New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-07
NOTES FROM LONDON.

be telegram from New-York to the effect that MI
Phelps, the American Minister IL London, was pres
ent in court during the trial OF Cunningham anu
Burton in pursuance of special instructions iro lie
Government with n view TO the protection OF the
legal rights of the prisoners. 1t Is true that Mr.
Phelps was In court during the summing up OF MI
Justice Hawkins, and sat on the bench oy the
Judges side, distinguished strangers usually 40
But he was not there as American Minister, ior the
sufficient that he was not then the American
Minister He had not presented his credentials anu
had no official or diplomatic standing III TINS co"h-
try. 1t may be presumed that the special instruc-
lions from his Government were flight OF imaSi-
nation.
Mr. Phelps was in court asa spectator, ana hot
| otherwise He had no more to do with protecting
| the prisoners than I had | can imagine that he
went there to form his own opinion on the merits
the case and that his opinion agrees with thit Oh
every ono competent to pass an opinion, whether
on the guilt of Cunningham and Burton or OH the
conduct of the case. There was but one weak OF
| doubtful point in the evidence TOR the crown the
presence of one or both of the at Soui hampton
Tho missing link was supplied by Burton's own
statement in court. No departure was made III
their case from the usual rule of scrupulons fairness
To tho accused The usual rule in England IS 10 give
the accused something more than tho dement, Oh t"o
doubt. Inln1S arc Sttsllneu w MS
Is one more counsel for the defence The prosecut'
ing counsel, when of high rank at tho barilS Curl
ously lenient and considerable Here the Attorney
General himself was for tho Crown, and hc cou
Quoted his cause in the judicial spirit which IL nat
ural TO n man singularly fairmndcd Sir Henry
Hawkins himself seemed tO soften toward the prls-
ouers certainly not from sympathy with them but
from "a fear lest abhorrence OF peculiarly hideous
crime might prejudice him against those accused
of it, His SUMMING up, nevertheless. was mastery
performance and the verdict once given there was
no shrinking on the partof The judge from pronounc
ing the sentence of penal servtnde for lie when
these ruiiians hal richly earned. Ii is the maximum
sentence. Counsel for the Crown are believed to be
now of opinion that n conviction might have been
obtained on m Indictment for treason, when a CAPT
| tai sentence would have folio wed. They chose tho
lesser accusation because OF the doubtful point ia
the evidence which mentioned above. British
Jury Is shy of giving a verdict on crcumstantial
| evidence when hanging is tho penalty.
| The American Minister went yesterday afternoon
| 10 Windsor and returned all hour or two later to
| London On the down journey he bore the name
| Of James Russell Lowell. When he travelled mp
| to London ho signed himself. 4. j. Phelps. The
| transformation scene was enacted IN the presence
| of tho Queen. Mr. Lowell the court circular
in its largo style tells MS was introduced To Her
| Maiesty's presence by Earl Granville. X. g.. and
presented his letter of recall and the Hon. Edward
| j. Phelps was likewise introduced aud presented
| his credentials as Minister for the United STATES
| of America. So ends OF the most brilliant
chapters in the diplou ltic history OF the United
| States. have given already a long but by no
means full account of it, and shall aid butslitte
ont OF the store of anecdots AMI opinion which
remains You know how general has been the ex.
| preston of regret at MI. Lowels departure among
all those classes whose relation TO social or phhlio
life Ia a close You have heard OF the tributes
| offered HIM BY the workingmon. The story OF the
| address from Worcester has been told. The other
| day at Westminster Abbey among all the speakers
who strovo to do honor t. the memory OF Coerdgc.
| not one omitted his sentence OF farewell to Mr..
Lowell there present. aud the chief orator Of the
| occasion.
III I NAV testify IN my own experience viii say
that have not for months met friend acquain-
lance who did not ask whether Mr.. Lowell was
| really going. and whether. though he ceased to be
| Minister no would not remain in England. The
| other night | met at supper number Of men emf
| nent in a profession which seems more than most
Others 10 monopoize tho attention OF those who be-
long to the theatrical profession. No doubt 1t Is
the virtue Of an artist 20 be absorbed In his art and
actors do certainly practise this virtue with admir-
able industry. But they joined ono and all in the
|
nothing conventional in what they said. 1t was the
simple and sincere declaration OF genuine feeling
The relation between art and letters Is close one
Nv friends did not generalize tho matter, but
| they felt think that in country where personal
merit often counts for less than inherited distnc-
| ton Mr.. Lowell had done service ald great ser
vice 10 those whose place In the world depends on
| themselves No man has done so much here for
democracy in O social sense as this really American
Minister.
| Mr.. Lowoll's visit to the Qheen last week was n
private VISIT and must be respected such. IL Is
| n mere commonplace to say that ho was cordially
received and that the Queens regard for him. long
known to be friendly has been signlhed in marked
way. What Her Majesty said to Mr. Lowell was
| meant for Mr.. Lowell only. but what she said OF
| him 10 a third person may be repeated. The Queen
| said that no Ambassador or Minister during her
reign had created so much interest in England as
NJ. Lowell; no other had won SO much regard.
| Year by year the cutlery against the Royal
Academy grows louder and this year Il has attained
| a pitch which may be thought to reach the ears OF
| tho Academicians themselves. What the public
| protests against is the scandaous favoritsm which
| this body shows TO its own members The rule that
| permits each member to hang eight pictures on the
line is In full force and Is abused than ever.
The number of eifote, incapable Acadomicians IN
creases; and in proportion as their work grows
worse their stubbornness increases also. Never
perhaps have many bad pictures been shown rs
| now. One critic goes far as to say that the
| Academy Exhibition would DO q good one were 1t
not for the Academcians; a remark In which
accuracy Is sacrificed to epigram Some OF the
| Accidental work Is admirable; much OF II Is
! respectable. IL you removed from the walls the
pictures Of leighton and Watts aud Mllas and
| Tadema Of Hook and Poynter and Riviere yon