The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-09 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, OCT. 9, 1868.

The city of Glasgow was yesterday the scene of
rejoicing. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and
Princess of WALES paid to that ancient city their
long-promised visit, and the reception they met
with was most enthusiastic. The Royal visitors
arrived at Glasgow from Edinburgh at twelve
o'clock, and the arrangements made to receive them
were of the most admirable kind. A distinguished
party came to meet them on their arrival, and the
distinguished guests with their suite, and those who
joined them, formed into a procession, which pro-
ceeded direct to the place of ceremony, the City
Hall. The crowds which lined the streets were
great, and this was not to be wondered at, when it
was remembered that from the neighbouring towns,
and even from Edinburgh many came to do hon our to
the occasion. The National Anthem was performed
on the great organ, and the Lord Provost delivered
an impressive address, in which he assured their
Royal Highnesses of the great satisfaction all ex-
perienced in receiving them, and also in knowing
that the Prince had consented to become a freemen
of the city. Many honoured and illustrious names
have been put on the list of the city as freemen.
Statesmen and warriors alike combined to do
themselves honour while they imparted it to the roll
of freemen, and the Prince has joined a goodly
company of distinguished men while he accepted
the offer of the citizens of the good old city. The
Town Clerk having read the address to the Prince,
his Royal Highness returned a most appropriate
answer, in which he expressed the " cordial ac-
knowledgments" of himself and the Princess for the
hearty welcome they had met with from the in-
habitants. 'fo become the " freeman" of sc emi-
nent a corporation was a great satisfaction to him,
and he appreciated it the more because it showed
their loyalty to the QUEEN. The Princess having
adopted this country as her owu is the more grati-
fied at such displays of attachment so spontane-
ously offered. After the interesting ceremony was
over the Prince and Princess proceeded to visit the
new university buildings, when the great crowd
assembled welcomed them with enthusiasm. It is
curious to notice that the old University of Glasgow
was founded in 1450 by a bull of Pope NICHOLAS
V. Through this long lapse of time the university
has flourished, and will maintain its reputation as
a former seat of learning in a land distinguished
for its culture. Among other services it has rendered
was the protection • it gave to JAMES WATT,
by which means he triumphed over the prejudices
that opposed his progress. The new buildings will
be more adapted to the requirements of the day,
though some will regret the old site being taken
by the " Moloch " of this generation—the Railway
Company.

When the Royal party reached the buildings
the honorary degree of LL.D. was conferred on
the Prince of WALES and Prince JOHN of Den-
mark. The Prince received an address from the
Principal and Professors, in which they acknow-
ledge his kindness in consenting to lay the founda-
tion stone of the new buildings. Allusion was
appropriately made to the circumstance of
,the
University having twice changed its site, and
three times renewed its building. A. Parliamentary
grant, coupled with most liberal subscriptions from
their fellow-citizens, have enabled them to rear the
building of the University on a scale befitting the
magnitude of its objects. In referring to this inte-
resting statement the Prince said that it gave him
the greatest satisfaction to become a member and
graduate of the University, and to visit the city so
dear to learning and to knowledge. The interest
which the PRINCE CONSORT took in all that apper-
tained to learning renders a task like that imposed
on the Prince of WALES yesterday still more
attractive, and his Royal Highness took
care to make due mention of his sentiments in that
respect. The educated men who have flourished
in times past may, as the Prince observed, be fully
equalled by the long train yet to be educated in the
halls of this renowned university, which, if it
changes its site, will not alter its character. The
proceedings of the day were altogether most satis-
factory, and it is always an advantage when the
members of our Royal Family are associated with
subjects interesting to the people, and take part in
those festivals or landmarks which become an en-
lightened and intelligent community in an age of
progress.

A special conference of the Central and Ward
Liberal electors' committees in the City of London
was held yesterday, in Cannon-street, with the view
of discussing the future course of the leading Libe-
rals. These gentlemen find themselves in a posi-
tion of some difficulty owing to the number of can-
didates in the field, and the restriction placed upon
the electors' votes by the Reform Act. As the four
sitting members all intend to come forward for re-
election, and as the Conservatives, emboldened by
their recent successes, and by the change in the
manner of voting, are sending three candidates to
the hustings, the contest for the honour of repre-
senting our ancient corporation seems likely to be
at least an animated one. The meeting yesterday
was very largely attended, and the whole of the
four members were present ; but, we are bound to
confess, they did not appear to be very confident of
the success of their endeavours. Considerable in-
dignation was expressed at the adoption of the
minority clause by putting a limit on the number
of votes, and the very first resolution proposed at
the meeting embodied an emphatic protest against
the citizens being " made the victims of a partial
experiment." But three votes are not such a very
poor allowance for a political victim, and the citi-
zens of London proper can still boast of a larger
share in the representation than their suburban
brethren. As for the injustice of experiments, how
are reforms to be tried if every one objects to
being the first to make them ? Such an argu-
ment is more suited to a Tory of the old school
than to an advanced Liberal of the pre-
sent day ! The same objection might be
raised f the experiment of vote by Ballot were
made, as has often been suggested in some of our
great cities. It is not the way to secure really liberal
and enlightened administration to allow party feel-
ing to override every other consideration, and to
make the first question, What will the effect of a
proposed reform be upon such a party ? So long
as men do this their liberality is merely nominal,
and they may as well be called Tories as Liberals.
The minority clause is either right or wrong in
itself, and should be looked upon as a matter of prin-
ciple quite independently of the considerationwhether
or not it is likely to benefit the Conservatives.
The great object, we have been told, of extending
the franchise is to obtain the honest and unbiassed
representation of the people at large. Each man
should vote unfettered by prejudice, unchecked by
undue pressure from employer, or landlord, or cus-
tomer, and uninfluenced by any external agency.