The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-07 00:00:00

THE OAKS,

PRIX APRESIONT.

1

CRICKE TING•.,' -
THE MARYLEBONE CLUB.
SPECIAL MEETING AND ANNIVERSARY DINNER.

The 79th anniversary of the M. C. C. was held at the
Pavilion at Lord's, on Wednesday last, May 2. Previons
to the dinner, a general special meeting of the club took
place, at which the honorary secretary brought forward cer-

taro proposals for the purchase of the freehold of Lord's
Ground, from Mr. Marsden, which were unanimously
adopted. The members then proceeded to ballot for sixty-
three candidates, who were all elected, and the club now
numbers 980 members.

At half-past seven o'clock the chair was taken by
Lord Ebury, and the company sat down to an excellent
dinner, the arrangements for which had been
confided to Mr. John Day, of the Tavern,
Lord's Ground, and too much praise cannot be
given to him for the tasteful appropriateness
in which the dining-table was decorated, and the excel-
lence of the viands. In the centre of the table was placed
a large epergne filled with choice flowers of red and amber
hues—the colours of M. C. C. This was well "backed
up" on one side with another fragrant batch tastefully dis-
playing the well-known "red, black, and gold" of I Zin-
' . _

_,
gari. Opposite that was another epergne containing a
bouquet formed of the Household Brigade's colours—" red
and blue ;" and yet another epergne held florals ingeniously
delineating the blue and yellow of -the Cambridge Quid-
nuncs. The originality and taste of all this were well
equalled by the excellence of the viands and high character
ardofathe wines, which included among other choice liquids
vintageseira obfolt tBlles (
d ino 1792, claret
half a
of
eelnBt44ur,
yaonldd,just h i port of the
aandmarked
t hl aBt ,51. M
arinadßfradoooet,ske)tr,
deserved
a7c,t
compliments
r imlBl:griu
n, 0
fel
nB2,
it4Orf., r
01:4 t h 1847,0ine
m1:35:
John' Day licit
Jimmies, after dinner, gave the usual toasts, and
teinte came to the old and time-homno. uereod to, ast of the
present.inird uh ee
Air. ." Fitzgerald,micouplingttes
evening, " Cricket, and Success to the
with with it the name of the secretary.
having replied to the toast, read a report of the,
d Air, Dark Daadrokptoeffd
on the doings of the past year. It shower a
satisfactory issue, a large balance remaining at most
banker's after the extraordinary expenses incurred in re-
building-
the pavilion and improving the ground. Mr.Fitz-
pPoa paid
t
the £11,003 purchase-money. The gerald also stated that £B,OOO ha_d_beeerne
"nein. con.," and the secretary resumed his seat amidst
much applause.
The Hon. F. PONSONBY then proposed the health of Lord
Ebury, who had so ably filled the office of president for
1865 ; and his lordship, to returning thanks, said that he
should retain the same zeal out of office for the welfare of

the club as he had always felt, and concluded by proposing
the health of his successor, the Earl of Sandwich, the pre-
sident of the M.C.C. for 1866, whose name was received
with much warmth, and whose absence, through domestic
affliction, was much regretted.

The SECRETARY proposed the health of Mr. R. Kynaston
(who was unavoidably absent), and alluded to the arduous
duties undertaken by that gentleman, and the great benefit
that had accrued to the club from his exertions in the cause
of the Donation Fund, which still remains open to the libe-
rality of the members and friends of the M.C.C. The toast
was received with applause.

The Earl of SEFTON, in an energetic speech,...proposed
the health of Mr. W. Nicholson, and the meeting expressed
their sense of the handsome offer made by that gentleman
to secure the freehold of Lord's Ground to the Club by the
most enthusiastic reception of the toast.

Mr. BURGOYNE, as one of the auditors, testified to the
great exertions of the treasurer and secretary in behalf of
the club, which appeared to be generally admitted, and
which certainly was not denied by the secretary. A. list of
matches was then read by the secretary, and the meeting
dissolved at midnight.