The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-14 00:00:00

ground—an effort to test the amount of Christian sympathy
which would respond to the orphan boys' appeal. The seed
has proved to have been sown in a genial soil, and, nourished

by the dews of Christian benevolence, as the mustard tree
expands in its growth, so that the birds of the air lodge in
the branches thereof, so has this humble effort, under the
blessing of God, proceeded and prospered, till, in this build-
ing, the opening of which we this day celebrate, the poor
orpl,an may find room to lodge under the shelter of its roof.

Four years ago the first boy was admitted into the house,
in Hope-street, which was taken as a temporary asylum. By
degrees it was filled up until it became crowded to inconve-
nience, containing at last fifty-two boys. We now take pos-
session of this our new abode with sixty boys, and other

candidates waiting for admission.
Blending with the event of this inauguration, and adding

greatly to the interest of the day, we have to record the con-
secration by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Chester, of
the Church of the Holy Innocents, situated between this and
the Female Orphan Asylum, the first stone of which was laid
by his lordship on the sth October, 1852, when the first stone
of this building was also laid by Thomas Littledale, Esq.,
then Mayor of Liverpool. This Church insures permanent
accommodation to the inmates of the two asylums, and is a
guarantee of the standing rule of both institutions, that the
children shall be:educated in the principles of the Established
Church.

One great advantage in the establishment of these Orphan
Asylums is extensively developing itself. It cannot be deemed
sufficient that one only of a family of orphan children should
be cared for; the endeavour should be to afford relief to as
many as possible. Our ancient and excellent institution, the
Blue Coat Hospital, does all it can, and has done much, but
it is able only to admit one of a family. Brothers and sisters
of that one had, till lately, no similar resource to fly to, no
place of refuge but the parish workhouse, however respect-
able, honest, and industrious their friends might have been.
Now, the instances are many, where those brothers and sis-
ters have found a kindred home. In the three institutions, two,
three, or four of the same family, have been provided for; in
one case five, where, without these two asylums, relief would
have been confined to one child only. Another advantage is,
that whereas children are excluded from the benefit of the
Blue Coat Hospital unless they have a settlement in the
pariah of Liverpool, they are eligible for admission into the
Orphan Asylums, if born within seven miles of the Exchange
in any direction, including the Cheshire side of the River
Mersey. The inhabitants within that boundary are consi-
dered, in fact, component parts of the same community.
The claims of orphans, deprived of both father and mother,
are universally felt and acknowledged. If any case of distress
and affliction be unexceptionable, it is surely the case of the
orphan. Many parents of great respectability die without
being able to leave provision for their bereaved offspring.
The will of the Father of the fatherless is that not one of

them shall perish. He consigns them to the care of those
whom He has gifted with abundance. May it please God to
impress upon our hearts the importance of the responsibility,
and to make us willing instruments in His hands, to protect
the orphan from want., and to fortify his mind by religious
teaching, against the wiles of temptation, and the commission

of crime.
We ask, then, for increased assistance in donations and
annual subscriptions. Hitherto, in our infant progress, the
committee have been able to defray the annual expenses; but
the same income will be quite inadequate to support the
additional number which this building will be called upon to
accommodate. Annual subscriptions especially are needed,
that no eligible candidate may be refused for lack of means.
A few hundred pounds are required to complete the
furnishing and extra requirements of the building and
grounds. Of this sum we look for a portion from thoae of the
clergy who have promised to appeal to their respective con-
gregations, and have not yet done so. To those who have
preached on behalf of the object, we tender our heartfelt
thanks for their prompt and liberal aid. Upon all within the
circle embraced in our rules, we submit respectfully that we
have a legitimate claim, seeing that we open our doors to the
orphans of their several districts, and we therefore respect-
fully, but earnestly solicit their early exertions.
The orphan cries out with Job, " Have pity upon me, have
pity upon me, 0 ye, my friends ; for the hand of God bath
touched me."
The Vsi. ARCIIDEA.CON moved the adoption of the
report, and said he had great pleasure in doing so. No
one could have witnessed the prosperity that had
accompanied the establishment of the school for
orphan girls without being highly gratified with it,
and he had no doubt if we were to witness the same
success attending the boys' asylum, we should find
it was one of those things which claims and carries with
it the good wishes and good feelings of all the inhabitants
of Liverpool. (Applause.) He had long been an inhabi-
tant of this town,—all his life, which had been• spared to
a considerable extent, and he had witnessed the establish-
ment of a great many charitable institutions for the relief
of those whewere in want, but he never recollected one
in which he felt a greater interest than that for which
they were then' assembled. The church, which stood
between the two asylums, was to be one means of instruct-
ing the children and bringing them up in the' way of
truth; and he considered that there was no institution• in•
the whole United Kingdom which had stronger• claims-
upon the benevolence and kindness of the inhabitants'
than those two, asylums. (Applause.) Nobody could
quarrel with the taking- care of orphan children. They
were left, they were thrown upon us, not by any fault or
misconduct of their owni. but by the visitation of that God,
who knows what is best for all of us ; and we should
ill supply what we were bound to do,—we should
discharge the debt that we were bound`, to pay, if we-
did not use our utmost efforts to accept and foster
such children, who were- left to the benevolence of the'
town at large, and who had lost both of their parents,
who, if they had lived, would have instructed and brought
them up. It was one of those charities that he thought
no one could but cherish, and, he could not but congratu-
late his friend on his right (Mr. Harmood Banner) upon,
the result of that day, when he had seen the consecration,
of that sacred building, which was entirely indebted to•
him for its erection, and when he had also witnessed the•
successful beginnings (if he might use the term) of a.
second orphan. institution, which, though not entirely his
own, he had.been one of the most efficient means in bring-•
mg to its present popularity.
The Rev. H. H. HIGGLNE3 seconded the motion, and
said that he could.remember the commencement of the
Female Orphan. Asylum, when 7,8, 10, or 14. orphan girls,
not abovo Oho limits of a family, were first assembled in, a
house in Stanhope-street. He bore strong testimony to
the ability and efficiency, of the matron of the esta-
blishment, and also to that of the teacher, both
of whom had been conneeted with the institution-since its
establishment, and said that the pleasure of: the visitors
had always been much increased by witnessing the niee,
and genial, and happy spirit of the children, which was
owing, in no• little degree, to their kindness and care.
The commencement of the Boys' Orphan Asylum was
not less happy. When first established, the inmates had
attended the church of which he was minister, so that he
had an opportunity of seeing them Sunday after Sunday,
and felt satisfied that they were equally fortunate as to
protection and care.
Mr. BANNER, then referred briefly to the state of the
accounts, from- which it appeared that there were £2B
in hand.

The MAIOR put the motion, which was unanimously
carried.

Alderman. BENNETT- moved the second resolut;on—
" That the warmest thanks of the meeting be given to
those clergymen who have already advocated the claims
of the institution, and that the rest of the clergy be
earnestly requested to assist in raising the necessary
fund for completing: the asylum, by appeals to their con-
gregations." He was sure that all would agree in
thanking the clergymen who had advocated so
good a cause, and every inhabitant of the town
would go with him in sincerely wishing that the
clergymen who had. not already done so, should. lose no
time in apPealing to their congregations on its behalf.
(Applause.). He-felt sure that, if the clergy would take
the matter in handjust at present, a sufficient sum would
be raised to carry the committee through all expenses—a
sum not only sufficient to complete the building and its
fittings, but a further sum in the shape of: endowment,
so that the charity might not have to rely entirely Upon
subscriptions and, donations for its support. (Applause.)
Mr. H. T. BROWNE seconded the motion, which was
likewise carried.
The Right Rev. PRELATE said—Perhaps .he might be
allowed to say, on behalf of the clergy, if no one else did,
that they would. be thankful for the manner in which the
meeting had acknowledged their services. He did not
know which of two things to admire most—the zeal or
the readiness with which the clergy were always prepared
to advocate the cause of charity in their pulpits, or the
liberality and Christian benevolence of the ladies and
gentlemen, and all the inhabitants of:Liverpool, whatever
their- condition, in responding to such appeals. (Ap-
plause.) It was now his duty to move that the thanks of the
meeting be given to the president and committee for their
services, and also to Mr. Harris, the honorary surgeon,
for the attention which he had givon to the institution.
Aa to.the first part of the institution, he presumed that
Mr. Banner was the president—at-least if he was not he,
ought to be, and they must feel much gratitude to him
because he had been the originator of the Boys' Asylum,
and the originator also of the Female Orphan Asylum.
He was also the active and unwearied promoter of both
designs, and a liberal 'contributor from his own private
charity. He had at his own: expense built that church
which was quite mixed up with and had crowned the base
of the institutions. He was.sure, as long as there was any
Liverpool at all, his name would' never be forgotten. It
would be remembered by rich and poor—by the rich, from,
the sympathy of their own genial hearts ; and by the
poor, from having been their benefactor. (Applause.) Their
thanks were also propose& to the honorary surgeon,.
Now there were many noble characteristics ,of
that profession. It might be -that the one to
which he (his lordship) belonged had a nobler mis-
sion, but it was a noble mission when persons could
go about entering a house full of sadness and sorrow, and
by their skill, with God's blessing upon it, they were able
to leave the house with every eye smiling and every heart
thankful for what be had done. There were always some,
and the most eminent, too, ready to give their services
gratuitously to such institutions as these, and to spend
time in doing so, which might have been employed
many directions, profitable to themselves. He thought
they should always be ready to acknowledge this as one of
the most gratifying characteristics of the profession of
medicine.
The Rev. G. W. WARR seconded the motion, which was
carried.
Mr. BANNER, at some length, returned: thanks in very
feeling terms. He said that he could not strictly be
called the founder of the Female Orphan Asylum, as the
idea was first suggested to him by Mrs. Aikin, an excel-
lent and devout lady, who had now departed. He was
always delighted at such an opportunity of doing justice
to her memory. He then thanked the committees and
other friends for their co-operation, without which it
would have been impossible for any single individual to
carry out such a great undertaking as that, and spoke in
terms of affectionate regret, in which the meeting
appeared fully to sympathise, of the loss which they had
suffered, in common with all the charities of the town, in
the death of Mr. Edmund Molyneux. Peace to Ma
manes, and consolation to his afflicted relatives ! As far
as they themselves were concerned, it would be long
before they should look upon his like again.
Mr. ARTlrcut. THOMPSON then moved, and Mr. BROWNE
seconded, a vote of thanks to Mr. Bibby, the treasurer,
with the request that he would continue his services.
The Rev. H. HAMPTON, who stated the interest which
he had always felt in the Female Orphan Asylum, moved
a resolution appointing the officers and committee, &c.—
Mr. Harmood Banner being re-elected president. The
motion was seconded, and carried unanimously.
Mr. BANNER, in eulogistic terms, then proposed a vote
of thanks to the Mayor, which his :lordship seconded in
his usual graceful manner, and which was carried by ac-
clamation.
The MAYOR returned thanks. When he retired
from office, that day would be recorded on his heart and
memory ; and his gratification was augmented when he
reflected that he was one of the members of the first com-
mittee whom Mr. Banner had called together for the es,
tablishment of the Female Orphan Asylum.
Ou the ouggestion of the Right Rev. PRIMATE, A Tote