The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-04-10 00:00:00

THE PRINCE OF WALES IN INDIA.

The Times has published the following letter on the forth-
coming visit of the Prince of Wales to Thdia :
Sir,—The news that the Prince of Wales intends to
visit India will excite the greatest interest all over our
Eastern Empire, and the native Princes will make
preparations corresponding to their ideas of its im-
portance. Such an incident will be invested with a
high degree Of political significance, and if the Govern-
ment is not prepared to enable his Royal Highness to
carry it out with fitting splendour, the project had much
better be abandoned, without further discussion. I
am confirmed in this opinion by his Highness the
Maharajah Dhuleep Singh, who has a lively recollec-
tion of his own Court in India when he was a youth,
and who has kept himself well-informed concerning,
the feelings of his fellow countrymen during his resi-
dence among us. He has authorised me to state his
entire concurrence in the views I suggest.
_ _ _ _ .

In the mind of the natives, England is the centre of
all power and splendour; the Throne of Queen Vic-
toria the grandest upon earth, and her eldest son only
second to herself in the respect and homage to which
he is entitled. They will be quite ready to manifest
their loyalty and devotion according to Eastern cus-
toms; and if our arrangements fall short of their
expectations a very bad impression will be produced,
and it will seem to them as if we neither honoured
our own Sovereign nor intended to treat them with
civility.
His Royal Highness will probably find he could not
accomplish his tour to his satisfaction in less than sixty
days spent in India, which would enable him to visit
some of the most important centres of India, where he
would hold Durbars
..and receive the native Princes
and nobles.
A royal progress lasting this time, and conforming
to native usage, might cost a large sum. If done
meanly it would only cause disappointment and
scatter offence to a dangerous extent.
Before offering any estimate of the necessary expen-
diture, it will be needful to explain that when the
accounts are wound up, the final cost will be far less
than the sum which has nominally to be provided.
This will arise from the Eastern practice of making
presents to official persons, which are in some measure
intended to cover their expenditure, and which could
not be refused without their rejection being regarded
as an insult. The Governor-General of India receives
in this way gifts, in return for his presents, which are
considered as part of the Exchequer receipts, and sold
for a large amount.
His Royal Highness would be in a totally different
position from a Governor General; he is not a paid
servant of the Crown; he would be expected to make
more splendid gifts, and to accept in return presents
of double their value, part in actual cash. If an ar-
rangement were made, however, by which his Royal
Highness retained for himself all objects of interest,
while the money and objects of less importance were
treated like the Governor-General's presents, and sold,
a very handsome proportion of the cost of his progress
would be refunded. This would be perfectly in accord-
ance with Eastern etiquette, and the natives would be
further gratified by knowing that their most valued
offerings were retained as personal property by the
Queen's son, and whom they will look on as their future
King.
His Royal Highness should be accompanied by a
Court, selected from the oldest and most historic fami-
lies of the nobility; and it would be well that the
Army and Navy, the Law and the Church should
each be represented by some of the highest officials,
likely to look and act with becoming dignity. There
is a notion current in India that we are ashamed of our
religion, and as no one could imagine the Prince went
on a missionary enterprise, a good impression would
be produced if he were attended by an ecclesiastic of
rank as chaplain, and the services of the Church were
regularly and openly performed. Sir Bartle Frere and
General Probyn, whose presence would be invaluable,
as Anglo-Indians, from their know4ge of the
country, will probably, as stated in the poers, accom-
pany him.
A progress through the districts that must be tra-
versed would require an extensive provision of tents,
horses, elephants, camels, &c., and the accompani-
ment of a Guard of Honour of from 10,000 to 6,000
men at the very lowest, insignificant in numbers to
what the great native Sovereigns were accustomed to
take with them on similar occasions. The Prince's
tents should be of the regal red silk, and those of his
Court of a costly description.
Now let us look at the gross cost of a visit on this
scale, without deducting the value of the presents re-
ceived. They may be estimated somewhat as follows:
—presents, say to 30 native Princes, of an average
value of a lac of rupees, or £lO,OOO each, equal to
£300,000. These should consist of objects of art and
luxury, including ornamental arms, porcelain, mirrors,
chandeliers clocks, and textile fabrics.
Instead Of money it would be better to give medals
struck for the purpose, in the purest gold that could
be employed, bearing the Queen's portrait on one side
and on the reverse the Prince's plume and giving the
date of his visit. The purity of the gold would be
regarded as enhancing the value of these medals far
more than might be supposed in this country, and they
would be worn as ornaments and handed down as 'heir-
looms. About £lOO,OOO in value of these medals or
' coins might be usefully employed.
• Excluding the pay of the troops, which would of
• course fall upon the Indian Government, £5.000 a (lay
would be but a moderate expenditure for the trans-
port and commissariat of the Court, &c., and all other
heavy incidental expenses of a Royal Eastern visit,
including feasts, halls, and durbar eApenses, or equal
to £300,000 for GO days. The costs of tents, elephants,
horses, &c., and the transport of the Prince, his Court,
and baggage to and from India, from £50,000 to
£60,000. The total might be from £600,000 to
• £OO,OOO, against which the set-off of saleable and money
presents would amount to about half, leaving the
• actual cost about £350,000, to be provided by the Home
, and Indian Governments. - -

This sum will probably alarm the economist; but
those who are really acquainted with Indian habits
will think that if this rich country and India cannot
afford it, the plan had better be given up.
An important question of etiquette has to be con-
sidered. If the Governor-General, as Her Majesty's
representative, takes precedence of the Prince when
they are both present, the natives would not be able to
understand this, as in their estimation the Queen's son
could be second to no one but herself. 'Unless this
question of precedence were yielded the Governor-
General ought not to accompany him.
Unless State reasons prevent the Princess of Wales
from accompanying his Royal Highness, no question
of a little extra expense should be allowed to interfere
with her so doing. Her graceful bearing and appear-
ance would charm our Indian fellow-subjects, as they
have fazcinated all Europe, and be regarded as confer-
ring additional grace and dignity upon the Prince's
progress, which alone would make up for that want of
magnificent display (even if conducted on the scale
suggested) in comparison with the Royal tours of the
great Mahomniedan Sovereigns.
If we desire to keep up our prestige in the East we must
conform to Eastern ideas, and remember that all
classes, from Princes to peasants, delight in a
8131.2ra:our and pageantry useless at home. To omit
these c,a f.n occasion when Oriental politeness and
loyalty requira them would be a gross mistake, and
tend to contempt.
Our interest in India is so great and mistakes so
costly that we ought not to throw awsy the good effect
of a 'Royal visit by shabby economy.

Be it remembered that the British capital invested
in India in funds, railways, manufactures, and houses
is estimated at 400 millions; our annual export and
import trade at 60 millions ; and that Englishmen are
receiving in pay, pensions, allowances, &c., in India
and at home 10 millions a year.
When in India I was a large European landholder,
and until lately held considerable landed estates there.
In 1857 I was the one in the East Indian Company's
Court of Proprietors who proposed and advanced the
necessity of the assumption of the direct government
of India by the Crown. I have had opportunities of
studying the native character and know the necessity
of and the benefit to be derived by this country by
making a Royal visit the means of strengthening our
influence and prestige, and of impressing the people
with the
_power of England and the might and dignity
of the Sovereign our Queen.—Believe me, yours faith-
fully, J. T. INIAcKENziE, of Kintail.
Hatchford, Cobham, Surrey, April 2.