The times., 1897-06-28
JUBILEE HONORs.
Some People who Expected. But Did
Not Get ANY.

Not Get Any.
There were, said people in London who
thought they knew, not less than 1000
applications for jubilee honors, writes
George w. Sinalley.
No complete list Of the jubilee hoGors
actually granted has yet reached this
country, nor is the total number OF them
given. What we have, however, is quite
enough to deal with in q single article,
and the points OF interest are many. The
most interesting OF all are, like the statues
OF Brutus and Cassius, those winch are not
seen.
First of all, no dukes are created 1t
was believed III London there would be
five-a portcnsous accession to the short
list OF existing holders of this highest title
in the peerage, OF whom there are just
thirty in all-EngIish, twenty-five, Scotch,
ax-not counting the Prince of Wales, who
is Duke OF Rotbsay, or the Duke of Argyll,
whose title was turned into an English
dukedom in 1S92-and Irish, two
The first of the five was the Marquis of
Salisbury, whom the Queen has long been
desrous to make a duke. No question
about his fitness or desert--there is no post
or honor IA the gift OF Queen or people
But peerages and steps ia the peeTage are
conferred by the Queen upon the advice of
her mini sters, and Lord Salisbury, as prime
minister, has always declined to promote
himself He declined now. Thereupon
the Queen 8 understood TO have said that
she would do nothing which could have
even the appearance of passing over the
man who of all others deserved dukedom,
sf,a Il Mt oh. T ord SaIi
a duke she would make nobody.
Whether titles are suitable form of
recognition for men of science OF men
of letters is an open question. No doubt
there are many men of emine8ce ia both
who would gladly accept such distinc-
tions. Mr.. Huxley did not object to be
sworn OF the Priyy Council, and died the
Right Honorable Thomas Henry Huxley.
To Darwin nothing was ever offered.
Carlyle refused the Grand Gross OF the
Bath. Macauley and Tennyson accepted
peerages, and SO did Sir William Thomson.
now Lord Kelvin, perhaps the most re-
nowned OF living electricians.
The inventor Of the radiometer, the
eight years student of the atomic weight
of thallium, the author OF the treatise
"On the Crimson Line OF PhOsphorPscent
AiulIllHd, now OH NtfHdJI tfOOhSb
1t is Mr.. Lecky in whose person honor is
offered to literature. He is IA ade, as Mr.
Huxley was, privy councillor, one of the
most coveted Of all d stinctns, and nne 10y
no means carelessly flung about. Mr.. Lecky
is the first OF living English historians. II
but one man OF letters was TO he Gecora ted,
he has as good claim as anybody Mi
Swinburne deliberately made hiinselfimpos-
sible as poet laureate by his republicanism,
and it would lot be easy TO offer him any
honor of which the sovereign is the source
Mr.. John Morley is a iHdit al who has done
his best TO break up the United Kingdom.
and he is already, as cabinet minister in
1856, privy councillor.
1t might have seemed natural To maze Mr.
Alfredo ustin over again into Sir Alfred Aus
tin, butno title goes necessarily OF comm only
with the laureateshp. Ar. Austin is now
announced m company IA Ot as Mr.. Austin,
but as 1.-The poet laureate" which is by
itself distinction, and think, d novelty.
To knight Mr.. Wyke Bayliss as president
OF the Royal Society of British Artists is TO
put that rather feeble company of art
folk on a level with the Academy and the
Water Color Society, and also, l fear, TO
infuriate MT. Whistler. who does not,
or did not. love Mr. Wyke Bayliss. 1t
is tribute. not to art. but to art in its
organized, corporate, and Philistine ca
pacity. decoration given To Mr..
Whistler or MI. Alma Tadema. or Mr.
Sargent. would have been really given to
art. But Mfr Wyke Bayliss seems To be
all there is. and OF him we must make
the most.
The stage Comes under the head of art.
or ought to come. and, In token of service
to the stage, Mr.. Bancroft becomes Sir
Samuel Bancroft. This is the realization
or a long ambition 1t comes very late
The actor has left the stage with a
handsome fortune to console his leisure,
thouG; he sometimes returns to IL IN a
fitr1l way. Such service as he did dates |
far back, and there are some younger
men who are in the vigor of their powers |
who viii think themselves oyerlooked-Mr |
George Alexander, for instance, and Mr. |
Beerbohm Tree Even Mr. Wilson Bar |
lett is said to think he has claims to |
consideration as an actor.
Possibly, after all, we are prone to think |
overmuch of literature, science and art |
an interesting trinity, but not necessarily |
OF the first concern to the wise govern /
ment Of an empire. ft is at this moment |
far more TO the purpose to see how the |
colonial and imperial ideas are fostered |
by the crown The priyy coHneillorships |
given to the colonial prime ministers are |
well given. / { was Mr.. Chanberlain's idea, |
we are told WhOsoever it was, the idea |
was that OF a statesman. The privy coun-
Gil means som ething- True, the whole body |
of councillors are no longer summoned to |
advise Her Mafesty. but the theory and |
principle remain.
II the cabinet ministers hold place SO |
near the sovereign, 1T is first of ali by /
virtue OF their privy eouncillorships that |
they approach the royal person. Nor is |
there, except convenience and established |
practice. much to prevent a revival, at |
least in part, of the old functions OF that |
eminent body. A council Of empire is still !
among the possibilities OF the future, and |
no such council could be held unless tne |
colonists We're there. The first step has |
been taken by the appointment of these /
colonial ministers: the next may be less |
distant than people imagine.