the cordial and loyal terms in which you have welcomed me here
to-day. I experience at all times sincere pleasure when
circumstances permit me to associate my name with any
undertaking tending to advance the welfare and convenience of
the community, and I accepted, therefore, with much satisfaction
your invitation to be present on this interesting occasion to
assist in the inauguration of a national work of such vast
importance. An enterprise of this nature is always deserving of
the warmest support and encouragement, as it not only completes
the railway system of the district, and thus provides constant
and easy means of communication between towns of such prominence
as Liverpool and Birkenhead, but it cannot fail also before long
to afford material benefit to the millions of hands in the
neighbouring industrial centres by aiding the more rapid
development of commercial intercourse. The heartiest
commendation should, therefore, be bestowed on all engaged in
the promotion of so great and worthy an object. I fervently
trust that well-merited success may be the result of your
labours, and that an ever-increasing prosperity may be your
reward for the difficulties which you have encountered, and
which have been mainly overcome by the admirable skill, the
indomitable patience, and the unceasing and unwearied energy
which have been displayed by all those who have contributed to
bring this work to a happy and a triumphant termination. Let me
convey to you, in conclusion, gentlemen, at the special request
of the Princess of Wales, the expression of her deep and
unfeigned regret at having been unavoidably prevented from
accompanying me here to-day. She begs me to assure you that
nothing but the imperative orders of the physicians would have
precluded her from sharing the gratification which I experience
at taking part in the proceedings which celebrate the
consummation of your most arduous task."
When the cheers which greeted the Prince's speech had subsided, the
Mayor of Birkenhead, Mr. John Laird, was introduced to His Royal
Highness, whom he asked to receive an address from the Corporation of
that town. The Recorder then read the address, which remarked--"The
communication between Birkenhead and Liverpool has hitherto been by a
ferry, one of the most ancient and important in the kingdom, first
established at a very early period, and conferred by King Edward III.,
in the year 1332, on the Prior and Convent of Birkenhead. It is a happy
coincidence that your Royal Highness should be present to open this new
connecting link between the county from which your Royal Highness
derives the title of Earl of Chester and the Royal Duchy of Lancaster."
His Royal Highness made an appropriate reply, in which he said:--
"Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen,--It has given me, I assure you,
unfeigned pleasure to have been able to comply with your
request to receive an address from the Mayor, Aldermen, and
Burgesses of the borough of Birkenhead, and I am confident that
though you may be one of the youngest of the corporate bodies,
you equal the oldest in loyalty and in devotion to the Queen and
the Royal Family. The completion of the work which I am about to
declare open will mark an important era in the history of this
district, for it will not only afford an improved line of
communication between two towns of so much consequence and
increasing prosperity as Birkenhead and Liverpool, but it will
likewise supply the means of easy and ready access to the
principality of Wales, with its places of picturesque beauty and
interest, and its numerous health resorts. The utility of the
undertaking cannot therefore be over-estimated."
The Royal party then re-entered the train, and after inspecting the
works at the station the train entered the tunnel, and in four minutes
reached the James Street Station on the Liverpool side. They were raised
to the street level by a hydraulic lift, and the Prince being conducted
to a daïs in the waiting hall, said, "I declare this station opened."
Prolonged cheering greeted the announcement, which was continued
throughout the route as the Princes drove to the Town Hall. In the
Council-chamber an address was read by the Town Clerk from the
Corporation, to which the Prince replied, acknowledging cordially the
welcome given to him, and the kind references to his family, adding:--
"You rightly observe that I am deeply interested in every
movement that is calculated to tend to the advantage and
well-being of the people of this country, and it is a great
satisfaction to me to think that my name will be associated with
the memorable enterprise which by completing a connecting link
in our railway system supplies a want that has been long felt in
this part of the kingdom."
At the luncheon afterwards given in the ball-room, where about 250
guests had been invited, responding to the toast of his health, the
Prince said that he had received, since his arrival in Liverpool, a
telegram from the Princess, regretting her absence, and saying how
deeply she was interested in the purpose of his visit. He also expressed
his thanks for the reference to his sons, who were much gratified by the
opportunity of visiting this great town.
"I have been engaged to-day, Mr. Mayor, on an interesting and
important work, which I feel convinced will be a very great
benefit, not only to the town of Liverpool, but to the vast
commercial resources of this and surrounding towns. The
difficulties in making a subterranean or subaqueous railway are
only too clear. You have hitherto had means of taking passengers
and goods over the river by steam ferries. I am aware that this
right has existed a long time--I believe as far back as the 11th
century. But it is a remarkable fact that in the last year you
conveyed across the Mersey, from Birkenhead to Liverpool, on the
steam ferries 26,000,000 passengers, and 750,000 tons of goods.
You may say, such being the case, why do you require to have
this tunnel, and to have your railway to connect Liverpool and
Birkenhead? The answer is that you have to encounter storms, you
have to encounter fogs, and you have to encounter ice. Both your
passengers and your goods are very frequently imperilled.
Therefore, a great engineering scheme of this kind, which will
be a very great boon, is one deserving of encouragement. Not
only will it benefit the commerce of the north-west of England,
but it will also open up a railway system to Wales and that
beautiful picturesque country with all its health-giving
resorts. Great praise is due to Major Isaac for the
indefatigable manner in which he has carried out this work and
has found the capital, and we have also to recognize the
indomitable energies of Mr. Brunlees and Mr. Fox, the engineers,
and I must not forget to mention the name of Mr. Waddell, the
contractor. At the head of this company we find my right hon.
friend, Mr. Cecil Raikes, who has had a long experience in
railways. Before sitting down, as I know there is no time for
long speeches, I wish most cordially to drink 'Prosperity to the
Mersey Railway,' which I am sure you will drink most heartily,
and to connect with the toast the name of its chairman, Mr.
Cecil Raikes."
Mr. Raikes, in responding, said he held it as a most happy omen for that
great undertaking whose completion they celebrated, that the heir to the
throne should have come there to take part in completing an enterprise
which would, he believed, be reckoned as one of the most important and
interesting of Her Majesty's reign. His Royal Highness had been good
enough to refer especially to the connection which was now to be
established between Liverpool and his principality of Wales. As a
resident in that principality he could assure His Royal Highness that
the expression of interest would be cordially appreciated and treasured
by the people of Wales.
The Prince of Wales said:--
"Ladies and Gentlemen,--Although the toast list is closed, I
have the permission of the Mayor to propose one more toast, and
I feel sure it is one which will recommend itself to you all, as
it is the health of the chairman of this entertainment, the
Mayor. You are aware of the Mayor's great popularity, and his
deserved popularity; for have you not re-elected him for a
second term of office as your Mayor? I feel that it is difficult
to praise him in his presence, but at the same time he will
forgive me if I say that I know how the inhabitants of Liverpool
have been grateful to him for the great kindness, generosity,
and philanthropy he lately evinced at Christmas, when he gave
that well-known and popular Lancashire dish, the hotchpotch, to
the poor inhabitants of your town. That kindness will not be
forgotten by them, and it will be gratifying to him to know the
good he did and the pleasure he gave on that occasion. As for
myself, this is not my first visit to Liverpool, and I hope by
no means it may be my last. I have always been received here
with the greatest kindness, and I have always looked back to my
different visits with the greatest pleasure and satisfaction.
The fact that 100 years ago this town numbered only 40,000
people, and now, with its suburbs, numbers close upon 700,000,
speaks for its prosperity. Most cordially do I propose this
toast, Mr. Mayor, and most sincerely do I wish long life to you,
and prosperity to your town."
The Mayor briefly replied, and the proceedings terminated; the Prince
and his sons drove in an open carriage to the station, great crowds in
the streets cheering them, and returned to London.
INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS.
_March 27th, 1886._
Not for the first, nor the second time, the Prince of Wales was
entertained at the Annual Dinner of the Institution of Civil Engineers,
on the 27th of March, 1886. The banquet was held on this occasion in the
hall of Lincoln's Inn, the use of which was kindly granted by the
Benchers. The Prince was accompanied by Prince Albert Victor and the
Duke of Cambridge. A very large company of distinguished men in various
walks of life, as well as the leading engineers of the day, were
present, about two hundred in all.
The President, Sir Frederick Bramwell (the President of the British
Association at Bath in 1888), in giving the usual loyal toasts, took
occasion to mention that of the Royal guests, two, the Prince of Wales
and the Duke of Cambridge, were honorary members of the Institution of
Civil Engineers, and he hoped that the third would before long be added
to the list.
In responding to the toast of "The Prince and Princess of Wales and the
rest of the Royal Family," after expressing his grateful thanks, the
Prince said:--
"In coming here this evening among you I feel that I am not a
stranger, as you have paid me the high compliment of enrolling
me as an honorary member of your Institution. At the same time I
consider it a high privilege, and I may say a high honour, to
dine here at this your annual banquet, as I am sure no one will
gainsay me when I assert that an Institution like this is one of
the most important in this country, and one for which we have
the highest respect. I do not know what we should do without the
civil engineers. How could we cross rivers? How could we go
under them? Where would be the roads? Where would be the
railways? And, perhaps, most important of all, where would be
those great works of sanitation, which are of such vital concern
to all countries and to all towns? For all these things are left
in your hands.
"Some years have elapsed since I last had the pleasure of dining
here, and in the interval I well know that civil engineers have
not been idle. I may just mention a few works which have come
under my own observation, not only in this country but in India,
works which have been carried out by civil engineers, though all
may not, perhaps, be members of this Institution. The first that
occurs to me is the new Eddystone Lighthouse, of which I myself
had the pleasure to assist in placing the first stone. Then
there are those great works which will be handed down to
posterity and of which civil engineers will ever be proud--I
refer to the Mersey and Severn Tunnels. The former work I had
the great pleasure of opening two months ago. Then comes the
Forth Bridge, not yet completed; I visited the works two years
ago, and I hope in two, or at most three years we may see the
great bridge in working order. While referring to these great
works, which will always remain mementoes of the ability of the
civil engineers of our time, I must not forget to allude to a
more distant evidence of engineering skill--viz., the Alexandra
Bridge in India, which was built over the River Chenab, and
which I had the good fortune to open now ten years ago.
"I might speak for a long time if I detailed all the important
works constructed by civil engineers that I have seen, and
especially if I were to mention also a string of illustrious
names familiar to every one. But I shall abstain from doing so
now, first because, as you hear, my voice is not very good, and
in the second place because it has been agreed upon that there
are not to be any very long speeches. It is my satisfaction now
before sitting down to propose a toast which I am sure will be
most gratefully and sympathetically received by the company, and
that is 'The Health of your President, Sir Frederick Bramwell.'
I cannot allude to him in the manner I should like, or enumerate
all the distinguished services which he has rendered to his
country; but one thing I will venture to say, and that is that
his name will always be honourably connected with the
advancement of technical education. The interest he has taken in
that great subject, and the labour he has bestowed on it, have
gained for him the high honour, conferred by his Sovereign, of
the order of knighthood, and I am sure he will still continue to
devote his time and energies to a measure which is of the
greatest importance to this country. For myself I may say that I
also owe him a deep debt of gratitude for the services he has
rendered as chairman of the executive committee of the recent
Inventions Exhibition. I have now the great pleasure of
proposing the toast of 'Prosperity to the Institution of Civil
Engineers,' coupled with the name of your President Sir
Frederick Bramwell."
Sir Frederick Bramwell made an amusing speech, in which he highly
magnified the office of the Civil Engineer as contrasted with every
other profession. The Duke of Cambridge spoke well, as usual, for the
Army, and Lord Charles Beresford gave a supplementary speech, in
response to loud calls, after Admiral Le Hunte Ward had responded for
the Navy. The improvements in both military and naval armaments due to
civil engineers were duly recognized by all the speakers.
AT THE COLONIAL OFFICE.
_April 29th, 1886._
Sir Henry Holland (now Lord Knutsford), as Secretary of State for the
Colonies, entertained the representatives at the Colonial Conference,
and various gentlemen connected with the Crown Colonies, at a dinner at
the Colonial Office, on the 29th of April, 1886. The Prince of Wales,
the Duke of Abercorn, the Marquis of Lorne, the Earl of Carnarvon, and
the Earl of Rosebery were among those present. The loyal toasts being
given, Sir Henry Holland said that to the hard work and warm sympathy of
the Prince of Wales the success of the Colonial Exhibition was largely
due. The Prince, in acknowledging the toast, said:--
"Sir Henry Holland, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--When Sir Henry
Holland was kind enough to invite me here this evening to meet
the colonial delegates I was under the impression that it was a
private dinner, in so far that I should not be called upon to
make a speech. In this respect he has sprung a mine upon me.
But, notwithstanding, I beg to thank him for the very kind way
in which he has proposed this toast, and to thank you for the
cordial manner in which you have received it. I can only assure
him and you of the very great pleasure it gives me to meet you
here this evening.
"In this large gathering there are many gentlemen connected with
the colonies whom I have had the pleasure of knowing personally,
and it affords me especial pleasure to make the acquaintance of
others who have come over in connection with this occasion. I am
aware that the proceedings of the conferences which have taken
place have been kept secret from the public in a most marvellous
way, which is not an easy matter in these days. But from the
words which have fallen from Sir Henry Holland I am glad to hear
that everything has been so prosperous, and I hope that the
important and difficult questions which have been discussed
during the last few weeks will bear fruit. Nobody wishes more
sincerely than I do that the good feeling, or, as the French
say, the _entente cordiale_, between the mother country and our
great colonies may be established on a still firmer basis. Far
be it from us, and far distant may the day be, when we shall see
the colonies separated from us in any way.
"You have been kind enough to allude to the Colonial Exhibition,
which is now a matter of the past. I feel sure that in that
Exhibition, during the few months that it lasted, our own
countrymen learnt perhaps more of the colonies than they could
in any other way except by visiting them. No better means could
have been adopted for bringing the colonies more prominently
before us. Most sincerely do I hope that that Exhibition may
bear fruit. I most sincerely trust that the end of the
Conference may also be successful, and that it may realise all
that we could wish. It is true, as you have observed, that I
have not yet had an opportunity of visiting the distant
colonies, especially the Australian colonies and those of the
Cape. Much as I may desire to go out to those distant colonies,
I fear that my duties at home may prevent my doing so. However,
I assure you that it is my wish to do so, and though I am
unable, it is through circumstances over which I have no
control."
Lord Rosebery, in giving the toast of their Colonial guests, said, that
whatever questions of home policy divided Englishmen, party feeling
never interfered in those greater Imperial questions. It was a happy
innovation to invite representatives of the colonies to meet in
conference, and he trusted that the result of that meeting would hasten
the welding and uniting of the Empire.
INSTALLATION AS GRAND MASTER OF MARK MASONS.
_July 1st, 1886._
A large and most imposing gathering, held in connexion with the Grand
Lodge of Mark Master Masons, took place at the Freemasons' Hall on the
1st of July, 1886. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, whose
installation as Grand Master of English Freemasons, at the Albert Hall,
in April 1875, has been already narrated, was now installed as Grand
Mark Master. There were upwards of 1000 Grand, Past, and Provincial
Grand Officers present, including many distinguished representatives
from India and the Colonies, as well as from all parts of the United
Kingdom. The Earl of Kintore, Grand Master, presided at the ceremony.
When the Prince entered the Grand Lodge, which had been opened by Lord
Kintore, he was accompanied by a large and representative body of Mark
Masons deputed to conduct His Royal Highness to the throne. He then
took the customary obligation, having been proclaimed and saluted on the
throne, to which he was conducted by Lord Kintore. Addressing the
Prince, Lord Kintore expressed the feelings of loyal devotion felt by
every Mark Mason in Great Britain, and in the Greater Britain beyond the
seas, at the step which the Prince was pleased to take that day. He then
gave a few statistics to show the progress of Mark Masonry. In 1876
there were but 5 time-immemorial lodges, and 18 Provincial Grand Lodges.
In 1886 there were 13 time-immemorial lodges, and 375 warranted lodges,
divided into 44 Provincial Grand Lodges, including those in New Zealand,
South Africa, Australia, India, and other parts of the globe. The
consent of the Prince of Wales to be Grand Mark Master was proof of his
zealous personal efforts to unite the Colonies and Dependencies of the
empire with the mother country. The Prince, in his reply, said that--
He thanked the Past Grand Master most heartily and sincerely for
the address he had just delivered. He feared that Lord Kintore
had referred to him in terms far too kind and flattering. He
assured the brethren he considered it a high honour and
compliment which had been paid him that day, and he accepted the
distinguished position of Grand Master of Mark Master Masons
with a deep feeling of gratitude, and as a high honour to
himself. He assured the brethren that anything he could do to
further the interest and welfare of the Mark Degree would be
done with sincere pleasure. He was most thankful and grateful
for the kind feeling the brethren had manifested towards him,
and he appreciated very highly the compliment which had been
paid by the Mark Masons who had attended from distant parts of
the kingdom. Lord Kintore had spoken in kind and feeling terms
of his beloved mother the Queen. It would afford Her Majesty
sincere gratification to know the kind terms in which her name
had been mentioned, and the hearty manner in which it was
invariably received, especially in a meeting of this
description. Personally he thanked them from his heart, and he
desired to assure them that all he could do for the welfare of
Mark Masonry would always be done with very great pleasure.
The Grand Master then appointed the Grand Officers for the ensuing year,
beginning with Lord Kintore as Pro-Grand Master, Lord Egerton of Tatton
Deputy Grand Master, the Duke of Connaught Senior Grand Warden, and
numerous others to the usual offices. The Pro-Grand Master presented the
Prince with a jewel, which he accepted with pleasure, and said it would
be a gratifying memento of the pleasant proceedings of the day.
After the conclusion of the Grand Lodge proceedings, there was a
luncheon at the Holborn Restaurant, at which the Prince presided. After
the customary loyal toasts had been proposed, the Prince regretted that
he had to leave, having to fulfil an engagement at the East-end of
London.
FOUNDATION STONE OF THE PEOPLE'S PALACE.
_June 28th, 1886._
There are few who do not know the history, and have not rejoiced in the
success of the People's Palace for East London. The magnificent
spectacle when the Queen went in state, on the 14th of May, 1887, to
open "The Queen's Hall" at the Palace, will long be remembered by the
multitudes who witnessed the ceremony, or who saw the Royal progress
through the crowded streets.
The foundation stone had been laid, with almost equal pomp, and amidst
as great popular enthusiasm, by the Prince and Princess of Wales on the
28th of June in the previous year. On that occasion nearly 10,000 people
were assembled within the space set apart for the ceremony, including
1000 delegates from the various trade, friendly, and temperance
societies in East London, with 2000 or 3000 school-children.
The Lord Mayor in his robes of office, and attended by the officers and
many members of the Corporation, and a vast number of distinguished
persons--among whom were the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Adler, the Bishop of
Bedford, and many of the Clergy of the neighbouring districts, Cardinal
Manning, and Mr. Walter Besant--awaited the arrival of the Royal
visitors. This was announced by a salute by the guard of honour of the
Tower Hamlets Engineers and the 24th Middlesex Volunteers. They were
received by Sir Edmund Hay Currie and the Beaumont Trustees, the Master
and Wardens of the Drapers' Company, and delegates from various
Committees. From the old and well-known "Beaumont Trust," and the
munificent donations of the Drapers' Company, supplemented by public
contributions, the large funds necessary for the People's Palace had
been derived.
The ceremony began by the Archbishop of Canterbury offering a special
prayer, followed by the Lord's Prayer, and the singing of the Old
Hundredth Psalm. Sir E. H. Currie, Chairman of the Committee, then read
and presented an address, to which the Prince replied as follows:--