THE Thames Advertiser TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1875.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2171, 12 October 1875, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1875.

It is at all times pleasing to seethe devoted loyalty of a people towards their Sovereign, .and the occasional outbursts of loyalty which characterise the British nation are tokens of affection, and patriotism which mark: the; 3terling worth of her people! Promfiles to hand by the 'Cyphrenes' we: perceive that.one of these' periodical demonstrations has just taken place k : the " Steelopolia'* of England, as Shef-: field is beginning to be called. This capital of the cutlery trade appears to have literally run mad with loyalty,; judging from the aspect of the Sheffield newspapers,, which for some .time prioc to'the visit devoted from ten to twenty, columns a day to accounts of. the pre-' paratiohs made for the Royal reception.' -No one' questioned the loyally of the Radicals of Sheffield, but it was reserved for this visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales, which took place on Monday, the 16th of August, to render ever memorable the warm-heartedness of the cutlers and iron-workers of that' metropolis 'The welcome was such as royalty has seldom received in any part of the .world." A. well-qualified

,informWua that save at the great I thanksgiving celebrationin London ho rhas never seeu decorations so lavish as ; those which "'covered the streets aud ;suburbk of Sheffield oh this interesting occasion, whilst the enthusiasm of the inhabitants; knew no bounds. For ten days previous to the visit the streets were crowded every evening with sight* seers from the country-districts/ and as the day approached the narrow and tortuous.streets of the place became collier-infested to such an extent that locomotion was all but, impossible in the central parts of the town. The valuable principle of loyalty)would, t -we •fear, be demonstrated in this pageantry at theexpenseofa few broken-limbs, so enthusiastic do the people appear to have been. To the politician, and indeed, to: every student;,ofvhuman nature, such exhibitions' as .these are also of some valuo.; It would doubtless be asked by some why should the cutlery capital expend so freely some, '£25,000 or MpO in "honour of the visit of• -the'••■ Prince aud, Princess? There would not be wanting those who . would argue how much'better it would have been to;give the'mouey to the poor. The ostensible object of tho visit.was'to open.,a, park \vbloh\Mi\ Mark Firth, the Mayor of the town,, had given to''the people. But over 'celebrating ; the visit a' much greater Bum of money would be spent than the Fii'th,Park'cost, so it may be thought. •that the adjuncts of the celebration .eclipsed' its- 'central'.' object; ; But we have no need, atUhis distance from;our Yorkshire friends, ,■ to' .enter jnto a pounds, shillings, and pence .calculation ■of the cost of such 'a demonstration of loyalty. There may'not, indeed, be jany.great' political significance' in 1 the' • occasion, yet ..'unquestionably such enthusiasism. as this proves' that Englishmen have' a Bincere liking , for the ;Throne' and for' the Royal' ■ Family, l Apart from this altogether there is a. 'certain wisdom in the pcoplo of Sheffield trying for a few days how-bright land beautiful they could make, their town, which has been .regarded as,one of tho ugliest placed 'in.- the, finest* situation; and if tlds celebration.Only the:people with a desiro to jtuake it beautiful, ; the nioney ; will' not lhave been*altogether, thrown away., ' •.-..,— — *r. . ..'.,-., ;Mn Bridges,. Director and Acting- - > Manager of; the National 'Bank,' and an ex-employee. of ; the Bank of New - Zealand, has been distinguishing him■self •in • his new capacity.; to auch an ;extent as to receive a call to'the bar of, the House. This, call he yesterday obeyed, more from compulsion than; ■ choice, when' he found himself in. the most unenviable position of having to retract all that he had said when under, examination before the Public Accounts ' Committee of ; the Assembly. The nature of the charges; he made, which. • practically involved not only tho honour of the leading banking institution of the colony but the character of some of bur leading men, will be found indicated in a the evidence given before the committee, which appears, elsewhere in these columns. Mr Bridges, it appears, was anxious by' some means to.reflect.discredit.upon an institution, which had 'pushed; him ahead from the position, of a junior dork in • a Deeds' Registry .Office in Auckland tothe managership; in one of the principal towns;, But it would seem from the result that he only succeeded in reflecting discredit upon himself and' those around him. Hi« ambition caused him to transfer his services to a rival institution, and; his unserupulousness led him to make grave charges against hu old patrons, . which,, when asked to substantiate before a higher authority, he was compelled ignominiously to retract, alleging as his only excuse- that he !' had made assertions on insufficient grounds." Mr Bridges descended from equivocation to reticence, and when pressure was brought'to bear upon, him to compel an explanation he took refuge in an apology and ■ retraction. No doubt his friends will be willing now to leave him to his own reflections. -