The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-02 00:00:00

GENERAL PENSION SOCIETY.

The annual festival in aid of the funds of this institution
took place yesterday evening, at the London Tavern, Bishop-
gate-street. At six o'clock the Marquis of Clanricarde took
the chair, when upwards of two hundred gentlemen sat down
to dinner.

Over the chair was a well-executed transparency of her
Majesty, with the following appropriate motto, "Our Royal
Patron, she is the very soul of bounty."
As soon as the cloth was removed, the usual loyal toasts
were given, which were duly disposed of. After which,
The Noble CHAIRMAN proposed the toast of the evening,
which was " Prosperity to the City of London General Pen-
sion Society, and may it flourish for ever." The Institution,
he said, had received in its very infancy the sanction and
support of the parents of our beloved Queen, the Duke and
Duchess of Kent, and the King of the Belgians, and they
would be gratified to hear, that her Majesty had followed
their good example, and taken the society under her Protec-
tion. He then made a feeling appeal to those present in be-
half of a charity which had already conferred blessings upon
many who were unable to help themselves, and which was
also to be instrumental, if properly supported, in benefiting
many more who might become fitting objects of its benevo-
lent operations.

The Secretary, Mr. RICHARDSON, read the report, which
was exceedingly voluminous, and included the namo of a vast
number of Noblemen of high rank, as subscribers to the In-
stitution. Before reading the report, the Secretary made
some preliminary remarks, in which he stated that the So-
ciety was formed in 1818, for providing permanent relief to
decayed artisans, mechanics, and tradesmen generally, and
the widows of such persons above sixty years of age—that
the male pensioners receive 225. per month, and the females
15s.—about thirty of the pensioners were above eighty years
of age, and upwards of twenty above ninety.
The subscriptions for the evening were exceedingly liberal,
amounting, in all, to nearly 1,100/. Among the numerous
donations announced were—the Queen, 100 guineas ; the
Queen Dowager, 10/. annually ; the Earl of Aberdeen, 201 ;
Lord Beresford, 20/. ; Earl of Haddington, 10/. ; Luke James
Hansard, Esq., 50/. ; Earl of Burlington, 301; the Trustees
of the Cholmondeley Charities, 50/. ; J. Deacon, Esq., 101.
10s. ; Sir John Easthope, Bart., 5 guineas annually ; the
Countess of Leicester, 5/. ; the Duchess of Cambridge, 10/. ;
C. B. Wall, Esq., M.P., 10/. ; Miss Cotttts Burdett, 20/. :
Matthias Atwood, Esq.,lo/. ; the Earl of Shrewsbury, 10/.los. ;
Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P., 201. ; the Duke of Buccleuch, in
addition to 1151., 251. ; Mr. Thwaits, 50/. ; Marquis of
Bristol, 251.

The vocal arrangements were entrusted to Mr. Bruton,
assisted by Messrs. F. Martin, R. Smith, J. Perrin-,
and Miss Steele, the last; .named volunteering her professional
services for the occasion.

A military band was in attendance, enlivening the com-
pany during the evening with many of the most popular
airs of the day.

The dinner, wines, and attendance were excellent, and the
manner altogether in which, the entertainment was given did
great credit to the proprietors, Messrs. Bathe and Breach.

COURT CIRCULAR.

THE QUEEN DOWAGER.—The account of her Majesty's
health yesterday, we are happy to state, was very favourable.
his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge scut, yesterday
morning, to Marlborough House, to learn the state of her
Majesty. The other members of the Royal Family also sent,
in the course of the day, to make inquiry after her Majesty's
health. The following was the bulletin issued yesterday
" 'Her Majesty the Queen Dowager has passed a good night,
and the inflammation of the arm continues to subside.
" Marlborough House, " DAVID DAVIE,S, M.D.
• " May 1, 1844. " ROBERT KEATE."
A number of the Foreign Ministers, and many Of the No-
bility and Gentry, called during the day at Marlborough
House to learn the state of her Majesty.
Tim D'UCILESS OF GLOUCESTER.—Her Royal Highness, we
regret to state, is suffering from pain in one of her arms—
the effect of kfall. The Queen sent yesterday to make in-
quiry after the state of her Illustrious relative. His Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge paid a visit to his Royal
Sister yesterday at Gloucester House.
Her Royal Highness passed a tolerable night on Tuesday.
The Queen and Prince Albert walked yesterday in th
Royal Gardens of Buckingham Palace. His Royal highness
Prince Albert afterwards rode out on horseback, attended by
Colonel Wylde, Equerry in Waiting.
The Royal Family were taken airings yesterday in the
Royal Garden.
of Equerry in Waiting on his Royal Highness Prince .
Colonel Wylde has relieved Colonel Bouverie in the
Alb
ie dlitet.
ires
'
included the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, the Marquis
The Royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace yesterday
of Granby, and Captain Francis Seymoun
Noble Directors of the Concert
deuce, Curzon House, to the
by his dis-
tinguisheda_t his resi-
Earl Howe gave a dinner yesterday evening,_
of Ancient Music. His Lordship, accompanied
His Royal Highness
Concert in the Hanover-square Rooms..
of Granby, Captain
'Ro\'ialesileblecgikl-,
l.
Prince Albert, attended by the Marquis
guests, afterwards went. to the performance of the
Francis Seymour, an
Concert
the
EExcise,
cwi
si tel.: tahnedi r
iir. presence. Carr,
High-
ness the Duke lone l
attended Wylde; byan di'is
Baronr
Mr. John Wood, lain ..
• • to the Excise, had an interview with the Chancellor
Solicitor honoured the
of the Exchequer yesterday, at
o f Cambridge, dCo
his official residence, in
Downing-street.
rribrinClallentthoef
Mr. Dean, Chairman of the Customs, had an interview
with the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstoneyesterday, at the office
of the Board of Trade. Mr. Dean had also an interview yes-
terday with the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Lieutenant-Colonel Barney, Royal Engineers, had an in-
terview with Lord Stanley yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
The Governor of the Bank of England, and the Deputy-
Governor, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Ek-
chectuer yesterday.
Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Colonial-
office for the Earl of Elgin, Governor of Jamaica, and the
Governors of the other West Indian Colonies.
G

RAND ENTERTAINMENT AT TIIE MANSION..
HOUSE.—On Tuesday, the Lord Mayor and the Lady
Mayoress gave a splendid entertainment to the members
of the Corporation and their ladies at the Mansion-house.
It was the eighth of a series of dinners given by his
Lordship and the Lady Mayoress in the most splendid
style to the members of the Court of Common Council.
A precedent has been established for the invitation of
the wives of the members of the Court in this succession
of magnificent treats to the fair sex, and it will no doubt,
be acted upon uniformly in future Mayoralties, cal-
culated as it is to give great addition to the pleasures
and elegance of the civic hospitalities. The vocal and
instrumental music was admirably performed by Miss
Galbraith, Miss R. Dixon, Mr. Lover, Mr. Cruse, and
Mr. Ilichard4; Mr. Jewson, and Mr. Thomas, of the
Royal Academy. The dinner, and wines, and fruits,
were of first-rate excellence, and nothing could exceed
numeroild usggi
vueens tbs
y.
thOen
Ltohrids
and Bishops after the di‘t hiaeay a splendidygorrattiofie tahtie° gratification
ehlentertainmenttbibs3h-o tph a
per-
formances
of Divine service in St. Paul's. The enter-
tainment will take place in the Egyptian-hall, which has
been recently fitted up and embellished.
Yesterday an unusual degree of interest was ex-
cited on the Whitstable road, from a wager between two
Canterbury gentlemen. The following are the particulars:
—A wager for ten pounds was made by a gentleman that he
six in poles
she ° in
na to
would find a workman that would. sharpen in a workmanlike
rennirhgo,urasn.d
sTulerhe
was
st
thofesitnretenrgetsht
cnolaninnrileerncl 9d°D at. hop
that a large concourse of persons assembled to witness the re-
sult—all positive that it mid not be completed in the given
time. Two thousand and forty-one poles were sharpened in
seven hours and four minutes, to the surprise of tha specta-
tors,- and perfect satisfaction of the "gcntlemen' appointed
umpires.—Kentish Gazette.

DiGII WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE TICS DAY.
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SECOND EDITION.