The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-27 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1868.

Very cordial and very spontaneous was the wel-
come which the inhabitants of Portsmouth, of Lon-
don, and of Windsor gave to the Duke of EDIN-
BURGH on his return from his long and, as it has
proved, dangerous voyage. A Royal Prince who
has been round the world would a generation or
two back have been regarded as a marvel, and
good, old-fashioned GEORGE 111. would probably

have been as much surprised at the idea
of his great grandson performing such a feat as he
would have been at being told that the colonists
whom he visited would give him an enthusiastic
reception. But we have become accustomed to

t.avelling Princes as well as to other wonders.
Royalty is no longer immovab:e. Our Princes
have been nearly as migratory as those of the fairy
tees, and certainly the mere fact of the Duke of
EDINB URGES' s having circumnavigated the globe
is not sufficient to account for the eagerness and
heartiness of his reception yesterday. The reason
is much nearer at hand. The public have been
deeply moved by the narrow escape of her MA-
JESTY'S second son from a violent death. It is the
first time that any member of the Royal
Family, in this generation, has been in
such imminent peril, and the fact that
so dastardly an attempt should be male
on the young Prince on an occasion when he was
mixing freely with the people, and entirely unsus-
picious of evil, intensified the indignation every-
where experienced. The Prince has always been
popular on his own account as well as on his mo-

ther's, and it is with genuine satisfaction that we
hail his return among us. Happily he seems to have
entirely recovered from the effects of his wound,
and there is no reason to apprehend any evil con-
sequences. The Galatea has had a magnificent pas-
sage home, leaving Sydney on the 6th of April and
reaching Spithead on the 26th of June, having
arrived ten days earlier than she was expected. At
Portsmouth the Duke of EDINBURGH received a
congratulatory address from the corporation, who
had thus the satisfaction of being the first of the
many public bodies who will no doubt hasten to
show their loyalty and their goodwill. On leaving
Portsmouth the Duke proceeded to London, where

a crowd already thronged the Victoria station to

see him arrive. Afterwards he went down to
Windsor, where another ovation awaited him not-
withstanding the lateness of the hour, and where

her MAJESTY no doubt rejoiced to have him home

again. We hear a good deal in these days about
the changes taking place in the feelings of the
people, but it is quite evident that the good o ld
sentiments of loyalty and affection are not yet
extinct among us, and the reception given to the
young Prince in either hemisphere proves that the
Anglo-Saxon is still capable of genuine enthusiasm.

Another night's debate in the Lords has not
brought the debate to a close, and next week will
see it renewed with fresh vigour. Perhaps this is
as well, because no one can say that the subject
has been slighted, or that noble lords of all shades
have not had an opportunity of expressing their
opinions. Yesterday was more tame than the first
night of the discussion, but that was only to be
expected, and there was no lack of speakers. Some
novelty was introduced into the debate by the speech
of Lord CAP.NARVON ; the remarks of the noble
lord were characterised by all the ability for which
he is celebrated, but we cannot say that his argu-
ment were very sound. He was against the measure
before the House, and yet he intended to vote for
it ; that was the sum and substance of his discourse.
lie threw great blame on the Government for the
course it had pursued, and gave them the
responsibility of this confusion, instead of
resting it on the Opposition. In any case
the noble lord's attack upon Ministers wou'Al
have been one-sided and bitter, but, considering
the position he held in the Government itself, it
was ill-timed and invidious. Few criticisms of'a
hostile character are so unwarranted as those which
come from quondam friends, and it may safely be