The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-07-04 00:00:00

ARRIVAL of the DUKE of EDINBURGH.

tier Majesty's screw frigate Galatea, 3,227 tons, 26 guns.
soo -horse power, Captain his Royal Highness Ahred Ernest
Albert, Duke of Erlinburah. Ku , K T., arrived at Spithent
on Friday., about thirty minutes past noon, from Sydney, and
on dropping her anchor exchanged salutes with tier Majesty's
ship Victory in Portsmouth harbour, the flagship of Admiral
Sabine Polley, Port Admiral and Naval Cominander-in.Chlef
of the district. The arrival of the frigate was sonic ten
days earlier than hail been anticipated, and her guns, as she
saluted the flag of the Admiral commanding on steaming
into the roadstead, created no little excitement and bristle
ashore. The steain-tender .Sprightl,f, Commander 0. Alien,
was sent off to the frigate by Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley with
despatches and letters, and Cornmander Allen was directed
to place his vessel at the service of the captain of the Galatea.
The civic authorities were less prepared to meet the emer-
gency. The Mayor and Town Clerk were both absent in
London, but the ex-Mayor proved equal to the occasion, and ,
in a very brief space of time after the lks,alea's arrival was
presiding over a meeting of the Aklennen and Councilmen of
the borough of Portsmouth at the Gnildhall, Where a brief
and very suitable address of congratulation to the Duke of
Klinburgli, on his recovery from the effects of the wound
inflicted by the WSSFMAiII ill the dastardly attempt mon his
lire, and it his safe arrival home, was proposed, seconded,
and carried, it need scarcely lie said, unanimously, with the
greatest enthusiasm. Ills Royal Ilighrma landed from his
gig at the stairs of the new landing-place in the dockyard in
undress uniform, to report officially the arrival of his ship
at Spithead.
The Duke received a very hearty welcome from the large
concourse of people who had so .ion gathered near the
landing place, and after the Corporation of Portsmouth had
presentee the address to his Royal Highness, to which he
responded in graceful terms he shortly after set out for
Windsor, and on his arrival there air immense crowd were
awaiting him at the Great W e,tern Railway Station, who
not only cheered him enthusiastically, but prolonged their
ilemonsti albans of welcome, by following iris carriage to the
Cdstle; and it may be added, that not from the lips only of
the subjects of his Royal Mother will he he welcomed, lint
from their hearts too.

In commenting on the cowardly attempt on ;the Duke's
life, The limes wriies as follows

The hearty congratulations of the public will meet
the Duke of Edinburgh on his return home. It is in
no spirit of overstrained and sentimental loyalty that
they will welcome him, but with an honourable
rejoicing that a member of the Royal Family, engaged
in the service of his Queen and country, has escaped
the assassin's weapon and arrives in his nitive land
with his health restored. Of the crime which inter-
rupted the Prince's voyage in the Australian seas
enough has been said. Such acts resound in every
part of the world, and are remembered in all their dis-
tinctness when the most important event* grow dim or
are quite forgotten. But it would be a good thing if
murder, too, could pass out of recollection. The
memory of avassination and its punishment is not
pleasant in connection with a young man's lib ; it is
odious to be associated with a Miscreant even as his
victim. We would, therefore, dm,ll nzexe willingly on
the brighter parts of the voyn,n which the incidents
at Sydney interrupted, and congratulate rot only the
Duke himself, but also the naticrn, on the cbnsequences
of his visit to the Australian colonies.

It is strange that now, a huadred. years after the
first outbreak of American discontent, the most
observant polithiane are surprised at the extraordinary
loyalty of the British Monies, The Colonies which
now form the !MAW States were never fowl of the
Mother Country. As reFards the New England
settlements, this is intelligible; but the reason is not
so plain why even colonies like Virginia should have
been cool in their affection to England, anti ready to
break from her when the hour came. Whatever was
the cause of this temper,—whether it VMS the mis-
government of the Mother Country, or the Puritan
origin of some of the settlements, or at least the in-
fluence of the same minds which produced the French
Revolution, —it is evident that no influence of the kind
affects any of the present British dependensies. 'l'hey