OUR LONDON LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 8815, 3 May 1892, Page 3

OUR LONDON LETTER.

ANGLO COLONIAL NOTES, London, March 25, The Earl and Countess of Glasgow are just row going through a severe course of valedictory b(»i<[uetg. Every night this week has been thus occupied, and there are several other festivities in prospect. His Excellency, fortunately, possesses a capital constitution, and v.il! probably emerge from the trying ordeal leas damaged than the average departing viceroy. Lady Knutsforci’e “at homo ” on Wednesday evening, “ to meet the Governor of New Zealand and the Countess of Glasgow,” differed in no material respect from ordinary evenings of the sort. The fact most commented upon was the absence of your AgentGeneral and Mrs Perceval, nearly all the other colonial representatives being present. It was remembered that neither Lord Kmrtsford cor any of the permanent officials of the Colonial Office put in an appearance at Mr Perceval's reception last Thursday evening, and the two facta taken together looked somewhat significant. When I saw your Agent-General yesterday he declined to be drawn on the subject. The fact is, I suppose, that the soreness occasioned by the Colonial Office’s breach of faith in the matter of the announcement of Lord Glasgow's appointment has never been smoothed over. I expect the New Zealand Government expressed their annoyance more strongly than was allowed to transpire, and that the officials were nettled thereat. Still, to give an “ at home” in the honor of the Governor of a coloay, and not to invito the AgentGeneral, teems a very strong step. It practically comes to treating the present Government of New Zealand as political opponents. On Monday evening Lord Glasgow was entertained at dimer by the Imperial Union Club, and, in response to the toast of his health, delivered the first public speech he has made since his appointment. After acknowledging the hearty cheers which greeted his rising. His Excellency said “ My friends all know that I am not a good speaker. —(‘ Question.’) But I cannot but feci that you have given me a most hearty welcome. It is a kindly custom in this country, before a man goes out to another country to seek his fortune, whether he be a farmer or an artisan or a laborer, or whatever hia position in life may be, for his frierda to mett together and give him some token of their regard and esteem. This night yon have met here to do me the same good turn. —(Applause ) Such meetings as this give a man encouragement to go out to do hia work in the country to which he is bound, and I assure you that I will feel this welcome and this cordial ‘god speed’ which you have given me as an incentive to do the work which now lies before me. Mr Clark has been kind enough to make most complimentary remarks concerning myself, I can only say that I leave this country feeling that I do not leave a single enemy behind me. I feel that whatever I have tried to do for the good of my country has met with a cordial response, and I really believe that 1 am receiving from all my friends warm wishes for my welfare in the country to which I am going. I will say one thing, and that is that when this groat honor was conferred upon me I am not sure that my first feeling was one of gratification that it was done to an Ayrshire man, but was rather one of gratification that it was done to a naval officer. Although it is a long time since I laid down the tools, I have always had a hearty love for the profession in which I spent so many years of my life, and I do think that a naval training is not a bad training for a public man. —(Applause.) The motto which we all in the Navy have at heart is the word ' Duty.’ When a youngster goes to sea the first words he heats from hia commanding officer arc ‘ Yon are to do your duty,’ and from that time till he leaves the service he is always thinking about doing his duty. It was with that feeling that I came to live at home for many years and do service, and if I have been able to do my duty there, that is my great reward.—(Applause.) I am going to a new country. In fact I am going down below, and 1 may say that if any of you come down below you will get a warm welcome, (Renewed laughter and applause. ) I am going to a new country, and I believe that when I get there I will find a good many people such as I am leaving here —that is to say, a good many Scotchmen, It is a country which is fnll of Scotchmen, and I think that is not the least good that can be said of it. It is a beautiful country, and I believe it Is one of the greatest jewels—if I may use the term—in rhat diadem of British possessions which are to be fonnd in every part of the world. It was a moat unexpected honor that I should have been asked to hold such an appointment, but it was one which I could not refuse, and I am thankful to think that in going to New Zealand 1 shall have the good wishes of very many countrymen with me. I thank yon again very much for the kind manner in which yon have received the toast of my health.”—(Applanae.) The nice things Mrs Stanley and Kipling have said about New Zealand as a field for tourists are being widely quoted, and will do more good than a cycle of lectures at the

Colonial Inatittttk Cooke elate thai there ia a growing disposition amongst the name* roaa tourists who go round the world to take New Zealand en route from America to Japan, instead o! crossing direct. Professor Herkomer ia painting Lord Glasgow’s portrait, and hopes to complete it before the Lari sails. Mr Henniker Heaton has views as to what an ideal post office ought to be, and means to publish them in the shape of a story. He thinks the great British public will read a story, whereas they would pass by unnoticed a mere pamphlet. The story which Mr Rudyard Kipling wrote for a syndicate of New Zealand papers is very freely quoted in last night a ‘Pall Mall Gazette.’