Chapter I: Declare This Dock Now Open, and That Henceforth It Is to Be (8)

"If I may be allowed to speak about myself, I had the great
advantage of knowing most intimately Arthur Stanley for a period
of twenty-two years. Not only had I the advantage of being his
pupil during my residence at the University of Oxford, but I was
also his fellow-traveller in the East when we visited Egypt and
the Holy Land together; and I am not likely to forget the charm
of his companionship and all the knowledge that he imparted to
me during that tour. The many virtues and many great qualities
of the Dean are so well known to all of you, and are so well
appreciated throughout the length and breadth of the land, that
it is almost superfluous in me, and would be almost out of
taste, were I now to go through the long list of all that he has
done from the day in which his name came into prominence. Still,
as the churchman, as the scholar, as the man of letters, as the
philanthropist, and, above all, as the true friend, his name
must always go down to posterity as a great and good man, and as
one who will have made his mark on the chapter of his country's
history. To all classes he felt alike--to rich and poor, to
high and low--he was, I may say, the friend of all; and it is
most gratifying on this occasion to see here present the
representatives of all classes of the community, and especially
of the great labouring class to whom he was so devoted, and who,
I think, owe him so much.

"It is also deeply gratifying, I am sure, to the Dean and those
who take a deep interest in this meeting that we have the
advantage of the presence to-day of the Minister of the United
States. As I was saying, not only was the late Dean appreciated
and looked up to in this country and in Europe, but also by that
kindred country across the Atlantic to which he so lately paid a
visit, and where we know that he received so much kindness and
hospitality. I heard from his own lips on his return from
America the expression of the great gratification he derived
from his visit, and of the hope--of what, alas! was not to
be--that he might on some future occasion be able to repeat it.

"There is much more that I should wish to say in regard to one
whom I so deeply deplore, and to whom I bore so great an
affection. But I am sure it is not the object of this meeting to
make long speeches, and as many speakers have to follow me, I
will only again express the gratification I feel in being here
to propose the resolution which I now have the honour of
bringing before you."

The resolution was seconded by Earl Granville. The Hon. J. Russell Lowell bore testimony to the honour in which the memory of Dean Stanley was held in America, and said he felt sure that many of his countrymen would be delighted, as some already had done, to share the privilege of helping this memorial.

The Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Tait) moved the next resolution, as to the placing of the recumbent statue in the Abbey, and also completing the windows in the Chapter-house, in accordance with plans proposed and partly executed by the Dean. After speeches by the Marquis of Salisbury, Mr. S. Morley. M.P., the Marquis of Lorne, and Lord Chief Justice Coleridge, Mr. Gardiner, representing the Working Men's Club and Institute Union, spoke of the constant efforts of the late Dean to help and elevate the classes who lived by manual labour. He was President of their Union, and he was honoured by the working men of Westminster and London.

RIFLE VOLUNTEERS.

_March 1st, 1882._

The 21st anniversary dinner of the Civil Service Volunteers, on the 1st of March, 1882, at Willis's Rooms, was presided over by the Prince of Wales, honorary Colonel of the Corps. In replying to the toast of his health, proposed by the Duke of Manchester, the Prince said:--

"My Lords and Gentlemen and Brother Volunteers,--For the kind
manner in which the Duke of Manchester has proposed this toast,
and for the cordial welcome given to it by you, gentlemen and
brother Volunteers, allow me to return you my most sincere
thanks. I can assure you that it affords me great satisfaction
to preside here to-night on what I may call the twenty-second
anniversary of the existence of this regiment. The twenty-first
anniversary of the Rifle Volunteers was celebrated last year,
and it will, I am sure, not be forgotten through the length and
breadth of the land that the Queen reviewed the English
Volunteers in Windsor Park in the summer, and the Scotch
Volunteers afterwards at Edinburgh.

"I remember, gentlemen, as though it were only yesterday, when I
was an undergraduate at the University of Oxford in 1859, the
commencement of the Volunteer movement. I remember the interest
which all the townspeople of Oxford took in that movement, and
also the interest it excited among the undergraduates. I confess
I thought at that time, and many others shared my opinion, that
to a certain extent the commencement of that movement was an
inclination on the part of the citizens of our country to play
at soldiers. Many thought that the movement would not last.
However, I am glad to find, as you all will have been equally
glad to find, that we were entirely mistaken in that opinion.
Twenty-two years ago, when, I may say, the movement had begun to
ripen, I am not wrong, I think, in stating that the number of
Volunteers was very nearly 100,000 men. The force has since gone
through certain vicissitudes, but I think I may say that at the
present moment it never was in a more flourishing condition, and
it now numbers not far short of 200,000 men. Most sincerely do
I hope that the occasion may not arise when their services might
be required for the defence of their country, but I feel
convinced that, should that occasion ever arise, the Rifle
Volunteers of the United Kingdom will go to the front and stand
to their guns in every sense of the word.

"One great inducement to join the force has been, I think, the
Wimbledon camp and rifle shooting, and I feel convinced that in
no country are there better rifle shots than in this, and few
better than in the Volunteer force. No doubt a great stimulus
has been given to that force by their being called on to take
part in manoeuvres, reviews, and sham fights, and of late
years from their being frequently brigaded with regular troops.
I am sure there is nothing they like better, and I am sure that
for the Regular Army, as well as for the Militia, it is most
desirable this should continue.

"With regard to this regiment with which my name has been now
associated for twenty-two years, I can only say that from all
the accounts I have heard it is in a high state of efficiency.
Since the time of their formation in 1860, 2177 men have passed
through their ranks, and last year the regiment had a strength
of 518 men. Nearly all their officers, I believe, have passed
through the school, and attained the distinction of the letter P
in the Army List--a distinction of which I know they are justly
proud. I had an opportunity of reviewing them in 1863 in London,
and again at Wimbledon in 1870; I saw them at the Review at
Windsor last year, and I sincerely hope, if it may not be
inconvenient to those members of the corps who have so many
avocations, to see them before many weeks are over at the Review
at Portsmouth.

"Gentlemen, let me thank you also for the kind way in which you
have received the name of the Princess of Wales and the names of
my brothers and my sons. I am happy to be able to announce to
you that I received a telegram just before dinner informing me
of the arrival of the _Bacchante_ at Suez. My sons are now,
therefore, rapidly approaching the termination of their cruise,
which has been round the world. I thank you once more for your
kind reception of me to-night, and it affords me the greatest
pleasure now to propose the toast of 'Prosperity to the Civil
Service Rifle Volunteers,' coupled with the name of your
Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Bury. I know that in his
presence it would be disagreeable to him if I were to mete out
any praise which I feel is his due, but I know how much he has
at heart the prosperity and the efficiency of his regiment, and,
being now the oldest serving Lieutenant-Colonel in the Volunteer
force, that you would all deeply regret the day when he should
leave you. I call upon you, and upon the distinguished guests
here to-night, to drink prosperity to the regiment, and couple
the toast with the name of Lord Bury."

Viscount Bury, in responding to the toast, said that in looking at the first list of the officers of the regiment, he found only three names of those now in active service, those of His Royal Highness, of himself, and Major Mills. About 350 members of the corps sat down to dinner on this, its 21st anniversary. The Duke of Portland, Lord Elcho, now the Earl of Wemyss, Colonel Loyd-Lindsay, Colonel Grenfell, Governor of the Bank of England, Colonel Du Plat Taylor, and many veterans of the Force, were present.

BRITISH GRAVES IN THE CRIMEA.

_March 10th, 1883._

Attention had from time to time been directed, by reports of travellers and others, to the neglected state of the burial-places in the Crimea, and the ruinous condition of monumental memorials over the graves. An allowance of £90 a year had been made by the Government for maintaining the different cemeteries, but this was utterly insufficient for the purpose. The Consul-General at Odessa had recently reported that there were at least eleven graveyards or cemeteries scattered between Balaclava and Sebastopol, and there were many others in different places where the dead had been laid. The scandal of neglect was so great that the Duke of Cambridge called a meeting at the United Service Institution, Whitehall, to consider what ought to be done. A large number of distinguished men, including many of those who had passed through the Crimean War, responded to the invitation, and letters were received from others throughout the country who were unable to be present.

The Duke of Cambridge made a clear statement of the condition of affairs, and mentioned various suggestions for putting a stop to the desecration of the burial-places, and for preserving the memorials from further injury. The Prince of Wales had come to the meeting, and as he had seen the places referred to, during his Eastern travels, he was asked by the Chairman to move the first resolution, which was to the effect that immediate steps should be taken to remedy the existing state of the Crimean graves.

The Prince, who was warmly received, rose, and said:

"Your Royal Highness, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I was not aware
until I arrived in this room that I should be called upon to
move the first resolution. But I need hardly tell you the great
interest the subject we are discussing here to-day has for me,
and the great pleasure it gives me to propose the following
resolution:--'That the present condition of the British
cemeteries in the Crimea is not creditable to this country, and
that endeavours should be made to raise the necessary funds to
have them restored, and to preserve them from further
desecration.' In 1869 I had occasion to visit the Crimea, and to
go over all those spots so familiar to most of the gentlemen I
see opposite me, who took a part in the campaign. And it was a
matter of particular interest to me to visit those different
spots where our brave soldiers were buried. I confess that it
was with deep regret that I saw the manner in which the tombs
were kept. The condition of the graves was not creditable to us,
and not creditable to a great country like ours, for I am sure
we are the very first to do honour to the dead who fought in the
name of their country.

"It struck me at the time that one of the great faults lay in
there being so many different cemeteries. The French had a much
simpler and a better system--that which they call the
_ossuaire_. I was told at the time that to the feelings of
Englishmen--on religious, and possibly, I may also say, on
sentimental grounds--it was repugnant to disturb the remains of
those who were interred in the Crimea as was done by the French,
and that to collect them and put them into one large building
was not what was consonant with our feelings generally. But I
cannot help thinking, as considerable time has elapsed since our
comrades fell, and also as we are, in every sense of the word, a
thoroughly practical nation--I feel myself strongly, although I
cannot say how far that feeling may be shared by the meeting
to-day--that it would be far better, and in the long run far
cheaper, if we were to build a kind of mausoleum, collecting the
remains of our comrades who fell in the Crimean War, and
putting them into such a mausoleum. It was really sad to see the
neglected condition of the tombs. There was one especially with
which I was struck--that of Sir Robert Newman, who was in the
Grenadier Guards, and fell in the Battle of Inkerman. His tomb
was a most elaborate and expensive one, and was built with a
dark stone, a kind of porphyry. This was broken almost entirely
to pieces. Upon inquiry of some Russian authorities who
accompanied me on that occasion, I discovered a curious fact.
The idea was not merely that of disturbing and breaking open the
tombs; but, as most of you are aware, the Crim Tartars--who are
Mohammedans by religion--had an idea that treasures were to be
found in the tombs. Therefore, the disturbing of them was not
merely for the sake of disturbing the dead, but with the hope of
finding some treasures there. It is needless to say that their
investigations were not satisfied in that respect.

"Of course, gentlemen, with regard to the pecuniary part of the
question, it is not for me to go into that; but I hope that, as
so many distinguished military and naval men are present, they
cannot but have a strong feeling with me that it will ever be a
living disgrace to us unless we adopt some means to-day by which
the tombs of our comrades who fell in the Crimea are kept in a
proper state of preservation. I have merely suggested the idea
of an _ossuaire_, because it seems to me the simplest form to
adopt. But it would involve, what many object to, disturbing the
remains of some who fell. I only hope that before the meeting
separates to-day we may have arrived at some satisfactory
conclusion that the graves of our comrades shall in some way be
respected and maintained in a manner creditable to ourselves and
to our country. Therefore, it is with the greatest pleasure that
I move the first resolution."

The resolution was seconded by General Sir W. Codrington, who said that the Russian Government had given additional land at Cathcart's Hill; and that the grave-stones and other memorials should be removed there. He did not think there should be any removal of the remains of the dead.

The Prince of Wales again rose, and said--

"I wish to add that when I went over the different places of
interest in the Crimea, and inspected all our burial-places, I
was accompanied by one of the most courteous gentlemen, General
Kotzebue, the Governor-General of Odessa; and I need only say
that, as far as the Russian Government represented by him was
concerned, everything was done to keep the graves from
desecration. But he told me that, unfortunately, they were
powerless to prevent it; and it was his opinion, and he strongly
advised me, that the only way in which to prevent a repetition
of a desecration of the tombs would be, as I mentioned before,
to collect the remains and place them in a mausoleum--in the
same way, in fact, as the French had done. I wish also to say
that, on my return in the summer from my visit to the Crimea, I
brought the whole matter most strongly before the late Lord
Clarendon, who was then Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs."

After conversation and remarks by Admiral Sir H. Keppel, General Sir L. A. Simmons, Lord Wolseley, and others, resolutions were carried for the concentration of the memorials in one central place, without removing the remains of the dead; and for applying to the Government and to the nation for larger funds to pay additional guardians of the cemeteries. The Duke of Cambridge was warmly commended for having called the meeting, which was justified by the large attendance, and the Prince of Wales for his advocacy of the object in view. Tho interest of their Royal Highnesses was practically attested by the gift of £50 from the Prince of Wales and £25 from the Duke of Cambridge toward the necessary funds. It was stated in the course of the proceedings that the French Government granted yearly more than double what the British Government did, for protecting the Crimean graves.

THE FISHERIES EXHIBITION.

_1883._

In the preface to the Official Catalogue of the International Fisheries Exhibition, the compiler, Mr. Trendell, gives an interesting account of the origin and gradual development of that successful undertaking. It was not till some years after the great Exhibition of 1851 that attention was given to this special department of industry and commerce. At Boulogne, Havre, and other maritime places, there were local expositions; but the first international exhibition on a large scale was that of Berlin in 1880. Norwich was the first town in England to follow the Continental example. The local character of the undertaking soon expanded into a national enterprise, the Corporation of London and the Fishmongers' Company lending their influence. Chiefly through the agency of Mr. Birkbeck, one of the Norfolk County members, the official sanction of the Government was obtained, with permission to grant medals and diplomas of merit, as in other national exhibitions. The Prince of Wales took a lively interest in the success of this Norwich project, and he secured the co-operation of Mr. Birkbeck for holding an International Exhibition in London.

In July 1881 a meeting was held at the Hall of the Fishmongers' Company, when a formal resolution was passed for carrying out the proposal, and a Committee formed for arranging the general plan of the Exhibition. In February 1882 a second meeting was held at Willis's Rooms, when the Duke of Richmond read the report of the proceedings of the Committee formed in the previous year. The sanction of the Queen was obtained as Patron, and the Prince of Wales as President, the Duke of Edinburgh and the other Royal Dukes being named Vice-Presidents, with the Duke of Richmond as Chairman of the General Committee. The sentiments and motives of the promoters of the undertaking were well expressed in words spoken by the Prince of Wales at the inaugural banquet at Norwich. He said:--

"It is particularly gratifying to see that at last an interest
is being taken not only in our fisheries, but in our fishermen,
whose lives are so frequently exposed to risk through the
severity of weather and the dangerous character of the Eastern
coast. Among a very interesting display of specimens, I
especially observed the apparatus for saving life, and a variety
of models of lifeboats, which cannot fail to bring before the
public generally their duty in regard to the protection of the
fishing interests of our country. Whilst thinking over the
probable results that may attend this Exhibition, I could not
fail to reflect upon the labour it has cost more minds than one;
and I do trust, having regard to the importance of our national
fishing interest, and the value of our fishermen's lives, that a
sort of National Society may be instituted which will maintain
those who are unfortunately in want, and help to assuage the
grief and misery of the widows and orphans of those who perish
at sea. I believe it is only necessary to throw out the hint to
see established in this country a National Fishermen's Aid
Society, which shall command the support not only of those
living upon the line of our fishing coast here, but of all
concerned in fishery throughout our dominions."

It thus appears that at the time of the Norwich Exhibition, and much more after the greater show at South Kensington, the Prince of Wales had in view the welfare of the fishing folk as well as the benefit of the fisheries. What is an exhibition--with its display of exhibits, its prizes, awards, conferences, and its whole visible organisation--compared with the safety of our fishermen's lives, and the improvement of their homes? For some departments of this beneficent work there are special agencies at work--such as the Lifeboat Association, the Deep-Sea Mission, Sailors' Homes, and Seamen's Hospitals--but the idea of the Prince was that a great central society, analogous to the Royal Agricultural Society for the cultivation of the soil, might be established, attending to all matters bearing on the social and moral, as well as the material, benefits of the fishing population of these islands. It is said that the Government has resolved tardily to have a Department of Agriculture; it is equally needful to have a Department for all matters connected with the "harvests of the sea."

OPENING OF FISHERIES EXHIBITION.

_May 12th, 1883._

The International Fisheries Exhibition was opened with great ceremony on the 12th of May, 1883, by the Prince of Wales, "by command of Her Majesty, and on Her Majesty's behalf." Most of the members of the Royal Family were present, the Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers, Her Majesty's Ministers, and other distinguished persons. The Prince was accompanied by the Princess of Wales, Prince Albert Victor, and Prince George of Wales. The Duke of Richmond, Chairman of the General Committee, having read a statement of the object and the contents of the Exhibition, the Prince replied:--

"My Lord Duke, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--It gives me great
pleasure to open this International Fisheries Exhibition on
behalf of the Queen, although I feel assured that it is a matter
of sincere regret to all present that Her Majesty finds herself
unable to undertake a duty which it would have afforded her much
gratification to have performed. In view of the rapid increase
of the population in all civilized countries, and especially in
these sea-girt kingdoms, a profound interest attaches to every
industry which affects the supply of food; and, in this respect,
the harvest of the sea is hardly less important than that of the
land. I share your hope that the Exhibition now about to open
may afford the means of enabling practical fishermen to
acquaint themselves with the latest improvements which have been
made in their craft in all parts of the world; so that without
needless destruction, or avoidable waste of any kind, mankind
may derive the fullest possible advantage from the bounty of the
waters. I am glad to hear that your attention has been directed
to the condition of the fishing population. It is a subject in
which my brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, was led to take a
particular interest during his tenure of office as Admiral
Superintendent of the Naval Reserve; and, as he is compelled to
be absent during the sittings of the Congress to which you
allude, I shall have the pleasure of reading a paper on this
topic which he has prepared at its first meeting. Lifeboats and
life-saving apparatus undoubtedly fall strictly within the
province of a fishery exhibition; but I may congratulate you on
the circumstance that, without overstepping your proper limits,
you have been able to confer a benefit, not only on all
fishermen and all sailors by profession, but also on all who
travel by sea; and in these days of rapid and extensive
locomotion this means a large proportion of civilized mankind.
On behalf of the Queen, I add my thanks to those which you
tender to the Governments of foreign nations and of our colonies
for their generous co-operation. And to their representatives
whose untiring exertions you so justly acknowledge, I offer not
only thanks, but an English welcome."

The Archbishop of Canterbury having offered a prayer, the Prince declared the Exhibition open.

CLOSING OF FISHERIES EXHIBITION.

_October 31st, 1883._

If there ever had been any doubt as to the success of the International Fisheries Exhibition, it had been thoroughly removed long before the end of the season drew near. The popular interest had been shown from the beginning, and the number of visitors exceeded all expectations. The total number of visitors was 2,703,051. The daily average of visitors, including Wednesday, when half-a-crown was the price of admission, was 18,388. The financial result was sure to be satisfactory when such vast numbers had been attracted.

On the 31st of October, the day appointed for closing, Mr. Edward Birkbeck, M.P., Chairman of the Executive Committee, read to His Royal Highness the President an address, presenting the chief statistical and other official reports of the undertaking. One novel feature was the report on "the fish dinners" supplied with the co-operation of the National School of Cookery. No less than 209,673 dinners were supplied, at sixpence a head, and with satisfactory pecuniary results.

A Report as to the work of the Juries having been presented by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales thus replied to the address of the Executive Committee:--

"I have listened with great pleasure to the Report of the
Executive Committee.

"Her Majesty has followed with much interest the success which
has so signally attended this Exhibition, and I have had the
gratification of receiving, this morning, a telegram from the
Queen, begging me to inform you of these sentiments, and
likewise to express Her Majesty's fervent hope that lasting
benefit to the fishing population may be the reward of those who
have shown so much interest in the welfare of this Exhibition.
And it is as much a matter of satisfaction to my brothers as to
myself to have contributed towards the success of an enterprise,
respecting which, at the outset, nothing was certain but the
heavy responsibility of those who had engaged in it.

"I am well aware that Her Majesty's Government, the Governments
of Foreign Countries, and of our Colonies, through their
respective Commissioners, and the various public bodies and
private persons to whom you have alluded, have afforded most
valuable and indeed indispensable aid to our undertaking; and I
desire to add my own thanks to yours for their very important
assistance.

"But it is just that I should supply the only deficiency which I
observe in your Report, by pointing out that without the
administrative capacity and unremitting toil of the Members of
the Executive Committee, and especially of its Chairman, the
eminently satisfactory results which you have reported to me
could not have been attained.

"I learn with much pleasure that, after all expenses are
defrayed, a substantial surplus will remain in your hands.

"The best method of disposing of that surplus is a matter which
will need careful consideration. It would be premature to allude
to any of the various suggestions which have already been put
forward; but I am of opinion that no proposal will be
satisfactory to the public, unless it is immediately directed
towards the carrying out of the objects of the Exhibition from
which the fund is derived; namely, the promotion of the welfare
of Fishermen, Fisheries, and the Fishing Industry in general.

"And I think our duty towards the supporters of the Exhibition
will not be discharged until we have done something towards the
alleviation of the calamities fatally incidental to the
Fisherman's calling; and until we have also done something
towards the promotion of that application of Science to practice
from which the Fishing Industry, like all other industries, can
alone look for improvement.

"I believe, that apart from what may be effected by the
judicious use of the Surplus Fund, the latter end may best be
attained by the formation of a Society, having for its object
the collection of statistics and other information relative to
Fisheries; the diffusion among the fishing population of a
knowledge of all improvements in the methods and appliances of
their calling; the discussion of questions bearing upon Fishing
Interests; and the elucidation of those problems of Natural
History which bear upon the subject. Such a Society, as the
representative of the interests of the Fisheries, would
naturally take charge of the scientific investigations which
bear upon those interests, and would, no doubt, be brought into
relation with the Aquarium which you wisely propose to offer to
the Government, and with the already existing Fishery Museum of
the Department of Science and Art, which is founded on the
Collection bequeathed to the nation by the late Mr. Buckland,
but which has been immensely enlarged and enriched by the
liberality of many of our exhibitors.

"You have rightly divined that it is a source of great
gratification to me to be able to continue the work commenced by
my father in 1851; and, by giving scope for the peaceful
emulation of the leaders of industry of all nationalities in
public Exhibitions, to divert the minds of men from those
international rivalries by which all suffer, to those by which
all gain.

"The evidence of the public interest in such Exhibitions,
afforded by the vast concourse of visitors from all parts of the
realm to that which is now closed, has led me to hope that the
buildings which have been erected at so much cost, and which
have so admirably served their purpose, shall continue for the
next three years to be employed for Exhibitions of a similarly
comprehensive character.

"In considering what shall be the subject-matter of these
Exhibitions, three topics of paramount interest to our community
have presented themselves to my mind. These are Health, both
bodily and mental; Industrial Inventions; and the
rapidly-growing resources of our Colonies and of our Indian
Empire.

"I have expressed a desire that the Exhibition of 1884 will
embrace the conditions of health, in so far as, like food,
clothes, and dwellings, they fall under the head of Hygiene, or,
like appliances for general and technical teaching, gymnasia and
schools, under that of Education.

"The question of the Patent Laws has for many years engaged the
attention of all those interested in the progress of invention
and the just reward of the inventor. I am advised that the
Patent Act of last Session will afford a satisfactory solution
of the difficulties which beset this subject, and will be
especially useful to the poor inventor by enabling him to obtain
protection for his invention at a considerably reduced rate, and
in a manner which will be more advantageous to him.

"Under these circumstances, it has appeared to me that much good
may result from an Exhibition in the year 1885, showing the
Progress of Invention, especially in labour-saving machinery,
since 1862; that is to say, since the last great International
Exhibition held in this country.

"At the close of the Paris Exhibition of 1868, I had the
satisfaction of receiving from the Colonial Commissioners an
address, in which great stress was laid on the desirability of
establishing a permanent Colonial Museum in London, as a
powerful means of diffusing throughout the Mother Country a
better knowledge of the nature and importance of the several
Dependencies of the Empire, of facilitating commercial
relations, marking progress, and aiding the researches of men of
science, and also of affording valuable information to
intending emigrants.

"At that time I was able to do little more than to assure the
Commissioners of my readiness to promote such a scheme, and to
recommend the respective Governments to give it their full
consideration.

"I trust that the British Colonial Exhibition which I propose to
hold in 1886, may result in the foundation of such a Museum--the
institution of which would secure for the people of this country
a permanent record of the resources and development of Her
Majesty's Colonies; and I hope that an important section of the
proposed Exhibition of that year may result from the
co-operation of our fellow-subjects, the people of India, in a
suitable representation of the industrial arts of that Empire.

"In conclusion, I desire, as President of these Exhibitions, to
thank the Special Commissioners, the Members of the General
Committee, and the Jurors, for the time and labour they have
devoted to the business of the Exhibition; and to express my
high approbation of the cheerfulness and assiduity with which
the members of the Executive Staff have discharged their very
onerous duties.

"And I must finally signalize, as especially deserving of our
gratitude, my brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the other
foreign and English gentlemen, to whom we are indebted for the
bestowal of much time and thought upon the papers which have
been brought before those Conferences, which have formed so
interesting and so useful a feature of the Exhibition. I am glad
to hear that the value of the contribution to Fishery
Literature, effected by the publication of these papers and the
discussions to which they gave rise, has received authoritative
recognition."

FINANCIAL RESULTS OF FISHERIES EXHIBITION, AND DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS.

After all the affairs of the Exhibition of 1883 had been wound up, including the financial accounts, a meeting of the General Committee was held on Saturday, March 22nd, 1884, to receive the Report of the Executive Committee. Details of receipts and outlay were presented. Reference was made to the wide interest awakened by the Exhibition, the attendance of fishermen from many lands, as well as from all parts of the United Kingdom, and the success of the attempt to sell fish at prices hitherto unknown in our great towns. The Report and Balance Sheet having been presented, the Prince of Wales thus spoke:--

"You have all listened, I am sure, with great interest to the
report that has been read to you by the Chairman of the
Executive Committee. From what we have heard, I think it is
patent to all that the late Fisheries Exhibition has in every
point of view been a success. It has been a financial success,
and it has also been a success as regards the enormous number of
people who have visited it, not only of our own countrymen and
those from our colonies, but from every part of the globe. It is
unnecessary for me on an occasion of this kind to enumerate the
objects of this Exhibition, but I maintain that its two salient
objects--viz., the scientific and practical ones--have fully
justified its existence: its scientific object by the display of
every possible kind of modern appliance, thus showing the great
improvements that have been made in the fishing industry of the
world; and its practical object because it not only showed to
our own countrymen, but to all the world, what a valuable means
of subsistence fish is. Many, I believe, had no idea of its
value; while the existence of varieties of fish was made known
which had not even been heard of by the great majority of
people. Well, gentlemen, you have all heard that there is a
surplus amounting to £15,243, and the question is naturally how
to employ that sum. In the address that I read to you at the
closing of the Exhibition I held out some hope that this might
be applied in a useful and practical manner, and I would
therefore now suggest to the General Committee that one of the
best objects by which to perpetuate the results of this
successful Exhibition would be to appropriate, say, about
£10,000 to alleviate the distress of widows and orphans of sea
fishermen. I use the words 'alleviate the distress' because I do
not wish to bind any of you to our erecting an orphanage. That
would cost a great deal of money, and, I think, would possibly
be a mistake. If we were to embark in any great building
enterprise of that kind, and in future find ourselves in debt,
we should have frustrated the very object we have in view, viz.,
supporting the widows and orphans of those brave men who peril
their lives at sea. I would also suggest that £3000 should be
given as an endowment to a society, which might be called the
Royal Fisheries Society. What shape that might take will be for
your future consideration; but possibly some society might be
founded under such a name or character, similar to the Royal
Agricultural Society. We shall then have a surplus of about
£2000 left, which, I think you will all agree, will be a good
thing to keep in reserve. It would be for the general public in
future to show their interest in this scheme by supporting it to
the best of their ability. I beg, therefore, to move the
following resolution:--'That a sum of £10,000 be invested, with
a view to applying the proceeds to the assistance of families
who have suffered the loss of a father or husband in the
prosecution of his calling as a sea fisherman; and that a
further sum of £3000 be applied to the formation of a Fisheries
Society, such as was suggested by His Royal Highness the
President in his reply to the report of the Executive Committee
on the 31st of October, 1883.'"

That suggestion was that a society should be formed, having for its object the collection of statistics and other information relative to Fisheries; the diffusing among the fishing population of a knowledge of all improvements in the methods and appliances of their calling; the discussion of questions bearing upon fishing interests: we wish we could add, "the interests of the public," in obtaining more and cheaper fish!

NEW CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL.

_December 12th, 1882._

The large and commodious building on the Embankment, which is the new seat of the old "City of London School," was formally opened by the Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Princess of Wales, on the 12th of December, 1882. The Lord Mayor, in state, the masters of the principal City Companies, and a large assembly of civic and educational notables were present. The Lord Mayor having given an address on the history of the school, and the work done by the Corporation in connection with it, asked the Prince to declare the new building open.

The Prince, after expressing the gratification it gave to himself and the Princess to take part in the proceedings of the day, and, having thanked the Lord Mayor for the historical address, said:--

"After what you have all heard with regard to the existence of
this school, it will be hardly necessary for me to add more than
a very few words. I also express my fervent hope that a school
such as this one, which has flourished for a space of between
forty and fifty years, will continue ever to do so. It is a
palpable fact that many pupils have gone up to the Universities,
and taken high degrees, both in Classics at Oxford and in
Mathematics at Cambridge. The present Head Master is one of
those who took high honours at Cambridge. Last, but not least,
the Lord Mayor himself was educated in this school, and is the
first boy who has reached that high position.

"I must congratulate the architect, and all those who have
designed and built this school. I feel convinced from what we
have seen that it is an admirably suited building for all
educational purposes. Its site, close to the Thames, where it
will get fresh air, and the admirable manner in which all the
rooms are constructed, promise well for the future. Let me once
again express a fervent hope that, under the blessing of God, it
will continue to flourish and prosper. I now declare the new
buildings open."

The announcement was received with great cheering, with a flourish of trumpets. The present Head Master, Dr. Abbott, worthily sustains the reputation which the school held under Dr. Mortimer.

THE NORTHBROOK CLUB.

_May 21st, 1883._

The opening of the club, in Whitehall Gardens, named after the Earl of Northbrook, for the use of native gentlemen from the East Indies and their friends, attracted a large and influential assemblage. By the request of Lord Northbrook the Prince of Wales declared the club open. He said that, after the clear and full statement by Lord Northbrook, he had little to say about the objects and advantages of the club. After expressing his gratification at being invited to be present, he said:--

"I have not forgotten--and I address this especially to those
gentlemen who come from India--nor am I likely ever to forget,
the magnificent reception I met with in India, not only from the
Native Princes, but from every class in India; and the interest
I take in all that concerns Her Majesty's Indian empire I assure
you will ever continue. I think it highly desirable that a club
of this nature should have been formed, so as to bring natives
of India into direct communication with our own countrymen, and
that facilities should be afforded them to find a comfortable
place where they can meet together for the interchange of ideas,
and where they can seek relaxation after their labours in the
professions which they have come here to study. That it will be
found in every respect desirable, I am sure, and I have not the
smallest doubt that it will be successful. I am glad to hear
from Lord Northbrook of the money which has come from India. It
is gratifying to know that the Indian Princes have been
magnanimous in their subscriptions, and have shown the great
interest they take in the success of the undertaking. I heartily
wish prosperity to the Northbrook Club."

Some letters from India having been read, and several native gentlemen having been presented, the Prince made a tour of the club with the committee.

CITY OF LONDON COLLEGE IN MOORFIELDS.

_July 8th, 1883._

The City of London College, which has spacious premises in White Street, Moorfields, is intended for giving educational advantages to young men, chiefly by means of evening classes for those engaged in business or work during the day. It was originally established, in 1848, at Crosby Hall, moving from there to Sussex Hall, Leadenhall Street, and finally settled in the new building in Moorfields, the cost of which was £16,000. To inaugurate this new College, the Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Princess, went to the City. After being shown over the building their Royal Highnesses were conducted by the Lord Mayor to the great hall, which is capable of holding about 1000 persons, and which was densely filled.

The Reverend Prebendary Whittington, Principal of the College, read an address thanking the Prince for his presence, and stating the objects of the College. He mentioned that in 1858 the Prince Consort paid a visit to Crosby Hall, and testified his approval of the work done for the intellectual, social, and moral improvement of the young men of London, by consenting to become the first patron, an office which had since his death been filled by the Queen. Her Majesty had testified her continued approval by a generous donation to the new building fund.

The Prince of Wales, in reply, said:--

"Ladies and Gentlemen,--It is with sincere pleasure that I thank
you on behalf of the Princess of Wales, as well as on my own,
for the loyal address of welcome which has just been presented
to us, and for being given this opportunity of expressing to you
our approval of your efforts for the improvement of the
intellectual, social, moral, and spiritual condition of the
young men of this vast metropolis. Such occasions are always
fraught with the deepest interest to me, recalling as they do
the memory of my beloved father, the Prince Consort, who devoted
his time, his experience, and his great abilities to the
promotion of undertakings such as the one you now have in hand,
to which he lent his countenance by becoming its first patron,
and which the Queen still encourages by her patronage. We
sincerely trust our presence here to-day may encourage others to
take an interest in this great undertaking, and we rejoice to be
able to declare your new building open."

A prayer for the continued success of the institution was then offered up by Bishop Claughton, and the Old Hundredth Psalm was sung.

The Secretary then read a list of subscriptions, including fifty guineas from the Prince of Wales. The Lord Mayor said that the Prince always showed his interest in education, and he had lately been present at the opening of the City of London School. This College gave more advanced and practical teaching than was given at that School.

Mr. Clarke, Q.C., M.P., said he had been a student of the College twenty-six or twenty-seven years ago, and the education he there received had been most valuable to him. Mr. Prebendary Mackenzie having supported the resolution of a vote of thanks to their Royal Highnesses, the Prince returned his warm thanks and added:--

"So much has been said with regard to this College that I should
only be taking up your time if I were to allude to it further
than to say that I feel convinced--and it is our earnest
hope--that this College, which has been so successful hitherto,
will continue to prosper in the new building. Most cordially do
we wish it all success. A greater proof cannot be given of the
excellent character of the education which the students here
receive than that given by the seconder of the resolution, Mr.
Clarke, who has not only attained a high position in the
profession he has adopted, but who has also become a member of
Parliament. I thank you again for your kind reception of us
to-day, and for the pleasure it has given us to inaugurate this
very handsome building."

HOUSING OF THE POOR AND THE WORKING CLASSES.

_February 22nd, 1884._

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is not infrequent in his attendance in the House of Lords, but he has very rarely addressed the House. It is natural that he should avoid even the appearance of being mixed up with political controversies, or touching points that might bear a party construction. But on questions of a social or patriotic bearing to which he is known to have given personal attention, the voice of the Prince would be always heard with pleasure, and his opinions carry due weight. It was so in the matter of the Housing of the Poor, which was brought before the House on the 22nd of February, 1884.

The Marquis of Salisbury moved an Address to Her Majesty for the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the housing of the working classes. Lord Carington seconded the motion, after which the Prince of Wales rose, amidst cheers from both sides of the House. He said:--

"My Lords,--The speeches which have fallen from the lips of the
noble Marquis who introduced this subject, and from the noble
Lord who has just sat down, cannot fail to have been heard with
the deepest interest by your Lordships. I feel also convinced
that your Lordships, in common with all classes of Her Majesty's
subjects, will be gratified to learn that the noble Marquis has
asked for a searching inquiry to be made into that great and
momentous question with regard to the housing, and the
amelioration of the dwellings, of the poor and the working,
classes, and that Her Majesty's Government have already
appointed a Commission for that purpose.

"My Lords, it is not my intention to trouble your Lordships with
many remarks, though I take the keenest and liveliest interest
in this great question. Still, I confess I have not gone
sufficiently into the matter for me to venture on giving an
opinion, especially after what has fallen from the noble Marquis
and the noble Lord. At the same time, I can assure you, my
Lords, that I am deeply flattered at having been appointed a
member of the Royal Commission. The subject of the housing of
the poor is not entirely unknown to me, as having acquired a
property in Norfolk now for twenty years, I have had something
to do in building fresh dwellings for the poor and working
classes. On arriving there I found the dwellings in the most
deplorable condition, but I hope now that there is hardly one on
the estate who can complain of not being adequately housed.

"I quite endorse what has fallen from the noble Marquis and the
quotation which he made from the letter of Mr. Williams which
appeared in to-day's newspapers. A few days ago I visited two of
the poorest courts in the district of St. Pancras and Holborn,
where, I can assure you, my Lords, that the condition of the
people, or rather of their dwellings, was perfectly disgraceful.
This in itself proves to me how important it is that there
should be a thoroughly searching inquiry. As your Lordships are
aware, there have existed now for some short space of time
several private societies organised for the purpose of inquiring
into this very question. I am sure that we ought all to be
grateful to these gentlemen for giving up their time to so
important a subject, and I feel that the Royal Commission can in
nowise clash with the efforts of these private individuals.

"In conclusion, my Lords, I wish to say that I cherish an
earnest hope, which I feel will be shared by your Lordships,
that the result of this Royal Commission will be a
recommendation to Parliament of measures of a drastic and
thorough kind, which may be the means of not only improving the
dwellings of the poor, but of ameliorating their condition
generally."

His Royal Highness was followed by Lord Shaftesbury, the Bishop of London, and others, but nothing was added in the debate of a practical nature, and the motion of Lord Salisbury was unanimously carried.

THE GUARDS' INDUSTRIAL HOME AT CHELSEA BARRACKS.

_February 25th, 1884._

The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by the Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne, and the Princesses Louise, Victoria, and Maude of Wales, visited Chelsea Barracks on Monday, the 25th of February, 1884, for the distribution of prizes to the girls at the Guards' Industrial Home. It is very honourable to the officers of the Guards, that they provide as far as they can for the welfare of the wives and families of the soldiers, as well as of the men of their regiments. The boys educated in the regimental schools were easily provided for, but for the training of the girls for useful occupations it had been advisable to establish this Industrial Home in the neighbourhood of the barracks. This was explained by General Higginson, commanding the brigade of Guards in the Home district, and a report of the state of the institution during the past year was read by Colonel Cockran, the honorary secretary.

The Prince of Wales then distributed the prizes to the girls, in his usual kindly manner. General Higginson, in the name of the brigade, thanked their Royal Highnesses for the proof they had given of their favour and good will. The Prince replied--