The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-19 00:00:00

GRAND BANQUET AT GOLD-

SMITH .3' HALL.

On Saturday evening the ancient and opulent Company
of Goldsmiths gave a RI Aptuous banquet to his Royal
Highness Prince Albert, Sir Robert Peel, and most of
her Majesty's Ministers, at their splendid Hall in Foster-
lane, at the rear of the General PoNt•office.
On this occasion, as might be expected, the exterior
and interior of the noble structure presented a very gay
appearance. As relates to the interior, the state apart-
ments and the approaches to them have been justly pro-
nounced as marked with an air of palatial grandeur not
exceeded by that of any other piece of interior arehitec •
ture in the Metrop,dis. The whole suite of noble saloons
presented so brilliant a scene as to surpass anything
hitherto displayed by this wealthy corporate body, and
justly merited the encomium passed by Prince Albert,
who, we are informed, expressed to the Prime Warden
of the Company his admiration and astonishment at the
magnificent spectacle which each apartment presented to
his view.

The liverymen and visitors began to arrive so early as
half past five o'clock. Sir Robert Peel, the Duke of
Buccleuch, and o'her members of the Cabinet arrived
by half-past six, His Royal Highness Prince Albert,
with the officers of his suite, arrived at five minutes
before seven o'clock. His Royal Highness was received
with loud cheering by a considerab!e crowd assembled
in front of the hall, and in the General Post-office
yard. The Prince was received, on alighting from his
carriage, by the Prime Warden, and the Company's
chief officers, and conducted to the state apartments.
Shortly afterwards the company sit down to a sump-
tuous banquet, consisting of every luxury of the season.
Prince Albert, we are inform • n ieg conducted t.)

the dining hall by the Prime Warden, was struck with
the utmost surprise at the splendour of the scene, and
his Royal Highness is said to have exclaimed, " This is,
indeed, magnificent." The usual loyal toasts were
drunk en this occasion, and the speeches consisted of re-
ciprocal compliments lJetween her Majesty's Ministers
and the Company.

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF
FOP SIGNERS IN DISTRESS.

[The followire• is a more full report of the annual festival
of this Society then we could find room fe- on Sat ter,lay] :
The annual festival (,f the supporters of this benevolent
institution took place on Thursday evening, at the London
Tavern, when a magnifiyeut repast was served up, and the
dessert was particularly good. An abundance of beautiful
flowers were interspered amongst the dishes.
In addition to an effient military band, which serenaded
the company during dinner, and efficient corps of glee singers,
formed of Messrs. Francis. Cooke. Hatton, Machin, and
Masters Stevens and Willings, di,-coursed mnost excellent
music, and received the meed of deserved applause.
Mr. Toole, sen., was the toastmaster, and it is needless to
is that his arduous duties were performed in first-rate style..
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge was in the
chair, surrounded by severrd foreign stobassadorsand other
friends of the Society, amongst whom were the Count Kid-
mansegge, Chevalier Bunsen, Mohan [,al, Consul General
Tottie, Consul General Tiarks, ConSul General Prebost, Rev.
G. W. Cartron, Rev. Mr. Dangars, Mr. Salamons, &c.
The cloth having been removed, the usual loyal toasts
were proposed and drunk with enthusiasm ; after which the
Noble Chairman called upon Mr Hornernan, the secretary,
to read the report. It stated that the past year had been the
most prosperous one for this Society since its first establish-
ment, with the sole exception of the two years,lBl4 and 1833,
in the former of which the presence of the Allied Sovereigns
and other propi!ions circumstances first enabled it to- invest
a sum of some magnitude in the public funds; while in the
latter, its shattered finances were replaced on a secure foot-
ing by the bf illiant result of the never-to-be-forgotten
fancy fair, held under the auspices of her Majesty Queen
Adelaide. The Directors attributed the present position
of affairs to the successive arrival on the British shores
of several foreign Monarchs, who had munificently contri-
buted to the funds of the Society. Many other large
donations and favourable circumstances had been the

means of raising the funds to the present favourable state.
The number of pensioners during the past year had been
70; 73 persons had, besides, received small regular allow-
ances ; 102 persons had been assisted with the means
of returning to their native countries; casual relief had been
given in 2.289 instances, among which there were 236 new
cases. But notwithstanding the ample support given to the
Society, it was not able to relieve the numerous cases that
came under its notice : the Committee, therefore, begged to
claim the liberal donations of the gentlemen present at this
festival. The total amount of receipts during the past year
amounted to 4,212/. 28. 7d., and disbursements to 3,7151. 3s.
2d., leaving a balance in the hands of the treasurer of
496/. 19s. sd.

On the conclusion of the report the Noble Chairman, in a
few words, proposed "Prosperity to the Society," and the
tongt was responded to with immense cheering.
Chevalier Bunsen then proposed " The health of their
Illustrious Chairman," to which his Royal Highness briefly
responded.

The "Health of the Foreign Ministers" was then drunk,
for whom Count Kielmansegge returned thanks.
This toast was followed by the "Health of the Vice-Pre-
sidents," which was briefly acknowledged by Chevalier
Bunsen.

The Stewards' lists of donations were then read,'and in
consequence of the great exertions and splendid list of Mr.
Brandt, in which appeared a donation of 1001. from the free
City of Hlmbiirgh, his Royal Highness proposed the health
of that sten Oman. for whom his son, Mr. Adolphus Brandt,
returned thanks, tis follows:

Mr. Amma'nus BRANDT said—ln rising to respond to the
toast which has been so kindly proposed, and so flatteringly
received, I must apologise to you, loth on my father's behalf
and on my own. On my father's behalf, that he finds him-
self so cyor,ssed by the foeliugs with which this ulte-Npected
honour has overwhelmed him, as to be utterly unable to
thank you in however few worls. and on my own, that I am
so itili(h-cpwto to the duty whkh has fallen upon me. In
m,:skrut up the !opt: list 0 bourilicul contributions which has
been presented to von in my name I cannot pretend to any
great, share of the rue:;: it is to nty finher's numerous
friends and his influence amongst them, that it is to be attri-
buted. The Society has long b 'en the abject of his constant
solicitude, and on this cpecial occasion he has had a twofold
interest, in its welfare, and the success of my
stewardship. The r,,,tit would of itself have amply rewarded
all his trouble; but the manner in which it has been received
by you, he bids me say, adds so greatly to his satisfaction, as
to make this a day which he can never forget, which he will
remornhcr wit h Hdf.: am! oratitode to the latest moment of
his life.—(Cheers.) To my father's warmest tlranks I may
he remitted to add my own, for the honour you have con-
ferred upon bhn ; and allow ma to expr, ss the hope that
future anniversaries of this excellent charity may be es dis-
tinguished as this has been, both in individual and aggregate
amoant of contributions, and that my successors in office
will, year after yva-, exert themselves to render each suc-
ceeding festival more beneficial to its funds than the last.
The list of Mr. Al9lphus Brandt amounted to the enor-
mous _
sum of 1.24 U 16,.

Mr. SAMMONS then rose, and spoke to the following effect :
—I obey the call of your Royal I tight-less to introduce to this
great meeting a toast com nitted to me from the unavoidable
,re of a r. C.lquhoun.:the Char,re d'Affaires of the Hanse
Towns, who is Prevented from attending by indisposition,
which I most sincerely regret. I have to perform an im-
portant, although an invidious duty, to select from among
the contributions of :his day, poured in upon us from all
parts of Europe—ind,:.ed, from all parts of the globe, from
the coasts of America to the shores of the Bosphorus—one
which particularly merits our attention and especial acknow-
ledgment, It is that from the Senate of the Free City of
Hamburgh. It is not long since that devoted city was visited
by an awful calamity, which appealed to the hearts of every
one of us, and claimed a universal sympathy. Tr.e donation
of this day is an evidence of her having recovered from the
effects of that terrible visitation, as well as of her gratitude
towards those who sympathised with her in the how of mis-
fortune. Again we must acknowledge the persevering and
kind exertions of the philanthropic Mr. Brandt, a native of
Hamburgh, although so long established amongst us, and
now to be numbered among the merchant princes of this
great metropolis, where I trust his name will be preserved
for many generations. He it was who brought the claims of
this Society to the notice of the Senate of Hamburgh, as will
be seen from the copy of the letter from Sindicus Sieveking to
Mr. Colquhoun, and which, by the permission of your Royal
Highness. I M ill venture to read, at least that part only as
is material to my present purpose :—" The request of a con-
tribution towards the friends of the Society of Friends of
Foreigners in Distress, coming from a man who has so just a
claim upon his native city, as Mr. Emanuel Henry Brandt,
has been taken into favourabl, consideration by the Senate.
and you are authorised to subscribe, on behalf of the Senate,
through Mr. Brandt, the sum of one hunthed pounds as a
donation." Thus we see the pod effects of high and ho-
nourable example, such as ever has been set us by the Royal
Family of England, such as our daily experience offers us of
your Royal Highness's kind and distinguished patronage of
the metropolitan charities—setting a laudable example to
us all, assisting us to raise the splendid monument of philan-
thropy peculiar to this country, where all charitable estab-
lishments flourish by the exertions of private benevolence,
unassisted by State contributions. We rely entirely on the
extended influence which charity never fails to beget, where
men assemble together to encourage each other to soothe the
distress of our fellow-men. It has happily become part of
our every-day life to cultivate these sympathies, to give play
to these feelings which are planted in the heart by our
Almighty Father, urging- us to listen to tales of sorroW, and
prompting us to relieve the distress of the forlorn and destitute
stranger. I trust, that these sympathies will ever be culti-
vated and extended, net alone by ourselves, but by ssurround-
ing nations; and I hail with great delight the contribution
from the City of Hamburgh as an earnest of their desire to

promote and extend thR field of phihnthropy. I beg to prnl
pose the toast of " Health and happiness to the Senators, and
prosperity to the good and griteful City of liamburgh, and
thanks to the Senate for their lilwral contribution."
This toast having been done justice to
Mr. THORNTON proposed "The health of the Duchess of
Cambridge," which was drunk amidst general applause.
The Noble CHAIRMAN then proposed " The health of the
foreign clergymen, and the other directors of the Society," to
which the Rev. Dr. Kuper replied in a very appropriate and
feeling manner.

The company at until a late hour, and broke up highly
delighted with what had taken place.

STRIKE OF FARM LABOURERS.—Last week the
labourers at Nether and Over Compton were informed by
their employers that their wages would henceforth be reduced
from 7s. to 6s per week. The reduced wages were offered to
the Nether Compton men on Saturday night, but refused, and
on Monday morning, as early as six o clock, the men, who had
arranged their plans during the Sunday, started off in a body
to the residence of the landed proprietor, taking with them
the Over Compton men, who (their wages not having been
curtailed) had gone to work as usual. The men, to the
number of thirty or more, passed through Yeovil, and we
believe had an interview. The result was, that they re-
turned to their work. It appears that, an audit or two ago,
the landlord took off 10 per cent. from his tenants' rents, but
that, at the last audit, he put on 5 per cent. on that amount.
The farmers declared that they were unable to pay an ad-
vanced rent in these times, and to continue paying the same
wages as formerly. The consequet.ce was the reduction of
the labourers' wages, as above stated. We hear that the
tenants are willing to pay their labourers at the usual rate
if the increase of 5 per cent, is taken off, and negotiations
have taken place to effect this desirable arrangement. The
matter, however, at present, is unsettled. The tenants, we
believe, are determined not to give the customary wages,
unless they obtain a concession from their landlord.—Sher-
borne Journal.

COCKBURNSPATH.—The railway operations in this
quarter, in which is the most extensive and difficult sec-
tion of the whole line, from there being so many deep
cuts and glens to go through in the different deans upon
the estate of Sir John Hall, Bart., Dunglass, are not-
withstanding advancing rapidly. Some of the cuts are
forty and fifty feet in depth. The minor bridges aro all
nearly finished, and the great bridge over Dunglass
Dean was key-stoned on Wednesday evening. This will
be the moot and mot splendid bridge in geotatind.