New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-18
MY he North Americana
I'D ACKERAN IN EDTCATION

IL.
The annual festival TO commemorate the establish
,pent of the Commercial Travellers Schools in which
40 orphan and necesstous children are educated and
maintained held at the London Tavern on Satur-
day evening" Dec. 26. Mr.. Thackeray, the celebrated
novelist presided, and made the following speech:
approach the toast OF the evening with very great
dfidence, remembering who have been my last
predecessors in this chair (Mr. Dickens and Sir e. Is.
LyttOnj, and how cOnsummate was the eloquence
with which each of those distinguished men addressed
YOU Moreover after all that has happened very re-
Gently, feel it needu for me to be particularly eau
tous whenever ] come to any meeting IN the city
which has to do with money and monetary affairs
f. Hear and Il taught 1t is seldom that appear
at all IN these regions, unless Indeed II ne OCCASIONALLY
to pay pleasing visit to Messrs. Bydbury IL Evans
IN BUuveTie street to MesSrs Smith Co. OF Corn
hill But read my paper, Ike every good BrtOn,
and from that gather lesson OF profound caution IN
speaking TO mercantile men on subjects OF this kind
Supposmg, for instance that have shares IN the Bun
deleund Banking Company or inthe Royal British DID
diesex Bank, come down to a meeting OF the share
holders and hear hOnOred Treasurer and an adnra-
bic President make the most tOurishng reports "a the
state Of our concern showing TO enormous dividends
accompanied with the most elegant bonuses, aud
proving TO that our funds are invested in the most
secure way at Bogeywallah, Bundecund, and Drank
sea Castle. Laughter. 90 away delighted at the
happy prospect before my wife and family, feeling
perfect confidence that those innocent beings will be
comfortable for the rest of their lives. What then,
my horror when, in one bret fortnight after instead
Of those enormous dividends and elegant bonuses,
am served with a notice TO pay up most prodgi0us
sum aughterl when find that our estates at Bundel-
cund and BOgey waliah have been favaged by the
Bengal tiger that the Island Of Branksea is under
water that our respected President is obliged to go to
Spain for the benefit of his health, aud our eloquent
Treasurer cannot abide the London fog. Renewed
Iaughter.l You see | must be little careful. But,
granted that the accounts have here have not,
ike dinner been subjected to an ingenious culinary
process la laughl-granted that you have spent, as
4 read in your report, f2j,OOO III raising noble
school and grounds; that you have invested an
in tla ur,ns
collected around you the happy juvenile faces which
see smiling on yonder benches to be the objects OF
your honest Christian kindness; and that you have
achieved this scheme among rselyes-.yrauting all
this 10 be true then, gentlemen am your most hum.
bic servant, aud no words that can find can EXPRESS
my enthusiastic admiration for what YOU have done
and for the excellent institution Of which Won are the
hearty patrons and supporters. Cheers sincerely
wish in behalf Of my own class-the literary profess
siop-that we could boast OF anything good. /
wish that we had an INSTITUTION 10 whch We could
copfde our children, instead of having 20 send them
nbop, IN schools a. we do, at an awful cost. When
the respected Mr. Squeers, OF Do-the-BOys HAL an
nounces that lie proposes TO take Iii'eu Vi Pu-
ps-I shouldrathel saya numberOi very nun M M
tasueh-ti rs not because be is in love with the htee
dart does but because he designs 10
aproft out ofthen II always paluS me 70 thihh ol Tue
profits 10 be screwed ont Of the bellies OF the poor ~
Tie nnocen,s Why have we mol, as men ~ r
come such association rs that you nave gVt w !
appeal 10 my literary brethren, If any oil mem are
piesent whether we the Of the line, canns' emu
fate the men of the road Hear, hear.l Wen
ago friend engaged in my own pIoesSon' ".,n, e
81 600 year, showed me the half-yearly account .
bis two little boys at school These little heroes ol SD
and sever who are at very excellent school, wheI'
they well and comfortably provided Tor, cam,
home with little bill in their pocket which amounted
10 the sum of e75 for the half year. Now, think %
this poor Patertom,ijas earning his moderate ,CV
year. out Of which he has his life assurance, his IN
tax and his house rent to pay with three OF 10
poor relations TO support-for doubtless, we are a!
Eessed with these appendages ia laugh and will
the heavy bills Of his wife and daughters for millinery
and mantua- making 20 meet, especially at thei
present enormous rates and sizes Renewed laugh
fer.l Think of this overburdened man having {
pay Els for one balfyears schooling Of his ltt