We meet to-day to commemorate not only the most wonderful and glorious event in the annals of English history, but the most important and the most remarkable in the history of the world. To-morrow Queen Victoria will have completed sixty years of her successful and beneficent rule over her people, and all ever this wide world there will be during the next few days great rejoicings and thanksgivings that such has been the case, For we must remember that she has sat upon the throne, and held the sceptre, of the Edwards, of the Henries, of Elizabeth, and the Georges, longer than any British Sovereign since the beginning of our English history.
Tt being an occasion of such stupendous interest, it is only right, proper, and fitting that whether we acknowledge the rale of, of owe allegiance to the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Empress of India, or not, we should meet not only to commemorate this event, but to render humble and devout praise to our Heavenly Father, the Ruler of Rulers, for His Divine favour and blessing bestowed on the good Queen herself, and the continued prosperity vouchsafed to all her people during the past sixty years, T shall not have time to tell you this afternoon of the remarkable progress made during the Queen's reign in art, science, and literature; the expansion and development of the British Empire; of the increase in wealth and trade throughout the Queen's dominions; of the advances made in social and sanitary science; of the achievements of the many brave and intrepid travellers The Chinese Cycle consists of sixty years,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.