Evening star., 1898-12-10
ITS PLACE IN HISTORY
No. 10 Downing Street is a Most Interesting
Old House.
If Diplomatic Etiquette Did Not For
hid 1t Would BE a Great
Show Sight.

From Pearsons Weekly.
Although Great Britain is to some ex-
tent indebted to nature for the position she
occupies today still it's wealth and pros
perity is largely due to the industry and
high qualities of the race and the cond-
tions of society. which favoring the growth
of a leisured class, have ever furnished a
goodly supply of statesmen TO safeguard
the interests of the realm.
Although the empire building of which
we hear so much today, commenced some
three centuries ago, it never assumed real
Importance till No. 10 Downing street,
Whitehall. London became the official resi-
dence of the first lord of the treasury.
As the British empire in those days was
rather small affair, small house was
deemed quite sufficient for the official
abode of the prime minister.
downing street was erected by Sir George
Downing 334 years ago on the site of the
cockpit of the palace of Whitehall. From
the very first it was the home of distin-
Gufshed people, but it did not become the
abode of British statesmen till George II
made No. 10 the official residence of Wal
poie and all other prime ministers after
him forever.
A shabby old red brick house is No 10.
and dwarted into utter insignicance by the
splendor of the government offices sur
rounding it. With it's funny-looking lions
head knocker, its old shioned street door
and antiquated windows, brick-faced front
sunken area and crumbling railings it looks
IKE some helated survival which has some
now escaped notice in the undermining of
London.
Transferred to the suburbs and divested
OF its reputation it might fetch $50 a year
not more AT Whitehall, its appearance at
the mart would cause profound sensation,
Tor with all its meanness the absence of
spacious VeSJibules, magnificent staircases
apartments gorgeous and stately, like those
iTgI1h 1hrp
street Is by far the most interes ting house
in the British empire.
1t is the official residence of the first
lords of the treasury. and for two centuries
past great ministers have met there and
discussed matters of vast and imperial i'm
portance TO the country over whose desti-
MES they presided
Could the walls of the old house sneak
many an unWritten page would have to be
added to the history of the British empire
thfious as 1t may seem, the place dingy
ana az IL uncomIortabie as 1t is, has the power
OF winning the love of its occupants. They
come prepared to regard 1t as an office
but they soon grow to look upon it as a
nome. How could it be otherwise with d
house so rich in historical associations?
Lord Liverpool and Canning were so fas-
cinated by its glories that they set up their
family belongings there, an example fol-
lowed by Mr. Gladstone and his great rival,
Lord Beaconsfieid. Mr.. w. H. Smith was
not romantic to leave Belgravia for White
hall.
1t was here beside the old fireplace in the
nan that those two great warriors, Nelson
ana Wellington met for the only time in
their lives. Neither knew who the other
was, but the conversation of Wellesley
made SO deep an impression on the sailor
that before he left he asked the hall porter
WHO the man was with the conquerng
nose.
The room most replete with historical
memories Is the old council chamber on the
ground floor. 1t was this apartment which
gave birth to the innumerable schemes
Matched for the overthrow of Napoleon.
Nr Gladstone, always a lover of peace
conceived such a dislike for the murder
chamber as he called it, that he turned
IL over to his secretaries and held the coun-
ellis in his own private room upstairs
Inc thick outer doors render the apart
ment so suitable for secret concIaye that
Lord Beaconsfield also made it his council
chamber, and had moved into it the chair
IN which the great Pitt used to sit Lord
ROSebery, too, loved Pitts chair
The table in the center is covered with
green cloth, and. although Lord Salisbury
h0lds his cabinet councils at the foreign
ONCE, chairs, blotting pads, etc. are stu
placed round the table in case of emereen-
cies. "
The lock to the garden door Is of peculiar
construction, and the key remains in the
possession OF the tenant till he quits Office
Near the wall of the garden is an old gar
den seat Colonial visitors looking over the
Ola house Will be certain to visit the gar
aacn' Tor the seat is immortalized as having
o,,o,iid eDoll ps Lord BeaconSfleld the
tGEe!llhs nelore ne quilted London for Ber-
lin to upset the San Stefano treaty.
III diplomatic etiquette did not forbid No
1o downing street from being popular
exhipltion, the little house would be one
OF the show sights of the world
In these days, when we have so far sunl,
party dlHerences as to be able to speak
with one voice where the interests of the
empire are concerned, it might act as a
stimulus to the love we bear the Old conn
try If the public Were allowed to inspect a
house more richly laden with memories
than any other house in the world