Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-17

u SOOe
try to which those whom he addressed be-
longed. loud cheers.)
On the motion of the Bishop of Stepney,
seconded by Sir Edward Clarke, vote,of
thanks was passed to the Examining
Board of the College.
Votes Of thanks to the Lord Mayor and
the American Ambassador brought the
proceedings to close.
AT THE MEoHANIos' INSTITUTE.
London Times.
The distribution of prizes to the sue
cessful students at the Mechanics Insti-
tuition has been a yearly event Of great (
Importance to the friends of the institu-
ton and TO all interested in popular edu-
cation who have gathered 10 the ccre-
inony, with the most generous anticipu-
tons on behalf of the students, the teach
ers and the directors, and with the hope
OF hearing some worker in The good cause
speak words of hope and good omen for
its future. There is no distinct record Of
the first of these distributions. They
seem to have begun in the days of the old
"sOirees," when it was customary to give
trays" Mt the annual meetings and tea
parties In support Of this always popular
institution. The first to ofIicate ON an
occasion of the kind was the then mayor
of the Borough, j. IL. Scott, ESQ. who
will long be remembered as a great bene-
| factor to the institution and the town.
| This was in the year 1872, and the duty
! was performed by local men connected
| with the institution for some eight or ten
| successive years, including Mr.. Clement,
| DIR. Coultate, Mr.. w. Robinson, Mr..
! Howorth in the year of his mayOralty,
and later, Alderman Thornber, mayor.
| After this, from 1878, we have n list Of
distinguished strangers, beginning with
Bishop Frazer, Lord O'Hagan, Mr.. A. ].
Mundela, Sir Henry Roscoe, Sir Lyon
| Playfair, Mr.. Childers, Sir James Fer
grisson, Sir Mountstiart Grant Duff, Mr..
Arthur Peel, late Speaker of the House Of
Commons, Mr.. Mather, the Bishop Of
| Ripon, Earl Spencer, Speaker Gully. and,
| lastly, Mr.. Bayard, the United States
| Ambassador, who distributed the honors
| last night. In the old days of the "Soirees"
the directors were always glad to get n
Lord on to the platform, even If he was
little else but Lord. Little did they
forsee what hosts of distinguished men
would come to do honor to the institution
and to themselves, by coming down yearly,
ut the particular instance of the Presi-
dent, Sir Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth, TO
| pntronize the educational work of our
grand old institution. For some fifteen
years this goodly array of notabilties, all
men of light and leading In their different
spheres, have moved across the scene,
honored and giving honor, "in long pro-
cession, calm and beautiful" and during
all that time the beneficient work of the
institution has been increasing and pro-
crossing, till the present year, when, ac-
cording to the encouraging report Of the
Hon. Sec, Mr.. g. NJ. Foden, the institu-
ton was never in more hopeful condi-
ton and the work and organzat ton was
never so efficiently carried on.
AMERICA AND ENGLAND.
London Times.
Ever since the Venezuela question arose.,
the relations between Great Britain and
the United States have been more or less
irritated, not to say strained. Happily
there is a great deal of common sense
in the two countries which does s0me-
thing to nullify the unwise utterances'
of statesmen. But statesmen are not
all alike, happily, in this country or Amer
lea. The latter country has been repre-
scented for the last four years by Mr.. II. L.
Bayard, n man not only of large exper-
fence, but also of great discretion, and
evidently with sincere affection for both
countries. Last evening, the Burnley Cor
! poration, in the person of its mayor, pre-
scented an address to the American ambas-
sador, the terms of which will be found
in another column. In replying to that
address, Mr. Bayard lifted the subject Of
our international relations far beyond any
petty disputes of selfish interests, and
boldly declared that there was no ground
whatever for any quarrel between the two
countries. Nay, Mr.. Bayard went further,
and said that there We're no two separate
countries in the world which had the same
close Relationship ms Great Britain and
America. We hope that in this respect
Mr.. Bayard represented the great bulk Of
opinion of the United States, MS we feel,
quite sure he does represent the prevail
ing opinion in Great Britain. To talk
ahout war between Great Britain aud
America would be both scnseless and
criminal, and so long MS we have men
representing the two great courts display
, , ing the wisdom and patriotism that found
uttcrancc in Mr.. Rayard's wise and inn
prcssive words last night, there will be no
need for alarm.