Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-01-25
RULE OF VICTORIA.
Her Reign Spans a Period of Near.
ly 81 Years.
WAS CALLED TO THE THRONE IN 1887.

She Soon Shows n Wonderful Capacity
| for Governmental Brief sketch
of Her Career-NotnbIe
| LeSislation.
Aiexandrina Victoria, queen of Great
| Brltafn and Ireland and empress of In
e,a, was born at Kensington palace on
10y! 81 lSl9. She was the daughter of the
luke Oh Kent, fourth son of George III
ana the Princess Victoria Mary Louisa of
oaAe-Coourg-Saal relict of the her.
| eui.ary prince of Leiningen. Her father
| dleo few months after the birth of his
daughter. who was brought up under the
TO-. Ia. ol ms widow. Her education was
| .ntrusted to the duchess of Northum-
periand and her training was better edu-
caIionally and otherwise than usually
Iaiis TO the lot of princes and princesses.
rrudence and economy were especial
features of her education and she was
| tematical. ~
She succeeded to the throne on the
death OF William w., third son of George
IL, June 90 1887, when the crowns of
england and Hanover which had been
worn by the same person since the ac-
cession or George /. in INA, were separ-
| ated, the former devolving upon the
young princess and the latter, by virtue
OF the Salic law, falling to the duke of
cumberland. the late kings Younger
protner. She was crowned in Westmin-
ster abbey June Is. 1888. Some interest
was taken in the fact that from the first
the queen subscribed herself sinnlv Vic.
toria and not, as had been expected.
Alexandrina Victoria.
me early years of Victoria's reign were
1uil OF interest and excitement. There
were the rebellion in Canada, the anti
corn league. the chartist agitation, the
o on.i question. the never-ending Irish
quesuon, the Afghan war and the war
with China Along with these events
came the introduction of many of the
great discoveries in science industry and
commerce which are now considered spe-
cially representative of modern civiliza-
tton, A reign, says one of its clearest
historians, which saw In Its earliest years
the application of the electric current to
the task OF transmitting messages, the
hrSt successful attempts to make use of
steam for the business of transatlantic
navigation, the general development of
.ne railway system and in the introduce
tion OF the penny post must be consid.
cred to have obtained for itself, had 1t
secured no other memorials an abidinu
place in history.
February TO- 1910, Queen Victoria was
married to her cousin Prince Albert of
saxe.coburg-Gotha. This was a love
match, pure and simple, but the young
sovereign, owing to her position. had Ia
conduct the negotiations mainly by her
sel1 During the previous month she had
formally notified parliament of her inten-
ton to marry her cousin-a step which
she trusted would be conducive to the
interests of my people as we'll as to my
own domestic happiness" The announce
ment was not received with universal sat
lsfaction, but cordial reception was ac-
corded Prince Albert on his landing in
England several days before the marriage
ceremony. A squabble arose in parlia-
ment as to the allowance to be made the
prince, The proposed annuity was $780,
wv, but after bitter debate this was
cut down to s150,00O.
1t was some years before the people
thoroughly understood Prince Albert All
mis- actions were closely watched. It was
Imagined that he would endeavor to over
step his limitations as the consont of the
queen and try to influence political af-
airs. But this feeling wore off as the
excellent personal Qualities az -.a>-----.--,-r
NO man, It was admitted, had ever de-
voted himself more faithfully to high and
difficult duties and words of commenda-
ton We're heard on all sides.
For many years after this bereave-
ment the queen led life of strict seclu-
sion. She avoided all public and court
ceremonies, though her duties as sov~
ereign were never neglected. In 1876 she
opened parliament III person lOF Tie llTSl
time since the death Of Prince Albert,
Nine children were born as result of
the union, Their names and date of
birth are;
The Princess Victoria, Princess Roy
all" now empress dowager of Germany,
born November q, 1910; married January
Is, 1858, Frederick William, then crown
| prince of Prussia, who died in 1885, as
| Emperor William II. OF Germany, after
] reign of only SO days. Her son is now
| emperor, and he has had six sons and
| one daughter. The empress dowager has
had four sons and 10 grandchildren.
I Albert Edward, prince of Wales, who
1911; married March 10, 1863 Princess
| Alexandra of Denmark. He has had three
sons and three daughters and has tire!
grandchildren. His eldest son died IL
1892, and his second son, the duke Q
York, married Princess Mary of Tecl
and has two children.
Princess Alice. born April rs. ls43; mar
ried in 1862 to Prince Frederick of Hesse
died December IA, 1878. She had two son
and five daughters, of whom the young
est living is married to the car of Rus
sia There are six grandchildren in thi
family.
Prince Alfred, duke of Edinburgh, Dor
1874: married 1874 Marie Alexandrovns
only daughter of the car of Russia; lat
duke of Saxe-Gotha and Coburg. The
, had one son and four daughters, one {
whom has two children.
Princess Helena. born 1885, married -
: to Prince Christian Of Schleswig-Ho lsteil
They have five children, all unmarried.
Princess Louise. born 1S4S; married Is
the marquis of Lorne, the only one of Il
i children marrying outside of royalt
+ They have no children.
Prince Arthur, duke of Connaugh
born 1850: married 1879 to Princess Loui
L. of Prussia, daughter of Frederick Charlie
l. the famous red prince. Three childrt
/. have come to this union,
Prince Leopold, duke of Albany. boz
1858; married Princess Helen of Walde'
1882; died 1884. Two children. one posth
NOUS, form this household.
~. Princess Beatrice, born 1857; marri
1885 to Prince Henry of Battenburg. T
prince died in 1896, leaving four childre
Death OF all the prior heirs to the pul
Der of 90 would make the German Ell
" peror king of England. If 4S heirs fail
W. England would have to take the empire
ed of Russia, provided the people did +
lis | decide otherwise, and Sc heirs would ha
-. to die before the queens youngest Chi
- Princess Beatrice, would succeed to It
Al throne
ut, During Queen victoria's reign the
10. were many notable acts of legislatit
Several reforms demanded by the cha
h1 lists then considered revolutionary in I
extreme were quietly and peaceably
81 fected. The corn laws were repealed a
rs England entered upon her marvellous pr
-. perlty under a free-trade policy. I
AiiS ~ irish church was disestablished and
e odious system of purchase abolished
-. the army. There was sensational fe
50 ture connected with the last-named mo
;,ra II wac onnoSed nv the house