The visit paid by the Prince and Princess jes to the City yesterday, when they were entertained at luncheon at the Guildhall by the Lord Mayor, in the presence of one of the meet distinguished assemblages ever gathered together within those historic walls, may be regarded almost in the light of the grand finale of the recent Royal tour, as the "raison d'étre" of the function was a welcome home to the distinguished travellers, It will likewise, however, be historic from the fact of its being the first occasion upon which the Prince hes spoken at any length since he attained to his new title, and, judging from the unanimous verdict of the Press leaders this morning, our Sailor Prince has a gift most uncommon among men of the sea—that of oratory. All unite in regarding the speech mate by His Royal Highness as both in its matter and the mode of its delivery. His voice was clearly heard over the entire hall, and what he said will appeal to his Father's subjects in whatever part of the world they may be located. One sentence will be a household wort Jong before these lines reach their destination.
"The Old Country must Wake This the Prince said was the opinion of merchants and men of business on the other side, thatis, if she intended to maintain her old position of pre-eminence in Colonial trade against foreign competition. In the zo, the great traveller detailed to his fellow-guests the main impressions he had gathered during his most wonderful tour, wherein he and the Princess journeyed over £5,000 miles, and where the British flag did not fly. He once (at Port S: a) landed on soil testified to the absolute loyalty of the people in the "dominions beyond the Sea," who all speak of England a most ready to m kinship with the mother country on all occasions, as has been notably shown during the recent South African troubles, tw which the Prince feelingly alluded. The efficiency of the Colonial Cadet Corps and their great value was alluded to, also the need of further cmigration—if anily of the right kind—to people the boundless tracts of country in the interior of the Australian colonies. This the Prince seemed to think the most important point in his observations, and he appealed to the Government to send out numbers of suitable men to till the ground—which is good and would well repay cultivation. The prosperity of the New Zealanders was touched and a good word stid for the native Maoris and so on; the whole tour was graphically described and commented on in A manner which testified well to the Prince's power of observation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.