The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-14 00:00:00

THE QUEEN AND THE CANADIANS.

On Saturday evening Sir Edward B. Lytton,
the Secretary of State for the Colonies, addressed
an official communication to Mr. Norris, embodying
the answer of her Majesty to the petition, of which
he was recently the bearer to this country, from
citizens of Toronto and inhabitants of Canada. It
will be recollected that the petition in question
stated that a Crystal Palace similar in design, but
of smaller dimensions to those of London and
Paris, for the exhibition of the products of Cana-
dian industry and skill, is in the course of erection
in Toronto, and will be completed about the Ist of
October ; and the memorialists, remembering that
her Majesty had been pleased to honour the inau-
guration of similar undertakings in this country
and elsewhere with her presence, prayed that she
would confer a mark of favour on her loyal sub-
jects in Canada, by giving authority to the
Prince of Wales, or some other member of the
Royal family, to proceed to Toronto and repre-
sent her at the opening of the Crystal Palace
there. This document was signed by upwards of
180 of the chief citizens of Toronto and inhabitants
of other parts of Canada, including, among others,
Sir Alan M'Nab, the Hon. N. T. Belleau, the
Speaker, and 25 members of the Legislative Council,
the Hon. Henry Smith, Speaker of the Legislative
Assembly, Mr. Brown, the recent Premier, Mr.
Macdonald, the present head of the Government,
and a large number of men of all parties in that
branch of the Legislature ; Chancellor Blake and
eight other of the judges, both the Protestant and
Roman Catholic Bishops of Toronto, the Mayor
and corporation of that city, the Mayor and town-
council of Hamilton, the President of the Board
of Trade, and several of the military authorities
high in command. The idea of inviting a member
of the royal family to Canada, to grace the opening
of the Crystal Palace, appears to have originated
with Mr. Norris himself, a private citizen, but it
speedily became so popular among the citizens
that, although only some ten days were spent in
putting it in execution, the most influential of
them endorsed and sanctioned it to the extent just
described. It was then far on in August, the
Crystal Palace was to be opened early in October,
and it was evident that no time was to be lost in
transmitting the petition to this country if the
object in view was to have a chance of success.
The proper course in such cases is to transmit such
a document through the Governor of the colony,
but' Mr. Norris was unlearned in the ordinary
usage on such occasions, and, without intending
any disrespect to Sir Edmund Head, he brought
the petition to England himself, instead of sending
it through his Excellehey's hands. This circum-
stance, it seems, has rather detracted from the
character and effect of Mr. Norris's mission ; but
still the memorial bore upon the face of it such
strong evidence of the extent and spontaneity of
the popular feeling in Canada on the subject to
which it related that its promoters might perhaps
be excused for overlooking some necessary for-
mality, and the Colonial Secretary himself has so
regarded it. Sir Buiwer Lytton, in the letter he
has just addressed to Mr. Norris, is understood
to have stated, after a passing reference to
the departure from the ordinary custom-, iii
not transmitting the petition through the Governor