The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-23 00:00:00

P BINGE ALBERT AT BIRMINGHAM.

BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY.

Prince Albert honoured this town by a visit to-day
for the purpose of laying the first stone of the Birming-
ham and Midland Institute. The Prince had twice pre-
viously visited the town ; in the year 1844, when her
Majesty was the guest of Sir Robert Peel (at that time
Prime Minister), at Drayton Manor ; and again, exactly
six years ago, his Royal Highness came down for the
purpose of inspecting the Exhibition of Manufacture-,,
then open at Bingley Hall. To-day the Prince has
come amongst us to give eclat to the commencement of
a work which, when fully carried out, cannot fail to he
of the greatest advantage.to the, town, and to the vast
industrial and mineral district surrounding it.

The want of a Literary and 'Scientific Institution in
Birmingham, commensurate with the character and re-
quirements of a town where the occupations of the great
majority of its artisans demand a certain amount
of mechanical, chemical, or artistic knowledge, induced
a number of gentlemen to endeavour t ) supply that de-
ficiency. In Jan., 1853, they obtained the sanction of a
public meeting, presided over by the Mayor, to the
scheme of a Literary and Scientific Institote ; in 1854
the Institute was incorporated by Act of Parliament,
and the Town Council granted a site adjoining the Town
Hall for the proposed buildings, on condition 'l
that
10,0001. was raised and available for their erection. The
liberality of the noblemen and gentlemen of the neigh-
bourhood, of the ironmasters of the district, and of the
inhabitants of Birmingham, has placed a considerable
portion of the required sum in the hands of the Council
of the Institute, and several friends to the undertaking
having entered into a personal guarantee for the balance
of the stipulated 10,0001., the Council are now in a posi-
tion to commence the erection of the buildings. The full
development of the scheme of education will require at
least double the amount of the funds now in hand.

A more specific and detailed account of the scheme of
the Institute is contained in the address of the council
to Prince Albert, which we give below.
A short time since a dozen designs for the intended
building were sent in ; and from these the council se-
lected that of Mr. Edward Barry, whose father has al-
ready contributed to the architectural ornamentation of
the town, in his magnificent design for the school of
King Edward VI. The building now about to be erected
is in the modern Italian style--simple and extremely
elegant, though almost devoid of ornamentation, if we
except the slight window dressines, mouldings, and rus-
ticwork, which, skilfully handled, render this style the
most pleasing as well as convenient for almost every
description of street architecture.
Yesterday, although the morning was gloomy and
towards nine o'clock the rain came down steadily, the
bustle of the inhabitants, engaged in daily decorating
their houses and the peals from the bells, commenced at
a very early hour. The Great Western Canipany's station
was decorated and smartened as much as circumstances
would admit of ; and up Livery-street, along Bull-street,
High-street, New-street, and Paradise-street (the line by
which it had been arranged the Prince should pass to
the Town Hall, and the site of the new building), from
every house there streamed handsome banners with va-
rious inscriptions, all expressive of loyal sentiment and
of hearty and kindly greeting. In all the streets skirt-
, ing the route banners streamed from the houses far away
in the distance ; in front of King Edward's School the
governors had caused a platform to be erected for the
scholars of that truly royal foundation ; and everybody
who could contribute did contribute in every possible
way to give the Prince a thoroughly hearty English re-
ception : far his Royal Highness's encouragement of art
as applied to manufactures is nowhere more fully appre-
ciated er more highly valued than in Birmingham.
As 12 o'clock drew near, shortly after which it was
known the royal train would arrive, the streets became
densely thronged : a November rain and fog did not
damp the ardour of the people who thronged the streets.
In Bull-, treet the flags floated from the windows on either
side, and formed one vast triumphal arch. The front of
King Edward's School was decorated with evergreens
as well as flags ; so were many other of the principal
houses, and through the fog and wet the gay colaurs
,trea,ined gaily—the desperate effort of the weather to
be unpleasant scarcely to any extent marring the enthu-
siasm of the people. The police kept good order in the
streets ; and a troop of the 98th Regiment, with the 6th
Carabineers, were in attendance as the guard of honour.
The Great Western Station had, as we have said, been
tastefully fitted up. There was a reception room and a
retiring room for his Royal Highness. Both of these
were elegantly fitted up, under the auspices of Mr.
Smith, of the Hen and Chickens Hotel ; Messrs. Jen-
nens and Bettridge contributed a handsome suite of
papier mache furniture, and many pictures were lent
to adorn the walls ; in fact, altogether, the room pre-
sented a very elegant appearance. Mr. Andrews, Mr.
Hewitt, and other officers of the rail way company, made
complete the arrangements at the station, the platform
of which was covered with crimson cloth. The members
of the Town Council arrived at_the railway station at 12
o'clock. These took up a position on one side the line
of the platform at which the royal carriage was to draw
up ; the council of the institute, headed by Lord Cal-
thorpe and Capt. Tindal, on the opposite side. Exactly
at 30 minutes past 12 the cheers in the distance an
flounced that the train conveying his Royal Highness
was upon the viaduct by which the line enters the town.
In a minute or two the cheering became louder and more
distinct, and the royal train ran into the station. As it
did so the Mayor (T. R. T. Hodgson, Esq.) approached
the royal carriage, arid the Prince followed his wor-
ship into the reception-room, in which were the Recorder
(M. D. Hill, Esq., Q C.), Mr. Edmonds, the clerk of
the peace ; Dr. B. Davies, the borough coroner ;
several of the borough magistrates ; Lieutenant-
General Sir Harry Smith, and his aide-de-camp, Colonel
Houlditch ; Colonel Slade, commandant of the district ;
Colonel Gordon, Colonel Rainier, Lieut.-Colonel Bam-
ford, Major Wynward, Lieut. Cannon, &c.
Prince Albert re,ired for a few moments and then re-
turned to the reception room, where the members of the
Town Council were ; then the Prince took his station on
the Mayor's right hand, and the Recorder (in his official
robes), advanced and read the following address :
auspiciouso
of
Tomtia ryb'
ro ii Fie-Marshal
ol cpgl -hl Meammasre
event
whichsiho a l
your h
Royal
s has
Saxe Coburg and Gotha, K.G., &0., &c.
We, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the borough
council assembled,proeur edf
aovraui 18 ourselves of
honour
rf
and
the gratification of your presence among us to express our
deep sense of the manifold and important services which
you have rendered to the country of your adoption.
Manufactures, commerce, and agriculture, the three great
sources of British wealth, have each derived benefits from
your exertions, and for these benefits we respectfully offer
you our cordial thanks.
But, sir, we appreciate still more highly your unremit-
ting zeal for the advancement of religion and learning, of
the sciences and the arts, and for their widest diffusion
among all ranks of our fellow-subjects.
Permit us, also, to thank you for the earnest and abid-
ing interest which you manifest in every institution hav-
ing for its object to succour and instruct the destitute, to
reclaim the erring, and to restore both classes to society so
trained as to have become honest and industrious citizens,
fearing God and honouring the Queen.
Thus, sir, have you nobly employed the opportunities
afforded
by
edby your exalted station for aiding our revered So-
vereign in her labours to enhance the true splendour of her
Grown
augmenting its utility to her people.
Nor amidst this multiplicity of your public avocations
have you neglected to cultivate thedomestic virtues which,
whether found in a palace or in a cottage, must constitute
its richest treasure.
With sedulous care do you minister to the happiness of
our beloved Queen, and united with her in fulfilling the
holiest of parental duties, anxiously do you watch over the
education of that Royal offspring in whom we confide to
prolong into a distant future the blessings of this most
beneficent reign.
That it may please the Supreme Ruler to preserve for
many years a life so precious to your consort, to your chil-
dren, and to the nation, is our devout and humble prayer.
Given under the Corporate Common Seal of the Borough
of Birmingham, on the 22d day of November, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
(L S )

His ROYAL HIGHNESS replied as follows—Mr. Mayor
and Gentlemen—The cordial reception I have met with
from you demands my warmest acknowledgments. You
only do me justice in giving me credit f r a deep interest
in whatever can tend to the advancement of either the
moral or material good of the people of this country.
But you allude in too flattering a manner, and attach
too high a value, to any services that it may have been
in my power to render in this cause. I feel it to be a
high privilege to be associated in any way with those who
are making such noble efforts—and nowhere with more
energy and perseverance than in the town of Birming-
ham—for the improvement of their fellow-countrymen ;
and to be allowed to witness the success of those efforts
will be more than a sufficient reward for any assistance
I may myself have been enabled to afford.
The Town Council then retired, and the members of
the Council of the Institute were introduced to his
Royal Highness by the Mayor, after which the proces-
sion was formed, and the Prince proceeded in the royal
carriage (which had arrived on the previous day), on his
way to the hall, his worship the Mayor and Lord Cal-
thorpe, as president of the Institute, being seated in the
carriage with his Royal Highness. To describe the
progress from the railway station to the Town-hall would
lbi en
et oe
fdtehsec r irboeutae ctohnet ienhueeedr onveavteiro
c. e a
sAlonged.
In the h
fer
ownhtole
of
Bing Edward's School the royal cortege stopped ; .there
three addresses were presented to the Prince—oneefdr?m
the governors, another from the masters, present
the
the Rev. Sydney Gedge, M.A. ; and a third from
in the acholaraiaptriensetnotnegdubey,
and very elegantlywhich,theheadhoy, ph being clothed
is

worthy a place here :
Nos discipuli Scholar a rege Edvardo Sexto ejna nominis
fundatse maxima mine gaudio adveutum tuum expeetantes
sslvere te, Seroniminie Princeps, jubemus; dignus onim es a
nobis coli, qui non mode urbem nostram, sed edam hujus
Scholar discipulos virltu tuo et benefioiis antehac honorave-
ris. Quse quum its siva, et quum nos, quantum in nobis est
Baum, maxim° aniw:e erga to scalper nos gesserimus,
quum preeteres, omniis natio lastitia perfundatur sub-
versa tandem hostis, urbe munitissima, et tot et
tantis reportatis vicoriis a fortissimis nostril