The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-24 00:00:00

hoped they would exercise their ability to in-
duce others to insure their lives there also.—(Hear,
hear.) To show that the commercial travellers of the
United Kingdom were not so unimportant as many
people imagined, he would just lay before them a few
statistical facts, and statistics spoke stronger than
anything else. He believed it was estimated that there
were twenty thousand gentlemen regularly on the
road. These twenty thousand men might be taken
to spend at least twenty thousand pounds per day,
and that amounted to a sum of no less than
6,000,0001. annually !—(Hear, hear.) Where would
they find twenty thousand men in any other situation
of life spending so much money as these twenty
thousand commercial travellers ? He had shown
them that they occupied a position in the State
which was worth some particular notice, and he
should have to show them that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer and the Government of the country was
much indebted to the commercial travellers of the
United Kingdom.—(Hear, hear, and laughter.) He
was happy to say that he belonged to that body, and
had done so for the last twenty years; and though he
was now a principal, yet he had been a representa-
tive, and had risen from the ranks—(Hear, hear)—in
the same way as his friend Mr. Moore had done. If
they looked at this sum of 6,000,0001., and assumed,
for the sake of argument, that each of these 20,000
gentleman spent 1001. a yee.r on his own personal
comfort, that would give '2,000,000/. a year
more, or 8,000,0001. altogether. Now, let him ask
how much of this eight millions a year went to the
Exchequer?—(blear hoar, and laughter.) He was
afraid to contemplate the amount, inasmuch as many
of their temperance friends would be inclined to think
them an intemperate body.—(Great laughter.) But
they must bear in mind that a very large proportion
of that amount was raised from their tea and coffee.
—(Laughter.) He would not tell them what was
spent in taxation in the shape of railway travelling ;
but he would go further into this matter, because the
further they went into it the more interest they would
feel in it. Twenty thousand men was not a very
small number; they could either do a great deal of
good or a great deal of evil; but he believed
that the twenty thousand commercial men did more
good than any other twenty thousand they could
mention.—(Hear, hear.) What would they say to a
little calculation he had made? Twenty thousand
men travelling through the country, and each person
returning only 501. per day in the shape of sales,
allowing 300 days in the year instead of 365, that 501
per day would amount to no less a sum than three
hundred millions sterling !—(Hear, hear.) Where
would they find twenty thousand men in any other
position of life—in the manufacturing, or any other
class of individuals—who returned so much money as
the commercial traveller ?—(Hear, hear.) Then let
them go a step or two into details, to show that

there was something beyond even making
this return. There was a question that kept them
all alive, and brought them all here to-day—the
question of the profits of business. Look at the profit
derived from this return of business. He would
take that profit at ten per cent. per annum, which was
not too high ; upon 300,000,0001. that ten per cent.
profit would be 30,000,0001., a sum which, they
would agree with him, was a very large one to be
realised by the commercial travellers of the United
Kingdom. He was glad that the toast had been pro-
posed in such a comprehensive manner—one that
levelled all distinctions, placed the principal
and the representative on the same floor together,
and placed the gentlemen of Manchester, ...deeds,
Glasgow and every town that could be mentioned, on
the same footing.--(Cheers.) The large profit they
were the means of making was not always ill-disposjd
of. Let not the gentlemen around him fancy that they
laboured for persons who did no good with it. He
only requested them to walk through thisgreat city—
let them pass through its streets and alleys, and what
did they see? They saw at every turn almshouses,
hospitals, schools. Who created them ? Not the
aristocracy, but the merchant princes of London.
They dispensed their princely wealth with a lordly
and princely hand. Reasoning on the amount of good
done, he felt proud to belong to such a class. He could
go further. Men who had attained high honours had
sprung from it. Sir Matthew Wood, who entertained
royalty, arose from its ranks; of that gentleman he
was not speaking as a politician. If they looked
around them, at the present time, they would see
others who had attained similar distinction. If they
went to the Senate, they would find there a distin-

_ .
guished man, the loader of a section and a party ;
whether they agreed with that gentleman's politics
or not was not the matter under consideration—but
Mr. Cobden was once a commercial traveller—(Loud
cheers)—and if he were present on this occa.
sion, he was sure he would glory in acknow-
ledging that he had been one.—(Loud cheers.-
Seeing the power and influence commercial men pos
sess, he was sure they would agree with him that if
properly exercised and well united, they had power
enough to give Governments weight or make Ministers
tremble.—(Cheers.) He then referred to the division
that had taken place in the Direction, but was happy
to find that the Society would suffer no loss by the
secession of the gentlemen who had retired, and con-
cluded by thanking them warmly for the manner in
which the toast had been received.
Mr. STOLES said a toast had been placed in his
hands, which he should give with a great deal of
pleasure. Nothing could be more gratifying than to
have to propose a toast with which his sentiments
and feelings cordially agreed. He had to give the
health of a gentleman, with regard to whom he was
sure the opinions of all of them were in unison with

his own. lie gave the " Health of their respected
Chairman."—(Loud cheering.) They owed him a
deep debt of gratitude—deeper than they could re-
pay in words ; and he therefore hoped that they would
all actively assist him in carrying out the beneficial
objects of this Society. It was to his firm and manly
conduct that they were indebted for the meeting of that
day. Ever since he had entered the Direction, his conduct
had been open and straightforward ; whatever diffi-
culties he had met in their cause, from that path he
had never flagged nor swerved. His character in
private life was without reproach, as a man of busi-
ness be was unexceptionable, but as a Director he
might say they had never had such a one.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN briefly returned thanks for the

compliment.
Mr. WAr.su then gave the healths of G. Redmayne,
and E. Baker, Esqs., the old Directors.
Mr. REDMATNE returned thanks.
Mr..STOCKDALE gave the new Directors that day
elected, Mr. P. Dolt, Dr. Cursham, and Mr. G. Moore.
Mr. MOOSE, on behalf of himself and colleagues,
spoke to the toast.
Mr. CUFFLEY gave the auditors. He stated, to
show what individual exertion can do, that Mr.
Walsh, Mr. Starr, and Mr. Stockdale, had each
brought 30,000/. into the office, and he himself had
been the means of introducing 110,000/.
Mr. WALSH having returned thanks,
The CHAIRMAN gave
,the " Secretaries, and the
legal and medical officers. '
The toast was acknowledged by Mr. EvANs.
The CHAIRMAN gave " The local agents, and Mr.
Chadwick, of Manchester."—(Cheers.)
Mr. CHADWICK replied. He read a letter from
David Waddington, Chairman of the Directors of the
Manchester and Birmingham Railway, expressing his
disappointment at not being able to attend the dinner.
The Vice-Presidents and the Stewards were then
severally proposed and drank.
Mr. STOKES proposed the health of Mr. Newbon.
Mr. NEwnoN replied. He said there were materials
within the commercial body itself to accomplish all
their most sanguine expectations. The man that con-
quered empires, and trod nations beneath his feet, once
called them " a nation of shopkeepers." Did they
think he did so in derision ? No; he knew and felt
that they were a great commercial nation, and hence
the sentence escaped his lips. He concluded an able
speech by complimenting them on the moderation
they had displayed on an occasion when they had
met to commemorate a victory.
The Chairman then left the chair, and the proceed-
ings terminated. They were marked throughout by
the greatest unanimity and good feeling.
The vocalists engaged for the evening were Miss
Wieland, Misses O'Brien, Mr. P. N. Crouch, Mr. Hill,
Mr. Tranklee, and Mr. Lloyd. We must state also
that Mr.; Toole officiated as toastmaster with his
accustomed ability.

SUICIDE OF A LADY AT BROMPTON.-.--Yesterday
Mr. Wakley, M.P., held an inquest at the Fulham-
bridge Tavern, on the body of Mrs. Mary Bingley, about
50 years of age, the widow of a solicitor, residing at
No. 2, Queen's-buildings, Brompton, who committed
suicide by cutting her throat on Friday morning. In
the course of the evidence it appeared that the husband
of the deceased lady died in August, 1843. For some
time after his death she had been much disturbed in
mind, and imagined that she was going to be sent to
prison, and that she would come to be hung, and on that
account became in quite a desponding state. Within the
last six months, however, she had been much better, and
appeared to be perfectly sane until the present occur-
rence. Her husband died owing considerable debts, and
the property was in Chancery, but only for the purpose
of the affairs being settled, and not on any disputed
point, as, after settling all claims, there will be a hand-
some property fur the family, which consists of five
children, the eldest of which (a girl) is 17 years of age.
Verdiet—" Temporary Insanity."
Felix Gatayes, pupil of the celebrated Listz, has
recently arrived in London, for the second time, after
having obtained the most brilliant success in Italy and
Germany. M. Gatayes is a pianiste of extraordinary
talent ; but, beyond that, he is a composer of great
originality, vigour, and expression. Among the unpub-
lished productions of the young artiste are an opera and
a ballet, which it is his intention to submit to the judg-
ment of a London audience.—Courier de Europe.
PREFERMENT.—The Rev. Dr. Jones, 8.D., of
Deptford, domestic chaplain to the late Lord Saye and
Sele, has been appointed chaplain to the Right Hon. the
present Lord Saye and Sele. The Rev. J. B. Smith,
1).D., Head Master of Horncastle Grammar School, has
been appointed by the Duke of Newcastle one of his
Grace's domestic chaplains.