New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-20
NOTES FROM LONDON.
A BARMECIDE BANQUET-POLlTENESS IN
POLITICS-MR GEORGE MEREDITH
TIE DIAMOND BROOCH-TIIE
LONG PORTRAIT


public interest 1t is ordinarily. occasion for
public speaking by Her Maiesty's Ministers, or
by some of,them. So will it be now, but by none
of those Ministers for whose voice the pubic lis
tens Mr. Gladstone will not be there. nor Lord
Posebcry nor Mr. John Morley nor Sir William
IIarcourt Who else IS there whom the political
world cares 70 hear? Mr. Gladstone shelters HIM
self behind his excellent friend and PHYSICIAN
Sir Andrew Clark That celebrated doctor never
allows Mr. Gladstone to attend public funcl}h
from which lie wishes 70 be absent. There IS al
ways good medical reason for political disability
Age is a good medical reason. The Prime Mih-
lister Is only too ready TO forget II. liiere IL
something splendid about his Raantry When
he thinks the occasion calls for his presence or
Andrew Clark, l imagine. would have some
trouble in keeping him away, whether from
dinner or public meeting Of any kind
But the moment is not propitious for pubic
speaking. Grave questions are TO the iore ques
lions both Of foreign and domestic policy ana
there is grave reason to doubt whether inc Naoi-
net is agreed the most Important Vi '"oin'
That august body met last Tuesday and sat no
less than two hours and three-quarters; very
unusual length Of dciiberation for homogeneous
md harmonious Cabinet such as the faithful are
invited 10 believe this 10 be. If, the critical
Imagine there is discussion, il Is easy 10 see why
no leading member Of this body shonld care 70
sncak II Lord Rosebery does not care 10 COM
NIT his colleagues 20 his views on Uganda-from
which they wish 10 scuttle and he does not: II
Mr. John Morley wants time TO mature his lfisli
policy; II Sir William lIarcourt thinks II dill
cult moment 70 determine precisely in what d.
rection the cat is going 10 jump; it, finally, Mr..
Gladstone has not get agreed with Mr.. Gladstone
on the terms of that new message Of peace 10 d
sister island for which both islands are waiting,
more or less jmpatiently, why, in the face OF Ill
these IFS should anybody be expected TO say any
thing just because il happens TO be the "'n Vi
November Lord Rosebery has promised to be al
sandringham on that evening; it is not only Lord
Mayors Day but the Prince of Wales's elrthuaS'
and the Prince Of Wales and the Foreign Secretary
are old friends. Why should he be discoursing on
Foreign Affairs when only the other day he sald
that in his Judgment the best Foreign Secretary
was n dumb secretaryp Equally cogent reasons
exist. and equally cogent questions might be
asked. in the case Of the other two absentees
If, as may be presumed, Mr.. Gladstones noto
of excuse is cabled to America. the American
idoater may be struck with the use of the words
Gus, and "oul." Mr. Gladstone writes to his
dear Lord Mayor: Il am obliged 10 ask your
excusing us from attending your banquet on the
tia sentence difficult 10 parse, or 10 praise iof
its English He says again II have, theie-
FORE reluctantly TO ask your pardon for orr ao-
sence.r The idolater may think this use OF what,
at first sight, seems a regal Te' natural and
proper in the ruler OF England. Or lie III y
tb,nl il editorial II i neither The
custom is at these Guildhall banquets to ask
both husband and wife, and though Mrs. Glad
stone is not mentioned by rame in her husbands
letter ii is with reference 10 her. and tactly IN
Guiding her that he saws "us" and "our
The temper in which political controversies are
conducted at this moment Is less even '''i
might be expected during a period of rcposc
There are many controversies. and some OF them
are so animated as to seem acrimonious Mr..
John Morley aud Mr. Arnold Forster had one not
long since, in the course of which Mr. Morley
called Mr. Forster yenomous. Mr. John Morley had
another with Colonel Saunderson ana he Times
and thought il would promote good feeling
20 tell his opponents that neither of them knew
ANYTHING about the subject. And now The
Times apropos OF another correspondence between
Mr. John Morley and Sir Frederick Mines, calls
Mr. Morley bookish md short-tempered doc
trinaire.
On the other hand, 10 correspondent who
questioned Lord Salisbury's statement that tie
late Government had not resolved 10 evacuate
Uganda, but meant to retain it, Lord Roscbcry
caused the following reply 10 b. sent
Foreign Office, November l:ls92.
"Sir: am directed by Lord Rosebcry to acknowl-
edge your letter of the 2Sth ut. In reply, am 10
say that he does not consider it would be either
courteous or convenient TO refer you on
questions relative 10 the intentions Of the late
Government with regard to Uganda, to any
other source Of information than Lord Salisbury
Cwn declarations on the subject. remain. yonrs
faithfully, +. H. VlLLlERS.'
Docs anybody suppose that the Foreign Secre
tsry has weakened his position his party by
this civility? Or flat public discussions would
DC less effective if they were more often con-
Quoted on similar lines?
The election Of Mr. George Meredith as Presi.
dent of the Society of Authors in succession TO
Tennyson indicates, Strikingly enough, the de-
cadence Of English letters Tcnnyson the
first writer of English Of his time George
Meredith is almost the worst. II need not be
supposed that this election determined
wholly by literary consideration, or that it is
The verdict Of the great body OF English authors
II il only the verdict of the Council of a
Society which includes 900 Of them. The Council
is q body chosen for the purpose of conducting
the business OF the Society not for passing in
review or in Judgment the claims of authors 70
precedence in authorship. Among those present
was no author Of the first rank; hardly Of
the second. The nomination Of Mr., Meredith
was moved by the Rev. c. II. Middctonwake
aud seconded by Mr. Edward Clodd. They are, |
presume. very respectable persons and good
fathers OF families. TO name them as, in any
sense or in any degree, representative Of English
literature, would Dc absurd If there be any
known names among those present, they are
Mr.. Barrie Mr.. Bcsant, Mr. GOsse, Mr.. Sully, and
the chairman. Sir Frederick Pollock. They
would, l imagine, be the first TO disclaim all
prctcntious to speak in the name of the great
body of living English writers, or 10 allege that
they chose Mr.. Meredith because they meant 10
present him 10 the public as a literary chief.
But. then. why elect him TO the chair in which
Tcnnyson had sat? There is no doubt, group,
II not q school, OF Mercdithites. There is large
iknr Of cLu ri inc lA.