The herald., 1896-03-08

together, mean big celebration. What
the nature of it will be depends largely
upon the queens health and the dispo-
sition of the more serious matters now
occupying the attention of English
royalty and statesmen. With English
people the invarisble rule is business
first and pleasure afterward. They
love their queen, but they would rather
know inst now whether the nation is to
be plunged into tremandous war
than to plau grand celebration. But
there will be tremendous time, war,
or no war; and. of course, the time
worn rumor of the queen abdicatiug in
favor OF the Prince of Wales, will be
revived, although little or no attention
will be paid to it. Perhaps it will hap
pen when everyone has settled down to
the firm belief that it is without the
&c ope of possibility.
The queens health has been bad for
long time, and it is worse now than
ever. The substantial London papers
seldom refer to it, except when some
very slight improvement has been
noted, and the unsubstantial papers,
which do refer to it, are not believed by
any one; but in this particular they
are more truthful than the others. b.
cause they are not hampered by senti-
mental delicacy. If the queens health
were better there would be almost as
great hullabsloo raised as there was
in 1887, when she completed her fifty
years of servics on the throne.
Another thing which interferes with
the plans of those who want to make a
great time of it is the coronation of the
90 xr,hi oh olr,r ,1ao
on May % at Moscow. The prince of
the ceremony, and all of fashionable
London will do as he does. In all
probability the queen will spend her
seventy-seventh birthday with fewer of
the lights Of royalty about her than
ever before, as it will be impossible for
those who 60 to Moscow and take part
in the coronation ceremonies to be
back in London on May "a. But the
anniversary of her reign will not pass
off so lightly. Everyone will have a
good time, with the exception. perhaps,
OF the old queen herself, whose princi-
pal desire in life is to be let alone, 30
that she can do as she pleases.
With the anniversary so near at hand
it is matter of interest now to look
back q couple of generations to the
days when Victoria first took hold of
the reins Of power. The same day that
the old king died-June 20, 1837-Vic-
toria was declared queen of England
and all that that implies That same
night she held her first counsel with
the great government leaders of the
day-Peel, Russell, Abereeen, Palmer
son, Grey and Melbourne, and score
of others. This took place in kensing-
ton palace, the young queen, dressed
in white, sitting in chair on a low
platform and facing long table.
Around the table we're the big men,
some sitting and others standing. The
queen was 30 little, or the chair so
high, that her feet did not reach the
platform, and even when cassock WAS
placed in front Of her, she had to reach
we'll forward to touch it with the point
of her toes.
Nothing of great import was done by
the queen at this council. She agreed
to what was proposed, and everyone
was happy. The old kings body laid
in state, and the funeral did not take
place until July 9th. The next day the
girl queen dissolved parliament, and
on the 18th she went to Buckingham
palace, where she remained until No.
vember 9th. Her first reappesrance
was at banquet given at the Guildhall
by the Lord Mayor of London and the
aldermen of that city.
This was perhaps one OF the most
popular things the queen ever did, for
In those days the tradespeople, who
composed the aldermsnic board, did