The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-20
BEWARE THE DOG.
ToWser a Practical Issue
IN the Politics Of
Great Britain.
MoRAyIAN WHITE ELEPHANT
"rhe Conversion Of England" in
Canterbury IialI--London
Theatrical Gossip.
MoRAyIAN WHITE ELEPHANT

LONDON, Nov. 70 lS9l.-The dog-muzzle
is admittedly playing a very important
part in the politics of Great Britain, the
discomfort of dog-owners at the rigorous
muzzling orders, which now have been
two years in force, having raised the muz
zle to the dignity of d grave political
question. There is abundant evidence
that it influenced the recent bye-elections
and that it is generally disturbing the
peace of the Ministers. The Marquis of
Salisbury. during the course of his speech
at the Albert Hall on Tuesday last, ad-
mitted this, in his usual cynical style,
and on Thursday night the Minister of
Agriculture, Mr.. Walter Long, speaking
at a large political meeting, devoted his
entire speech to defense of his position.
He quoted statistics showing the rapid
decrease of rabies since the introduction
of the order In 1895, he said, there were
COS cases of rabies in England adding that
in 1897 there were only 141 cases, while
of these only fifty-one have occurred since
June.
The Times devotes leading article
to the question, which concludes
I'VE can hardly believe that, even
among the imbecilities of contested cleo
ton, the muzzling order could be paraded
against Her Majesty's Government after
the presentation of Mr.. Longs figures"
The continued fine, mild weather has ad-
ded to the enjoyment of the country
house parties, which are now in full swing
in all parts of England
on Monday the Prince of Wales visits
the Earl of Durham at Lambton Castle,
where Lady Randolph Churchill and the
Duchess of Manchester are among the
guests.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have
also begun their usual Saturday to Mon
day parties at Sandringham.
The Queen, who is in excellent health,
has already invited a succession of ''dine
and sleep" guests to Windsor, including
the Duke and Duchess of Orleans. Her
Majesty will also receive visits from all
the members of the Royal family now in
England.
The ex-Empress Eugene will spend a
few days at Windsor Castle before start
ing for the Riviera.
The autumn has developed two fresh
specimens of the new woman among
the aristocracy. Lady Clifford is person
ally hunting pack of barriers regularly,
while the Duchess of Bedford has estab-
lished her reputation as a first-class shot,
and in Bedfordshire knocks over high
rocketing pheasants with the best shots
among the men.
The storelSeepers of London are in arms
over the visit of the Prince of Wales.
their best patron. to a large department
store this week The Heir Apparent care
fully inspected the establishment and
made numerous purchases.
The joy caused among the charitable in
stitutions last week by the probating of
the will of the late Mr.. John Thomas
Morton, a big jam and provision exporter,
who left e50o,OOO s2,50O0OU to charity, to
the exclusion of his heirs, had curious
setback in the case of the Moravian
Church Missions, whose bequest of f2500
(s1 ,25O, ,000) promises to be a white elephant
of the most formidable and costly kind.
The Secretary of the Missions has pub
lished letter appealing to the friends of
the organization to cease their congratu-
lations, explaining that while the money
bequeathed will not be available for a
long time, when it is actually paid not
penny is to be devoted to the existing mis-
sions, but is to be spent in establishing
entirely new enterprises. In other words,
the unfortunate legatees have been sad
died with an obligation to apply the i'm
mense sum exclusively to the establish
ment of missionary undertakings, which
they will not have the means to support.
The Lord Mayor of London, Mr.. Hor-
alto David Davies, has declined the offer
of Mr.. David Seller, Chairman of the
London Tramway Company and a gen
tleman who is well known in New York,
who offered to present the corporation of
London with the nucleus of an art gal
lery; Mr.. Sellers contribution to consist
of about 200 old Dutch, Italian and Eng
lish pictures. The decination of the
Lord Mayor is OWING. to the varied char
acter of the works; but it is an open
secret that the alleged Gainsboroughs,
ConStabes and other old Masters, after
examination by experts, have been found
to be hardly of the character to form
the groundwork of the City of London
Art Gallery.
An episode of peculiar interest was the
last in Canterbury Hail. of the first
church play in recent years. 1t was en-
titled "The Conversion of England" was
written by the Rev. Henry Cresswell
and was really succession of ten his
torical tableaux, with the dialogue in
stilted, heroic strain to the accompani-
cluded a Roman Market where Eng
lish slaves attracted Pope Gregory's at
tenltion; the meeting between Pope Greg
ory and the monks with King Ethelbert
on the Isle of Thanet, and King Ethel
bert's baptism at Canterbury. The CEN
trail figure of the production is St. Au-
gustine. The costumes, scenery and
chants were historically accurate being
the result of researches in the museums
of London, Dresden and Stockholm. The
play is described as a ''dreary entertain
ment.''
There are only four of the London the
atres whose doors are not opened, al
though the season is hardly under way
and two of the four viii be filled early
in next month. Yet for all this display
of theatrical activity hardly more than
half of the thirty playhouses which strug
gle frienzedly for the patronage and the
money of the Londoners are paying their
running expenses. Some of the most
pretentious programmes moreover are to
be counted among the losing enterprises,
vet Notwithstanding the prevailing con-
and ctor-managers who are thriving IN
the provinces are all trying to get possess
sion Of theatres in the metropolis.
Various theories are advanced for the
failure of London theatres to pay, the
most credited one being that the increase
of suburban playhouses is keeping SUI
burban play-goers at home. Another
price charged for seats. An orchestra
Stall in a London theatre costs ten shill-
ings tS2.50) while other seats are COR:
respondingiy high Yet no theatre can
cut the rates Without losing caste. One
manager whose sea son has since come
to an end, recently inaugurated gift
enterprise, giving away one ticket with
every two purchased, but he was merely
clutching at straws before going down.
e1trfsss fl3af1r