all notable events and achievements in
our time, sometimes called "the age of the engineers." Rennie,
Armstrong, Bidder, Hawkshaw, Scott Russell, Hawksley, Cubitt, Penn,
Fairbairn, Brunlees, Brassey, Samuda, Bramwell, Bessemer, Maudsley,
Rawlinson, Vignoles, are on the list of those present on this memorable
occasion. Mr. Fowler, President of the Institution, presided at the
dinner, and in proposing the loyal toasts which are given at all such
meetings, said of the Prince of Wales, that, "notwithstanding the
numerous duties of his exalted station, His Royal Highness has always
taken the greatest interest in those works which occupy the thoughts and
lives of engineers, and therefore it is a source of peculiar
gratification to the profession that His Royal Highness has been pleased
to join the Institution of Civil Engineers, which had the honour to rank
as its most distinguished honorary member His Royal Highness the Prince
Consort."

The Prince of Wales in returning thanks, said:--

"Mr. President, your Royal Highness, my Lords and Gentlemen, I
have indeed every reason to feel deeply flattered and gratified
at the very kind manner in which you, Mr. President, have
proposed this toast, and for the way in which it has been
received by the company present. Under any circumstances, it
would have afforded me sincere pleasure to have been present
this evening--present at a meeting of so distinguished a body as
the Civil Engineers of Great Britain; but it is still more
agreeable to me to find myself here in the position of one of
your honorary members. I thank you for the manner in which you
have mentioned my name regarding me as one of yourselves. I feel
proud to think that my lamented father was also an honorary
member of this distinguished Institution. Mr. President and
Gentlemen, perhaps it is a difficult task for me to address so
eminently scientific a body, more especially to eulogize them;
but I cannot forbear adverting to the names of two most
distinguished members of it--I allude to Mr. Brunel and Mr.
Stephenson, whose names will never be obliterated from our
memory. The important services they have rendered to this
country can never be forgotten. Let us look round at the vast
works which have been completed, or which are in the course of
completion in this country. Though it may, perhaps, seem
unnecessary, I think it is righ