PRINCE ALBERT AND MECHANICS' INSTITUTIONS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 710, 22 May 1852, Page 3

PRINCE ALBERT AND MECHANICS' INSTITUTIONS.

The following statement is taken from Lloyd's News, of December 14th : — " In the early part of 1850, the Windsor and Eton Mechanics' Institution was almost hopelfssly in debt, after having dragged through a ricketty existence of nearly fifteen years. The Prince Consort bad accepted the honorary appointment of patron, and was very naturally applied to by the committee to assist them in their difficulty. The Prince's reply was prompt and judicious. His royal highness advised them first to get out of debt, and promised if they could raise the remaiuder among themselves, that he would subscribe £50 toward that purpose. The offer of his royal highness infused new life into the institution ; the money was speedily laised, and with the assistance of the Prince's donation of £50, the debts were discharged. Since that time the committee have gone on swimmingly. 'They have added to their library, made an addition to their premises, and at their last halfyearly meeting, recently held, announced a considerable balance in band. "In the neighbouring town of Slough a Mechanics' Institute was started in the year 1847It required no little perseverance to establish a thing of the kind in a newly formed community ; nevertheless it was done. Suitable premises were hired, periodical lectures were delivered, the newspapers and leading magazines were taken iv, and the foundation was laid for a really useful institution. The promoters, however, laboured under one great difficulty. They had incurred a debt, and they were unable to pay it from their annual subscriptions, without so curtailing the advantages of their institution as to run the risk of losing their members. They applied to Prince Albert, and received a courteous answer from Colonel (irey, to the effect that his royal highness regetted he could not extend his assistance to a society whose only difficulties appeared to be those of their own creation. The reply was discouraging, but it was felt to be just, and all hope of assistance from that quarter was abandoned. The committee had, however, the good fortune to secure the services of the right hon. H. Labouchere, M.P., as the chairman at their anniversary dinner, and the proceedings on that occasion were of the most encouraging character. About ten days after the dinner, to the agreeable surprise of all concerned iv the welfare cf the institution, the following letter from Col. Phipps was forwarded by Mr. Labouchere to the secretary :—: — "Osborne, November 26, 1851. My dear Mr. Lahouchere, — The Prince has read with much interest the report of the anniversary dinner of the Slough Mechanics' Institu-: tion. A short time since an application was made to his royal highness for a subscription towards the funds of that institution ; but, as the principal grounds of the application were its former mismanagement, and its failure to carry out successfully any of its original objects, his royal highness did not consider that an increase of funds would be sufficient to ensure an improved and more successful management for the future. Your presidency at the meeting, however, the great interest which yoa have expressed in it, and the tone of the speeches generally upon that occasiou, do, in his royal highness's opinion, give the guarantee which was alone necessary to enable his royal highness to gratily his inclination of assisting ao institution capable of doing so much good in the immediate neighbourhood of the residence of her Majesty and himself ; and I am to request that you will have the goodness to transmit to the treasurer of the Slough Mechanics' Institution the enclosed check for £20, as his royal highnesses donation to the funds. I am, Sir, sincerely yours, (Signed) C. B. Phipps. "An act so creditable to his royal highness's liberality and judgment needs no commeut. We might add, however, that the committee have received nearly sufficient from other sources to extinguish the debt, and that the Prince's donaof £20 will be expended in additions to the library."