Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1896. Her Majesty's Reign.

Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, MAY 26, 1896. Her Majesty's Reign.

■» For fifty-nine years has Her Majesty reigned over us, and mighty are the differences in the Empire in this year 1898 to the year 1887 when the Queen asoended the throne. Australasia in the latter year, was represented by the two convict colonies of New South Wales and Van Dieinans Land. During Victoria's reign the old colony of Naw South Wales has been much subdivided, Victoria, Queensland, and New Zealand being granted separate Government from ifc. The other portion of the Australian continent has been divided up into South Australia and West Australia. What has been going on at this end of the world has been repeated in other portions. Population and area have wonderfully increased. From the five new colonies of Victoria, New I Zealand, Queensland Western Australia and South Australia a trade of wonderful dimensions has been developed, the exports for the year 1891 having reached £30,606,332

and the imports to £80,484,017. In Great Britain tho alteration is ev?n more marked. At the preaent time there are seventy-five people living now for every fifty who were alive when the Queen came to the throne. In India 276^000 square milea have been adaed to the territory then held ; 80,000 pquave milea in the rest of Asia ; 200,000 square miles in Africa ; and in East Africa 1,000,000 sqvwYe mile*. The British Empire now embraces, so an ■article in the Edingburgh Rtvietti states, an, area of 8,600,000 square willed, or, if the subordinate Indian Stakes and tho possessions of the African (>rhpahi<?fl be included, of 0,000,000 mi!c£. I c;u t"nr?B c popula'inn rf rom." 85^090,---000 people. Nearly one person out of every fpur on the earth owes allegiance, dirpctly or indirectly, to the Qapen. The first of the great trunk lines of railway in England, that betwean London and Birmingham was not oppned until a year after the Queen had ascended the throne; Railway Comparisons are very surprising as in 1844 a thirdclass railway ride from London to Exeter took sixteen and a half hours. In 1842 there were only 18 million passengers, now there arp 900 millions. There are over 1000 million pound* invested in railway*. The first year of the Queen's reign was tha first year of tolegraphy. The Channel cable was laid in 1851, and the Atlantic cable in 1866. .The exports and imports of Great Britain combined amounted to 140 millions, in 1894 they reached 680 millions'. With the Wonderful developernent in traffic there followed a wonderful developement in the wealth and comfort of the people. In 1842 a penny Income Tax only raised £700,000 now it raises two and a quarter millions. Population has increased by fifty per cent and wealth has trebled. Paupers in England and Wales numbered in 1839 over one million but now only 800,000. The convict population in 1833 was fifty thousand, in 1898 it had fallen to 4,845 prisoners and 2000 ticket-of- leave men. The grant by the State for education in 1839 was £30,000 now it is nine millions. Such particulars ought to make us all feel proud that we are Britishers and that our gracious Sovereign has been permitted to rule so long over us. It is no empty form of words to sinfr