Part 32

On his arrival at Birkenhead the Prince was escorted to a daïs, and an address was read by Mr. Knight, the secretary, on behalf of the chairman. Mr. Cecil Raikes, M.P., and the directors, engineers, contractors, and officers of "The Mersey Railway Company." In reply His Royal Highness said:--

"Mr. Raikes and Gentlemen,--I thank you for your address and for 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.