On Saturday evening, the 23rd inst., the Duchess of York
was safely delivered of a son, who. if the Monarchy lasts, as we all hope it will, will one day be King of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India. The event has given much pleasure, as a new guarantee for the continuance of the Coburg dynasty, which, till the child was born, was threatened, the daughter of the Duke of Fife being the inevitable heir. An address of congratulation was moved on Thursday in both Houses. Lord Rosebery dwelling on "our ancient, limited, historic Monarchy," and Sir William Har- court, in a very poor speech, on the strength which the affection felt for Queen Victoria bad added to the throne. The vote would have been unanimous in both Houses but that Mr. Keir Hardie chose to pose as the spokesman of Re- publicanism,—a position to which he is intellectually unequal. He was merely vulgar, describing the event as "an everyday occurrence," declaring that it was nothing to him " whether a future ruler was a genuine or a spurious•article," that there was no guarantee for the child's efficiency, that he would be surrounded by flatterers from his cradle, that he would be sent round the world and followed by rumours of morganatic alliances, and that if another Member would second him he would take a division. No other Member would, and Mr. Keir Hardie sat down, having done nothing except make Re- publicanism a little disgusting. We must add, in fairness, that in doing it he probably forfeited his seat. Every woman in West Ham will be an active electioneering agent against him.
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