The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-20 00:00:00

ROYAL LITBRARY FUND.

The anniversary of this society was held yester-
day, at the ,F 1 eemasons' Tavern, Great Queen-
street. About 200 gentlemen sat down to a sump-
tuous dinner.

After the usual loyal toasts hal been disposed of,
Mr.. M. MILNES, M.P., in-an elaborate speech,
proposed, " The , Literature of the Colonies, and
Mr. Justice Haliburton," who had left the turbid
waves of the Atlantic to dwell on the pellucid
waters of the Thames. (Cheers.)
Mr. Justice B.ALIEURTON rose amidst immense
cheering. He begged to return to Mr. M. Mines,
the chairman, and the meeting, his most, grateful
thanks (though he felt it most difficult to express
them),- for the very flattering manner in which his
name had been announced and received. He felt
that more had been said than he merited, and that
much had been said rather in the spirit of kindness
than what was due—more in kindness than in jus-
tice. He thanked them with all his heart. 'lf
there was anything he had done either instructive
or amusing, it was because he had relied upon'na-
ture, for in the colony, as in this country, and all
other countries of the world, there were two great
books which were spread before them—nature and
human nature. Those who studied closest, and
approach-d closest to nature, had the approbation
of the world generally. The other portion of the
toast would require a more ingenious man than he
was, to respond to, namely, " The Literature
of the "Colonies." He was somewhat at a loss to
find where it was. (Laughter.) He was at a loss
where to look for it. It reminded him of the trite
saying, " The Spanishfieet you cannot see, because
it is not in sight." (Great, laughter.) It was the
expression of a wish rather than the announcement
of a fact, of something to hope for in future times
—it was what in legal language was termed,
" After possibility of issue extinct." (Laughter.)
He should. rather apologise why they had it not ;
instead of responding to the toast of the "lit ra-
ture of the colonies." Why bad they no litera-
ture in the colonies ? It was very likely they would
not have any for many years, and it would be no
great loss perhap.?. The colonies, in the first place,
were too busy in clearing forests, in laying out
roads, in bridging rivers, iu building cities for the
accommodation of ticket-of-leave men. Literature
required opulence and the luxury of academic
leisure—of wel endowed, learned institutions, like
Oxford.
time; Thei F colonies
had
were
the time they could noto young to afford
the
afford the means either. There ware, however,
other obstacles—there were obstacles in the colo-
nies—not that he would put the colonies behind
• _

the United States, but rather before them ; but
they had difficulties to overcome. They had not
the institutions of England, and, though it might
appear paradoxical, they were too free, too equal,
to have a literature. He did not mean to say
that a country which was free might not have its
lit,rature, because th's country was the freest
in the world ' • but every man was not equal, he
thanked God. Nature never mad e man equal, and the
legislature that attemptedit must be foolish. Where
liberty andequalityco-existed the 3 might materially
neutralise each other. Strange as it might appear
in a country that appeared too free, it was enslaved,
not by public opinion, but by the opinion of the
public. (Rear.) He could illustrate this. A friend
had told him that evening that he was an old Tory,
and so lie (Mr. Haliburton) was. (Cheers.) That
friend had said that the Canadians were more loyal
than the people of this country, and so they were.
(Cheers, and leughter.) English people were the
freest people on the earth, and when he said this be
meant they were free, because they were not equal.
Some gentlemen from phis country contended del
Russia was right and England ,was wrong, in the
late war, that the war was wicked in its in-
,
bep!ion, and disastrous in. the results, and that
it lowered the beat interests of. the country,
and that they were glad of it. These
men were mad on the question ; they spoke
thus before parties, but did they convince them ?
No ! people said they were fools, but that they were
right to express their opinions. Let the United
Suites go to war with. England ; let that war be de-
clared, as it must be declared, by the large majo-
rity of the people ; and let Mr. Cobden go to
America and say that they were wrong, and Eng-
land was right, and that he hoped England would
win, and he would be lynched in half an hour.
(Applause..) Freedom was neutralised by equality,
and where all men were equally free freedom was
only half freedom by equality. If that were true
in politics, how much more so it must be in litera-
ture. In America the author flattered the public,
and the public flattered the author, and there
was no honesty between them. His friend.
:Mr Mines had alluded to his (Mr. Hall-
leirton) having left his native country to reside in
England. It was true he had done so, but he re-
tained his loudness and affection for his native
laud. He liked its freshness, but ae. be increased
in years he felt himself too old to be always look-
ing forward to the future. He wished to enjoy
lemsel and he came to the mother country.
There was no literature in the colot.y, because there
was no past, no infancy, and no 3 outh. They had
no castles that bad formerly bean the strongholds
of oppression and rapine ; the streams and rivers
bad no legends ; they had no fairies—no snpersti-
tions. They were plain, hard, matter of-fact
men. (Cheers.) Where there were no memories
there could be no poets. H. hoped, however, that
the literature of this country would long continue
to be, as it was now, the literature of the
empire ; for he believed the literature of the mother
country would bind the colonies by the strongest
bond of union between them.
Mr. THAcKERAY, in reply to au invitation from
the chairman, proposed the toast of the evening,
" Prosperity to the Royal Literary Fund." Whilst
the bishops and the earls were pursuing their duties
elsewhere, and were taking different sides of the
question, he hoped they would show how har-
monious they coutd be, by proposing the toast with
nine times nine, in the absence of the noble
earl. In spite of all their difficulties, on
looking round the room he could see nothing
but an immense chorus of prosperity. On his
left there were those dark faces that bad
greeted him under the palms of India ; to his
right be saw an old friend whom he had never seen
till that evening—(laughter)—and Colonel Hamley,
who bad written of the thunders of Alma, Bala-
klava, and Inkerman, and had written novels like
one of themselves. Everything looked well for
the prosperity of the society. .Each of these gen-
' tlemen he would shake hands with as with old
friends. If they could only have heard the speech
he had prepared for another toast to which his
name had been attached, they would have revelled
iu a luxury of eloquence such as at present they
could not expect. (Laughter.) He heartily wished
prosperity to the Royal Literary Fund.
Sir RODERICK MURCHISON proposed " The Tra-
vellers and Dr. Livingston." The "Ladies" fol-
lowed, and the meeting separated.

Advises from Vienna state that Count Arnim Hen-
richsburg, Prussian Ambassador to that Court, is about
to retire into private 1 fe, and to be succeeded by
Baron de Sockendorf, Prussian Minister at Stuttgart.
REMOVAL OF MIDDLE ROW, HOLBORN.—A general
meeting of the Metropolitan Board of Works was held
yesterday, to consider the removal of Middle-row, Hole
born. Mr. Wright moved a res, lution to the effect--
"That, as it appears from the estimate of the superin-
tending architect, that the removal of Middle row, Hol-
born, may be effected for a less sum than 50,0001., it
was advisable that the block of buildings should be re-
moved at the earliest possible opportunity." Mr!
Stevens seconded the motior. Mr. H. L. Taylor moved,
as an amendment, "That it would bo inexpedient to
take'any steps for the removal of Middle-row, without
the authority of an act of. parliament." The original
moiler) was carried by a majority of 13 to 5.
THE FALL OF HOUSES IN TOTTENHAM COURT-ROAD.
—Yesterday afternoon Mr. Brent resumed the inquiry
at Laymen's Rooms-, Geyser-street, respecting the deaths
of six persons, occasioned by the falling of the houses
146, 147, and 148, l',.ttenharipcourt-road, on the
morning of Saturday, the 9th instant. The principal
evidence taken during the day was that of Mr. Caiger,
assistant architect and surveyor of the metropolitan
police, Mr. Reading, the surveyor employed by Mr•
Hunter in making his alterations, and Me. Johnson,
the builder who carried on the works. It appeared
that the buildings were inspected an .1 reported as dan-
gerous on the 23d of April, but that the surveyor had
not afterwards seen that the report bad been attended top
and he said it would have been contrary to the rules of
the office if be had visited the buildings again. Mr*
Reading said it was hie firm conviction that it was the
party-wall between Nos. 147 and 146 that first fell aril
dragged down the rest of the premises. He had observe;
a " tremendous crack" in the wall. Mr. Johnson said
the whole of the buildings were in a dilapidated state,
but he imputed blame to no one. The inquest was again
adjourned.
COITRT OF ALDERMEN.—Yesterday at a court which
was held for the despatch of public business, Mr.
Alder-
man Copeland, in presenting the yearly return of the 11
spectors of weights and measures, said he very 123?_.•
regretted to find that tae number of convictions during
the last was almost equal to that of the preceding rari
It was a source of deep regret to find that the prinaoralPl'..
delinquents were those who supplied the poor, n
rn
s:.coalhicdhe atlheers
poorand chandlers'-shop
Per")neee to
truly frighlul. He thought that if the court :8
adopt the plan of publishing the names of persoesse%",
victed of the offence of giving short weight or inoti,dulbe
the evil of which the poor complained aloud, eorpedkebeype trhs.esTehe manner
checkedalear). iLa
rg.reLataumrieeassuairde,heifpenroftecteinvtiLenly;anrdrbelted7:
the observations thet bad fallen from his lri°
istratee
Alderman Copeland, and trusted that the rna_g _ in ail
owaosuesldinin
weights and measures. (Hear.)
wl:itchthpee7svoenrseswt were found ianllopwosesdesbsyionlavnvf false