New-York tribune., 1874-06-10
BRITISH TOPICS.
PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

RoOM-A MEMENTo OF THE CZAR's VISIT.
FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBuYE.l
LONDON May 2S.-Gen. Schenck's return to the
Court Of st. James next week has been foretold
Whether he will come back married
Dr unmarried is question which greatly interests
.ome Of his friends and one on which there is con-
lict of testimony. cannot discover that the inter
Dsts of the United States have suffered in Gen.
absence. The two little back rooms IN
Westminster Chambers which do dnty as United
States Legation have been in Mr.. Morans charge in
stead of Gen. Schenck's Bnt as Mr.. Moran, Charge
dAaircs gets only half the salary of Gen. Schenck,
Minister Plenipotentary, the American tax
payer has been positive gamer by
Gen. Schencks trip to the United states
1t would be impossible TO suppose that Gen. Sehenck
had been drawing pay Minister to DAYTON, ONO
suppose the State Department and Americans gem
orally are quite satisfied with the two back rooms
in Westminster and with the modest house IN Ureat
Cumberland place which comprise all there Is Oh
American soil IN England. If a foreign country Is
TO be judged by the style aud spendor 1t keeps up III
this. the first city in Europe the United States may
claim to be little tonly little superior to Guate-
mala about on level with Sweden, and distinctly
inferior to Belgium. For vanites of this sort the
good Republican may not care, but then would
propose to him this dilemma: either abolish the Le-
CATION or put il on suitable footing No doubt we
can do our business after fashion through the post
with consdl to help, and special agent
tauthOrized to charge cab-hlre from ms
lodgings to Downing-st) for special emer-
gencies. Or we could do it as other Great
Powers do. by having Legation not unworthy
Of the country, and paying Minister salary enough
to live on as other Ministers live. Either OF these
two methods would be logical. own think the
latter would be the best here and in at least four
other European capitals. In country where social
influences powerful as here we lose more than
we have any notion of by voluntarily taking an in
ferior social position in appearance. We could afford
10 take none at ALL but the present half and half
sort of arrangement Is neither efficient nor credita-
Bile. of course am speaking of the legation alb
stractly and not of Gen. Scbenck personally, whose
ability in the most delicate negotiations any recent
Minister has had to conduct have before this eulo-
gized, as have Mr.. MCran's long and valuable and
unrewarded services.
Some Of the London papers mention the fact that
Mr. Bancroft our Minister at Berlin, has created
fund of $1,000 the interest TO be expended in as
sistng young Americans in their studies at CONT
mental high schools. The statement is probably no
news in America, but the historians grateful recol-
lection OF his scientific debt TO German universities
is looked on here as one of the things both cred
itable to Mr.. Bancroft and characteristic of him
an American.
The report of Mr.. Bancroft Davis's appointment
at Berlin TO succeed Mr.. Bancroft has already made
its way into English print, but there are as yet no
growls. The average journalist has probably for
gotten the name of the Geneva diplomatist to whom
he once attributed the invention of the indirect
claims, and whom he used 10 attack SO savagely.
And Just possible that before the noble animal
begins to switch his tail he may remember that the
affair is of his.
The echoes of that drawing-room. where the
Duchess looked on iucognita and in bonnet, seem
never to die away. There were other stories than
those about the Duchess and the great baek-har
quarrel quarrel that at time bade fair to rival
in Importance the Jenkinsear question, which ap-
pears and reappears in the pages of Carlyles
Frederick That the Queen is of very rigid views IN
questions of domestic morals, we have long known.
thentic tale attest:
lady, whom will call Mrs. b., announced TO
her friends that she going TO he presented at
this last Drawing Misunderstanding that her
daughter was getting of age TO come out, and
that for her daughters sake she would overcome her
own dislike or indifference TO the ceremony. But
Mrs. B. declared at the time that she would be
presented by nobody but the Duchess of-let us say
c.; Duchess known to be intimate personally with
the Queen as well as TO have held high post the
royal household. Mrs. BIS position and that Of
ber husband is such that her friends re-
garded her presentation as thing OF
course and only wondered there should be so much
talk about it in advance. But the day came and
passed. and Mrs BIS name was not in next mornings
list of those presented. What had happenedi To
ask Mrs. B. was delicate matter, but there was no
reason why the Duchess should not be questioned
and to the Duchess flew Mrs. BE friends. "Why
did YOU not present Mrs. B.i" queried they. To
whom responded the Duchess, "Well, it's true !
promised to present Mrs. b., and such a wicging
have bad for il from the Queen I'm not likely to
forget The Queen sent for me the day before, held
up the card Oh which was Mrs. BIS name and mine
as her sponsor, and said: Duchess, how could you
undertake to bring Mrs. B. to the Drawing Room
Do you forget that Mrs. B. has once been at my
Court as Mrs. A., aud that Mr.. A. lis still living =
And when began some sort Of answer, Her Majesty
stopped me with There is absolutely nothing 70
be said. That fact is fnal.' i got away as best
could, and now you know why did not present
Mrs. b."
There are doubtless Americans who will recognize
the persons whom / have disguised with fictitious
initials for they are all eminent. / shall give no
other clue to them except TO say that the divorce in
question was legally and regularly obtained by Mrs
b. from her former husband. This fact may give
rise to the question whether the Queen, who is
reekoned anything but High Church, entertains
High Church and Roman Catholic views this
particular question of divorce. There were, how
ever circumstances connected with the divorce
which ght give color TO a different explanation.
The last memento of the Cars visit that has been
made public his gift TO the police. Orrather to
dry police officers The superintendent of the di-
visions doing special duty in the Emperors behalf
get the sum of 25 each inspectors of the same $40
each privates nothing. The number of superin-
tendents and inspectors cannot be very large and II