Australia has just accomplished her duty in welcoming her third official Viceroy. We started as a nation with the century, and ready two Governors-in-Chief have run their course and left, us. State Governors seem to come and go and are hardly noticed now. As a community we do not stock our Governors for any length of time. If a hymn of welcome were adopted for our numerous rulers, it would assuredly he "Brief life is here our portion." We greet them with great cordiality and they express their thanks and determination to spent the rest of their careers with us, but they fare generally a long time away from us, and when once they go away they stay away. Although Lord Northcote has been in Australia for over a week, having arrived in the Moldavia, his official landing occurred only yesterday at St. Hilda Pier. whence he was driven to Parlinment House. Melbourne, and sworn in by Sir Samuel Griffith, Chief Justice of the Fede High Court. Tady Northcote arrived Tuesday by train from Adelaide. from whence Tord Northcote came on in HM. Royal Arthur. The Innding and retention were successful in every way and bath Lard and Tady Northcote have made a good impression. Our departing Governor-General Tord Tennyson. was much liked. He did nothing. while here, to dim the lustre of the ilustrions name he bears and tried to know Australians as a neonle, apart from the little society cliane which, perforce. is most in. evidence ut Government. House, Tord Tennveon's sneeshes were always charming specimens of after-dinner orstary. both 9s spoken and written utterances. Ta possesses a humorous turn fin which be Aiffers: from his Mustrion father). Lord Northeate had alorions weather for his Tnnaing. bright. sun fomnered with a enol breeze, a nice chen from Bombay. any for eye. "White Australia must of necessity be a strong Russophile, and while our men of responsibility watch anxiously the negotiations now going on between the Powers about Cores it is with the feeling that if the worst come to the worst, we stand by Russia as the dominant Power in the Eastern isles of Asia. The Sydney "Duily Telegraph," a most influential paper, pointed out in a leader that our position would be anything but comfortable with Japan lording it in the Pacific as she would do were she to be victorious and able to dictate terms. Russia is white at any rate. With Britain standing by her ally and Australia keen for Russia, a complication might arise, the very notion of which makes pessimists shake doleful heads. As a people we are of course intensely i terested in the great trans-Siberian railway and its importance as a factor in the succors of a struggle. An interview with Mr. Robert Holl, a naturalist. of distinct has been published. Mr. Hall who has returned from a visit to Siberia and Rus declares his conviction that the railway would not atvall he canal to the strain mut upon it. but would break down utterly. Russian supplies, he thinks, would have 0 by sea Chinese for the Rand No doubt you are aware of the interest which we have shown this question and 'lof the snub which Mr. Richard Seddon. the Premier of New Zealand. received from the "Times" over the business. Our Prime Minister, Mr. Deakin. has now issued the Government's decision to support Mr. Seddon, incited thereto by the threats of the Tabonr Party. Mr. Deakin, however. Tas worded his message very warily and addressed it to the Coloninl Secretary Pretoria and not to the Tmnorisl outher as risked by Mr. Seddon. The Secrefre the messiee on to the Gorernor is the real head of the Executive in a colony. Deakin's Mr. meceroe suggests that Chinasce sre danhtfal note to "have shant™ x place ut he dose not thunder forth an antharitetin camwand to keen them ant of the Rand, ant that wa da nat Wee Aatoctiat
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.