A.—9

20

immense interest which is taken in this proposal, and also shows that we believe that the Imperial Institute which His Eoyal Highness has suggested, will, "if established"—l would not myself say "if" established—confer great and important benefits on Her Majesty's subjects. But we think their presence shows also something more —namely, that if it is established you are quite prepared to carry through the scheme which His Eoyal Highness has proposed, and over which he has expeuded so much thought and so much time. One thing only I might venture to add, and that is, supplementing a little what two or three previous speakers have said. I hope that the results of this meeting and the meeting which presently, in the afternoon, I propose to hold at the Mansion House will be that the funds should by no means be confined to the metroplis. Other centres have been already mentioned, and I trust—and I hope I am not anticipating the resolutions which maybe arrived at by the Organizing Committee—l do trust there will bo a large subscription to the funds, and every gentleman that I see in this room may establish a centre for a fund which will tend to increase the amount to be placed at the disposal of the committee which will be intrusted with carrying out this Imperial Institute, so that long before the end of the year matters may be so advanced that we may undoubtedly consider that in the Jubilee of Her Majesty the scheme for the Institute has been put on a thorough and secure basis. I have tin honour of proposing the resolution. The Mayor of Newcastle-on-Tyne (B. C. Browne, Esq., J.P.) : Your Eoyal Highness, my Lords, and gentlemen—lt is with very great pleasure that I have the honour of seconding the present motion. I believe that in all the action that your Eoyal Highness has taken, which has had so wonderful an effect in cementing the good feeling between England and her colonies, that you have in every case acted in advance of the general opinion of the people of England; and we beg to assure your Eoyal Highness, without flattery, that the public of England recognises the wisdom of the steps which you have taken. I fully believe that when this scheme of the Colonial Institute is understood, it will be found to be not only a worthy monument of Her Majesty's reign, but also that the practical effect of it will be felt far more generally than has been anticipated. Speaking as I do, as a representative of one of the large centres of industry, where the problem of how to find work for the people is becoming harder and harder every year, I believe that this is one of those movements to which we may look forward as likely to give us great relief. In these days when we are so closely competing with foreign countries we all of us feel that the most important element in the development of our industries has been the closer trade with our colonies, and I believe almost every business man will agree with me how very difficult it is to get information with regard to the colonies as to what their requirements are, so that we may know exactly what to supply them with. I believe that in the same way, if we could get the colonists to be in complete sympathy with the business men of England, this would create and foster trade and provide work for our people at homo. If we may imagine a place to be provided where we can go at once, and in the course of a few hours ascertain the position of any industry by going from one department to another, and find out from each one, according to our business, all that we want to know, such an institution would facilitate our trade enormously ; because I have no hesitation in saying that there is at present no place in England where the business man can have resort to and really find any reliable representation of the relation and the position in which his trade stands in the various colonies. To have such an Institute would, I think, bo of the greatest advantage, and in order that we may get the benefit of it I am glad to see something about its connection with local centres. Whether it bo connected with our public libraries or chambers of commerce, or whether independently, is a detail; but in this direction, I believe, lies a good opportunity for aiding the great work of emigration. It is apparent to my mind, and I think it will be to the minds of all of us, with the annual increase of population, that we must look to some far wider and sounder system of emigration than we have seen before—emigration not only of labour but also of capital. The colonies for many years past are hungering for that capital of which there is a plethora in England ; if we had good information as to the colonies, if we could get year by year full information as to all that is being done there, and if we could bo as familiar with what is being done there as we are with what is done in the parts of England where wo happen to live it would facilitate the flow of capital, and I think the flow of labour. A business man may always go and find what he wants; with the poor man it is different. He goes to the country town whenever he wants to know what openings there are for men of his particular business. I certainly believe that of all the things for which wo are indebted to his Eoyal Highness there will be none in the future for which he will earn more the gratitude of the whole Empire than this movement, and I must say myself that I look forward to the completion of it with the very greatest hope and enthusiasm, and I have much pleasure, therefore, in seconding the vote of thanks which has been proposed. The Lord Mayor of London then put the vote of thanks to the meeting, and it was carried by acclamation. His Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales : My Lords and gentlemen—Although our business here to-day is now concluded, I feel it would be unbecoming in me if I were not to rise to tender my cordial thanks for the very kind way in which the Lord Mayor of London and the Mayor of Newcastle have brought this resolution to your notice, and the kind and unanimous way in which you have received it. lam glad also, gentlemen, to have this opportunity of expressing to you collectively and individually the deep feelings of gratitude with which I see you all here to-day, for the kind response which you have made to my appeal, and for your presence at a time of year when travelling is neither easy nor pleasant, especially bearing in mind the great distances that you have had to coine. It augurs well for the future, and I feel convinced that you will do all in your power to assist me in making this Imperial Institute worthy of the name of our Queen and of her Empire. To me the promotion of this scheme*has been a labour of love, and that, as lam sure, it must strike you all, apart from wishing to do honour to the name of my beloved mother, our Queen; and nobody is more desirous than lam that a monument, if I may use the term, may