The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-01-08 00:00:00

SOIREE IN AID OF THE ST. ANNE'S DISPENSARY

A social meeting of the friends of the St. Anne's Dispen-
sary, was held in Lascelle's Room, near St. Anne's Church,
on Thursday evening. The entertainment was in every '
particular unique and elegant, and had been arranged, and
all the essentials gratuitously supplied, by an association
of ladies, who presided at the different tables : the follow-
ing are the names of the ladies, whose benevolence
prompted, (for the proceeds were assigned to the liquida-
tion of the debt of the charity), the undertaking, and
whose gracious and dignified deportment contributed most
effectively to render the occasion one of refined and social
entertainment. Mrs. Kirk, Mrs. Kitchen, Mrs. Acker-
ley, Mrs. Hillier, Mrs. and Misses Fairhurst, Mrs. Bar-
ton, Mrs. and Miss Kirkpatrick, Mrs. Garratt, Mrs.
Smith, Mrs. Gilbert, Mrs. Chambers, Mrs. Green, and
Miss Sears. The tables were crowded with delicacies,
appertaining to the side table, and were unusually impos-
ing in effect from the circumstance of the services having
supplied from the family plate of the fair president. The
room, a spacious one, formerly ranking high as a ball-
room, and for purposes of public assemblies generally,
presented a brilliant coup d'ceil: it was literally crowded
with the beauty and fashion of the locality ; the walls
were tastefully adorned with evergreens and drapery ; at
one end was a juvenile exhibition, and a post-office in-
tended for the deposition transmission of the important
correspondence of the little people frequenting the "show"
which stood in juxta position ; the gallery was occupied
by the band of the 46th regiment, who attended by the
courtesy of Col. Garratt, and whose splendid performances
tended prominently to enliven the proceedings. His wor-
ship the mayor graced the principal table, and on his
right sat the Rev. F. Ould, the late chairman ; there were
likewise present the Rev. J. H. Jones, the Rev. H. Jones,
Mr. Councillor Hodgson, and other gentlemen of local
influence. After tea the rev. chairman rose, and in an
elaborate address explained the origin and present position
of the institution. From his statements it transpired
that the St. Anne's Dispensary was brought into opera-
tion about twelve months' since, when the Eastern Dis-
pensary became extinct. There was a trifling debt of £5O
against them, but he augured the liquidation of that bur-
den, and the prospective prosperity of the charity from
the circumstance of his worship having kindly consented
to become the chairman during his year of office, if indeed
the proceeds of that evening were not sufficient for the
present demand on their finances. The rev. gentleman
was eloquent in his praise of the assiduity and talent of
the medical gentlemen connected with the institution,
who were the main cause of its usefulness. He quoted
one remarkable instance, that of a child who was literally
blind, and whose sight had been restored by Dr. Notting-
ham, who had actually supplied the eye with a false pupil.
After mentioning the name of Mr. Edward Smith, the
secretary, as a gentleman to whom the institution owed
much of its usefulness, and proposing a vote of thanks to
the ladies, who had so kindly furnished the entertainment,
and on whom it was intended to make a similar demand
next year, the rev. gentleman sat down. The mayor ex-
pressed his determination to assist his utmost in further-
ing the benevolent object for which they had assembled.
The oratorical portion of the proceedings was enlivened
by the efforts of Mr. Ryalls, whose eminence in the vocal
art is too well known and highly appreciated to require
particularisation here.—Dolls, needlework, and the other
fanciful materiel which go to compose a bazaar, were then
unpinned from the walls which they had been enlisted to
decorate, and a spirited sale of 'the articles was carried on
at the several tables. One of the most attractive and in-
teresting was that presided over by Mrs. Kirkpatrick and
her beautiful and accomplished daughters. We congra-
tulate them upon their felicitous success in having disposed
of every article so very advantageously. Among others
we observed a very elegant ottoman cover of patchwork,
made and presented by Mrs. Clements, which realized the
handsome sum of two pounds. The proceeds, thoergh
the praiseworthy and efficient exertions of the Misses
Kirkpatrick, amounted to upwards of sixteen pounds.
We hope, as was anticipated, that the result of tire even-
ing's entertainment will relieve theinstitution from its Re-
sent liabilities.