The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1865-06-27
CharIos Dickens Roportar

new institution IN London, toandes
two years ago for protective and char
liable purposes. Its second celebra
ton took place on the 20lh Of May
Mr. Dickens made the opening speech
in which, after alluding 10 the power
exercised BY free press, be gave the
following pleasant "reminiscences Of hii
own life as reporter;
i went to the gallery Of the House
Of Commons rs parliamentary report.
er when | was boy not eighteen, and
left it--I can hardly believe the in
exorable truth--nigh thirty years ago ;
and have pursued the calling Of -
reporter under circumstances Of which
many Of my brethren at home in Eng.
land, here, many OF my brethren's
successors, can form no adequate con-
eeption. | have often transcribed Tor
the printer from my shorthand notes
important public speeches in which
the sirictest accuracy was required,
and mistake in which would have
been to a young man severely COM
promising, written on the palm Of my
hand by the light Of dark lantern
in post-chaise and four, galloping
through wild country, all through
the dead Of the night, at the then sur
prising rate of fileen miles an hour.
The very last time | was at Exc
ter | strolled into the Castle yard,
there TO identify, for the amusement
Of friend, the spot on which ! once
took, as we used to call it, an cleo
tion speech of my noble friend Lord
Russell, in the midst Of lively fight
maintained by all the vagabonds in
that division of the country, and uRder
such pelting rain that l remembered
two good-natured colleagues, who
chanced to be at leisure, held a pock-
et handkerchief over my notebook,
after the manner of state canopy in
an ecclesiastical procession. (Laugh-
tel)
Il have worn my knees by writing
on them on the old back row of the
old House Of Commons and ! have
worn my teet by standing to write in
a preposterous pen in the House Of
Lords, where we used to be huddled
like so many sheep (Iaughter,) kept
in waiting till the wool-sack might
want resulting. "A laugh.) Re-
turning home from excited political
meetings in tie country to the wait
ing press in London, | do verify be-
lieve | have been upset in almost ey-
cry description Of vehicles known in
this country. "A laugh.) / have
been, in my time, belated on miry by
roads, toward the small hours, forty
o. fliy miles from London, in a rick. |
city carriage, with exhausted horses
and drunken post-boys, and have got
back in time before publication to be
received with never-iorgotten compli-
ments by Mr.. Black, in the broadest
OF Scotch, coming from the broadest
of hearts that | ever knew. (Hear,
hear)
Ladies and gentlemen: / mention
these trivial things as an assurance to
) GU that have never forgotten the
fascination OF that old pursuit.
[ Cheers, The pleasure that used
10 feel in the rapIdity and deAteriiy
oil It's exercise has never faded out of
my breast. Whatever little cunning
OF hand or head | took to it, or acquir-
ed in it, so retained as that | fully
do believe could resume it tomorrow.
CChecrs To this present year Of my
hte, when sit in this hall, or where
not, hearing dull speech-the phe-
nomenon does occur laughter i
sometimes beguile the tedum of the
moment by mentally following the
speaker in the old, old way; and
sometimes, if you can believe me, even
find my hand going on the table cloth.
[ Laughter. Accept these little truths
as confirmation of what know, as
a confirmation of my interest in this
old calling. Accept them as proof
that my feeling for the vocation Of my
youth is not sentiment taken up to-
night TO be thrown away tomorrow,
hear, hear but faithful sympathy, |
which is part of myself Cheers.
/ verify believe, am sure, that il
had never quilted my old calling,
should have been foremost and jealous
in the interest Of this institution, be- |
iesing it to be sound, wholesome |
aud a good one. Ladies and gentle /
men, am TO propose 10 you 10 drink,
: Prosperity to the Newspaper Press
Fund