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New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 7775, 6 May 1886, Page 2

In another column will be found published a long and interesting cable message which H.E.H. the Prince of Wales, as Executive President of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition, opened in London on Tuesday, courteously forwarded to his Excellency the Governor. _ It contains copies of the speeches delivered by the Prince, and by his Eoyal Mother, the Queen, at the opening ceremony ; also of the ode specially written for the occasion by the Poet Laureate. The event must necessarily possess deep interests for all colonists, it being the first occasion on which the colonies of Great Britain have fairly entered as competitors on the world’s greatest arena. Hitherto it has been the older countries that have shown their products and manufactures at exhibitions held in the colonies. Now the colonies have boldly displayed their products and manufactures in the world’s metropolis, and have confidently challenged competition and criticism. Such a step cannot fail to mark an important era of progress, and it may fairly be hoped that a still brighter and more prosperous period will have its beginning »n Tuesday's splendid pageant. There is ope eppofel and noteworthy feature common alike to the speeches of Her Majesty and of the Prince, and to the poet laureate’s Qde. It is the earnest ’ aspiration uttered by all. that the ties between the Mother Country and hpr colonies may ijeyer be loosened, but rather be more glqsely tightened. This sentiment was pointedly expressed in her Majesty’s prayer that the great undertaking over whose inauguratipa she was presiding might tend toward “ strengthening the bonds of union which now exist in every portion of my Empire,” and by Lord Tennyson in the stirring lines—- “ Britain’s myriad voices call, Sons, be welded each and all Into one Imperial whole ; Qne with Britain heart and soul: One life,'pne flag, one fleet, one throne I ”

This is iju ip which every loyal oolopist vyill cqpat ferveptly join. The day is, we trust, far distapt when there will be any relaxation of the chain of affectionate loyalty which binds Bugland'scoloniestotheirgreatmother. Rather let us hope that through the operation of some judiciously designed measure of Imperial Federation these bonds may be rendered perpetual and indissoluble. The compliment paid to the colonies is a grgat and marked one. Since the death oi top Jjripce Consort the Queen’s appearances at public' cerenapnietf haye been rare. There have been many'exhibitions in the meantime, but this is the only one which the Queen has opened. Even when Her Majesty has opened Parliament personally the Speech from the Throne has been read for her by the Lord Chancellor, and her speech on Tuesday has thus peculiar significance.