The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-24 00:00:00

LICENSED VICTUALLERS' ASYLUM.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE
NEW ALBERT WING.
Yesterday the ceremony of laying the foundation')
stone of the above addition to the well-known
building situate in the Old Kent-road, was per-
formed by his Royal Highness the Prince Consort,
in the presence of a large number of ladies and
gentlemen connected with the trade, several mem-
bers of the City Common Council, &c.
Shortly after four o'clock his Royal Highness
arrived, and was welcomed under the portico of
the chapel by the principal officers of the society,
and conducted by them through the chapel,
where were assembled to meet his Royal Highness
several members of the House of Commons, the
clergy of the neighbourhood, and many gentle-
wen connected with the institution. The Royal
Artillery band greeted his Royal Highness by
playing the National Anthem. A procession was
then formed, and the Prince was conducted
to the pavilion. On reaching his seat, the secre-
tary presented to his Royal Highness the pro-
gramme, containing the ceremonials of the day,
which was printed on white satin, and the trowel
—the cups containing the corn, oil, and wine—the
bottle containing the coins of the realm—and the
brass plate bearing the inscription. The children
of the Licensed Victuallers' School having sung a
hymn, the chairman of the institution presented his
Royal Highness with the following address :
" most illustrious Prince,—We, the chairman, trustees,
and governers of the Licensed Victuallers Asylum, of which
your Royal Highness is the illustrious patron, humbly and
heartily desire to express to your Royal Highness our pro-
found sense of the great condescension which your Royal
Highness has exhibited towards us, and of the vast obli-
gation which your Royal Highness has imposed upon the
society by honouring us with your presence on the occa-
sion of laying the foundation stone of the Albert wing' of
this asylum.
" This institution, most illustrious Prince, was esta-
blished -upwards of 30 years ago ; its foundation stone
being laid by his late Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex,
who for a period of nearly 16 years deigned to bestow upon
it his Royal patronage.
"That you, most illustrious Prince, should have conde-
scended for a space of nearly fifteen years to have honoured
this institution (which boasts of being not only the parent
of all trade asylums, but the largest of its kind in this
country), with your Royal Highness's countenance and
approbation is a cause of profound gratification, not only
to ourselves as the board of management, but also to every
member of the trade, by whose voluntary contributions
this institution is supported.
"We trust, most illustrious Prince, that this Albert
Wing,' which your Royal Highness is now about to found,
will stand for ages as a memento of the renewal of your
Royal Highness's gracious condescension ; and we fer-
vently pray that the undertaking which your Royal High-
ness is about to commence with prayer may receive the
blessing of Almighty God ; and not less fervently do we
pray that the choicest of Heaven's blessings may descend,
both for time and for eternity, upon your Royal Highness
and your royal house.
" And now, most noble Bunco, permit us, in conclusion,
to express our deep devotion and attachment to her Most
Gracious Majesty, the beloved anti honoured Queen of
these realms. May God, who iu his goodness has blessed
this kingdom with such a ruler, grant her and her Royal
family many years of peace and happiness; and, when, in
His providence, the Almighty shall see fit to call our be-
loved Sovereign from an earthly throne, may she receive,
through the merits of the Redeemer, that Crown of glory
which fadeth not away.' "
His Reyal Highness replied thus :—" Gentleman,
I thank you very sincerely for your kind address,
and for the gratifying assurance of your loyal and
devoted attachment to the Queen, It has given me
thegreatest pleasure to obey your call to assist this
day in the ceremony oflaying the first stone of a build-
ing which is to give extended means of usefulness to
your excellent institution. In the principles in
which it is founded, and the manner in which it is
supported, you have set a noble example too her
trades, and I rejoice to see how generally it has
been followed by themselves. I congratulate you
most heartily, gentlemen, and particularly the
board of management, on the success which has so
far attended their exertions ; nor can I doubt that
the beneficial results which you have already re-
ceived will, by the blessing of God and under the
s ime judicious administration, be still further ex-
tended.
His Royal Highness's address was received with
the most enthusiastic cheers, which were most
vociferously and heartily renewed on the retire-
ment of his Royal Highness.
A dejeuner afterwards took place in the building,
at which Edward Huggins, Esq., presided.
The architect then exhibited and explained to his
Royal Highness the plans of the proposed buildings,
and an elaborate sketch of the 'Albert wing' as it
will appear when erected.
The stone having ben lowered and tried, his
Royal Highness perfected the ceremony, and de-
clared it fixed.
The Rev. W. G. Martin, MA., the chaplain to
the institution, offered up an appropriate prayer,
and the National Anthem, sung by the children of
the school, concluded the ceremony.

THE PRESS PROSECUTIONS.