The Executive and certain local authorities have been rather at
cross purposes on the subject of Royal patronage and dignities ; but we anticipate that the ultimate result will not be ill for any party. Certain leading gentlemen at Liverpool, in publics meet- ing assembled, have put forward an expression of their wish, that in selecting statesmen for the Executive the Crown should look less exclusively to the "aristocracy." It might readily be answered that it is the great public of this country which gives the aristocracy its place. Let a Lord appear in any meeting, however humble or democratic, and he is tolerably sure to have the first place thrust upon him. Let a man, notoriously poor, especially if he be an educated man, present himself in competi- tion with one notorioudy rich, and the roughest voices in the place would ask him, significantly, "Who are you that you should put yourself forward ? "
From our democratic colony of Melbourne and the muni- cipality thereof comes a formal censure in the shape of a resolu- tion, regretting that the Sovereign of this country did not con- fer the honour of knighthood on Mr. John Thomas Smith, who had been the bearer of an address from the colony to the Queen. There may have been peculiar objections in the particular ease, and it is the very life and breath of the Royal favour that it should be conferred spontaneously,—almost without reason stated. Yet it is, perhaps, practically a matter of regret that more such favours are not extended to the colonies, if only to make there feel in sentiment what they are beginning to doubt with refer- ence to material interests—that they had better stick to the Em- pire.
That they are anxious to do so is shown by the repeated peti- tion coming over from Canada, that the Queen, or the Prince of Wales, but the Queen herself if possible, should visit that im- portant colony, to celebrate the opening of the 'Victoria Bridge, a greater work than many that her Majesty has graced with her presence at home. These colonial petitions scarcely harmonize with the Liverpool protest against the aristocracy ; a protest sound enough, so far as it is directed against exclusion, if the middle classes would only set the Crown a stern example of pro- motions by merit.
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