The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-21

TnIl-The Princess Louise's Dowry-DemO-
nnted-Mrs. NathanIoI Hawthorne : Robert
BrOwnlDg's New POem-OarwIn and the De-
scent oi Mah-rhe Stage, Etc.
From Our Orn Correspondent
LONDON, March 4, 1871.
Wonders will never cease. An aLle letter In
last nights Pail Mall Gazette points out feature
of the Alabama claims which is certainly i'm
portant, and yet has not, think been remarked
upon before. Who aods IL that suffered by the
Alabama? Who are the persons to receive the
money, if it is decided that we are to pay?
The ship-owners But ships, we know, usually
have several and often have many owners and
it is probable that not few of these part
owners were Engshmen, and some Germans
and Frenchmen. The shippers? Hardly; for
then, as now, everybody sent cargo to sea in
sured, and so made himself absolutely safe in
advance. The underwriters, then No; for as
soon as Confederate cruisers were known to be
: about, the underwriters raised their premiums
10 the level of the risk, and are
shrewdly suspected to have, as
matter of fact, made more by the
increased premiums than they lost by captures.
And, assuming for the moment that we are
liable for the damage done by the Alabama she
had some consorts for whose acts we are admit
tedly not answerable and how you to dis
tlnguish the effect these had in raising premiums
from the effect produced by the Alabama in
particular? Still, ships and cargoes are not cap
tured or burned without somebody being loser.
Who are these somebodies? Primarily, all per-
sons, of whatever nationality, who owned the
property submitted to the risk of destruction;
and, secondarily, customers of the Northern
States all over the world, who either had to do
without Northern produce or pay more for it.
The writer's conclusion Island it is one to set
us all thinking-that, practically, "as against
the Northern States the naval effect of the war
was by the escape of the Alabama to some ex-
tent aggravated; but that the pecuniary effect
cannot now be traced to individuals and if it
were so traced would be found to have been by
no means exclusively American" The question
is interesting to you, for supposing us to have
paid lump sum down, you will have to dis
tribute it.
How fond your public men are of treading
upon the British lions tall The news by cable
of the Presidents reception OfODonovan Rosa
and some of his comrades has not, indeed been
publicly commented on, but can speak for its
having caused good deal of private irritation.
few of US, you see, who have been at Wash
ington, know how much and how little "recep-
ton" at the White House need mean, but you
must be prepared to find the average Londoner
firmly convinced that going to see the President
at his official residence is all one with being
'honored with her Majestys commands" to
attend some state affair at Buckingham Palace,
and consequently that this reception of
Fenians was meant as a studied insult to us gene
rally. A trivial incident like this is fair speci-
men of the almost absurd facility with which
Englishmen d Americans blunaer into mutual
mistrust.
The first act of this session of Parliament has
just received the royal assent. 1t authorizes
her Majesty to grant the Princess Louise
annuity of 10000, to commence from the mar
riage day, and be paid quarterly. What ridi-
culous fasco that opposition to the dowry
proved Mr.. P. Taylor and his seconder stood
to count the no-dowry faction, and allured one
solitary supporter into their lobby. Mr.. Tay-
lor however seems rather jubilant than other
wise, and has grandioquently proclaimed to
his admirers that he foresees in his rather small
minority ''the beginning of the end" "All
knows is as / hadn't no dowry when married"
was the criticism of a woman who stood with
arms akimbp in the crowd as the Queen went
to open Parliament; and it just expressed,
think, the vague popular feeling on the subject
Do you imagine we are, on the whole, rather
slow folks at change? Pray run your eye over
the programme of the new democratic associa-
tion of one of our midland towns, Leicester
Here it is-election of the Prime Minister by the
people, forcible sale of uncultivated lands, uni
versal suffrage, vote by ballot triennial Parlia-
ments, the disestablishment of State Churches
and abolition of grants to royal personages and
of the hereditary House of Peers. A proposal to
call the association republican" instead of
democratic was voted down by small ma
jority. High time we trembled for our institu
tions isn't it?
The Queen has been vaccinated and wishes
the fact to be generally known. 1t looks,
at first sight, rather an odd announcement to
make semi-officially in the public prints, bat
there is an excellent reason for 1t. Though
smallpox is more rampant and terrible in Lon
don than it has been for many years, there is
still such an unreasoning, superstitious shrink
ing from vaccination among the lowest, and
even the lower middle classes, that no ordinary
persuasion will reconcile them to the operation
But once let them hear that the Queen has sub
mitted to IT, aud hundreds will be satisfied tc
bare their arms to the lancet in loyal imitation o.
royal example.
Mrs. Nathaniel Hawthornes sudden death
from attack of pleurisy is a sad shock to
fast-widening circle of English friends, who
drawn to her first perhaps for her husbandI
sake, soon learnt to appreciate her for her own
Already many of our noblest and worthiest haC
found their way to the little cottage at Kensing
ton, where the widow and her two daughter
had set up their adopted home. Notably, tn
Duchess of Argyle, future mother-in-law of ou
Princess Louise, had grasped her warmly by tn
hand and striven to make this great city feel Iik
home to her. 1t is little more than fortnigh
since | was Dresent at An Interesting meetin