The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-22 00:00:00

THE ALBERT' MEMORIAL FUIVD.

Yesterday, at 2 o'clock, a meeting, specially con-
vened by the Lord Mayor, for the purpose of hear-
ing a communication containing a statement of the
views and wishes of her Majesty in relation to the
proposal for erecting a national memorial of the
late Prince Consort, was held at the Mansion house
by the committee of noblemen and gentlemen, up-
wards of 100 in number, charged with the superin-
tendence and application of the fund now being
raised with that view in the City of London. There
was a large attendance of members notwithstand-
ing the shortness of the notice.

The Eight Hon. the LORD MAYOR, on taking the
chair, said he had invited their attendance to re-
ceive a communication addressed to him by General
Grey, which had reached him on the previous even-
ing. Considering it to be of great interest and
importance, he had thought that no time should be
lost in laying it before the General Committee, and
he was glad to sae so large an attendance.
Mr. Goodman, one of the honorary secretaries, at
the request of the Chief Magistrate, then read the
following letter, which his lordship had sent to
Gen. Grey on Tuesday evening last, in pursuance of
a resolution unanimously passed at a general meet-
ing of the committee on that day :
" Mansion-house, Feb. 18, 18G2.

" Sir,—ln order to give expression to the deep feeling of
respect entertained by all classes for the memory of his late
Royal Highness the Prince Consort, I was induced to con-
vene a public meeting at the Mansion-house on the 14th
ult. for the purpose of considering the propriety of erecting
a lasting memorial to that illustrious Prince, and I beg
herewith to transmit to you a copy of the resolutions which
were passed at that meeting.

" I have the honour to inform you that the amount of
contributions reported up to last night is £32,779.
" It is the opinion of the committee, as well as my own,
that a considerable amount will yet be subscribed, and I
feel assured the coming contributions will be greatly influ-
enced by a knowledge of her Majesty's wishes on the subject
of the memorial, and the certainty that her Majesty's de-
sires will be carefully followed out.
" You will see by the second resolution which was passed
at the meeting with unanimous cordiality, that the memorial
should be of a monumental and national character, and that
its design and mode of execution should be approved by
Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen.
" It appears to the committee that the time has arrived
when her Majesty should be made officially acquainted
with the progress of this movement, and I take the liberty
of requesting that you will do me the honour to submit the
matter to her Majesty, with a view of ascertaining what
may be her Majesty's desire as to the nature of the monu-
ment, its site, and the mode of execution.

" I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient ser,
vant, " WILLIAM CUBITT, Mayor.

" Lieutenant-General the Hon. C. Grey, Osborne."

The LORD MAYOR said with the approbation of
the meeting he would now read the reply to that
communication, which he received about 5 o'clock on
Thursday evening :

" Osborne, Feb. 19, 1862.

"My Lord,—l have had the honour of receiving
and submitting to the Queen your lordship's letter
of the 18th inst., communicating the proceedings
which have taken place with a view to the erection
of a national monument to the much lamented
Prince Consort.

" The Queen feels grateful from the bottom of
her heart for the universal sympathy that has been
expressed for her in her deep affliction ; but it is
still more soothing to her feeling to know that the
noble character, the truly Princely nature, of him
whose loss has bowed her to the earth, with a sense
of desolation and misery that every day, alas ! serves
only to increase, is appreciated by the country ;
that the benefits he has been instrumental in con-
ferring upon the nation, the good he has wrought
since he first came among us, and to effect which he
may truly be said alone to have lived; are under-
stood and acknowledged.
" The Queen is also much touched by the feeling
which has led the promoters of the movement for
erecting a national monument to the Prince to leave
the nature of that monument to her decision. It is
a subject on which there must necessarily be much
difference of opinion. Many, influenced, doubtless,
by the belief that there was nothing which the
Prince himself had so deeply and constantly at heart
as the promotion of whatever might tend to the ad-
vantage of the community at large, or of any por-
tion of ii-,have thought that the most appropriate
monument to his memory would be to connect
his name with some great work that should have
that end in view; and the Queen cannot but be
gratified by this proof of a just appreciation of his
character.

" But it would probably be difficult to procure
anything like agreement as to the nature of the
institution which should thus bear his honoured
name, and it would be inexpressibly painful to the
Queen were any controversy to arise on such a
subject.

It would also be more in accordance with her
own feelings, and, as she believes, with those of the
country generally, that the proposed monument
should be more directly personal to its object—
should be, in fact, more what is commonly under-
stood by the word. Even so it is probable that
opinions may differ as to the character that would
be most appropriate for such a monument. But the
Queen is confident that the same good feeling which
has led to the reference of the subject to her deci-
sion will lead to a cordial acquiescence in it—to the
cheerful abandonment of individual views, and to an
unanimous working together to effect the object all
have at heart.

" After giving the subject her best consideration,
her Majesty has come to the conclusion that nothing
would be more appropriate, provided it is on a scale
of sufficient grandeur, than an obelisk to be erected
in Hyde park on the site of the Great Exhibition of
1851, or on some spot immediately contiguous to it ;
nor would any proposal that can be made be more
gratifying to the Queen personally, koc she can never
forget that the Prince himself had highly approved
of the idea of a memorial of this character being
raised, on the same spot, in remembrance of that
Exhibition.

" There would also be this advantage in a monu-
ment of this nature—that several of the first artists
•
of the day might take part in its execvtion , for
there
mightk o for
various
euws ofiunled
groups
ur oposm of at
statuary,
be intrusted to a different artist.
the
ba seea cohf ot fh we
"In the selection of the artists to be employed, in
the choice of a design, and in the consideration of
the details of execution, the Queen would wish to
obtain the best advice ; and she would therefore
desire to call to her assistance a small committee,
consisting of persons in whom she could feel satis-
fied that the country would repose entire confidence.
" I have written by her Majesty's command to
those whose assistance she thus desires to obtain,
and I will lose no time, as soon as I shall have re-
ceived their answers, in communicating their names
to your lordship.
" I have the honour to be, your lordship's very
faithful and obedient servant,
" C. GREY.

" The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor."
The reading of this communication was listened
to with most marked attention, and at its conclusion
the meeting manifested an unanimous and cordial
approval.
The LORD MAYOR said in the same envelope there
was another letter, which he conceived to have been
made separate and supplementary, in order that the
committee might exercise their judgment anddis
fcroen-
tion as to whether or not it might be made public.
He would read the letter to the committee, but
the present he respectfully requested the represen-
tatives of the press to forbear giving it publicity.
The communication, so prefaced, was then read
toead
by his Lordship. It breathed throughout sentiments
the most touching and noble, perhaps, of
which utterance has been given on this great national
calamity. Its simple pathos appeared to thrill the
the hearts of all present. The emotion it produced
was visible in the countenance of every one, and at
its conclusion the whole committee was, more or
less,
breaking the silence, said he
the second letter was equally
unmanned.
FRANCIS
ssi,m
00N,
could not help thinking
deserving of publicity with the first, and submitted
that the commitee should consider and decide the
question as to the desirability of giving it also to
the world.

The LORD MAYOR thought the intention was that
the committee should make any use of it they might
think proper ; but, in his opinion, it had better not
be published. (Hear, hear.) He suggested, at the

same time, that it was most desirable that the first
letter and all their proceedings of that day should
be made public. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. S. MoRLEY, speaking with some little emo-
tion, said he believed the moral effect of the second
letter would be prodigious. (Hear.) He could not,
however, presume to recommend its publication
until the committee obtained the requisite permis-
sion, but he repeated his conviction that its effect
on the whole country would be little less than elec-
tric—(hear)—calculated as it was to deepen, if that
were possible, the national grief and the all-per-
vading feeling of devoted loyalty to the Throne:
(Hear, hear.)
Sir FRANCIS MOON suggested that it would be
desirable to defer the publication of the first letter
until the committee obtained permission to publish
the second.

The LORD MAYOR thought it would be a pity to
do that, relating us the first letter did to a subject
in which the community were so much interested.
(Hear, hear.)

After some further conversation on this point, in
which Sir M. Peto, Mr. Alderman Rose, and other
gentlemen took part, the LORD MAYOR said he pre-
sumed it to be understood that he was invested
with the discretion of publishing the supplemental
letter or not, as it might appear advisable. (Hear,
hear.)

Then on the motion of Sir E. A NTROBUS, seconded
by Mr. T. BARING, M.P., the committee passed an
unanimous resolution expressive of their deep gra-
tification that the measures which they had taken
for raising a national monument to the memory of
the late illustrious Prince Consort had been
honoured by the approval of her Most Gracious
Majesty the Queen.

At the instance of Mr. GREGSON, M.P., seconded
by Mr. WINKWORTII, it was also resolved that a
sub-committee be hereafter appointed to co-operate
with the committee to be named by the Queen in
carrying out more fully her Majesty's wishes in the
choice orts t
f,aisdesio bgne, itsem employed.
execution,e and the selection
of the a

These resolutions were, on the motion of Alder-
man Colonel WILSON, seconded by Mr.R. GURNEY,
the Recorder of London, forwarded to Lieutenant-
General Grey with a request that they might be
laid before her Majesty the Queen. With that the
meeting separated.

Down to last evening the total amount of the
fund was £33,500.

The following is the second letter alluded to by
the Lord Mayor at the above meeting. It is
published with her Majesty's permission :
" OSBORNE, FEB. 19, 1862.
" My Lord,—The Queen wishes me to add a few
words to the answer to your letter, which you will
receive with this, expressive in a more special man-
ner of her Majesty's personal wishes.

" She is aware that she could not with any pro-
priety contribute, as a, wife, to a monument to her
husband ; but she is also the Sovereign of this great
Empire, and, as such, she cannot but think she may
be allowed to join with the nation in the expression
of a nation's gratitude to one to whom it owes so
much.

" Who has a dearer interest than the Queen in
the well-being and the happiness of the people ?
♦nd if it has pleased God to make her reign, so far,
happy and prosperous, to whom, under Divine
Providence, is this so much owing, as to her beloved
husband—in all matters of doubt or difficulty her
wise counsel, her unfailing guide and support!
No one can know, as the Queen knows, how
his every thought was devoted to the country—how
his only aim was to improve the condition of the
people, and to promote their best interests. Indeed,
his untiring exertions in furtherance of these objects
tended, in all probability, to shorten his precious
ife.

" Surely, then, it will not be out of place that,
following the movement of her people, the Queen
should be allowed to consider how she may best
take part with them in doing honour to her beloved
Prince, so that the proposed monument may be
recorded to future ages as reared by the Queen and
people of a grateful country to the memory of its
benefaetor.—l have the honour to be your Lord-
ship's most obedient and faithful servant,

" G. GREY.

" The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, &e."

SERVICES OF SUFFOLK LIFEBOATS.

The following is an account of the important services
which have been rendered during the past few years by the
lifeboats on the Suffolk coast belonging to, or in connection
with the National Lifeboat Institution, which were instru-
mental in rescuing the crews of the following shipwrecked
vessels :—Brig Louisa, of Newhaven, 9; brig Tennant of
Stockton, 8 ; brig Oswy, of Shoreham, 12; schooner Orwell,
of Arbroath, 5; schooner Lord Douglas, of Dundee, 5;
schooner Silva, of Glasgow, 4 ; steamer Shamrock, of
Dublin, 14; brig Scotia, of Sunderland, 6 ; sloop
Three Brothers, of Goole, 5 ; brig St. Michael, of
Auray, 8 ; schooner Fly, of Whitby, 4 ; pilot cutter
Whim, of Lowestoft, 7 ; lugger Saucy Lass, of Lowestoft,
II ; barque Undaunted, of Aberdeen, 11; brig Henry, of
Montrose, 11; brig Dromingen, of Norway, 8 ; schooner
Hermann, of Rostock, 8; schooner Elizabeth, of Portma-
doc, 6; barque Zemira, of Leghorn, 8; steamer Enchan-
tress, of Hull, 14; brig Pensbor, of Sunderland, saved
vessel and crew of 7 men ; brig Lucind, of Memel, 11 ;
schooner Princess Alice, of Ipswich, 5 ; steamer Lion, or
Waterford, 10; fishing boat of Thorpeness, 3; brig
Henry Morton, of Sunderland, 8 ; sloop ybil, of Goole,
3 ; 1 rig Velocity, of Sunderland, 8 ; brig Pallas, of
Shields, 3 ; brig Corregio, of Poole, 9 ; French brig
La Jeune Marie Therese, 6 ; barque Perseverance, of Scar-
borough, 5 ; making a total of 242 persons rescued from a
watery grave within the last five or six years, through the
instrumentality of these valuable lifeboats. It should be
borne in mind that the lives saved by lifeboats must, in an
human probability, have otherwise perisba. For these
important services the National Lifeboat Institution has
376
Slu3fs-,
crewmanv6clot.edsitnoceththeegcaollmanmtenceme
folk has been distinguished for its lifeboat services, and its nt of the aggregate
presentau n i
century,nf
.eaOlnilny htthee othersa day, its chief town, Ipswich, set a noble
sacred cause remains to this day unabated,
example in this respect to thepities and towns of the United
Kingdom. Although not on the coast itself, it occurred to
some benevolent gentlemen, resident at Ipswich, headed
by Mr. W. Byng, that the town might most efficiently bo
represented there by a lifeboat, provided by themselves,
and thus indirectly assist in the performance of the impor-
tant national duty of protecting the lives of shipwrecked
persons. The Ipswich lifeboat will be stationed at Thorpe-
ness, near Aldborough, where wrecks are of frequent occur-
rence, and where, unfortunately, she will so often, we fear,
be called into requisition in saving life.
It is right to add that, during the past years the National
Lifeboat Institution has incurred expenses amounting to
£20,000 on various lifeboat establishments on the coasts of
England, Scotland, and Ireland.
During the same period the lifeboats of the institutis
have been instrumental in rescuing 500 shipwrecked per-
sons. For these and other lifeboat services the institution 2d
has voted £1,845 7s. ,as rewards • It has also granted
rewards amounting to £515 10s. for saving 373 shipwrecked
by shore boats and other means, making a total of
871 persons saved from a watery grave during the last two
persons,
years.
The number of lives saved by the lifeboats of the society,
and other means, since its formation, is 12,293 ; for which
services 82 gold medals, 704 silver medals, and £15,250 in
cash, have been paid in rewards. The institution has also
expended £57,200 on lifeboats, lifeboat transporting car-
riages, and boat-houses. The public cannot but sympa-
thise with the vigorous efforts now being made by this in-
stitution, to save the lives of shipwrecked crews. Their
help was never more needed than at the present time,
when, through the extraordinary exertions of the society in
the past few years, it has now 122 lifeboats under its
management, for the maintenance of which, in a state of
thorough efficiency,
a large permanent annual income is
absolutely needed, if its humane mission is to be per-
petuated. Contributions in aid of this good work are re-
ceived by all the bankers in the United Kingdom.

TIIE GREAT EASTERN.—The directors of the
Great Ship Company have decided on the appointment of
Captain Walter Paton, of Liverpool, as the commander of
the Great Eastern. Captain Paton, who is well known in
Liverpool, is highly spoken of as an able and experienced.
man and as thoroughly a gentleman. It is understood that
his salary will be £l,OOO per annum, with contingent ad-
vantages.
SALE OF AN ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER.—Yes-
terday The Queen, an illustrated weekly paper, which was
started about six months ago by Mr. S. 0. Becton, the well-
known publisher, was sold by Dir. Hodgson, the auctioneer
of Chancery-lane, The circulation was stated to be about
' co "
p7,eonosoo weekly,s pro
d uweh was just sufficient to cover the en-
oft
The money sunk in the concern was
about £3,500, and £2,000 of that sum has been paid for
After waiting an hour for a second biddin
riwgohodt. engravings, which were disposed of with the copy
auctioneer knocked down the lots to Mr. Weldor., the
g the
publisher, of Paternoster-row, for £560,

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

HOUSE OF LORDS-YESTERDAY.

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
-al five o'clock.
THE NEW EDUCATION CODE.

The Bishop of WINCHESTER presented s petition
against the new education code.
The Earl of MALMESBURY presented similar peti-
tions.