, and witnessed without the
aid of an attorney. In pleading our cause to-night,
gentlemen, I am pleading for a claßa whose loyalty
has ever been proverbial. I need not refer to those
gallant players who have fought for Royalty in the
field—l need not now refer to the many instances
of their generosity and courage ; but to show of
what stuff they are made, and of their bravery in
I the hour of despair and death, I need but name one
instance—one that is still fresh in our memories—
the behaviour and end of the late Gustavus Brooke,
who worked while he could save, and when all hope
was abandoned, "faced his fate," as was well said in
one of the journals, " like a brave and Christian gen-
tleman." Now, gentlemen, as the generous and warm
influences of the City are prevailing at this moment,
we naturally expect the amount of donations this
evening will exceed those of any previous year ; but
I must, in the name of the members of our fund, re-
turn our hearty thanks to our illustrious trustee,
Mr. Charles Dickens, to whom we mainly owe the
presence of our chairman this evening, for it was he
that asked the Lord Mayor to come, and it was the
Lord Mayor who said to me that the, wishes of Mr.
Dickens were his commands. Before I conclude,
gentlemen, I wish you to remember that our fund is
purely a provident one ; its members, when receiv-
ing their annuities, but take what is their right—
the return for many years' punctual payment of
their subscriptions, aided by your donations. While,
politically speaking, we belong to all parties, we are
Conservatives, because we take care of our
s money,
do not wish any alteration in our rules,
department abnadveasneoveorcy.
department is so well represented, we
casion for any reform. lAre are Liberals, because
when granting annuities to
we are only too happy
be as liberal as we can. Radicals we arc, because
we know we are radically honest ; and I do not be-
lieve there is a Fenian amongst us. We are, I hope,
like all present, too strongly attached to our Queen,
our rotyya l
you
and our country. As regards her
i‘
oumi,lill be happy to hear that we are in
e s
receipt of her annual donation of £lOO, while the
Prince of Wales not only visits all the theatres, in
company with his fair Princess, but has also given
us a very handsome subscription. At thesame time
I cannot forbear reading a letter from a gentleman
who has sent us a donation through that great
friend to oue fund, Mr. Frederick Ledger, of the
Era :
"MY dear Sir,—ln the event of my being absent from
London on the day appointed for the dinner of the
Royal
General Theatrical Fund, may I ask you to forward the
enclosed check for 50 guineas ? It is with groatpleasure I
forward my donation, and trust sincerely that it may
help,