CANADA'S INVITATION TO THE KING AND QUEEN.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12484, 21 April 1906, Page 8

CANADA'S INVITATION TO THE KING AND QUEEN.

Canadian- loyalty, having been stimulated, like that of the rest of the Empire, by the tour of the Prince and Princess of Wales, has lecome ambitious. The Canadian. Parliament, it will be seen, has passed a resolution ashing th© King and Queen to visit the De-minion. Whether the invitation will bo accepted is doubtful. Naturally there will be some nervousness in official quarters at till© bano idea of their Majesties goj'ng so far from home, and it is easy to conjure uip all sorts of constitutional dtiffiou-bios which might arise. Nevertheless the means of travelling ablaut the earth have bee - ., so greatly improved of laibe years that a time may come when it wdM bo considered possible, and even, desirable, for the King and Queen, to make a tour the British possessions. That indeed would bring home to us all the unity of the Empire in, a very tangible way. Ponding this, wo shall ajl rejoice if it is found possible to accept the loyal invitation of Canad<a as a beginning. It would be add-tionally gratifying if tho Royal tour included a visiti to America. That the King and Queen would moot with tho most cordial welcome goes without saying, and we feel sure till© visit would still further strengthen the bonds df friendship between the two e r - at Anglo-Saxon nations. It may not bo generally remembered that the King has already visited both Canada and th© United States. On July 9th, 1860, the Prince of Wales, as ho then was, accompanied by th© Duke of Newcastle, left England on a visit to Canada and the United States. Thoy arrived at St. John's, Newfoundland, on July 24th, so that the transatlantic passage took no less than fifteen days. They visited Halifax, Quebec, Montreal, and Ottawa. On September 20th, tho Prince and suit© arrived at Detroit inthe United States, and afterwards, visited Washington, where he was entertained by President Buchanan. What a tremendous change his Majesty would now notice in both countries! Since his visit America has passed through a great Civil War, followed by a tremendous growth of industrial development. Canada has been opened up by tho trans-continental railways, and much of the land which was given up to the Indian and wild game is now peopled by British settlers. No part of the British Empire has shown such rapid expansion as Canada, and wo know of none that is more worthy of t'iio distinguished honour of a Bcyal viwt should it be found possible to arrargo