The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 28, 1860.

Ill' AUGURATION 01 A SCHOOL OF
ART BY THE PRINCE OF WALES.

Upon the site of the old Vauxhall Gardens there
will rise in the course of the present year a hand-
some building, in the style of the 13th century,
designed for the improvement in art of the work-
ing men with whom this district abounds. The
school is already in existence, although the mate-
rial building has yet to be raised. In the autumn
of 1854 evening classes in drawing and modelling
were opened in the National School-rooms, in

Princes-road, Lambeth, the district of St. Mary-
the-Less, of which the Rev. Robert Gregory, M.A.,
of Christ Church, Oxford, is the incumbent, with
the assistance of the Science and Art Department
at Marlborough House. These classes have been
attended by a yearly increasing number of pupils,
most of them being connected with the building,
engineering, and pottery trades, which are exten-
sively carried on in that part of Lambeth. At
present there are upwards of 120 pupils connected
with the schools. The cost of the building will be
£4,200, of which more than £5OO remains to be
raised.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, having
been solicited to lay the first stone, at once
kindly consented. Due preparations were made
by the incumbent and his friends to gi're his royal
highness a worthy reception, and in this they were

eminently successful, having collected together a
large assemblage.
Precisely at four o'clock the arrival of his royal
highness was announced, and the archbishop,
bishops, nobility, clergy, and others went immedi-
ately to the outer gates, and having formed into
procession, conducted the prince to the small raised
platform on which he was to perform the ceremony

of the day. The Rev. R. Gregory, approaching
the prince, who was accompanied by Major-General

Bruce, Sir C. Phipps, and Lieutenant-Colonel Kep-
pel, delivered the following address :

"May it please your Royal Highness—The committee
for erecting a School of Art for the benefit of this nefgh-
bourhood beg to tender to your royal highness their hearty
and sincere thanks for your great condescension and kind-
ness in this day coming among them to inaugurate the
work which they are anxious to promote. Their great ob-
ject in projecting a school of this character, in the first
instance, and in now seeking to extend its useful-
ness, is the moral and intellectual elevation of the poorer
classes, mere especially of the gifted amongst them, by
enabling them to cultivate those special talents with which
Almighty God has endowed them. Experience has shown
that secondary education will be appreciated only so far as
it is adapted to the particular tastes, rather than wants, of
the persons for whom it is intended; so that whilst other
provision is made for the altogether uneducated, the com-
mittee have been anxious to labour for the benefit of suchas
have been blessed with ability not universally imparted,
and the possession of which raises them in power of cul-
tivation above the usual level. They have been
further incited to this course by the conviction
that special talents are often accompanied by special temp-
tations. For providing, therefore, for the development of
the faculty of tracing out the beauties of form and blend-
, ing the glories of colour, which is only less generally given
than that of appreciating musical harmony, the committee
feel that they are furnishing a moral safeguard to those who
ought to be especial objects of care, as such persons may be
traders in vice if they are not in virtue, inasmuch as they
are elevated by nature above their equals in social position.
" Besides this the committee have had regard to the
peculiar wants of the neighbourhood in which they reside.
The special avocations of multitudes in this part of the
metropolis render a knowledge of design of great importance
for the efficient discharge of their callings in life. Engineers,
potters, joiners, and other mechanics, by learning to draw,
achieve a success in their several employments which would
otherwise be denied them, and thus their zeal for the cul-
tivation of their natural talent is artistically increased by a
conscious accession of power, and by a sensible addition to
those material comforts which they win for themselves. And
thus self-interest has urged them to study, whilst the self-
discipline thus acquired, it may fairly be hoped, adds stabi-
lity to their general character, and so becomes a valuable
element in their moral education.
"The success which has attended the efforts of the com-
mittee furnish evidence of the truth of the principles upon
which they have acted. Each year that their school has
existed it has grown in numbers and efficiency. Commenc-
ing with a few pupils, who found ample accommodation in
a corner of a room lent for their use, they now find them-
selves unable suitably to provide for all to enjoy the advan-
tages they offer; whilst they have refrained from publish-
ing more widely the existence of their school, lest more stu-
dents presented themselves than could be received. They
now muster 120 pupils in their classes, and the fees paid
by these students, with the usual help afforded by the
Department of Science and Art, suffice for the
maintenance of the school, so that no subscrip-
tions have been received during the last tw o
years for defraying its current expenses; nor have
the results been less marked and satisfactory in
other respects. Students of great natural ability have
been found who, but for the assistance afforded by this
school, would never have had the opportunity of cultivating
the special talent with which they had been endowed. A
potter, for example, who had no instruction in drawing till
he entered the school last year gained a national medallion
for designing and executing a most beautiful piece of pot-
tery ware, and by general competition this year the school
has obtained 12 medals and 29 prizes, strong evidence that
its success is not confined t 3 the number of students it col-
lects within its walls, whilst the unvarying good conduct
of those we instruct is convincingly proved by our never
having been called upon to exercise any severe censure
during the five years that the school has existed.
"For these reasons the committee hope they were justi-
fied in praying your royal highness graciously to counte-
nance the undertaking on which they have embarked, and
for these reasons they hope they are borne out in appealing
to the liberality of those who share with them in desiring
to further:the cultivation of art, also to supply the deficiency
which still exists in their building fund.
" I concluding, the committee wish to state how highly
honoured they feel in their school being the first which will
have received its foundation-stone from your royal hands.
And standing as we do on ground which tradition asserts
to have formed part of the chase or the gardens of one of
the most illustrious and best beloved of your royal high-
ness's predecessors—whilst we welcome the adveat of our
duke on this ancient manor of his house, we pray that he
may emulate in peace the fame and glories which that great
prince first won in war; and that whilst he resembles him
by being our pride and our boast as prince, we hope that he
may come at a 'distant day to that high dignity to which he
is born, a worthy successor to our most gracious Queen.'"

His ROYAL HIGHNESS having received the al-
dress, made the following reply :—" Gentlemen, I
thank you very sincerely for your address, and for
the gratifying terms in which you allude to my
presence here to-day. Although I have hitherto
refrained from taking part in ceremonies of this
nature, it has afforded me much pleasure to accede
to your request, and thus to associate myself with
an undertaking the objects of which you have so
well described, and with which I most heartily
sympathise. Permit me, then, to tender to you my
warm congratulations upon the success which has
already attended your zealous and judicious exer-
tions in behalf of those who could not otherwise
have obtained the advantages which this institution
is intended to confer, and to express my earnest
hope that the results, both as regards the indivi-
duals immediately benefited and the public at large,
may exceed your most sanguine expectations."
The Prince's gracious reply, which was pro-
nounced with admirable effect, was received with
loud cheers.

A special form of prayer, which had been pre-
pared for the occasion, was then commenced by the
Rev. George Wm. Herbert, M.A., of Exeter College,
Oxford ; immediately after which the choir and
people sang the 148th Psalm--" Laudate Do-
minum."
The Bishop of Winchester, who, as diocesan, was
vested in his episcopal habits, read three prayers
from the Book of Common Prayer and the follow-
ing special collect :

" 0 Almighty God, who shadowest forth Thine untreated
beauty in 'risible forms, and drawest the minds of Thy ser-
vants to the things unseen by the contemplation of thosethat
are seen : Vouchsafe Thy blessing, we beseech Thee, upon
this effort to advance Thy glory, and grant that they who
within these walls shall study the works of Thy hands, and
trace the forms of Thy good creatures hole below, may raise
their hearts to Thee, their Maker and Fashioner, and be
filled with the plenteousness of Thy blessing, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen."

His Royal Highness, having received the trowel
from Mr. Pearson, the architect, proceeded to place
the stone, saying—" In the faith of Jesus Christ we
place this foundation stone, in the name of God the

Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
Amen."

The Bishop of WINCHESTER then said—" Here
let true faith, the fear of God, and brotherly love
ever remain. This place is set apart for learning and
instruction in art and science to the praise of the
most holy name of the same our Lord Jesus Christ,
who ever liveth, with the Father, and the Holy
Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen." His
lordship then pronounced the benediction, and the
National Anthem was sung by the choir of Mr.
Gregory's church and the visitors.
his royal highness left the ground amidst the
hearty cheers of all by whom he was surrounded.
The ground was well kept by the 19th Surrey
Volunteers, under the command of Mr. Roupell,
M.P., Captain Truman, Lieut. Sznithers, and Ensign
Pruett.

Mr. Pearson is the architect, and Mr. Coils (oi
Camberwell), the builder of the new schools:
The police arrangements, under the direction a
Mr. It. Beckerson, were all that could be desired.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, JUNE 27.

ACCIDENT TO THE CONNAUGHT STEAMER.
Accounts reached Dublin this morning, announc-
ing that, owing to an explosion on board the Con-
naught, one of the new steamers destined to ply be-
tween Galway and America, she was unable to
proceed on her first voyage yesterday. This has
been:a severe disappointment to all parties inte.
rested. The mails, however, will be despatched by
the Parana, which fortunately was in the harbour,
coaled, and ready for sea. The injury suatained by
the Connaught is believed to be of a trifling charac-
ter. The Morning News gives the following ver-
sion of the disaster :

" On Board the Parana, Galway Bay,
Five o'clock.

An extraordinary change has taken place,
owing to an unfortunate though slight accident,
which occurred to the Connaught immediately
after getting under weigh. The circumstances of
the case are singular enough, as the accident took
place before the vessel had gone 100 yards from her
berth, and though of so slight a nature as not to
prevent her proceeding on her voyage, still, as it
would tend to lessen her speed, it seems most for-
tunate that another first-class ocean steamer was at
hand to take the place of the Connaught, so as to
carry out the postal contract. According to the
explanation I have received of the nature of the
aceident, it appears to me one which could readily
be repaired at any place where the means of repair-
ing machinery were at hand ; but at this port even
a trivial derangement to machinery becomes seri-
ous, as there are no means of making any repairs.
It is stated that the top of one of the cylinders
came off, owing to some defect in the priming, and
this is attributed to the error of taking in water for
the engines at a time when the tide had fallen and
the water wad consequently muddy. As soon as
the mail bags had been put on board the Parana,
visitors proceeded to this vPssel, which had got up her
steam and was under ways to accompany the Parana
down the bay. As the Parana went on her course to-
wards Black Head, some surprise, and afterwards a
good deal of anxiety was felt at seeing theConv aught,
though with steam and anchors up, remain appa-
rently motionless, and the anxiety was a good deal
increased when the Vesper was seen coming out in
the bay and signaling the Parana to return. It then
became evident that some accident had occurred,
and as Captain Patey, the Government inspector,
had come out in the Parana to witness her trial
trip, and had taken the opportunity to inspect the
vessel and her crew, a consultation was at once held
between the officials of the Government and the
company as to what was best to be done under the
circumstances. Captain Patey had already declared
the Parana to be quite fitted to fulfil the Govern-
ment contract, and as she was coaled and ready to
go to sea it was resolved at once to transfer to her
the mails and passengers of the Connaught, and to
proceed to sea with as little delay as possible. A
telegram was at once sent off to London, stating the
facts and asking for instructions, and unless an ad-
verse answer shall be received, the Parana will leave
to-morrow at noon for Now York. She is a very
fine vessel, with ample accommodation for double
the number of passengers going out, and is in excel-
lent condition for the voyage and in every way fit
for her mission. She has been long and successfully
trading to the West Indies. She is able to do on an
average 12 knots an hour, and when on her passage
from Southampton to Galway with 1,000 tons of
coal on board she exceeded that rate of speed. Capt.
Heenan commands her; Mr. Sewell is the first
officer, Mr. Hastings second, and Mr. Jenkins third.
She has been lately lengthened at Blackwall by
Messrs. Pritchard and Co. Her nominal horse-
power is 764, but her effective power is far beyond
that. She is 330 feet long and her beam is 45 feet in
breadth. In every respect the Parana is well suited
for the trade in which she is now placed, and we
think that the passengers who will go by her to
America will give a favourable report of her quali-
fications and the ability of her officers."
GALWAY, WEDNESDAY, Two O'CLOCK.

This morning as the Parana was about to sail
with the mails transferred from the Connaught a
countermand was received from the Post•office,
directing the mails to be forwarded to Londonderry
for shipment in the Palestine, which will sail to-
morrow evening. However, a telegram has now
been received authorising the mails to be put in
charge of Lieutenant Cashman, R.N., and they
thus have more than a full day's start of the
Palestine.