The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-05
THE DUTIES OF A QUEEN.
VICTORIA'S BIRTHDAY RECALLsA RE-
MARKABLE, PROPHETIC SERMON.


Peaceful ReiRn-Plans for Two Antarc-
tic Expeditions-Thc Overworked Eng
lish Actor-Rapid Exhaustion of the Brit
ish Coal SuppIy-Alcoholsm in France.
LONDON, May 27--The inevitable has been
very apparent in this weeks honorinR OF the
Queens birthday. Beyond the flags and toasts,
which were inevitable enough. the public cee-
brations were too sympathetic and reverent to
be flty called rejoicings With great age and
the approach of the Great Leveler the human
sense Of things has risen above the royal. Less
exalted people pass from the stage OF reading
a"merry Christmas" on their cards to finding
a"happy Christmas more suitable as a greet
ing. and their sincere wish to the Queen
Is for peaceful and contented anniversa-
ries still. 1t is this sense that draws
attention now to a remarkable. prophetic
sermon preached at her accession rather
than to the more Jubilant oratory Of the
week 1t was by Sydney Smith. the great hu-
morist and parson in st. Paul's Cathedral in
1897. "On the Duties OF q Queen" and its
prophecies have been 80 sngularly fulfilled
that they furnish her epitaph as a sovereign
woman-as power distinct from her con-
stitutionally elected Governments-for I'M
questionably her veto on war is the important
factor OF her reign. Sydney Smith said in his
St Iauls sermon:
A great object. which l hope will be i'm
pressed upon the mind OF this royal lady. Is a
rooted horror of war-an earne and passionate
desire to keep her people IN state OF profound
peace The greatest curse ,o which can Re en- en-
atrocions crimes committed II years Of peace
all that is I in BY hg SeSrs, or
tions. are mere triles compared with the
gigantic evils which stalk oyer the word in q
eh child worship God BY loving peaceit is not
your humanity to PITY 6esgar by giving him
charity Of the humble and the unknown
widen you your, heart for the more expanded
peasantry who see their sons torn away from
their famics-pity, your poor subjects crowded
into hospitas. and calling in their last breath
rrnon their distant country and their heir Young S;
the hendsh love of military glory. from which
and to which the wickedness Of fatterers
II have made few orphans in my reign;
have made few widows; my object, has been
check the, irascible passions OF mankind and
this has been the, Christianity Of my throne
and this the gospel OF my sceptre; in this way
! have striyen to worship my Redeemer and
my Judge"
The sermon concludes as follows:
What limits to the glory and happiness q
as' have placed IN the heart royal
woman the rudiments OF wisdom and mercy:
ss s es esdrsn s1Rfsn her as sdo
ness, He SHOULD grant mt, her long solourn-
Ing upon earth. and leave her to reign oyer
glory FL ry What VIVA Happiness! What 10y what bounty
Of Godl. of course. can only, expect to see
When do see it. shall exciaim with the pIous
Simeon. Lord. now lettest Thou Thy servant
depart in peace. for mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation
1t is not likely that these words. uttered as
aspirations for the reign OF a woman Of 10. will
have to be materially altered now that she is
over so. She has gone north to Balmoral to-
children. who will be her chief companions In
the seclusion following the operation on her
eyes.
The committee which is organizing the Ger
man Antarctic expedition has decided that the
expedition Is to be composed Of one ship only.
any possible disadvantages being compensated
for by greater independence and mobility.
The vessel is to be built entirely OF wood The
committee Is confirmed In this decision by
Nansen's experience with the Fran. and
by the desire to eliminate all possible
causes Of error In their magnetic observa-
tions. The ship is to be laid down this
autumn. and the expedition is to be ready to
start in the autumn of 1901. 1t is to be away
two years altogether. After touching at the
Cape the expedition is to make for the Antarc-
tic continent. south Of the Kergueleu Islands.
and there establish a scientific station at
some point suitable for wntering. A
pack of Siberian dogs is to be taken.
and dashes will be made on sedges
toward the South Pole and the south mag
netic pole. Meteorological observations will
also he made from captive balloon. After
the breaking upof their winter quarters the
expedition will attempt to make as complete a
survey as possible of the coast line Of the Ant
arctic continent. The leader OF the expedition
is to be Dr. Won Drygalski, who conducted the
German exploration Of Greenland in the years
1891 -93.
The English Antarctic expedition has at last
been definitely decided on. and the value Of the
two sets of meteorological observations should
be greatly enhanced by their being carried on
simultaneously. The English expedition is to
make the attempt to penetrate southwark from
the South Pacific. The meeting Of the Inter-
national Geographical Congress in Berlin in
October will give an opportunity for deciding
Oh the details Of the scheme of cooperation.
The President OF the British Institute Of
Mining Engineers. Mr.. j. A. Longdon. delv-
cred an important address at the thirtieth an
nual meeting this week on the rand exhaus-
ton Of the British coal fields. He said that dur
ing the last twenty-nv years the output of coal
had increased from 120, 100000 to 2OO.0OO.OOO
tons and the ratio OF increase after deducting
years in which great strikes occurred In the
coal tradel was pa per cent. per annum. Di-
viding the twenty-five years into two parts it
was found that the rate Of increase was 3
per cent. in the former and 2 per cent. in
the latter part; and it might fairly be assumed
that during the next twenty-five years tho in
crease. Notwithstanding the growth of popua-
ton, would not be more than l IA per cent per
annum on the average. and probably less.
Consequently, in the year 1925 the output
should not exceed 2SO,OOO.OOO tons. Looking
at the coal fields OF Great Britain, one could
see counties the best Of whose coal would be
exhausted by that time, Very few mining
royalties OF any magnitude were inlet, and the
QIeston arose. Whence was this additional
SO,OUO.OOU tons to be derived beyond what
were now working? The answer of those who
had not studied tho question was to go deeper
but. unfortunately when the mines reached
the milestone grit they had touched the bot
tom. and very many collicries were in that po-
sition now. one Of the great ironmasters had
stated that there would be no blast-furnaces at
work in the MiCdlesbrough district in fifty
years time. Recently one OF the large firms