Speeches and Addresses of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales: 1863-1888

"It was highly interesting to the Princess, as well as to myself, to have been here to-day, the fortieth anniversary of the Queen's Coronation. The first stone of the building in which we are now was laid by my lamented father a few months before I was born; and I hold in my hand the mallet which was used by him on that occasion, and which has been sent to me by Sir Charles Reed, the chairman of the London School Board, whose father, Dr. Andrew Reed, was, I understand, one of the promoters of this institution, and always took the warmest interest in its welfare. This day seventeen years ago the Prince Consort visited this institution, and this day exactly twelve years ago was the last time the Princess and I were here.

"I am sure there is but little more for me to say in commending so admirable an institution to you, which has now existed for half a century, which maintains 600 children during the course of the year, and has educated and sent forth into the world as many as 3000 up to the present time. But a well-managed institution like this, with the spacious rooms which we have seen, will naturally convince you that it must cost a considerable sum, and I believe I am not incorrect in stating that it requires at least £18,000 a year to maintain this asylum. And as it is almost entirely supported by voluntary contributions I feel sure that all those present will do all they can to support this institution, and to tell their friends when they go home how worthy it is of support. I have now, in conclusion, only to propose – a toast which I give most heartily – 'Prosperity to the Infant Orphan Asylum.'"

The Prince of Wales then left the chair, resigning it to the Bishop of St. Albans, who gave the other usual toasts.

The secretary read a list of subscriptions. The Queen had sent her annual donation of 10 guineas; the Prince of Wales before leaving placed in the hands of the secretary a cheque for 100 guineas; the Duke of Edinburgh gave 10 guineas; H. S. C. (who had long been an anonymous benefactress), 100 guineas; country friends, £462. In all, about £1600.

This concluded the formal proceedings, but the summer weather tempted many of the visitors to prolong their stay in the pleasant gardens of the asylum.

THE TRAINING SHIP 'BRITANNIA.'

July 24th, 1878

In the autumn of 1877, the Prince of Wales went to Dartmouth, to place his sons, Prince Edward (as he was then usually called) and Prince George, on the training ship Britannia, under the care of Captain Fairfax, R.N. At the end of the summer term, in the following year, the Prince consented to preside at the distribution of prizes on the Britannia, and graciously announced that the successful pupils should receive their medals and books from the hands of the Princess of Wales.

The Mayor and Corporation of the ancient borough of Dartmouth took advantage of the occasion to give official welcome to the Royal visitors, and to present an address, which the Prince signified his readiness to receive on board the Royal yacht, Osborne. Thither the magistrates repaired in the forenoon. The picturesque estuary of the river Dart never had displayed so festive an appearance. The Britannia, and her attendant yacht the Sirius, the Royal yacht, the Admiralty yacht, which had brought the Lords of the Admiralty, several ships of the Plymouth fleet, under Admiral Sir Thomas Symonds, besides a large flotilla of yachts, steam launches, and all sorts of boats, were covered with gay bunting, while flags floated from every point of the shore and the town.

The Town Clerk having read the Address from the ancient borough, which was first incorporated by a charter of Edward III., in 1342, and had figured in subsequent history, especially at the time of the Spanish Armada, the Prince, in reply, said: —

"On behalf of the Princess of Wales, as well as on my own behalf, I offer my sincere thanks to you for your address and for your cordial welcome to us on our visit to this ancient and beautiful town. The salubrity of the climate of Dartmouth and the excellence of your sanitary arrangements have long been known to me, and I can appeal to no better proof of my entire confidence in them than that afforded by the step I have taken in sending our two sons to be educated on board the Britannia. I beg to assure you that with that step both the Princess and myself are perfectly satisfied. I trust you will continue to devote your attention as you have done in the past to the improvement of the sanitary arrangements of the town. I thank you again for the kind wishes you have expressed towards the Princess, myself, and our family."

The Prince also congratulated the Mayor, Sir Henry Seale, on the splendid effect of the illuminations of the previous evening. Accompanied by the Municipal authorities, and by the Duke of Connaught, Prince Louis of Battenberg, and a numerous retinue, the Prince and Princess then proceeded to the Britannia for the distribution of the prizes. They were received by Mr. W. H. Smith, then First Lord of the Admiralty, and the other Lords; by the Commander-in-Chief of the Plymouth division of the Channel Fleet; and Captain Fairfax of the Britannia. Between 500 and 600 of the friends or relatives of the cadets, and other invited guests, among whom were Lord and Lady Charles Beresford, Sir Samuel and Lady Baker, were assembled on the quarter-deck, sheltered from the sun by a canopy of flags, surmounted by the flag of Denmark, and the white ensign of England.

The distribution of the prizes took place, a report on the state of the training having been previously read by Dr. Hirst, director of studies at the Greenwich Naval College, who had superintended the examination of the cadets.

After the distribution, the Prince of Wales, standing on the deck in the uniform of a captain of the Royal Naval Reserve, said: —

"My Lords, Ladies, and Gentlemen, – Permit me to express to you the great pleasure it has given the Princess to present the cadets who are about to leave the Britannia the prizes which they have so successfully won, and to express to you on my own part as well as on that of the Princess the very great pleasure it has given us to be here to witness and take part in these interesting proceedings. From Dr. Hirst we heard a most interesting and exhaustive speech regarding the studies of the cadets and their merits. I can only wish those who are about to leave the Britannia, and who have now fairly entered that noble service for which they have been trained, all possible success. Let me hope that the tuition they have received here will not be thrown away upon them, and that they may all emulate those bright examples to be found in English history and of which every naval officer must be proud. To those cadets who still remain on board this ship I can only recommend strict assiduity to their studies and strict obedience to discipline, and all of them to try to pass out of the Britannia as highly as they can, remembering, above all, that saying which one of our greatest admirals has handed down to posterity – 'England expects every man will do his duty.' A personal interest which the Princess and myself take in this ship and the confidence we have of its being an excellent practical school for boys have been testified by the fact that we have sent our two sons among you to be educated. For myself, my only hope and trust is that they may do credit to the ship and to their country."

Mr. W. H. Smith, M.P., First Lord of the Admiralty, thanked their Royal Highnesses for their welcome presence, and called upon the cadets to give three cheers for the Prince and Princess of Wales. The cheers were prolonged to three times three, caught up in row-boats around, and echoed by the high banks of the Dart. The chief captains of the cadets, who are mainly responsible for discipline and occupy a place of honour in the ship's mess-room on the main deck, were presented to the Prince and Princess, and the proceedings came to an end. Captain and Mrs. Fairfax had the honour of entertaining the Royal personages and a select party at luncheon. Later in the day the Prince of Wales paid a visit to Captain Zirzow, on the German Imperial frigate Niobe, and drank a glass of wine to the health of the Emperor of Germany. Captain Zirzow telegraphed at once to the Emperor that the Prince of Wales had called a health to him.

When the Prince and Princess arrived at Dartmouth on Tuesday they were rowed to the Britannia, one of their sons steering and the other pulling the second bow oar. They left the ship in a boat rowed by full-grown sailors, and with their two sons, who were going home for their holidays, sitting in the stern sheets. From the Britannia to the landing-place, which was brightly draped with crimson cloth, hawsers were stretched and thus a clear lane was kept among the crowd of craft for the passage of the Royal boat. Tho cadets of the Britannia sat in their blue coats with tossed oars, and cheers were raised by those on the boats, yachts, the many little steam launches, and the shore. Little girls threw flowers before the Princess as she stepped upon the landing stage. A special train was waiting to meet the ordinary mail from Penzance and Plymouth.

So ended a visit which formed an interesting incident in the family life of the Prince, and the events of which will long be remembered in South Devon.

CABDRIVERS' BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION

May 5th, 1879

The objects of the Cabdrivers Benevolent Association are: 1, to give annuities of £20 a year; 2, to grant small loans; 3, to give temporary assistance in cases of urgent distress; 4, to assist the widows and orphans of cabmen. This is an institution the benefits of which are so obvious, and for the help of a class of men so hard-worked, so uncertainly paid, and so useful to the public, that we are not surprised at the readiness with which the Prince of Wales assented to preside at one of its annual festivals, and at the hearty earnestness in which he made an appeal on its behalf. It was at the festival dinner on the 5th of May, 1879. On coming to the toast of the evening His Royal Highness said: —

"There is, I think, no class of our fellow-countrymen that deserve more of our consideration than the cabdrivers of this great city, and it has already been truly expressed to you that one cannot think without pity of those poor men sitting on their cabs in the cold east winds with which we are, alas! so well acquainted, and in the rain and snow which have been our lot now for so many months.

"They are as a rule, I believe, a class honest, persevering, and industrious. For them I have to plead to-night, and for this excellent institution, which has for the last nine years rendered to them such great benefits.

"The objects of this Cabdrivers' Benevolent Association are, as you are aware, threefold – first, to give annuities at the rate of £12 each to aged cabdrivers or to those who from infirmity are unable to earn their living; secondly, to grant loans without interest to members requiring such aid, and to give temporary assistance to those who may be in distress through unavoidable causes; and, thirdly, to give legal assistance to members who may be unjustly summoned to the police courts. It is hardly possible to conceive that any benevolent institution of this kind is more deserving of support, not only by the large assembly who are gathered here, but by the inhabitants generally of our great Metropolis. There are a thousand cabmen who are members of this Association, and they pay 5s. a year. Pensions of £12 are granted now to old and indigent cabdrivers, but it is our great wish to augment that sum to £16" (now £20). "The system of loans seems to have answered admirably in every respect; £600 has been granted to the members without interest, and these loans have, I understand, been always most regularly and most punctually repaid. Two hundred and thirty-three cabmen or their families have been assisted by this society in various years since its formation, and its existing capital is more than £3000; but this we hope to augment still further.

"One statement I may make which may be of interest to those present here this evening. I mentioned that as a class the cabmen are thoroughly honest. As a proof of that I have statistics here before me which state that last year there were between 16,000 and 17,000 articles left in cabs, amounting in value to about £20,000, which have been punctually returned. I believe, at least it is the popular belief, that there is only one article a cabman never returns, and this is an umbrella, and I think that is, we may consider, quite fair. A gentleman having an umbrella may not want a cab, but without an umbrella he will be compelled to take a cab if the rain comes on!

"There are now between 11,000 and 12,000 cabmen, and the amount of the expense in cab fares comes to a most colossal sum, something between £4,000,000 and £5,000,000 sterling. With regard to the remark I made as to the honesty of cabmen, it may perhaps be not out of place if I mention an anecdote which was told me to-day. A gentleman drove in a cab to a shop, left the cab, and entered the shop. On coming out of the shop, he was not in so quiet a frame of mind as when he entered it; it was evident to the passers-by that he was dissatisfied with the shopman; he left the shop and went away. The shopman threw a case into the cab. The gentleman had forgotten it. But the cabman immediately drove to Scotland Yard and delivered the case, which was found to contain jewellery worth £2300. This will give you some idea of the honesty of these men, for whom we are endeavouring to do much. Some considerable good was done only four years ago by a philanthropic and noble lord whose name is known to you, who started cabmen's shelters. There are now twenty of these, and they shelter 2000 cabmen, doing much to alleviate the discomfort of the men, who sit so many hours of the night suffering from the inclemency of the seasons.

"When I see this large assemblage I feel I shall not call in vain, and I call upon you to augment the capital which already exists. With this toast I have great pleasure in associating one who is treasurer of the Association, Lord Richard Grosvenor (now Lord Stalbridge), member of a family well known in works of charity and philanthropy. I thank you for the kind way in which you have listened to my imperfect remarks, and now I must ask you to drink with enthusiasm 'Success to the Cabdrivers' Benevolent Association!'"

It is pleasant to find from the latest published report that the Institution, which the Prince of Wales so warmly commended, is in a prosperous condition. The annuities have been raised to £20, and there are 40 annuitants now on the books. The receipts in 1887 were £2191, and the funded property was £10,000. Temporary relief was given to upwards of 200 cabmen. Upwards of 1200 members contribute 5s. annually, but this is a small proportion of the whole number of cabdrivers, more of whom ought to be persuaded to join as members, as they alone receive the benefits of the Association. The applicants for loans, on the prescribed terms, were 89. The cabmen have been fortunate in the chairmen at the festivals and annual general meetings. The Prince of Wales is patron of the Association. The honorary secretary is G. Stormont Murphy, Esq., and the office is at 15, Soho Square.

THE PRINCESS HELENA COLLEGE

May 23rd, 1880

The Prince of Wales presided at Willis's Rooms at a dinner in aid of the funds of the Princess Helena College, on the 23rd of May, 1880.

After the customary proceedings and toasts of the evening, and speeches by the Duke of Cambridge and Lord Sydney, the Prince rose and proposed the toast of "Prosperity to the Princess Helena College." He said: —

"At many of the dinners at which I have the pleasure of taking the chair, the charities in support of which they are given require more words to bring them to the notice of those who attend than the present one does. But though the specific nature of this institution relieves me from the necessity of entering upon any lengthened advocacy of its claims, it is not the less deserving of your hearty support in every respect. As you are aware, the Princess Helena College was formerly called the Adult Orphan Institution, and it has for its object the bringing up of daughters of officers of the Army and Navy and of clergymen. Its first meeting took place as far back as 1818, and in 1820 the institution was built. As Lord Sydney told you, it originated with a relative of his own. It was founded by her, and by my grand-aunt, Princess Augusta of Gloucester. King George IV. also took great interest in its welfare, allotting the plot of ground in the Regent's Park where the College now stands.

"The object of the institution is not only to provide a thoroughly good education for the daughters of officers and clergymen, but to send them forth into the world in a useful capacity; and I think you will agree with me that in the capacity of well-qualified governesses they go forth in the most useful manner. In the days when it was first instituted so much attention was not given to education as in our time, and you can therefore easily understand that as more highly efficient education is needed now for these young ladies there is a proportionate increase of expense. Like many other institutions, its expenditure has been greater than its receipts, and, as a consequence, it has been found necessary to somewhat alter its rules by admitting a certain number of paying students as boarders, and also by establishing day classes for the daughters of gentlemen. In order to fit the institution for this new sphere of operations it has been necessary to enlarge the building, and though, no doubt, the effect of this arrangement will be to increase receipts, the enlargement of the building has naturally entailed great cost, and in order to meet that charge I have to call upon you, gentlemen, to do all you can, by a most liberal contribution to-night, to enable the committee to meet their pecuniary difficulties. The best proof you can give me of the real interest you take in the welfare of this excellent institution will be to subscribe as handsomely as it is in your power to do. I am informed that a distinguished naval officer is acting as steward here to-night in gratitude for the benefit his daughters have derived in their education from a governess who was brought up at the Princess Helena College. I have mentioned before that the Queen is its patron. Her Majesty subscribes £50 a year to its funds, and on this special occasion she presents 100 guineas. The interest taken by my sister, the Princess, in its welfare is sufficiently proved by the fact that she is President of the Council of the College, and I have great pleasure in stating to you that it is by her express wish and recommendation that I am here to-night. I will, in conclusion, again ask you to let me feel by the liberality of your contributions that I have not failed in my duty as your Chairman."

The Secretary then read a list of donations and subscriptions, which, including those from the Queen and 100 guineas from the Prince of Wales, amounted to over £2060.

The College still flourishes at Ealing, a populous district, where day boarders are also admitted to the classes of the institution.

NEW HARBOUR AT HOLYHEAD

June 17th, 1880

To possess the best possible packet service between England and Ireland is a matter of national importance. In the old days of sailing ships the perils and uncertainties of the passage across the Channel were notorious. When steamships carried mails and passengers, and when the bridging of the Menai Straits for railway traffic had been achieved, it was necessary to provide improved harbour accommodation, and other works, both for convenience and safety, at Holyhead. These works included a spacious harbour, and a breakwater securing the additional space of a sheltered roadstead. The length of the North Breakwater is nearly 8000 feet. The harbour and deep-water sheltered roadstead are together between six and seven hundred acres in extent. It took twenty-five years to carry out the design, at a cost of about £1,500,000. This outlay included the works and buildings for Government use in the postal service. The engineer-in-chief was Mr. James Rennel, and on his death, in 1856, Mr. afterwards Sir John Hawkshaw.

To celebrate the completion of the works, the Prince of Wales visited Holyhead on the 19th of August, 1873, when he declared the Breakwater complete and the Harbour of Refuge open. The Duke of Edinburgh, Master of the Trinity House, Sir Frederick Arrow, Deputy Master, and many distinguished representatives of various departments of the public service assisted at the ceremony. Near the Lighthouse a gun-metal plate records the fact that the Breakwater, "commenced in 1845, was on August 19th, 1873, declared complete, by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales," in whose public life the proceedings of the day form a memorable event.

But there was yet much to be done for the Anglo-Irish route, viâ Holyhead. The communication had so increased that the North Western Railway Company found enlarged harbour accommodation a necessity for the benefit of their own traffic.

It is not often that Royal sanction is given to the undertakings of shareholding companies; but the new harbour at Holyhead, while it was constructed at the cost and for the benefit of the London and North Western Railway Company, has so much importance for commerce and traffic, as to make it a national object. The Prince of Wales was accordingly asked to inaugurate the new harbour, and a large number of distinguished and official persons were invited by the Directors to be present on the occasion. At the luncheon, the Chairman of the Company proposed the usual loyal toasts, and the Prince of Wales responded in the following terms: —

"Mr. Chairman, Ladies, and Gentlemen, – I am deeply flattered by the kind manner in which this toast has been proposed and received in this large and distinguished assemblage. I feel it a matter of the greatest pleasure, and at the same time the greatest pride, to be among you here to-day. It is a matter of pride, ladies and gentlemen, to be connected with this Principality, and it has afforded me the greatest pleasure to accept the invitation of the Chairman and Directors of the London and North Western Company to inaugurate this new harbour. It is not the first time, as you are aware, that I have had occasion to come to Holyhead. Seven years ago I had the pleasure of inaugurating your breakwater, which I am glad to see is now successfully terminated and is of the greatest possible utility. The sunshine we have enjoyed to-day may be taken as a good augury for the success of the London and North Western Railway Company in their new undertaking. This undertaking has cost them a very large sum of money, but it will, I am sure, be of the greatest benefit to commerce, and will tend to make the Holyhead route still more than it is a connecting link between England and Ireland. Before sitting down I have a toast to propose, which I feel sure you will drink with the greatest pleasure; it is 'The Health of the Chairman, Mr. Moon, and Success and Prosperity to the London and North Western Railway Company.' I also desire to declare the new harbour open."

Both on land and water there were many loyal demonstrations; and gentlemen representing all the leading railway companies, French and Irish, as well as English and Welsh, were entertained by the Directors of the London and North Western.

The opening sentences of a leading article in the Times on the following day, form a tribute due to the Prince for his part in the ceremony: —

"The representative duties of Royalty in this country are heavier than the private functions the hardest-worked Englishman has to perform. Only the other day we were recording the part played by the Prince of Wales in an ecclesiastical pageant in Cornwall. On Wednesday he was introducing a foreign Sovereign to the Corporation of London. Straight from that ceremonial he had to take flight across the island to open formally the new harbour at Holyhead. In these scenes and a hundred like them a Prince's functions cannot be discharged satisfactorily unless he be at once an impersonation of Royal State and, what is harder still, his own individual self. He must act his public character as if he enjoyed the festival as much as any of the spectators. He must be able to stamp a national impress upon the solemnity, yet mark its local and particular significance. In presenting a King of the Hellenes to the citizens at the Guildhall the Prince of Wales had to remember that his guest and the guest of the City was both a near and dear relative and the embodiment of an illustrious cause. In laying the first stone of a cathedral at Truro he had to be both Duke of Cornwall and the Heir of England. In presiding yesterday at Holyhead he had to recollect the provincial associations connected with the title he bears, and not forget the imperial importance of a work which creates a new link between two great divisions of the United Kingdom. That he achieved his task successfully was a matter of course. No apprehension ever touches those who are present at a scene of which the Prince of Wales is the centre, that he may chance to chill by lack of interest, to choose his words of admiration inopportunely, or to praise without sympathy. The work he came, as it were, to sanction by national approbation is a grand engineering undertaking, and is grander yet in its probable moral consequences. The Prince of Wales understood and expressed its significance from both aspects."