the House of
Peers, many members of the House of Commons, and three Bishops, in all
about 300 supporters of the institution.

After grace by the Bishop of Winchester, in whose diocese the Asylum is
situated, the Chairman rose to propose the usual opening toast of "The
Queen," saying that Her Majesty had always taken deep interest in this
Asylum, and had sent L50 to its funds at one of its annual festivals.
Earl Granville, in a genial and humorous speech, proposed the toast of
"The Prince and Princess of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family."
The noble Lord said he considered it a fortunate circumstance that he
was there that evening, because in the afternoon he met a friend, who
said to him: "You really don't mean to say you are going to dine with
those wicked people the licensed victuallers?" Now, in arguing the case
with his friend, he did not go into the abstruse question whether all
persons who dealt in articles of general demand and great consumption,
useful in themselves, and capable of being misapplied or abused, such as
food, or drink, or money, or physic, or a great many other things which,
excellent in themselves in a small quantity, might be most deleterious,
when misapplied--were monsters. He satisfied himself with a much shorter
answer, which was that, as a study in human nature, it would be rather
interesting to see 300 monsters of iniquity assembled cordially to
promote the work of genuine charity and benevolence. Having justified
his presence, he ventured to say that the toast he proposed would be
received with the most unfeigned and genuine pleasure, since he had to
give "The Health of the Prince, of the Princess of Wales, and the rest
of the Royal Family." He might recommend it on the score of the high
position of the Chairman, which enabled him to influence so many for
good, or on the ground that the Prince and Princess are the most popular
couple in the country, and in all the vast dependencies of the British
Crown. He might put it on the ground that the Prince shows that genial
and cordial energy in anything which he undertakes, whether in
protecting the interests of British exhibitors on the Champs de Mars at
Paris, or in presiding in a work of charity and kindliness. He might
also recommend it in consequence of His Royal Highness being the very
best chairman of a public dinner. Instead of long speeches, His Royal
Highness made addresses that were, to use a homely expression, as full
of meat as