11 o'clock at night, with a liability, moreover, to their
being called up at any hour in the night, and without
being able to call so much as the Sabbath their own:
and it is proposed ere long to draw attention to the
condition of that sadly oppressed class—the journeymen
bakers. The association has sought to accomplish its
object principally through the instrumentality of public
meetings, lectures, sermons, and the press; ever striving
by confining its claims within the bounds of moderation,
and by the exercise of a right and kindly spirit, so to
melt down the prejudices of opposing employers, as in
time to conciliate and win them over to the cause. At
present it stands greatly in need of an increase to its
funds; and it is hoped the above particulars will be
deemed a sufficient proof of the importance of the
operations of the Early Closing Association, and justify
the expectation of the board that, if those operations
are adequately sustained by means of public liberality,
a very large amount of good must ensue to all persons
engaged in trade, and, indirectly, to the community at
large.

The tenth anniversary of the Royal Theatrical Fund
was celebrated, on 2d inst., by the usual dinner at the
London Tavern. The principal speaker was Mr.
Buckstone, who gave a description of the trials and troubles
of a country actor's life, as illustrated by his own
experience.—"I am enabled truly to depict what this
class of performers endure, because I was a country
actor, and, amongst other vicissitudes, once walked from
Northampton to London—seventy-two miles—on
fourpence-halfpenny. It is a fact, I assure you. I had a
companion in the same plight; and on comparing our
pecuniary resources, we discovered ourselves masters of
the sum of ninepence, fourpence-halfpenny each, according
to Cocker. As it may interest you, gentlemen, I
will describe my costume on that occasion, and how we
got to London. My costume consisted of a threadbare
whity-blue coat, with tarnished metal buttons, secured
to the throat, because I wore underneath what we term
a flowered waistcoat, made of glazed chintz, and of a
very showy pattern, generally adopted when playing
country boys and singing comic songs, which at that
time was my vocation. I will not attempt to describe
my hat; while my trousers must only be delicately
alluded to, as they were made of what was originally
white duck, but, as they had been worn about six
weeks, and having myself been much in the fields, there
was a refreshing tint of a green and clay colour about
them, which imparted to that portion of my attire quite
an agricultural appearance. I carried a small bundle.
I will not describe its entire contents, except that it
held a red wig and a pair of russet boots. Under my
arm was a portfolio, containing sketches from nature,
and some attempts at love poetry. While on my feet to
perform this distance of seventy-two miles, I wore a
pair of dancing pumps, tied up at the heel with pack-
thread. Thus equipped, I started with my companion
from Northampton; and before breakfast we
accomplished fifteen miles, when we sat down to rest ourselves
under a hedge by the road-side. We felt very much
disposed to partake of the meal I have alluded to, but
were rather puzzled how to provide it. Presently a
cow-boy appeared, driving some lazy zigzag-going cows,
and carrying two large tin cans, containing skimmed
milk. We purchased the contents of one of the cans
for one halfpenny. A cottage was close at hand, where
we applied for bread, and procured a very nice though
rather stale half-quartern home-baked loaf for one
penny. The cow-boy sat by us on that road-side to
wait for his can. The cows seemed to regard us with a
sleeply look of mingled pity and indifference, while,
with the bottom crust of that loaf and three pints of
skimmed milk, I assure you I enjoyed the road-side
breakfast of that summer morning more than I have
enjoyed the sumptuous banquet of this evening. On
the first day we walked forty miles; in which my
pumps, and what they covered 'suffered some.' Our
bed for the night was in one of those wayside hostelries
called 'a lodging-house for travellers;' for which
accommodation we disbursed twopence. Late in the
evening of the next day we completed the remaining
thirty-two miles; and found ourselves at the Mother
Red Cap, at Camden Town, with enough in our pockets
to procure half a pint of porter." Mr. Buckstone
considered himself qualified to say how great a boon the
Theatrical Fund is to the poor country actors. He
stated that, though the disbursements of the society
include sums returned to the families of deceased
members, the payment of funeral expenses, the payment of
ten annuities, five of £30 per annum, four of £60, and
one of £90, their capital amounted to nearly £9000.

The fortieth anniversary of the Artists' Benevolent
Institution was celebrated by a dinner at the
Freemasons' Tavern on the 31st ult.; the Lord Mayor in
the chair. The subscriptions reached £611.

The annual dinner of the Royal Humane Society was
held on the 30th ult.; Sir Samuel Peto in the chair, as
the Duke of Wellington was prevented by indisposition.
The report of the Society showed that last year 150 out
of 177 persons were successfully treated; that 97
persons immersed by the breaking of the ice were rescued;
and that 690 persons severely cut or bruised on the ice
received medical assistance in the Society's receiving-
houses, up to the 27th February. Among those
rewarded with the Society's medal for meritorious
actions, were Lieutenant Lucas, of the Hecla, who
threw a lighted shell overboard during the first attack
on Bomarsund; and Lieutenant Walter Stirling, of the
Coldstream Guards, late midshipman of the Britannia,
who during the hurricane of the 14th November
commanded a boat that, under fire of the Cossacks, rescued
thirty-five men from the transports wrecked off the
Katcha. In the course of one of his speeches, Sir
Samuel Peto informed the company that the Balaklava
railroad would be completed as far as the English
head-quarters by the 26th, and that then 1000 tons of
ammunition could be carried to the front every day.
The subscriptions exceeded £600.

The Manner of celebrating Divine Worship in St.
Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, continues to be the
subject of unseemly disputes. On Easter Eve the church
was decked with evergreens and flowers, with the
consent of the clerical authorities. Hearing this, Mr.
Westerton, the churchwarden, took legal advice, and
served notices upon the Rev. Mr. Liddell, the Rev. Mr.
Marriott, the Rev. Mr. Boucher, and several females,
warning them against aiding in these proceedings. This
produced no effect; and in the evening Mr. Westerton,
going to the church himself, found that he was locked
out by the curates and their female assistants. But he
gained admission, and removed the decorations from the
chancel. As soon as Mr. Westerton had withdrawn, the
curate and his friends replaced the flowers. On the
following Tuesday the vestry of the parish met to elect
churchwardens; Mr. Liddell, the incumbent, in the chair.
A most outrageous scene took place. First there was a
warm dispute as to the minutes of the last meeting; Mr.
Liddell refusing to confirm Mr. Westerton's minutes,
and confirming his own. Mr. Beale moved a resolution,
to the effect that Mr. Westerton's minutes, not Mr.
Liddell's minutes, were then read and confirmed. Mr.
Liddell objected to put the motion, till informed by the
Rev. F. Baring that he was legally bound to do so.
Then the resolution was carried. Next, Col. Vereker
moved a resolution, declaring the opinion of the meeting,
"That the mode of celebrating divine worship by
the said Rev. R. Liddell and his curates in the church
of St. Paul's, and the chapel of St. Barnabas, is highly
offensive, and ought forthwith to be discontinued; that
the Hon. and Rev. F. Baring, Hon. C. Smyth Vereker,
Grenville Berkeley, Esq., M.P., Lord Ernest Bruce, and
Mr. C. Westerton, be a committee to arrange a deputation
to once more wait upon the Bishop of London,
and to express to him the feelings and wishes of the
parishioners." Mr. Liddell, disregarding this resolution,
declared that he would name his own warden.
This, according to Mr. Baring, who again tendered
advice, was really the proper course. But as Mr. Liddell
left the chair last year after the wardens had been
named, the meeting were apprehensive that he would
do so this year and that the legality of the subsequent
acts of the vestry would be endangered. Mr. Beale
therefore asked Mr. Liddell whether he would not leave
the chair until the business was over: but Mr. Liddell
pertinaciously refused to answer. Mr. Baring again
told the meeting, that if Mr. Liddell left the chair they