New-York tribune., 1911-12-17

while the other Is the Diwan-i-Khas. or
Hall of Private Audience, consisting of
a pavilion Of white marble, in the interior
of which the art OF the Moguls reached
perfection in its jewel-like decoration.
on a marble platform rises a marble
pavilion the fiat -coned roof of which Is
supported by double row of marble pill
| lars The inner face of the arches Of
the spandrils and pilasters which support
them are covered with flowers and foli-
age of delicate design and dainty execu-
ton. crusted with green serpentine, blue
lapis-lazu and red and purple porphyry.
1t is in this hall that the famous inscrip-
ton. IF a Paradise be in the face of the
earth, II is this, IT is this. It Is this" still
exists in Persian characters. At the
time Of the Delhi Durbar held in Janu-
airy. 1903. to celebrate the proclamation
these two halls were used as throne
room and as a ballroom. and their fun
beauty was brought out by the electric
lights shining through the marble grill
work.
King George has plenty of precedent
for retransferring the capital of INDIA
from Calcutta to Delhi For instance
the present Mikado changed, in 1851 the
seat of his government and the metropo-
lis of Japan from Kioto to Toxic, on the
Bay of Yeddo. Peter the Great trans
ferrcd the metropolis of Russia from
Moscow TO St Petersburg. at the mouth
Of the Neva. two hundred years ago In
7 order that he might have "a window to
look out upon Europe" Since my boy
hood the capital of Italy has been trans
ferred from Turin to Florence, and then
in 1870 TO Rome. The capital OF the
United States has. since the declaration
of its independence, been transferred
! from Philadelphia TO Annapolis ana
| from the latte place TO Washington.
Alfonso XIII of Spain is credited with
project which many Of his leading
statesmen and subjects indorse, that of
transferring the capital from Madrid to
Barcelona a city which is larger, richer
and in every respect more important ana
Influential than the present metropolis.
Moreover, 1t is much more salubrious,
Madrid having an evil reputation as the
most unhealthful big city Of the Old
World. 1t would not be the first time
that Spain has changed her capital,
which was formerly established at To-
ledo. China is now reported to be con-
sdering the advisability of changing her
capital from Peking to Marking. Slams
capital, now at Bangkok. was formerly
at Ayuthia. The Commonwealth of
Australia has at length. after no end of
discussion, decided to construct a new
metropolis at Dalgetty, transferring
thither the federal offices and Parlia
ment from Sydney and from Melbourne.
Perhaps the most extraordinary change
of capital that has ever taken place was
the transfer by the Hindustani ruler Jey
Singh ii of his capital to JeypOre. some
two hundred years ago His Olden capt.
tai, Ambir, inclosed in a narrow gorge
Of the Kalikho Mountains a city of ex-
quisite marble palaces and fairylike
temples, on the borders of a black and
gloomy lake, is now entirely deserted,
save for monkeys and snakes, the streets
being invaded everywhere by tropical
verdure, so that It conveys the impress
sion of a phantom city of the Arabian
Nights" or a series Of enchanted castles
and temples in the fairy tale of The
Sleeping Beauty" The marble turrets
have the yellowish tint Of old ivory and
the walls are still ornamented with
glded balconies-all this among a set
ting of unrestricted tropical vegetation.
EX-ATTACHE.