Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On Literature, Science, Music, Drama, And The Fine Arts.
of reA'erence for the chief magistrate of the city , as my grandfather , Mr . William Buckstone , Avas a citizen and a member of the Drapers' Company , and I recollect , Avhen I ivas a little boy , he prophesied that I should one day bo an alderman , and that he should live to hearths crier in court call out , " Make way for Alderman Bucks - Oae ! " butalthough his
, prophecy did not literally come to pass , still , to a certain extent , it has this evening been fulfilled ; for notwithstanding I have never been an alderman , I am not now far from a lord mayor . And now , gentleit is time I should leaA'e the city and come westward to the business of our fuud , and explain to those who
may not be acquainted Avith our objects what they are . The Royal General Theatrical Fund Avas established about thirty years ago , for the purpose of admitting all persons as members , who had practised the art of acting , dancing , and singing in Great Dritain and Ireland . The Drury-lane and
Coventgarden fund restricted their members to performers who had been engaged for a term of years at those theatres only . Our funds admits the entire class of performers in England , and grants to such members life annuities at a certain age and under certain conditions . We have now , gentlemen , tAventy-six
annuitants—sixteen of whom are ladies , and ten of them gentlemen , receiving from £ 30 to £ 90 per annum . Our capital amounts to " more than £ 13 , 000 , Avhile during the past year we have distributed in annuities and for funeral expenses no less a sum than £ 1 , 011 , to which may be added nearly £ 100 for expenses in conducting the business of the fund . From letters that I sometimes receive it appears to me many persons imagine that our fund is identical AA'ith that
excellent institution , the Dramatic College , Avhile some fancy it to be connected Avith another excellent institution , the Dramatic Sick Fuud . Gentlemen , this is not the case ; we stand quite alone , and have no connection with any other establishhment , although I must confess that I hope to see the day Avhen the
resources of all the dramatic funds may become amalgamated , for such a proceeding would produce an amount of capital so enormous that every one of the institutions I have referred to would stand upon a firm ' and lasting foundation—a foundation whicli could not be uprooted , unless there should happen
to ' arise a puritanical revolution , which I hope is impossible . But until such an amalgamation takes place it behoves all the members of our fund to be energetic in their endeavours to iucrease its capital ; for we have still much to do and many to provide for . I also think it is not generally understood that our
fund , having a Royal Charter , can receive legacies . Surely -there must be many in this country who have passed their happiest hours in witnessing tho representation of our drama ; to those I can only say , when yon arc making your wills do not forget us . On the last page of our annual report of these festivals you Avill find a simple form of bequest , in Avhich you can insert Avhatevcr you
may [ please to give us ; Avhile the form has one great recommendation—it can bo copied , filled up , signed , and witnessed Avithout tho aid of an attorney .. In pleading our cause to-night , gentlemen I am pleading for a class Avhose loyalty lias ever been proverbial- I need not refer to those gallant players Avho have fought for royalty in the field—I need not now refer to tho mauy instances of their generosity and their courage ; but to show of Avhat stuff thoy arc made , and of their bravery in the hour of despair and of death , I need but name one instance—one
Notes On Literature, Science, Music, Drama, And The Fine Arts.
that is still fresh iu our ' moQioi'ies—the behaviour and end of tho late Gustavus Brooke , AA-IIO worked Avhile he could sa \ "e , and Avhen all hope was abandoned "faced his fate , " as was well said in one of the journals , " like a bravo and Christian gentleman . '' ' * NOAV , gentlemen , as the generous and Avarm influences ofthe city are prevailing at this moment , AVO naturally expect the amount of
donations this evening will exceed those of any previous year ; but I must , in the name of the members of our fund , return our hearty thanks to our illustrious trustee , Mr . Charles Dickens , to Avhom . Ave mainly OAVC the presence of our chairman this evening , for it Avas he that asked tho lord mayor to come , and it Avas the lord mayor Avho said to me that the Avishes of Mr . Dickens were his
commands . Before I conclude , gentlemen , I wish you to remember that our fuud is purely a provident one ; its members , Avheu receiving their annuities , but take Avhat is their right—the return for many years' punctual payment of subscriptions , aided by your donations . While , politically speaking , Ave belong to all parties , we are Conservatives , because AVO take care of our money , do
not ivish any alterations in our rules , and , as every department of our institution is so AVOII represented , we have no occasion for any reform . We are Liberals , because Ave are only too happy when granting annuities
to bo as liberal as Ave can . Radicals AVO arc , because we know AA'e are radically honest ; ancl I do not believe there is a Fenian amongst ns . We are , I hope , liko all present , too strongly attached to our Queen , our Royal family , and our country . As regards her Majesty , you will be happy to hoar that Ave are iu receipt of her annual donation of £ 100 , while the Prince of Wales not only
visits all the theatres , in company with his fair Princess , but has also given us a very handsome subscription . At the same time I cannot forbear reading a letter from a gentleman who has sent us a donation , through that great friend to our fund , Mr . Frederic Ledger , of The Era : — My DEAE SIB , —In the event of my being absent from London
on the day appointed for the dinner of the Koyal General Theatrical I . unci , may I ask you to forward the enclosed cheque for 50 guineas ? It is with great pleasure I forward my donation , and trust sincerely that it may help , in a small way , to relieve those whose infirmities prevent them from earning their daily bread . The more I see of these parties and the good thoy do , the more I feel bound to help them . How thankful we ought to be Avhoin Providence has favoured , and enabled to keep from our doors many of the real hardships of life . Believe me , my dear Sir , yours faithfully , GEOEGE ItOBEBT STEPHENSON .
Great George-street , At ' estimnster . I have merely read this letter , gentlemen , to shoAv you Avhat friends Ave have , and to encourage the others . In conclusion , gentlemen , it has been said that every one has his pleasures . Somo find pleasure in a gloomy austerity , others in cheerfulness and doing good ; and if yon , gentlemen , find a pleasure iu attending these with dona
dinners , and coming doAvn handsomely your - tions , and in listening to those AVIIO address you , let me beg of yon still to indulge in that harmless pleasure . Come here as often as you can on these occasions , be as liberal as you caii , as I Avell know there are many grateful hearts ivho , in the Avords of Lord Dundreary , Avill exclaim , " Bless you , bless you . "
Meetings Of The Scientific And Learned Societies For The Week Ending April 14th, 1866.
MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 14 TH , 1866 .
Tuesday , April lObh . —INSTITUTION or CIVIL EXGI XEEHS , at 8 . 30 . Wednesday , April 11 th . —SOCIETY or Aim , at 8 . GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY or L ONDON , at 8 .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On Literature, Science, Music, Drama, And The Fine Arts.
of reA'erence for the chief magistrate of the city , as my grandfather , Mr . William Buckstone , Avas a citizen and a member of the Drapers' Company , and I recollect , Avhen I ivas a little boy , he prophesied that I should one day bo an alderman , and that he should live to hearths crier in court call out , " Make way for Alderman Bucks - Oae ! " butalthough his
, prophecy did not literally come to pass , still , to a certain extent , it has this evening been fulfilled ; for notwithstanding I have never been an alderman , I am not now far from a lord mayor . And now , gentleit is time I should leaA'e the city and come westward to the business of our fuud , and explain to those who
may not be acquainted Avith our objects what they are . The Royal General Theatrical Fund Avas established about thirty years ago , for the purpose of admitting all persons as members , who had practised the art of acting , dancing , and singing in Great Dritain and Ireland . The Drury-lane and
Coventgarden fund restricted their members to performers who had been engaged for a term of years at those theatres only . Our funds admits the entire class of performers in England , and grants to such members life annuities at a certain age and under certain conditions . We have now , gentlemen , tAventy-six
annuitants—sixteen of whom are ladies , and ten of them gentlemen , receiving from £ 30 to £ 90 per annum . Our capital amounts to " more than £ 13 , 000 , Avhile during the past year we have distributed in annuities and for funeral expenses no less a sum than £ 1 , 011 , to which may be added nearly £ 100 for expenses in conducting the business of the fund . From letters that I sometimes receive it appears to me many persons imagine that our fund is identical AA'ith that
excellent institution , the Dramatic College , Avhile some fancy it to be connected Avith another excellent institution , the Dramatic Sick Fuud . Gentlemen , this is not the case ; we stand quite alone , and have no connection with any other establishhment , although I must confess that I hope to see the day Avhen the
resources of all the dramatic funds may become amalgamated , for such a proceeding would produce an amount of capital so enormous that every one of the institutions I have referred to would stand upon a firm ' and lasting foundation—a foundation whicli could not be uprooted , unless there should happen
to ' arise a puritanical revolution , which I hope is impossible . But until such an amalgamation takes place it behoves all the members of our fund to be energetic in their endeavours to iucrease its capital ; for we have still much to do and many to provide for . I also think it is not generally understood that our
fund , having a Royal Charter , can receive legacies . Surely -there must be many in this country who have passed their happiest hours in witnessing tho representation of our drama ; to those I can only say , when yon arc making your wills do not forget us . On the last page of our annual report of these festivals you Avill find a simple form of bequest , in Avhich you can insert Avhatevcr you
may [ please to give us ; Avhile the form has one great recommendation—it can bo copied , filled up , signed , and witnessed Avithout tho aid of an attorney .. In pleading our cause to-night , gentlemen I am pleading for a class Avhose loyalty lias ever been proverbial- I need not refer to those gallant players Avho have fought for royalty in the field—I need not now refer to tho mauy instances of their generosity and their courage ; but to show of Avhat stuff thoy arc made , and of their bravery in the hour of despair and of death , I need but name one instance—one
Notes On Literature, Science, Music, Drama, And The Fine Arts.
that is still fresh iu our ' moQioi'ies—the behaviour and end of tho late Gustavus Brooke , AA-IIO worked Avhile he could sa \ "e , and Avhen all hope was abandoned "faced his fate , " as was well said in one of the journals , " like a bravo and Christian gentleman . '' ' * NOAV , gentlemen , as the generous and Avarm influences ofthe city are prevailing at this moment , AVO naturally expect the amount of
donations this evening will exceed those of any previous year ; but I must , in the name of the members of our fund , return our hearty thanks to our illustrious trustee , Mr . Charles Dickens , to Avhom . Ave mainly OAVC the presence of our chairman this evening , for it Avas he that asked tho lord mayor to come , and it Avas the lord mayor Avho said to me that the Avishes of Mr . Dickens were his
commands . Before I conclude , gentlemen , I wish you to remember that our fuud is purely a provident one ; its members , Avheu receiving their annuities , but take Avhat is their right—the return for many years' punctual payment of subscriptions , aided by your donations . While , politically speaking , Ave belong to all parties , we are Conservatives , because AVO take care of our money , do
not ivish any alterations in our rules , and , as every department of our institution is so AVOII represented , we have no occasion for any reform . We are Liberals , because Ave are only too happy when granting annuities
to bo as liberal as Ave can . Radicals AVO arc , because we know AA'e are radically honest ; ancl I do not believe there is a Fenian amongst ns . We are , I hope , liko all present , too strongly attached to our Queen , our Royal family , and our country . As regards her Majesty , you will be happy to hoar that Ave are iu receipt of her annual donation of £ 100 , while the Prince of Wales not only
visits all the theatres , in company with his fair Princess , but has also given us a very handsome subscription . At the same time I cannot forbear reading a letter from a gentleman who has sent us a donation , through that great friend to our fund , Mr . Frederic Ledger , of The Era : — My DEAE SIB , —In the event of my being absent from London
on the day appointed for the dinner of the Koyal General Theatrical I . unci , may I ask you to forward the enclosed cheque for 50 guineas ? It is with great pleasure I forward my donation , and trust sincerely that it may help , in a small way , to relieve those whose infirmities prevent them from earning their daily bread . The more I see of these parties and the good thoy do , the more I feel bound to help them . How thankful we ought to be Avhoin Providence has favoured , and enabled to keep from our doors many of the real hardships of life . Believe me , my dear Sir , yours faithfully , GEOEGE ItOBEBT STEPHENSON .
Great George-street , At ' estimnster . I have merely read this letter , gentlemen , to shoAv you Avhat friends Ave have , and to encourage the others . In conclusion , gentlemen , it has been said that every one has his pleasures . Somo find pleasure in a gloomy austerity , others in cheerfulness and doing good ; and if yon , gentlemen , find a pleasure iu attending these with dona
dinners , and coming doAvn handsomely your - tions , and in listening to those AVIIO address you , let me beg of yon still to indulge in that harmless pleasure . Come here as often as you can on these occasions , be as liberal as you caii , as I Avell know there are many grateful hearts ivho , in the Avords of Lord Dundreary , Avill exclaim , " Bless you , bless you . "
Meetings Of The Scientific And Learned Societies For The Week Ending April 14th, 1866.
MEETINGS OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES FOR THE WEEK ENDING APRIL 14 TH , 1866 .
Tuesday , April lObh . —INSTITUTION or CIVIL EXGI XEEHS , at 8 . 30 . Wednesday , April 11 th . —SOCIETY or Aim , at 8 . GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY or L ONDON , at 8 .