The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-06 00:00:00

Erie

METROPOLITAN GOSSIP.-THURSDAY.

The Home Secretary_and the Solicitor".4-eneral, do not
seem to pull very well together. On Tuesday night
Sir John Coleridge spoke in favour of maintaining the
connection between the nine great public schools and the
National Church, whereupon Mr. Bruce with very unne-
cessary frankness, declared that his colleague spoke only
on his own account. Yesterday they were again at vari-
ance. Mr. Bruce had not made up his mind respecting
the Women's Disabilities Bill, and therefore, not
very logically, voted against it. Sir John Cole.
ridge had made up his mind, and with better reason
voted for it. The advocates of the measure are in the
highest possible spiritskas well they may he, after yester-
day's debate. Anything more weak and absurd than the
adverse speeches of Mr. Beresford Hope and Sir Herbert
Croft it would be impossible to imagine. It is now generally
reported that the House of Lords will pass the bill, for
they believe it will increase the strength of the Conser-
vative party. Thus a female Sovereign will have the
pleasure of giving the Royal assent to a bill enfranchising
her own sex.

Of other political matters there is little to say this
week. As I have predicted for some time past, Mr.
Bruce has decided not to introduce his licensing
bill. The " gallery," by the way, fell into an
error a few nights ago by asserting that the
bill had been introduced and read a first time.
Those persons who have ever made the experiment of trying
to catch what is mumbled out by the clerks at the table of
the House will readily understand that such an error was
very possible. As a matter of fact, the bill was not intro-
duced. The Elections Bill will be brought in on Monday
by the Marquis of Hartington, who is no orator, but can
make a straightforward statement. The University
Tests Bill may possibly scrape through after all,
but the prospects of the Education Bill are more gloomy
than ever. As the moderate Liberals take no part in
organising meetings for the support of this bill, they must
not be surprised if next year Mr. Gladstone yields to the
demands of the more vigorous and noisy section of the
party. The Lord Chancellor's chef d'oeuvre runs the
danger of being killed with kindness. The law lords
extolled it to the sides, and Lord Cairns, for whose
return from the continent Lord Hatherley had very
courteously waited, vied with Lord Westbury in eulo-
gising it, but neither of them had the smallest intention
of allowing it to
,pass. They found an
accomplice in the person of Lord Denman, who
has no other similarity to his illustrious father
than in name. He—this wearer of the patronymic
of a mighty judicial chief—was the bearer of
a protest of the judges against the Judicature
Bill, and he handed it to Lord Cairns. These high
functionaries are said to have treated the Lord Chan-
cellor somewhat shabbily. They were consulted by him
about the bill in the first instance, and they offered no
objection. It is therefore somewhat hard that he should
first hear of their disapprobation through a distinguished
member of the Opposition.

Some well known ladies in London are about to form
a " National Association for the Eradication of the Social
Evil." Their object is to get at the causes of this plague,
with a view to remove them ; and they think that, how-
ever women may differ about such remedial measures as
the Contagious Diseases Act, they can all unite in any
preventitive measures. Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell and Mrs.
Jacob Bright are prominent movers in the matter.
The crowd at the South Kensington Museum last night
rendered enjoyment well nigh impossible. The Society
of Arts has given many conversazioni at the South
Kensington Museum before, and they have usually been
very enjoyable. Last night it was known that
the Prince and the Princess of Wales would be present,
and the consequence was a throng of visitors, who
came not to see the various beautiful objects which the
Museum contains, not even to criticise each other's dresses,
but to mob a lady and a gentleman of royal station. The
visitors were, however, kept in pretty good order by the
white-wanded officials, and their Royal Highnesses escaped
without much damage.
There were about 1,200 rejected works at the Royal
Academy this year; that is, about as many were declined as
were admitted. I have previously mentioned the rejec-
tion of M. Desange's portraits of the Royal Family of
Italy. I am told that there is a dead set made against all
artists outside the Forty who venture to paint royalty ow
the high aristocracy. Last year Mr. Hayllar's picture of
the Duchess of St. Alban's shared the fate of
Desange's portraits, and that of the Princess. Claudine by
Mr. Sydney Hodges, this year. Outsiders may paint
bishops and city knights, and even a Lord Mayor, but
when they come to coronets and crowns the Forty es-
claim, "Prom/ este profani." This is what comes of hav-
ing a portrait painter for P.R.A. However, the portrait
painters are not the only sufferers, even so well known
an artist as Marks had one of his pieces rejected. Mr.
Weigell has been more fortunate than most of his
colleagues. His portraits of the Prince and
the Princess of Wales have been hung under
rather peculiar circumstances. A few days before
the sending-in day he wrote to the Prince that the
pictures were finished, and asked to be honoured with a
visit on the Monday or Tuesday. The Prince replied
that he could not come before Wednesday. Now,
Tuesday night west-the very latest date for sending the
pictures to Burlington Rouse, and Mr. Weigall replied
to that effect, adding that of course he would
comply with the Prince's wish, only in that
case the portraits could not be exhibited.
The Prince sent word that the artist need not be
under any anxiety, he would see that the pictures
.were accepted. Accordingly he paid his visit on the
Wednesday, and on the same evening the pictures were
forwarded to the Academy with a note from the Prince
expressing his hope that Mr. Weigall would not, be allowed
to suffer through compliance with the prince'awish..
secretary sent back the pictures to Mr. Weigall with
rather curt letter expressing surprise that he should have
expected the rules of the Academy to be set aside on his be-
half, and informing him that his works could not be exhibited
except the Queen commanded. I suppose that this last
remark was intended to hint to Mr. Weigall how he
might get out of his difficulty, for the Sovereign has by
right of the royal charter which the Academy enjoys,
the power to order any picture she pleases to be exhi-
bited. The Prince was informed of the secre-
tary's reply, and he at once went to the Queen,
and obtained the necessary mandate, and so it comes to
pass that the portraits are hung. Evidently marrying an
earl's daughter has its advantages.
Of course, artists are in a state of considerable curiosity
as to the vacant stool. At present I do not
know who will succeed Mr. Maclise, but it is
thought not improbable that Mr. Leslie will be the
fortunate man. If so, fortune will have been deserved, as
I think most persons will admit who have gazed upon his
beautiful picture of women casting flowers into the water,
In this year's Academy exhibition. This picture was
sold for £l,OOO before leaving the artist's studio.
The resignation of Mr. Edward Dicey as editor of the
Daily News has taken his friends by surprise. The
appointment was kept open for him several weeks
during his tour in the East, at the opening of the Suez
Canal , he was appointed on his own terms—a very liberal
salary, complete control of the editorial department, and
a twelvemonth's notice on either side. That he should
have left his post in three monthsseems strange. There
was, however, a good reason for doing so. The Daily
Yews belongs to twelve proprietors, who look
upon the paper not merely as an investment for
their money, but also as an organ of their individual
3pinions. Each of them had a hobby which he wished to
ride ; each of them had a bete noire which he tabooed. The
consequence was that when Mr. Dicey proceeded to put
down the hobby horses and to write up the black beasts
there were storms. The result is known. Mr. Dicey has
left Bouverie-street amid the regrets of all his colleagues.
To this I may add that Mr. Frank Hill, who
has for a long time been the chief leader-writer
of the Daily News has succeeded Mr. Dicey. I trust that
he will induce the twelve proprietors to read, mark,
learn, and inwardly digest the first verse of the third
chapter of the Epistle of St. James.
The authoress of " Mary Powell," and subequent works
at length stands revealed to the public. During his illness
the Arbishop of Canterbury read these books, and was
so charmed with them that he requested his sister, Lady
Wake, to write to Mr. Hall, the publisher, and ask to
whom he was indebted for the pleasure he had received.
The author is Miss Manning. She has, I believe, been
for many years an invalid, so that the tales have doubly
lone their soothing work of " beguiling many hours
3f illness," in the case of the writer no less than in
the case of the reader. Another anonymous writer has
recently allowed his name to be made public, Mr. W. J.
Thorns, the editor of Notes and Queries. The son of Dr.
Dasent, a lad of two or three and twenty, has joined the
reviewing staff of the Times, where his father has long
been one of the chiefs. Thepost of reviewer on the leading
(ournal is one to be envied. Four guineas a column of

"bourgeois " - type is a long price. I believe, hog,
ever, that recently the Times has reduced its
tariff. Novelists, also, occasionally get well paid.
For instance, the publisher of Miss Broughton's' earlier
works (" Cometh up as a Flower," &c.), hearing that
she was likly to send her next work to another firm, took
the express into Cheshire, and offered her £7OO before
seeing a line of the volume ; at least, such is the- story
current here, though I find that these tales seldom bear
examination so far as figures go.
Professor Masson is now paying a visit to his old
haunts and friends in London. He arrived just in tune
to witness the triumph of Mr. Jacob Bright and the lady
politicians. He has been one of the most earnest chain'
pions of women's rights, and stood up manfully—or shall
I say womaufully—for them at Edinburgh. He has good
reason to do so. They have been warm supporters of his
at Edinburgh, to the enrichment of his purse. In fact,
the Professor has made a very good thing of his professor-
ship, for though nominally worth only £2OO a year,
his private classes are so well attended both by male and
female students, that he is getting a very handsome in'
come. The professor is, by the way, a brother-in-law of
Dr. Bastian, who has been carrying on a controversy in
the Times with Professor Tyndall respecting the germ
theory of disease. Mr. Frederick Locker, wh°
aas just taken the editorial chair at the Graphic
has, I believe, been for some time on the Times
Literary staff. He was formerly engaged in OM'
merce, and was for a few years in Australia ; but he bad
always a taste for letters, and having also a good business
head, it is expected that he will make a very efficient
editor. Mr. Locker will be known to most of your
:eaders as the editor of the admirable little Book of
Lyrics," brought out in Macmillan's "Golden Treasury,"
series. By the way, the Illustrated News must look to its
,aurels. It is allowing its young and vigorous rival to beat
t not only in the quality of its illustrations, but also is
the speed with which it treats events of great public
Interest, such as the Brighton Volunteer Review.

The following are my other literary items :—Mr. Bur-
son's concluding volumes of the History of Scotland Will be
?üblished next month. A new edition of Mr. Hepworth
Dixon's " Free Russia " has, in Spite of the severe criti.
;ism in the Times, been called for, and will be issued
shortly by Messrs. Hurst and Blackett. The sec"
publishers announce " Silvia," a new novel, by Julia'
Kavanagh. " The Old Love and the New " is the
ale of Sir Edward Creasy's novel, which I spoke of man?
weeks ago. Mr. W. F. Rae, the author of the letters in
the Daily News describing the Atlantic and the Pacific
Railway, is bringing out his letters in a volume, and a
ollaborateur of his on the same paper, Mr. Parkinson,
s publishing his diary of the expedition of the Indian
telegraph. Everyone will remember the contro-
versy which took place some twenty years ag°
aetween Dr. Whewell and Sir David Brewster
with respect to the plurality of inhabited worlds ; the dis'
mission is renewed by Mr. Proctor, author of " Saturn
and its System," who to-day has out a new work entitled
" Other Worlds than Ours ; the Plurality of Worlds
studied under the light of recent Scientific Researches."
Lady Herbert of Lea has edited a translation of the
Baroness de Montaignac's Memoirs of Madame de
laliramion. The binding of Mr. Dante Gabriel
Rossetti's poems ' was designed by the author
himself. The Earl of Albermarle is writing "Be'
.niniscences," which will refer to the close of the
Regency, and the beginning of the reign of George IV
Mr. Edward Spender will have out during the present
month a book for tourists, containing chapters on NorweY,
the Ctannel Islands, Cornwall, and the Scilly Islands,
with itineraries, being partly reprints of articles,
in periodicals, partly fresh matter. Mr. Walter Thorn-
miry whose admirable " Old Stories Retold," I have men-
sioned on a former occasion, publishes in this month's
Belgravia a paper which should be included in the
next series of that work, it is entitled " Confessions of
sn Eminent Swell Mobsman," Vann by name. The dull
number of the same magazine will contain the first pert
if a new tale by Mr. Le Fanu, entitled " The Haunted
Baronet." The present number has some verses by the
editor, Mr. Charles Cheltnam.