The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-09 00:00:00

THE NEW GRESHAM CLUB.

The members of the Gresham Club celebrated the laying the first
stone of the New Club House, by a dinner given last evening at LLu
Albion, 11dersgate-street. The Lord Mayor presided, and more than
a hundred and twenty gentlemen sat down to a splendid repast
served tip in the best style of this well known establishment. T.
Lamle Murray, Esq., acted as Vice-President. The new club will
be a great addition to the institutions of the City, where it was much
wanted. The members seem determined to carry on their under-
taking with spirit, and the rules and regulations are on so liberal a
scale, that there can be no doubt but that it will be widely and
effectively supported. Several gentlemen were invited to the dinner
on the occasion. Among those present were (besides the Lord Mayor)
Mr. Sheriff Moore, Mr. Under-Sheriff Anderton, Mr. Alderman
Wood, the Rev. Dr. Croly, Messrs. Amory, Underwood, Davis,
Westall, Caldecott, Cubitt, Cartar, Baylis, Silver, Mr. Sergeant
Murphy, M.P., R. L. Jones, Esq., Messrs. Harker, Jeffery, parr,
Conquest, Ingleden, Bloss, Beadwell, Hartley, Parker, Thornborrow,
and many other merchants and gentlemen of influence.
On the removal of the cloth, a " Benedictus" was sung by the pro-
fessional vocalists, after which—
The LORD MAYOR gave " The Queen," " The Queen Dowager,"
" His Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the rest of the Royal Fa-
mily," in succession. They were each drank with the utmost loyalty
and enthusiasm.

The LORD MA.yox then gave the " Army and Navy."
MEESON, Esq. (Commodore of the Royal Yacht Club) acknow-
ledged the toast, being in some degree connected with at least one
branch of the marine of England.—(Cheers.)
The LORD Miron. said he had now to propose a toast which he
was sure would_ give them the greatest satisfaction.—(Hear, hear.)
It had that day been his good fortune to have the pleasure of assist-
ing to lay the foundation-stone of the new Gresham Club-house.—
(Loud cheers.) He was satisfied that the spirit of the individuals
who had combined together to erect that building, would
produce a mansion which would be as great an ornament
to the City as it would be a comfort and convenience to the
gentlemen and merchants of the City generally.—(Cheers.) Such a
convenience was greatly wanted, and he had now as much satis-
faction in proposing the toast of prosperity to the Club as they would
have in drinking it. He gave " Prosperity to the Gresham Club."
Drank with three times three, and rotuids of enthusiastic cheering
frequently renewed.

T. LOUR MURRAY, Esq., responded to the toast. He said he
felt considerably embarrassed on the present occasion—more em-
barrassed perhaps than he had ever felt in his life, because he saw
before him a task that was difficult to perform. In the
first instance he had to discharge a debt of gratitude,
a debt which to an honourable mind was always one of the first obli-
gations. As a member of the Club, he felt great gratitude to the
honourable individual he then had the pleasure of addressing.—
(Cheers.) His gratitude was only equalled by the respect he felt for
him.—(Cheers.) In common with all the members of the Club, lie
felt that his Lordship had conferred a great favour on them that day.
—(Cheers.) A favour which, when he remembered how deeply he
(Mr. Murray) was pledged to the success of this undertaking,
he felt that he could never sufficiently repay.—(Loud cheers.)
His Lordship had condescended to lay the foundation stone of the in-
stitution, in which he and other members of that Club were much
interested, and he had done so with a degree of urbanity only ex-
celled by the efficient manner in which he had discharged his duty.—
(Cheers.) This was not the place to discuss the topic of clubs gene-
rally. Clubs were a much older institution than was supposed.
Those who were acquainted with British history must know that
clubs were connected with almost every great achievement in their
political annals. The institution of clubs had been known almost
ever since the beginning of British history. At the present day,
clubs contained more comfort, more convenience, more elegance,
more management, and more refinement, than any establishments
known to firmer ages. It might be that some of them contained
more selfishness than was intended should be practised in the Gresham
Club.—(Hear, hear, and cheers.) A club combined all the advan-
tages of a select society, with all the advantages of sociality. Asso-
ciated in a club, men were placed in a position better to carry out
whatever measure the society was formed for, whether its nature
were political or commercial. They fortunately united among
themselves men of all politics—(Cheers)—and of all pursuits—men
who, however they differed on other subjects, were fortu-
nately united in the principle of sociality. He had lent his
humble aid to the formation of this club ; he had embarked
his energies in it, and, as far as his humble abilities were concerned,
he should continue to give it his support. The Gresham Club had
met with wonderful success ; this was principally owing to the
selection of the Committee ; since the day of its formation they had
never had a single difference; there had been among them none of
those private jealousies and petty piques which they had seen in
other societies.—(Hear, hear.) Placed in the centre of the great inert
of commerce, this Club bore the name of the eminent and
single-
minded Sir Thomas Gresham, a man to whom the City of
London was, more than to any other individual, indebted. Sir
Thomas Gresham enjoyed the financial confidence of three monarchs,
and those who had read of the difficulties in which those monarchs
were placed, must appreciate the disinterestedness with which he
served them. having the misfortune to be deprived by death of his
only son, he dedicated the wealth which that son would have in-
herited to raise a building devoted to commerce in the centre of the
greatest commercial city in the world. His name they had chosen
as that of their Club. lie would not detain them longer than to
state a matter of business connected with the institution. The
club was conceived In a liberal spirit ; it was a happy concep-
tion ; and in the same spirit in which it was conceived, it would
be carried out. It was begun with but few members,
and 'with a spirit of economy. They were determined
that it should support itself, and that, whether they had few mem-
bers or many, those who became members should not have to pay
for the extravagance of those who had been in it before. While they
took economy for their motto and principle, they could ask new
friends to join them, saying, at the same time, "We don't take you
in—(Cheers and laughter)—we don't deceive you ; we ask you to
associate with men determined to pay their way."—(Cheers.) They
had got a building in progress which, for beauty of style and eleva-
tion, considering the means at command, could not be ex-
ceeded one which would be considered an ornament to
the City of London. They would scarcely, perhaps, believe him
when he told them that they should sit in that building for a rental
of 5201. a year. That could not be considered an extravagant rent
to pay for sueh large and commodious premises in such a central part
of London. If they looked at the plans of the interior, they would
find that economy was combined with comfort ; it was impossible
that any merchant or any nobleman could be better accommodated
than they should be. He now asked 'them to fill bumpers
to the toast he had to give them, which was the health of
the Chief Magistrate of the City of London.—(Cheers.) He passed a
warm eulogium on the manner in which his Lordship had discharged
his public duties, especially for his firmness and temper in an im-
portant inquiry still pending, and for the manner in which he had
abated the nuisance of the omnibuses loitering in the City. He con-
cluded by again proposing the toast, which was warmly received by
the assembly.

The LORD MAYOR briefly acknowledged the compliment.
Mr. LAMIE MuRRAY then proposed " The Health of the Rev. Dr.
Croly."--(Great cheering.)

The Rev. Dr. CROLY returned thanks. He expressed his gratitude
for the warm and unanimous feeling they had displayed towards
him. At the same time he must say that he had been a little taken
in. lie came to a club dinner, taking it for granted that they could
do as they liked, drink what they pleased, and go away without hav-
Ing anything to say at the end of it.—(Laughter.) But he found he
had to submit to a superior force, though he confessed it was the
most amiable of all tyrannies. lie expressed the satisfaction he felt
as rector of the parish in which the club-house was to be situated,
and thanked the Committee for giving such a substitute for the
miserable tissue of streets that formerly existed on the site. He then
glanced at the nature of clubs generally. The Parliament of England
itself was only a club.—(Cheers.) The earliest club in his memory
was the club of Hercules.—(Cheers and laughter.) As long as Hercules
remained a bachelor lie stuck to his club—it was his constant partner.
But a change at last came over Ilercules' and he got married.—
(Laughter.) His wife, like many modern wives, insisted on his cut-
ting his club—(Cheers)—and Hereules lost his spirit, abandoned his
vocation, and became an old woman.—(Cheers and laughter.) His
subsequent history tells that, though he did not exactly beat hemp,
yet he took to spinning It. Like a sailor in his old age, he became a
gossip, and took to " long yarns."—(Great laughter.) He should not
go deeper into the prohibited history of clubs. lie should merely tell
them a short story from a witty divine, better known for success of
his literary efforts than for that of his Pennsylvanian specula-
tions.—(Much cheering and great laughter.) Some stranger to
London asked the Rev. Gentleman what was the nature of the
London clubs? lie told him they were of various kinds, but that
there was one, of which the constitution was peculiar, and in which
the members spoke a peculiar language adapted only to their own
capacitids. The members of this club, Sheridan, with a humorous in-
solence, called the " wooden walls of old England."—(Laughter.)
They were all agricultural gentlemen. When they talked at all, they
talked of nothing but prize oxen ; and when they sat down to cards,
they played for sheep points, and a bullock the rubber !—(Loud
laughter.) He concluded by proposing the "Corporation of London."
The toast was neatly acknowledged by Mr. Alderman Wow), and
was followed by the " Health of the Sheriffs," acknowledged by Mr.
Sheriff MOON.
Mr. AMORY gave " Prosperity to the City of London, and the trade
thereof," which was drank with great applause.
Mr. Mayon proposed " Mr. Sergeant Murphy and their visitors."
Mr. Sergeant Muaruy having responded to the toast in an able
address, gave the health of " the Vice-President, Mr. Lamle
Murray."
Mr. LAMIE MURRAY very briefly returned thanks.
The following toasts were then given—
" The Committee," proposed by Dr. CROLY, and acknowledged by
Mr. DAVIS.__

•• The Solicitor of the Clnb, Mr. Avery," and " The Architect,
Mr. H. Flower."

The company then separated, after a pleasant and convivial even-
ing. The best anticipations are entertained of the future prosperity
of the Club, fully warranted by the excellent spirit that seemed to
pervade every one connected with it. We ought to mention that the
enjoyment of the evening was much heightened by the very efficient
corps of vocalists, consisting of Messrs. T. Cooke, Young, Taylor,
Machin, and. Masters Stevens and Sullivan, who gave several
favourite songs and glees in very superior style.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
ARCHES' COURT; Feb. 7.

THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE PROMOTED BY TITCHMARSH

AGAINST CHAPMAN.

This was a cause, which in its preliminary stages has
been several times noticed,' in which proceedings have
been instituted, under the Church Discipline Act,
against a clergyman (the Rev. William Herbert Chap-
man, Rector of Basingbourn, in the province of Ely) for
refusing to bury the corpse of a parishioner (the infant
daughter of a member of a congregation of Independents),
without sufficient cause for such refusal. The defen-
dant at first appeared under protest to the Court's juris-
diction, on the ground that the time limited by the Act
had run out ; but this protest was overruled, and an
application to a Court of law for a prohibition failed.
The articles were subsequently brought in and admitted,
and an allegation was now offered defensive to the
articles, which pleaded the law and a justification upon
the facts. As this, in point of form, was only a question
as to the admissibility of a plea ex parte,—though the
decision of this question may possibly decide the case,—
and as the argument on the part of the defendant in
support of the allegation was only part heard, we shall
at present restrict our report to a statement of the
nature of the defence set up by the defendant's counsel.
After the QUEEN'S ADVOCATE and Dr. ADDAMS, on
behalf of the promoter, had argued against the admissi-
bility of the allegation, principally on the ground that
the question had been already decided in the case of
" Kemp v. Wickes," and " Mastin v. Escott"—the latter
decision having been affirmed by the Judicial Com•
mittee on appeal—
Dr. PHILLIMORE, for the Rev. Mr. Chapman, observed
that this was a proceeding pro salute animas, under the
68th canon, by a person whom he maintained to be,
according to the law and language of the Church, and
in the sense of the Church, a schismatic or heretic. He
did not deny, after the decision in " Mastin v. Escott,"
the validity of lay-baptism ; but he set up that this was
a heretical baptism, the effect of which was a question
which this ourt and the Judicial Committee had
specially reserved. The first point, therefore, was,
whether this baptism was heretical or schismatic ?
secondly, if so, what was the effect of such a baptism ?
And there was a third question, namely, whether a
member of an Independent congregation could proceed,
under the canon, against a clergyman of the Church of
England, to punish him pro salute animas ? The
Learned Advocate then proceeded to show what was
heresy, defining a heretic " one whose opinions were
opposite to those of the Established Church," and a
schismatic, " one who separated himself from the true
Church ;" and he cited the Statutes 1 Elizabeth, c. 1, 29
Car. 11., the Councils of Constantinople and of Chal-
cedon. The effect of heretical baptism he showed from
St. Augustin, and that it required something to be done
before a person so baptised could be admitted into the
bosom of the Church.

Sir H. J. Fun—Do you mean to contend that hereti-
cal baptism is no baptism at all ?
Dr. PHILLIMORE—No ,• it is good after certain cere-
monies are performed. The ceremony of baptism is not
required to be performed over again. There are defi-
ciencies in the performance of the rite which must be
supplied. Here is a heretic putting forward a canon of
the Church against a clergyman pro salute animas. We
do not interfere with the civil rights of the party; this
is no question as to a civil right, but as to a spiritual
right. Ido not say that the party is not a Christian.
TheCoußT—Then she is entitled to Christian burial.
Dr. PHILLIMORE—CertainIy, in their own cemetery.
The Couar—Then it is compulsory on such persons to
provide cemeteries for themselves?
permit Dr.
hereticnLlthatm ot
i3o. on
uac
canon
t
morE—sci‘hfisymaartguic argument is,
of the Church for punishing a clergyman for the good of
his soul.
The Conwr—ls this child a heretic ?
Dr. l'EmusfoitE—Yes, in one sense.
not been baptised at should not have burial ; but
The CounT—l can understand why a child who has