CLUB. The word is probably allied to cleave (Ger. kleben), adhere," so as to form one body or mass. Among other significations, it is used to mean a company or asso ciation met for some common purpose, whether of hilarity, literature, politics, or econ omy. C., in its usual English acceptation, means a body of persons meeting for social or recreative purposes, and consisting of members belonging for the mcst part to some one class or occupation. Occasionally, other meanings arc given to the word. Socie ties for political objects arc sometimes called clubs; and benefit clubs are another name for benefit societies. What is known as club-life, as exhibited in London, had its origin in the clays of Elizabeth, when the Mermaid tavern, in Fleet street, enlivened by the wit and wisdom of Shakespeare, Raleigh, Ben Jonson, Beaumont, and Fletcher, became the home of a sort of club. Ben Jonson afterwards founded a second C. at the Devil tavern, in the same street. Such clubs were meetings for social recreation, to which all were welcome who could bring wit and humor with them. In subsequent reigns, meetings of a similar racy character were very frequently held in taverns, but without much club formality. In last c., Brooks' and White's clubs, and a few others named after the proprietors of the houses in which the meetings were held, were established by politicians of opposite parties, as the headquarters for parliamentary tactics.
The modern clubs of London, in which the restaurant or dining-room is an impor tant feature, arose after the termination of the great war in 1815. Many naval and military officers, being no longer needed for war, were placed upon half-pay; and this half-pay was insufficient to support them without careful economy. If they could dine together at a C., it would be cheaper than if each maintained a separate establishment. Hence originafed the United Service C.; and the success of this speedily led to the founding of others for different classes of society, and for persons of different political opinions. At the present time, there are about 100 such clubs in the metropolis, of which the following may be named: Alpine, Army and Navy, Arthur's, Athenaeum, 'U Brooks', Carlton, Civil and Military, Conservative, East India nited Service, Garrick, Guards',, Junior Carlton, Junior United Service, Naval and Military, New University, Oriental, Oxford and Cambridge, Reform, Travelers', Union, United Service, United University, White's, Whitehall, and Windham's. All these, and some of the others, combine the tavern system with the club system. There are also about 20 workingmen's clubs. Clubs are not confined to the metropolis.
Each principal C. comprises a certain definite number of members; it may be, for instance, 500, 1000, or 1500, and this number cannot be exceeded without a formal change in the rules. In some clubs, the managing committee are empowered to admit distinguished persons to membership; but the general mode of admission is by ballot, each member having a vote. In some clubs, one single black ball or "No" suffices to
exclude a candidate; but, generally, the rules are not so stringent. The members pay a sum of money on entrance, and then an annual subscription—the amounts varying much in different clubs. The entrance-money may be required as capital, to assist in building the club-house, etc.; while the annual subscriptions, after paying current expenses, leave a surplus for future contingencies. The more important clubs comprise morning or news-rooms, libraries, coffee-rooms, dining-rooms, drawing-rooms, and a very complete culinary establishment. There are no arrangements for the members to sleep at the club-houses: except at certain establishments called club-chambers, which, however, are not properly clubs. Some of the clubs are furnished with bath-rooms, card-rooms, billiard-rooms, and smoking-rooms. The restaurant department is usually very complete; everything is of the best, and is supplied to the members as nearly as can be at prime cost. In nearly all the clubs, hard drinking is discouraged. It has been ascertained at two or three of them, that the average cost of dinners is about half a-crown, and that the wine scarcely exceeds half a pint to each diner.
It. may here briefly be mentioned, that some of the club.-houses rank among the most elegant modern buildings in London. The Carlton, the Reform. the Conservative, and the Army and Navy club-houses are especially to lie named in this respect.
Before the first revolution, it was attempted to get up political clubs in Paris on the English plan, but they were prohibited by the police. With the meeting of the national assembly, and the outbreak of the revolution, political societies, about 1789, sprang into unwonted activity. These associations mostly assumed the English name—such as the club des Feuillans and the Jacobin club; but they had quite a different character: they were popular societies. In them were concentrated the great political parties of the nation, by means of systematic organization and affiliation. The Jacobin club thus came in the end to embrace all France, and to rule it. Similar associations sprang up in Germany, Italy, Spain, and wherever the revolution took any root. In Germany, these unions were prohibited in 1793 by a law of the empire; and the prohibition of all politi cal unions and meetings was renewed in 1832 by an act of the Germanic confederation. The suppression of the clubs in France followed the extinction of the revolution, and their place has since been taken by secret societies. After the revolution of 1848, clubs revived in great force in Italy and Germany, after the style of the first French revolu tion, but speedily came to an end along with that which had given them birth.