New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-27
OCEEN VICTORIA'S REIGN.

QUEEN llCIONIA - AEiUN'
Beyond comparison the most interesting per-
sonal incident of the last week has been 'hat
pertaining to the Queen of Great Britain anu
Ireland On Tuesday last Her Majesty cohl-
pleted as long period as sovereign as any u
her predecessors, and on wednesday as
sumed the honor of having relgned longer
than any other British Queen or King. Inc
longest previous reign was that OF George ILL.,
which lasted fifty-nine years and ninety-seveh
DAYS Victoria became Queen on June 5o' 1885,
and therefore, reckOned on the race OF the CHI
endar, did not equal his record until Sep'ein-
Der 25 that being ffty-nine years ana ninety!
seven DAYS from the date OF her accession
But account must be taken. In reckoning act"ai
time elapsed, Of the extra days or leap years.
In the case of George Ill the leap years l'oo
and 1920 cannot be counted, since he succeeded
10 the throne after February 20 of the one, ana
died before February % of the Other ana the
year 1900 was not n leap year. therefore he
had IN his reign three 29ths Of February less
than Victoria. and his fifty-nine years were
thus three days shorter than hers. SO she had
to reign only ffty-nine years and nlnety-iour
days to equal his ffty-nine years ana hihe'N
seven days.
Her reign will naturally be compared Win
his in other respects than length. IL is true
that his was marked with many glorious names
in literature. science and art, and with per-
baps the greatest two in war-Wellington and
Nelson-in all British history. 1t saw, TOO,
great achievements In science, great victories
in war. and great a6ditions of territory to the
Empire; but 1t also saw the Incompatible loss
of the thirteen North American colonies ana
with them the better half Of the North Ameri-
can continent. 1t saw the public debt sweied
TO the UNPRECEDENTED sum of S4,0W,OOO,OOO. 1t
saw repression of religious liberty and the per-
sonal authority Of the King carried to such
despotic lengths that n bill for restricting his
power was introduced into Parliament ana his
carriage was stoned by mob in the streets OF
London. VictOras reign has seen greater
works in literature and art, iDcomparaDiy
greater progress in science and discovery, ana
greater territorial extension Of the Empire. II
has also been marked by complete religious
equality, with Roman Catholic LORD Chief
Justice and a Jewish Prime Minister and has
been adorned with well-deserved personal
popularity of the Sovereign unmatched In the
history of the realm.
An interesting contrast is also to be drawn
between the personal standing of the Queen
herself and the state of England in 1887 and
her reign with strong Wing, not to say Liberal,
proclivites. A member Of Parliament on the
Tory side of the House spoke of her as having
been brought up under the auspices Of the
citizen-king of the Belgians," and as thinking
that "if the Monarchy lasts her time 1t Is
enough" Now for many years, her preference
| for Conservatism has been undsguised, and
more than one Liberal statesman has expressed
| doI tn diaaffpctiOu.
ard her. She began too, as favOrte almost
an idol OF the Irish. O'COnnell once reused
an Irish audience to a perfect frenzy of en-
thusiasm by saying: We must be- we are.
, loyal to our young and lovely Queen. God
"bess her. We must be, we are. attached to
"the Throne and to the lovely being by whom
at is filled She is going to be married. God
| bless the Queen. am father and grand
father. and In the face of Heaven pray with
"as much honesty and fervency for Queen Vic
"toria as do for any Of my own progeny.
1t is not necessary tC recall the more violent
public expressions of Irish opinion Of late years
to prove that there has been revolution of
sentiment in that respect. AS for the general
state of England, it IS sufficient to remember
| that al the time Of her accession the pillory
was still IN use Imprisonment FOR debt and
hanging for theft were in vogue and England
was a save-holdine nation.
| volume would be required even to sum-
Marie the stupendous advances of science dur
ing her reign, in achieving which England has
| done her full share. The railroad and steam
| ship systems Of the world have been created
| So have the telegraph and the whole Of cleo
trical science and engineering. Lister and
Pasteur have revolutionzcd the science o!
medicine and surgery, and chemistry has revO.
lutionized all the arts. Darwin and his col
| leagues and disciples have opened the wonder
books of nature. The heart Of the Dark Con-
| tinent has been penetrated and explored and
| the furthest advance has been made toward
the Arctic Pole. In every department OF hui
man interest and welfare 1t has been mar
veous era the most noteworthy Of its length
| in all the history of the race For this, as well
| as for personal and political reasons. the oc
| casion is worthy of observation and the pub
lie celebration of the sixtieth anniversary OF
the Queens accession, next yehr, will doubtless
| command such worldwide attention as scarcely
any other such incident has within our times.