are most anxious to mark the epoch in some manner which will
benefit the institution, and they have resolved to add 100
scholars, of whom 50 were admitted in January and 50 more will
be admitted in June. The cost of this will, undoubtedly, be very
great, the ultimate amount being between £18,000 and £20,000. I
am here, therefore, as your chairman, to ask you to contribute
as liberally as you can for the maintenance of this ancient and
most creditable institution. I am well aware that now and for
some years past there has been both agricultural and commercial
depression, but I feel convinced that in the cause of
charity--and what greater charity can there be than providing
for orphan children?--I shall not appeal in vain to my
countrymen to do all in their power as philanthropists to
support an institution which has been carried out on the best
and most economical principles."
The toast was drunk with much enthusiasm, and acknowledged by Mr. Capell
(the treasurer). The total amount of the subscriptions announced during
the evening was £5000, including an annual subscription of 20 guineas
from the Queen and 100 guineas from the Prince of Wales.
When the foundation-stone was laid by the Prince and Princess of Wales,
in 1869, 250 purses were laid on it, containing in all about £8000. For
the chapel £5000 was given by one whose early days were spent in the
Asylum. The Grocers' Company contributed £3000 to build one house; the
Countess of Verulam and the Countess of Essex raised another sum of
£3000, as a kind of welcome to the county. The income in 1887 was
£15,000, but the invested funds give little more than £1000, so that
there is constant need of new "voluntary contributions," to maintain the
550 orphans now in the houses.
THE COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.
_March 30th, 1887._
The associated teachers who, under the name of the College of
Preceptors, have for above forty years laboured to raise the standard of
middle-class education, deserve praise and honour for what they have
accomplished. Without Government aid or grant, and unpatronized by
dignitaries of Church or State, these learned and patriotic men have
succeeded, by training teachers, establishing examinations, and granting
certificates, in acquiring a reputation and influence now very generally
recognized. Their work is truly of national importance, and this His
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales declared when he readily assented to
formally open the new building of the College, in Bloomsbury Square, on
the 30th of March, 1887. This College is self-supporting, and the cost
of the erection and equipment of the new building was defrayed out of
savings that had accumulated in the hands of the treasurer during the
previous seven years.
A very large number of persons interested in education assembled in the
lecture-hall to witness the ceremony, among whom were Sir Lyon Playfair,
Sir Richard Temple, Mr. Lyulph Stanley, the Dowager Lady Stanley of
Alderley, the Presidents of several societies, and the Head Masters of
Harrow, Charterhouse, and Merchant Taylors' Schools, of Marlborough and
Dulwich Colleges, and of Christ's Hospital.
On the arrival of the Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Princess of
Wales, and their daughters Princesses Victoria and Maud, an address was
presented by the Rev. Dr. T. W. Jex-Blake, President of the Council. The
Prince, in replying, said:--
"Dr. Jex-Blake, Ladies, and Gentlemen,--It gives the Princess of
Wales and myself great satisfaction to have been able to accede
to the request of the council, and to open the new building of
the College of Preceptors. I am reminded, by your reference to
the circumstances that this building is opened during the year
of the Queen's jubilee, of the many and important improvements
that have taken place in Her Majesty's dominions during the last
fifty years, and especially in the advancement of education
among all classes of the people, a share of which progress is
due to the excellent work undertaken by this self-supported
institution.
"For over forty years the College of Preceptors has exercised a
marked and growing influence for good upon the education given
in some of our endowed schools, and more particularly in the
numerous private schools for boys and girls which are an
important feature in the educational system of this country. The
value of your work is sufficiently shown by the high reputation
of your examinations and by the constantly increasing number of
your candidates, and I sincerely congratulate you on the results
you have achieved. In the further development of the work of
training teachers you have before you a future of great
usefulness, for there can be no doubt that the provision of
properly-trained teachers for middle and higher schools is
almost, if not quite, as necessary as for our public elementary
schools.
"The key of the building which you have presented to me I shall
retain as a memento of this ceremony, and in declaring this
building open I fervently hope that the influence and teaching
which will go forth from it may tend to improve and to raise to
a yet higher standard the education given in the private and
secondary schools of our country. I declare this building now
open."
The Royal party were afterwards conducted through the building, the
arrangements of which are justly admired. The entrance corridor is wide
and lofty. On one side of it there is a club-room for members, and on
the other the secretary's and clerks' offices. The council-room is large
and handsome, and the lecture-room occupies the whole of the second
story, and is surrounded by book-cases capable of holding 10,000
volumes.
THE MANCHESTER EXHIBITION.
_May 3rd, 1887._
The great Exhibition at Manchester during the Queen's Jubilee year is
too recent an event to need any remark prefatory to the statement that
it was opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on the 3rd of May,
1887. Their Royal Highnesses, who were guests at Tatton Hall, drove with
Lord Egerton through the park to Knutsford, where they stopped to
witness the crowning of the May Queen, and other old English May Day
customs which have been revived in that quaint little town. The Prince
gave the permission asked by the Committee to add the title of Royal to
the Knutsford May Day Sports. They then travelled in a saloon carriage
to Manchester, accompanied by Lady Sefton and Lord Egerton.
On arriving at the Town Hall an address was presented, to which the
Prince read the following reply:--
"It gives me sincere pleasure to be permitted on behalf of the
Queen, my dear mother, to visit the city of Manchester for the
purpose of opening the extensive and interesting Exhibition
which the inhabitants of Manchester have organized with such
admirable zeal and energy, particularly as it is associated with
your congratulations on Her Majesty's attaining the fiftieth
year of her reign. In her name I thank you for your loyal and
dutiful address. It has been a source of much gratification to
the Queen to receive assurance of unfaltering attachment to her
throne and person from all parts of the Empire on the occasion.
The Princess of Wales and I desire to express our admiration of
the noble building which you have provided for the conduct of
your municipal affairs, and we think it worthy of the vast
wealth and importance of the city of Manchester. It gives us
great satisfaction to be able to promote and encourage all
charitable works and institutions designed for the social and
educational improvement of the community. We thank you for your
good wishes for the welfare of ourselves and our children, and
we hope that prosperity and happiness may ever attend on the
labours of the loyal and industrious inhabitants of this great
city."
The route of the procession from the Town Hall to the Exhibition was a
very long one, being chosen by the Prince in preference to a shorter one
submitted to him, on the ground that he would rather afford pleasure to
a larger number of people than see the finer edifices on the shorter
route. In the Palm House of the gardens luncheon was served, and then
the opening ceremony took place in the nave of the building, in the
position known as the Music Room. Mr. Hallé's orchestra was in front of
the organ, and the National Anthem was performed with fine effect, the
vocal rendering being also given by Madame Albani and the full chorus.
The Bishop of Manchester offered prayer, and the choir sang the Old
Hundredth Psalm. To the address read by Sir Joseph Lee, the Prince
replied:--
"I receive with great satisfaction your address on the opening
of this large and instructive Exhibition. On behalf of Her
Majesty I declare it open from this day. The illustrations
which you have collected on engineering and chemical industry,
and the products of manufacture and useful toil, afford ample
testimony to the skill and ingenuity and steady perseverance of
the inhabitants of this district, and prove how justly they hold
a high and an honourable place in the industrial ranks of the
Empire. The collection of natural products and manufactures of
Ireland, and the gratifying display of English works of art, add
much to the interest and value of this Exhibition, in which I
recognise a worthy mark of your desire to do honour to an
occasion so auspicious as the celebration of the fiftieth year
of Her Majesty's reign. The Princess and I desire to thank you
heartily for your good wishes on our behalf, and for the cordial
welcome which you have given us."
The Prince, in the name of the Queen, declared the Exhibition open. A
fanfare of trumpets was then given and a _feu de joie_ fired. The
proceedings closed with a procession through the different departments,
while the "Lobgesang" or "Hymn of Praise" was rendered by the full
orchestra and chorus. At the Exhibition station a special train was
waiting to take the Royal party back to Tatton Hall.
THE LONDON HOSPITAL NEW BUILDINGS.
_May 22nd, 1887._
The London Hospital has many and special claims on public sympathy and
support. Its position, in Whitechapel, surrounded by poor and crowded
parts of East London; its small endowments compared with some of the
other great hospitals; the vast number of patients annually relieved,
both in the house and as out-patients; and its being virtually a "free"
hospital, nearly three-fourths of the in-patients being received without
letter or recommendation; all these circumstances appeal to liberal
charity. In 1887 there were 8863 in-patients admitted, of which 6019
were freely received, without letters of subscribers. There are
children's wards where, during the same time, 1717 were admitted; and
Hebrew wards, where 623 received treatment. The total number of
out-patients, treated either at the Hospital or at their homes, was
nearly 100,000, including relief given in less serious and protracted
illness. The income from endowments is little more than £15,000 a year,
while the annual cost of maintenance is £50,000. The Medical School is
supported by the fees of pupils, but for the general maintenance of the
Hospital appeal must be made to the public for voluntary subscriptions
and contributions.
A Nursing Home, to accommodate 100 nurses, a new Library, and other
buildings having been recently added, the Prince and Princess of Wales
were invited by the Governors, of whom the Duke of Cambridge is
President, to inaugurate these additions to the institution. This was
done, with suitable ceremony, on Saturday, the 21st of May, 1887. The
Princesses Louise and Victoria of Wales, and the Crown Prince of Denmark
were also present. The Governors and officers of the Hospital, with many
distinguished persons, were in attendance, and great interest was shown
by the crowds of people who thronged the streets on the occasion. The
Royal party visited several of the wards, where the Princess of Wales
showed kindly sympathy with many of the poor patients, especially in the
children's wards. On arriving at the dining-hall of the nurses and
sisters, who wear a plain and tasteful uniform, a hymn was sung, and a
prayer offered by the Bishop of Bedford, after which, at the request of
the Duke of Cambridge, the Princess of Wales formally declared the
Nursing Home to be open.
The Medical College was then visited, and in the new library an address
was presented by the President. The Prince of Wales, in acknowledging
the address, said:--
"Your Royal Highness and Gentlemen,--The Princess and myself
thank you for your address, and can assure you that we have much
pleasure in coming here to-day to open the nursing home and
college buildings of this important institution. The Hospital,
which is the largest civil one in the United Kingdom, which
contains 800 beds and which supplied medical and surgical
assistance to 80,000 out-patients last year, may be regarded
almost in the light of a national institution, as every
description of case, excepting those of an infectious or
incurable nature, is admitted. Such a Hospital cannot fail to be
of inestimable value to the population of over a million persons
residing in its vicinity, and especially to the labouring class,
who are so extensively employed in connection with the railways
and docks. But it has other and additional claims upon public
sympathy and assistance. First, although its annual expenditure
amounts to nearly £50,000, it is mainly supported by voluntary
contributions; secondly, it has undertaken the difficult task of
improving the system of nursing and of providing a higher class
of nurses, with better discipline and superior training and
instruction. To effect this object house accommodation was
essential, and instead of closely-packed dormitories the new
home provides separate rooms, a cheerful dining hall, and other
advantages, all tending to brighten the lives of the inmates,
while reserving for them the necessary quiet and rest.
"The new library and buildings which I am now about to declare
open belong to a college over 100 years old. It was the first in
the Metropolis in which a complete curriculum was established,
and being attached to the largest Hospital in the country, and
situated in the midst of the most populous artisan neighbourhood
in London, it offers greater facilities for the acquirement of
medical and surgical knowledge than perhaps any other college of
a scientific character. I understand that among the important
duties which the students perform are those of dressers,
clinical clerks, maternity pupils, and other assistants, and
from their number the resident officers are selected after
having become qualified practitioners. The Princess and I most
earnestly pray that every blessing may attend the labours and
efforts of all those who are working among the sufferers in the
Hospital, and you may rest assured that we shall always take the
warmest interest in the welfare and prosperity of your noble
institution."
Dr. Langdon Down, the senior physician, in thanking His Royal Highness
on behalf of his colleagues and the students, explained that the new
buildings did not diminish the funds of the Hospital, as a rent was paid
for them by the teaching staff of the medical school. The Prince then
declared the new buildings and the library to be open. The Duke of
Cambridge then called for three cheers for the Prince and Princess,
which were given with great heartiness, followed by "one cheer more for
the Duke," who has always been a zealous and generous friend of the
London Hospital.
DEACONESSES' INSTITUTION AND HOSPITAL AT TOTTENHAM.
_May 28th, 1887._
The object of the Deaconesses' Institution at Tottenham is "the training
of Christian women to serve as deaconesses"--that is to say, as sisters
trained for working, teaching, and nursing, without being subject to any
obligation or vow of celibacy, as is usual in the sisterhoods of Roman
Catholic communities. The training of nurses is one of the chief
purposes sought, following in this the example of the celebrated
institution of Kaiserwerth, where, under Pastor Fliedner, Florence
Nightingale and other English as well as German nurses were trained. In
fact the full title of the establishment at the Green, Tottenham, is the
"Evangelical Protestant Deaconesses' Institution and Training Hospital."
The Hospital contains 100 beds for the sick poor, and there are also a
few private rooms for paying patients. Thousands of the poor are also
attended every year in the neighbourhood.
From the commencement of the work, in 1867, the late Samuel Morley,
M.P., took warm interest in it, and at his death two of his sons, Howard
and Charles Morley, erected a new wing to the building, as a memorial of
their father. It was to open the "Samuel Morley" memorial wing that the
Princess of Wales, accompanied by the Prince and their three daughters,
visited Tottenham on the 29th of May, 1887. A large number of persons
were assembled, including deputations from foreign countries, Pastor
Fliedner from Kaiserwerth, Pastor Nehmitz from Berlin, and other
Pastors, Lady Superintendents, and Deaconesses from German and Danish
institutions.
When the Royal party had been conducted to the marquee where the
ceremony was to take place an address was read to the Princess of Wales
by Dr. Laseron, the medical director. The Prince, in replying on behalf
of the Princess, said:--
"Dr. Laseron, Ladies, and Gentlemen,--The Princess of Wales
desires me to express her sincerest thanks for the address which
has just been read to her, and to express to all who take an
interest in this institution the great pleasure and
gratification it affords her to take part in to-day's
proceedings. There can be, I am sure, nothing more noble or more
praiseworthy than an institution like this, in which women give
up their lives to the object of philanthropy in order to heal
and mitigate the sufferings of the sick. An institution like the
Deaconesses' Institution is one well worthy of the support of
all. I am sure that the proceeding of to-day, in opening a
fresh wing of this hospital, is a sincere gratification to the
Princess, and especially that it should be called after the name
of one whom I have had the privilege of knowing, and whom you
all knew, at any rate by name, and whose loss we must all deeply
deplore--the late Samuel Morley. I am sure no more fitting name
could be given to the new wing than that it should be called
after him who, with the members of his family--one of whom I am
glad to see here to-day--has contributed so much to the
prosperity of this institution. In the name of the Princess I
beg to express to you the pleasure it gives us to be present
here to-day."
Purses were then presented to the Princess by many girls, as gifts to
the funds, and Dr. Laseron handed to her Royal Highness a key to unlock
the new wing. The Royal party were then conducted to the hall, where the
Princess unveiled the "Samuel Morley Tablet," bearing an inscription
commemorative of the occasion.
THE FREEMASONS AND THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE.
_June 13th, 1887._
Her Gracious Majesty being the chief patroness of the Order of
Freemasons, and of the Masonic charities, it was deemed fitting that an
address should be presented to her on the occasion of her Jubilee.
Accordingly, the Prince of Wales, with the Duke of Connaught and Prince
Albert Victor, and a vast company of officers and members of the Order,
representatives chosen by lodges in different parts of the empire,
assembled in the Royal Albert Hall on the 13th of June, 1887. The number
present was about 7000. No such scene has been witnessed since that day,
twelve years before, when the Prince was installed as Grand Master of
English Freemasons. The procession which received the Grand Master and
conducted him to the throne was a magnificent affair. The assemblage, we
are told, although "tyled," was not held as a lodge. The business of the
meeting being opened, his Royal Highness the Grand Master said:--
"Brethren,--This is, I think, one of the greatest gatherings of
Freemasons I have ever seen, with the exception of the occasion
when, after election by the craft, I received the honour of
installation as your Grand Master. It is most gratifying to me,
as I feel sure it will be to the Queen, that so large a
gathering has assembled here to-day to do her honour on the
fiftieth anniversary of her reign--the Jubilee of her accession.
This gathering will be a proof to her, as it is also to me, of
the great devotion and loyalty of the craft to the Throne--a
devotion and loyalty which have ever animated the Free and
Accepted Masons of England. We are here, brethren, as you are
aware, for the purpose of moving an address to the Queen,
congratulating her upon having attained the fiftieth anniversary
of her reign. You are well aware that my ancestors--some of them
former Sovereigns of this nation--did much in support of
Freemasonry, and, though they well knew it to be a secret
society, they were well assured that it was in no wise a
dangerous one. Among our tenets of motives 'loyalty' and
'philanthropy' stand out prominently, and we are proud of the
fact. I assure you, brethren, that it is most gratifying to me
to receive so large, important, and influential a gathering as
this to-day, and I am rejoiced that in the many events which are
to be the signs of the people's rejoicing at the Jubilee of the
Queen, this meeting, at the Royal Albert Hall, of the Free and
Accepted Masons of England will be first on the list. I will now
call upon Grand Secretary, Colonel Shadwell E. Clerke, to read
the proposed address, and then our worshipful brother the Earl
of Carnarven will move its adoption."
The Address and the Speech were on the same lines as most of the Jubilee
addresses, but of course with special reference to the loyalty and the
devotion of Freemasons. The great company having chanted the National
Anthem, the ceremony of giving Jubilee honours was performed, among the
numerous recipients of which were the Maharajah of Kuch-Behar, the Lord
Mayor of London, Sir Francis Knollys, Sir Philip Cunliffe Owen, and Sir
Charles Warren.
The Grand Master announced that the amount paid by the members that day
amounted to upwards of £6000, the whole of which would go to the Masonic
charities for children and the aged, under the rules of the Order.
THE SHAFTESBURY HOUSE.
_June 17th, 1887._
The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by Prince George and
Princess Louise of Wales, went on the 17th of June, 1887, to lay the
foundation stone of a central building for the "National Refuges for
Homeless and Destitute Children." There are many institutions in London
for similar objects, but this charity is one of old standing, and one of
the most important and best. It was established in 1843 under the
patronage of Lord Shaftesbury, in Great Queen Street. The income of the
Society was only £180 in the first year, and all that could be attempted
was to shelter and teach a few poor children in a "Ragged School," open
two evenings a week. The efforts of Mr. W. Williams, the Secretary, and
zealous coadjutors, were successful in gradually increasing the
operations of the Society, till, in the year of the Queen's Jubilee, the
Committee had the satisfaction of managing seven industrial homes, in
town and country, with more than 1000 children, and two training ships,
the _Chichester_ and the _Arethusa_, with an annual income of about
£20,000. The good work in its various departments continues to prosper.
All this and more was stated in an address by the Earl of Jersey,
Chairman of the Reception Committee. Among the friends of the Society
who had witnessed its progress, and helped it from the beginning, was
Mr. John MacGregor, the founder of the Shoe-black Brigade, and the chief
helper of the Secretary in bringing the _Chichester_ to its high
excellence as a training-ship.
The ceremony was performed in a tent erected on the site of the new
Home, in Shaftesbury Avenue, close to the once notorious Seven Dials.
The building is intended to provide shelter for 100 homeless boys, a
home for 35 working lads, a club for "old boys" trained in the
institution, and the central offices of the Society. After the address
had been read, the Prince of Wales thus spoke:--