Speeches and Addresses of H. R. H. the Prince of Wales: 1863-1888 Part 20

"I am glad also to think that the splendour, and, I must add, admirable management of the display to-day, does not quite efface from your Royal Highness's recollection, the scene upon a similar scale which we endeavoured to offer you when we had the honour of having your name as Patron of the Scottish craft. Your Royal Highness has been good enough to say that you have not forgotten the occasion. I can a.s.sure your Royal Highness no Scotchman will ever forget it, and I can speak on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, with which I have been so long connected, having served every office in it, from Junior Deacon up to Grand Master, having been not quite a holiday Freemason, but worked my way from the ranks up to the position I have the honour to hold now.

"His Royal Highness has this day told us what the duties of Freemasonry are, and there is no doubt he has summed them up in two words--loyalty and charity--which includes mercy, a quality that has been described by the greatest of poets as becoming 'the throned Monarch better than his crown.' There can be no doubt that under the auspices of the Most Wors.h.i.+pful Grand Master the Grand Lodge of England will flourish, and will continue to be a standard for Masonry all over the world."

Brother R. W. Shekleton, Deputy Grand Master of Ireland, spoke of the loyalty of Irish Masons, who are, he said, "remarkable for fear of G.o.d, fealty to the Sovereign, love to the brotherhood, and friends.h.i.+p to all cla.s.ses and creeds."

Brother Admiral Oscar d.i.c.kson returned thanks in the name of the Swedish Grand Lodge for the honour conferred upon them.

The Most Wors.h.i.+pful Grand Master then proposed the toast of various Grand Officers and Brethren, according to custom. Sir Erasmus Wilson replied for the Stewards, whose special duty it was, with the aid of their good Brother Francatelli (the Master Cook), to see to the humble but necessary ceremonies consequent on our sublunary existence; or, in the beautiful words of our Ritual: "to lead them to unite in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness."

As long before as the 1st of December, 1869, the Prince of Wales had been received, at Freemasons' Hall, as a Past Grand Master, at a meeting of the United Grand Lodge of England; and in a brief speech replied to the address delivered by Lord Zetland, who was at that time Grand Master.

One of the first appointments made by the Prince of Wales as Grand Master was that of Colonel Shadwell Clerke, to the Secretarys.h.i.+p of the Grand Lodge of England, an office the duties of which he performs with great efficiency and courtesy.

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL BENEVOLENT INSt.i.tUTION.

_June 5th, 1875._

The object of this Inst.i.tution is to provide pensions for Farmers, their wives, widows, and unmarried orphan daughters. The Queen is patron, the Duke of Richmond is President, and the Earl of Northbrook, Chairman of the Executive Council. At the present time (1888), 647 persons are maintained at an annual cost of nearly 14,000. The Prince of Wales has always been a generous friend and supporter of the charity. At the Royal Agricultural Show at Sandringham, in July, 1886, he called special attention to it, and pleaded for increased support, as is necessary from the continued and increasing depression of agriculture. At the present moment above 400 persons, who have cultivated holdings varying from 2000 to 100 acres, are candidates for pensions, having been ruined through the various causes of agricultural failure. During the past twenty-eight years, about 1300 persons have been granted annuities, at a total expenditure of 165,821.

At the fifteenth anniversary festival of the Inst.i.tution, at Willis's Rooms, on the 5th of June, 1875, the Prince of Wales presided. After "The Queen," the patron of the charity, "The health of the Prince with that of the Princess of Wales and the Royal Family," was proposed by the Earl of Hardwicke, who said that the Prince of Wales had done them great honour in presiding that evening. "It was only another testimony of that interest which he takes in the welfare of every portion of the community. The position of the Prince of Wales was not one of the easiest. He has no definite duties, but the duty he has laid down for himself is of a very definite nature. It is to benefit to the best of his power all his fellow-creatures. He himself was not going to pa.s.s any eulogiums on the Prince of Wales, although he had intimate knowledge of his character and the privilege of his friends.h.i.+p. He would only say that the Prince does credit to the very high position in which he is placed, and that so long as he lays himself out to a.s.sociate with English people of all cla.s.ses, and to faithfully discharge duties which, if not in themselves very agreeable, are beneficial to the English race, he will be a popular and able Prince. A duty more wrapt up with sympathy than that which the Prince that evening undertook could not be conceived. He tells the whole agricultural cla.s.s of this country that he places himself at their disposal to further their interests and to help them in their distress. So long as the Royal Family cling to the soil of this country, and mix with its life and its sports and amus.e.m.e.nts, they will never fail to receive the support of their countrymen in all times of trial."

The toast was received with cheers, and the Prince of Wales said:--

"It is difficult for me, gentlemen, to find words to express my grat.i.tude for the excessively kind manner in which my n.o.ble friend has proposed this toast, and the cordial way in which you have been kind enough to receive it. I need hardly tell you that it affords me the greatest pleasure and satisfaction to occupy the chair this evening. When I know those gentlemen who have preceded me as your Chairmen, such as Mr. Disraeli, Lord Lytton, the present Lord Derby, or the Duke of Richmond, I feel some diffidence in addressing you this evening. At the same time I think the proceedings of this evening will, as I hope, be short, yet I trust they may be satisfactory to all here present.

"I sincerely say that I do take a great interest in all that is connected with agriculture. I may call myself a colleague of many of you present as a farmer on a small scale, and I only hope that I may never have occasion to be a pensioner of this inst.i.tution. It is impossible, I think, for any British gentleman to live at his country place without taking an interest in agriculture, and in all those things which concern the farmers of this great country. I thank you also for the very kind way in which you have mentioned the health of the Princess of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family.

"Before I sit down I beg to propose a toast--one which is never left out at great gatherings of Englishmen, and which here ought to be brought most prominently before your notice--'The Army, Navy, Militia, and Reserve Forces.' The very backbone of the country, the best recruits of the Army and Navy, come from the agricultural districts. Since we know, also, that our commercial and agricultural interests depend upon the valour and efficiency of our land and sea forces, you will, I think, agree with me that it is a toast especially for this meeting, one most suitable for this agricultural feast. It is a toast which I feel sure you all, gentlemen, will drink most heartily. With the Army it gives me great pleasure to couple the name of General Sir W.

Knollys, and with the Navy that of Sir J. Heron Maxwell."

Sir W. Knollys, in responding for the profession to which he belongs, including the Militia, the Volunteers, and the Reserve Forces, dwelt upon the habits, the physical well-being, and powers of endurance which fit the agricultural population of this country for the profession of arms. They bring with them also that contentment and discipline which till recent events particularly distinguished the agricultural labourer, and are always ready to fight for country and Queen.

Sir J. Heron Maxwell having replied for the Navy, the toast-master, Mr.

Goodchild, announced a b.u.mper toast, and the Prince of Wales said:--

"The toast which I now have the honour of proposing to you is that of 'Success to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Inst.i.tution.' Gentlemen, this excellent and charitable inst.i.tution has been only in existence for the s.p.a.ce of fifteen years, and its object is the relief of farmers who have been reduced by failure of crops, loss of stock, bad seasons, and other reasons. It has been founded, as I say, for that purpose, but there is one thing which is absolutely necessary to ent.i.tle to relief, and that is that the recipient of the pension must have, as his exclusive means of support, cultivated at least fifty acres, or rented land at 100 a year at least for twenty years. And those farmers who receive pensions must prove to the society that they do not possess an income from other sources of more than 20 a year. Among those, also, who are benefited by the society are the widows and children or orphans of farmers and their unmarried daughters.

"One main object of the managers of the inst.i.tution is to maintain in their own districts those who have not the means of providing for themselves, so that, instead of their going to the workhouse, or having to remove to distant parts of the kingdom, they may be kept as much as possible in the counties where they were born and bred. Pensions varying from 20 to 40 a year are granted, and since the foundation of this society as many as 432 pensioners have been elected, and 53 children have been educated and maintained at a cost of not far from 40,000. At present there are 302 pensioners and 41 children on the books of the charity, and these numbers will, I understand, be augmented during the present month by the election of 51 pensioners. The total cost of the year will be nearly 8500, and I am sorry to say the donations and annual sums received amount to little over 6800. Therefore, you see that although this inst.i.tution is in a highly prosperous state, at the same time the funds are not as great as we could wish. It is for that reason that we a.s.semble here--to augment those funds.

"When I look around and see so large a number of gentlemen, who have come great distances to support me on this occasion, I feel I shall not ask them in vain to extend their support to so excellent an inst.i.tution. You were kind enough just now to drink in a cordial manner my health, but I think if I had put myself before you as a surgeon whose health you were going to drink you might not have received me so cordially. On this occasion I hope you will look upon me as a surgeon. The few words I have to say to you are my lancet, with which I have to bleed you--and you will all feel much the better for it.

"Many may think, 'Why should we give money to those who possibly by their own fault may have got into distress?' But that is not the object mentioned. All will agree that the cleverest agriculturists who thoroughly understand their business may, through bad seasons, failures of crops, and a variety of other causes which you know, gentlemen, far better than I do, have found themselves suddenly in the most abject want. It is a great pity that the farmers' clubs and agricultural societies do not do so much as they ought in support of so excellent an inst.i.tution.

"I see by your applause it is only too true, and I must call upon you this evening to show that you have supported this charity in the most material manner. I thank you once more for the kind and attentive manner in which you have listened to the few words which I have uttered. I only regret that it has not fallen to the lot of another than myself to bring the subject before you, and I am sure that you will take the will for the deed. 'Prosperity to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Inst.i.tution!'"

The toast was drunk with all the honours, and the Secretary, Mr. C.

Bousfield Shaw, read a list of subscriptions headed by the Queen with 25. The Prince of Wales gave, in addition to his annual subscription of ten guineas, a donation of 100 guineas. The largest list of collections was Mr. Naish's, of 465. The total amount was no less than 8000.

Mr. C. S. Read, M.P., then proposed the toast of "The Executive Council, the Secretary, and the Honorary Local Secretaries." In the course of his speech, he remarked that it had been well said by His Royal Highness that agriculture is exposed to more vicissitudes and difficulties than almost any other industry, and it was surprising that it should have existed so long without any benevolent inst.i.tution. They must not forget in that room that they owed the fact that such an inst.i.tution now exists to the kind and generous heart of their old friend, Mr. Mechi, the founder of this society; and the tenant-farmers of England would never forget the day when the Heir Apparent to the Throne of England condescended to preside at their annual banquet.

The Marquis of Huntly responded, and said as an example of the good done by active local energy, that in Ches.h.i.+re they only had last year a donation of ten guineas, and subscribers of thirty-one, while from Norfolk, the Prince's county, with a smaller agricultural population, they had donations of 826.

The Prince of Wales then said:--

"The list of toasts which we all have before us has now come to an end, but I shall take the liberty of proposing one more toast, the last, but by no means the least. We have been honoured on this occasion by fair ladies, and I think it would be very wrong if we were to separate without cordially drinking their health. We see especially how much the comfort, the well-being, prosperity, and happiness of farmers and agriculturists depend upon a kind wife to cheer them by the fireside at the end of their day's work, and to lighten by female influence the load of difficulties. It affords me the most sincere pleasure to couple with this toast the name of one to whom this inst.i.tution is so much indebted--Mr. Mechi. Lord Huntly has been mentioning to you the word 'energy'; and if it had not been for the energy of Mr. Mechi this society would never have existed. Let me also say, it would not be so prosperous as it is now if it were not for those energies and the a.s.sistance which he has given it. I hope the words and expressions which the n.o.ble marquis has lately made use of will not be lost by this company, and that all those who wish to further the work so worthily begun by Mr. Mechi will continue it, so that it may never decrease in funds for the excellent object for which it is designed. I beg to propose the toast of 'The Ladies,' coupled with the name of Mr. Mechi."

Mr. Mechi, in the course of his reply, said that the help of His Royal Highness would be of the greatest importance to the inst.i.tution.

The way in which the Prince introduced the toast of the founder of the Inst.i.tution was in his happiest vein. Mr. Mechi's death was a great loss to the agricultural community, for no one more efficiently brought their claims before the public. It may be added, that the tenant-farmers of the kingdom have no truer friend than the Prince of Wales.

THE INDIAN EMBa.s.sY.

_November 1875-May 1876._

The visit of the Prince of Wales to India, apart from what it brought of personal information or amus.e.m.e.nt, must be regarded as one of the most important services he has yet rendered to the Empire. This is why we call it an emba.s.sy rather than a tour or a journey. It appears that as far back as the year 1858, the idea of a tour in the Eastern possessions of the Crown was suggested by Lord Canning to the Prince Consort, as part of the education of the Heir Apparent. But he was then only seventeen, and the proposal was made merely as an incident of foreign travel. A succession of events, both at home and in the East, caused the scheme to be postponed, nor was it seriously renewed till the Prince had attained an age, and acquired an experience in affairs, which would secure for the expedition high consideration for political and imperial, as well as personal, purposes.

In the beginning of the year 1875 it was rumoured that the project was seriously entertained, and on the 16th of March the Marquis of Salisbury made an official announcement to the Indian Council of the intended visit. Many arrangements, however, had to be made, and many difficulties surmounted, before actual preparations for the journey commenced. All these are recounted in detail by Dr. W. H. Russell, in the introduction to his book on the 'Prince of Wales's Tour,' a reprint in expanded and permanent form of his letters as the special correspondent of the _Times_. Dr. Russell had the advantage of accompanying the Prince as one of his personal suite, under the t.i.tle of Honorary Private Secretary. It is fortunate that the journey had such a historian. The work not only gives a Diary of the tour in India, with a full record of the proceedings of the Prince, but is in itself a most interesting and instructive book of travel, full of information, conveyed in the graphic and bright style which has made the author famous as a man of letters.

To this book the reader of these pages is referred for the story of the Royal expedition, both in India and in the countries through which he pa.s.sed on the outward and homeward journey.[A]

[Footnote A: 'The Prince of Wales's Tour: a Diary in India, with some accounts of the visits to the Courts of Greece, Egypt, Spain, and Portugal.' By William Howard Russell, LL.D. With ill.u.s.trations by Sydney P. Hall. Sampson Low & Co.]

The Prince was fortunate in the companions of his journey, even to the humbler and useful attendants. It is greatly to the credit of his judgment and his right feeling that the first to whom he expressed a wish to accompany him was Sir Bartle Frere, a wise and good man, and whose Indian experience would be of immense value. In the suite there were, of his own household, Lord Suffield, Sir Dighton Probyn, Colonel Ellis, and Sir Francis Knollys. The Duke of Sutherland, Lord Alfred Paget, Lord Aylesford, Lord Carington, Colonel Owen Williams, Lord Charles Beresford, Captain Fitz George, were invited to join the expedition. Canon Duckworth was selected as chaplain, and Sir Joseph Phayrer as physician; Mr. Albert Grey, secretary to Sir Bartle Frere, Dr. Russell, and Mr. S. P. Hall as artist, completed the list of those who formed the suite of His Royal Highness. Several of these--General Probyn, Colonel Ellis, and Dr. Phayrer--had long Indian experience; and Lord Charles Beresford had accompanied the Duke of Edinburgh in his Indian tour the year before.

The route to be laid down required much consultation, partly from public considerations and partly from questions of climate and care for the Prince's health. The best time of starting had also to be considered. At last all was arranged, and on the 11th of November the Prince started.

The route was to be via Brindisi, to Greece, Egypt, Bombay, Ceylon, Madras, Calcutta, Lucknow, Delhi, Lah.o.r.e, Agra, Gwalior, Nepal, Bareilly, Allahabad, Indore, Bombay, and home by Egypt, Malta, Gibraltar, Spain, Portugal. The departure from Lisbon was on the 7th of May, and on the 11th the _Serapis_ anch.o.r.ed off the Isle of Wight, where the Princess of Wales and the children, in the _Enchantress_ yacht, awaited the arrival. "The scene at the landing at Portsmouth," says Dr.

Russell, "was a becoming prelude to the greeting which the whole country gave the Prince of Wales on his return from the visit to India, which will be for ever a great landmark in the history of the Empire."

The numerous and diverse events and incidents of the months in India--the sight-seeing, the adventures (some of them strange and perilous), the shooting parties and hunting expeditions, the manifold amus.e.m.e.nts and excitements of travel--all these were enjoyed by the Prince as much as if he were only the most light-hearted tourist or keenest sportsman. But at the same time, so far as official ceremony and public affairs were concerned, he bore himself all through with a thoughtfulness and dignity worthy of his high position, and of the important mission with which he was entrusted as representing Royalty and the British nation.

There was ceremonial reception at Athens, and again in Egypt in the court of the Khedive, but the first official and formal event of the Prince's mission was the invest.i.ture of Prince Tewfik, the Viceroy's eldest son, with the Order of the Star of India. This was done in the palace, with imposing ceremony.

The next official event was the reception of an address from the inhabitants of Aden, which was presented by a Pa.r.s.ee merchant, on behalf of the community. The address of the Pa.r.s.ee showed very clearly how well the object of the Prince's visit was understood throughout the East. The Prince made an appropriate reply, which no doubt was speedily wired to Bombay, and read in the native newspapers all over India.

On arriving at Bombay it was again a Pa.r.s.ee who headed the first deputation and read the first address to the Prince on landing in India.

It was from the Corporation of Bombay, the second city in the British Empire, in population if not in wealth. The address set forth in glowing terms the historical and commercial claims of the city to distinction, and expressed the pleasure of seeing among them the heir to the Crown, whom the Queen had sent to become personally acquainted with the people of India. The Prince replied in the following words:--

"It is a great pleasure to me to begin my travels in India at a place so long a.s.sociated with the Royal Family of England, and to find that during so many generations of British rule this great port has steadily prospered. Your natural advantages would have insured a large amount of commerce under any strong Government, but in your various and industrious population I gladly recognize the traces of a rule which gives shelter to all who obey the laws; which recognizes no invidious distinctions of race; which affords to all perfect liberty in matters of religious opinion and belief; and freedom in the pursuit of trade and of all lawful callings. I note with satisfaction the a.s.surance I derive from your address, that under British rule men of varied creeds and nations live in harmony among themselves, and develop to the utmost those energies which they inherit from widely separate families of mankind, whilst all join in loyal attachment to the British Crown, and take their part, as in my native country, in the management of their own local affairs.

"I shall gladly communicate to Her Majesty what you so loyally and kindly say regarding the pleasure which the people of India derive from Her Majesty's gracious permission to me to visit this part of Her Majesty's Empire. I a.s.sure you that the Princess of Wales has never ceased to share my regret that she was unable to accompany me. She has from her earliest years taken the most lively interest in this great country, and the cordiality of your greeting this day will make her yet more regret the impossibility of her sharing in person the pleasure your welcome afforded me."

This reply, so happily conceived, and delivered with quiet earnestness, delighted all who heard it. But the echoes of it would soon reach every part of India, and the chiefs and rulers, and also the leaders of opinion in the native press, would from these words of the Prince receive a lesson of true statesmans.h.i.+p and const.i.tutional government.