New-York tribune., 1875-02-26
BRITISH TOPICS.
NOTES FROM LONDON.

AMERICAN CLUB.
ryRon THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRiDonA' |
LONDON Feb. Ill am afraid the REFORM oiuU
meetinc has not done much to heal the divisions IN
Aha ronls Of the Liberal party Those who stayed |
awav from that meeting-andt they were the great ma
ioritv bofh in numbers and position-dont seem 10 |
hold themselves bound by Its acts, except IN
formal way Every day widens the gangway. Inc |
Radicals and Wings have hardly an opinion IN COM
mon on future questions. The wings, IL ls true
have got control for the present. The Radicals
ace well enough that there is not much
use in pilot SO long as you let your
ship drift with the tide, and they tmnk
the Marquis of Harrington as good man at drlit-
ing as nybody who could be chosen. But there Is
nothing like hearty allegiance to hum on the part Oh
advanced Liberals. That was shown atthe meeting
nv the determined resistance offered by some OF
them to the resolution which the Harrington wing
meant to propose, recognizing the Marquis as the
future leader of the party. There would have been
row il that had not been withdrawn. and another
substituted, simply requesting him to assume the
duties of leader in the House OF Commons. Ihs
really buds nobody beyond this session. The 70
pugnance felt by Lord Hartington's supporters 10
his election by party caucus was very strong'
hear that one of them-a man OF high rank IN the
party-reped to the invitation In something IKE
these terms: my dear -: You ask me, in the
know, to attend meeting at a club to which DO
not belong convened for a purpose which, In my
Judgment it has no authority to accomplish" And
he declined to co. His view, no doubt, was that the
matter should have been settled by Lord Granville.
with the help of half dozen Of his nearest relations
Among those things which no fellow can be ex-
pected to understand is the closing of the
theaters by the Lord Chamberlain on Ash
Wednesday. / find, on referring to my faith
full American Cyclopedia, that Ash Wednesday
is the first day of Lent and that the fathers
of the Church-Yho are to be carefully
distinguished from the Pilgrim Fathers the
Father of his Country-called it ash day, in alusion
to the custom of sprnking the head with ashes
This custom, think may state with confidence, is
not now generally observed in England. But in the
Roman Catholic Church on this day the priest marks
the sign of the with ashes on the foreheads OF
the people, repeating certain Latin words which.
being translated, signify Remember man, that thou
art dust and into dust shalt return Inever this
myself. The Lord Chamberlain wishes. suppose,
to impress the same admonition on the public and
the theatrical profession. The means he takes are
peculiar. Dramatic performances are suspended.
it Is said by one Journal pursuant to the legislative
enactment of pious ancestry But think this is
smistake Dramatic performances go on all over
England on Ash Wednesday, excepting under the
jurisdiction Of the astonishing functionary who goes
by the name of Lord Chamberlain You may see play
in Liverpool OF Birmingham, but not in London.
Nor is it quite clear where the Lord Chamberlain
draws the line in London. Hamlet is forbidden at
the Lyceum and so is the PantOmlme at Drury
Lane. But Drury Lane is permitted to open its
doors for an Ethiopian minstrel breakdown, while
Mr.. Henry Irving is strictly forbidden to give
dramatic reading at the Lyceum. Possibly the fact
that the negro minstrels-here they are called
..sx. ~11,..., -.
cork connects itself in the Lord Chamberlans mind
with the sprinkling Of ashes Messrs. Maskeyne
and Cooke the ugglers, have to close their hail. but
Bullocks Royal MariOnettes appear TO give ex-
hibItiOns without hinderance. And you can spend
the whole day, if you like, at Madame Tussaud's,
with the privilege of contemplating life-like models
of Sir Samuel Baker and the Duchess of Edinburgh,
the two still moro recent efigies of the Rev.
Henry Ward Beeeher and Dr. Kenealy.
Naturally enough, the theatrical profession begins
to grow restive under this oaprcious and absurd re-
straint remOnstrance was addressed last week |
to the Lord Chamberlain signed by some five hund- |
red persons dependent the theaters for their live
hhood The Lord Chamberlains edct deprives |
them, many of them, of wages they i'll afford
to ese. Bet it elected reply, and am told it |
was considered "impertinent." did not see any |
thing mpertinent in it, 1t may not have been the
best considered document IN the world but there is
no doubt the profession, and the public also have
real grievance. The Lord Chamberlain can remove
it, and should suppose he would rather do it grace
fully than under the pressure of Parliamentary
question and answer. His is just of those offices
which-so far as its theatrical jurisdiction
lis likely to survive so long it does not challenge
too close inquiry.
Indirectly, moreover, his Lordshiphas contributed
to much wider reform The HOlborn Amphithes
ter being closed for theatrical purposes granted
for a meeting to promote the opening of the ma
tional museums, galleries and libraries ON Sundays
The Chairman remarked that the lessee, NJ. Hol |
ngshead was able to give them the of his thea
ter because by the exercise of ridiculous authority
he was prevented from opening it that evening for
the usual purposes. although at little distance
east or west. much more Objectionable entertain
ments permitted. This meeting crowded |
one, and on the stage sat number of members of |
Parliament and clergymen. Mr. p. A. Taylor, |
who has had charge of this question in |
the House of Commons, not present
but sent letter. With his usual good |
sense Mr. Taylor declares himself against
making an annual motion for this purpose. 1t is
question that must be fought in the constituencies
can assure you" writes Mr.. Taylor, that large
majority of members would be perfectly ready to
vote for u.s. they sure they could do so safely
This does not at all assume that the majortes are
against u.s. but the fact Is, every member knows
that in voting for he will offend a section t may
be an altogether Insignificant one in respect of
numbers of the electors; while if he votes against
u.s. the great body of the Liberals will judge him by
some other test question than the Sunday question.
/ notice a great change in opinion this question
among Dissenters of the more orthodox type but
it is outside the House that this question has still
hof