of his gift of over a quarter of a million pounds sterling
to the charities of a country not his own, as being unexampled, and
concluded as follows: "Be assured that the feelings which I personally
entertain toward America are the same as they ever were. I can never
forget the reception which I had there nine years ago and my earnest
wish and hope is that England and America may go hand in hand in peace
and prosperity." Following the example of King William IV., when Duke of
Clarence, and of the late Dukes of Kent, Sussex and Cambridge, the
Prince of Wales presided on November 30th at the anniversary banquet of
the Scottish Corporation--or as it was popularly called the Scottish
Hospital--in order to mark his approval of an institution which had done
much to assist, by means of pensions, poor and aged natives of Scotland
living in London; to afford temporary relief to Scotchmen in distress;
or to educate poor Scottish children. On this occasion there was a
large gathering which included Prince Christian and the Duke of
Roxburghe and, after a speech from the Prince describing the objects and
work of the institution, it was announced that $12,500 had been
specially subscribed to the purposes of the Hospital--including $500
from the Prince of Wales himself.

Exhibitions, in the years between his coming of age and his accession to
the Throne, were always favourite objects of attention and support at
the hands of Heir Apparent. He had already studied closely his father's
conduct of the first great International Exhibition, and had himself
opened one of the same kind at Dublin, and been present at an
International Reformatory gathering and at the Paris Exhibition. On
April 4th, 1870, he presided at a meeting of the Society of Arts called
to promote an International Educational Exhibition for the succeeding
year. Resolutions were passed to this end, and after an explanatory
speech from His Royal Highness and, it may be added here, the Exhibition
was duly opened on May 1st, 1871, by the Prince of Wales, with imposing
pageantry and with details worked out by his assistant in various future
undertakings Sir Philip Cunliffe-Owen. On May 16, 1870, the Prince
presided at the annual banquet of the Royal General Theatrical Fund,
established as far back as 1839, for the relief and assistance of
members, and of widows and orphans of members, of the dramatic
profession. During the evening, after a speech from the Royal chairman,
Mr. Buck