The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-29 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' SCHOOL.

—The general half-yearly meeting of the governors
of this admirable commercial charity was held at
the London Tavern yesterday, Geo. Moore, Esq.,
the treasurer, in the chair, to receive the report and
accounts, and for the election of twelve children—
seven boys and five girls—on to the foundation.
There was a crowded attendance of commercial tra-
vellers and subteriters, and amongst them we
noticed Mr. J. B. Walker, Mr. C. Woolloton, Mr.
J. Angell, Mr. John Baggally, Mr. Charles Blower,
Mr. Jenkin Jones, Mr. George Rawson, Mr. W.
Skelton, Mr. W. Ridley, and others.
Mr. ALFRED L. SAUL read the report, which
was received with applause, as follows :
" The board of mangaement again present them-
selves to submit their usual half-yearly report. The
amounts received for subscriptions, &c., during the
six months are as follow :
Donations.
New subscriptions
Old ditto ...,
Shou!taueous

£325
290
1,087
341

" These items show a considerable improvement,
when compared with the receipts of the correspond-
ing six months of the previous year. Last year the
annual subscriptions exceeded those of any previous
12 months, and it is gratifying to observe that this
year there is a still further improvement. In the
donations, also, there is a material increase.
" It affords the board much satisfaction to observe
that the amount received from the simultaneous
collection is greater than that of last year. About
1,400 commercial hotels in the United Kingdom
were in October last furnished with the necessary
papers relative to the simultaneous collection; from
these 240 answers have been received, enclosing
amounts varying from half-a-crown upwards, the
average amount frem each hotel being about 295.
This appears at first sight to be somewhat incon-
siderable, but it must be borne in mind that only
in the principal commercial hotels in the larger
towns can a company of commercial gentlemen
be met with on any given day. In some particular
hotels the movement met with great support; for
instance, at the Cross Keys, Hull, the amount re-
ceived was £lO Gs. ; Crown, Edinburgh, £7 18s. ;
Cinque Ports, Rye, £l2 ls. ; Steele's, Glasgow,
£5 Mee's, Liverpool, £5; Batty's, Manchester,
£7 14s. Gd. ; Fountain, Portsmouth, £5 ss.
"The board have so thoroughly explained their
views in regard to this movement in the various
addresses which have been issued from time to time,
that it is not necessary here to do more than thus
briefly refer to the result of the collection ; at the
same time, they would be guilty of a great omission
if they failed to record their grateful appreciation
of the kindness of those commercial gentlemen in
the country who, by their advocacy and energy, so
successfully assisted this movement.

" The children continue to enjoy good health ;
their robust and cheerful appearance was a subject
of general remark as they passed round the room
on the day of the anniversary dinner. There is only
one child on the sick list at Pinner at the present
time.

" On the subject of education there is little to
state in addition to what has appeared in previous
reports. When the court last met it was ordered
that a selection from the written answers of the
boys in competing for Mr. Moore's prize should be
printed for distribution. The instructions of the
court in this respect have been carried out. The
selection, published in a small pamphlet form, has
been widely circulated, and with the most bene-
ficial effect. Few of the subscribers to the insti-
tution have the opportunity of ascertaining by their
own personal investigation what is the character of
the education imparted at Pinner ; but the pub-
lished answers of the boys afford an opportunity of
obtaining an insight into the nature of the instruc-
tion communicated at Pinner, and of ascertaining
the general qualifications and attainments of the
scholars.

"At the present time there are 98 boys and 48
girls in the institution ; of these 10 boys and 1 girl
are about to leave; 7 bop and 5 girls are about to
be elected, which, with 2 boys about to be admitted
by purchase, will make the number of children in
the establishment 149, consisting of 97 boys and
52 girls.

"Trhe board feel it incumbent upon them to
acknowledge in the warmest manner the energetic
and successful labours of the stewards during the
past 12 months. The year has been, in a financial
point of view, a very successful one, and that suc-
cess is to be ascribed in a great measure to the
zealous and efficient manner in which the stewards
have fulfilled the important duties of their office.
" In conclusion, the board desire to record their
sense of the Divine goodness in vouchsafing to the
institution so long a career of prosperity and use-
fulness."

Mr. C. WOOLOTON then moved, and Mr. J.
ANGELL seconded—" That Mr. Moore be reap-
pointed treasurer," which was carried with ap-
plause.
Mr. TURNBULL moved, and Mr. T. C. WARD
second: d—" That the board of management, con-
sistino. of 30 gentlepen, be reappointed," Mr. J. B.
Walker being appointed with applause, in the place
of Mr. Stacey, who retired. '
Mr. J. B.,IVALKER then proposed the reappoint-
ment of Mr. Saul, as secretary, eulogising, amid
general applause, that gentleman's indefatigable
services in bringing on the institution to its present
prosperous position.. The friends and supporters
of the charity were highly indebted to Mr. Saul for
the zealous and efficient manner in which he had
performed his duties. (Applause.)
Mr. CHUBB seconded the motion.

Mr. POTTER, after expressing disapproval of the
amount of the society's expenditure as contrasted
with its income, alleging that the former was some-
thing like 25 per cent. 'Of the latter, proposed as an
amendment, that Mr. Saul be re-elected secretary,
but that his salary do not exceed £250 per annum.
Mr. TOULMIN seconded the amendment.

The CIIAIRMAN disputed Mr. Potter's statement
regarding their expenditure, and showed that the
income, owing to the late successful dinner, gave
the society an increuse altogether of £5OO over the
preceding year. (Loud applause.) The strictest
economy was exercised by the board of manage-
ment.

Mr. SAUL (the secretary) corroborated this, and
stated that there was anothei' item to be added,
showing their income for the past year was con-
siderably in excess of their expenditure, he alluded
to the sum of £2OO which they derived from pro-
perty invested. (Applause.)
Mr. H. HEATH (firm of Leaf and Co.) deprecated
any reduction in the, remuneration of the society's
most important and responsible officer.
Mr. J. B. WALKER, also, in an ablespeech pointed
out the inexpediency, in a commercial point of view,
of reducing the remuneration of their most efficient
officer. The better the man the better the manage-
ment, and this could not be obtained without ade-
quate pay. (Applause.) The great evil in connec-
tion with half the establishments in London was the
employment of young men at paltry and inadequate
salaries, and frequently the result was the failure of
those houses. If they got a good man keep him and
pay him well, and if he wanted an advance and it
was justifiable, give it him. (Loud applause.) The
energies of such men would always uphold an esta-
blishment, where a cheeseparing economy would
destroy it. (Applause.) This was the rationale
that should regulate their transactions, and on these
grounds he deprecated any reduction in the salary
of their able secretary.

Mr. JENKIN JONES believed that the best inte-
rests of the charity would be jeopardised if Mr.
Potter's proposition were persisted in. It had been
negatived by a crowded meeting on a former occa-
sion, and it was greatly to be regretted that it was
brought forward again.
After some further discussion the amendment was
put to the vote and negatived by the entire meeting,
the original motion—that Mr. Saul be re-elected
secretary with an undiminished salary—being car-
ried with a demonstration of three hearty cheers.
On the motion of Mr. Hewitt, seconded by Mr.
Fiddeman, the report and accounts were carried by
acclamation. ,
Mr. Ridley then proposed, and Mr. Charles
Blower seconded, " That Messrs. Bradbury, Green,
Heath, Storey, and Brand be elected auditors for the
year ensuing."
On the motion of Mr. Walker a vote of thanks
was passed by acclamation to the chairman for his
ability and urbanity in presiding, and for his un-
tiring attention to the interests of the Commercial
Travellers' Schools and other kindred charities of
• this great City ; and the meeting separated to as-
sist in the election of candidates, which closed with
the poll at four o'clock.

THE COLLISIONS IN THE CHANNEL.—In the
notices which appeared of the collision between the steam-
ship Lyra and the schooner Sweetheart, when off the Mull
of Galloway on Saturday morning, it has been omitted to
mention the friendly service rendered to the former by Capt.
Jones, of the Welsh schooner Petit Louis, and for which
he received the cordial thanks of Capt. Wheeler of the
Lyra. The Petit Louis, which was proceeding from Ply-
mouth to Glasgow, was running up from the southward
point of the Isle of Man to Corsewell Point, when the
steamer Lyra was observed with signals of distress. The
schooner luffed up to her under her lee, when Captain
Wheeler asked Captain Jones to heave to, which the latter
did, and kept with the steamer for about three-quarters of
an hour. Shortly afterwards the barque Patience hove to
on the windward of the Lyra, and 'she, being the larger
vessel, the steamer's boats wore got out,"and her passengers
all transferred to the barque, as previously !recorded. The
schooner which came into collision with the s.s. Thetis on
Sunday morning, off Cumbraes, was the Brackley, not
Brightly, as given yesterday.—North British Daily Mail.
General Blunt died at Southampton on Saturday
at an advanced ago. He distinguished himself in the Pen-
insular war in the Portuguese service, and fought under
Lord Beresford. Tho gallant general received a pension
from the Portuguese Government up to the day of his death.