The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1868-07-04 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EDINBURGH.  tier Majesty's screw frigate Galatea, 3,227 tons, 26 guns. soo -horse power, Captain his Royal Highness Ahred Ernest Albert, Duke of Erlinburah. Ku , K T., arrived at Spithent on Friday., about thirty minutes past noon, from Sydney, and on dropping her anchor exchanged salutes with tier Majesty's ship Victory in Portsmouth harbour, the flagship of Admiral Sabine Polley, Port Admiral and Naval Cominander-in.Chlef of the district. The arrival of the frigate was sonic ten days earlier than hail been anticipated, and her guns, as she saluted the flag of the Admiral commanding on steaming into the roadstead, created no little excitement and bristle ashore. The steain-tender .Sprightl,f, Commander 0. Alien, was sent off to the frigate by Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley with despatches and letters, and Cornmander Allen was directed to place his vessel at the service of the captain of the Galatea. The civic authorities were less prepared to meet the emergency. The Mayor and Town Clerk were both absent in London, but the ex-Mayor proved equal to the occasion, and , in a very brief space of time after the lks,alea's arrival was presiding over a meeting of the Aklennen and Councilmen of the borough of Portsmouth at the Gnildhall, Where a brief and very suitable address of congratulation to the Duke of Klinburgli, on his recovery from the effects of the wound inflicted by the WSSFMAiII ill the dastardly attempt mon his lire, and it his safe arrival home, was proposed, seconded, and carried, it need scarcely lie said, unanimously, with the greatest enthusiasm. Ills Royal Ilighrma landed from his gig at the stairs of the new landing-place in the dockyard in undress uniform, to report officially the arrival of his ship at Spithead. The Duke received a very hearty welcome from the large concourse of people who had so .ion gathered near the landing place, and after the Corporation of Portsmouth had presentee the address to his Royal Highness, to which he responded in graceful terms he shortly after set out for Windsor, and on his arrival there air immense crowd were awaiting him at the Great W e,tern Railway Station, who not only cheered him enthusiastically, but prolonged their ilemonsti albans of welcome, by following iris carriage to the Cdstle; and it may be added, that not from the lips only of the subjects of his Royal Mother will he he welcomed, lint from their hearts too.  In commenting on the cowardly attempt on ;the Duke's life, The limes wriies as follows  The hearty congratulations of the public will meet the Duke of Edinburgh on his return home. It is in no spirit of overstrained and sentimental loyalty that they will welcome him, but with an honourable rejoicing that a member of the Royal Family, engaged in the service of his Queen and country, has escaped the assassin's weapon and arrives in his nitive land with his health restored. Of the crime which interrupted the Prince's voyage in the Australian seas enough has been said. Such acts resound in every part of the world, and are remembered in all their distinctness when the most important event* grow dim or are quite forgotten. But it would be a good thing if murder, too, could pass out of recollection. The memory of avassination and its punishment is not pleasant in connection with a young man's lib ; it is odious to be associated with a Miscreant even as his victim. We would, therefore, dm,ll nzexe willingly on the brighter parts of the voyn,n which the incidents at Sydney interrupted, and congratulate rot only the Duke himself, but also the naticrn, on the cbnsequences of his visit to the Australian colonies.  It is strange that now, a huadred. years after the first outbreak of American discontent, the most observant polithiane are surprised at the extraordinary loyalty of the British Monies, The Colonies which now form the !MAW States were never fowl of the Mother Country. As reFards the New England settlements, this is intelligible; but the reason is not so plain why even colonies like Virginia should have been cool in their affection to England, anti ready to break from her when the hour came. Whatever was the cause of this temper,—whether it VMS the misgovernment of the Mother Country, or the Puritan origin of some of the settlements, or at least the influence of the same minds which produced the French Revolution, —it is evident that no influence of the kind affects any of the present British dependensies. 'l'hey