New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29
THE DEvoNsHIRE DINNER.
MR. CHAMBERLAIN AND HIS HOSTS AT THE
DEyoNSHIRE CLUB


The dinner given lost night TO Mr.. Chamberlain
By the Devcnshire Club was made public dinner
by the act of the Committee. They wished the
speeches reported, and reported they were. The
Tines of this morning has three columns OF them.
With that vanishes oil notion OF the privacy
which Is supposed, and sometimes only supposed,
70 envelop ali functions transacted in ciuo' ana
/ hold myself at liberty to say what have 70 say
of this festival as freely II 1t had taken place
In the Guildhall.
Who first conceived the notion Of such dinner
i do not know, but it presently came TO be thougho
that it might turn out TO be something more tnsui
"a recognition Of Mr.. Chamberlains American sue
,cesses The Dcvonshire Club, as is well known,
was founded as a Liberal club. During the last
two wears it has experienced the fate OF all
Liberal clubs and is discovered to contain mem
hers of both Liberal wings 1t Inns Giadstonlan
members and LIBERAL nionist members DO mas
the National Liberal Club, which Is now under
stood to be the most radical OF oil CLUB organ
1zations In the United Kingdom; the Nauohai
League probably excepted and the Nauonai
League is not exactly a club in the London sense.
Lord Harrington said last night tn"o We
of the Devonshire Club had the honor
of being the inventors of this kind of gathering,
Mt which we have been enabled to listen 70
speeches from distinguished members of our party
mon questions of great public interest ana I'M
nortanee. and at the same time, to maintain that
lind ~ social charm which does not belong 10
tho ordinary public dinner" Many such enter
tainmcnts have been given at the Dcvonsniro
under the name Of house dinners; last nighp > pci
hans the most notable Of all with the spun III
the Liberal party arose difficult questiohs ae YOU
csn Imagine but they were cleverly solved. Inc
snvitat.on to Mr, Chamberlain WIS, no DOUBT IN
Bome minds regarded rs the peso IN
twer Of all to these puzzling questons'
and for two reasons. 1t was found possible TO make
the occasion non-political in the sense that potn
sections Of the Liberal party took part IN IT, Anu
there was a hope that IL might somehow OF 10
some underlined extent tend to foster goou Aeehns
between the two opposing branches OF ONES
united party If not indeed TO promote reconclna-
ton between them.
The dining-rooln or as 1t Is called IN Englano'
The ooffce-room, of the Devonshirc Club will seat
nearly 200 guests and it was crowded Inc
srroup which sat in the middle Of the chief table
was remarkable one-none like it can have been
seen in London since the spring of 1856 In tne
centre was Earl Granville. tho man you wouId
have chosen out of the whole company to preside
over banquet Of Cancellation. The 1ace IS
ms kindly as It Is shrewd, and its acuteness Is
not more marked than its distinction He has
been Liberal leader for the better part OF TWO
generations; n Wing; one of that great ar1stocTacS
which has so sldlfully managed TO combine ao-
yocacy Of popular rights and the support OF great
reforms with loyalty to its own order. vi Llperai
sxMinisters who. when the dissolution OF the
Liberal party took place, stood by Mr.. Gladstone,
Earl Granville has the longest claims to pohtlcai
rcnown lie had held great offices and done
great services. His name is complete guarantee
10. ctn n1c
of the neutrality Of the ground where he stahos'
No Young Gladstonan need hesitate TO be found
in Mr.. Chamberlain's company with LORD GranVlhe
there TO answer for him. lie has done honor TO
the occasion by putting on the star and blue
ribbon of the Garter. Mr. Chamberlain is on his
right lie has been so recently among you and
YOU know him so well that, though this feast Is
held in his honor, 1 need say little about mic
i suppose he might, had he but said Yes, instead
of No, the other day, have rivaLcd Lord Granyiles
splendor by appearing with the Grand Cross oil the
Bath, and have heard himself addressed as Slr
Joseph Good sense and sound judgment saved
him from that. II you hunted England through
You could hardly find two distinguished men more
unlike in some essential particulars than Lord
Granville and Mr.. Chamberlain, but there they
are side by side, and you will presently hear that
ION the particular most essential and interesting
TO US in America, the two ore in complete accord.
Next beyond Mr. Chamberlain is Lord Halting-
ton There are many people in the room in whose
minds che spectacle must give rise TO rehecSonS
Tho ex-Mayor of Birmingham, the cx-partner In
Nettlefolds, makers of wood screws, the RancaL
the merciless critic of the nobility as WHO toll
not neither do they spin-in word, Mr. Joseph
Chamberlain and on either side Of him two mobiles,
of whom one at least belongs to one Of the greatest
families and is heir to one of the greatest titles
a., liz of e
toms relations with MIR. Chamberlain dates, as so
many other things date from the springing of the
Homo Rule bill on the Liberal party by Mr. Glad
stone now more than two years ago. Their agree
ment in opposition to that scheme has brought
them close together, spite Of all diherences-ahd
they are many-on other points You may nho
even external contrasts IL you look for them.
NJ Chamberlain's smooth white face with It's
curious likeness, often remarked, to portraits OF
Pitt has not a point Of resemblance with MS
neighbor, whose full beard and mustache, both
brown the brown hair beginning to have touch
Of silver in it, set as in frame the straight high
colored features ard the blue eyes looking out
from beneath a high forehead. hundred times
has Lord Harrington been discussed by friends
and foes and his character remains to most
Of them in some points, still a puzzle. 1t is the
puzzle Of simplicity.
He is man who dares TO be himself.
His face and his manner have both changed
Of late years. but there never was time when
you could doubt that they accurately reflected
the entire genuineness Of nature which Is his
characteristic. They have gained in power, for
ono thing The habit Of thinking on high sub
iects the burden Of responsibilities the consclen-
tious toll of State business, have left their print
on these features and on the man himself. CIR
cumstances have brought Lord Harrington and
Mr.. Chamberlain together, and are likely to keep
them together There is identity Of opinion be-
tween them on the question which each thinks
most vital TO the Empire OF real sympathy,
outside Of politics. there be very little. They
are two types and no community Of political con-
viction can make them one.
In the absence of Mr.. Phelps, who Is on the
Atlantic, Mr.. White American Charge d Afaires