The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-23 00:00:00

The Music-Hall Provident Society.

Yesterday afternoon a number of gentlemen connect'
with the music-hall profession, and others who support and
patronise that species of amusement, met at Weston
Music Hall, which was kindly lent by the proprietl,
Messrs. Sweasey and Holland, for the occasion, in order 1,1
organise a society for assisting decayed and distresse,
members of the music-hall profession by the erection °'
almshouses and the establishment of a provident society.
Mr. W. HOLLAND having been voted to the chair, state
that for years past he had endeavoured to sketch out sein.,
plan whereby the distress which persons connected with
music-halls occasionally fell into might bo in some degre:
relieved and a home provided for them in their decliuiva
years. While considering that subject he had ever i. 12
mind the Royal Dramatic College, and he could never 5s
why, if the members of the dramatic profession. had 01'6:
Wished such an institution for themselves, the members
of the music-hall profession could not do the same. Theri;
was one thing clear, that singing in music-halls was Intic
more injurious to health than performing on the stags'
and common sense must therefore dictate to every oneltba
those who sang in those halls were entitled to at least 11s
much, if not more, compassion and sympathy as those Wilo
performed on the stage, for whom provision had already
been made. After giving some consideration to the Platter,:
he had, in conjunction with Mr. P. Corri, convened s°ll)'
friends for considering the subject. Several gentlel°
attended on that occasion, and the present meeting Ic:0
the result of their deliberations. Before they separated7r
was confident that they would put matters in train
0
1
the establishment of an asylum, or, if they pleased s° v,
call it, a college. Their number now was very larg%in
comparison to those connected with the stage, for t';
number of music-halls had increased throughout
country to a very large extent. He did not wish to ra(3lr
tion the numbers, but he believed they had increased tell;
fold in comparison with the dramatic profession. It Vi3a
therefore all the more necessary that some substantial and
permanent provision should be made for them, and ho trusts t
the present meeting would result in a resolution to ths
effect.

Mr. CHARLES SLOMAN stated that being the oldest war
ber of the profession present, with the exception of 11'
Page, the managing director of the Marylebone Music Ifel
who was contemporaneous with him, -he believed, be but‘e
great pleasure in moving the first resolution. In 1825 t'
first music-hall was erected at what was called the Rotas
in Blackfriars-road. The music-hall profession had sill
grown to a very great extent. It comprised an imMel'°g
number of individuals, many of whom when their energie;
failed them were plunged into great distress. Every °g-
knew that the music-hall profession was hard work.
man might spend twenty years of his life in it, and havino°
amused the public all that time, might be told that he W 4
getting too old, and that his services were no longer of sill
use. That, in fact, was an every-day occurrence ; for villejl
a man became unfit for work in those places a kind of 11
laria seemed to gather round him, and he was shunned°,
neglected by every one. That, however, showed the ilece
sity for their providing for the members of their own PAr°i;
fession, and of protecting them in their distress 901",iej
their old age. Of necessity, therefore, they were conWe'
in Oiled
to have such a place of refuge, and he hoped that
efforts to obtain it they would show the same pluck had
people Poi,
determination which the Dramatic College
done, and that before long, by well-directed and u 11%...
mous efforts, they would have an institution aPPr°,":O,
mating to the one he had mentioned. He had, there',-43
to move that an institution be established under the—,ts
of the Music-hall Provident Society, having for its de.leiief
the building of almshouses, and otherwise affording 11411
to decayed and distressed members of the Mueie--
profession.

Mr. W. PAGE having seconded the resolution,
Mr VILLIERS said, as ho read the rules of the sell- eto
which had been already established in relation to the 'wll;
matic College, he understood that decayed members of
music-halrprofession were eligible for election into it; the
Mr. J. W. ANSON, the secretary of that society, and
Dramatic, Equestrian, and Music Benefit Society, reli.inel
that they were not. The charter of incorporation of the c-i;
lege distinctly stated that those entitled to admission iet°ol,,
must have been at least 20 years in the dramatic profeesliey
and not be less than 50 years of age. In regard to the °the
fund, it uo doubt embraced all those connected Witb,er.
musical profession, and what he wanted to 1010. .19
whether this society was intended to clash with it• felt
had formed the institution himself, and he naturally
ept
interested on the point. If the promoters of the Ptty,
movement did not intend to encroach upon his sec.eil
then he could pledge himself, on the part of the dircevith
of that institution, that they would go hand in hand rv,hef
them, and that so far as the sick fund was concerned, 'lO
would accept of certain gentlemen who they might APP°4,
as their representatives upon their board of managere°,s,
(Hear, hear.) As to their proposition to erect almsheet(ijo
or a college, which was the title they had adopted, f°r„jeti
decayed members of the profession, he highly comyee",ol
it, and he could almost assure them that should they ',oro
in one boat together as regarded the sick fund, the diree'te,
of his society would vote them a handsome allowance)
wards the erection of the almshouses, or college. (serest
The The CHAIRMAN said, as having taken an active ilThjoi
in the getting up of this matter, nothing could affer'f
greater pleasure or satisfaction than the remarks e"
~000 t
Anson. Ho could assure that gentleman that the Pr„d' or•
movement was not at all intended to interfere with h' tied
ganisation. He might state at the same time, for the,es„,
faction of those present, that they had got the proms
the gift of a piece of ground, while Messrs. Fihe)3lo./ea
and Paraire, the architects of Oxford-street, had 7,1,00 r
them plans of the buildings, and had volunteered to "West,
intend the erection of the works free of expense. (' St.
hear.) He had also the satisfaction to state that 1100
Aubyn, Aubyn, the solicitor to the Licensed Victuallers' Pre.t„,itor,
Society, had readily given his services, as their sell poet
free of charge ; and with all these matters in their la jje
he had no doubt that they would get on successfullP,,
might also state that he had received letters ire-
their
Charles Morton and Mr. F. Strange, both expressiev
approval of the objects of the meeting. useill'
The resolution was then put from the chair and
mously adopted. he 013-
Mr. ARTHUR LLOYD next moved that a committee la'
Jae
pointed for the purpose of preparing
tiou of such a society, and the carrying out of the °,oleufe
contemplated by it, the same to be submitted to
rules for tilt) bi cif;

general meetin. alll-
Mr. P. CORRIg having seconded the motion, it SOS till
mously adopted. , Ci110(1
A committee was then appointed, with Mr NY •
as chairman, Mr. F. Strange as vice-chairman, °-
O'Hara as onrary secretary.
The proceedings terminated with a cordial rote) of ti"
to the chairman.

EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT IN THE LOSS 4:3l''
eLxAt
rDa LADY r STEWART.—WC have received the follcico3;,
a Wm. q caPtc oa
inary statement from Mr. the de
of the unfortunate vessel Lady Stewart, which 1011° ,11,5.
aH feew days since, when the crew had to take to theiro°lov,
the says,
" When we were picked up by the brig
.arsrery
captain of her, Mr. Petersen, spoke to me, ands` 11,.
Ut
singularly, that for a considerable time before' they c-11.5
in
sight of us in the boat, they could not keep the ves- 1410
straight course, but she kept running contrary to the
1,0,.
of her helm. We both ascribed the incident to an
hnd
sition of Providence." Captain Tully at,
edlf
also states th
they drifted two hours longer, they would und°llbttliti
have got out of the course vessels generally sailli°":l 0.10
quarter, and have perished. They had all to
bottom of their boat, drifting at the mercy of 111°
Northern c$

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