New-York tribune., 1883-12-10
NOTES FROM LONDON.
LORD RECTORSHIPS - CENTRAL NEWS
AGENCY-DIVORCE.
trnox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrpuSr.l


Of the University of Edinburgh; to the great joy Of
all good Conservatives who in it, suppose, tho
first fruits of that Conservative mission for the re-
generation of Scotland whereof | wrote you some
time since Yesterday the young gentlemen OF Gias-
cow gave their suffrages and Mr. Fawcett was
chosen over both the Marquis of Butte and Slr. Rus
kin IL the triumph gives pleasure to Mr. Fawcett,
no man better deserves it. and no one Will grudge
him this additional plume in cap over which
pnnes nodded freely before. Nor need anybody
lament the defeat Of Lord Butte, who is nobleman
of vast wealth and Of the Roman Catholic faith.
1t is Mr. Ruskin whose failure one cannot but re-
ret What an address he would have given! How
pleasantly he would have reoiced over his own sue
cess and how well does he deserve in his old age
somo such academic honor as that which only the
four universities north of the Tweed have it in their
power to bestow. Dir. Fswcett, no doubt will de-
liver q discourse of the highest practical merit,
with every useful and excellent quality. But it will
not be the prose poem woven of that delicate tissue
which only Mr.. Ruskn's brain spins. never can
think Of the author of Modern Painters" except as
a lonely man, leading life which. with all its
honors and brilliances. seems lacking In those
charms to which the English rightly apply the
word hOmely; a word which we in America have
degraded into an unbeautiful meaning heard of
him lately in Scotland He had been spending
week in one of those ad--irable country-hOuses
where elegant luxury and unbounded hospitality
abide together. An American witty said of them
that they were the only good hotels in Great Brit
ain. and the only ones where they never send you
in bill at the end. IL is rare thing to find Mr.
Ruskin in mood gregarious enough to induce him
to accept any of the invitations which pour in upon
him, and 1t is only to his multfarious occupations
that he looks for variety in the solitude he cOvets.
But the invitation to stand for tho Lord RectOrship
Of Glasgow pleased him. An election would have
pleased him still more, and for one should have
been glad if it had come to him. Mr.. Fawcett was
a political candidate Why may not politics some
times yield precedence to art and lettersf
That is what We hope they may do at st. Andrews
next week in favor of Mr. Lowell This will be the
third of the academic contests. To-daYs news is
that Mr. Mallocks supporters. finding his chances
not hopeful. have withdrawn him. They propose,
however, TO put up Mr.. Gibson, one of the lights of
Conservatism and particularly of Irish Con-
servatsm. There is n strong English feeling in
favor of Mr.. Lowell; feeling due partly, no doubt,
to his personal popularity hero, partly TO tho fact
that he is American Ministers partly TO the desire
to hear an address from ono Of the most brilliant
and original Of modern writers, rather than an adj
dress from a successful lawyer and clever House Of
Commons speaker like Mr. Gibson. / mentioned
last week that Lord Reay had declined 10 oppose
Mr. Lowell / have learned since that Mr. Lowell
was writing at the same time 90 his supporters AT
St. Andrews that he would not stand against his
friend Lord Reay. But ~ Mr.. Lowell was in Paris
and Lord Rcay at homo in Scotland. it was Lord
Rcays graceful dcclcnsion which came first to hand
and left Mr.. Lowell in the field
The Central News Agency is once more TO the
front in its peculiar function of prosecutor to the
comic and sporting press Ia the second hearing of
the case against Judy. not much that was novel
out in addition to the points have before de-
scribed The defendants mainly think because
their counsel desired 10 take the verdict Of jury,
were bound over for trial, and some months hence
every paper in the kingdom will again be explaining
the system by which thu Central News people &" ex-
pand a telegram Of ten words into published dis
patch Of 77O. The against The Sportsman was
disposed Of yesterday. and gave the public view
Of still different method of dealing with what is
called news. On the 26th of September last the
Central News sent out message purporting to bo n
telegram from Toronto. saying that Hanlan had ac
copied the challenge of Laycock. the Australian,
and would row in Australia if f300 were allowed
for expenses. The SportsmaH thereupon pointed out
that on the 18th, nine days before, dispatch from
Australia TO that journal stated that Laycock had
broken his leg and that all chances Of match with
IIanlan were therefore at end for the present
Hanlan. by dispatch dated Chicago September 49,
duly expressed his regret. How. then. happened il
that the Central News Agency nno days after the
news Of Laycocks accident. and seven days after
Hanlans own dispatch. gave out that IIanlan. in
the energetic words of The Sportsman " had de
scended 10 the mcanness Of wishing to row "A Grip
pie r. Is the Toronto correspondent of the news
institution" continued this writer. fabricator or
a myth Or has the news organization home
Inanufactory of current items 7" And there were
other not less forcible comments which seem to
have stung the not very judiciOus managers OF the
Central News Agency into commencing criminal
proceedings for libel.
Mr.. Montagu Williams appeared for the defence;
a barristcr well known at the Old Bailey for eK-
treme plainness Of speech Aud he " went for the
Central News Agency. without admitting that the
complained Of applied to this particular
agency he remarked that they wcro well deserved
if they did II was n dangerous institution. The
managers of it were lunatics to begin such prose-
cutlon; an opinion in which others may perhaps
agree with Mr.. Williams. Other kilograms to which
his client had referred as sent out by this agency
were hideOus falschoodsn No evidence was ad-
duced to prove tho truth of this Ianlan-Laycock
telegram. The managers of the Central News them
selves proclaimed the untrustworhncss of the news
they Sold and had laid bare in the previous case their
manner Of handling such kilograms rs they really !
got. And then Mr. Williams cited from Punch the |
" admirable illustration of the manner in which the
Central News dealt with a skeleton telegram y; for
which must refer you to that periodical. And he
wanted TO know whether Punch was TO be prose |
cuted. No witnesses were called, and tho summons |
against The Sportsman was dismissed. Wheroupon |
tho counsel for the Central News applied to have !
his clients bound over to prosecute in tho usual |
way. If that be anything moro than buster, Mr.. |
Sullivans clients are very badly advised. No jury |
will convict. such a state of facts as has here
been disclosed, the paper which disclosed them.
The Sportsman did no more than discharge public
duty.
A sensational divorce case in these quiet days is