PROCLAMATION OF THE QUEEN’S NEW TITLE OF EMPRESS IN INDIA.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4873, 3 November 1876, Page 3

PROCLAMATION OF THE QUEEN’S NEW TITLE OF EMPRESS IN INDIA.

’ i (From the Friend oj India, 'August, 26.) ’ 1 . . The proclamation tamed by .the, “Viceroy, last week, intimating an imperial' assemblage at Delhi on next New Year’s day.to , proclaim abroad her Majesty’s aspumj/tlozi.of'tho title of EmprCsa, is a-singularly perfeeTdodnmfijit,. . Having'aH'AeTomality' and fullhesTreqhisite, .without a sentence, word whose omission would.be a grace or - a gain to it.--It is in consequence - as Stately and dignified as it is ’ graceful < and /gracious; >. The i proclamation will he heartily welcomed. Even those who from the first .doubtedl this- wisdom; of the assumption of. ,the anew.. title—and- 1 we ' were among the number —now »that ' it has been adopted, ; are ready enough. to’ -admit'that ‘the event ought to receive as/much significance ascan be given it in-India far. of India. It seems to;': us that; Ministers Were' perhaps a little ashamed of what they/had' done,-that’ now that the title has been made legal> they deiired to/hayo’;- done: with' the!! matter, find' wished it to glide into ; use with a» little Sound and! ceremony.i;as- possible. It '<has -been decided otherwise, .and'thelist of January is' chosen as the proclamation day, so that the Queen will; formally ' don her new - ! digdity m India with the mSwiye&rV U ftlT.'.K ' < *»•« - The assemblage! will- be an* Imperial"one. English Governors os Well as those princies, s chiefs, and nobles iin whose quity of the past is associated - with' the pro-' sperity of the present, iind who soWorthily contribute,to-the splendur.andstability of this ' great Empire,” are invited.; /They are hot all immensely ancient, neither immensely-pro-' sperous, nor does every one of therh ’efintribute’ greatly to the stability; of.the’Empire—biif all may be admitted to contribute, When they’are dressed, something; to its! Splendor.! -'Every ruler who acknowledges the Empress as his,, superior will be there in person oriby fit representative, and will acknowledge* 1 that ho ,is f either a servant J of the Empress,'or holds'his state as a fief of the Imperial Crown. (By the way, ought there not' to bo an Imperial, Crown of India ? : The design would afford amijsing occupation for the' leisure of the Earl of Beacoasfield, and the jewels and gold wohlj

■be offered with gladneea, by lu<h!J n princes). iWe said the other,day that the 'lnhperial.title, ivyas bnt the explicit .recognition!.ofi implicit ; relations that have, come. gradually aud uaturally into existence, but we would hope that, it may be more; than ,th^t,-and jthatiit may, really be itself a power to draw those .relations, closer than,‘ever, A skilful .diplomatist like ;Lord Lytton may, it ,ho .chooses, as,he doubt-, less will, make the. Dellji semblage to weld the parts of the Empire more closely and firmly into one stable mass. And ; might it not be a favorable opportunity for 1 dropping into the minds of the feudatories; -the idea ,of ; that; regular .Council of,‘’Princes which in the future wifi be a great feature of ’our . Empire? The Moghul capital is fitly ‘chosen »«the scene of the proclamation!' ‘ The i assemblage there will probably . ; be one of the ’most magnificent : ever held in India. It is | difficult for us who are to take part 'in the ! pageant to ’ comprehend its true historical imiportance. We can’see that it may be made a {not unfit consummation of the progress of (British power in India u'p to the present time, Ibutr.withbuti the gift of prophecy it is im'possible- to say what -historic signiheance it ’may-bear in' future ' centuries.’ That' will deperiii bn the destiny of'the British .power in (India!’ Will it stand-‘forth in history as 1 the culminating point of that power, or ;be remembered -as a fresh starting point, lor rather a 1 new and ’ broader basis for 'future achievement ? However that may .be, we have .no doubt it will be a spectacle for the world, it may be,one of the grandest of its kind the world has seen. The gathering -will be sub THvo in the open plain. In,a semicircle round the Viceroy will he grouped daises representing the different* provinces.' A strong ■ military force will’stand behind the throne. The Viceroy, having just completed his tour round the North-west frontier, will pass fr rn Bombay to the Imperial city about Ch’iatmas. The pageantry will last till New! Year’s day, when the proclamation will be made. We have not heard, blit we presume that arrarige'raenta will be made to have the proclamation made aimu’taneously at every, important place throughout the Empire. • It has been intimated that special arrangements will be made for the entertainment of leading. Indian journalists, native and European, and we welcome the announcement chiefly because it seems to be a recognition of the position and claims of the Indian Press, which would Have been impossible liqder the former reginid, Such recognition', is all the more creditable to Lord Lytton that the AngloIndian Press has not been sparing in criticism since he assumed the reins of Government.