methods of preserving peace any greater or more effective means than
that of maintaining in its full force and activity the great Navy of
England, which must be looked upon by every Government with unmixed
admiration; and he trusted, whatever differences might exist on other
subjects, Her Majesty's Government would show that they had one common
object, the maintenance of the maritime reputation, honour, and dignity
of the country.
Mr. Milner Gibson, by command of the Master, proposed a toast always
given at the Trinity House anniversaries: "The maritime and commercial
interests of the country, and the President of the Board of Trade."
Having himself long held the office of President of the Board of Trade,
Mr. Milner Gibson bore testimony to the efficient administration by the
Trinity House of the funds placed at their disposal. As the funds came
from a tax on the shipping and trade of the country, it is a right and
constitutional thing that the expenditure should be controlled by the
Minister of Commerce, responsible to Parliament. He could say that the
lights on the coast of the United Kingdom were equal, if not superior,
to the lights which existed in any other country in the world. Under the
control of the Board of Trade we had made great improvement in the
system of lighting our coasts, coupled with a reduced charge upon the
trade of the country.
It might have been added that it was when the Prince Consort was Master
that more constitutional relations between the Trinity House and the
Government came into operation, the funds being supplied by the Board of
Trade, and administered by the Corporation, who then had what they
called "new Sailing Orders" for their guidance.
_June 27th, 1874._
The banquet at the Corporation Hall on June 27, 1874, was presided over
by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in the absence of the Master,
the Duke of Edinburgh. The Deputy Master Sir Frederick Arrow, after the
usual loyal and patriotic toasts, gave "The Health of the Prince of
Wales," who responded in brief and appropriate terms, and afterwards
proposed the toast of "Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity
House." He said:--
"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I have now the
honour of proposing to you a toast which I only wish had been
placed in better hands than mine. Although I have the honour of
being connected with this ancient Guild, I do not feel that I
possess that nautical knowledge which a person ought to have who
proposes a toast like 'Prosperity to the Corporation of Trinity
House'; but I am sure it is a toast which will meet with your
approval this evening. I will begin by stating that the few
remarks with which I shall preface the toast are not of my own
knowledge, the facts having been supplied to me by the kindness
of the Deputy Master, and if I get out of my depth or among the
quicksands I must trust you will excuse me. I speak with
sincerity when I say that since we met here last year the duties
of the Trinity House have been carried on as successfully as on
any previous occasion, and that the whole of its proceedings
have been of a highly satisfactory character. There have been
several new lighthouses built--one, I believe, has been
completed to-day, and is to be opened on the 1st of July. It is
on Hartland Point, and, with reference to our commercial
interests, is considered to be of great importance. It will do
much to facilitate our trade with the Welsh coal ports. The
Goodwin Sands is a name which fills every sailor with alarm;
and, although everything has been done to prevent the fearful
wrecks with which the name is associated, we have only to read
the daily newspapers to be aware of the fearful disasters that
often occur at sea outside those terrible sands. The Trinity
House has lately put a second lighthouse eastward of Beachy
Head.
"There is another subject in connection with which the Trinity
House has taken a very active part, and it is one of great
importance, especially to nautical men. I mean the subject of
sound-signals in foggy weather. The Trinity House has every
reason to feel deeply indebted to Professor Tyndall, who, I
regret to say, could not be with us upon this occasion owing to
his absence from England. Some most interesting experiments in
connection with sound-signals have been carried out by him, and
a most able report has been written by him on the subject. I am
sure you will all agree with me in thinking this a most
important matter, and one in which it is natural that the
Trinity House should take a prominent interest. At a great many
stations it has been determined to place these fog-signals where
lights can be of no avail.
"There is another matter in connection with which the Trinity
House has every reason for congratulation. I mean the reduction
of dues to the amount of £80,000, in addition to the reduction
of £60,000 in 1872. There are many other important facts
connected with the Trinity House which the Deputy Master has
been kind enough to place at my disposal, but which I need not
now detain you by mentioning. In proposing the toast of
'Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House,' it is my
pleasing duty to connect it with the health of one who not only
does everything to make our annual gatherings here most
agreeable, but who performs the arduous and responsible duties
which he has to discharge in a most praiseworthy and effective
manner. I am sure that you will drink most cordially the health
of the Deputy Master. My Lords and gentlemen, I give you
'Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House, coupled
with the name of Sir Frederick Arrow, the Deputy Master.'"
At a later period of the evening His Royal Highness proposed the toasts
of "Her Majesty's Ministers," to which the Lord Chancellor responded,
and the "Distinguished Visitors," coupling with it the name of the Lord
Chief Justice of England (Sir Alexander Cockburn).
_June 2nd, 1875._
In 1875 the Duke of Edinburgh was not abroad, and presided at the annual
dinner on the 2nd of June. The seamen of the _Galatea_ lined the way to
the Hall, on Tower Hill, in honour of the occasion, and of the presence
of their captain. In the room where the guests were received was a
portrait of the Master, painted as a companion picture to those already
on the walls, by a Russian artist, G. Koberwein. Count Shouvaloff, the
Russian Ambassador, was among the guests. In responding to the customary
toast of "The Royal Family," the Prince of Wales expressed his
gratification at his brother Prince Leopold having become a member of
the Corporation. The Duke of Cambridge responded for the Army.
_1877._
The banquet of 1877 was again presided over by the Prince of Wales, in
the absence of the Master, the Duke of Edinburgh. There was the usual
select company, including Royal and other distinguished guests,
especially General Grant, who, in his travels throughout the old world,
was received with as great honour as any king could be.
In proposing the health of the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Derby
said:--"No one particularly likes to listen to his own panegyric, even
at a public dinner, and therefore I will say nothing with regard to the
illustrious subject of my toast beyond that which you all know to be the
simple and literal truth. His Royal Highness has not only now, but for
many years past, done all that is in the power of man to do, by genial
courtesies towards men of every class, and by his indefatigable
assiduity in the performance of every social duty, to secure at once
that public respect which is due to his exalted position and that social
sympathy and personal popularity which no position, however exalted, can
of itself be sufficient to secure. We regret the absence of the
illustrious Master of the Corporation, the Duke of Edinburgh, but we
regret it the less because he is doing what each of us in our humble
spheres desires and endeavours to do--he is serving his country. I give
you "The Health of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the rest
of the Royal Family."
The toast was drunk with all the accustomed honours, and the Prince in
reply said:--
"My Lords and Gentlemen,--I return you my sincere thanks for the
kind way in which the toast of my health has been proposed and
the manner in which it has been received. I can assure the whole
company that I feel it a great honour to be present on this
occasion, especially connected as I have the honour to be with
your Master. I regret that my brother is not here this evening.
It is now two years since I was present at this annual
gathering, and I regret to say I miss the kind and genial face
of the late Deputy Master, Sir Frederick Arrow; but in Admiral
Collinson we have an excellent substitute. On the present
occasion it is a matter of peculiar gratification to us as
Englishmen to receive as our guest General Grant. I can assure
him, for myself and for all the loyal subjects of the Queen,
that it has given us the greatest pleasure to see him as a guest
in this country. My lords and gentlemen, before resuming my
seat, it is my privilege to propose to you another toast--one
which always recommends itself most heartily to the public, and
that is 'The Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces,' connecting with it
on this occasion the name of a distinguished officer, Lord
Strathnairn, and that of the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel."
The toast was received with three times three. Lord Strathnairn and Sir
H. Keppel replied to the compliment, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer
responded to the toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers," proposed by His
Royal Highness the Chairman. Other toasts having been given and
acknowledged, the Earl of Carnarvon proposed "The Health of the Guests,"
coupled with the name of General Grant; saying that "there never has
been one to whom we willingly accord a freer, a fuller, a heartier
welcome than we do to General Grant on this occasion. We accord it to
him, not merely because we believe he has performed the part of a
distinguished General in many a 'well-foughten field,' nor because he
has twice filled the highest office which the citizens of his great
country can fill, but because we look upon him here present to-night as
representing, so to speak, that good-will and that affection which ought
to subsist between us and the United States of America. It is not a
century since there befell this country what we believe to have been the
greatest misfortune that her pages record. Not a hundred years ago the
States of America separated from us; and, great as the loss was, I do
not think that the separation was the greatest part of the calamity. The
disaster lay in this, that the separation on each side was effected amid
the storms of passion, resentment, and animosity. Yet not a century has
rolled by, and I believe, and thank God for believing, that in a great
measure that animosity and resentment have passed away, and we are
entering on a new stage of mutual trust, of mutual sympathy, and of
mutual support and strength. I have had, perhaps, special opportunities
of observing this in the office I have the honour to hold. It has been
my duty to be connected with the great dominion of Canada, stretching,
as it does, several thousand miles along the frontier of the United
States, and during the last three or four years I can truthfully say
that nothing impressed me more or gave me livelier satisfaction than the
interchange of friendly and good offices between the two countries under
the auspices of President Grant."
General Grant was loudly cheered on rising to respond. He spoke in such
a low voice as not to be heard distinctly, but he was understood to say
that he felt more impressed than possibly he had ever felt before on any
occasion. He came there under the impression that this was the Trinity
House, and that the trinity consisted of the Army, the Navy, and Peace.
He therefore thought it was a place of quietude, where there would be no
talk or toasts. He had been therefore naturally surprised at hearing
both one and the other. He had heard some remarks from His Royal
Highness the President of the evening which compelled him to say one
word in response to them. The remarks he referred to were complimentary
to him. He begged to thank His Royal Highness for those remarks. There
had been other things said during the evening highly gratifying to him.
Not the least gratifying among them was to hear that there were
occasionally in this country party fights as well as in America. He had
seen before now as much as a war between the three departments of the
State--the executive, the judicial, and the legislative departments. He
had not seen the political parties of England go so far as that since he
had come to this country. He would imitate their Chairman, who had set
the good example of oratory--that was brevity--and say no more than
simply to thank His Royal Highness and the company for the visitors.
This is one of the longest speeches ever made by General Grant, whose
allusion to party fights was suggested by what had been said by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer: "There have been reports and rumours of
dissensions in the Cabinet, and of them I do not mean to say anything
but this--there is one subject on which there is no dissension. Among
all the ministers who have ever dined at the Trinity House there is no
dissension as to the manner in which they have been received in this
hospitable hall."
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.
[Blank Page]
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.
The Royal College of Music has occupied so much of the time and labour
of the Prince of Wales, and promises to be an institution of so great
national importance, that it seems well to present in order the various
movements that led up to the foundation of the College, and to group
together the successive speeches of the Prince on this subject.
NATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOL FOR MUSIC.
_June 15th, 1875._
The need for extending musical education, and for improving musical
taste in England, has long been felt. That there is no lack of musical
genius or skill in our country is sufficiently attested by the great
array of eminent composers and distinguished performers, whether in
vocal or instrumental music, both in former and in recent times. Nor has
the love of the art, and delight in its exercise, ever been wanting.
There was a time when what we now call "old English" rounds and catches,
glees and madrigals, and all kinds of choral compositions, were popular,
in the widest sense of the word. The love of orchestral harmony has also
been great in England, where Handel found his home, and the best field
for his wonderful powers. In those days Ireland was truly one with
England, in appreciation of high classical music. It was in Dublin that
the _Messiah_ was first heard, and best appreciated. Even in the
depressed period of music, in the early decades of this century, there
were always competitions of well-trained choirs and bands, which showed
the love and practice of musical art to be still widely diffused and
ardently cultivated.
Notwithstanding all this, it had come to be necessary to take some
measures for advancing musical art throughout the country, where great
towns and busy centres of industry had multiplied, without the
civilising influence of music being to a corresponding degree diffused.
No one felt this more strongly than the Prince Consort, but the
opportunity of carrying out his ideas did not arise in his lifetime. The
Royal Academy of Music, founded in 1822, and incorporated in 1830, did
good service in its limited way, for training its pupils and awarding a
few scholarships; but some institution was needed, with larger
expansiveness, and capable of diffusing the love and the practice of
music more widely among the people.
It was in furtherance of this national purpose that the Prince of Wales,
who put himself at the head of the movement, held a conference at
Marlborough House, on the 15th of June, 1875.
The immediate object was to promote the establishment of free
scholarships, to be held in the National Training Schools for Music,
then being erected, close to the Royal Albert Hall, at Kensington Gore.
The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Christian and the Duke of Teck were
present; and representatives of many public bodies in Church and State,
including the Archbishops and several Bishops, the Lord Mayor of London
and the Mayors of many provincial towns, the Masters or Prime Wardens of
the City Companies, the head masters of public schools, the Chairman and
members of the London School Board, the Parliamentary representatives of
the Metropolitan boroughs, and a very numerous company, of the most
distinguished name and position.
The Prince of Wales, in opening the proceedings, expressed his
gratification at the large attendance, which augured well for the object
they all had in view. He then called on the Duke of Edinburgh to move
the first resolution, in introducing which he gave a lucid and
interesting statement of the history of the movement.
In 1854, the Royal Academy of Music made an application to the
Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851 to grant a site upon their
estate for a building in which they could carry on their labours. The
negotiations were not successful, and matters remained in abeyance until
1865, when the Society of Arts appointed a Committee to consider and
report on the whole subject of musical education in this country. Of
this committee the Prince of Wales consented to act as chairman.
Inquiries were made as to the methods employed in the management of
musical academies in Paris, Berlin, Munich, Milan, and other Continental
schools. Reports were drawn up, one of the main points in which dealt
with the necessity for instituting scholarships to be competed for
openly, so as to draw out the best musical talent throughout the
country. Assistance should be given in cases where the scholars were
unable to provide education for themselves.
In 1872 negotiations were reopened with the Royal Academy, with the idea
of removing the head-quarters of the Academy from Tenderden Street to
South Kensington. It became more evident that the purposes contemplated
by the Committee of the Society of Arts could be better accomplished by
the establishment of a new and independent institution as a National
Training School for Music. The foundation-stone of the new institution
had been laid in 1873, at which time a member of the Council, Mr.
Freake, had liberally offered to undertake the whole cost of the
building. At first Mr. Freake intended to give the use only of the
building for some years, but he now requested the acceptance of it as a
free gift. It was further stated by the Duke of Edinburgh that there was
ample accommodation for above 300 students. It only remained to obtain
the foundation of Scholarships in sufficient numbers for the appointment
of a permanent Staff of Professors, and other arrangements for
efficiently carrying on the new training school.
The Duke of Edinburgh then moved a resolution for the appointment of a
Committee for taking steps to found Free Scholarships for the City of
London and the Metropolitan districts. This resolution was seconded by
the Archbishop of Canterbury, and supported by the Lord Mayor and the
Archbishop of York.
The Prince of Wales, in responding to a vote of thanks for
having convened and presiding over the meeting, said, "he
thought the initiative in this matter was really due to his
brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, who had taken great interest in
music since his childhood. The same was the case with their
father, the late Prince Consort, whose name would always be
remembered with gratitude for the powerful influence he had
exercised on the intellectual advancement of the country, and to
whose efforts might be traced in great measure the important
place which music now held in the estimation of all classes.
"On the whole, they had reason to congratulate themselves on the
success of the meeting, and he was glad to have the opportunity
of returning his thanks to the Lord Mayor and to all the
gentlemen representing the great City Companies for their
co-operation on this occasion, feeling that that meeting would
be the commencement of a movement which he trusted would be a
success. In conclusion, he wished to move a resolution conveying
a vote of thanks to Mr. Freake for the handsome and liberal
manner in which he had so kindly behaved in giving the building
for the National Training School of Music. It was already a
great exercise of liberality to offer the use of it rent free
for five years, and certainly he was sure none present could
have expected that he would have made them a present of it. He
was therefore anxious that they should on that occasion record a
unanimous vote of thanks to him for his great liberality, and
for the interest he had taken in the welfare of that which they
had so much at heart."
The Duke of Edinburgh seconded the resolution, which was carried
unanimously.
FOUNDING THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC.
_February 28th, 1882._
As far back as June, 1875, the Prince of Wales, we have seen, had taken
steps to secure improvement of musical education throughout the kingdom.
With this purpose he had invited many influential persons to a
Conference at Marlborough House, which was held on the 15th of June of
that year, and which resulted in the establishment of the National
Training School of Music, with Sir Arthur Sullivan as its Principal. Ten
years earlier, in 1865, the Prince had induced the Society of Arts to
appoint a Committee to consider and report on the whole subject of
musical education in this country, and of this Committee he gladly
consented to act as President.
In 1878 the Prince summoned a number of gentlemen to a meeting at
Marlborough House, where the proposal to found a National College of
Music, uniting the Academy and the Training School, was first mooted. A
committee was appointed, and the assent both of the Academy and the
School had been obtained, when the Academy withdrew, and declined to
accept the proposals of union. It was not till after the lapse of
several years that the way was clear for the establishment of a new and
truly national institution.
On the 28th of February, 1882, the Prince of Wales presided at a meeting
held in the Banqueting Hall, St. James's Palace, for the purpose of
soliciting public support for founding a "Royal College of Music." This
meeting is destined to be a memorable event, not only in musical annals,
but in the history of the nation. What was the character and influence
of that meeting was stated in eloquent terms by Sir George Grove, in his
speech at the inauguration of the Royal College in the following year.
This statement will be given in full on a subsequent page, the following
words being sufficient to quote here: "A meeting so truly national in
its aspect gave, if I may use a not inappropriate figure, the key-note
of the movement; and the key-note thus struck at St. James's Palace
resounded through the country, and met with a ready and harmonious
response."
Larger meetings the Prince has frequently addressed, but never one more
broadly representative of all the most distinguished and influential
classes in the kingdom. The Ambassadors and Ministers of most of the
Continental Powers were also among the audience.
The Prince of Wales, who on rising was most cordially greeted, opened
the proceedings by reading letters from the Duke of Connaught and Prince
Christian, expressing regret that circumstances prevented them from
being present, and their hearty sympathy with the objects of the
meeting. Prince Christian in his letter briefly recounted the history
of the fruitless attempt which had been made to induce Professor
Macfarren and the directors of the Royal Academy of Music to consent to
a union of their institution with the National Training School of Music,
with a view to form a Royal College of Music on a more extended basis.
The Prince of Wales then said:--