The Sun.
London, England, 1826-03-04 00:00:00

COVENTAARDEN THEATRICAL FUND.

The Annual Festival of this Institution voitts
held yesterday at the Freemasons' Tavern. His Royal High.
ness the Duke of Yong. had been expected to preside, but
shortly before the dinner was served up.....
Mr. FawcETT, attended by the Stewards, entered the room,
and informed the company assembled that he had waited upon
his Royal Highness in the morning to receive his commands as
to the hour of dinner' anti other arrangements.' II is Royal
Highness received him with his usual urbanity, and informed
him that he came from Relvoir Castle the day before for the
purpose of attending the. dinner; but that Sir H. Halford had
declared, that Royal Highness sat tbr ttvo or three hours
in that hot room, he would not be answerable, for the conse-
quences. Ilis Royal Highness addoi, that Under these circum-
stances he was not his own m.ster, and must therefore forego
what would have been to him a real pleasure.. When they
knew this language to come from lips whose attribute was truth,
they must feel a pride at the interest taken in their Institution
by so illustrious a Personage, while they as sincerely lamented
the, cause which occasioned his absence. Under these eircinn.
stances, he had to inform them that the Earl of Blessington had
consented to take the chair, and he hoped they would receive
his Lordship with the warmth due to his kindness.
The Earl of Blessington shortly afterwards entered the room,
supported by several Noblemen and Gentlemen, Friends and
Patrons of the Institution.

The cloth having been removed, Non Nola Dornine ryas per-
formed by a strong corps of the prolesSion.
" The King" was given with three times three, and enthusi.
astic applause, the CitAttotAN expressing a hope for his Ma-
jesty's speedy and entire recovery. •
•
God save the King."
The Noble CHAIRMAN then rose to propose the health of
his Royal Highness the Duke of Vork, their illustrious 'Presi-
dent. He had frequently had the honour to propose the same
toast, when he was prevented by the
.presence of. his Royal
Highness from saying whet they fill felt in respect to his cha-
racter. And now when he had the opportunity which they all
so much lamented, he felt himself utterly inadequate to the
task. lie should therefore simply the toast.
The toast was drank',..with three times three, and long conti-
nued applausc. •
" Hail Star of Brunswick."

After the formal toasts, the health of the Chairman was
drank with the usual honours.

The Earl of BeissuenTON, in returning thanks, said he
had to claim their indulgence, as hili part had been sent to
.him.
• without notice, and he had no time to study.—(Applause.),
Ile proposed, in return, " The Covent-garden Theatrical
Fund, and prosperity to it."
Upon the health of the Vice-President being drank,
Mr. lionfrousE said, that the other Vice-Presidents hid
condescended to request him to return thanks in their name. In
doing this, he observed that the Royal Personage whose absence
they so much lamented, would be remenibered when they, and
many generations should be swept away, for his beneficence.,
in supporting the institutitin they had met to celebrate. It was
indeed the peculiar fortune of this great and happy and country
that the highest persons connected with it were the first to sup-
port Institutions of this nature, by which it might be said that
science, literature, and the arts were seated on the very steps of
the Throne.
The health of the Treasurer having been drank— •
Mr. FavecETT addressed the company in a speech which,
after embracing a history of the Institution, and shewing how
much the stage had at all times owed to the protection of
Royalty, defended the profession from the charge of being
more immoral than any other class. He concluded with the
following words :—" As to the stage itself being considered a
vehicle for immorality (governed a; it now is), I utterly deny
the justness of such an inference. The vigilant eye of the present
highly-talented licenser suffers not a word to escape which has
the let* approdch towards impropriety-4 near, with hisses
and laughter.)—The exalted character of the Noble Duke
who so ably fills the office of' Lord Chamberlain—(A laugh.)—
is a guarantee against the possibility of any immoral or Ja..
proper subject being presented to the public. lam therefore
borne out m asserting, that however undeniable such charges
might at some remote period have been, at present they are
totally groundless, and without foundation. And now, Gentle-
men, I have the gratification to tell you (nut what will surprise
you) what I know you will hail with much pleasure—from that
hand " which is open as day to melting charity," from that
• hand which is never closed to the dintressed—frout that hand
' which is equally stretched out to all his subjects, whether they
be suffering weavers; or unfortunate actors—from that gracious
hand we have this day received 100 guineas. lam sure you
will join me in saying, " God bless the King !"—(l4outl ap-
plause.)—tientlemen, it now only remains for me to say, that
since I had the honour of meeting you 'here, eight and twenty
families (some of them your old favourite actors) have been
made happy by your benevolence; and if on this day you should
enable us to make the same hearts glad the coming year, we
shall most joyfully become the agent* of your b0unty.,..,.( uch
applause.)
• Among other toasts girth were 'the following :
" The Proprietors of Covent-garden Theatre."
Captain Fonnus briefly returned thanks.
" The Stewards."
Mr. MATT HEWS said that he had reluctantly consented to
• return thanks on behalf of his brother Stewards, and the reason
why he wished to decline it was, that he was unaccustomed to
public speaking.—(A laugh.)—They were met to celebrate the
anniversary of the Covent-Garden Fund ; if it had been the
Covent-Garden Fan he might have been more at home, but
he certainly felt• that this subject was no joke. In thanking
those who had supported the Institution .by their presence that
day, he and his brother Stewards would fill their glasses to the
brim, as their hearts were overflowing with gratitude; and
although they now drained the former to the health of the
Company, the fulness of the latter would never be diminished.
—(Applause.)
" The Drury-Lane Theatrical Fund."
Mr. 1.412•1141 Y returned thanks.
" Mrs. (Cutts and the Ladies."
The Noble Cstatnirasr continued In the chair to a late hour,
and every exertion was made to keep up the character of the
Festival. Matthews was every where—all bustle—and deter-
mined to " make every body comfortable." Ile gave three most
laughable comic songs, in one of Which there was a happy bur-
les re of the " Crate Irish Orator."
' Sinclair sang his bsllad of " The Mountain Maid" so much
to the delight of the company, that, at the request of the Noble
Chairman, he had to repeat it.
T. Cooke excited alternate mirth,
.and admiration by his ex-
cellent Malian imitation, and Broadhurst sang with his peculiar
sweetness of tone and expression, a charming Scotch ballad
"My rain Fireside." Besides these performances, the glees
were executed in good style, and the whole went off with high
I spirit.

In the course of the evening Mr. FAWC):TT announced, that
contrary to their hopes, under the peculiar depressions of the
tittles, the subscription amounted to considerably more than
I,OOW.

, . , .
ROYAL ACADEMY OF Music Cwici:itirs.----'
These concerts, for the production of which no expence his
been spared, and Which, as a mixture of the best Vocal and In.
strumental Music, give them a decided pre-eminence over all
others, arc, we are happy to hear, likely to be uncommonly well
attended. Upwards of live hundred names, among which are
some of those of the first families in the hiNtdom,. are al-
ready entered, thus evincing an irrefragable proof of the incrcat.,
ing good taste for Music in this country.

Ma. YOUNG.—We regret to state that this et..
iebrated Tragedian was seized with an inflame
matron of the liver, at his Hotel in Manchester,
on Monday last, which, but for the most prompt
assistance must have proved fatal to him. Had
the death of this highly respected Gentlemuti
been the consequence, society would have lost a
valuable member, and the stage one of its most
classical and accomplished ornaments. Mr. Y.
was to have performed Rochdale on Monday
andTuesday,and the disappointment was excessive
both to the public and the Manager, Mr. HOWASN
as crowds from all parts of the neighbourhood
beset the doors at an early hour, and could hardly
be persuaded to return again. Of this the Ma-
nager might have taken one advantsge but to
convince the public his abject IY/ts not a ntercee
nary one, he honourably ordered the money to be
returned, and the doors, to be closed immediately,
though to his sertous loss;and Inconvenience. The
Edinburgh audience will also be disappointtidvas
•Mr Y should have performed there this Weeks
irWe
tean(-4' scA
ll'oaI) poPY to hear he is in a convalescent
ri Adocrtuer, March

TIM LONDON JOURNALS.
DAILY
Extractsftem the Morning Papers, March 1826.

[MORNING HERALD.]
Mr. Ca'craft, thia,other night, made some Ale
observations respecting the folly, on the part of
people, in expecting Such a thing, in the present
state of the country, as cheap bread. Mr. Cal..
craft said, that " with a taxation of skmilli9l!"
years the thing was impossible." At .the same
time we think that the fears, on the part of the
landed interest, respecting the importation of
wheat, are absurd. The a►►nual return in wheat,
we believes is not more than, 50 millions. It
forms only about one part in twenty of the annu►►l
return of commodities generally.. Suppose, with
a tax, of 30 per cent., the wheat trade was opened,
and that wheat, to the amount of '2O millions,
'were imported in any one year and that it was
to be paid for in' nothing but gold, of course the
-whole of the• gold would disappear, and in its
stead we .should have wheat, but only sufficient
to last half a year. Here the trade would end',
provided foreigners would' take nothing in pay.
sent but gold. NOw, suppose for that half year
the landed interest were to grow no wheat—
such non production for half a year would meet
this extreme state. of things. The next question
for consideration would be,. would the stoppage
of the growth of wheat for half a year destroy
the farming interest ? We should say no ; for if
it did not grow wheat it might produce other
'things. The country would not he ruined, if
even the whole of the gold were taken from it,
in payment for half a yimr's consumption of
wheat. But,the landed interest would say,
44 ti`i'l►at would the, commercial interest do for
-want of gold ?" In reply. to this, we should say
that the commercial interest, itn Messrs. Vitt and
Perceval's time, did without gold, and why
should it ,now, or until we received another supply
in payment for our manufactured goOds? . If we
were without gold, the guinea would soon be at
thirty shillings, and, there would be then a
temptation for, its importation ; for merchants
would wend .gold as a remittance, instead of hides,
cotton, rice, and other articles—so that the thing
would soon regulate itself.

~Bttl'C19!! Pit ESL
The, excitement of Thursday was succeeded
yesterday morning by comparative tranquillity.
The rumours of Constantine's assassination, and
the departure' of Count Lieven, the Russian Am-
bassador, from London, had their effect on
Thursday,. and new versions of the old storks
yesterdef failed in their intent. Consols opened
at 75i 6,, but they almost immediately advanced
to MI, at which quotation the principal business
was transacted. A retrogression to isubsequently
took place; but that price was not long reported,
and at the conclusion of the Market they were
done et having previously, for a very short
time, touched 74. Exchequer 13i11s fluctuated
between 2s. premium, par, IS. premium, par.—
India. Bonds were Bs. 3s. discount. Very
mited business was done in the Foreign Market,
and the.q,uotations varied but little. Colombian
Bonds were 401 ; Mexican Six per Cents. 60it ;
Russian Bonds, 73} 4 ; Greek Ditto,. 18k, 18 ;
and Spanish Ditto, 9}. It is stated that the
Bank of Englund, in affutding relief to the mer-
chants and *nivanufactarers in tire country will
either take Property or personal. I security. t the
latter is preferred, three persons of credit will be
required to become se urity for the amount bor-
rowed, and put their names, with the merchants-
requiring the aid, to hills at three months, to be
remtwil4 ip.cessary. In this the Bank follows.
the precedent of 1793, when personal security,
as Woll.as the deposit cf goods, was taken by the
Commissioners.

[TM: IMPII.F.SrNTATI YE:I
The departure of Count Lieven has given rise
to much speculation. That no reason has been
assigned for his summons, rather than recall, to
retrershurgh we do not believe. We have
breed -that Count Lieven is 11 favourite of the
pr6ien( Emperor, and it is, indeed, rumoured
that he is to hold the portfolio of. Foreign Affairs,
instead of Count Nesseirode, who is to take
charge of the Finance Department. The conjec.
tures as to the cause of his leavittg London are,
on, die whole, COnIiCHIC One paper informs us,
that he quits ;England because, in waiting
on the Ministers of the Crown, he clads that
be, caunot proceed in discasskm upon atty
point, even of little interest, on account of
the full powers granted to the Duke of
Wellington, authorising him to settle all matters
with,ithe Russian Eptperor. Another, contra,.
dieting this wise conjecture, coolly informs
us, that the Count, lining much mini:lied to the
late Emperor, is litigious to attend his funeral
ceremony, A third, " who is wiser than both
those together," sends,him—to see his MmHg in
Courland. A Correspondent of ours refers us to
Considerations sur Munnuie de la Rassie ;
and, taking, for granted that something in that pam-
phlet peculiarly danntatury of Count,Lieven's
character, conelt“lea by saying, " Let him (Coma,
Lie ten) not suppose that a temporary absence ran
vindicate the honour of a geotleoun, as a tempo.
varyt retreat (rom the stage can efface the pecca.
dilloes, of an actor,"