LORD LINLITHGOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 145, 13 March 1908, Page 4

LORD LINLITHGOW.

A POPULAR EX-GOVERNOR-GENERAL. [FIIOM OUR OWN COEKESyONDEKX;] Sydney, March 7. Tho news of tho death of tho Marquis of Linlithgow, so well known hero as. Lord Hopetoun,' has aroused feelings'of deep personal sorrow in Australia. Especially is this tho caso in Melbourne, where ho arrived ill 18S9-, with much modest misgiving on his part, a boyish Governor of 29 years of age, to become, during, the five years of his term of office, one of tho most highly. esteemed and personally popular., of colonial representatives of the Throne, so that when it was announced in July,. 1900/ at the timo when he was Lord High Chamberlain, that he had been chosen as 'the', first Governor-General of the Commonwealth', the nows'.was exceedingly gratifying to.,the Australians.' ' -.. ".,[.

Lord Hopetoun was never very, robust. His first leveoiii-Melbourne was-thronged,' and tho taslc of shaking hands \witlr some thousands of people on a day when it chanced to bo remarkably hot proved too .muoli. for him, as it might -have'dono for'many a stronger man, so that'lie actually fainted from exhaustion.- As-the levee was not elided, the. Governor was . unwilling to disappoint; those .who still waited to bo - presented ; to him, so ho merely! took-a few minutes' rest arid then completed his' greetings.. This.. was the spirit of persevering determination he car-, riod into everything.be did, and it made him better acquainted with Australia than most Governors havo been. One hears of the-cot-tages he visited in t-lie country, of the broth and the tea that 1;? drank with old. women, , and of liis bnsh experiences, when ho jienetrated tho difficult, backwoods, clad iu the rough suit of an ordinary bushman. . ' On ono of' his country; tours Lord Hopetoun , was standing . outside .an inn- in - -tho little mountain'hamlet of Harrietvillo, in Victoria; when' he was accosted; by: an old. miner who' had'just come in from the ranges. The Governor responded with the genial smile characteristic of him; and this- went: straight to the old fellow's-heart. He invited; Lord Hopetoun to have a drink, and they adjourned to tho'bar. ~..• .-.i: , -i,.. ,- ■ ■ , "You're a_. stranger .about here," speculated the miner. ' . "Yes," assented his companion l . . - "Thought 'sol Comoup to. prospect, I: suppose? ' . ' ; ' [~"Just came up to have a look round. ; r "Woll; you ■•.see,"' proceeded; the 'miner,' . (''you are a new chum, and I reckon I know a.' •'fight:down good fellow, when I 'see oho; ;and I tTiink ; l can put'you oi/to something pretty. good."'. 1 '; "Thank you,"'replied Lord Hopetoun, cor-; dially: ' :: About this time the old man became awaro of ail unusual air. of .excitement .about the little town and U'Oiidcrwl what .>vas the cause. His 'companion suggested that it might possibly bo oil account'-'of the Governor's visit. "Ah 1": oxclaimed the ininer, .."I would, liko to see'him; It oil 10 years since I took off mv'liat to a real, swell. ! 'V : At this "the! landlord, wlio 'had been enjoying tho conversation hugely, was discourteous enotogh to' wink:' at the Governor. ■ The old miner saw tho wink and shrewdly guessed He looked so earnestly and imploringly'at the. frank faco opposite liinv that. Lord Hopetoun put out,, his hand and said, 'Yes; ; I aril thci Governor." _ ' This kindly, gonial manner, and, his,w>nsideration for others, .wore characteristic ,of Lord Hopetouny and made 'him .popular.' In spite of his youth when he canio ;to' Victoria' as its Governor, he showed from; tho very first' that he possessed, admirable, tact and dignity - in discharging tho purely ; official- part of : his duty. His, personal ac- ' complishnlonts were many and varied;. ' From his mother'he inherited a good- singing voice; [and a keen appreciation _iof; music, and.tlio lightness and dexterity with which lici danced; his I !native reels and, st.rathspeys' re.callM.'tho; fact: of'.his desceiit' from ;Sir, William Hope,' of' Balconies one of thefamousdar.cersof-his, d^y."'-GVifsSffiltli?Has;recorded in: his memoirs that on one occasion/.,'when; lie was ' asked' to sing' ,tlio; Lord -. Chancellor's patter song at Sir- Arthut,Sullivan's,.he found himself -'unable to recall.apportion;of: it-,' but LordvHppetoan panie to the:.rescue, and sang •it on© bar., ahead.: of. the, .carefully, pursuing comedian. . ........'.." , ■'. i' • - Lord i Hopetoun, who spoke . French . and German : fluently, delighted, in. .entertaining,- ; and with his great'social gifts Tyas, naturally, ail: exceptionally good liost. . He greatly dis- ' liked ~ speech-making in. public—indeed; bo humorously . complained that:-the one crumpled, rose leaf in' his Jifo in,-Victoria was:.tholfact that, he" had on. all .occasipns to "turn on the tap," ;but : he was a pleasant and effective speaker for'all'that—one who thought clearly, and expressed himself in direct and. fluent; stylo.. . , v . . ' . The ever-present 'sense of diity.did much'-tc win him tlio' suffrages of the Australian people. ■ How great ..this sense-of duty-was; was in his farewell, letter -.to the Acting-Premier of tho Commonwealth,/'when He resigned', the' Governor-Generalship in 1902.' - !*My, constant' desire,'.'- hei wrote,- '.'has beoli ; to place jthoi office, which ;I filled on a pedestal.'- -This, not for my own sake, but because-I- believed, it .to; be the- best 1 way'to, make that office of real usefulness' 'to .the Empire, and-;orie acceptable to the pe'oplo of this co'iiriti-y. I know'now; that--I fell into ail'error not uncommon in now immunities.' I set. to work-to ,oveAuild myself, and 'that without being sure of my foundations,' arid, if I oue \day found .myself sitting- on-.the' ground, surrounded by the;ruins:, of. my ownidoals, I have no reason to complain, .for I have 'myself ,to blame.;,. Ifci is,possible that my successor may finds amongst'this ■ debris fragments here, and,; there which may prove ;of some,use to -him. in building u'p'his structure on,a'a:alo, ; it maybe,:less ambitious than mine." .' . \ : .

In 1902, Lord Hopetoun found it : impossiblo to maintain the position of Gov-evnor-Genei al on, tilo - salary bf £10;000, for in addition to official:calls upon him which had to bo .met, ho entertained lavishly. ' Hencoj he resigned, declaring the position impossible. Doubtless this is what■ he referred to 111 his letter of farewell., . :!•- Ho had many advantages—a genial, amir able tomper, a charming wife, the friendship of his Sovereign, arid' a. rent-roll of between £60,000 and' £70,000. . But ho hadn't" good health. No man gets everything here below.