TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) May 18th. The Jubilee.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 210, 9 July 1887, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT. ) May 18th. The Jubilee.

Ar the present moment we are in the midst of the Jubilee excitement, and no doubt as the weather gets Avarmer there Avill be more interest shown in the few outdoor celebrations Avhich are forthcoming. As yet, the whole thing lias fallen very flat ; all the proposed schemes have been too prosy and commonplace. There ought to be a little more barbaric splendour about it all in order to appeal to the imagination. But pei haps the best suggestion has come from Lord Hampden, the Lord Lieutenant of Sus&ex, better known as the late Speaker of the House of Commons. Tn his county all the old beacon fires that flashed the news of the ariival of tho Spanish Airaada thicc Imndicd years ago, are to be revived on the night of June 20th. Other counties have now taken up the proposal, and all along what uhed to be the .Scotch and Welsh bolder.-* the crests of the hills are to be illuminated in the ancient v/.vy. Probably as the time clraw^ nearer the gi eater part of England will follow suit, and, at a killing cost a brilliant, loinantic and memorable display will be pi ovided for the whole of tho population. La-t week the Corpoiation of London presented an address to the Queen upon her tin one. The Queen wished to iccehe only a <3inall deputation, but it appears that by immemoiial cu&tom they aie entitled to appear before Her Majesty in person and not by a small number of rejnesentauves. To this piivilege they steadily clung, so that at last tho Queen had to give way. [ understand on the best authoiity that had their sovereign proved obstinate they would not> have pie -en ted an address al all. The Jubilee rejoicing is di awing her out of retii cment in a wondei f ul way. For instance, the day after receiving the (Joi poration she held one of the biggest Di awing -rooms on lecord, and follov.ed it up on the next morning by superintending the Jubilee preparations in Westminster Abbey, and in the aftei noon by patronising Builalo Bill's Ameiican Exhibition, whilst at the end of the same week she and the greater part of the floral Family went down to the East End of London to open the

The Queen and Buffalo Bill. Altogether the Queen has done a good ! day's work on behalf of the 1030! family, and, coming as it did, just after the Parhamentaiy opposition to the bill legalising the return of the Duke of Con naught for the Jubilee, and to the vote of L 17,000 for the Jubilee service at Westminster, it has done a lot of good. People say that it is Lord Salisbury's infiuenee on JLer Majesty that is working the change. Theie is a like grumbling about the piivacy she still lefjuires when she goes out ; for instance, when she vi&ited the performance of the wild Wv.fct Indians under Bufialo Bill last week, p)io had the public excluded fiom the building whilst she was there, and had the pleasure of gazing on tier upon tier of empty seats. Her inttnicw with " Bed Shirt," the chief of the Sioux, was rather funny. Ogila-Ha, for that is his leal name, had shown his sternest Integrity in dealing with Mr (iladstone a few days befoie, and when the Great White Chief asked him— as a representative of the whole ci\ iliacd world — what he thought of the relations between England and America, he declined to be drawn ; but the glamour of Royalty was too much for this republican of the woods, and, without any compunction, he told the " great mother " that he had come all across the ocean from hi*, wigwam in order to see her, and above all that they liked her face so much, which was laying it on pretty thickly, considering that she is no great beauty. After that it was not surprising that he " btrode abruptly away." Then Her Majesty summoned the squaws, who, in a moment came lacing acioss the arena with their little blown papooses on their backs. They "\\eic not so dignified as their chief, but stretched out their hands in an excited fashion, and dismounted the babies, and pi essed them upon the attention of the Queen. When the petting was over the papooses were gatheied up, the squaws fled, and the Queen retiicd.