THE YORKSHIRE COLLEGE AT LEEDS.
July 15th, 1885.
The Yorkshire College at Leeds is one of the most important and useful of the educational institutions that have in recent times been established. Commencing in 1874 on a comparatively small scale, it has gradually grown to be a great school, not for technical and scientific training only, but for all departments of study. The staff of the College includes professors of mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, and various branches of industrial teaching; and also of classics, history, and modern literature, and languages. The celebrated Leeds School of Medicine has been affiliated to the College. For special departments of practical instruction provision has been made, the Clothworkers' Company of London undertaking to support that which pertains to textile industries, and the Drapers' Company that of colliery management and mining engineering. Workshops, laboratories, lecture rooms, and other premises, are connected with the College, the buildings of which were designed by Sir Alfred Waterhouse, and commenced in 1877, when the foundation stone was laid by the Archbishop of York. The friends of the College have contributed not less than £200,000 to bring it to its present condition. To inaugurate this great institution the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Leeds on the 15th of July, 1885.
On arriving at Leeds from Studley, the seat of Lord Ripon, their Royal Highnesses were received by the Mayor and Corporation, and conducted to the Town Hall, which was opened by the Queen and the Prince Consort in 1858. An address being read by the Town Clerk, the Prince replied:—
"Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen,—I receive with the greatest pleasure the address which you have just presented to me, and the Princess of Wales joins me in thanking you most sincerely for your kind words of welcome. Coming from the civic authorities of one of our greatest industrial centres these expressions are a proof, if any were required, that the population of this country remains true in its appreciation of the value of our time-honoured institutions, in devotion to the Queen, and in attachment to the Royal Family. I rejoice to learn from your address that the visits of the members of my family at various times to this great city have been attended with beneficial results, and have contributed in some degree to its welfare and prosperity, and to the development of the many useful institutions for which Leeds is so justly famous. Although it has pleased the Almighty to remove some of my dearest and most gifted relations from the scene of their labours, I can assure you that their survivors will always be ready to encourage by their presence and assistance the foundation and advancement of such institutions as the one which we are brought together to-day to inaugurate. It will be a source of sincere gratification to me to convey to the Queen your expressions of loyal devotion, and I can assure you that they will be highly appreciated by Her Majesty."
An address from the Leeds Masonic lodges was also received and responded to, after which their Royal Highnesses proceeded to the Yorkshire College. Here they were received, in the Clothworkers' Court, by the Marquis of Ripon, President of the College and Chairman of the Council, Sir Edward Baines, Sir Andrew Fairbairn, Mr. Beckett Denison, and other distinguished persons. Deputations of the London Companies, the Mayors of several Yorkshire boroughs, and Yorkshire Members of Parliament; the Principal and Professors of the College; and a numerous company had assembled. Prayer was offered by the Archbishop of York; an address was read by Professor Bodington, the Principal. Sir Edward Baines made a statement as to the origin and growth of the College, in which he said that he must mention a feature of the College which, so far as he knew, was original and highly useful. Their professors had always been ready to deliver popular scientific lectures on extremely moderate terms, and those lectures had proved very attractive, but recently they had undertaken, in addition, to give scientific instruction to the numerous teachers of elementary schools on Saturdays and several evenings of the week, and thus they not only conferred a boon on the teachers, but qualified them to impart the elements of science to their scholars. A double advantage was realized to several hundreds of teachers and to thousands of scholars of elementary schools. The scholars were by these means introduced to such a knowledge of the elements of science as would qualify them to become useful members of mechanics' institutes, and might in many cases implant a taste for higher attainments than had been looked for either in the school or the institute.
The Prince of Wales replied as follows to the address read by the Principal:—
"My Lords and Gentlemen,—We have received your addresses with feelings of extreme gratification, and it affords us sincere pleasure to be present here to-day, and to be able to take a part in the inaugural ceremony in connection with this important and useful institution. I have for a long time been deeply impressed with the advisability of establishing in our great centres of population colleges and schools, not only for promoting the intellectual advancement of the people, but also, as you have very justly observed, for increasing their prosperity by furthering the application of scientific knowledge to the industrial arts. I rejoice to hear that your laudable endeavours have been duly appreciated, and have received liberal support from various quarters, and I beg to offer my most hearty congratulations to the great company of the Clothworkers of the City of London for their judicious and liberal encouragement of your College—an example which, I trust, will ere long find many ready followers. We have inspected with considerable interest the various lecture-rooms and laboratories over which you have conducted us, and we have had much satisfaction in acceding to your request to declare this valuable addition to the science and art of the country open. I thank you, in conclusion, for your expressions of loyalty and devotion to the Queen, which I will not fail to communicate to Her Majesty. I declare the Yorkshire College now open."
This concluded the proceedings in this part of the day's programme, and the company then dispersed. The Royal visitors accepted an invitation from the authorities of the College to luncheon in the Coliseum, which is a newly-erected edifice affording much larger and better accommodation than any other building in the town for great public gatherings. Besides the invited guests, the two tiers of galleries were overcrowded with spectators. The Marquis of Ripon, who presided, having proposed the usual loyal toasts, the Prince replied as follows:—
"In the name of the Princess and in my own, I beg to tender to you, Lord Ripon, our warmest thanks and acknowledgments for the very kind terms in which you have proposed this toast, and to you, ladies and gentlemen, for the way in which you have received it. I am anxious to tender to the mayor, as the representative of the citizens of this large and important town, our thanks also for the magnificent and cordial reception we have met with to-day, one which we are not likely to forget. This is certainly not the first visit I have paid to Leeds, as I did so some seventeen years ago, but the pleasure on this occasion is enhanced in my eyes as the Princess has been able to accompany me. The mayor also alluded to the fact that the visit of the Queen and of my lamented father had not been forgotten, and we were glad to visit that very Town Hall which they opened some twenty-six or twenty-seven years ago. I consider that the object of our visit here is connected in some respects with the visit of the Queen and my lamented father, as he alluded at that time to the great importance of scientific and technical education, and of a great town like this if possible taking up the matter. In opening to-day that important and useful building, the Yorkshire College, I feel I may in some way have followed in his footsteps, by having been the means of promoting what is of the greatest importance to our country, and what is also of the greatest importance to the success of our great commercial enterprises—viz., technical and scientific education.
"The building which we have visited to-day will always be in our recollection one of great interest, and we feel sure that it is likely to flourish and be of the greatest importance, and to set an example to all the other great towns of the kingdom. The rooms we visited, and all the arrangements for learning in a scientific and technical manner not only the industries themselves, but their scientific principles, cannot but be productive of the greatest good not only now, but in years to come. The College has received many great and munificent donations, which will be read out later on, but I may mention the names of Sir Andrew Fairbairn, the Duke of Devonshire, and Lord Ripon, your President, as having contributed largely to the funds of the institution. I must say also that those who are interested in the College owe a deep debt of gratitude to the Clothworkers' Company of the City of London, for the magnificent donations which they have given are a proof of the importance of this institution. They have also shown their interest in it, and their belief that it is certain to be successful."
His Royal Highness then referred to the importance attached to music in Yorkshire, and to the great interest he had taken in the Royal College of Music. He remarked that he thought the promotion of that art would materially benefit all classes in this country. Towards that College he knew nearly £1000 was collected in Leeds, but that unfortunately was insufficient to endow a scholarship, but if the president and directors of the Yorkshire College could see their way at some future time to add music to the list of subjects taught he felt sure they would not in years to come regret it, and that it would be of great benefit to the people of Leeds.
Before proceeding with the toast he had the privilege to propose, "Prosperity to the Yorkshire College," with which he could not help feeling that he must associate the health of Lord Ripon. He felt that they would wish him to say a word with regard to its former president, one who was distinguished and lovable in every sense of the word, and who was carried off by the hand of the assassin in the midst of health and life. That was indeed matter for thought and reflection, and he felt sure that every Yorkshireman deeply regretted the death of Lord Frederick Cavendish. In his successor, however, they had found one who had occupied some of the most important offices which could be held under the Crown, and who, having himself been President of the Council on Education, was well fitted to hold the high office which he now did. He therefore called on them to drink with him, "Prosperity to the Yorkshire College," with which he had the greatest pleasure in coupling the name of their president, Lord Ripon.
The Chairman, in acknowledging the warmth with which the toast was honoured, alluded with pride to the position the College had in ten years won. He hoped they would place the crown upon their work by coming into union with the Victoria University at Manchester.