New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-27
ENGLISH PERSONALITIES.
PROMINENT NAMES IN POLITICS. LlTERA-
TURE AND ART.


Der. resigns from i'll health. Naturally enough he
lots his own side know frst of his intention, and
The constituency and public know az the same
uoo,ent Of Sir Charess retirement and the appear
a,ee of n new Tory candidate on the scene. Low
was II managed The PaU Mall GG.cttc shall tell u.s.
After a remark on the fighting Torys parrot ShrekS
against the tyranny of the caucus system comes
this piece of rapid narrative:
"What happens is that Mr. w. II. Smith tine
other member for Westminster walks INTO room
where few officials have been hastily summoned;
tells them that there is a Vacancy; says mat
nohlcmar's son living next door to him would like
TO 90 into Parliament; introduces the gentleman
sn a trice ard before the constituency knows
word of the matter It's choice IS hilio Ior IT, VIVA"
caucus could beat thatW
THE difference between this hole and-2orner
method and public caucus is that the formerIS
English and therefore above criticism. the latter
un-EngliSh and therefore bad. The same JonIhai
ouotcS snndry passages of Lord Algcrnon Percy 5
speech which certainly are remarkable, and addS :
After all Parliament ought to be representative,
and the House will have IN this ingenious candldate
q representative of The politics OF the feeding
and the perambulator." But if Dukes son can be
made finn Of IN this way the British Constitution is
surely in & sad way.
Mr., John Morlcy's refusal to stand for Westmn-
are matter of regret to the Liberals of that inn
portant borough but of good omen for journalism.
lie was generally regarded as the only Liberal who
would have chance of winning the seat, or even OF
making a good fight for it. Mr. Morley" says his
chief adversary in the press is not only man Oh
mark. and "A powerful and interesting popular
sneaker but he is political thinker OF great acu-
men Independence and sincerity, and his reputation
as a literary and philosophical critic would nave
doubtless disarmed or softened oppostion-perhaps
even won suppOrt-in many quarters where LID
era of tie stereotyped partisan character must
have appealed in vain for sympathy" That is
handsomely said in political opponent--not less SO
because it points the argument Tor Tory supremacy
in the borough. A party must be very strong wheh
its antagonists only appeal to constituency on
the personal merits of particular candidate.
1t is perfectly true that Mr.. Morley's individual
efforts raised the Liberal vote from hardly more IMAM
one-half the whole in s74 to more than two-thrds
in 1850. and that the Liberal committee do not now
think the seat worth cOntesting because he cannot
come forward.
But his refusal is final If it were dictated only
bv a sense of what he owes 10 his new profession
TO iournalism-I should say journalists ought 20
rejoice over it, Mr. Morley has done perhaps more
than any man did in so short a time to raise
tie standard and average of journalism-of its
ethics its method of dealing with public questions,
its literature, its courageous sincerity. But that is
not The only reason. Under the present cir
curstaDceS" writes he, al believe that my
appearance as candidate for Westminster
would not be eXpedent in any sense" Which
MEANS ] appreheud, that on Irish ques-
ton he is separated by great gulf from the great
body Of the party and the constituency. He would
have to avow the stump opinions and convictions
which are not those of Liberals in general which
of tlc YtV
sud vet would not win "A single Irish vote Theo
reticaly Mr. Morley would be a strong candidate as
he was in fact before. But when it came to voting
his greatest admirers might hesitate to send into
the House Of Commons an opponent of coercion and
an advocate of some sort of Irish Homo Rule. His
Liberalism is for the moment of type which would
make him a formidable opponent Of Liberal
Ministry.
Mr. j. f.. Roehm's promotion to be Royal Acad-
emcian is a tardy cOncessJn by a semi-public
body 10 public opinion. lie is distinctly popular
sculptor. and not less POPULAR 20 far as one can
judge because he is not Englishman But
within the walls of the Academy his foreign birth
told against him; and other things told against
him # is four years since he was chosen an AsSo-
ciate, and for four years lie has fingered in that
art-purgatory from which some less fortunate men
never emerge At last the doors OF paradise-such
waiting nearly as lorg-he too is foreigner, and
tailored under the further dsai iliiy OF knowing
how to paint MI Boehm also an artist Of real
and not merely conventional power. Probably one
secret Of the public favor shown him is his knowl~
edge Of horses. His equestrian figures have Won
dorful spirit, and his acquaintance with equine
anatomy is as sound his rendering of tho charac
ter of the horse is faithful There is a statue at
hientmore Of King Tom, celebrated steed belong
ing to the late Baron Meyer de Rothschld, which is
modern in treatment undoubtedly $50 was King
Tom himself modern bat of which the modelliu :
and pose are admirable. The Acadomy perhaps
does not for horses, or not so much as it did
when It's late president. Sir Francis Grant. used to
cover half an acre of It's walls with chargers that,
whetIor ufe-like or not were certainly life size.
Many of Mr. Boehm's human studies are widely
knowu-the Sir John Burgoyue IN Waterloo Place,
the John Bunyan at Bedford, the Carlyle, and his
busts Of Lord Lansdowne, Lord ShaftesbIry and
MI Gladstone so secure is his position that his Il.
A-slip will be Of small value to him with the
public. But it will 90 him no harm, lie is too
marked an individuality to be lost in company
where mediocrities predominant.
The election Of Mr. E. b. Nicholson by the Curators
Of the Bodeian 70 the post of Chief Librarian, is
surprise. TO a GOOD many oldfashoned people it is
also a shock Mr. Nicholson is known in certain
way as the Librarian OF the London Institution,
where be has had the management of a great lend
ing library. His name must be familiar TO many
Americans from his connection with the Librarians
Conference held a few years since in London. He
is an energetic officer well up in everything that is
required for such place he has hlled. But it is
startling TO hear of his being put at the head of the
most venerab and valuable collection of manu-
scripts in England. perhaps anywhere in the
world the Vatican excepted. If Mr.. Nicholson has
any practical knowledge of manuscripts, ne has yet
10 make it known. The Bodieian, moreover, is
University Library. Nobody who has so much as