The herald., 1898-02-20

opposing 1t, therefore, lends some coun-
tenance to the gossip that the Queen
has informed the Marquis Of Salisbury
that she will never again sign declara-
tion of war.
TWO INTERESTING BILLS
Two bills which have been introduced
| in the House of Lords, and which viii
undoubtedly become law, have excited
much interest. One of them proposes to
make an unauthorized translation ar
infringement Of copyright and extends
the copyright to lectures and sermons
with the power to forbid newspaper
representatives to print them. In addi-
ton the measure provides that maga-
zine authors are the owners of the copy
right of their articles after three years
and novelists are protected from drama
tization.
The other bill provides for the reform
Of the company promoting, making di-
rcctors, promoters and vendors individ-
ually liable for loss arising from false
statements, and also providing pen
atty of Imprisonment for term not ex-
ceeding two years.
PERSONAL AND POLITICAL
| The future of the Imperial Institute
! Is threatened by the action of the colony
| of Victoria, which has announced the
withdrawal of it's grant for the main
| tenance of the institute, claiming it is
useless to the colony. This probably
will be followed with other Australian
| colonies taking similar action.
The memorial to the late Lewis Car
roll is to take the form of cot in the
| hospital for sick children, to be called
the Alice in Wonderland cot.
| A strong company has been formed to
| forward the idea and it Is meeting with
an enthusiastic response.
| 1t is said Mr.. Gladstone is coming
home to die An witness, who saw
his departure from the Rivera and his
arrival at Calais, reports a striking
change in the old statesman's appear
ance.
Arrangements had been made at Ca
lais to carry his chair from the train to
the hotel, but Mr.. Gladstone was deter
mined to walk the distance, thirty yards,
and was carefully assisted down the
steps, enveloped in coats and rugs, and
heavily leaning on the arms of two
gentlemen he slowly tottered to the
hotel.
In spite of Major Bonds denials, that
while DR.. Nansen had not publicly or to
reporters criticised America he has been
remarkably frank in talking with his
friends and does not conceal the fact
that he has been unfavorably impressed
with American life. He has a great
| grievance against what he terms ''in-
| ventions of the American reporters" and
he did not like his audiences.
II feel at home here" he said, but
there, in spite of the crowds, felt lack
of sympathy with my scientific achieve
ments. In many cases the people only
wanted to stare and they would have
been equally pleased if l had got up and
sung comic song"
The order of the crown started in New
! York is discussed with great glee here
by the Daily Chronicle, Daily Mail and
other newspapers, Vanity Fair declar-
| ing it is quite the nature of things that
| such an order should be born in New
| York. adding: TT Is always the repub-
lican, the man of democratic, if not So
cialistic tendencies who has the keenest
appreciation Of the advantages which
aristocracy possesses"
| Social interest is concentrated on the
ball which Lord Rosebery is to give on
Monday, and at which two of his daugh-
| ters are to come out. Though it is chief
| ly for the young, it will be very mag
nificent affair. The Prince of Wales will
be there and it is said the ball marks the
| determination of Lord Rosebery to en-
tertain more lavishly than hitherto and
| to be more in evidence among social and
political people, in view of his reported
intention to resume the Liberal leader
ship. ..- u-
The weather has been most mild and
unprecedented. There are lilacs, etc,
in the parks and the cuckoos have ar
rived two months in advance of their
usual time.
THEATRICAL NOTES
There has been a decided boom at most
of the theaters. The chief successes con-
tinue to be at Court, the Haymarket and
Criterion, rather Unexpectedly, at Her
Majesty's and at the Duke of York,
where George Edwards produced an
adaptation of Jalouse on Saturday, with
Ellis Jeffries and Seymour Hicks in the
leading parts. 1t also promises to be one
of the successes of the season, the Prince
of Wales having set the seal of his ap
proval on it.
On Monday the Empire successfully
produced a gorgeous ballet ingeniously
representing all London dailies and
weeklies. George Aexander's produc-
ton of Much Ado About Nothing at the
st. James on Wednesday was tri-
umph of stage pictures, costumes, ETC.,
but the acting was disappointing. Mrs.
Alexanders Benedict was unequal in
parts and Julia Nelson's Beatrice was
an unsuccessful imitation of Ellen Ter
ry. Fay Davis was unsatisfactory.
Sir Henry Irving has secured the
English rights of Cyrano de Bergerac,
blanc verse romantic drama by young
Frenchman, Roustaud, who has hitherto
been obscure, and which the Paris crit
les laud most highly.