New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-31
THE PRINCE OF WALES.

INDIAN CUSTOM REGARDlNG PhESENlS-Df-MO-
CRATIC REMONsTRANCEs
| 1FRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBuNBl
LONDON, July 9.-This is q session Of small meas
ures and interest in them has been great in proper
ton to their smaness So the excitement about the
proposal for the Prince Of Waess visit to India has
been considerable; the subject itself is much talked
about and specialized upon. There was accordingly
much curiosity to hear Mr.. DisraelIs statement last
| night, to know, that il, how much money the
Princes visit going to cost, and who was going
to pay it. Mr. Disrae had put of his statement till
people had begun to suspect him of tmidity OH one
both of these two cardinal points So late as yes
terday persons went about saying the amount was
| to be 100000, and India to be saddled with that
| enormous addition to her already enormous deficit
Very likely Mr. Dsrael not dispeased that such
rumors should be aoat. 1t made his actual pro-
| posals seem moderate.
In the careful and clever speech Of the Prime Min
lister the objects of the Princes visit officially
stated. Without saying, ~ "a great writer" that
travel is the best education, Mr. Disraeli ventures
to that il is the best education for princes
1t may be conectured that Mr.. Dsrae supposed him
| self to be quoting Bacon. but what Bacon says is,
THAT travel in the younger sort is part of cducation
in the older, part of experience" The remark of
the more modern sage is only half opposite. What
the Prince is supposed 10 go to India for is not to
educate himself, but for political influence 1t
is expected his visit will have; to educate his Indian
subjects, not himself. 'ris for this they asked to
pay $4,000 and for this that the Imperial ex-
| chequer is 10 dsgorge $500, 600 more. Mr. Disrae
discrecy divides the total $71 000 into threetems
to make it seem less, no doubt His experience of
human nature tells him that the average reader will
not feel called upon to incur the fatigue OF adding
up the items. IT will cost $1,000 merely to convey
| the Prince to India and bring him home again. This
iiteth linz hptxy
| and bombay 1t must take Mr.. Cooks breath away
That enterprising worlds dragoman would be glad
TO do ii for much less money, and personally con-
duct" the party INTO the bargain. The Prince is not
to have the benefit of Mr. Cooks services. Yet did
not that worthy man conduct the Archbishop OF
Canterbury over the Continent OF Europe, or some
part of it. Two ships TO he frcighed with tho
royal burden-with him and his snite-the Scraps
and the Osborne. The Scraps is n huge transport
and in her the Prince and his suite will journey from
BIindsi to Bombay, perhaps to Calcutta. The
Osborne, yacht will he used on the Indian rivers
where light draught is wanted. squadron of
men-of-war under Admiral Lambert, will be
his escort in the Indian scas-in Mr.. Dis
raelis Ornamcnted phrase To give that pomp and
circumstance which becomes the heir of one who
| hope is still the Sovereign of the Seas" The
naval authorities estimate the cost of their service
at the sum above-named, in dollars, 100000 1hcn
when his ROYAL Eighncss touches the Indian SOIL
he becomes the guest of the Viceroy;' whose ex-
penses as host, expenses confined entirely to the
rites of hospitality are rcckoned at Tl500O0; not
remarks Mr. Disracli in his jaunty way, "a very
considerable amount" Considerable not, it is
the people of India who have got to pay it, This is
a point which Mr. Dsracli is understood to have car
red against much opposition from his own Cabinet
and others notably from Lord Salisbury, Secretary
OF State for India. Lord Salisbury has steadily
maintained that no part of the cost OF tins Journey
was properly charccable to India. At one time there
was idea ,r. Dsrae himself is believed TO have
entertained it, of making India pay the whole This
was finally voted shabby; too shabby for people to
stand and n compromise agreed on by which
the Imperial Treasury pays all the bills except what
the Viceroy actually spends in the rites of hcspi-
tality" Lord Salisbury yielded reluctantly even
SO much, and gossip says was to mollfy the stern
Marquis that the Prince OF Wales this week sent him
| word he would come and dine with him.
There remains the most serious question of all
presents. We have had il hotly debated i'll the pa
pers whether the Prince should, according to Oren-
tai custom, receive and give presents. VIII nOtde-
tain you with the pros and The pros have car
red the day. but il is not made quite clear how far
| the Prince is to conform TO what Mr.. Disrae de-
scrbes as the arrangement now prevailing In
lndaD The arrangement is that Z" if present is
the Viceroy, that present is yielded up to the Gov
eminent: that it is dealt with by particular de-
partment of the State that it is sold Ia laugh and
the proceeds of the sale placed to the account of the
Government" Mr.. Disraeli does not say this Will be
done in the case of the Prince. All he says is 1t
shall be done quietly, that details shall not be en-
tered into and it is hoped there will he no discus
sion about 1T. But the Prince is to have S3Oo,O0O
of public money for personal expenses and presents
1t can hardly be supposed he will keep the presents
he receives while those he gives paid for by the
State The estimate of 100000 is said to be
pretty close calculation of what the final charge on
the Treasury will be, after deductng the sums OBJ
tanned by the sale Of the gifts to the Prince The
example of the Duke of Edinburgh is not to be taken
az a precedent. Illnatured people hint that the
Duke,s presents in Australia and elsewhere paid
for by the public while the proceeds OF those he ac-
cepted went into his own pocket But let us hope
that is not true.
The custom by which presents of equal value are
exchanged between great personages, seems absurd
cnough to u.s. but not to Orientas. Ii is deeply
rooted Mr. Disrael tells us, in Oriental and particu-
larly in Indian life that spite of its corruptng infi-
ence neither the East India Company nor the Gov
eminent Of the Queen has found it possible to exti-
guish it. What they have actually done, have
already stated. What the Prince is expected to do,
is vaguely but sonOrously stated. He will visit i'm
mense populations he will be the guest Of many
chiefs and rulers; he will be brought into contact
with at least 80 reignng sOvereigns and he must
be placed in position TO exercise those spontaneous
fecngs-so characteristic of his nature-of generos-
iy and spendor, which the character of the country
likewise requires to be gratifcd." Can you believe
that people are found TO cavil at this arrangement
to intimate that the Prince ought to exercise his
| Fall |,