The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-02 00:00:00

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r ii o'o ropose
." The inetoory.of that
p e., ttoot.ri, kiivii-;" and he felt great ploasiire
in coupling with it the health of Colonel 13urns, who
was present on that occasion.—(Cheers.)
Colonel BURNS 1)6-fly returned thanks, but in so
subdued a tone, that in the position in wh:ch we were
placed it was impossible to distinguish what he said.
Che CHAIRMAN said the toast which he was then
about to propose being the principal one of the even-
ing, required that he should say a few. words in refer-
ence to it. Speaking, as he did, to a company which
consisted, almost exclusively, of his own countrymen,
it could not be necessary that he should enter into
the early history of this corporation, or that he should
state its early dangers and difficulties, the lengthened
time during which it had existed, and the manner in
which it had prospered. It was well known to all
of them that it was instituted shortly after the union
of the two Crowns, and that it had been incorporated
by royal charter ever since the reign of Charles 11.
The principal object of the institution was to benefit
poor unfortunate individuals belonging to their own
country who might be left in a destitute condition in
London. For that purpose many Scotchmen, and he
was proud also to add, many who were not Scotch-
men—(Hear, hear)—had contributed to the funds.
In the position in which they then stood they were
deprived of one great auxiliary with which many
other institutions could enforce their claims. They
were not able to bring before the public ocular testi-
mony of the benefits which they were conferring by
this charity ; such testimony could only be found in
the report of the officers who had the management of
the institution. Other char:ties—such charities, for
instance, as schools, could produce before the public
visible proofs of their usefulness ; but as it was impos-
sible to bring there the lame and the decrepid, they
must look to the report to learn that their money
was well and satisfactorily appropriated. He was
happy to state that since the last meeting of that kind
the Committee had relieved, on an average, in each
month, 283 cases of distress, and that there were then
on the list eighty pensioners, receiving 101. per
annum. Further, he was happy to inform them that
seventy• two destitute persons had been sent to Scot-
land, it being one object of the institution to forward
such pi-rsons to their native country. He called upon
all present, in conclusion, to manifest the interest which
they felt in their own countrymen by putting down
their names as subscribers to 60 good a cause.
'l've Noble Lord then gave the toast of " Prosperity to
the Institution," which was drunk with enthusiasm.

71t

The SECRETARY then made a report of the sub-
scriptions. Amongst those announced were 1001.
each from the two banking-houses of Drumhionds
and Coutts, the founders of which were, it was
stated, supporters of the Scotch Hospital ; 401. from
the Duke of Sutherland; and 10/. from the Marquis of
Stafford; 50/. from Miss Burdett Coutts ; 501. from
Sir Charles Forbes; 10/. from Lord Saltoun ; 101.10 s.
from the Marquis of Lorn. The whole amount ex-
ceeded 8001.

The CHAIRMAN then proposed the health of the
" President of the Society, the Duke of Sutherland."
His Grace had, for many years, filled that situation,
and, on all occasions, he had proved himself one of
the warmest friends of the institution. Finding, how-
ever, that, on account of the state of his health, it
would be almost impossible for him to attend that
meeting, in the month of August last the Duke re-
quested him (the Chairman) to act as his substitute.
Being an old friend to the institution, he at once com-
plied, and he had accordingly come from his hunting-
grounds, a distance of 300 miles, to be present on that
occasion.—The toast was cordially responded to.
Sir E. COLEBROOK said that, as a stranger to the in-
stitution, it would be necessary that he should apologise
for intruding upon them, were not the task he had
to perform the very easy one of proposing the health
of the Noble Lord who so ably occupied the chair.
—Cheers.) They had shown, by their cheers, how
fully they appreciated that Noble Lord's zeal on
behalf of the institution, and how grateful to him
they were for presiding over that festival. He had
given more substantial proof, however, of the interest
which he felt in the cause by subscribing five guineas
annually for the last thirty-two years, and he had
then given an additional sum of ten pounds. The
most effectual way in which they could evince their
gratitude to the Noble Lord for then appearing
amongst them was by imitating, as far as they could,
so excellent an example, and by doing everything in
their power to promote the prosperity of the in-
stitution.—(Cheers.)
The toast was received with great enthusiasm.
The CHAIRMAN briefly returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN said he had hitherto been obliged
to confine himself to those toasts which were con-
nected with the business of the evening; but he was
now going to propose one of a different character, one
in which his own heart rejoiced, and to which, con-
nected as most of them were with the commerce of
the City of London, he felt confident they would all
respond. The gentleman to whom he had alluded
had done them the honour of becoming one of their
stewards on that occasion ; but it was not in that
capacity that he meant to propose his health. He
first became acquainted with that gentleman in a
country far distant from this, where he found him
high in office, and where he had had the honour, for
nearly two years, of serving under his orders, and he
stood there prepared to say that, in no instance did
he ever du anything of a public nature which was not
right. Sir Henry Pottinger--(Cheers)—had had
more to do, perhaps, with the commercial than with
the military affairs of this country in the case to which
he referred. That' he had done his work well, in
every respect, was clear from the fact that, by the
treaty which he had conducted and finished for this
country, he had made it impossible for any other
country, in Europe or elsewhere, to claim privileges
from the Chinese which we do not enjoy.—(Hear, and
loud cheers.) With the name of Sir Henry Pot-
finger he begged to associate thelndian army. When
he went abroad, he found in that army gentlemen
highly educated; he found officers who knew their
duty, and who did it—(Cheers)—and who had been
to himself delightful companions. Such having been
the case, he begged to couple with the name of Sir
llenry Pottinger the Indian army.—(Cheers.)
The toast was enthusiastically responded to.
Sir HENRY POTTINGER said he was most unex-
pectedly called upon to acknowledge this toast, and if
he did not adequately express his gratitude, it would
not be because none was felt. With respect to his
duties in China, it was to him a source of the greatest
satisfaction to find that he had, by the manner in
which he had acquitted himself, secured for himself
the approbation which had been expressed since his
return to this country. No man could appreciate
more highly than himself the honours which his Sove-
reign had bestowed upon him, and yet he could
honestly say that the approbation and the expression
of the kindness and respect of his fellow-countrymen
were not less dear to him.—(Cheers.) Lord Saltoun
had alluded to the army in India. lie felt quite sure
that no one would misunderstand him, when he said
that he looked upon the East India Company s ser-
vice as second to none in the world.—(Hear, hear.)
There was as much of integrity, of high feeling, and
high honour, and of devotion to the public service in
India, as in any other known part of the world. He
was sure they would pardon him for bearing this tes-
timony with regard to his brother officers. He
begged to return his most sincere thanks for the
honour which they had conferred upon himself.
The CHAIRMAN proposed "The Lady Patronesses
of the Institution," on whose exertions, he said, the
resources of the institution chiefly depended.
The toast was vociferously responded to.
The next toast was "The Duke of Buccleugh and
the Branch Society in Edinburgh," which was duly
responded to.
The Hon. W. FRASER said he was happy to say
they had amongst them that evening a distinguished
member of that eminent body, the Indian bar, who
had enrolled himself as a subscriber to this great 1
charity. He begged to propose, " Sir Thos. Turton i
and the Indian bar."

The toast having been drunk by the company,
Sir T. TURTON (Registrar-General of the Supreme
Court of Calcutta) briefly returned thank•.
_ _ _

The CHAIRMAN then proposed " Patrick Maxwell
Stewart, Esq., and the Vice-Presidents of the In-
stitution."

The toast having been drunk,
P. M. STEWART, Esq., M.P., returned thanks, and
proposed the health of the Hon. W. Fraser, four-and-
twenty years' treasurer of the institution.
The Hon. W. FRASER, after returning thanks, pr.-)
posed the health of the late secretary, Mr. Aid, which
was briefly acknowledged.
Other toasts bearing upon the object of the meet-
ing were subsequently proposed, and the company
did not disperse till after eleven o'clock.
During the evening the far-famed pipers already
mentioned performed several national aim, eliciting,
on each occasion, the warmest applause. A part of
the band (as we understood) of the Scotch Fusiliers
was also present to enliven the proceedings. The
vocal performances were of the best description.