THE BRITISH ORPHAN ASYLUM FESTIVAL.
March 25th, 1874.
The number of institutions for helping fatherless and orphan children is considerable, but the purpose of the British Orphan Asylum, at Slough, is distinct from most charities of the class. The orphan children here admitted are the sons and daughters of persons once in prosperous circumstances, but who have been unable to make provision for their families. Clergymen, naval and military officers, members of the legal and medical profession, are often in this position. Commercial men are also liable to sudden misfortune, and children are afterwards left in poverty, who were once accustomed to ease and prosperity. The frequency of such cases led to the establishment, in 1827, of a special Asylum for the orphans of such persons. The honorary secretary at present is the Rev. Canon James Fleming, whose name is alone sufficient guarantee for the excellent object and good management of the Asylum.
At the anniversary festival, in 1874, held at Willis's Rooms, on March 25th, the Prince of Wales presided. After the toast of "The Queen," proposed by the Chairman, the Marquis of Hertford gave the health of "The Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family," among whom was now included the Duchess of Edinburgh. The Marquis said: "It gives us all the greatest pleasure to see His Royal Highness again among us as one of the Royal Family taking part in the sacred cause of charity. We who belong to the British Orphan Asylum have the greatest reason to be pleased and thankful to His Royal Highness for having come among us this evening."
Other toasts having been disposed of, the Prince rose and said:—
"It is now my duty, as your Chairman, to call upon you to drink the toast of 'Prosperity to the British Orphan Asylum.' I am satisfied you will do so most heartily, when I see around me so numerous an assembly prepared to do honour to the occasion, and to assist us in our work. I feel some diffidence in proposing this toast in the presence of so many who know far better than I do the excellence of this institution, and understand its working. At the same time it gives me the greatest pleasure to propose the toast, and to be here this evening advocating so excellent a cause. It is always a pleasure to advocate the cause of charity, and there is no other appeal that comes so home to the hearts of all classes of the community.
"I have a special interest in this Asylum. It is now nearly eleven years since the Princess and myself visited and inaugurated the present building near Slough; and when I pass by Slough, as I frequently have to do in the course of the year, it always gives me pleasure to look at that building, and to think how many children are here provided for and educated. It is now very nearly half a century since this institution was founded, and it is different from all others in this respect, that children of parents who were once in prosperous circumstances are there educated. In it there are children of officers of the Army, of the legal, medical, and naval professions, and the proof of its usefulness is that after they have grown up they frequently write letters to the managers of the Asylum expressing their gratitude for the excellence of the practical education they have received, and which has been so profitable to them in their different avocations.
"To show how prosperous this Asylum is, I may state that in January last it contained within four of 200 children. You will perhaps ask, if this institution is in so prosperous a condition, why have this dinner? Why call so many people together? And why am I to ask you, in as civil a manner as I possibly can, to subscribe towards its support? My answer is, that the net income of the Asylum is £3000 a year, but that the increase in prices of all the necessaries of life is so enormous, that to meet the deficiency that exists as much as £1500 has been sold out of their funds; and I feel that in order to make that deficiency good, I shall not call upon you this evening in vain. There are points which I might bring before your notice, but I think that on this occasion brevity is best, for you all know what a good institution it is, and I am sure you will drink with me 'Prosperity to the Institution,' and try to make it still more prosperous for the future. I beg to couple with the toast the health of the treasurer, the directors, the hon. secretaries, and medical officers of the institution."
The subscriptions announced during the evening amounted to upwards of £2400.