A Revised and Enlarged Account of the Bobbili Zemindari/Chapter 11/1894
1894.
In compliance with the invitation of the Rajah, His Excellency Lord Wenlock, the Governor of Madras, came to Bobbili on the 4th October, 1894, and was accommodated at the Raj Mahal. At 3-30 p.m. the Rajah accompanied by his son paid a State visit to His Excellency the Governor, who, after a return visit to the Rajah at the palace, laid the foundation-stone of the Victoria Town Hall.
The Governor, after laying the foundation-stone, made the following reply:
"Rajah of Bobbili and Gentlemen,—
"I feel great pleasure in acceding to the request made by you, to lay the foundation-stone here in commemoration of the visit which you paid to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress when yon visited England the last year. I do not think that you could possibly commemorate this visit in a more suitable and proper manner than that in which you propose to do. It is therefore a matter of extreme pleasure and satisfaction to myself that I have been able to come here on this occasion, and perform the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of what, I trust, will be the lasting record of your loyalty to Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen-Empress, and of your devotion to her, and the loyal principles with which you and your family have always been associated. I believe this particular form which you have chosen is one most suitable to the people of this country. They will find in this building, which you are about to erect, opportunities of meeting on occasions when their deliberations can be properly accompanied by suitable surroundings, such as are going to be placed at their disposal as a record of not only your own loyalty, but of the generosity and interest which you feel towards ameliorating the condition of your own people. It is for these and other reasons that I am pleased to be here this afternoon, and I shall be glad to send home an account of my visit here, and to assure all those at home who have, as I have, a lively interest in all matters connected with this country, an assurance that they will find, here in Bobbili, a nobleman, who is anxious to do his duty to all by whom he is surrounded, and who is anxious to prove on all occasions his loyalty and affection to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress. With these words I can do no more than congratulate you on this auspicious occasion, and I trust it will not be long before the building is erected which will be a lasting record of events, which have been of such satisfaction and gratification to yourself, and to those who are, as I am, interested in the welfare and well-being of the people of this country."
At the entertainment given at the Raj Mahal, His Excellency the Governor proposed the Rajah's health in return thus:— "Rajah, Ladies and Gentlemen, — I have to thank you, Sir, very much indeed for the kind manner in which you have proposed my health, and those who have also received what you have proposed just now in an extremely touching manner. I can only say for myself that it is a matter of extreme pleasure to me that I have been able to respond to the invitation that you have been kind enough to extend to me some time ago, viz., that I should come to Bobbili towards the end of this year to lay the stone which I had the honour of doing this afternoon. * *
" * * * Here is a town and an estate administered in the most excellent and most practical manner. I gather, from every source which is open to me to obtain information from, that the people of this country are happy and enjoying themselves in quiet and prosperity, and that you keep a special watch and special guard over their interests in a most special manner. On behalf of Government I can only express my sincere thanks for the manner in which you look after all those in whom you are interested, and amongst whom your work is cast. The ceremony that I had the honour of being present at this afternoon was a specially interesting one, as it was one commemorating the visit which you yourself paid to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress, when you were in England; it is one which will hand down to posterity a record of that visit, and specially of the loyal spirit which was predominating in your own mind at the time when you paid your visit to that country. I think I may safely say that, in the Northern Circars, Landlords and Zemindars of this country are animated by the same spirit which animated you, and if, at any time, their fortune should be so great that they should be able to pay their respects, in the same manner as you did, to Her Majesty the Queen-Empress, they will be actuated by the same feelings of loyalty and devotion to the British Crown as you yourself, Sir, possess. I do not know if it is necessary for me to say anything more than, on behalf of Government, to thank you for the extremely kind hospitality which you have extended to us, and which has made our visit so very comfortable and so very enjoyable.
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On the morning of the 5th His Excellency visited the Monumental Pillar, which was erected on the site of the ruined fort by the present Rajah in 1891; and also laid the foundation-stone of the Samasthanam Gosha Hospital, on behalf of Her Excellency Lady Wenlock.
The Governor, after laying the stone, replied to the Rajah's address in the following manner:— "Rajah,—I can only express to you my great pleasure in acceding to the request which you have made that I should attend to the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of this hospital, and at the same time of assuring you of the great regret which Lady Wenlock feels at not being able to be present here and perform the ceremony which I have just undertaken.
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"Your own family has contributed largely in this particular direction. The Gosha Hospital at Madras, the gift, almost the entire gift of the Rajah of Venkatagiri, shows very well how keenly the members of your family take interest in this particular matter. The foundation of this institution here shows that you yourself are as keenly alive to the interests of those unfortunate women of this country, who, up till now, have received so little support. I hope this institution, when it is once started, will be the means of affording relief and comfort to a very large number of women of this country and this town; and that other bodies and private individuals, who come to see the good work here done, will not hesitate to follow your excellent example.
"I have only to express the pleasure I have had in being here, and to congratulate you on the extremely good example you have set to others, who, like yourself, are responsible for the well-being of such a large number of persons."
The Governor left Bobbili for Vizianagaram the same evening.
The Rajah built the Gosha Hospital and the Lady Apothecary's quarters at Bobbili at his own cost, and handed them over to the District Board with a donation of Rs.20,000 for the management and up-keep of the institution. It was opened on the 3rd November, 1896, by Mr. Home, the Collector and Agent.
He contributed Rs.6,000 to the much needed choultry built in Mr. Turner's name at Vizagapatam, and attended, and took a prominent part at, the Turner's Memorial Meeting and the Opening Ceremony of the choultry which was performed by Mr. Home, the Collector of the District, in the year 1898.
1895.
In the New-Year's Day Honours Gazette, Her Majesty the Queen-Empress was graciously pleased to confer on the Rajah the Knighthood of the Indian Empire. On the 30th May the Rajah was invested, at Ootacamund, with the Insignia of the Most Exalted Order of the Indian Empire, by His Excellency the Right Hon'ble Lord Wenlock, Governor of Madras