27 MAY 1876, Page 3

The City entertained the Prince and Princess of Wales yester-

day week with great magnificence. Guildhall was enclosed in a sort of palace of wood, improvised to accommodate the extraordinary number of guests invited for the ball. The Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of Connaught, the Duke of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Teck also honoured the Lord Mayor's invitation. Guildhall has hardly secured so many of the Royal Family at once sinoe the days of George swarm of stalwart sons and exuberant daughters. The Prince of Wales spoke well,—simply and unaffectedly. There is one lesson to be learned from all his Royal Highness's utterances on India, which it is to be hoped will have the effect that it is obviously intended to have on the class of "mean whites" in both Services who think it exhibits British "spirit" to speak of the natives of India as "niggers." That lesson is the great respect which is expressed in such sentences as these,—" I cannot sufficiently ex- press my thanks to the Native Princes and the Native population for the way in which they received me. It would have been, perhaps, but natural if, being of a different nationality and a different religion from us, they had received me in a lukewarm manner ; but although it is not in the Eastern nature to receive Europeans with that enthusiasm which is the custom of our Northern climes, I was received with a kindness which left a lasting impression on my mind, and which afforded a sure sign and proof that the Indian Empire is not disloyal to the Queen of these realms." These sentences show the instinct of Royal race, as well as the temper of a thorough-bred gentleman.