The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-11-13 00:00:00

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gATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1889.

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO THE
METROPOLIS.
We elsewhere give a full account of the pro-
ceedings connected with the royal inauguration
of two splendid works in the metropolis. Such
a noble masterpiece of engineering as the Hol-
born Viaduct is an honour and a credit to our
country, and the nation at large can rejoice when
the Londoners rejoice at the completion of so
splendid a construction, so long talked about,
and so much needed. The ccnntry generally
cannot be 89 enthusiastic about this as London
has been, nor will the British empire at large be
at all excited at the opening of a fiae new bridge
over the Thames. But the occasion was never-
thdess one in which every diyal subject of the
Queen—and happily it must be a very miserable
minority that is /c loyal—feels interested, for
the 6th of November will be memorable as a day
when masses of people welcomed their Sove-
reign with hearty cheers, such as only British
lungs can raise, and which few but British sove-
reigns ever receive. Queen Victoria had not
till Saturday last visited the City in state for 18
years, and it was this fact perhaps that made
her welcome all the more cordial. Certain it is
that no welcome could be more enthusiastic and
more genuine. The crowd which lined the
Streets through which her Majesty was to pass,
the flags which streamed in the wind, the
thronged windows and house-tops told of the
hearty desire to see and welcome the Queen,
the hearty enthusiasm which was expressed
in our good old English way was unmistake-
able.

- We feel assured that this demonstration was
but an indication of the national feeling. The
nation regrets that her Majesty has for some
years past maintained a seclusion which many
Viink has been somewhat too rigid, but her peo-
ple nevertheless have sympathised with her in
her sorrow, and have resnected her all the more
for it. The nation knows, too, that during all
thla time no one minty of State has been neglec-
tod. We have heard enough, and more than
enough, of the lamentations of Court trades-
men at the absence of the Queen from the Me-
trmolis ; but we have yet to learn that the resi-
dence of the Sovereign in a particular palace,
for the benefit of those who hover round it, is a
State duty. The Queen has remained amongst
her people, has token a deep interest in great
national questions, and has uniformly given
elh•et to the national nil as expressed by Parlia-
went. Much was said some time ago about the
attitude that her Majesty was bound to assume
in respect to Vie Irkh a 'lurch Bill, but it was
seen that Heine' le rear was the royal seal of
approval of what the nation had desired and
Parliament had effected. On all questions of
public policy, in every change of Government,
and in respect to every political, legal, mr reek-
simastim'Al ma IC in utimilit. her Majesty la. s:kited in
the public inter ,t, over allowing any pirate
liking or antipathy tv influence het ratification
of what may have ben done by the Ministry of
the day in accordance with the national will.
This is universally admitted, and this general
feeling found sine espreasion in the he arty
plandAs whim a eicomed the Queen on her visit
to London. Ii r Majesty could not have nibs-
understood this welcome, and it is not too much

to suppose that she muvt have oleo felt that this
hearty enthiedasm was hut an indication of the
lively joy that, werdd be oceavioned were she to
come once ag tin more nu blicly wr0n.,2,-Al. her
subjects.

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