the
Royal Commission of 1851--an institution, if I may so call it, which has
done such great things for the progress of art, especially in connection
with manufactures, and which owes so much, I might say entirely its
great success, to the enlightened genius and active support of the
Prince's illustrious father."

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, who was received with much
cheering, said:--

"Mr. President, your Royal Highness, my Lords, and Gentlemen,--I
beg to tender you my warmest thanks for the kind way in which
this toast has been proposed and received. It has afforded me
great gratification once more to attend the hospitable board of
the Royal Academy, and especially as I have this evening for the
first time had the pleasure of dining in these new rooms. As the
President has remarked, he was kind enough last year to invite
me to inaugurate these rooms, but, being abroad, I was
unfortunately unable to do so. I regret it, especially as that
was the one hundredth anniversary of the Royal Academy. I think
I may be allowed to congratulate the President and all the Royal
Academicians on the Exhibition of this year. Of course, every
artist strives each succeeding year to produce still better
pictures and statues, and I think the Academicians have no
reason to complain on the present occasion. We must regret, as I
am sure all Academicians will, the death of Mr. Maclise, and it
is with feelings of sorrow that we shall now for the last time
see a picture of his adorn these walls. The President has kindly
alluded to me as having recently presided at a meeting of the
Society of Arts, and I cannot but thank him for the compliment
he has paid me in connection with the observations I made upon
that occasion. It afforded me great pleasure to preside at that
meeting, and, although my position as President of the Society
is to a certain extent an honorary one, I promise that I shall
be ready on every occasion to come forward and give as much time
as I can in promoting any of its very important objects. I beg
also to thank the President for having alluded to me as
President of the Commission of 1851. It is with deep regret that
I have had to succeed one whose presence we must all miss on
occasions like these--one whose name can never be forgotten in
the country's history, and who always took the highe