and in my own, I thank you for your address and for the kind
terms in which you refer to our visit to your town. It has long
been our wish to come to Birmingham, a city so celebrated not
only in England, but throughout the world, as one of the chief
centres of our manufacturing energy. It will be, I am persuaded,
a source of satisfaction to the Queen to hear that the loyal
inhabitants of this borough still retain so lively a
recollection of the visits which with my lamented father she
paid to Birmingham. Since that time the progress which has been
made in the varied industries of this town has been most
remarkable, and I trust that the condition of its working
population, on whose exertions its prosperity so much depends,
has improved in a still greater degree. In conclusion,
gentlemen, I have only to express our earnest wish that
Birmingham may long continue to enjoy that pre-eminence which it
has so justly earned."
At the luncheon subsequently given, the Mayor proposed the health of the
Queen, as "having established claims to the admiration of Her people by
the loyal fulfilment of the responsible duties of her high station, and
at the same time the nobility of her domestic life has endeared her to
the nation. The care and solicitude she has manifested in the happiness
of her subjects causes her name to be honoured at all times, and among
all classes and ranks of society."
In proposing the health of the Royal guest, the Mayor said, "This town
has been long distinguished, not without cause, for the independence of
its citizens and the freedom and outspokenness in which all opinions are
discussed, and this fact gives value to the welcome which has been
offered, and stamps the sincerity of the wishes which are everywhere
expressed for the continued health of their Royal Highnesses."
The replies of the Prince were confined to a few brief but appropriate
sentences, and after proposing the health of the Mayor, the Royal party
proceeded to visit some of the most famous manufactories of the
district. The following letter was received next day by the Mayor, from
the Secretary of the Prince of Wales, Sir Francis Knollys, K.C.M.G.:--
"Packington Hall, Coventry, November 4, 1874.
"Sir,--I have received the commands of the Prince and Princess of Wales
to make known through you to the inhabitants of the borough of
Birmingham the satisfaction they derived from their visit to that town
yesterday. They can never forget the reception they met with nor the
welcome given to them by all classes of the community. Their Royal
Highnesses have also to thank not only the authorities who made such
excellent arrangements, but likewise the people themselves, without
whose cordial co-operation the good order which was preserved throughout
the day in so wonderful a manner could hardly have been maintained. The
opportunity which was afforded them of visiting some of the manufactures
of your great town gave their Royal Highnesses sincere pleasure, and it
was matter of regret to them that the time at their disposal did not
allow them to make a closer inspection of works of so much interest. I
may further congratulate you and the other members of the reception
committee on the happy result of your labours. Nothing could have been
more successful, and their Royal Highnesses will ever entertain most
agreeable recollections of their visit to Birmingham. I am desired, in
conclusion, to state that the Prince of Wales, being anxious to
contribute £100 in aid of the funds of one of the charitable
institutions of your town, requests that you will have the goodness to
acquaint him with the name of the institution which you may consider to
be the most deserving, and to be at the same time the most in want of
support.--I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
"FRANCIS KNOLLYS.
"To the Mayor of Birmingham."
THE ROYAL CAMBRIDGE ASYLUM.
_March 13th, 1875._
At the seventh triennial festival of this Institution the Prince of
Wales presided. The Duke of Cambridge, Prince Christian, Prince Edward
of Saxe-Weimar, and the Duke of Teck were also present. The company
included the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs of London and Middlesex, and a
large number of distinguished officers of nearly all ranks in the Army.
After the toast of "The Queen," proposed by the Royal chairman, the Lord
Mayor, in giving the next toast, spoke of "the pride with which the
nation at large regarded the Royal Family, not only on account of the
admirable way in which they performed the important duties connected
with their high position, but also because of their readiness on all
occasions to promote and aid the various charitable institutions of the
country, and to extend their sympathy to all who were in distress, not
simply in this great metropolis, but in all parts of the kingdom."
The Prince of Wales, in reply, said:--
"I am sure I have every reason to be grateful to the Lord Mayor
for the very kind manner in which he has proposed my health and
that of the Princess of Wales and the other members of the Royal
Family, and to the company here assembled for the very kind
manner in which they have received the toast. Nothing is more
disagreeable, I think, than to have at an early stage of the
evening to rise to return thanks for one's own health; but, at
the same time, I should be very ungrateful to you if I were not
to thank you for the cordial manner in which you acceded to the
request of the Lord Mayor. I can assure him--and I believe I can
speak also for the rest of the Royal Family--that it is always
our earnest endeavour to do our duty, and to assist in all good
and charitable objects, which in this country are so numerous
and so necessary. It will be my duty to address you again, so I
will now only thank you once more for the kind manner in which
you have received this toast."
The Prince of Wales, after a brief interval, again rose and said:--
"The toast I have now to offer to you is also one of those which
are always given, and which are always heartily received at
gatherings like the present. It is that of 'The Army and the
Navy.' I find some difficulty on this occasion in proposing that
toast, because when I look around me and see the
Commander-in-Chief, the greater portion of the Head Quarters'
Staff, and so many distinguished generals and officers, I feel
it would be very presumptuous on my part were I to dilate on the
subject. I think Englishmen have every reason to be proud of
possessing such an Army and Navy as ours. Of course we don't
pretend that they are perfection, but I am sure that every
endeavour is used year after year to make our land and sea
forces as efficient as possible for our defence and for the
maintenance of peace both in this country and in our vast
possessions abroad. In connection with the Army, it gives me the
greatest pleasure to propose the health of my illustrious
relative, the Commander-in-Chief. It would ill become me to make
those remarks in his presence which it would afford me sincere
satisfaction to offer were he absent; but I am sure that you, as
brother officers, know the great interest the Commander-in-Chief
takes in the Army, and I know you will drink his health most
cordially on this occasion. I am not able to couple any name
with the Navy, for the very sufficient reason that there is no
naval officer present to respond to it. I regret that our
gallant sea forces are not represented, but the toast will not
on that account, I am sure, be less cordially received."
The Duke of Cambridge, who was loudly cheered, said: "I personally am
much gratified by the kind reception which has been given to my name in
conjunction with this toast. His Royal Highness, with a modesty which is
delightful in one in his position, has expressed diffidence in proposing
it; but there is no ground for such diffidence on his part, for there is
no officer in the Army that I know of who takes a more lively interest
in the efficiency of the service, even in its every detail, or who,
whenever the opportunity offers, shows a greater aptitude than does His
Royal Highness. He has proved a most worthy spokesman for the Army on
this and on many other occasions, and I am sure officers of the Army are
always flattered and gratified when His Royal Highness has the
opportunity of speaking of them as he has done this evening. I feel
particular interest in being present here, and I beg to express to His
Royal Highness, who has many and constant duties to attend to, my thanks
and those of my mother, who is, unfortunately, in a very suffering
state, for having, on the mere expression of a wish on her part, at once
consented to preside on this occasion. I beg also to thank you for the
compliment which you have paid me and my family by your attendance, for
I cannot forget that this institution was originally founded in memory
of my father, who had many opportunities of showing the deep interest he
took in the charitable institutions of the country. On that account many
of his friends were anxious that some testimonial should be established
to his memory, and instead of a statue I am happy to think, as I am sure
he would have been glad to know, that it took the form of the useful and
necessary institution we have met here to assist. But for its aid the
recipients of its benefits would have to drag out a miserable existence
either in the workhouse or under even still worse circumstances. We must
all feel gratified that these old women are, thanks to the benevolence
of yourselves and the public, enabled to pass their last days in the
comparative comfort that they find in the Asylum at Kingston. As head of
the Army, I may say that a higher compliment could not possibly have
been paid to it than to establish an institution such as this, and I am
gratified to think that the support it has received leads us to the hope
that it is now established on a solid and valuable foundation. I beg
again to thank you, in the name of the Army, and to say that the service
feels the deepest interest in the prosperity of the Asylum."
The Prince of Wales next rose and said;--
"It is now my pleasing duty to bring before you the toast of the
evening, 'Prosperity to the Royal Cambridge Asylum for Soldiers'
Widows.' When I see how I am surrounded and how large a
gathering is present, I feel sure I shall not call on you in
vain in the interest of those whom we are concerned in
benefiting on this occasion. As my illustrious relative has
mentioned to you, this institution was established as a memorial
to his illustrious father, the late Duke of Cambridge. The
object was to provide a home for the widows of privates and
non-commissioned officers of the Army. No such institution
previously existed, and it is still the only one of its kind in
the country. In it the widows are provided with a furnished room
and an allowance of 6_s._ a week, besides a grant of 2_s._ 6_d._
per month for coals. While the expenditure is great, exceeding
£2000, the funded income, including £50 a year, called the
Princess Mary Fund for Nurses, amounts to little over £500 a
year. It was originally intended to have, if possible, 130
inmates, but at the present moment there are only 57, for there
is no room for more, and our great object is to make the
institution a success by increasing the numbers. On
philanthropic grounds alone it is almost unnecessary to say a
word as to its excellence. But when one thinks of the soldier,
who has not only to expose his life in battle, but to run the
risk of sickness and disease in a variety of different climates,
away from home, often leaving his wife for many years behind
him, it is impossible not to see that it must be a comfort to
him, especially if ill or dying, to think there is an
institution where his wife, if he succumbs, has a chance of
being provided for. Among soldiers there can be but one feeling
on this subject, and I am sure that on this occasion I shall not
appeal to those who are present in vain.
"I regret very much that one who has taken a deep interest in
this institution--its chairman, Sir Edward Cust--is not here on
this occasion, and I fear on account of illness. But it is some
gratification to be able to read to you an extract from a letter
of his, dated the 1st of March, to Colonel Stewart, the
secretary, in which he says--"I think I intimated to you last
year that I should make a disposition by my will of all my
copyright and interest in my military histories for the benefit
of the Asylum. As I am unable to support the Prince of Wales in
the chair, may I beg the favour of His Royal Highness making
this donation in my name as evidence of my sympathy for the
institution?" Those who are present know so thoroughly well all
the merits of the institution that it would be unnecessary for
me to make a lengthened speech. I will therefore wind up by once
more asking you to do all in your power to assist in
accomplishing the great object we have in view of extending the
building so as to accommodate more widows. With the toast which
I have given you, I beg, in the absence of Sir E. Cust, to
couple the name of Colonel Liddell."
Colonel Liddell, who responded, said it was the desire to provide
accommodation for one widow from each regiment in the service, which, of
course, as there were only fifty-seven inmates, left a great deal still
to be done.
The Prince of Wales: "I have now to propose a toast which, I am
sure, of all those I have given none will have been received
with greater cordiality, for it is that of the 'Lady Patron.'
You all, I know, wish as sincerely as I do that her
health--which is not good just at present--may be restored, and
that she may be among us for some years yet to come. One of the
reasons why this institution has prospered so much, and why so
many are here to-night, is the regard which is felt for the kind
and good lady who is its president. It is not surprising that
she should take a deep interest in an asylum intended indirectly
for the benefit of soldiers, seeing that her husband was a
soldier and that her son is a soldier."
The toast having been cordially drunk, was responded to by the Duke of
Cambridge, who then proposed "The Health of the Lord Mayor and the
Sheriffs," thanking them for the liberality with which they had
subscribed to the funds of the Asylum. The total amount of the
subscriptions received was announced by the Prince of Wales to be £1635
17_s._ 10_d._
The present number of inmates (1888) is sixty-nine. The receipts of the
previous year were £2700; the invested funds nearly £23,000. The
festival dinner is triennial, but additional sums have been obtained by
military _fêtes_ and other ways. In 1872 the Prince and Princess of
Wales were present at a grand military concert in the Royal Albert Hall,
when Madame Titiens and other artists volunteered their assistance, and
many of the proprietors placed their boxes and stalls at the disposal of
the Duke of Edinburgh, who was Chairman of the Committee for carrying
out the arrangements. We trust that the Duke of Cambridge may be
gratified by witnessing a large increase of the numbers benefited by an
institution in which he takes so zealous and kindly interest.
AT MERCHANT TAYLORS' SCHOOL.
_April 6th, 1875._
When the Charterhouse School was removed from its ancient historic site
to the more remote and rural site at Godalming, arrangements were made
for installing Merchant Taylors' School in the Charterhouse. There was
ample accommodation for the 400 or 500 boys. Portions of the old
structure remain, and these with the new buildings give room for the
numerous classes, with large halls, library, lecture rooms, and a
magnificent assembly room, for morning and evening prayers, and on grand
days for speeches and prize festivals. The poor Brethren, pensioners on
the foundation, remain in their old quarters, and their chapel, with its
services, continues as before.
The installation of the Merchant Taylors' School in the Charterhouse was
an event of sufficient importance to justify the request for the
ceremony being honoured by the presence of the Prince and Princess of
Wales, who came on 6th of April, 1875, accompanied by the Princess Mary
and Duke of Teck, and other illustrious visitors. Service having been
performed in the old Carthusian chapel; and an address having been read
by the clerk, and presented by the Master of the Company; the Prince
declared the Merchant Taylors' School open. An ode in Latin Alcaics was
then declaimed by the head monitor of the School, the Archbishop of
Canterbury offered a prayer for the Divine blessing, and the service
closed with the Lord's Prayer and the Benediction.
Luncheon was afterwards served in the assembly hall. The Master of the
Company gave a brief account of the origin and history of the School,
introducing references to former Princes of Wales, who had been
benefactors of the Company, from the time of Edward I., the first Prince
of Wales, to that of King James I., who with his son, the Prince of
Wales, dined in this hall. It was for that occasion, in 1607, that Dr.
John Bull composed the music of "God Save the Queen." The Queen of James
I. was Anne of Denmark. "History repeats itself," continued the Master,
"for you, Sire, have entwined the flower of Denmark in the wreath of
England."
The Prince, responding to the toast then given, said:--
"For the excessively kind and flattering manner in which this
toast has been proposed from the chair, and received by you all,
I beg to return my warmest and most sincere thanks. I need
hardly assure the Master and all those assembled here to-day
what pleasure it has given to the Princess and myself to be
present on this occasion. The numerous guilds of the City of
London are well known for their hospitality, and especially
distinguished is the Merchant Taylors' Company. At the same
time, although they kindly and cordially receive their guests,
they do all they can to make themselves useful in this great
city. I will not recapitulate what we have heard in another
room, and also from the lips of the Master, of the prosperity of
this School. I hope it will continue to flourish; and that the
sun which is now shining will bring prosperity to a School which
has so long flourished and which is now moved to other
buildings. I must say we cannot but congratulate the Master and
the Guild on the beautiful building in which we are assembled at
the present moment. In conclusion let me propose a toast I am
sure you will all drink with enthusiasm--'Success to the
Merchant Taylors' School.' It affords me great pleasure to
couple with it the name of the head master, the Rev. Dr.
Baker."
After the luncheon the Royal visitors inspected the buildings, and
walked through the playground, which is of considerable size for a city
school. The cheers of the boys on the departure of the Prince and
Princess were the more vehement, as they had asked and obtained from the
Master an extra week's holiday.
THE GERMAN HOSPITAL.
_April 16th, 1875._
The German Hospital, at Dalston, is one of the most useful and
well-managed charities in the Metropolis. It is for the reception of
natives of Germany, and others speaking the German language; also for
English in case of accident. There are now 125 beds for in-patients,
with a sanatarium for the benefit of those who can pay a moderate sum
weekly for their maintenance during illness. There is also a
Convalescent Home, with about twenty beds. During the past year there
were 1663 in-patients, 23,210 out-patients, and 1163 dental cases. The
Hamburg Church is connected with the Hospital by a corridor. The yearly
receipts average now about £10,000, and there is funded property
amounting to £55,000.
The Prince of Wales presided at the thirtieth anniversary festival, at
Willis's Rooms, on the 16th of April, 1875. About three hundred were
present, including some Ambassadors and Consuls of Continental States,
and other distinguished foreigners.
The Prince, in proposing the health of "The Queen," said that Her
Majesty took the greatest interest in the welfare of the Hospital, of
which she was a protector, and a donor to its funds.
Count Beust, the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador, gave the toast of "The
Prince and Princess of Wales and the Royal Family." He said that he
spoke the sentiments of the representatives of all German-speaking
countries, when he said that the "Royal Chairman had always shown for
the German Hospital a feeling German heart and an open English hand.
When he brought under the notice of his Sovereign, the Emperor of
Austria, that the Prince was to preside at the festival, he was
immediately instructed by His Majesty to announce the donation from him
of £100 to the funds. Let us, one and all, drink to our illustrious
Chairman, whom the people of England know not only as a gracious and
popular Prince, but also as a high-minded, generous gentleman, who takes
a deep and active interest in all that contributes to the greatness and
the welfare of the country, and to the relief of the sufferers among the
less fortunate of the community, in the fulfilment of which noble task
he is well supported by his gracious Princess."
The Prince, in reply, said:--
"I can hardly find words adequate enough to express my deep
thanks to his Excellency the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador for the
exceedingly kind and flattering manner in which he has proposed
this toast, and to you all for the hearty way in which it was
received. I can assure you that it affords me the greatest
pleasure and gratification to be your chairman on the present
occasion. The members of my family have now for some years taken
a deep interest in this charity, and I take the same interest.
This is not at all to be wondered at, considering that we have
German blood running in our veins. We have the greatest sympathy
with the foreigners who live in our country, and we gladly join
in an attempt like this to alleviate their sufferings in every
possible way. The President of the German Hospital, the Duke of
Cambridge, as did his father before him, takes a warm interest
in this institution, and I sincerely hope that our family will
always remain connected with so excellent and admirable a
charity. I thank you once more for the hearty reception you have
accorded to the toast."
The Prince, again rising, proposed in cordial terms: "The
Foreign Sovereigns and Princes, Protectors and Patrons of the
Institution, and their Representatives who had honoured them
with their presence." He stated that "the Emperor of Germany
gave an annual donation of £200 to the charity, and that the
Emperors of Russia and Austria, and the Kings of Würtemberg,
Bavaria, Saxony, and the Netherlands, had also evinced a
practical interest in the institution."
Count Münster, the German Ambassador, whose name was coupled with the
toast, said he agreed with his friend and colleague, Count Beust, that
it was one of the most pleasant duties of diplomatists to be present on
occasions of that kind, and he felt it, indeed, a great honour to return
thanks for the kind and gracious manner in which His Royal Highness had
proposed the health of the foreign Sovereigns and their representatives.
He was quite sure that the interest which their Majesties had taken in
that fine, benevolent institution would be much strengthened when they
became aware that the first gentleman in England--the heir to the
British Throne--had shown his practical sympathy with it by presiding
that evening. Benevolence and hospitality had always been the
characteristics of the English people, but how could it be otherwise
when the Royal Family invariably set them, on every possible occasion,
the noblest and best example? In the name of his fellow-countrymen he
tendered to His Royal Highness their most hearty thanks for the
gracious part he was taking at that gathering.
The Prince of Wales next gave "The Army, Navy, and Reserve
Forces," saying, in doing so, that every Englishman was proud of
the land and sea forces of his country, and he always hoped they
were in a highly efficient state. At the same time the Prince
sincerely trusted that the occasion might never arise in which
the Army and Navy might be called forth to battle with those
countries so many of whose representatives were present that
evening.
General Sir William Knollys made a brief reply. The Prince of Wales then
gave as the toast of the evening: "Prosperity to the German Hospital."
He said:--