e Royal Commission. The subject of the housing of
the poor is not entirely unknown to me, as having acquired a
property in Norfolk now for twenty years, I have had something
to do in building fresh dwellings for the poor and working
classes. On arriving there I found the dwellings in the most
deplorable condition, but I hope now that there is hardly one on
the estate who can complain of not being adequately housed.

"I quite endorse what has fallen from the noble Marquis and the
quotation which he made from the letter of Mr. Williams which
appeared in to-day's newspapers. A few days ago I visited two of
the poorest courts in the district of St. Pancras and Holborn,
where, I can assure you, my Lords, that the condition of the
people, or rather of their dwellings, was perfectly disgraceful.
This in itself proves to me how important it is that there
should be a thoroughly searching inquiry. As your Lordships are
aware, there have existed now for some short space of time
several private societies organised for the purpose of inquiring
into this very question. I am sure that we ought all to be
grateful to these gentlemen for giving up their time to so
important a subject, and I feel that the Royal Commission can in
nowise clash with the efforts of these private individuals.

"In conclusion, my Lords, I wish to say that I cherish an
earnest hope, which I feel will be shared by your Lordships,
that the result of this Royal Commission will be a
recommendation to Parliament of measures of a drastic and
thorough kind, which may be the means of not only improving the
dwellings of the poor, but of ameliorating their condition
generally."

His Royal Highness was followed by Lord Shaftesbury, the Bishop of
London, and others, but nothing was added in the debate of a practical
nature, and the motion of Lord Salisbury was unanimously carried.

THE GUARDS' INDUSTRIAL HOME AT CHELSEA
BARRACKS.

_February 25th, 1884._

The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied by the Princess Louise,
Marchioness of Lorne, and the Princesses Louise, Victoria, and Maude of
Wales, visited Chelsea Barracks on Monday, the 25th of February, 1884,
for the distribution of prizes to the girls at the Guards' Industrial
Home. It is very honourable to the officers of the Guards, that they
provide as far as they can for the welfare of the wiv