The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 10, 1844.

GRAND DINNER AT MERCERS'-.2

HALL.

The Surveyor-Accountant of St. Paul's School, and
the Maser Wardens and Court of Assistants of the
Worshipful Company of Mercers, gave a most.magnifi-
cent dinner to the company who attended the apposition
at the school, and they extended their invitations to
many distinguished guests.
Amongst the-cotnpany invited, and whom we noticed
as present, were—Sir Robert Peel Lord Hawardep;
the Lord Chief Baron of the Court ot Exchequer,
the Bishops of Durham, Lichfield, and Ripon •, Sir
Thomas Fremantle, Sir George Clerk, Sir Charles
Clark, Mr. Richard Lambert Jones, the Chairman of the
Joint Gresham Committee ' - Mr. Tite, the architect of
the New Royal Exchange ; Mr. George Palmer, M.P. ;
the Examiners and the Masters of the school, and the
Court of the Mercers' Company.
The chair was taken by Mr. Walney, the Master of
the Company. The dinner consisted of every deliCacy
of the season. The wines were -of the finest quality,
selected from the well-stocked cellars of .the Company.
After the usual loyal toasts were drank'amidst accla-
mations,

The MASTER proposed the health of their distin-
guished guest, Sir Robert Peel, whom he characterised
as the greatest man and the kindest gentleman who had
ever honoured the Company with his presence.
Sir ROBERT* PEEL, who appeared to be in excellent
'health and spirits, acknowledged the toast in a manner
that delighted the whole company. He always, he said,
felt great pleasure in dining with the citizens of London;
but the pleasure he now felt was greatly increased by
the interesting occasion on which he was invited, and
the distinguished company by which he had been in-
vited. The Right Hon. Baronet then spoke very highly
of the Irish estate of the Company, and declared that
they had set a noble example to all landlords; that they
had utterly disregarded considerations of pecuniary gain
in carrying out the great objects of promoting religion
amongst, and in increasing the happiness and comforts
of, their tenants. So intnt had they been in accom-
plishing these- most liberal and useful ends, that with a
large nominal rental they never suffered any part of it
to bo employed for other purposes than such as made
their estates an example to the whole of Ireland.
He was most happy to hear of the flourishing condition
of the school, which had furnished no less than three
gentlemen, now living, who had filled the high and ho-
nourable office of Attorney-General, viz., Sir Charles
Wetherell, Sir Thomas Wilde, and his Noble Friend,
the present Chief Baron, Sir Frederick Pollock.(Loud
applause.) Here Sir Robert Peel warmly end justly
eulogised the character of the Chief Baron, and said
that that able and enlightened individual had attained
his present distinguished position, not by the smiles of
Court favour, nor by aristocratic patronage, but by his
own legal skill and knowledge, aided by his great private
integrity and worth.—(Cheers.) He wished for the per-
petuity of the Company, because he was satisfied that
they would exercise their powers and wealth for the
promotion of religious and sound education amongst the
youth of that class to which his Hon. Friend belonged.
--(Cheers.) Sir Rebert Peel concluded by saying, that
if he might take the applause with which they had done
him the honour to receive him as an evidence of their
approval of his public conduct, he should feel most
grateful, and that it would constitute to him the highest
reward for the past, and the most powerful incentive for
the future.—(Loud and long•continued cheering. Even
after the Right Hon. Baronet had sat down for some
time the applause was frequently reiterated.)
The next toast was " The Chief Mercer," who re-
plied with remarkable feeling, and stated, that twenty-
six years ago he had sat as a schoolboy at a similar
banquet; that under the auspices of the Mercers' Cora-
pany he had proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge,
where he became a student, and was subsequently ap-
pointed a fellow.--(Cheers.) He concluded by propos-
ing " The health of the Master, the Warden, and the
Surveyor- Abcountant, Mr. R. Sutton."
The Master acknowledged, the toasts ; and having
drank the healths of the Recorder, the Examiner, and
the Master, the meeting broke up after an evening of the
highest enjoyment.