, and letters were
received from others throughout the country who were unable to be
present.

The Duke of Cambridge made a clear statement of the condition of
affairs, and mentioned various suggestions for putting a stop to the
desecration of the burial-places, and for preserving the memorials from
further injury. The Prince of Wales had come to the meeting, and as he
had seen the places referred to, during his Eastern travels, he was
asked by the Chairman to move the first resolution, which was to the
effect that immediate steps should be taken to remedy the existing state
of the Crimean graves.

The Prince, who was warmly received, rose, and said:

"Your Royal Highness, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I was not aware
until I arrived in this room that I should be called upon to
move the first resolution. But I need hardly tell you the great
interest the subject we are discussing here to-day has for me,
and the great pleasure it gives me to propose the following
resolution:--'That the present condition of the British
cemeteries in the Crimea is not creditable to this country, and
that endeavours should be made to raise the necessary funds to
have them restored, and to preserve them from further
desecration.' In 1869 I had occasion to visit the Crimea, and to
go over all those spots so familiar to most of the gentlemen I
see opposite me, who took a part in the campaign. And it was a
matter of particular interest to me to visit those different
spots where our brave soldiers were buried. I confess that it
was with deep regret that I saw the manner in which the tombs
were kept. The condition of the graves was not creditable to us,
and not creditable to a great country like ours, for I am sure
we are the very first to do honour to the dead who fought in the
name of their country.

"It struck me at the time that one of the great faults lay in
there being so many different cemeteries. The French had a much
simpler and a better system--that which they call the
_ossuaire_. I was told at the time that to the feelings of
Englishmen--on religious, and possibly, I may also say, on
sentimental grounds--it was repugnant to disturb the remains of
those who were interred in the Crimea as was done by the French,
and that to collect them and put them into one large building
was not what was consonant with our feelings generally