Richard Wellesley , the Governor General between 1797 â `` 1805 , helped in the growth of the city and its public architecture . This led to the description of Calcutta as `` The City of Palaces '' . Richard Wellesley , the Governor General between 1797 â `` 1805 , was largely responsible for the growth of the city and its public architecture which led to the description of Calcutta as `` The City of Palaces '' .