Normixe can be more important than the impression which a public man makes on his first arrival in a country. There are very few who have the trict of William the Norman, and can utilise and point with a trenchant and effective snying a stumble on the threshold. Most of us, consciously or unconsciously, create an impression on one first landing which lasts for a considerable time. Blunders, hitches, contretemps are only too common on a first entry, and they cling to the memory of a community and are with great difficulty dissociated from a mau who may turn out on nearer acquaintance to be a hero. Tt is curious to observe how a breach of etiquette on the part of the deputation entrusted to receive a great man, or a long delay, or the "absence Government boat, or a mistake as to the hour of the a wot day, or in fact anything which puts the waiting crowd in an ill-humour, creates a prejudice against the new off cial which a long course of good admin tration with difficulty removes, Lord Ripon's first appearance as Viceroy ut Bombay seems to have been blundered over, and the great man and his suite had to wait for two hours decorated with orders, while Inv: Dave Carson, the amusing representative of the Bengali Baboo, made indifferent jokes to His Excellency's fellow-passengers.
last, we are told by the Times of India, the weary wait came to an end, and "there were signs of unmistakeable relief in the countenances of everybody when the steam-launch Tron arrived with the deputation' to take Lord Ripon on shore." Then officers in all the glory of gold lace, cocked-hats and swords, welcomed the Representative of the Queen Empress to the land whick has been ruled by 80 many illustrious men, The spirits of Warren Hastings, the Marquess of Wellesley, Lord William Bentinck, Lord Canning, Lord Mayo, and many other distinguished figures might rise and daunt any but a very adventurous man from accepting the superb post, and no one can doubt that Lord Ripon takes office with a thorough sense of the difficulties of the position. Still, the action of Lord Lytton is for the monient unpopular, and the public will be pleased to obtain relief. Prestige will all be in Lord Ripon's favour. He has a very dark background of unpopularity painted by his predecessor, and he will stand out as a shining figure for awhile by the mere force of contrast. Certainly no exception can be taken to his first speech, He was received by the Bombay Municipal Corporation and addressed by them. His reply must be considered as a model of colourless caution. He said nothing, but he contrived to say it well. First, he was gratified, as in daty bound, by the assurances of loyalty and devotion to the Qaeen. Then he professed himself sensible of the great responsibility of his office, and quoted a remark of King Ahab, King Ahab was not an estimable character, still he is mentioned in Scripture, and we should caution Lord Ripon against quoting Scripture if he is to preserve the good opinion of the Friend of India. Not because Scripture does not abound in sayings worthy of quotation, bat because Lord Lytton unfortunately quoted it, and it is an axiom that nothing which Lord Lytton did can possibly be right. Next came two really well-worded allusions, one to the famine that is over, and another to the war that is going on. With regard to the troubles on the worth-west frontier, he spoke well. "No one can think of that contest without feeling his heart beat quicker with an honour. able and just pride at the recollection of the gallant deeds which in this war, as on so many previous occasions, have been performed for our Queen, our Empress, and our country, by Her Majesty's troops, European and native alike," and then follows a promise that the war shall be concluded as soon as possible, and the resources of India, agricultural and industrial, developed. The happiness of the people of India of all nations, creeds and classes, is then declared to be the object of the Viceroy's deep concern, and with a compliment to Sir James Fergusson and the sewage of Bombay, the speech ends, There is really nothing to be blamed in the speech, which was perhaps the only possible one under the circumstances. As an exhibition of oratory it must be confessed to be inferior to the speeches of Lord Lytton, who is rarely gifted as a speaker. But altogether there is little to find fault with in the frst appearance of the uew Viceroy on the grand stage of Indian politics.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.