MELBOURNE AND THE MARQUIS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2181, 24 July 1889, Page 2

MELBOURNE AND THE MARQUIS

la Melbourne no little amusement has been caused by some practioal joker poking fan at the leaders of fashion m the city over their presumed disappointment at the refusal of the Marquis of Lome to accept the Governorship of the colony. He issued a printed circular, purporting to be signed by Sir William Clarke, the Mayor, Sir Geo. Verdon, eto., etc., convening a meeting to discuss the subject. The '* Age " was sold by the hoax, and made the following grave announcement :— " A hovel movement has lately been sat on foot by a number of gentlemen m the city, who are manifesting great anxiety to secure as successor to riir H. D. Loch m the Governorship of Victoria the Qaeen's son-in-law, the Marquis of Lome. A meeting of those sympathise ing m the movement will be held m the Mayor's room, m the Town Hall, tomorrow afternoon, when the question for discussion will be the best means oi securing the services of the Most Noble the Marquis of Lome as Governor of this colony. Representations, doubtless, are to be made to the Imperial authorities of the 'great benefits' whioh will be ushered m by the appointment of a Marquis who is allied to the Royal House as Governor of the Colony, and they will be aisked to bring all the pressure possible to bear npon the Marquis to accept the position. The circular announcing the meeting for to-morrow is almost as unique as the movement itself, seriously suggesting, as it does* the raising of a private subscription list and guarantee fund to augment the present ' small salary ' of £10,000 a year, at whioh the Marquis seems to fight shy. 'It is understood,' the. circular says, ' that his Royal Highness is naturally somewhat averse to accept the position by reason of the smallness of the salary,* and the good people of Victoria, aB ft recompense for the lightening of their pockets, are told 'that the presence amongst us of a person of such exalted rank, together with the Princess Louise, the second daughter of our beloved Qaeen, will strengthen the ties which exist between the Mother Country an 4 her colonies, and be a refuudg influenoe of high social value.' " There has beß& a great deal of laughing over the sell.