deterring　offenders　from　the　perpetration　of　crimes。　　In　those　same
  days；　also；　the　newsman　brought　to　us　daily　accounts　of　a　regularly
  accepted　and　received　system　of　loading　the　unfortunate　insane　with
  chains；　littering　them　down　on　straw；　starving　them　on　bread　and
  water；　damaging　their　clothes；　and　making　periodical　exhibitions　of
  them　at　a　small　charge；　and　that　on　a　Sunday　one　of　our　public
  resorts　was　a　kind　of　demoniacal　zoological　gardens。　　They　brought
  us　accounts　at　the　same　time　of　some　damage　done　to　the　machinery
  which　was　destined　to　supply　the　operative　classes　with　employment。
  In　the　same　time　they　brought　us　accounts　of　riots　for　bread；　which
  were　constantly　occurring；　and　undermining　society　and　the　state；
  of　the　most　terrible　explosions　of　class　against　class；　and　of　the
  habitual　employment　of　spies　for　the　discovery　…　if　not　for　the
  origination　…　of　plots；　in　which　both　sides　found　in　those　days
  some　relief。　　In　the　same　time　the　same　newsmen　were　apprising　us
  of　a　state　of　society　all　around　us　in　which　the　grossest
  sensuality　and　intemperance　were　the　rule；　and　not　as　now；　when　the
  ignorant；　the　wicked；　and　the　wretched　are　the　inexcusably　vicious
  exceptions　…　a　state　of　society　in　which　the　professional　bully　was
  rampant；　and　when　deadly　duels　were　daily　fought　for　the　most
  absurd　and　disgraceful　causes。　　All　this　the　newsman　has　ceased　to
  tell　us　of。　　This　state　of　society　has　discontinued　in　England　for
  ever；　and　when　we　remember　the　undoubted　truth；　that　the　change
  could　never　have　been　effected　without　the　aid　of　the　load　which
  the　newsman　carries；　surely　it　is　not　very　romantic　to　express　the
  hope　on　his　behalf　that　the　public　will　show　to　him　some　little
  token　of　the　sympathetic　remembrance　which　we　are　all　of　us　glad　to
  bestow　on　the　bearers　of　happy　tidings　…　the　harbingers　of　good
  news。
  Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　will　be　glad　to　hear　that　I　am
  coming　to　a　conclusion；　for　that　conclusion　I　have　a　precedent。
  You　all　of　you　know　how　pleased　you　are　on　your　return　from　a
  morning's　walk　to　learn　that　the　collector　has　called。　　Well；　I　am
  the　collector　for　this　district；　and　I　hope　you　will　bear　in　mind
  that　I　have　respectfully　called。　　Regarding　the　institution　on
  whose　behalf　I　have　presented　myself；　I　need　only　say　technically
  two　things。　　First；　that　its　annuities　are　granted　out　of　its
  funded　capital；　and　therefore　it　is　safe　as　the　Bank；　and；
  secondly；　that　they　are　attainable　by　such　a　slight　exercise　of
  prudence　and　fore…thought；　that　a　payment　of　25S。　extending　over　a
  period　of　five　years；　entitles　a　subscriber　…　if　a　male　…　to　an
  annuity　of　16　pounds　a…year；　and　a　female　to　12　pounds　a…year。
  Now；　bear　in　mind　that　this　is　an　institution　on　behalf　of　which
  the　collector　has　called；　leaving　behind　his　assurance　that　what
  you　can　give　to　one　of　the　most　faithful　of　your　servants　shall　be
  well　bestowed　and　faithfully　applied　to　the　purposes　to　which　you
  intend　them；　and　to　those　purposes　alone。
  SPEECH：　　NEWSPAPER　PRESS　FUND。　…　LONDON；　MAY　20；　1865。
  ＇At　the　second　annual　dinner　of　the　Institution；　held　at　the
  Freemasons'　Tavern；　on　Saturday；　the　20th　May；　1865；　the　following
  speech　was　delivered　by　the　chairman；　Mr。　Charles　Dickens；　in
  proposing　the　toast　of　the　evening：＇
  LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　When　a　young　child　is　produced　after　dinner
  to　be　shown　to　a　circle　of　admiring　relations　and　friends；　it　may
  generally　be　observed　that　their　conversation　…　I　suppose　in　an
  instinctive　remembrance　of　the　uncertainty　of　infant　life　…　takes　a
  retrospective　turn。　　As　how　much　the　child　has　grown　since　the　last
  dinner；　what　a　remarkably　fine　child　it　is；　to　have　been　born　only
  two　or　three　years　ago；　how　much　stronger　it　looks　now　than　before
  it　had　the　measles；　and　so　forth。　　When　a　young　institution　is
  produced　after　dinner；　there　is　not　the　same　uncertainty　or
  delicacy　as　in　the　case　of　the　child；　and　it　may　be　confidently
  predicted　of　it　that　if　it　deserve　to　live　it　will　surely　live；　and
  that　if　it　deserve　to　die　it　will　surely　die。　　The　proof　of　desert
  in　such　a　case　as　this　must　be　mainly　sought；　I　suppose；　firstly；
  in　what　the　society　means　to　do　with　its　money；　secondly；　in　the
  extent　to　which　it　is　supported　by　the　class　with　whom　it
  originated；　and　for　whose　benefit　it　is　designed；　and；　lastly；　in
  the　power　of　its　hold　upon　the　public。　　I　add　this　lastly；　because
  no　such　institution　that　ever　I　heard　of　ever　yet　dreamed　of
  existing　apart　from　the　public；　or　ever　yet　considered　it　a
  degradation　to　accept　the　public　support。
  Now；　what　the　Newspaper　Press　Fund　proposes　to　do　with　its　money　is
  to　grant　relief　to　members　in　want　or　distress；　and　to　the　widows；
  families；　parents；　or　other　near　relatives　of　deceased　members　in
  right　of　a　moderate　provident　annual　subscription　…　commutable；　I
  observe；　for　a　moderate　provident　life　subscription　…　and　its
  members　comprise　the　whole　paid　class　of　literary　contributors　to
  the　press　of　the　United　Kingdom；　and　every　class　of　reporters。　　The
  number　of　its　members　at　this　time　last　year　was　something　below
  100。　　At　the　present　time　it　is　somewhat　above　170；　not　including
  30　members　of　the　press　who　are　regular　subscribers；　but　have　not
  as　yet　qualified　as　regular　members。　　This　number　is　steadily　on
  the　increase；　not　only　as　regards　the　metropolitan　press；　but　also
  as　regards　the　provincial　throughout　the　country。　　I　have　observed
  within　these　few　days　that　many　members　of　the　press　at　Manchester
  have　lately　at　a　meeting　expressed　a　strong　brotherly　interest　in
  this　Institution；　and　a　great　desire　to　extend　its　operations；　and
  to　strengthen　its　hands；　provided　that　something　in　the　independent
  nature　of　life　assurance　and　the　purchase　of　deferred　annuities
  could　be　introduced　into　its　details；　and　always　assuming　that　in
  it　the　metropolis　and　the　provinces　stand　on　perfectly　equal
  ground。　　This　appears　to　me　to　be　a　demand　so　very　moderate；　that　I
  can　hardly　have　a　doubt　of　a　response　on　the　part　of　the　managers；
  or　of　the　beneficial　and　harmonious　results。　　It　only　remains　to
  add；　on　this　head　of　desert；　the　agreeable　circumstance　that　out　of
  all　the　money　collected　in　aid　of　the　society　during　the　last　year
  more　than　one…third　came　exclusively　from　the　press。
  Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　in　regard　to　the　last　claim　…　the　last
  point　of　desert　…　the　hold　upon　the　public　…　I　think　I　may　say　that
  probably　not　one　single　individual　in　this　great　company　has　failed
  to…day　to　see　a　newspaper；　or　has　failed　to…day　to　hear　something
  derived　from　a　newspaper　which　was　quite　unknown　to　him　or　to　her
  yesterday。　　Of　all　those　restless　crowds　that　have　this　day
  thronged　the　streets　of　this　enormous　city；　the　same　may　be　said　as
  the　general　gigantic　rule。　　It　may　be　said　almost　equally；　of　the
  brightest　and　the　dullest；　the　largest　and　the　least　provincial
  town　in　the　empire；　and　this；　observe；　not　only　as　to　the　active；
  the　industrious；　and　the　healthy　among　the　population；　but　also　to
  the　bedridden；　the　idle；　the　blind；　and　the　deaf　and　dumb。　　Now；　if
  the　men　who　provide　this　all…pervading　presence；　this　wonderful；
  ubiquitous　newspaper；　with　every　description　of　intelligence　on
  every　subject　of　human　interest；　collected　with　immense　pains　and
  immense　patience；　often　by　the　exercise　of　a　laboriously…acquired
  faculty　united　to　a　natural　aptitude；　much　of　the　work　done　in　the
  night；　at　the　sacrifice　of　rest　and　sleep；　and　（quite　apart　from
  the　mental　strain）　by　the　constant　overtasking　of　the　two　most
  delicate　of　the　senses；　sight　and　hearing　…　I　say；　if　the　men　who；
  through　the　newspapers；　from　day　to　day；　or　from　night　to　night；　or
  from　week　to　week；　furnish　the　public　with　so　much　to　remember；
  have　not　a　righteous　claim　to　be　remembered　by　the　public　in
  return；　then　I　declare　before　God　I　know　no　working　class　of　the
  community　who　have。
  It　would　be　absurd；　it　would　be　impertinent；　in　such　an　assembly　as
  this；　if　I　were　to　attempt　to　expatiate　upon　the　extraordinary
  combination　of　remarkable　qualities　involved　in　the　production　of
  any　newspaper。　　But　assuming　the　majority　of　this　associated　body
  to　be　composed　of　reporters；　because　reporters；　of　one　kind　or
  other；　compose　the　majority　of　the　literary　staff　of　almost　every
  newspaper　that　is　not　a　compilation；　I　would　venture　to　remind　you；
  if　I　delicately　may；　in　the　august　presence　of　members　of
  Parliament；　how　much　we；　the　public；　owe　to　the　reporters　if　it
  were　only　for　their　skill　in　the　two　great　sciences　of　condensation
  and　rejection。　　Conceive　what　our　sufferings；　under　an　Imperial
  Parliament；　however　popularly　constituted；　under　however　glorious　a
  constitution；　would　be　if　the　reporters　could　not　skip。　　Dr。
  Johnson；　in　one　of　his　violent　assertions；　declared　that　〃the　man
  who　was　afraid　of　anything　must　be　a　scoundrel；　sir。〃　　By　no　means
  binding　myself　to　this　opinion　…　thoug