70 
Captain Fishbourne rose, and said he had much pleasure in moving 
that the thanks of the meeting be given to the Earl of Shaftesbury, not only 
for his kindness in presiding on that occasion, but for the encouragement and 
support which he had given to the Society from its beginning. A great re- 
luctance was manifested by some persons to take the initiative in matters of 
that kind, for he who first stepped out became a marked man, and assumed 
a very great responsibility. Whatever that risk was, the noble Earl incurred 
it, and thus far put in peril some of his well-earned fame. He thought, 
therefore, that their best thanks were due to the noble chairman for coming 
forward as he had done in support of the Society. (Hear, hear.) 
The Eev. A. de la Mare, in seconding the proposition, said he fully 
endorsed the observations made by Captain Fishbourne with regard to the 
debt of gratitude which they owed to the noble Earl for the readiness and 
earnestness with which he had come forward to assist in the formation of the 
Society. (Hear, hear.) The extent of that debt could only be rightly esti- 
mated by those who had all along co-operated in, and anxiously watched over 
its rise ; and, as one of those, he bore willing testimony to the value of his 
Lordship’s early and continuous services. All knew that the noble Earl’s 
name was connected with very many great and good works ; but, amongst 
them all, he believed that in no greater or better work than that proposed to 
be effected by the Victoria Institute had his Lordship been engaged, or one 
which would hereafter more ennoble his name. In his own estimation, this 
was one of the noblest and holiest works undertaken in this country for a 
long time. (Hear, hear.) The Society would doutbless have to encounter 
much opposition and to contend with difficulties of no ordinary character. It 
was, however, very satisfactory to know that it numbered already amongst its 
members men fully competent to take part in the work in which the Society 
was engaged, of which they had had ample proof in the admirable paper to 
which they had just listened. (Hear, hear.) He would have wished to have 
offered one or two remarks on the absolute necessity for the formation of the 
Society they had now inaugurated under such promising circumstances, and 
the position which they might justifiably expect it hereafter to hold ; but the 
time had arrived when the programme for the day required that they should 
adjourn to another place, and he would therefore content himself with merely 
seconding, and he did so with all his heart, the vote of thanks to the noble 
lord who presided. (Hear, hear.) 
The motion was carried by acclamation. 
The Earl of Shaftesbury, in reply, said that no thanks were due to 
him for the little services which he had rendered. He had been more than 
compensated for his attendance at the meeting by the eloquent address which 
had been delivered. He had been instructed and delighted, and his heart 
had been cheered, by what he had heard. He had felt very deeply the pro- 
gress of opinions, against which the arguments of the rev. gentleman were 
directed, and he had seen how fatally blasting had been their effects upon the 
mind of the better educated class of society as well as upon the great mass 
