OUR NEW GOVERNOR.

Evening Star, Issue 3240, 9 July 1873, Page 3

OUR NEW GOVERNOR.

Writing of Sir James, the Press's Wellington correspondent says:—“ He has, of course, already had the pleasure of meeting an enormous number of the citizens at that interesting performance called a levee , and no doubt he will meet the remainder at the ball, by which time probably he will have seen enough of them. Lady Fergusson, emulating her lord, has been making the acquaintance of the Wellington ladies at a “drawing-room” at Government House; but the result has not been to create harmony in private circles. A shocking mess was made in issuing the private invitations to the le.V'C, but it was as nothing compared with the outrageous distribution of the invitations to the drawing-room. In the first place, people who had hitherto been excluded from Government House altogether, found themselves honored with special invitations, while others, who had been habitude of that establishment, and flatter themselves upon being the creme de la creme of society (they or their fathers having mads successful speculations in oats, or what not) were horrified at being left to pay their respects to Lady Fergusson whh the vile herd. An unfortunate mistake too was committed in sending a card of invitation to a lady who, on account of the equivocal position in which she stands towards a certain gentleman in an official position, has hitherto been a stranger to the halls of Government House ; and, in consequence, a few ladies refrained from attending the drawing-room, while many more expressed their intention of doing so, but lacked the courage to car: y it into effect. Then, too, the carious, raking up precedents, have discovered that Lady Fergusson is not entitled to hold a drawingroom at all, this privilege being reserved for the wives of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Viceroy of India, and of the GovernorGeneral of Canada. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, the new Governor has produced a decidedly favorable impression, and is said by those who have come into contact with him officially to be a thorough man of business, For example, it was customary in dir George Bowen’s time to give the Governor no intimation beforehand of the nature of the ordinary business to be laid before the Executive Council; but Sir James Fergusson, immediately upon his arrival, gave instructions that he should be furnished with copies of all papers, &c., a day beforehand.