Star.
London, England, 1818-04-27 00:00:00

faraWi."
The three preceding toasts were drank with rap-

turous applause. - . •
The Noble Pnentnerr said, he would next beg
leave to propose the health of the illustrious indivi-
dual,- the Royal President of the Corporation ; who,
though unavoidably absent on this day. had so power-
fully contributed, by his bounty, his liberal example,
his strenuous and zealous labours, to the support and
prosperity of their Institution. In giving this health,
lie would be allowed to couple with it that of the
part of the service his Royal Highness had chosen as
the theatre of his exertions, actively to manifest his.
love to his country, a service which e himself, Lord
Melville, had ever viewed, and to the end of his life
would view, with the eye of partiality and atfection ;
and on the well-being and flourishing state of which
the safety and greatness of the British '' Empire so
much depended—(Loud applause.) He would propose
" The health of the Duke of Clarence and St. Andrew, the
Royal President of the Corporation, and the Navy."
His Royal Highness s health was drank with enthu-
siastic applause—three times three.—Air, "Rule Bri-
tannia."—Song, " Rule Britannia."
The health of the "Duke of Kent and the Royal
Scots," was then drank with three times three.—Air,
" March of the Regiment."—A glee.
The Noble CUAIRMAN then said, he rose to pro-
pose the health of another illustrious individual, to
whom, though they had not the satisfaction of seeing
him this day among them, the Hospital was deeply
indebted for his bountiful patronage, and the pro-
motion of its ends by his presence on many former
occasions. He meant to propose the health of
-" His Rioyal Highness the Duke of Sussex."
The health was drank with three times three, and
the strongest marks of a plause.—Air, " A tree and
jr
accepted Mason."—A ee.
The Pries:DENT ne rose to give the health of an
illustrious personage, whose name would be sure to
excite feelings of melancholy and regret in all whom
he addressed-, who, daring the time of his residence.
in this country, had, by his honourable and merito-
rious conduct, entirely
.gained the approbation and
estcam of every person in it, from the highest to the
low est—(Applatue.) lie would propose the health of
" Prince Leopold of Saxe Cobourg."—This was drank in
siknce.—Air, " Farewell to Lochaber. —Song, " Ye banks and
braes of bonny Doan."
Tuast—" The Princess li:lizabeth and the Prince of Hesse
H unb7g."—Three times three.—Air, " Woodand flurried
ani a.. —Glee " Here's a health to all good lasses."
The Noble President now addressed the Meeting,'
and observed, that he was conscious the toast he was
about to give would meet with the hearty concur-
rence and perfect cordiality of every Gentleman in
the room. In drinking " Success to die Scottish
Corporation," he knew it to be quite unneces.,try to
use any words to recommend it to any one present ;
it would come home to their own feelings. Equally
unnecessary was it on such an occasion to enter into
any detail of the objects of the Establishment they
were met together to support. It held out no encou-
ragement to the idle or profligate. Its funds were
employed exclusiVely in aid of the virtuous and de-
serving Scotch poor ; in affording temporary assis-
tarkce to the distressed industrious, who might hope
aglin to benefit society by their labours • or in grant-
ing. regular and permanent pensions here ; or con-
veying immediately to their native land, when they
desire it, the unfortunate, aged, and infirm, who
have outlived their powers of exertion. He felt as-
sured that Scotchmen would give their poor and
aged countrymen the opportunity to boast, when they
returned to their Highland home, that they were nut
forgotten or neglected in a strange land—(Applause.)
The Secretary of the Corporation would, when he
sat down, read an abstract of the history of the Cor-
poration, and a statement of its present condition.—
He would, therefore, at once, propose " Success to
the Scottish Corporation." "This was drank with long
and vehement acclamations.—Air, When I ha'e a sax-
pence ander lay thumb.
KOBILEIT Ant" Esq. the worthy and attentive Se-
cretary to the Corporation, then read a concise ac-
count of the rise,•progress, and present condition of
the Scottish Hospital, of which the following is the
substance :
In the year 1567, there were but.sB Scots in Lon.
don. The accession of James 1. caused a great in-
flux of people of that country. .into the metropolis ;
of these, some, however great their industry and eco
nomy, according to the natural course of things, were
seduced to poverty and distress. To relieve the
wants of their countrymen, unnoticed and unknown,
unintitled, too, to parochial assistance, the more for-
tunate formed a society, denominated the " Scottish
Box," to which the existing Hospital owes its origin.
The first charter was obtained ft om Charles H. in
the year 1665, so that the chartered Corporation has
existed above 150 years. A second charter was ob-
tained in the year 1676, enlarging the Corporation's
numbers, powers, and privileges ; but so pressing
were the calls ott its benevolence, that in the year
.1775, when the Society was re-incorporated by his
ptesent Neal, the funds were little more than suf.
fic'eat to y the charge of suing out the letters
Patent. A by-law was afterwards made, whereby it
u the practice, in order to the formation of a lasting
wroductive capital, to invest in the public funds one-
Isalf of every donation of ten guineas and upwards, to
twenty ; and the whole of every donation of this last

amount or upwards. By the operation of this by.
law, the Corporation are en,tbled„ from the interest
of their stock, to defray the drpenses of management,
but to do this only. It is on an bounty annually re-
ceived that they are to rely for carrying the great'
purposes of the Institution into effect. The end of
the incorporation is—by voluntary contributions to
mate a fund for the relief and assistance of poor
Scots people, who have not acquired a right to any
parochial provision in England, and who have sur-
vived the power of labouring, or are disabled by ce-1
guilty and disease to earn a livelihood ; who, des'
sirons to return to their native country, are destitute
of the means. With a view to counteract any too,
dewy to regular pauperism, and to keep up a stz
of independence in the Scottish poor resident in
don, none are held entitled to permanent relief, but
such as from age, sickness, blindness, or other causes,
are disabled from maintaining themselves by their
own labour.
In the years 1815 and 1816, the money distributed
'exceeded by the surd of 3161. the amount of dona-
tions and subscriptions in the same period, and so
great was the distress during these two years, that
the General Court of Governors, on St. Andrew's
'Day, 1816, determined to apportion a sum of 15001.
to the calls of the next year. However, the libera-
lity of their patrons during the last year has enabled
them to preserve their engagements to the poor.—
Last St. Andrew's Day the sum was enlarged by the
Court to 1,6001. in a strong dependence on your libe-
rality to put them in a state to meet their engage-
ments; while they may, at the same time, preserve
inviolate the terms of the by-law. From the Spring
Meeting of 1816 to that of 1817, the average num-
ber of monthly applications for assistance was 246;
making a total at the end of the year of 2954. From
the last period to the present meeting, the number
has increased to 270, making a total of $217, being
,an increase of 293, of whom very few have been sent
away without relief, and never without due inquiry
and Investigation. Each individual case is examined
either at the habitation of the applicant or the Hall
of the Corporation, which is open for that purpose onl
the second Wednesday of every month. To every
Governor and Gentleman becoming so, the books of
the Corporation are open at all Courts, and the Se-
cretary is always happy to render any informatir
that may be desired.
Subscriptions at the Spring Meeting, 1516
Unpaid

St. Andrew's Day Meeting . £355 6 6
Unpaid 11 11 0

£4Ol 9 0
10 10 9

£390 19 0

Spring Meeting, 1817
St. Andrew's Day, ditto

343 15 6,
754 17 6
407 7 0

• -
tribution.—(Applestee.l—Whea it was recollected that
all the objects of their charity were deserving per-
sons in distress, and that many of them were the or-
phans and widows of their brave countrymen who
had lost their Eves in defence of their country, and
who had thus contributed to afford protection and se-
curity to those4vho remained at home, " they could
not but devise and do liberal things."—(Great and
long continued applause.)
In the course of a few minutes after this appeal, Mr.
AULD announced that the contributions exceeded
6001.-(Shouts of applyuse.)
Lord MaLviLLE next proposed, that Stewards
should be named for the next year, and Cheerfully
Offered to be himself one of them. Thereafter, Ad-
dMiral HALEET, General BALFOUR, WILLIAM RAE
WILSON, and D. WLACHLAN, Esqrs. and other Gen-
tlemen,
were elected Stewards for next year.
A few minutes before eleven Lord MitivlLLE re-
tired, and was succeeded in the Chair by Sir Tito-
SIAS BELL. The company broke up about 12 o'clock,
separating with such feelings of gratification as ought
always to result from meetings which assemble for
the purposes of sociability and benevolence.