The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-18 00:00:00

MISCEZZANZOI7II..

On Friday night, the second annual meeting of the society
for granting annuities to aged poor and infirm freemasons was
held at the Freemasons' Hall, Great Queen-street. The Earl
of Zetland took the Chair as Grand Master of all England.
The report stated, that out ofls annuitants elected in May,
1842, one having died, fourteen of that number only conti-
nued on the fund at the annual aggiegate payment of
290/. The balance on hand last year was stated to be
227/. ls. 2d. The dividends had amounted to 521. Bs. Bd.
The amount of donations and annual subscriptions, from the
16th of May, 1843, to the 16th of April, 1844, had been
445/. 1 ls. and the further receipts to the day of meeting
1811. 1 ls. The annual payments by Grand Lodges and
Grand Chapters, 4251. Total receipts 1,311/. 1 ls. 10d. The
expense had been 879/. 4s. Bd.' including payments to annui-
tants 305/. : and purchase of 4001., Three per Cent. Consols,
395/. 10s. The balance in the bands of the treasurer was
4521. 7s. 2d.

On the same day the annual meeting of the supporters of
the Sailors' Home, Destitute Sailors' Asylum, and Episcopal
Floating Church Society, was held in the Hanover• square
Rooms. Admiral Lord Radstock, in the absence of Admiral
Sir Robert Stopford, took'the chair. He was supported by
Admiral Hawker, Captain Gambiegr, Admiral Sir Edward
Parry, the Rev. Edwin Sydney, &c. From the financial
statement, it appeared that the total subscriptions had been
973/., and that the sum received as board money from the
sailors amounted to 4,3361., which, together with a previous
balance and some other items of resources, made the entire
receipts 6,541/. Deducting the expenditure, a balance of
3791. remained with the treasurer. Into the asylum there
had been admitted during the year 2,433 persons, making the
total number ,since the commencement (natives of various
nations) 22,935. _ _

,
It appears from a return made to the House of Commons,
that the total receipt for the sale of the Parliamentary papers
printed by order of the House, from the year 1836. to the year
1843 (both inclusive), amounts to the sum of 38,403/. ; and
the total net produce to the suns of 34,4521. The net profit to
the public by the sale of Parliamentary papers has been re-
duced by the sum of 4,2631. lls., being the amount paid by
the country in the same period (18.36-1843) for prosecutions
for libel, or actions instituted against the House of Commons
through its officers.
The annual dinner in aid of the Finsbury Dispensary, took
place on Friday, at the Albion Tavern. The chair was filled
by the Marquis of Northampton, the President of the Society,
who was supported by Arr. Byng, M.P., Mr. Burchell, Mr.
Nicholson, Rev. W. Faulkner, &c. It appeared that upwards
of 5,000 persons had received the benefit of its assistance
during the past year, and upwards of 230,000 since its estab-
lishment in 1780. Th,s Secretary, Mr. Halliday, announced
iils
a long list of subscriptions, amongst
mpwhich.., sweir.er
Mr.t B
e .B.
Presi-
dent(ilabb
eaild C 1
oh
la. i risno as . ;
n, 20/.
Mr.; ISEr
Ncho3in
nog', 101. 10s. ; Mr. Pat-
tison, M.P., 10/. 10s.; Mr. llanbury, 10/. 10s.; Sir F. Booth,
10/. 10s. , • Mr. E. Wigram, 101. 10s., &c.

PROGRESS OF STEAM.

MAGICIAN AND METEOR STEAMERS.

In the present age there seems to be no limit to the
march of improvement whether on land or water. Our
forefathers boasted of the march of mind ; but we can
boast not only of the march of mind but of the march of
matter also ! What the ancients dreamed of as barely
possible, we prove to be easily practicable and marvel-
lously true. With us the old idea of impossibility has
Icst its fettered charm ; and mind and matter, yoked in
happy fello‘s ship, realise far greater wonders than the
magician's wand ever attempted. By the agency of
steam, places once remote are brought so neartogether
as to seem neighbourly hamlets:; and to people now set-
ting out on a journey or voyage to a distant
land, the idea of parting with friends has lost
its terrors. Instead of the anxious question,
"Do you think you will return next year ?"—the
jocular observation is—" I suppose you'll be back to-
morrow, to dine at six ?" and the prompt reply is,
"Railway time—all right !" Nor is this the 'only ad-
vantage—the concentration of time and space so fami •
liarises the mind to action, that we lose sight of the
narrow prejudices of mere locality, and become denizens
of the universe ! The mind expands with the rapidity of
motion, and objects which once appeared too gigantic fur
contemplation, now dwindle into ordinary circumstance.
Prejudice becomes self-abashed, and would fain harmonise
with the ruling spirit of the scene. People grow wiser
and better the more they see, and more tolerant the
further they go—till, in due time, we realise the noble
idea of the poet, that
" Man and man, the world o'er,
Shall brothers be, and a' that."

Steam is now, and will become daily more and more, the
grand agent of civilisation. Interchange of sentiment
and manner, beget a community of feeling. Such
being the happy result, how much praise is due
to those whose active genius never tires in the
march of invention—improving upon improvement !
It was but the other day the world was astonished at a
speed of a few miles an hour on the river by steam ;
but now we behold vessels urged three times as fast
against wind and tide Thus one improvement suggests
another ;—" Go ahead" is the moving principle. Com-
petition moderates vanity, while it stimulates ambition.
For example—the last new wonder on the Thames is
the Meteor, which has come out as a Star of the first
magnitude, and the greatest wonder in the Channel is
the famed Magician, which runs from Dover to Bou-
logne, and from Boulogne to Dover in two hours, some-
times in less I This is the true antidote against sea-
sickness. In former times the passage to Gravesend
took a long day—it is now performed by, the Meteor in
an hour from Blackwall. This is rather sharp practice
for the old stagers, but it is a stirring lesson ; and the
dullest must profit by the force of example. What the
Star Company have done for Gravesend by the Meteor,
the General Steam Navigation Company have achieved
for Boulogne by the Magician ; and'of either vessel it
may truly be said—
" She walks the waters like a thing of life."

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.—A few days since, one of
the shipwrights engaged in repairing the Superb, 80. in
this dockyard, descended from the quarter-deck to the
main-deck, and walking forward fell through the hatch-
way, which he did not perceive, having'been momen-
tarily blinded by the sun, in the glare of which he had
just before been working. In his fall into the hold of
the vessel, a depth of between 40 and 50 feet, he came in
contact with a piece of half-inch deal, which was
shivered into 20 pieces, and after turning and tumbling
over several times, he fell with considerable force against
the bottom of the vessel. His fellow-workmen picked
him up to all appearance dead—but in a moment after
they were astonished, as well as relieved, by the revivi-
fication of the lucky fellow. Clapping his hand on the
part, he exclaimed, " Well, I have bit myself a terrible
crack on the head !" On examination it turned out that
beyond a contusion of the thigh, no injury whatever had
been sustained from this tremendous fall.— IVest of Eng-
lund Conservative.

THIS DAY'S NEWS.

MONE YAND COMMERCIAL NEWS.

CITY,_QUARTER TO THREE

The Cotton Market at Liverpool yesterday closed very
heatrily, prices having a downward tendency. The demand
was limited, and the sales were only 2,500 bales. The heavier
Railways were rather firmer, and there was a good inquiry
for French. Edinburgh and Glasgow, 664 ; Grand Junction,
221 ; Great Western, Fifths, 22 ; Birmingham, 225 ; Ditto,
Quarter, 26i •, South-Western, Eighths, 44 ; North British,
24 ; North Midland, 90 ; Norwich and Brandon, 21; Paris and
Lyons, 34 ; Paris and Orleans, 384; South-Eastern, 384;
Trent Valley, 84.
There are no arrivals to-day. '
The result of the interview between the delegates
of the joint-stock banks and the Premier was just that which
was anticipated and noticed by us. Sir Robert Peel is re-
solved to stand by the principle of his plan for the future
conduct of banking and currency. There was some-
thing of sarcasm, it was thought by some of
the delegates, in the reply of Sir Robert that
he was not desirous to fetter the transactions of the bank-
ing interest, while he, at the same time, would not concede
the principal point asked for, an extension of the period
within which the average maximum of issues was to be esti-
mated. However, the question of any liberal concessions to
the private and joint-stock banks as requested, may be con-
sidered as settled, for in Parliament no effectual opposition
will be made to the new scheme of Sir R. Peel. _ _

The English securities have to-day been heavy, and there
is but little doing. Consols for Transfer have realised 993
to 991; and for Account the same. Exchequer Bills are at
665. to 725. premium ; and India Bonds at 945. premium.
Bank Stock is flat again at 192 ; and East India Stock nomi-
nally is 286 to 287. The New Three-and-a-Half per Cents.
have been 1023 to 1023 ; the Reduced, 1013 to 101 k ; and
the Three per Cents. 99i to 994.
The Spanish market has been a little better this morning,
but there is not a large business doing, as the French mail
did not arrive in the ordinary course, and the jobbers
leave early on Saturday. The Active Spanish Bonds have
been 231 to 24; and the Three per Cents., 35 to 341. The
Passive are 51 to 6, nominally. Portuguese Converted have
been marked 461, and Russian 1173, the latter being a decline.
Brazil Stock is at 81i ; Dutch Five per Cents. are 1003 to 3 ;
and the New of 1837, 99k. There is nothing doing in Mexi-
can or Colombian.

For Railway Shares there has been a moderate inquiry,
prices being generally good. The rejection of several new
lines, by the Parliamentary Committee this week, will per-
haps check the too indiscriminate promotion of doubtful
pm~ects.
BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
(From the Official List)
Bank 5t0ck.......... ...... ........... . 194

3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 9838 '%
3 r Cent. Consols. 99%
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 101%
•New 3% per Cent. ....... 102 6
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan. 1860 l2 7-16
Consols for Account »«.».«.».».«.».».» O9
Exchequer Bills? 150. I%d
1?..0001. 00000000000 ••••••••••••• •••••• ••••••• 00000 72 PM.
auto.'Ll. ••• 000000 o "••••• 69 pm.
DIttoair:•••••••••••••••.. •-•• 00000 .....•• 72 pm.
FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Brazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent.
Ditto New Bonds, 1829 and 1839. 7B %
Portuguese Bonds, 5 per Cent.
Ditto Converted 44%
Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent ll7
Spanish Bonds Five per Cent 1840........,..», —
Ditto for the Account ..... .......... ....• 24
Ditto Three per Cent. ••....".. .......... ..... •••• 83 34%
Ditto for 'the Account
Dutch 5 per Cents 1001.4%304
New Loan 1837. 5 per Cents....
PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AT ONE.
RAILWAYS. PAID. Pea SHARE.
l i Brsto and Exeter
70 B2. to 81

Bristol and Gloucester 3O 4Sh to
Caledonian

Dublin and Cashel ............. .. ..... 2% 4g to
Eistern Counties
Edinburgh and Glasgow 5O ..... .... 66N% ... to
Great North of England lOO 97% to
Great Western
Ditto % Shares
Ditto Fifths l2

Harwich (Braithwaite)
Ditto( Locke) ' 231 3%
Lancaster and Carlisle
London and Birmingham. lOO ... , 225 to 224
Ditto New Thirds
Ditto li share, ... 2
London and Blackwell 1631 ...... 7%% ... to
London and Brighton 5O -
London and Greenwich .. 12,'' - 61'i"" tr

... to
London and Greenwich (Preletence) 18% iB►l... to
London and South Weeteru 41% 87%
Ditto Eighths

London and Croydon
Manchestet:end Leeds 7O lO6 to•—

North British
Midland
Norwich and Brandon
South Eastern and Dover
Ditto New

Trent Valley
York and North,Midland ......... 50 ll9 to
Paris and Orleans . ....... ...... 40
Strasburg and Basle

MANCHKETER STOCK EXCHANGE, MAY 17.—The market
has been dull to-day, and stocks more freely offered. London
and South-Western, 88i ; Manchester and Birmingham, 57 ;
North Midland, 90 ; Paris and Lyons, 311 ; Blackburn and
Preston, ; Eastern Counties Perpetual No. 2,12 s. 6d.
premium.

MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.)
COVENT-GARDEN.

Our market was somewhat extensively supplied with choice
fruit and vegetables, yet the demand was throughout steady, at
prices about equal to those obtained on this day se'nnight. Pota-
toes from 2s ed to 5s per cwt ; young Onions, is 3d to 2s 6d ;
Turnips, is 9d to 2s 6d ; Carrots, 5s 6d to 7s ; and Leeks, 9d to
Is 2d per dozen. bunches ; Spinach, 4d to 6d per half sieve;
Asparagus, 3s to 7s ; French Beans, 9d to is 6d ; Oranges,
8s to 15s ; and Lemons, 8s to 13s per 100 ; new Potatoes,
3d to 6d ; Pine Apples, 7s to 9s per lb ; Hot-house Grapes,
'ssto es ; and Forced Cherries, 25s per lb ; Peaches, 40s
to 455; and Summer Cabbages, 10d to Is 9d per dozen ;
Strawberries, 4s per small pottle ; Cucumbers, 8d to 7s per
brace ; Cauliflowers, 2d to 6d each ; Horse-radish, 2s to 5s
Celery, 8d to Is 3d ; Rhubarb, 4d to is 6d ; and Brocoli,
10d to 2s per bundle ; Sea Kale, 9d to 2s 3d ; Mushrooms,
9d to is 6d; and Small Salad, 2d per punnet ; Radishes,
3d to ed per dozen hands ; Lettuces, ed to is ed perscore ;
green Gooseberries, 4d to ed per quart.