21 JULY 1906, Page 2

It was announced on Thursday that the King had felt

himself obliged to decline the invitation of both Houses of the Dominion Parliament to visit Canada. We are con- vinced that his Majesty had good reasons for his refusal, and that he made it with sincere regret, a regret which is shared by the Canadian people. It would be difficult indeed for any Monarch, overwhelmed with his many public duties, to be absent for any length of time, and a visit to Canada would necessarily be protracted. At the same time, we hope that at some future date his Majesty may see his way to visit a country which has always been pre-eminent in its loyalty to the Crown, and which in its actual achievement and in the splendour of its destiny must be regarded as first among the allied nations which compose the Empire.