THE COMING ROYAL VISIT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 22nd September.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 104, 30 October 1900, Page 5

THE COMING ROYAL VISIT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 22nd September.

, The telegraphic cable has of course informed you that the Duke, and Duchess of York will visit the Australasian colonies in the spring of next year, and that His Royal Highness will bear Her Majesty's Commission to open the first session of the Parliament of the Australian Commonwealth. This is intended and regarded as "a signal' 'act of grace and favour" in recognition of so important a step in the development of the Empire as the Federation of- the Australian colonies, and of the ardent loyalty displayed by Australia and New Zealand in connection with the South African War. Commenting upon the subject, The Times says: — "The Australians and the New Zealanders — who are, of course, included in the term 'Australasians' as used in the official announcement of the Queen's gracious purpose — with the Canadians, have revealed, not merely to the rest of the world, but to most of us here at Home, that in the. enthusiastic attachment of our self-governing colonists to the Sovereign and to the flag, the Empire possesses an unexpected reserve of military strength, capable of considerable expansion in case of need. The chief value of that aid does not consist in, its amount, relatively great though it has been, and opportune as have been the services .of the colonial tfoops, to whose 'splendid gallantry' the Sovereign bears grateful witness. It lies in the fact that, as Her Majesty observes, tjhe help so liberally given in our,, embarrassments was also freely given. The men who came from Canada and from Australia to fight and die side by' side in South Africa for the British Empire' were citizens of free commonwealths, who came to our aid of their own free: will."