or, on the happy notion of bringing together this
assembly, which must have an equally happy effect in promoting good
feeling both here and in the Colonies, inasmuch as it is a type of the
union which ought to bind us together."

The Prince of Wales then proposed the Lord Mayor's health in a
brief speech, in the course of which he said that it must be
especially gratifying to his lordship to preside at such a
dinner, seeing that he was well acquainted with the colonies,
being a colonial merchant of high repute, and having visited, if
not all, at any rate most of our great colonies.

The Lord Mayor briefly acknowledged the compliment, and said this
meeting was one of the most gratifying incidents of his year of office.

CITY AND GUILDS OF LONDON INSTITUTE.

_July 18th, 1881._

Of many movements originated by the late Prince Consort, and carried
forward by the Prince of Wales, the advancement of technical education
is one of the highest national importance. Without going into past
history, it is sufficient to say that of late years some of the Guilds
of the City of London have been awakened to a sense of their duties in
training artisans, for which purpose they were at first mainly founded.
The Corporation of London has aided the movement, but in a more limited
way. At first the efforts were directed to the encouragement of
technical education in existing schools and colleges by pecuniary
grants. But subsequently the Institute has been enabled to establish
schools of its own, and to assist in development of technical
instruction, not in London only, but in many large provincial towns.

The Institute had been incorporated in 1880, and in May of that year the
late Duke of Albany laid the foundation stone of the Finsbury Technical
College, the first building in the Metropolis exclusively devoted to
this practical training. In Lambeth and other districts similar schools
have been instituted; but it was thought advisable to found a Central
Institute for systematic teaching the practical applications of science
and art to the trades and industries of the country. Hitherto the
training of artisans has been mainly dependent on the customs of
apprenticeship in the various handicrafts; upwards of twenty of the City
Companies, including nine out of the twelve greater Guilds, had
subscribed largely, and had entered the associated Institute, when the
Prince of Wales was invited to become the Presi