l more clearly
appear from a brief statement of the proceedings at the Festival over
which H.R.H. the Prince of Wales presided. The dinner was served in St.
James's Hall on Wednesday, May 18th. Grace was said by the Lord Primate
of Ireland. After the removal of the cloth, and the singing of the "Deum
Laudate," the Prince rose to propose the first toast:--

"The first toast I have the honour to propose is 'The health of
Her Majesty the Queen, our munificent Patron;' a toast which I
feel sure will be drunk with the enthusiasm which it elicits on
all public occasions. Although the Queen is now compelled, to a
certain extent, to withdraw from public life, still her interest
in every institution of this country, and particularly in
charitable institutions, remains undiminished. Gentlemen, I give
you 'The Queen.'"

The next toast was proposed by the Marquis of Salisbury, "The health of
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal
Family." The toast was drunk with all the honours and responded to by
His Royal Highness the Chairman. "The Church" having been proposed by
the Rt. Hon. Edward Cardwell, and responded to by the Archbishop of
Armagh, H.R.H. the Chairman proposed the toast of "The Army, Navy, and
Volunteers," saying:--

"This is a toast which it gives me especial pleasure to propose
from the circumstance of my having served for a time with both
infantry and cavalry. Short as my service was, it has been long
enough to impress me with the conviction of the efficiency of
all ranks composing the British army. I have also had an
opportunity during my voyage to America in 1860, and on many
other occasions, of witnessing the able manner in which the
duties of the navy are performed. The volunteers demand our
warmest thanks and approbation for the zeal with which they came
forward when they thought their services were required, a zeal
which they still evince on every occasion afforded to them. I
beg to couple with 'the Army and Volunteers,' the name of my
illustrious relative the Duke of Cambridge, who so ably fills
the arduous post of Commander-in-Chief entrusted to him by the
Queen, and to whose practical and liberal administration the
army owes its present high state of efficiency. With 'the Navy,'
I will couple the name of Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, who
has only lately returned from the