The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-01-06 00:00:00

NEW YEAR'S ENTERTAINMENT GIVEN
MESSRS. MILNER TO THEIR WORKMEN

On Friday evening last, Messrs. Thomas Milner and
Son, inventors, and sole manufacturers of their own cele-
brated fire-resisting Safes, Deed-boxes, and Gunpowder-
magazines, gave a sumptuous and splendid entertainment
at their extensive works (in Lord-street and Cable-street,)
to the numerous workmen in their employ, and to a
number of gentlemen, friends of the firer, who were in-
vited as guests on the interesting occasion. An excellent
dinner, consisting of the most substantial viands, in the
wake of which followed plum-pudding and other etceteras.
with wines, spirits, ale, and -(for the temperance portion
of the company) capital liqueurs, was served up at three
long tables, presided over by Mr. Milner, senior,—at the
head of the centre board—supported by a son on-each
side ' • the vice-chair being occupied by Mr. John Owens,
the foreman of the concern.
The room was most appropriately and elegantly deco-
rated with festoons of evergreens, roses, &c., and over
the chair was fixed an ornamental canopy of crimson dra-
pery. One end was illuminated by a crown in jets of gas,
and at the other were similarly emblazoned the initials,
V. 8., with a device illustrative of the valuable invention
of the givers of the feast, bearing the inscription in blaz-
ing letters " Milners' Fire Tamer," surmounted by Nep-
tune's Trident supporting the figures "212," indicating
the degree of heat at which the fire-safes on their princi•
pie become available by supplying internal vapour to re-
sist the action of the strongest fire.
About 130 sat down to the repast •, this number com-
prising about 100 of the operatives of the concern, all in
their respectable holiday attire, and about 30 gentlemen
who had been invited. Amongst the latter were Mr.
Samuel Woods, jun. ; Mr. Richard Woods, Mr. Salt,
secretary of the Polytechnic Society ; Mr. Arnitt, ma-
nager of the new Gas and Coke Company. and with him
Mr. Bright. cousin of Mr. Bright, M,P. for Durham ;
Mr. C. J. Smith, of the New Gas Company ; Mr. Arstall,
and others of our townsmen and neighbours.
After the dinner,the usual loyal toasts were given from
the chair, and received with the most patriotic feeling.
That of the " Quee-s" was followed by the national an-
them, sung by the whole company, upstanding, and led
by Mr. Crawford, a gentleman in the employ, who intro-
duced some new and appropriate verses. The others
were also marked by glees, or musical honours.
Mr. Wm. MILNER, (the junior partner) being now
called upon for a toast, said he had great pleasure in com-
plying, and in proposing that they should drink prosperity
to " British Industry"—for he made no distinction as to
locality, and wished to include all industrious workmen,
English, Irish, Scotch, and Welsh. He honoured them
all, for they made, in dutifully pursuing their several
avocations, the best husbands, the best fathers, and the
best subjects, and this was in a great degree to be attri-
buted to the religious feeling and love of. country that
pervaded them. He eloquently urged the encourage-
ment of industry amongst the whole of our fellow-
countrmen, and sat down amidst loud cheers.

Mr. W. 'CRUSE, one of the workmen, here appropri-
ately sang " England—we ne'er shall see her like again."
Mr. JAMES WALKER MILNER, youngest son of Mr.
Milner, senior, here gave the toast of "The Town and
Trade of Liverpool," which was drunk with great ap-
plause, and followed by the song of " Life on the
Ocean Wave." by Mr. John Strange, one of the work-
men—spiritedly executed and loudly applauded.
Messrs. Weal and Philips, also in the employ, then fa-
voured the company with a clever and gratifying obliyato
on the violin and horn, introducing a number of popuiar
airs.

The CHAIRMAN, having called upon his active fore-
man, who acted as vice at the lower end of the room, for a
toast or sentiment,

Mr. OWENS requested that each should fill a bumper,
for he should propose their worthy entertainers, " Mes-
srs Milner and Son," who were truly kind and consider-
ate employers. The gengemen present would appreciate
their hospitality to themsllves, and with regard to their
kindness and indulgence as masters—their uniform cour-

tesy and consideration—he could himself speak from an
experience of seventeen years. (Cheers.) To see, as at
that joyous meeting, two classes who were essential to
each other, though in different grades of life, thus render-
ing themselves mutually social, was indeed delightful.
He concluded by proposing health, happiness, long life,
and prosperity to Thos. Milner and Son. (Great cheer-
ing.)
The CHAIRMAN begged to return his sincere thanks for
the handsome manner in which the toast has been given
and received. He sincerely wished all happiness through
life to his workmen, and also to their wives, relatives, and
sweethearts. (Great cheers and laughter.)
Glee by Mr. Weal, sweetly sung, " Plenty and Jny."
_ _

The CHAIRMAN proposed the health of those kind
friends who had assisted them by their encouragement to
carry out the principle which bad given rise to the estab-
lishment, and several of whom had favoured them with
their company that evening. (Cheers and three times
three.)

A gentleman whose name we did not obtain, replied.
He paid a high compliment to Messrs. Milner, and ex-
pressed his extreme gratification at witnessing the feeling
that pervaded those present. He alluded to the motto of
the " Fire Tamer" in the room, and prop rsed 'be health
of the house in the appropriate name of" Tne Fire King."
(Great cheers.)
A young gentleman, who is blind, here played an air on
a piano, in the open countinghouse, behind the chair,
and afterwards sung, very sweetly, to his own accompany-
ment, " She wore a wreath of ros?s."
Mr WEAL proposed a sentiment to the effect that, the
rose, thistle, leek:and shamrock, might ever be harmo-
niously combined, which was enthusiastically drunk, and
eloquently and facetiously responded to by Mr. Crawford.
Mr. MILNER, it'll., in proposing a toast, recurred to
times past, when their " Fire Tamer" was not so well
known as now. They had had much to encounter with their
invention, for it opposed facts to preconceived opinions.
Scientific men said that books and documents could not
be preserved from fire, and few favoured the principle.
Mori', however, had since acknowledged it. They were
finally indebted to the support of a few friends. They
appealed to the most scientific men, workers in iron, che-
m;sts,&e. to ccme and see, and pronounce upon their claim.
This happily led to their knowiodgc of a society without
private interest in the matter, but ready to forward what-
ever was beneficiel to society at large. He (the speaker)
felt that the principle was based on truth that could not
be shaken—the great laws by which water or its modifi-
cations regulate all temperature. The Polytechnic So-
ciety took an interest in the question. They entered into
a course of the most trying experiments. They, it is true,
put them in the fire ! and a hot and continuous one too ;
and the result established the accuracy of the principle.
He therefore proposed " the Polytechnic Society," and
with it Mr S. Woods, jun., who had done them great
service, Associated with Mr. Woods were his excellent
friends Mr. Salt, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Arstall, whose
health he conjointly proposed. (Vehement applause.)
Mr: WOODS replied in behalf of the Society named.
The invention was one of the most valuable that had ever
been brought before the Society, and he had introduced it
to their notice in the early part of 1843. They had
brought Messrs. Milner's safes to the severe-t tests along
with those of others, and the former had distanced all
competitors. He had made a record of its success, and
considered it an honour to the Society to bring it forward.
It was, in truth, one of the greatest boons that had ever
been gained by the country. The contents of all the
other boxes were reduced to tinder! those in Milner's
were taken out, after the same ordeal, as fresh as when
they were put in. (Great cheering.)
Mr. SMITH, of the New Gas Company, and also a
member of the Polytechnic Society, bore equally strongtes-
timony to the efficiency of Messsrs. Milner's Safes. He
was present at the several experiments near St. Jude's
Church. At first he had no faith in Milner's tin bosxe,.
and was perfectly astonished at the result. On this point
he expatiated with great felicity and humour. acknow-
ledging his erroneous first impressions, and his subsequent
high and unqualified opinion of the excellence of the in-
vention. We regret that our limited 'space prevents us
from attemyting more than a mere outline of the address
of this- gentleman, Mr. Woods, and others. After ex-
pressing, in eloquent terms, his admiration of the com-
mingling of the employers and the employed, as witnessed
on the occasion, he concluded by toasting ".The Progress,
rapid and.triumphant of Milner's Fire-proof Safes."
(Great cheers.)
Mr: MILNER, jun., called the attention of the com-
pany to an ornamental flower vase, made of the same ma-
terials as the safes, by one of, their workmen, Wm. Tear,
and a crown, made by John Corlett. He stated that he
had, perhaps, 50 men equally capable. These specimens
was certainly beautiful, and elicited much approbation.
On the tables were also shown two pieces of plate, a

snuff-box, and a cigar-case; the former presented. to Nir.

Milner, sen., and the latter to his son, by their workmen,
as a grateful acknowledgment to them for their kindness
and consideration in releasing them from work so crirly as
three o'clock every Saturday afternoon. Both bore suit-
able inscriptions to that effect.
Mr. OWEN (the foreman), on his health being drunk,
with a high compliment, said that nothing was due to him
of encomium. His object had been, and ever should be,
to give satisfaction to masters and to men, without in-
fringing on the rights of either. (Cheers.)
Mr. ARNITT, (Gas Company) on his health being
drunk, spoke in a feeling and impressive manner, on the
occasion that bad called them together.
A number of other toasts, sentiments, songs, &c., fol-
lowed. "The Press" was responded to by Mr. J. S. Wal-
ker, (in behalf of the whole "gang,") who expressed a hope
that the example of friendly feeling exhibited that night
between masters and men would elsewhere be followed.
The whole meeting was one of the most delightful we
have had to record, and the company separated about mid-
night, highly gratified by the entertainment of the night.

THE STAGE NEGRO.—The character of the negro, as
exhibited on the stage, is a strange compound of physical
and moral singularities, that are well worthy the attention
of the student of human nature in its dramatic, which is
certainly its most astounding form. The stage negro
seems to be deeply imbued with the beauties of the Bri-
tish constitution, and is constantly indulging in senti-
ments of gratitude towards England that must be delight.
ful to the ears of the most patriotic native of our highly-
favoured isle. The stage negro is continually running
about in an ecstacy of delight at the reflection, thS,
" dreckly him put him foot on British groun, him frecpas
de air, free as massa himself;" an announcement which
is usually followed up in an early scene by the negro re-
ceiving a variety of cuffs or kicks (in which, by-the-by,
he seems to delight,) from some of the other characters
in the drama. Sometimes the stage negro grows senti-
mental, and asks, in reference to some cruel practidal
joke that has been played upon him, "Whether him not
a man and a brother ; f.r though him face black as him
roll, him heart white as him lily ?" The old constitution-
loving and sentimental-spluttering stage nigger is, how-
ever, rapidly disapkaring from the stage; and we get, in
these days, very few of those cutting allthions to the
traffic in slaves, and those tender appeals to the equality
which were the eta- -

of the human race, _..„ ot the dramatic.
negroes of our infancy. Cruikshank's Table Book.