The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-30 00:00:00

THE ADULT BLIND.

His Serene Highness the Prince of Teck presided over a
large and fashionable meeting, held yesterday afternoon, at
Hanover-square Rooms, for the purpose of celebrating the
seventh anniversary of the establishment of the Alexandra
Institution for the Adult Blind, of which her Royal
Highness the Princess of Wales is the patroness. We
gather from the report that there are 30,000 blind in the
United Kingdom, the majority being past the middle
age; and of the twenty-five institutions established for their
benefit, and which only accommodate 2,000, nearly the
whole of them are devoted to the young. The Alex-
andra Institute provides homes for the adult blind of all
England, who canna be accommodated elsewhere, gives
industrial training to those who are too old to enter
schools, and employs those who, after leaving school,
would otherwise be thrown on the parishes or their
friends. Considerable progress has been made in the
good work, and the sales effected have very much increased,
but funds are still urgently required to enable the promo-
ters to extend its sphere of usefulness.—Lord Wharncliffe
said that in a social sense there could be no doubt
of the desirability that those whom God had
caused to suffer from the worst of all afflic-
tions should be assisted to contribute towards
their own support instead of being obliged to submit to a
life of idleness. Morally and spiritually considered, the
importance of instructing the blind was also beyond ques-
tion. The institution aimed at the assistance of these
chiefly who by illness or accident were deprived of sight,
and who were therefore even greater sufferers than those
who were blind from their birth. One important matter
had forced itself upon him. A bill for the education of
the people was now before the country, and he was not
aware that any provision was contained in it
which would enable the ratepayers to afford any
assistance to schools for the education of the blind. Rates
for the purpose of educating the people would be levied
throughout the kingdom, and yet not one penny would be
available for the education of the blind. Why 30,000 of
our most unhappy fellow creatures who were unable to
help themselves, should thus be deprived of the benefits
which would be extended to those who were not so afflicted,
he was at a loss to conceive. He thought it would be
very desirable that they should combine and endeavour
to enforce upon the Legislature the necessity of inserting
a clause in the bill which should have the effect of remedy-
ing the omission he had pointed out. Professor Fawcett,
who is blind, Mr. J. W. Pease, M.P., Mr. R. N.
Fowler, M.P., Canon Nisbett, and others addressed the
meeting, and resolutions commending the institution to
public support were passed.

ROYAL MUSIC HALL, HOLBORN.
Proprietor, Mr. J. S. SWEASEY.
The Press haye unanimously praised and acknowledged the
entertainment provided at the above Hall for the Whitsun
holidays to be the best in London. The Brothers Voltaire,
the Champion Gymnasts, in their surprising performances,
particularly their aerial leaps, extending the whole length
of the Hall (nearly 100 feet), engaged to appear solely at
this establishment ; Mr. H. Collard (Le Petit Sims Reeves),
the miniature man, the smallest and sweetest tenor
singer in the world, can be heard at this hall only ; Messrs.
St. Albyn, P. Corri, and Miss Barrie have made an immense
hit with their operatic selections ; Miss Georgina Smith-
son has returned to meet with fresh admirers ; Mr. Baldwin
has supplemented the brilliant encomiums he has already
received from the provincial press ; Miss Louie Sherring-
ton is received nightly with uproarious applause ; Mr. J.
H. Milburn is an old favourite ; the Great Vance is not to be,
heard elsewhere, excepting at his concerts : Mr. J. H. Ryley, and
Madame Barnam, as comic duettists, have met with decided
success; the acknowledged largest and best band in London. Bal-
cony, ed.; stalls, Is.; private boxes, 10s. 6d.