New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-26

general election His Droonged absence from
office, his apparent Indifference TO potlcs ana HIS
cstrangement from his former colleagues nave
diminished his political importance for the mo-
ment. but not destroyed his hold on the country
lie sill has the ear of the people Is sllI the DeSC
platform orator of his party, ana Is sun III
closer touch with the rank and file OF the party
than any other leader. He goes TO South Africa
business.
lie will explore parts of Mashonaland which Is
expected to turn ont new FL Dorado. 1t IS
long and trying journey, which some of Lord Kan
dolph's friends think mprudent for him. His
health, though good, is not robust. Lord Sails
bury might have kept him at home. but Lord
Salisbury's political rcscntments are of lasting
kind. He and Lord Randolph were once personal
friends. Lord Salisbury began letters, written in
his capacity as Prime Minister, My dear Ran
dolph7 They met recently at Marlborough House,
and Lord Salisbury was too short-sghted to see
his dear Randolph.
Mr. Irving is now engaged in a series Of revivas
at the Lyccum. He. like other managers is un-
provided with novelties, but fills his theatre easily
with audiences who prefer old plays that are good
to new ones that are not Mr.. Wills's Olivia"
now thirteen years Of are, was brought out on
Wednesday. II has lost none Of its charm or
pathOS or simplicity. me autIof, OF bie acloT,
might well shorten some Of the more proliX
Human emotion cannot well he sustained NJ this
height for over three hours. But Mr. Irving once
more played DR.. Primrose with force and nc
nightly which were admirable. and Miss Terry's
scene with Thornhiil at the inn proved again
natural and convincing. The audience spent an
evening Of agreeable grief, mitigalcd by the flashes
Of humor in Mr.. Irving and of gaycty in Miss
Terry
Mrs. Langtry, in despair of obtaining n new play,
has rcnounccd the cares of management, closed the
PrinccsSS Theatre and accepted an engagement
at Drury Lane in " FormoSa."
The Acrobat" produced by Mr. Wilson Barrett
at the Olympic on Tuesday, proves unattractlve.
The first night was culivcncd by revolt Of the
gallery and pit against the fee system. The gods
hung out a banner from the gallery, Showered
down circulars and summoned Nr Barrett before
The curtain. He came and good-humorcdly sur
rcndcred-so there is one more London theatre in
which This imposition ceases 10 exist.
Mr. D'Oyly Carte continues TO change the east
Of " Ivauhoc" from night 10 night, or from week 10
week Miss Lucilc Hill has this week been sing
ing Rcbecca with marked success, and the opera,
as a whole, in any Of lis various character changes,
goes with smootnncSs and spirit. II WIS thought
dangerous experiment to build house for
performances every night in English by an Eng
liSh composer and author This Mr. Carte has now
done successfully for three months with this
single work by Sir Arthur sullivan and Mr.
Julian Sturgis Others Will presently I've pro-
duccd
Mr.. Herkomcr. after six weeks delay has re-
piled 10 Mr. Pcnnell's question whether M. 50
called ctchings in his "Idyll" were ctchines, As
Seven Of Them he now tells us, arc. really ctchiIgs
Al the rest have been produced by the help Of
some mcchaacal process. Ne p:-aIs that au artist
is entitled 10 practise these processes which may
I've 50 bnt whether he is entitled 10 sell the
product ctchingS is very different question.
Buyers of Mr.. IIcrlomer's Idyll' have not got
what they supposed they Were getting.
The nominal issue in Miss Gladys Evclvne's
action against Mr. William Henry Ilurbrrt for
breach of promise was not 70 him the most i'm
portant. Il is improbable. considering the admitted
character Of the plaintiff, THAI hr promised her
marriage There seems no reason why hc should.
She was his mistress, and other mems mistress
The issue which Mr. Hurib-.t', future dcprr.ls
is whether he wrote the $50 lrItcrs which were
produced in court These letter, were so obscene
that no paper has ycrturri 10 print them II Nr
IIurlbcrt wrote them, said Mr. Justice Cave. his
character is gone. The pIaintiH sworc that they
were his. Tie handw'itiug is apparently his
The style and the frequent uNc Of French phrases
are his Some Of them were written om hl, club
paper Some were written from places in France.
ireland and ENGLAND where Mr. IIurlbcrt admit
tcdly was at the dates of the letters. He denies
that he wrote them, and alleges that they were
in fact written by one Wilfrcd Muhry. his eccrr
tary he said for some years. whose handwriting
rcsrnblcd his. Mr. Murray was not called rs
witness. Mr. Iurlbcrt profcs,cd that he knew
not where to find him. Nobody was called who
had ever seen or heard of Nh. Murray. No cN-
pert wac called 10 point ont in what particular
the handwriting of the letters differed from Mr..
IIurlbcrt's. The denial rests wholly rn Mr. IInrl
bort's oath. Tho Judge told the jury that this
story was almost incredible. The question who
wrote the letters was not put 10 the jury, AMI they
contcntcd themselves with returning verdict
that there had been no promise Of marriage There
is nothing 10 show that they believed or disbelicyed
Nh IIuIbcrt's almost Incredible account. There
is much 10 show that others disbclicvcd it. The
press discusses the trial IN a tone which clearly
imples disbelief The verdict is not deemed salts
factory because il does not clear up this matter.
There is a demand that somebody shall be- prose
cucd for perjury since perjury on one side or The
other there must have been and perjury of a very
deliberate and aggravated kind. question has
been put on this subject in the House Of Commons
The rules of the house required that the question
should be addressed 10 the chief law officer Of the
! Crown, Sir Richard Webster, who happens also 10
be Mr. IIurlbcrt's counsel, custom permitting the
Attorney General 10 take private practice. The
Attorney General, who believed in the forged Par
nell letters, is said to believe also in Mr.. llurl-
hcrt's; but Sir Richard Webster and the Attorney
General have a kind Of dual existence. Sir Rich
ard sank out Of sight Thursday in the House
Of Commons The Attorncy-Gcncml came to the
front and said at is quite clear that there must be
a most careful Investigation in this case whether
either of the parties, or any other person connected
with the case can ne convicted Of perjury. That
| is a pledge not TO prosecute, hut to inquire. MI
! JIurlbcrt is said to intend to sail for America
| to-day, giving out that he goes in search ol Mf.