intellectual faculties, so as to adapt men to apply their
intelligence in any occupation of life to which they may be
called; and this general discipline of the mind has on the whole
been found sufficient until recent times; but during the last
thirty years the competition of other nations, even in
manufactures which once were exclusively carried on in this
kingdom, has been very severe. The great progress that has been
made in the means of locomotion as well as in the application of
steam for the purposes of life has distributed the raw materials
of industry all over the world, and has economized time and
labour in their conversion to objects of utility. Other nations
which did not possess in such abundance as Great Britain coal,
the source of power, and iron, the essence of strength,
compensated for the want of raw material by the technical
education of their industrial classes, and this country has,
therefore, seen manufactures springing up everywhere, guided by
the trained intelligence thus created. Both in Europe and in
America technical colleges for teaching, not the practice, but
the principles of science and art involved in particular
industries, had been organized in all the leading centres of
industry.
"England is now thoroughly aware of the necessity for
supplementing her educational institutions by colleges of a like
nature. Most of our great manufacturing towns have either
started or have already erected their colleges of science and
art. In only a few instances, however, have they become
developed into schools for systematic technical instruction.
This building, which is to be erected by the City and Guilds of
London, will be of considerable benefit to the whole kingdom,
not only as an example of the institute devoting itself to
technical training, but as a focus likewise for uniting the
different technical schools in the Metropolis already in
existence, and a central establishment also to which promising
students from the provinces may, by the aid of scholarships, he
brought to benefit by the superior instruction which London can
command. While studying at your institution, they will have the
further advantages that the treasures of the South Kensington
Museum and the numerous collections in the City may bring to
bear on the artistic and scientific education of future
manufacturers.
"Let me remind you that the realization of this idea was one of
the most cherished objects which my lamented father had in view.
After the Exhibition of 1851, he recognized the need of
technical education in the future, and he foresaw how difficult
it would be in London to find space for such museums and
colleges as those which now surround the spot on which we stand.
It is, therefore, to me a peculiar pleasure that the
Commissioners of the Exhibition, of which I am the President,
have been able to contribute to your present important
undertaking, by giving to you the ground upon which the present
college is to be erected, with a sufficient reserve of land to
insure its future development.
"Allow me, in conclusion, to express the great satisfaction
which I experience in seeing the ancient guilds of the City of
London so warmly co-operating in the advancement of technical
instruction. I am aware that several of them have for some time
past in various ways separately encouraged the study of science
and art in the Metropolis, as well as in the provinces; and it
is a noble effort on their part when they join together to
establish a united institute with the view of making still
greater and more systematic endeavours for the promotion of this
branch of special education. By consenting at your request to
become the President of this Institute I hope it may be in my
power to benefit the good work, and that our joint exertions,
aided, I trust, by the continued liberality of the City and
Guilds of London, may prove to be an example to the rest of the
country to train the intelligence of industrial communities, so
that, with the increasing competition of the world, England may
retain her proud pre-eminence as a manufacturing nation."
After this address, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone was
completed. A medal to commemorate the event had previously been struck
at the Royal Mint.
It is stated in the Times of October 20th, 1888, that "in the last ten
years several of the Companies, in conjunction with the City
Corporation, have together given something like a quarter of a million
to the City Guilds of London Institute--the amount including gifts of
£46,000 from the Goldsmiths, of £43,000 from the Drapers, of £37,000
from the Clothworkers, of £34,000 from the Fishmongers, of £22,000 from
the Mercers, of £10,000 from the Grocers, and of £11,000 from the City
Corporation. Besides this, to mention the more salient examples, the
Drapers have given some £60,000 to the People's Palace, the Goldsmiths
have promised an annuity of £2,500, equivalent to a capital sum of
£85,000, to the New Cross Technical Institute, the Mercers propose to
devote £60,000 to the establishment of an agricultural college in
Wiltshire, and the Shipwrights' Company is taking the lead in a movement
for the formation of a college of shipbuilding in connection with a
Technical Institute at the East-end."
Besides all this, the people of South London are preparing to establish
three Technical Institutes, with the help of the Charity Commissioners;
and, if possible, to secure the Albert Palace for a Battersea Institute.
A similar movement has begun in North London. These local Technical
Schools are independent of the City Guilds of London Institute at
Kensington, but the impulse was given by its establishment.
THE INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CONGRESS.
_August 3rd, 1881._
The seventh meeting of the International Medical Congress was formally
opened by the Prince of Wales, on the 3rd of August, 1881. It was the
first time the Congress had been held in England. The great room of St.
James's Hall was nearly filled, 3000 members being present. No lady
practitioners were admitted, although at least 25 women, practising
medicine, were then on the English Medical Register, and a protest
against the decision of the Council had been signed by 43 duly qualified
medical women. At previous meetings of the Congress in foreign countries
women were not excluded.
The Prince of Wales, on his arrival, was received by Sir W. Jenner, Sir
William Gull, Sir James Paget, Sir J. Risdon Bennett, and other members
of the Committee. The Honorary Secretary having read the report of the
Executive Committee, the Prince of Wales, who was accompanied by the
Crown Prince of Prussia, the late Emperor "Frederick the Noble," rose
and said:--
"Your Imperial Highness and Gentlemen,--I gladly complied with
the request that I should be patron of the International Medical
Congress of 1881, and among many reasons for so doing was my
conviction that few things can tend more to the welfare of
mankind than that educated men of all nations should from time
to time meet together for the promotion of the branches of
knowledge to which they devote themselves. The intercourse and
the mutual esteem of nations have often been advanced by great
international exhibitions, and I look back with pleasure to
those with which I have been connected; but when conferences are
held among those who in all parts of the world apply themselves
to the study of science, even greater international benefits
may, I think, be confidently anticipated, more especially in the
study of medicine and surgery, for in these the effects of
climate and of national habits must give to the practitioners of
each nation opportunities, not only of acquiring knowledge, but
of imparting knowledge to those of their _confrères_ whom they
meet in Congress.
"I venture to think, gentlemen, that the Executive Committee
have acted wisely in instituting sections for the discussion of
a very wide range of subjects, including not only the sciences
on which medical knowledge is founded, but many of its most
practical applications, and I am very happy to see that so great
scope will be granted for the discussion of important questions
relating to the public health, to the cure of the sick in
hospitals and in the houses of the poor, and to the welfare of
the Army and Navy. The devotion with which many members of the
medical profession readily share the dangers of climate and the
fatigues and dangers of war, and the many risks which must be
encountered in the study of means, not only for the remedy, but
for the prevention of disease, deserves the warmest
acknowledgment from the public.
"I have great satisfaction in believing, in seeing this crowded
hall, that I may already regard the Congress as successful in
having attracted a number never hitherto equalled of medical men
from all parts of this kingdom, as well as from every country in
Europe, from the United States, and from other parts of the
world. The list of officers of the Congress, including as it
does the names of those distinguished in every branch of
medical science, shows how heartily the proposal to hold the
meeting in London has been received. I think it speaks well for
the good feeling of the profession that there should have been
so warm a response to the invitations. How cordially the
proposal has been received may be seen not only in the large
number of visitors, but in the fact that they include a large
proportion of those who enjoy a high reputation not only in
their own countries, but throughout the world. I sincerely
congratulate the reception committee on this good promise of
complete success, and I trust that at the close of the Congress
they will feel rewarded for the labour they have bestowed upon
it. The report which the secretary-general, Mr. MacCormack, has
read will have explained how great have been his labours. He
will hereafter he well repaid, and I am sure Mr. MacCormack is
sensible that he will be recompensed even for his great
exertions by the assurance that the progress of the important
science of medicine has been materially promoted, for any
addition to the knowledge of medicine must always be followed by
an increase in the happiness of mankind."
There was general cheering at the close of the speech, and Sir James
Paget, as President of the Congress, then read the inaugural address;
after which the meeting resolved itself into sections for special
subjects. Professor Virchow, of Berlin, delivered an address in German
at one of the sections.
MEMORIAL TO DEAN STANLEY.
_December 13th, 1881._
In the ancient Chapter-house, Westminster Abbey, a meeting was held on
the 13th of December, 1881, for promoting a scheme for raising a fitting
memorial to the lamented Dean Stanley. The Very Rev. Dr. Bradley, the
new Dean, presided, and was supported by the Prince of Wales, the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Marquis of Salisbury, Earl Granville, the
Duke of Westminster, and many eminent persons in Church and State. There
were also some ladies, and the representatives of Working Men's Clubs
and Institutes, the purpose being to honour the memory of Dean Stanley,
not merely as a high ecclesiastic, but as the helper of many good and
beneficent objects in social life. The proposed tribute was to take the
form first of a monumental memorial in the Abbey to the Dean, and also
to his wife, Lady Augusta Stanley, and to establish a Home for Training
Nurses at Westminster, an object in which Lady Augusta had taken deep
interest. The present meeting, however, was only to set on foot the
movement, and the first resolution was: "That the genius, the character,
and the public services of the late Dean of Westminster eminently
entitle him to a national memorial." This was moved by the Prince of
Wales, who said:--
"Mr. Dean, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--In proposing the first
resolution, which has been committed to my care, I desire to
express the very sincere pleasure, though I must call it the sad
pleasure, which I feel in being asked to move this resolution. I
do so with feelings of sorrow, owing to the long friendship and
acquaintance which I had with the late Dean of Westminster; and
yet with pleasure, as I have the satisfaction of proposing to
you a national memorial to which I am convinced the late Dean
was so thoroughly entitled. The loss which the death of that
eminent man has caused to this, and, I may say also, to other
countries, is indeed great. That loss was deeply felt by my
beloved mother the Queen, who bore for the late Dean the
greatest possible friendship and affection, and also by all the
members of her family.
"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.