New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-04
SOCIETY IN ENGLAND.
CEREMONY AND THE RlTUALIsTs.

lrROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TPH TRTBUNE.l
LONDON, June 21.-Alr Perrepont's views on ETH
quette met an unexpected check Monday night
Gen. Grant dined on that evening with the Prince
of Wales at Marlborough House in company with
number of distinguished percentages. l am grieved
to have to say-or whether am grieved or not, the
fact is, that the artificial precedence heretofore con-
coded to the ex-Presidcnt WAS not conceded on this
occasion. Gen. Grant went out to dlnfer among
the last. Nearly every person of rank who was
present went before him; Mr.. Perrepont himself,
am told had TO march in front of his hero But |
hone the friendly relations between the two cOun-
tries may not be nnpcrilcd by this unlpcky Incl
dent. There is hope that the former order
of things will be restored tonight when the Prince
dimes with Mr.. PierrepOnt in Cayendishsquarc.
A good deal has been made of this question OF
etiquette, as you cannot have failed to perceive.
Perhaps too much has been made Still our Minis
ter has carried his point nearly every case and in
spite of great difficulties. The result has been to
give an Importance to Gen. Grants visit, which 1t
would hardly have had otherwise and to give him
"A place in London society which, it must be said,
would never have been yielded to him Voluntarily.
There have been struggles and hcartburnlngs but
when people found they cond only have Ten.
Grant a guest on condition Of submitting to Mr..
PieIrcpOuts conditions, they submitted. But Mari
borough House is place where conditions are inn
posed, not accepted; and tie great men WHO arrange
the ceremonies OF royalty seem to have proved more
than match for Mr. PierrcpOnts pfrSeverlng
audacitv. Ii is whispered to-day that the arrange
ment of Monday was "A surprise. know not how
that may he. Blu, good many people who nave
endured, with some difficulty the stress Of the new
code which Mr. perropont set up, are rejoicing over
what they call his discontinue. Ii must be admit
| .,
feeling Some of the very people who asked
Gen. Grant 10 their houses went about
complaining Of tho Republican arrogance which
insisted on 50 much honor beng paid 10 an cx-
magistrate, who has 40 actual title to any other
honor than that of an American citiz4n and Il
stranger But don't hear OF anybody LESSER III de-
gree than Royalty itself ventunng to Resist Mr..
Pierrepont's domination. All he asks has. as rule,
been readily granted; in many eases 1t has been
granted before it was asked. The first precedent
wa, that of the dinner at the Duke of Nellngton's.
The Duke himself, / believe proposed that Gen.
Grant should. on that occasion, take IN the Duchess
similar courtesy was offered him last night at the
Matqm, OF EpOn's.
Most people who have anything TO say on the
matter understaudvcu enough hat all the urgen-
G., which has been shown proceeds from Mr. Pierre
pouf and not from Gen. Grant. But sciHe of the
comment rouse by these proceedings has. neverthe-
less fallen on Gen. Grant himself. The conment in
such cases is Ignorant but may also he. TO some eX
tent, mischcyou-. There were people who went
the length OF asserting that Nr Piercpont had
asked for invitations for Gem Grant. They wero
pr. badly people who are themselves il thq habit of
as.ing for invitations. and know all the hJi Initiation
il involves But the assertion not true. took the
liberty to put the question to Mr.. Plercpont,
and have his authority for saving that
it Is not true; tlIt Ia no case has he, OF any one
else so far as he knows asked anybody, directly
Indirectly. t. invite Cen Grant 10 dinner or to any
thing else It's not pleasant TO have to contradict
such a tale but since il has been told by one or two
people who ought to know better it is we'll that it
should be met with AL explicit denial.
Meanwhile the General fuifils his round of social
dntles which hops he finds, to some extent social
enjoyments The curiosity 20 see him. and, above
ALL 60 hear HIM talk is undiminished. A crowd
gathers wherever he is expected, or known to be-
whether in the street or in a drawine-robm. Tho
doorways of the houses he is to enter ufroundcd
by a circle of admirers, aud invitations OF every
kind and from all classes of people continue to pour
i'm. His letter to Mr. Chi,ds, which. whether meant
for publication or not was telegraphed back here,
made an excellent impression. Nothing phases the
English more than the modesty which receives the
compliments offered to the individual due not to
himself, but to his country.
There are among the incidents of the week one or
two Of a rather sagreeablc kind. which yet must
lac briefly noticed. portion of the English public
has lust walked up to the fact that there i pccu
narly obi Gus side 10 that practice of aurlc9ar con-
fesson winch the Rituasts of the Church of England
ore doing their best to introduce in this country
Attention has been drawn to n book called the
Priest IN Absolution;" n book meant TO be a man
ul for easy reference and practical USE This book
contains variety of directions respecting confession
relating to said subjects, and cOuched in such curl
ouslv explicit language tomake 1t quite impossible
10 enter into details respecting them in newspaper
There il an English wor,i-not much used in America
Int used constantly here in n mllder signlfcation
than that which we attach To lt-whlch accurately
ndicates tho value of both. 1t nasty book. 1t s
nevertheless, sanctioned by high authority III the
Roman church. and the questions 1t preScrlbes for
Use in confessing boys and girls and women are such
as are regularly put by Roman Catholic priests
and Ritualistc clergymcn. The Society Tor the
Sunnression of Wee have lately taken the matter
np and are going to try the question whether the
law of England permits ting circulation OF such
iiterature There has been "A conversation about IL
in the House Of Lords, and the Attorney-Cencraps
opinion ~ to be taken in the House of Commons
In AT least two newspapers the matter has been dis
:, saed with more freedom than dare use. 1t has
naturally been seized upon by the opponents of
Ritualism. as a means of exposing the Romanzing
tendencies of that sect. IL has intensified the pre-
iudce against them 1t has forced some of tler lead
ing men into accepting the responsibility Tor the
doctrine and practice of tins kind of confession Mr.
Iiudley Wood President of the Church Union
which is the principal Rituallstic assocIa-
ton in England, and Mr.. Beresiord Hope,
vino needs no description, are among them