The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1887. THE JUBILEE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2549, 15 March 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1887. THE JUBILEE.

Down south preparations are being made for celebrating the coming jubilee in a manner worthy of Canter--5 bury. There the Primate of New Zealand and His Honor Judge John- , ston have struck the loyal keynote and Canterbury is pledged, to a grand celebration. No doubt some small attempt will be made in the Empire City to | honor the jubilee in a manner worthy of the colony. Auckland and Otago will also hold provincial jubilees, and . all the smaller centres in New Zealand will, as the jubilee fever spreads, ask how are they to celebrate it. A royal jubilee is one of those rare events which few living men can recall to mind. The last was in 1809, when pgor old King George was on tho throne. A jubilee of great splendour was then celebrated, but alas, the faculties of the monarch, in honor of whom a nation rejoice 1, were rapidly deoaving, and though he existed for another decade, his. life was a burden to himself and a sorrow to his people. We can turn with more pleasing anticipations to the jubilee whioh we in a few weeks' timo are called upon to celebrate, but even in this our felicitation is tinged with apprehension. A long, honored and beneficent reip is drawing towards a olose, and the changes which will attend uponits termination are hardly to be welcorned, During the past half century Queen Viotoriahas exercised an immense influence as the head of a pure and ( virtuous, oourt* ; It has been fashionable during' this period for peooh) to be good, to lead moral lives, ana U> ■psofjice domestic virtues. Thoso things m now beginning to get out of fashion as #er Majesty ,geis older and resigns to otiieiji - jnariyjol' the duties towards society whlh s'he formerly discharged.. c A-'•generation ago the aristocracy of Great.-Britain' fairly free from the scandals wbM now fcojd it up to the derision of, the world. Vkp, as well as virtue, is infectious, and m tyf tho.'-'coming jubilee will bo celebrated" W.a #eople ! somewhat unworthy of the jlWtrldu's Queen whom all mil delight to honor.. ] In | T ew Zealand the jubijae falls at; a | somewhat .QMJM season of the jofe i when outdoor and'diaplays cannotiheorgwej'^iiisj|h;; chanca #f success, |Prohabiy"' 1 worthiest way of celebrating if will-be 1 to mark it by the inauguration of some I useful or charitable work,'which will ' bear fruit long after the cakes and ale [ of the jubilee are forgotten, and recall j)

a time )vhiob will be gratefully remembered by our children's ohildren. The splendour of King George's jubilee has faded out of the memories of all but a few aged men, and unless the coming , one ia stamped \vith-some'better mark than mere:feasting aild 1 junketing,-it too will go the same way. v