The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-02-26 00:00:00

OUR INDIAN FELLOW SUBJECTS.
(From Tuesday's Tinuts.)

We have the greatest pleasure in publishing the fol-
lowing letter from the Maharajah of Burdwan
"The Palace Bardwan, India, Jan. 28, 1876.

"To the Editor of Thi Timei

"Sir,—Having read with the greatest admiration
the account of the heroic conduct displayed by some of
the boys of the training-ship Goliath on the occasion of
the recent destruction by fire of that ill-fated vessel, I
have felt a very strong wish to present a silver medal
to each of those who signally distinguished themselves
on that occasion.
"I may have been forestalled in this wish, but I
trust that I may be allowed to do something of the
kind, as coming from India, it will pr'ave to the boys
that deeds like theirs have not merely a local fame,
but are marked and appreciated by their fellow sop-
jects in the most distant parts of Her Majes-Ws
Empire.
"I have taken the liberty of addressing you upon
the subject, as I have been usable to ascertain the
name of the society to which the ship belonged. I
should have written direct to its offices had I been
able to discover it, and I have, therefore, to beg that
while pardoning me for the trouble I am giving you,
you will do me the further favour of forwarding to the
proper authorities the enclosed draught to cover the
cost of the medals, and of intimating that if necessary,
I shall be happy to remit a further sum.—l have the
honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
" MAEARAJIH or BurtowAN."

In noticing the above, the Globe remarks :
Already the Royal visit to India seems to be exercising a
salutary influence on the native aristocracy. The Mahara-
jah of Burdwan has just transmitted to The Times a sum of
money to be devoted to the purchase of silver medals for
presentation to the lads who signally distinguished them-
selves at the burning of the Goliath. In itself, this gift
would scarcely need remark. Munificence has been a cha-
racteristic of Oriental princes from time immemorial. If,
for instance, the Burdwan ruler had forwarded a diamond
tiara or jewelled sword to some scion of our Royal House,
the present would not have deserved more than passing
notice. In the present case the noteworthy point is that one
of those great Indian feudatories of our Empire, who are gene-
rally believed to be careless about all that goes on beyond
HindostAn, has felt compelled to give practical form to his
admiration of the heroic conduct of some Eaglish waifs and
strays at a conflagration on the Thames. It is true that the
Maharajah of Burdwan can scarcely be taken as a type of
Indian royalty. Living, as he and his ancestors have done,
at a comparatively short distance from Burdwan, he is much
more Anglicised than most of his class. Then, too, al-
though possessed of enormous wealth, the Maharajah does
not belong to the old ruling families of Hindostan, his pro-
genitors having been merely large landowners, enjoying
the titular distinction of rajah, but without any real power
or authority. Owing, however, to the opening out of coal
fields in the Burdwan district, and the construction of
the East India Railway, the position of his family has
gradually grown in importance, until it now takes fair
rank in the minor aristocracy. The Maharajah himself
is very popular both in his own territory and among Euro-
peans, his popularity and munificence being well known in
Calcutta. He has also done a great deal for the advancement
of education among his co-religionists. Yet, enlightened as
he has proved himself in comparison with his class, we are
rather disposed to doubt whether he would have taken any
notice of the Goliath disaster but for the Royal visit. By
turning native attention to England and English affairs, the
travels of the Prince cannot but produce a beneficial effect
throughout the East. This, indeed, is the one thing required
to render India an integral portion of the British dominions,
instead of a detached dependency hanging on to the skirts of
our Empire. The natives must be taught {that they are our
fellow-subjects in something more than name, and if the
Royal visit conveys this lesson, it will have been very cheaply
purchased.

The Times says that the Maharajah of Burdwan
was among those who attended the Prince of Wales's
levee at Calcutta. Their Special Correspondent de-
scribed him as "dressed in black satin and silver
lace, and wearing a cap which was literally covered
with diamonds, and which is said to be worth
£100,000." -

DEATH OF THE GRAND DUCHESS
MARIE OF RUSSIA.
The news of the demise of the Grand Duchess Marie,
sister of the Emperor of Russia, was received at the
Russian Embassy in London, on Monday. some
weeks the Grand Duchess had been in a precarious con-
dition, which was pronounced hopeless by her medical
attendants some days ago, since which she had hourly
grown Weaker. She expired between the hours of one
and two on Monday morning at S. Petersburg. Their
Imperial Majesties visited the Grand Duchess a few
days since, and then took leave of her.
The Grand Duchess Marie Nicolaievna was the
eldest daughter of the Emperor Nicolas and the
Empress Frederique Louise Charlotte Wilbelmine,
daughter of Frederick William 111., King ef Prussia,
and was born on the 18th of August, 1819. - She
married, on the 14th of July,l. 839, Maximilian,
Duke of Leuchtenberg, Prince of.Eichstadt, by whom,
who died on the Ist of November. 1852, she had
issue six children—namely, Prince Nicolas, Duke of
Leuchtenberg, born August 4, 1843; Princess Marie,
born October 16, 1841, and married, February 11,
1863, to William, Prince of Baden;• Princess Eugenie,
born April 1, 1845, and married, January 7, 1868, to
Alexander, Prince of Oldenbourg ; Prince Eugene,
born February 8, 1847, and married January 8, 1869,
to the Countess Dania de Beaubarnais (which lady
died in March, 1870) ; Prince Serge, born December
20, 1849; and Prince George, born February 29, 1852.
The Grand Duchess was re•marriea, on November 16,
1856, to Gregoire, Count Strogonoff. .
The Grand Duchess Marie: paid frequent visits to
England, residing occasionally in the. Isle of Wight
and at Torquay.

The Times of Tuesday said, " We ore requested to
state that owing to the death of her Imperial Highness
the Grand Duchess Marie Nicolaievna of Russi, the
parties announce 4 to be given by their Royal I=l,igh-
nesses the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on the
26th inst. and the 2nd Of March will not be held;"
_ _

FREE AND OPEN CHI:TRU:MS.—OD Tuesday
night a meeting was held in the Assembly rooms,
Halifax, for the purpose of advocating the principle of
free and open churches, and the weekly offertory.
The chair was occupied by Earl Nelson, who said that
the pew system, or appropriation and renting of pews
in churches, was opposed to the principle of economy.
Every church ought to be free and open, so that people
could come in without stigma or feeling of favour, and
hear what was said. Further, the pew rents prevented
good offertories, and if they were dispensed with the
offerbries would be much better. The Rev. F. Pigou,
vicar of Halifax, also expressed himself es thoroughly
in favour of the free and open system.