New-York tribune., 1891-02-18
LIFE IN LONDON.
MR. GOSCHEN-SULLIvAN'S NEW opr,.
LORD HARRINGTON AND THE DUCHESS
Westminster TT

IN IL
Parliamentary duties in improved health ~, @
there is, for the time no renewal Of tho ros,.a ana
talk of his retirement. 1t is certain thu, ~
possibly can. he will hold out for the ful, e."
Of the life OF the present Parliament His u,.s
drawal Just now would raise some awkward ou..
tions IN connection with the leadership o, a.
House OF Commons The man predestined .. -
is Mr.. Arthur Balfour. He is popular in a..
House and with the party through the conrt-.
The only man who can compete with him ,s ~,
Randolph Churchill, and Lord Randolph still su,l.
in his tent which he pitches on Epsom Douv,s
Newmarket Heath wherever frst-class rain, },
going on. The difficulty lies with Mr.. Goscbs,
That eminent and habile politician undoubteaIv
cast in his lot with the Conservatives with N.
impression, If not the understanding. that IN.
reverson of the leadership should be his. NJ
Balfour had not then developed his capacity. NO,
had Mr.. Goschen shown to the full extent his
proneness to failure. He was great catch. To n.
purchased at any price, and he believed he had
got it. But Mr.. Goschen has not been such
success on the Treasury Bench as was expected.
He has made one or two grievous failures. fnt
in respect to the Wheel and Van Tax, and lar,
year in the even critical conflict in which he
involved the Conservative party with their ancient
and faithful supporters, the publicans. Besides
he is not an attractive personality either on the
platform or in the House. He is steadily drifting
into the background. and by the time the general
election is fought may be safely passed over. But
if the crisis forced in the interval. it might
be awkward, and Mr.. Smith is too loyal a man to
allow his personal preferences TO stand in the way
of public duty. He will, therefore unless threat
ened with absolute breakdown. hold on through
this session and next; after which the Deluge or
the General Election.
That Mr. Smith is making his way toward the
House of Lords is regarded matter OF course.
and its portals have never opened a worther
man. There is something as unique as it Is
pleasant in the relations between him and the
House Of Commons When out Of the desperate
dilemma created by Lord Randolph Churchills
petulant pitching-up Of the office Of leader, Mr.
Smith was nominated as his successor, the House
received him with a good-natured smile. 1t
laughs at him now when he launches into any Of
those little oratorical flights which have earned
for him the pet name "Old Morality But Il
likes him, believes in his honesty of purpose
though it sometimes is troubled with doubts as 10
whether his simplicity of character is as flawles
as it looks 1t is an immense advantage for
political party to have its leader popular both
sides of the House. Except during the short
tenure of Sir Stafford Northcotes leadership this
the days of Lord Palmerston. Though time
has modified the feeling, Mr.. Gladstone is still
regarded with bitter personal feeling on the
benches opposite, and Mr. Disraeli did not succeed
in gaining the respect esteem Of his opponents.
Mr.. Smith is at least as popular on the Liberal
side of the House Of Commons as he is with his
own party and carries many points in the manage
ment Of business that would be impossible for
some Of his brilliant predecessors.
Mr.. Smith, in his quiet, business way is pre-
pairing for the peerage, too, by endowing 1t with
vast landed possessions. He has fine house
in Grosvenor Place, and a country retreat near
Henley on Thames. In both places he is accus-
toned to dispense generous and genial hospitality.
But Of late years he has been adding field TO field
and farm to farm in the rich land Of Devonshire.
The estate he is thus accommodating Is In close
proximity TO Powderham Castle, the ancestral
home of the Ears of Devon Thanks to the career
of the Duke, who died the other day. Powderham
is heavily mortgaged, and there would be some
difficulty in resisting the advances Of purchaser
able to draw a blank check The head of the
famous firm of w. H. Smith & Son is in that
enviable position, and it is generally believed
in the neighborhood that the day is not far dis
tant when Smith will preside in the dining-hau
where thirteen Earls Of Devon have sat In
succession
Sir Arthur Sullivan's new opera, "Ivanhoe,'
has been launched under the most favorable cir
cumstances that ever attended o new play. 1t Ia
magnifcenty housed, put upon the stage regard
less Of expense, helped by the most capable direo-
ton, and had a send-off from brilliant audience,
headed by the Prince and Princess of Wales. Sir
Arthur Sullivan is. Of course, more eager for the
success of this piece than for any other on which
he has been engaged for the last ten years He
has made fortune out of Patience" THE
Nlikado, and the rest and now he would establish
his fame on the more solid basis of an opera in
which he competes with foreign masters of the art.
The music is exquisite the surroundings incom-
parable; but / afrayl That the general i'm.
preston is of dulness This was certainly
the case on the First Night Sir Arthur is his own
most dangerous competitor. For years London
audience has been accustomed 10 go and hear
him as he worked with NJ Gilbert. tie trio being
completed Sy the superlative managerial ability
Jf Mr.. DOyly Carte They have been used TO
laugh through his pieces and, though they had
no business to cherish similar expectation com.
ing to hear serious opera, they were not able
entirely to get over the disappointment. Sir
Arthur Sullivan at the Savoy created an audience
drawn together by something quite new In comic
opera AT the Royal English Opera he appeals
to another class-the sort OF people who subscribe
for the opera season at Covent Garden Whether
they will be lured from their old love remains
to be seen. Sir Arthur personally conducted the
opera on the first three nights and seemed nndis.
turDcd by doubt OF succcSs; position in which
he is strengthened by the unanimous applause OF
the musical critics. On Saturday night st. Jamcss
Theatre ropcned under the direction OF Mr..
George Alexander. and Mr Gilbert somewhat
GStentatiously betooll himself thither Nearly
all the principal actors, actresses and dramatic
authors accepted Mr.. D'Oyly Cartc's invitation to
be present at the Inauguration of the new opera
house. Ellen Terry, after sitting for an hour
at st. Jamess, found it possible to see the greater
part of "Ivanhce" from the stall reserved for
her at the opera house But Mr.. Gilbert would
have none of il.