New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-24
NOTES FROM LONDON.
MR.. GLADSTONE-LORD FIFE THE TrNYss
1.-THE HERALD MR.. FRTTH-MR
GODKIN

L"n"ohs July IL.
For the thirty-sixth time, say the chroniclers,
Mr.. Gladstone is sitting for his portrait. II ali
the different GIadstones known TO the political
history of England were to be painted, growls a
hardened Tory, 1t would take not thirty-six. but
$50, portraits TO represent them. Let that pass
What is interesting is that the painter is oncs
more Sir John Millais. This is the fourth or
fifth time Mr.. Gladstone has sat TO this artist and
he likes sitting to him. / could tell you one or
two artists TO whom he does nO like 10 sit, bat
that would be needless cruelty. Sir John Milais
is rapid, business-ke, goes straight TO the point
wastes no time, makes no mistakes, knows every
line in the Grand Old Mans face; has already
painted him with such force and fidelity, such
mastery rendering of all the facts and Of all the
visible character of this prodg ous c0untenance a.
no other artist of his time has attained TO- Ths
origin and destination of this present portrait ara
profound secrets so profound that by the time
this letter reaches you they will not be known "a
more than few score millions of people. Its the
women of England, the Liberal women, Glad.
stonian female Home Rulers, members, l think, Of
the Women's Liberal Federation, who give the
commission, and who will, when it is completed,
give the portrait to Mrs Gladstone on the occa-
sion of that birthday and golden wedding which
occurs next December
Lord Fife had .he pleasure Of reading at break
fast this morning this paragraph:
Princesses Louise and Victoria Of Wales, at
tended by Miss knollys, arrived at Windsor at
o'clock last evening on visit TO the Queen. Theif
Royal hlgnnesses, who were accompanied by tho
Earl OF flfe drove with him in an open carriage
TO the Palace, where they dined with Her Majesty
and remained for the night"
That is but a sample Of the announcement
which appear from day to day. Any Of them
might furnish a text for sermon On the Incons
venience of Marrying Royal Princess and eS.
pecialIy Princess Royal. What these innocent
sentences denote so clearly is the social separation
between two persons who are presently
to be husband and wife The wifi
has precedence. That is not without
precedent in ranks below the royal. You read Of
the presence or arrival of the Duchess of Monrose
and Mr. Miner; of Julia Countess of jersey and
Mr.. Branding The husband being a commoner
comes after his wife, whose titles have TO be re-
cited first Yet it would seem odd TO read that
the Duchess Of Montrose, who arrived at Windsor,
was accompanied by Mr.. Miner; or that Mrs.
Smith arrived at Long Branch accompanied by
Mr. Smith Once married, the Princess Louise
and Lord Fife expect TO escape these awKward-
nesses The Princess becomes Countess, or
Duchess las the Dulkedom is, according 10 respects
able authority, to be conferred on Lord Fife be-
fore the weddingl. There is to be no hdy-ln-
waiting; the appanages of royalty vanish. Whether
the Queen will allow her granddaughter to drop
her title of Princess is, however, yet to be seen
Her right of succession to the Throne, too, Is a
probem vet to be dealt with. People who know
everything-and there are many such-tell YOU
that Lord Salisbury has addressed "A memorandum
TO the Queen pointing Gut the constitutional diff
culties that would, or should, prevent subject
from being Prince ConsOrt, Even the possibility
of such a calamity ought to be averted, and the
only way TO avert it is for the Princess Royal To
renounce her right of succession qnesuon
hardly less difficult has been disposed of this week
none other than the question what sort OF a
coronet the Princess should wear or bear aftershe
had become Lady Fife. Should il be royal
coronet? Should it be the coronet OF mere
countess or of duchess, if duchess she is to be 7
The highest authority has settled this momentOus
matter, and the Queen herself has determined
that the coronet shall be the coronet apperaining
TO her station and rank as daughter OF the Prince
ana Princess of Wales. And once more an im-
perilled empire is safe.
Would it surprise you to hear that Mr.. Mac
donald Is sui IndIdgtE VI lhc iihSS 80
WAS believed to have resigned soon after tie col.
lapse of the letters-retired pension. said the
gossius of the profession. The gossps were
wrong; he has not retired. on a pension or other
wise. but is still managing the news and the busi-
ness of the paper which he did so much to inIure
True. if anybody were to retire on the ground
of personal responsibility for the publication OF
the forged letters, Mr.. Walter would have TO go
i'll, M Macdonald Thay tJvo yVp Jointly re-
sponsible Mr. Walter, of course cannot sever
his connection with the great paper part of which
he owns and all Of which he prints. He is
hear in good spirits, still hopeful of making out
case against Mr. Parnell, still convinced that
some of the letters are genuine and still expect
ing that other letters-not forged this tlnie-
may turn up before the inquiry is over MeH'-
while the leading journal seems TO lead as many
people as before, its business is as profitable aS
ever though its dividends are less for the obvious
reason that great part of the profits 20 into tne
pockets of the lawyers The thoughtful minority
read the paper with less faith than formerly IN
it's nfallibility, but there is little to show that
its general prestige is impaired or its circulation
diminished, or its authority as the oracle OF the
commanding classes weakened.
The London edition of one of your esteemed
contemporaries seems 10 NC Sio"AJ' W fP
rather rapidlv. educating the London public
into recognizing and even reading IL. True, it
is not newspaper as the word is here understood.
H. neglects a great deal of the news which the
Englshman expects to find on his breakfast
table. | should say that man who read this
paper and no other would have such u view
of current events as a man has who looks
into one of those concave mirrors, which some
times startle the beholder with an elongated,
enlarged, imperfect, and even distorted view OF
himself 1t is amusing, but it is not an accurate
reflection of the object presented TO the mirror.
Some parts are seen awry, others
are not seen at ALL the focus is altered, and there
is no perspective. Still, it is novelty; and VINO
ever can in these tired times offer the pubic d
novelty and get them 10 look at it, and convince
them that they are entertained, may count on some
degree of success. The Heralds' success now