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ROYAL BANQUETS AT THE TRINITY HOUSE
July 2nd, 1866
The Corporation of the Trinity House received its first charter in 1514, from King Henry VIII. It was then a guild or brotherhood for the encouragement of the science and art of navigation, and was first empowered to build lighthouses and erect beacons by an Act passed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This has gradually come to be the chief duty of the Corporation, and a very important one it is to a nation with such vast commerce. The Scottish coasts are under a separate Board, but all others are under the charge of the Trinity House. The Mastership of the Company has in recent times been an honourable post, held by Princes and Statesmen. Lord Liverpool was Master in 1816, and was followed by the Marquis Camden, the Duke of Clarence, afterwards William IV., the Duke of Wellington, the Prince Consort, and Lord Palmerston, since whose death the office has been held by the Duke of Edinburgh. The post was offered to the Prince of Wales, but was declined by him, in behalf of his sailor brother, "with graceful delicacy and characteristic manliness," as Sir Frederick Arrow, the Deputy-Master said, in proposing his health at the first banquet where he was a guest.
This first festival meeting after the election of the Duke of Edinburgh as Master took place on the 2nd of July, 1866. Among the guests were the King of the Belgians, the Prince of Wales, the Premier and several members of the Cabinet, the Lord Chief Justice, the Lord Mayor, and other distinguished persons. The guests were received by the Elder Brethren in the Court Room of the Corporation, a stately apartment, adorned with portraits of Royal personages and of former Masters.
His Royal Highness the Master proposed the health of "Her Majesty the Queen," and then that of the "King of the Belgians," who in his reply warmly thanked a Corporation which rendered important services to all maritime and commercial nations. In giving the toast of "The Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and the other members of the Royal Family," the Master said: "It has never before been my pleasing duty to propose the health of my brother in his presence, and I should feel very shy if I were to make any remarks farther than that, as Master of your Corporation, and as his brother, I beg you to give him a most hearty welcome."
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales said: —
"May it please your Majesty, your Royal Highness, my Lords, and Gentlemen, – Under any circumstances it would have been a source of gratification to me to be present on such an occasion as this, but more especially when I have been invited by my own brother and have the pleasure of supporting him on the first occasion of his taking the chair as Master of this Company. Perhaps you will allow me on this occasion merely to mention that, after the death of that distinguished and lamented statesman whose loss we must always deplore, the office of Master was most kindly offered to me by the Brethren of this Company. I begged to decline – at least, I begged to offer the suggestion that the office should be offered to my brother, who was far more fit to undertake its duties. Among the distinguished personages who are present on this occasion it is, you will allow me to say, very gratifying to have the honour of the presence of his Majesty the King of the Belgians. After the very kind manner in which he has spoken of his attachment to this country, which I know is a real attachment, and not merely a form of words, because I have often heard the same sentiment expressed by him in private – after such expressions from his Majesty I think I may say that we as Englishmen feel a strong attachment to his country – a country distinguished in its own position among the nations of the Continent, and a country for which his ever lamented father did so much. I beg to thank you for the honour you have done me in drinking my own health in connection with the health of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and the other members of the Royal Family."
July 20th, 1868
At the banquet of 1868, on the 20th of July, the Prince was formally installed as one of the "Younger Brethren" of the Trinity House, the oaths having been administered by the Duke of Edinburgh, as Master. In proposing the usual loyal toasts, the Master said it gave him much satisfaction to be supported by his brother, who, however, on this occasion was present as a member of the Corporation. The Prince, on speaking to the toast, said: —
"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen, – I return my best thanks to my illustrious relative for the kind way in which he has proposed this toast, and for coupling with it the health of the Princess of Wales and that of the other members of the Royal Family. I am very grateful for the reception which has been accorded him in this room, and I have great pleasure in being here this evening. This is not the first time I have been present at the hospitable board of the Trinity House. It is the second time I have supported my brother, and I come here now in a double capacity, for I have the honour of being present to-day as a member of this Corporation and as his 'younger brother.' I am sure I may say even in his presence that it is a source of the greatest satisfaction to me to be present at the first dinner at which he has presided since his return from Australia. I know I am only speaking his wishes when I say that, although the season is now far advanced, he thought, consistently with the duties he had to perform on board the Galatea, now off Osborne, he could not refrain from taking the chair at the anniversary dinner of this ancient Corporation, of which he has the honour of being the Master. I thank you for the kind way in which this toast has been received."
The Duke of Richmond, as President of the Board of Trade, acknowledged the great services to the Mercantile Marine rendered by the Trinity House. Lord Napier of Magdala, in response to the toast of "The Visitors," spoke of the efficient manner in which the Transport Service had been carried out during the Abyssinian Expedition.
July 4th, 1869
In 1869 the Duke of Edinburgh was absent, and the Prince of Wales undertook the office of presiding at the dinner on the 4th of July. Sir Frederick Arrow, Deputy Master, and the Elder Brethren, among whom were Mr. Disraeli and Mr. Gladstone, honorary Brethren, received the invited guests, among whom were Prince Arthur, Prince Christian, Prince Teck, Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, and numerous men of high distinction in public life.
The Prince having proposed "The Health of The Queen, the protectress of this ancient Corporation," Sir Frederick Arrow gave "The Health of the Prince and Princess of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family." The Deputy Master referred to the sympathy of the Prince with naval service in all departments, and especially his love of yachting. He also referred to his tour in the East, since they last assembled at their annual festival. The Prince replied: —
"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen, – I am gratified by the honour you have done me in drinking my health and that of the Princess of Wales and the other members of the Royal Family. I can assure you it has given me great pleasure to be present on this occasion, but I feel I have hardly any right to occupy this chair. The last time I was here I was elected a younger member of your Corporation. To-day I have become an elder member, and Sir Frederick Arrow asked me to take the chair in place of my brother, the Master, who is now in a far distant land. You may be sure that I shall always be ready to assist in every way I can to promote the good of this excellent institution. Sir Frederick Arrow has been pleased to allude to my yachting. It is true I am fond of yachting, but I cannot claim to be either a nautical or a naval man. You may, however, always reckon upon any services I can render in any way in which you may think I can be useful to your Corporation."
Other customary toasts were then given, and responded to. To the toast of "The Master of the Corporation," his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, "wishing him a happy, prosperous, and safe voyage from the Southern hemisphere, and a quick return home," the Prince of Wales replied: —
"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen, – I feel I am in rather a difficult position in having to return thanks for one who is absent. At the same time, I feel assured my brother would be gratified by my thanking you for the manner in which his health has been proposed and welcomed. According to the French proverb, 'Les absens ont toujours tort.' But I hope you will think differently, seeing that my brother is a post captain in Her Majesty's Navy, and is visiting one of Her Majesty's far distant colonies. I am sure if he knew you were drinking his health at this time his heart would be with you. Before I sit down I have the honour of proposing to you a toast – the principal toast of the evening. I call upon you to drink, 'Prosperity to the Corporation of Trinity House.' It would be almost superfluous in me to make any remarks on the Corporation or its present or future development. It has existed since the time of Henry VIII., and ever since that time to the present the community has taken the deepest interest in its prosperity. It has also been connected through its honorary Brethren with some of the most distinguished men, and many of those honorary Brethren are present here this evening. Its object is to protect our ships and our sailors, and that object is never forgotten. As the First Lord of the Admiralty has just said, while the Navy is called upon to protect our commerce, the Corporation of Trinity House is called upon to protect our sailors and our ships. The first electric light put up in this country was that at Dungeness, and the great Wolf Rock, which has long been the terror of our sailors, will before long cease to be so. This will show you that the Trinity House authorities are anxious to do their duty and to maintain their great name, which I am sure is honoured here and in other countries. Before I resume my seat I give you 'The Health of Sir Frederick Arrow, the Deputy Master,' and I am sure you will drink it with enthusiasm, knowing as you do how justly he merits your applause. He has done his duty in every way to maintain the interests of the Corporation, and I think the honour was eminently due which his Sovereign conferred in making him Sir Frederick Arrow. I call upon you to drink 'Prosperity to the ancient Corporation of Trinity House,' coupling with the toast the name of Sir Frederick Arrow."
Sir Frederick Arrow, having briefly responded, gave the toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers," saying that, although politics are unknown at the Trinity House, it was their duty to mark their respect for the Government of the day. Mr. Gladstone responded. The toast of "The Maritime and Commercial Interests of the Country," was coupled with the name of Mr. Bright, as President of the Board of Trade. Mr. Bright made an eloquent reply, discoursing on the benefits to this nation, and to all nations, of the works of the Trinity House Corporation. He said that he believed that "at this time the merchant ships of England are equal, or nearly equal – I have heard it said they surpass – in number and tonnage the seagoing merchant ships of all other countries in the world. This is an extraordinary thing, if it be true. But, whether it be exactly true or not, there can be no doubt with regard to foreign commerce – with regard to ships on the ocean – this country has a position at this moment which I believe it never held before, and one I think we may fairly be proud of. I delight, therefore, to dilate on the grandeur of our merchant navy, and I agree with Mr. Cardwell in hoping that the time is coming when the resources of this country may not be expended to an extravagant extent in maintaining our military establishments."
In dilating on the magnitude of British commerce and the number of British merchant ships, it probably never occurred to Mr. Bright that in case of war, a few swift armed cruisers would make these ships fly, like doves before hawks, and the seas be cleared of our now countless merchant steamers. The Alabama and a few swift rovers speedily swept all the commerce of the United States from the sea; and the same would be the fate of the vaster commerce of Great Britain, if there are not armed vessels, swift, powerful, and numerous, to protect our mercantile navy in every region of the globe. There is no political question in this, but the common prudential principle of insurance against possible peril and disaster. Our coasts may be adequately defended, but there is need of a naval volunteer service as well as of volunteer riflemen and gunners on land. It may be one of the future national services rendered by the Prince of Wales to get the yachting men of the day to form themselves into naval volunteers, in case of the protection of swift armed cruisers being needed for protecting the fleets of merchantmen on which the people of England depend for supplies.
After Mr. Bright's speech, the toast of "The Honorary Brethren" was responded to by Mr. Disraeli, who was followed by Sir Stafford Northcote, Sir R. Phillimore, and Sir John Burgoyne. Seldom has the banqueting hall of the Trinity House been honoured by the presence of so many illustrious and eloquent guests.
June 24th, 1871
In 1871, the Duke of Edinburgh, Master of the Trinity House, had returned to England, and on the 24th of June took his place as President at the annual banquet. The Prince of Wales was present, and a distinguished company.
In proposing the health of the Prince of Wales, the Master thanked him for having performed the duties of the Mastership during his absence. Three years before he had jocularly called the Prince his younger Brother. He had since become an Elder Brother, but, in respect of the Trinity House, he, as Master, was still the eldest brother. The Prince, in reply, said: —
"It is a great pleasure to me to have my health proposed by my brother in the kind manner in which he has proposed it. He has been pleased to allude to what I call the small duties which I have had to perform at the Trinity House in his absence. I think all the Brethren are well aware that it gave me great satisfaction to be able to do anything during my brother's absence; and I only regret that I had not more to do; but the real duties were, in fact, performed by a gentleman who now sits on my right (the Deputy Master), and I have to thank him and all the Brethren for the assistance they rendered during the interregnum. My brother is now on half-pay, but the time may come when he will again have an important command. In that event I shall be glad again to be of any service during his absence, and the Trinity House may always count upon my placing myself at their disposal."
The usual toasts were given, and responded to. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales gave Her Majesty's Ministers, saying: —
"To whatever party they belonged, so long as they performed their duty to the Crown and upheld the dignity and honour of the country, they were entitled to the compliment he now asked the company to pay to them, and he had great pleasure in coupling the toast with the name of his noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor."
The Lord Chancellor responded, saying that there was not among the methods of preserving peace any greater or more effective means than that of maintaining in its full force and activity the great Navy of England, which must be looked upon by every Government with unmixed admiration; and he trusted, whatever differences might exist on other subjects, Her Majesty's Government would show that they had one common object, the maintenance of the maritime reputation, honour, and dignity of the country.
Mr. Milner Gibson, by command of the Master, proposed a toast always given at the Trinity House anniversaries: "The maritime and commercial interests of the country, and the President of the Board of Trade." Having himself long held the office of President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Milner Gibson bore testimony to the efficient administration by the Trinity House of the funds placed at their disposal. As the funds came from a tax on the shipping and trade of the country, it is a right and constitutional thing that the expenditure should be controlled by the Minister of Commerce, responsible to Parliament. He could say that the lights on the coast of the United Kingdom were equal, if not superior, to the lights which existed in any other country in the world. Under the control of the Board of Trade we had made great improvement in the system of lighting our coasts, coupled with a reduced charge upon the trade of the country.
It might have been added that it was when the Prince Consort was Master that more constitutional relations between the Trinity House and the Government came into operation, the funds being supplied by the Board of Trade, and administered by the Corporation, who then had what they called "new Sailing Orders" for their guidance.
June 27th, 1874
The banquet at the Corporation Hall on June 27, 1874, was presided over by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales in the absence of the Master, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Deputy Master Sir Frederick Arrow, after the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, gave "The Health of the Prince of Wales," who responded in brief and appropriate terms, and afterwards proposed the toast of "Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House." He said: —
"Your Royal Highnesses, my Lords, and Gentlemen, – I have now the honour of proposing to you a toast which I only wish had been placed in better hands than mine. Although I have the honour of being connected with this ancient Guild, I do not feel that I possess that nautical knowledge which a person ought to have who proposes a toast like 'Prosperity to the Corporation of Trinity House'; but I am sure it is a toast which will meet with your approval this evening. I will begin by stating that the few remarks with which I shall preface the toast are not of my own knowledge, the facts having been supplied to me by the kindness of the Deputy Master, and if I get out of my depth or among the quicksands I must trust you will excuse me. I speak with sincerity when I say that since we met here last year the duties of the Trinity House have been carried on as successfully as on any previous occasion, and that the whole of its proceedings have been of a highly satisfactory character. There have been several new lighthouses built – one, I believe, has been completed to-day, and is to be opened on the 1st of July. It is on Hartland Point, and, with reference to our commercial interests, is considered to be of great importance. It will do much to facilitate our trade with the Welsh coal ports. The Goodwin Sands is a name which fills every sailor with alarm; and, although everything has been done to prevent the fearful wrecks with which the name is associated, we have only to read the daily newspapers to be aware of the fearful disasters that often occur at sea outside those terrible sands. The Trinity House has lately put a second lighthouse eastward of Beachy Head.
"There is another subject in connection with which the Trinity House has taken a very active part, and it is one of great importance, especially to nautical men. I mean the subject of sound-signals in foggy weather. The Trinity House has every reason to feel deeply indebted to Professor Tyndall, who, I regret to say, could not be with us upon this occasion owing to his absence from England. Some most interesting experiments in connection with sound-signals have been carried out by him, and a most able report has been written by him on the subject. I am sure you will all agree with me in thinking this a most important matter, and one in which it is natural that the Trinity House should take a prominent interest. At a great many stations it has been determined to place these fog-signals where lights can be of no avail.
"There is another matter in connection with which the Trinity House has every reason for congratulation. I mean the reduction of dues to the amount of £80,000, in addition to the reduction of £60,000 in 1872. There are many other important facts connected with the Trinity House which the Deputy Master has been kind enough to place at my disposal, but which I need not now detain you by mentioning. In proposing the toast of 'Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House,' it is my pleasing duty to connect it with the health of one who not only does everything to make our annual gatherings here most agreeable, but who performs the arduous and responsible duties which he has to discharge in a most praiseworthy and effective manner. I am sure that you will drink most cordially the health of the Deputy Master. My Lords and gentlemen, I give you 'Prosperity to the Corporation of the Trinity House, coupled with the name of Sir Frederick Arrow, the Deputy Master.'"
At a later period of the evening His Royal Highness proposed the toasts of "Her Majesty's Ministers," to which the Lord Chancellor responded, and the "Distinguished Visitors," coupling with it the name of the Lord Chief Justice of England (Sir Alexander Cockburn).
June 2nd, 1875
In 1875 the Duke of Edinburgh was not abroad, and presided at the annual dinner on the 2nd of June. The seamen of the Galatea lined the way to the Hall, on Tower Hill, in honour of the occasion, and of the presence of their captain. In the room where the guests were received was a portrait of the Master, painted as a companion picture to those already on the walls, by a Russian artist, G. Koberwein. Count Shouvaloff, the Russian Ambassador, was among the guests. In responding to the customary toast of "The Royal Family," the Prince of Wales expressed his gratification at his brother Prince Leopold having become a member of the Corporation. The Duke of Cambridge responded for the Army.
1877
The banquet of 1877 was again presided over by the Prince of Wales, in the absence of the Master, the Duke of Edinburgh. There was the usual select company, including Royal and other distinguished guests, especially General Grant, who, in his travels throughout the old world, was received with as great honour as any king could be.
In proposing the health of the Prince of Wales, the Earl of Derby said: – "No one particularly likes to listen to his own panegyric, even at a public dinner, and therefore I will say nothing with regard to the illustrious subject of my toast beyond that which you all know to be the simple and literal truth. His Royal Highness has not only now, but for many years past, done all that is in the power of man to do, by genial courtesies towards men of every class, and by his indefatigable assiduity in the performance of every social duty, to secure at once that public respect which is due to his exalted position and that social sympathy and personal popularity which no position, however exalted, can of itself be sufficient to secure. We regret the absence of the illustrious Master of the Corporation, the Duke of Edinburgh, but we regret it the less because he is doing what each of us in our humble spheres desires and endeavours to do – he is serving his country. I give you "The Health of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and the rest of the Royal Family."
The toast was drunk with all the accustomed honours, and the Prince in reply said: —
"My Lords and Gentlemen, – I return you my sincere thanks for the kind way in which the toast of my health has been proposed and the manner in which it has been received. I can assure the whole company that I feel it a great honour to be present on this occasion, especially connected as I have the honour to be with your Master. I regret that my brother is not here this evening. It is now two years since I was present at this annual gathering, and I regret to say I miss the kind and genial face of the late Deputy Master, Sir Frederick Arrow; but in Admiral Collinson we have an excellent substitute. On the present occasion it is a matter of peculiar gratification to us as Englishmen to receive as our guest General Grant. I can assure him, for myself and for all the loyal subjects of the Queen, that it has given us the greatest pleasure to see him as a guest in this country. My lords and gentlemen, before resuming my seat, it is my privilege to propose to you another toast – one which always recommends itself most heartily to the public, and that is 'The Army, Navy, and Reserve Forces,' connecting with it on this occasion the name of a distinguished officer, Lord Strathnairn, and that of the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel."
The toast was received with three times three. Lord Strathnairn and Sir H. Keppel replied to the compliment, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer responded to the toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers," proposed by His Royal Highness the Chairman. Other toasts having been given and acknowledged, the Earl of Carnarvon proposed "The Health of the Guests," coupled with the name of General Grant; saying that "there never has been one to whom we willingly accord a freer, a fuller, a heartier welcome than we do to General Grant on this occasion. We accord it to him, not merely because we believe he has performed the part of a distinguished General in many a 'well-foughten field,' nor because he has twice filled the highest office which the citizens of his great country can fill, but because we look upon him here present to-night as representing, so to speak, that good-will and that affection which ought to subsist between us and the United States of America. It is not a century since there befell this country what we believe to have been the greatest misfortune that her pages record. Not a hundred years ago the States of America separated from us; and, great as the loss was, I do not think that the separation was the greatest part of the calamity. The disaster lay in this, that the separation on each side was effected amid the storms of passion, resentment, and animosity. Yet not a century has rolled by, and I believe, and thank God for believing, that in a great measure that animosity and resentment have passed away, and we are entering on a new stage of mutual trust, of mutual sympathy, and of mutual support and strength. I have had, perhaps, special opportunities of observing this in the office I have the honour to hold. It has been my duty to be connected with the great dominion of Canada, stretching, as it does, several thousand miles along the frontier of the United States, and during the last three or four years I can truthfully say that nothing impressed me more or gave me livelier satisfaction than the interchange of friendly and good offices between the two countries under the auspices of President Grant."
General Grant was loudly cheered on rising to respond. He spoke in such a low voice as not to be heard distinctly, but he was understood to say that he felt more impressed than possibly he had ever felt before on any occasion. He came there under the impression that this was the Trinity House, and that the trinity consisted of the Army, the Navy, and Peace. He therefore thought it was a place of quietude, where there would be no talk or toasts. He had been therefore naturally surprised at hearing both one and the other. He had heard some remarks from His Royal Highness the President of the evening which compelled him to say one word in response to them. The remarks he referred to were complimentary to him. He begged to thank His Royal Highness for those remarks. There had been other things said during the evening highly gratifying to him. Not the least gratifying among them was to hear that there were occasionally in this country party fights as well as in America. He had seen before now as much as a war between the three departments of the State – the executive, the judicial, and the legislative departments. He had not seen the political parties of England go so far as that since he had come to this country. He would imitate their Chairman, who had set the good example of oratory – that was brevity – and say no more than simply to thank His Royal Highness and the company for the visitors.
This is one of the longest speeches ever made by General Grant, whose allusion to party fights was suggested by what had been said by the Chancellor of the Exchequer: "There have been reports and rumours of dissensions in the Cabinet, and of them I do not mean to say anything but this – there is one subject on which there is no dissension. Among all the ministers who have ever dined at the Trinity House there is no dissension as to the manner in which they have been received in this hospitable hall."
