Star.
London, England, 1825-03-19 00:00:00

DRURY•LANE THEATRICAL FUND.


Yesterday the Annieersary Festival of the above hen.:
volent Institution was celebrated at the Freemasons Ta-
vern, Great Queen-street: His Royal Highness the
Duke of Yoac, President of the Society, in the Chair.
Nearly five hundred Noblemen and Gentlemen were,
present on the occasion, and the great room being found
insufficient to accommodate the whole, an extra apart-
ment was appropriated to Gentlemen who came late.
Amongst the distinguished individuals present we
noticed—

The Earl of Milky, Earl of Glengall, Lord Wm. Lennox. the
atancelktr of the Exchequer, Sir Samuel Shepherd, Sir G. War-
render, Bart. M.P. Sir A. Barnard, Sir G. S. Brown, Sir G.
Cockburn, M.P. G. Byng, Rsq. M.P. J. Cakraft, Esq. M.P.
Wm. Culs, Esq. G. H. M. *Dawson, Esq. M.P. Sir George
Duckett, Bert. Sir C. Flower, F. Hodgson. Esq. M.P. Colonel
Hughes, M.P. J. G. Lambtun, Esq. M.P. B. Mash, Esq. Sir
George Pocock, Sir Joseph Yorke, M.P. &c. &c.
Shortly after six o'clock his Royal Highness entered
the room, and was received with the loudest demon-
strations of applause.
A sumptuous dinner was provided on the occasion,
and the greatest attention was paid by the Stewards.
The musical arrangements were under the direction of
Mr. T. Cooke, assisted by the professional talents of
Messrs. Horn, T. Cooke, Tingley, Fitzwilliam, George
Smith, Collier, Evans, Mailer Smith, and Master
Edmonds, &c.
Upon the removal of the cloth, Nan Nobis Dominos was sung in
excellent style. After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts,
Earl MonLity, in a short and complimentary speech,
proposed the health of the Royal President.
His Royal Highness's health was then drank with
three times three, with long. continued applause. As
soon as silence could be obtained,
The Royal Chairman, in returning thanks, die.
claimed being entitled to those tributes of praise which
the Noble Lord who proposed his health had assigned
to him. He was never more happy than when his other
numerous avocations permitted him to assist the cause
of Chat icy, and no Charitable Institution was more
worthy of support than the present. He congratulated
the Members of the Society upon the numerous and
highly respectable company assembled. He had only to
express his thanks for the honour done him, and wished
them all their very good healths.
Glee—" Hail, Star of Brunswick," followed.
The Royal President proposed, " Prosperity to the
Drury-Lane Theatrical Fund, and the health of its Mas-
ter and Treasurer, Mr. Kean ;" which was drank with
much enthusiasm.
Mr. ELAN said, he had once more to trespass upon
the attention of his Royal Highness and company un-
der circumstances, he was happy to say, as regarded
that Society, the most favourable; it was now no longer
becessaky to come forward with that anxious feeling of
solicitation which had walked previous occasions; the
benevolent exertions of his Royal Highness, and the
friends of the Institution, had scattered the sunbeams
of prosperity in the gloomy residence of poverty and
desolation—( Apptause ).—Mr. Kean proceeded to give
a detail of the advantages which had resulted from the
creation of the Institution, originating from absolute ne-
cessity : in one instance, in particular, he mentioned the
only son of Reddish, as actor of sufficient talent to be
ranked as a rival, and the only rival, of the immortal
' Garrick. This orphan, in 1788, his father having died
in a state of mental derangement in York Asylum, was
brought up, and received a classical education, entirely
from the funds of this Society, which, at that period,
were extremely limited. He now bad the satisfaction of
addressing them under more favourable auspices: the
wives and children of deceased Members of this Fund
now claimed their bounty, and it had been determined
to adopt the following new regulations:
The widow of a deceased member to receive half the annual
allowance which the husband enjoyed at the time of his decease;
sad such moiety not to be less than £2O per annum.—To each child,
libir sum of 410 per annum, until he or she should arrive at the age
of fourteen years, thee to receive the sum of 420 ; and if an orphan,
salo per annum, instead of £lO per annum."
(This announcement was received with applause.)
In continuation be observed, that to carry this into
execution depended on the benefactions of a generous
British public. He regretted that his brother actors
did not come forward with that alacrity he could
have wished; he hoped, however, soon to see a
change in this respect. He concluded by expressing, in
the name of the Committee and himself the deepest
gratitude to their liberal benefactors—(Load Applause.)
Mr. Harley sung a comic song, written for the occasion.
On the health of the Vice-Presidents" being drank, Lord
Lennox shortly returned thanks.
Mai. Miss Graddon—' If a boar meet a bock "—This song
was encored enthusiastically.
On" The Drury-lane Committee," being drank,
Mr. CALcaairr returned thanks.
On " Mr. Elliston's health" being drank, that Gen-
tleman returned thanks, in a speech in the course of
which he said he had inquired of Mr. Dunn, his Trea-
surer, a day or two before; what money had been paid
to his different performers and artists, &c. during the
five years that he had bad Drury-Lane Theatre and
no doubt the meeting would be surprised at hearing
that the answer to that question was 500,0001.--(Hear,
hear). Ice addition to this, be had, entirely at his own
expense, rebuilt the interior of the Theatre, which cost
him 27,0001. He had, however, always trusted to the
I munificence of the Public, and had never found it fail,
'the Theatre being at that time in a greater state of pros-
perity than it bad ever been since it was built. (Applause).
Several ether toasts were drank in the course of
the evening, and shortly aften ten o'clock the Royal
Chairman retired. The hilarity of the evening was
however protracted to a late hour. The amount of the
subscriptions collected on this occasion was upwards
1:1200.

SAILING OF • SCOTCH COLONY TO BUENOS
We have now to announce tht sailing of the fine new
vessel, the Norval, Captain. Counno, from Greenock,
for Buenos Ayres, with emigrants, who are to settle in
that very interesting and flourishing Republic, about
one hundred and twenty miles above the City, on the
Banks of the La Plata. They are compoo chiefly of
agricultural tabouters and mechanic:, ihsul carry out
with them farming implements and tools of various
descriptions. In a country where nature is lavish of
her bounties, but where agriculture and the mechanical
arts are imperfectly known, no greater boon could be
granted to the natives, than the introduction among
them of our acts, and our mode of farming. Nothiri‘can be more
calculated to call forth their slumbering energies, and display the
immense resources of their fire country, than the example which
the settlers will set before them of a superior mode of farming.
The salubrity and mildness of its climate, itd extensive and fertile
plains, all invite the hand of industry, which will assuredly reap
a bounteous reward in return for even moderate labour.—lt will
he gratifying to tbe friends of the settlers to leant, that oo.vessel.
with emigrants, eirer Mailed from any port in Scotland! better pro-
visioned, both as to quantity and quality, than .tbe Ttiorial ; and
the best spirit seemed tb prevail antoa the Matte tbiakidves.--
• Clayow Free Press.