The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-24 00:00:00

THE PRINCE CONSORT IN EDINBURGH.
EDINBURGH, WEDNESDAY.
This afternoon the foundation stones of the new
General Post-office in this city and of the Industrial
Museum of Scotland were laid by his Royal High-
ness the Prince Consort in presence of an immense
concourse of people. The weather was extremely
favourable, and business was completely suspended
in the city during the double ceremony. The route
from Holyrood Palace to the site of the Post-office,
immediately opposite the Register-house, was lined
by the military and several companies of Volun-
teers, as was also the route along the North and
South Bridges to the site of the Industrial Museum,
at the back of the University. The principal streets
were gaily decorated with flags, and, besides the
crowds who occupied the two platforms from which
a view of the ceremonies could be obtained, the
streets were densely thronged with spectators,
although thousands could only obtain a view of the
carriages forming the procession as they passed
along. The Prince Consort left Holyrood Palace
at 20 minutes past 1, accompanied by Sir George
Grey, the Duke of Buccleuch, General Walker,
Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in Scotland ;
Colonel Maclean, Major Hyde Page, and Earl
Spencer. The Royal cortege was preceded by the
Lord Provost, and as the carriages passed along the
Regent-road and Waterloo-place, accompanied by
the band of the Scots Greys, his Royal Highness
was received with the utmost enthusiasm by the
assembled crowd. On arriving at the Register.
house his Royal Highness received a number of
noblemen and gentlemen who were to take part in
the ceremony, and proceeded across the street to the
site of the Post-office, accompanied by the Lord
Provost, magistrates, and Council, the Lords of
Session, the members for the city, and the other
gentlemen who had been presented to his Royal
Highness. The procession having taking their
allotted positions round the stone, the Lord Provost
of the city presented an address to the Prince Con-
sort, congratulating his Royal Highness on the safe
arrival of her Majesty and the Royal Faraily in
the city, and thanking him for his presence on that
occasion.
The Prince Consort, in reply, congratulated the
citizens of Edinburgh on the acquisition of two such
important buildings as it was now proposed to erect,
and expressed his satisfaction at the increased faci-
lities of communication by letter which had ren-
dered necessary the erection of a new Post-office,
and upon the fact that the advantages of speed and
regularity in such communications, which were
once the exclusive privilege (though to a much less
extent even as regarded them) of the higher and
middle classes, had now, thanks to the marvellous
development of the Post-office system, been brought
within reach of the poorest ; while another great boon
had been conferred upon all classes by the facilities
afforded for the safe transmission of money by means
of Post-office orders, thus constituting the Post-
office, as it were, an universal banking agency,
resting on the security of the State, and brought to
every man's very door. His Royal Highness also
expressed his hope that the recent Act of legislation
with regard to savings-banks in connexion with the
Post-office would confer further and most important
benefits on the working-classes. After congratu-
lating the citizens on the extension to Edinburgh
of the advantages already possessed by London and
Dublin in the erection of an industrial museum, the
Prince Consort concluded by expressing his thanks
for an allusion in the address to the part he took
in the International Exhibition of 1851, and re-
marked that the best acknowledgment which the
promoters of that undertaking could receive was
the practical proof afforded, by its repetition in
1862, that they had correctly understood and ap-
preciated the wants and requirements of the day.
The foundation-stone was then laid in the usual
form amid loud cheering, and the proceedings ter-
minated with three cheers for the success of the
undertaking and three cheers for her Majesty and
the Prince Consort. Her Majesty was not present
at the ceremony, having visited the Botanical
Gardens in the forenoon ; but Prince Leopold and
two of the younger Princes occupied a room in the
Register-house from which a view of the proceed-
ings could be obtained. Immediately after the
above ceremony the Prince Consort, accompanied
as formerly, proceeded to the University, in the
large quadrangle of which the Principal, Sir David
Brewster, and the members of the Senatus Acade-
micus were in waiting to receive him. Sir David
Brewster presented an address from the Senatus to
the Prince Consort, which his Royal Highness
briefly acknowledged. The company then pro-
ceeded to the site of the museum through one of the
windows of the University, where the ceremony of
laying the foundation-s, was gone through, the
whole proceedings onlyincupying a few minutes.
The Prince Consort immediately after the ceremony,
retraced
e wfronatsgiantewoafitthinegU, nainverst
apiryo:
pro-
ceeded amid loud cheers to Holyrood Palace.
DEPARTURE FROM EDINBURGH.
At half-past 8 o'clock in the evening her Majesty,
the Prince Consort, and the members of the Royal
Family, left St. Margaret's station for the south,
the route along the Queen's Park being lined by a
large body of Volunteers, carrying torchlights.

INDIAN PRIZE MONEY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

October 24, 1861.

am a poor old soldier, who served in the late I
Indian mutiny with Lord Clyde. I have undergone for
fifteen months fatigue, suffering, and privation. I have
lost the use of my right arm in her excellent Majesty's
service, God bless her I but nearly five years are 'pat since
the first outbreak at Meerut, and the only reward given to
the old soldier is a Medal with a clasp ! Proh, l udor ! Is
this the only compensation to be made to us ? A great
amount of booty was captured at Delhi, Lucknow, Gwalior,
and Kotah; and yet, no tidings of prize money I At the
India Office they say that her Majesty has not signed the
warrant for the Central India prize money, and that the
prize rolls even are not being made out. Is it fair that
Government should thus delay paying poor old soldiers
who have fought hard for their Queen and country:?. •
I have the honour to be,
- Sir, - a
Your humble servant,
liArizits