West Coast Times. THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 212, 24 May 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times. THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1866.

Another anniversary of tho Birthday of the Queen comes round, to remind us of thilong succession of years during which Her Majesty has reigned over a peaceful, contented, and prosperous people. Ascending tho throne at an unusually early age, Queen Victoria has for more than a quarter of a century presided with a popularity never jeopardised, and a personal and political reputation never sullied, over the destinies of the most ancient and powerful Monarchy in the world. Her reign has witnessed unprecedented progress in all the developments that constitute tho permanent greatness of a people. Population has steadily increased ; the processes by whioh wealth is created have received a sustained stimulus from the application of the forces of science ; commerce has extended itself in directions where its advances had long been checked by the jealous policy of a former age ; and the practical dimensions of the Empire have been enlarged by the vast expansion of old and by the creation of new colonies. It is as colonists that wo unite with the rest of Her Majesty's loyal subjects, in celebrating a day all the associations connected with which are pleasurable. The colonies yield to no part of the empire in the sincerity and warmth of their loyalty, and in them as at homo, tho Royal Birthday is always one of the foremost public holidays. If there is room for any feeling of regret at the nature of tho relations maintained between the royal family and tho more distant dependencies of the Crown, it arises from the circumstance of the little anxiety there has been shown to cement the bonds of personal attachment. The Queen's sons have visited many parts of tho world, and especially many of Her Majesty's Jcolonial possessions ; and Australasia might fairly assert a claim to a participation in the compliment. So'much is the stability of the throne based upon the affections of the people, that its prestige is strengthened in proportion as the barriers of separation betweeu the Sovereign and her subjects are removed. It is admitted that the Prince of Wales, by his timely visit to Canada, stimulated the loyalty of the people of that great province, and prepared the way for that marked demonstration of patriotic energy which has lately stood the Crown in such good stead. There was a time when a visit of the Queen's second son to tho Australias was promised on something more than semi-ofnoial authority; and such was the implioit reliance on the promise, that actual preparations were begun for His Royal Highuess's suitable reception, The very ship by which Prince

Alfred was to come out, and tho date of her sailing were named, and the reason has never transpired why the royal intention was foregone, Prince Alfred is professionally a sailor — and one not of the fresh, water type. He is a renowned, and almost a restless traveller. It would havo been a matter of no more labor or hazard to him to cross the ocean, to visit anot unimportantpart of bis mother's dominions, than it was to explore the wilds of Palestine. It was less romantic, no doubt, to take a loag sea voyage and make himself a lion amongst a nation of shepherds and gold minors, than to psnetrate into tho holy recesses of Jerusalem ; but the enterprise would havo been one at least befiUing his character as a sailor Prince, and it would havo been appreciated by a people, of whose wonderful/ progress and of whose sustained loyalty Her Majesty cannot but feel always proud. The passage between the homo country and the Australias is constantly being performed by thousands and thousands of the Queen's subjects. They have become a touring ground for nobles and princes. The voyage out and home is one no more pregnant with danger to the royal house than tho passage across the stormy North Atlantio to Canada, or tho cruise of the Eurydice amid the white squalls of tho Mediterranean. Except this unpleasant reminiscence of royal sleight, there is nothing in the relations between the colonies and the Crown to interfere with the feeling of affectionate loyalty with which all Her Majesty's subjects in these Southern settlements of the Crown will, to-day, join in the sentiment, God Bless Her.