The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-28 00:00:00

ffeWSVENDERs BENEVOLRNT AAD
PROVIDENT -INSTITUTION.

C.-

The 18th anniversary of this society, the object
of which is the granting of pensions and temi,o-
rary relief to indigent masters and servants en-
gaged in the s•de of newsp pers, was celebrate t at
the Freemason,' Tavern, Great Queen-street, last
evening. The festival was presided over by Mr.
JOlin Walter, M. P., Who'. was supported icy the
leiding members of the trade and a company num-
bering ah -ut 150 gentlemen. The occasion was
also honound by the presence of groups of ladies.
The finances of the .s.ic!ety are in a flourishing
state, and a porik.in of them have been disbursed

in affording timely;aid to the necessitous.
After the repast the usual loyal tcpsts were duly
given from the chair and cordially responded to by
the a,semhly.
The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the `• Army_ and
Navy," remarked that they were all extremely
proud of the laurels - won by their brave
defenders, both by sea and land ; but there was a
community of interest between those services and the
trades rept., seated at that board. The army and
navy would have little incentive to the achievment
of great deeds if there were no newsveadors to
spread the fame of those deeds through the world.
(Cheers.) One portion of the trade, which he be-
lieved was not represented that night, but which
was generally known by the name of the " roaring
va.gabonds"--(a laugh)—seemed to suppose that the
army and navy had been created for their especial
benefit, because during the whole of the late war it
was impossible to get a quiet hour in his part of
the town from the extreme enthusiasm evinced by
this fraternity in daily proclaiming the achievements
of those gallant services. (Laughter.) Whatever
mistakes might have occasionally marked the sten-
torian announcements of this enterprising class, he
was sure that whenever the army and navy were
again called _upon to distingui h themselves the
newsvendors of London would be delighted to give
publicity to the records of their prowess and hero-
ism. (Cheers.)

The toast was drunk amid loud applause.
The OHAIR➢IAN; in introducing the toast of the
evening, observed that the principle of combina-
tion was one of the most deeply rooted
qualities of the human mind, and would al-
ways exist iu one form or another. If
it did not,,take a good direction it was pretty
sure to tikei bad one. Most of them remembered

the period when the spirit of combination was
widely exhibited in a very disagree4ble and un-
amiable fashion. He alluded to the time of the

Trades' Unions, when masters on the one side and
servants on tile other were arrayed against each
other in the strongest antagonism. Of late years,
howbver, whether owing to the greater diffus'on of
coMinon sense among all classes, or, as he hoped,
to the greater" dissemination of a Christian and
charitable spirit, a happier state of things prevailed.
Combinations now assumed amore benigoaut and

friendly aspect, and society reaped a cortesponding
benefit. Benevolent iris itutious, iepresen ing al-

most every trade in the kingdom, had sprung up un
all sides ; and no doubt they would see the present
society, which hekegat ded oily yet in its infancy,
becoming widely ramified through the country in
due course and extending its branches in every
quarter. There was something remarkable—
it might alm(ist be said mysterious—in the way the
intell ctual food pf the community was daily .pro-
vided. Foroigriers and frig mis from the couutiy
often wonder how the physical wants of a vast city
like London could be regularly supplied; and it
was only by passing the tiaker's shop in the middle
of the Light and4observing the underground opera-
tions thi-iis going on there, or by noticing the wag-
gon loads of cabbages piled as high as that room on

;heir way
_to C,►vent-garden at 4 o'clock in the

M Grill g--(Liugliter)—tuat such persons could gain
a faint idea of the mode in which the Londoners
got their bread, meat, and vegetables. The intel-
lectual food of the community was supplied in a
similarly mysterious manner ; and most p-ople
knew nothing of the occult processrs which resu ted
in the appearance of their newspapers on their
breakfast table. One class of traders who minis-
tered to the comforts of the people were called
licensed victullers. By an analogous nomencla-
ture newsvendors might be termed "the unlicensed

intellectual victuallers" of the country, sup-
plying as they did its daily mental aliment.
(Cheers). Indeed society would find itself exceed-
ingly embarrassed and could not get on at all wi h-
out the service of so useful a class of caterers.
(Hear.) He had not had an opportunity of ex-
amining the report of the Newsvendors' Benevo-
lent Institution for that year, but he had looked
into the report olthe year before, and he was sorry
to-say he did not find it quite so encouraging as he
could desire. He trusted, however, that the result
of that evening would enable them, when they next
published a statement of their position, to furnish
something more satisfactory. (Cheers.) As near
as he could calculate what he might call their work-
ing expenses, they amounted to about 40 per cent.
of their entire receipts. This was far too large a
proportion--(hear)----and a society in which such a
state of things existed could not be deemed self-
supporting. Let them endeavour, then, as far as
possible to reverse these proportions. (Cheers.)
The bon. gentleman concluded by proposing "Pro-
sperity to the Newsvendors' Benevolent and Pro-
vident Institution."

The toast was drunk with much enthusiasm.
The Secretary then read a list of donations in aid
of the funds, which was headed by Mr. Walter,
251. ; Messrs. W. H. Smith and Son, 10/. ; Mr. J.
C. M‘Donald, 51. ss. ; Messrs. Dawson and Son,
; Baron Rothschild, 51., &c. The total suoa
eollegted during the evening amounted to about
I 100/.

Mr. WILD, the chairman of the committee, pro-
posed "The limn of Mr. Chalks Dickens," the
president of the institution, and expressed his hope
th.►t the state of their finances would before long
enable them to provide almshouses as well as small
pensions for the objects of their bounty.
Mr. TERRY (the treasurer), in very complimen-
tary terms, gave " The health of Mr. Walter."
(The toast w.s received with enthusiAsm). _

The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks, said he was
convinced, tr,,m the difficulties with which the
newsvenders had to contend, that their task was no
light or easy one. What between the public who
must be silt plied, and the newspaper publi-her who
could not print his impression fast enough, the
poor new:Nender was, as it were, in a vice, whe:e
he was pretty well squeezed, and had very much of
a dog's life of it. (Laughter.) He had taken c ,n-
-siderable pains to obviate the complaints of indig-
nant suhscrit ers, who coreplainedbittrly that they
did not receive their papers till mid day, forget ing
all the time that the fault perhaps lay with sortie
pros♦ orator in the House of Commons, who pro-
tract d the debate beyond 2 o'clock in the morning,
and thus delayed the newspapers getting to press.
He hoped however, by the application of adds tional
power to the printing process, to accomplish before
many months elapsed that which it must be owned
was no easy achievement—namely. to please every-
body. (Laughter.)
" The health of the Donors" was next given, to
which Mr. J. C. M'Donald briefly responded, for-
cibly pointing out the consolation which the news-
vender might derive in the midst of the daily vexa-
tions to which he was exposed, and earnestly coun-
selling the members of the trade to bear and forbear
with each other:
Twelve o'clock having arrived,
Toe CHAIRMAN excused himself from further at-
tendance, on the ground that it was time to think
about " going to press," otherwise their country
friends might not receive their newspapers with due
punctuality in the morning. (Laughter.)
" The Press" and a few other toasts were also
drunk, and the party separated at a late hour.
The musical arrangements were under the direc-
tion of Mr. Smythson, assisted byMiss Jane Wells,
Mr. D. King, Mr. Lawler, and Mr. Genge, who
contributed greatly to the enlivenment of the even-
ing. Mr. B. Banks, jun., acted as toastmaster.