The Sun.
London, England, 1820-05-01 00:00:00

THE DINNER.

At six o'clock a party of about 100 Gentlemen,
friends to the Institution, sat down to dinner.
Lord Sondes, Mr. Hohhouse, M.P., Mr. Wilmot,
M.P., the Hon. E. Harbord, and several persons
of distinction, were present.
The CHAIRMAN proposed the health of his Royal
Highness the Duke of York, and stated that his
Royal Highness had written to express his'regret
that he could not be with them at the present fes-
tival, but he hoped to appear among them on a
future occasion. The toast was drank with shouts
of applause. _ _

I%lr. WILLIAMS took occasion in the course of
the evening to describe the plan of • the institu-
tion. He showed that its first great object was to
clear the streets of beggars; to effect this they
did not in the first instance inquire whether or not
an objtct was deserving of kindness, but taking
the most favourable view of the case, they assum-
ed this, and affordekreliet. Inquiries were then
made, and the party dealt with accordingly—the
unfortunate being assisted—the impostor punish-
ed. He set forth with great energy the dvan-
tages that it might be hoped would result front
this institution, which, ho‘sevcr, be dici I;ut hope

Kos ld he perpetual, as he trasted, the sueressft
accomplishment of its object would make this, i
the opinion of its warmest friends, unnecessary.

The health of Mr. Hohhouse and other visitors
was proposed by Mr. Wilmot, M.P., and seve-
rally drank.

LOU] SONDES, as one of the visitors, retnrncd
thanks, and announced his intention of becoming
a Member of the Society.
Mr. Hoeuouse, in acknowledging the honour
he had received, expressed himself most friendly
to the Institution, which be should always he
happy to eupport; without any reference to party
or political feelings. Sir F:Bnrdett also approc.
ed of the Society, and but that lie was unAvoidibly.
engaged elsewhere, would have been happy to be
present on this occasion: _ _

Mr. WILLIAMS stated invitations to have been
sent to the Members fur the City of London, front
whom letters had been received, stating the rea-
sons which prevented them from attending. He
mentioned these invitations, that it might be un-
derstood no political dis!inctions were intended
to be made where the support of all parties was
desirable.

The healths of Mr. Martin, Mr. Bodkin, and
other Gentlemen connected with and friendly to
the Institution, were drank wiih three times three,
as were the usual loyal and national toasta. The
company were entertained with a variety of songs
and gtees by Messrs. Pyne, J. Smith, Tinney and
Jolly, and the evening passed off with the ut-
most harmony.

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

(From, the Chester Courant, April 25.)

For some wreks the Lund, n Papers have been
prosecuting a controversy as ro the intention of
Ministers to add greatly to the amount of the Ci-
vil List. It is now, however, conceded by ail
parties, that if such a design ever existed, it has
been absitdoued. c congratulate the conntry
that such is the decision. For, dlt tumgh a trifling
deduction in this depairment of Government ex-
pences, could have little influence in effecting the
great work of national redempt ion, yet it is now
universally acknowledged, on a!I hands, that a
rigid system of economy and rttrenehment should
be carried into every office of the State. We are
not disposed to doubt the willingness of Minis-
ters to act in conformity %vitt) these views. 'lyre
nation's eye is fixed upon the new Parliament;
sorry should we be to witness its time spent in
personal bickerings and party animosities, and as
little satisfaction should we derive from a repeti-
tion of those paltry schemes of finance, which it
has long been the fashion of adopting. Let the
evils of the country be brought into full view ;
and when the colossal figure, with all its formida-
bleness is contemplated, let British wisdom di-
rect, and British energies be applied to its anni-
hilation.

A few weeks ago, we adverted to the activity
of the landed interest, in preparations to load tl.e
table of the Hoi,se of Commons with ncizions,
for further protecting duties on corn. That acti-
vity has greatly increased of late ; and at this mo-
ment agricultural associations are formed from
one end of the kingdom to the other. At that
time we took the liberty of deprecating the relief
of one class of the nation, by increasing the bur-
thens to another. The ground of complaint among
the land-ownets is, that the present price of agri-
cultural produce does not pay them for cultiva-
tion; and we can therefore discover no other
object they aim at, but raising the price. If we
turn our attention for a moment from the country
to our manufacturing towns, little observation is
needful to convince us, that the ability to pur-
chase corn even at its present price, is daily dimi-
nishing, and that a rise in all the necessaries of
life, which an increased price of corn would bring-
along with it, must produce amongst our mecha-
nics a change from a mere existence to absolute
starvation. We can see no other way to compen-
sate the labours of the plough, than by the in-
creased activity of the shuttle. To render effec-
tual aid to either, must be to communicate it to
both.

All the petitions of the agricultural associations
proceed upon the principle we have stated. But
there is one front the County of Monmouth,
which, while it prays relief, asks it, not front the
pockets of the mechanic, but from the tunas of
the annuitant: The idea is worth a considera-
tion, which we have not at present time to be-
stow upon it. We give an extract from it :
" That your petitioners disdain any wish to be
relieved, by the enactment of any new Corn Bill,
or any measure whatever that may tend to in-
crease the expences and difficulty of living to an
already impoverished and distressed population;
but your petitioners cannot but hope that some
legislative measure will be adopted, in confor-
mity to the principle admitted in the Report of the
Select Committee of your Honourable House on
the Poor Laws, for subjecting such personal pro-
perty (and particularly that of the Funds) as 'may
be made to contribute, without the exercise of
inquisitorial power, to a fair proportion of the
burden of supporting the dependent Poor, which
is now almost exclusively borne by the property
of your petitioners."
We cannot conclude this article better than by
expressing a hope, that the manufacturing dis-
tricts will be alive to their interests.—The argu-
ment urged by the agricultural associations for
multiplying their petitions is, 'that unless they are
presented, the Legislature will conclude they are
sati-stied with the present state of things ; so we
would say, that unless the manufacturers express
their dissent to additional corn-bills, by petition,
it may be concluded they feel no interest in resist-
ing the measure.

FlRE.—Abont one o'clock on Saturday morn-
ing, a fire broke out in an untenanted house in
Shadwell Market, which was undergoing•some re-
pairs ;-it is supposed to have originated in some
lime on the ground floor taking fire. The house
was in a short time consumed, together with a
quantity of new timber; the flames communi-
cated to the adjoining house, occupied by Mr.
TeHis, a coal-merchant, which was materially
damaged. Mrs. Ttllis, who had been only put to
bed on the day before, was obliged to' be removed
into the street for safety, and she is iiiingeroinly
PI in cousequnce of the fright,