MR BRACKEH, M.H.R, ON THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1588, 18 June 1887, Page 3

MR BRACKEH, M.H.R, ON THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE.

Mr Thomas Braoken, the well-known poet and politician, delivered a very interesting lecture on the Queen's Jubilee m tho Theatre Royal, Wellington, on Monday evening last, of which the ••Post" gives the following report : - Among those present were Sir George Grey and the Hon J. Ballance, the Bon Dr Grace occuping the chair.

Mr Bracken, who waß received with applause, commenced his lecture by Baying that at the present time, when the British people throughout tho world were oelebrating the Queen's Jubilee, it was interesting to look back on the various events which bad occurred daring the past 59 years. Mr Bracken then related the clroamstacoas leading to the accession of her Majesty on the 20th Jane, 1837. The account m the logoldsby Legends of the imposing ceremonial when the Cr >wn of England was placed upon Victories head,, was read by the leofcurer, and cheated a deal of laughter. Me Bracken next alluded to the appointment of Mr (afterwards Sir) Mobcb Montefiore as Sheriff of * London soon after her Majesty's accession, and to the knighthood of that noble man some time af erwarda. The plot to place the Duke of I Cumberland upon the throne was next alluded to, and Mr Bracken referred with pleasure to the fact that O'Oonnell had offered to ralsh an, army of 500,000 Sons of Old Ireland to defend tbe young Qheen. The Queen's lova-maklng with Prince Albert was touched upon, as was her subsequent marriage with his High-, ness. In oouueotlon with her Majesty's early married life, Mr Bracken told a story whioh he thought worthy of relating. One day when the Queen and her eldest daughter, the Princess Royal, were at a review, the latter dropped her handkerchief from the carriage. Some young officers at once sprang to piok up the article, but her Majesty, m order to teaoh her daughter a iesßon, made the ] Princess get oat of the carriage and piok up the handkerchief herself. Mr Braoken next spoke of the Queen's first visit to Sootland and Ireland, and quoted from her Majesty's Diary of the incidents con* nected with the visit. Mr B-acken here took occasion to observe that Lord Aberdeen wns quite right when he said that if the Irish people were treated with kindness they would bo about the most loyal people m the Empire, Reference having been made to the loss which tie Qaeon sustained by the death of Prinoa Albert, Mr Braoken pointed oat that tho first Parliament which her Majesty had to deal with was a very remarkable onej amongst the members beiog the Prime Minister and Queen's kindly counsellor, Lord Melbourne; the man of varied and striking attainments, Lord Brougham ; the great master of debate, Lord Lyndhorat ; the advanoed Liberal, Lord Lytton ; the philosophical Radical, Sir Wil'iam Molesworth ; Lord John Ruaaell, the talented little Whig leader ; Sir Robert Peel, the great debater ; Lord Stanley (afterwards Lord Derby) j the Iridh politioal Heronles, Daniel O'Connell ; and the great Irish orator, Richard Lalor Shlel. (App'ause.) The rebellion In Canada, and the Chartist riots were briefly alluded to, and Mr Braoken defended those who had taken part m the latter agitation, on the ground that they considered they hada grievance, and were entitled to relief. The movement connected with the Young Ireland party was touched upon, and Mr Bracken took the oppoituoity of reciting a poem by Ernest Jones m regard to the agitation. The early war m Afghanistan having been adverted to, the lecturer alluded to the opening of the Great Exhibition m 1851} and gave oredit to Prince Albert of being the originator of the scheme. Alluding to the Crimean- war, Mr Braoken recited that famous poem, "The charge of the Light Brigade," and when he had finished there wes a perfect storm of applause. Mr Braoken allnded to the fact that during her Me jisty'u reign many brilliant men and women of letters— Dickens, Balwer-Lytton, Curly le, Harriet Martineau, Douglas Jerrold, George Eliot, and Thackeray amongst the number— had arisen m Great Britain The lives of Haxley, Tyndall, and other scientists, who had given the world the benefit of their researches, were also referted to, after whioh the lecturer drew attention to the fact that it was dud to her Majesty's exertions that the custom of duelling had been abolished m England. Mr Bracken pointed to the fact that Melbourne, the largest and wealthiest city m the southern seas, had bean built during the past 50 years, as an evidence of the wonderful progress made by the British nation ulnae hoc Majesty had ascended the throne. Mr Braoken oonoluded his lecture as follows :— " We have reason to be joyful m this the Jubilee year of her Majesty's reign. The Empire to which we are pr«.ud to. belong is growing greater day by day. All the skies that canopy the dominions of Queen Viotorla are bright and clear. No ; not all. There is one sky olbuded, but tht? bud of freedom will soon dispel the shadows thai bang above that Me of Buffering and of song. I shall hot touch upon debatable ground This is not an occasion for the ventilation of political opinions. Bat, sir, we may be allowed to hope that before the year of Jubilee doses, all the discords and differences whioh have divided the people of Great Britain and Ireland may pass away, and that a true union of the islands may be brought about. Let us hope, sir, that the great statesman who have been, or I are, m the cornel's of the Qotaea,< may, during this season of rejoicing, tako Occasion by the hand,, and make The bonds of Freedom wider yet, By shaping some august decree To keep her throne unshaken still , Broad-leased upon her people's will, And oompass'd by the inviolate sea. Sir, a noble legacy has been bequeathed ps by those who have gone before. While building up more young nations m the South, nre should ever remember that wo are the heirs of the men who wruog the charter of our liberties from a reluotant despot's hand at Runnymede ; we should not forget that we are descendants of the band of brothers who fought on Crispin's Diy. We should remember that it is our duty to uphold tbe glory of the brave men who shed their blood m every quarter of the globe m defence of the Old Flag that has "braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze." Sir, we have reason to b 8 proud Of the groat Empire to which yra belong, and we have reason to renew the memory of the noble souls who toiled through the centuries m building up tbe temple of constitutional freedom within whose shelter wo now stand. May this year of Jnbil6e Inaugurate a reign of paace, progress, and prosperity, not only throughout the Empire but all over the world. Let the Joy-bells of the Jabllee ring out all that is bad and ring m all that is good.

Bing m the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand j Ring out the darkness of the land) Ring m the Christ that is to be.