The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-02
OANADA's NOMINAL RULERS.
The Governors General and What
They Cost the Taxpayera


4hCy SOSJ bn0 IdXpay6TS
From the Nelo York Tribune
OTTAWA, Sept. 25.-Lcrd Stanley's pro-
| longed absence from the capital and his
expensive jaunts through the country from
one end TO the other have once more started
the question whether it pays to import a
| governor general from England. The vice
regal establishment has proved an expen-
siVe luxury In the past, and is likely to
do SO as long as governors general are chosen
from a class Of the English nobility
who prefer spending the country's
money to their own. The MARQUIS
| of Lorne, during his term as governor
general, received $4,000 a year, and his
pleasure trips cost the Dominion S22, 724 80
dis journey to British Columbia ran away
with Sl1, TAI 80 of the public money, and
| the picnic to the north west territories
$l0,9S3. He received, besides his salary of
$4,000 a year, an allowance of $1,000 IA
year for expenses. The maintenance of
Rideau hall, the vice-regal residence, also
represents large sum yearly in the
statistics.
| Lord Dufferin was a still more costly
luxury TO this struggling, Impoverished
young nation than the son-in-law of the
| queen and his bride. the queens daughter.
Besides his salary of $50 900 year, S., 600 a
| year allowance for travelling expenses and
the big Rideau hall annual ill, he mana ged
to get away with not less than $43, OF 90 in
various pleasure trips at the cost of the
overwhelmed taxpayers Ho took four
trips in all-the first to Muskoka, the second
to British Columbia, the third 10 Manitoba
and the fourth to the eastern town
| ships. The Muskoka excursion was
| pretty expensive one, representing
sum drawn from the national treasury
amounting to $14, 1888 30. The jaunt to the
Pacific slope will long be remembered. His
excellency managed on that occasion to run
| up bills which Canada had to liquidate in
good currency to the extent of $l7,554 25.
The Manitoba progress was hugely enjoyed
| by the vice-regal pleasure seekers, and left
the dominion cash box 80, IT'S 45 the lighter.
| The last If the series, the run down to the
eastern townships, was short and COM
| paratively mex Jensive one, the expenditure
| being kept within the modest Limits Of ST.
| 500 81.
Lord Lansdowne was model Of thrifty
management, ard, unlike the orthodox
| pattern of governor general, paid his way
Being naturally Of an economical turn of
mind, and having learned under the
pressure of diminished rent-rolls ia ireland
the necessity of living on comparatively
hard tack, he set himself seriously to the
solution of the problem Of how to live rent
| free for $50, 900 a year, and succeeded
The trips he took to different parts of the
dominion were betrayed entirely out of his
| pay as governor general.
Lord Stanley is a princely sort of person
| age, accustomed all his life to pay his bills
| by drafts on the national treasury He has
drawn salaries ever since he entered public
| life as a member of a tory government He
is not spendtnrift or a debluches, and in
return for his wages he performs the duties
expected of him as well as he knows h0v.5
But he keeps up tolerablv large household
OF people. whose principal trouble ia life
seems how TO Kill time; and if his travelling
bills do not exceed his allowance very
largely, the people who have to fad the
money will be very agreeably surprised.
If his excellency, her ladyship and the vice.
regal establishment spent their money il
Ottawa, or fair proportion of it, there
would not be 50 much grumbling as there is
at present in the capital OF the dominion, at
the cost of that very expensive, and, as
some are saying, useless luxury, an English
governor general OF Canada.
A significant proof Of popular sentiment
is furnished by the fact that throughout
their excellencies' triumphant progres in
special train through Canada, bound for the
far west and the Pacific, not single
Canadian newspaper has taken the trouble
to send correspondent along. Their names
are hardly ever mentioned There IS rarely
even a telegram announcing their stop
page or doings. Nine-tentns of the people
of Canada do not at this moment even know
where the governor general and his stately
wife are. The general understanding Is
that they are somewhere west, picnickng
on a sort Of deadhead special Canadian
Pacific railway train at the public expense;
but there is not the least curiosity on the
subject. Nobody cares the least bit about
them. To this state Of complete Indifference
Lord and Lady, Stanley have b ought the
people Of Canada within the brief 'pace of
a year.