YICT0RI4 INSTITUTE, TRINIDAD, 
1897 - 1898 . 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE INAUGURAL MEETING 
OF THE SESSION HELD AT THE 
VICTORIA imittsettim:, 
joth SEPTEMBER, 1897. 
The Hon. H. A. Alcazar, Q.C., Mayor of Port-of-Spain, 
(by special request) in the Chair. 
The Vice-President of the Institute (S. Devenish, M.A,, 
stated : — 
I N the absence of our worthy President, Sir John Goldney, 
now in Europe, it is mj r pleasant duty as Vice-President to 
welcome your Excellency and Lady Jerningham, to the Victoria 
Institute, of which you have graciously consented to be Patron. 
Opened in 1892, in commemoration of the Queen’s 50 years’ 
Jubilee, at the suggestion and under the fostering auspices of 
Sir William Robinson, this Institute has hitherto had a long 
struggling for life and popularity, and would not have lasted so 
long without the generous subsidy from the Government, but in 
spite of the interest and special efforts of its founder, it has not 
yet been able to show the vitality and usefulness which we had 
anticipated. Your Excellency must, no doubt, be aware how, 
owing to the well known general apathy inherent to all 
tropical climates, and to the regretable “ Laisser aller consequent 
thereon, it is difficult for Institutions of this sort to develop 
rapidly and throw out vigorous lasting roots. For the last 50 
years, several similar scientific and artistic societies have sprung 
