The times., 1901-06-16
LONDON NEWS.AND GOSSIP.
Dissension stin Rampant Among the
Liberal Leaders.

Dissension still Rampant Among the
Liberal Leaders.
LONDON, June 15-Poiitics is singular
ly dead in London just now. Sir William
Harcourt and Sir Henry Bannerman were
teted by the Anti-Imperial Liberals last
night, Mr.. Morley beng among the
guests; but the speeches leave Liberalism
jusl where it was before. that is To say,
paralyzed by internal feuds There was
also something of an upheayal in the
House of Commons last night over the
Belfast rioting. but the Engiishmans sole
comment is: "Oh, dear! AZ it again, are
they? That sums up his shallow atti-
tude toward pressing Irish problems just
now, and he is still the predominant part
ncr.
There is also plentiful crop of rumors
this morning arising from Mrs. Botha 5
visit to Mr.. Kruger. one positive declara-
ton comes from Brussels that the latter
agrees to relinquish his title of President
and to promise to remain an exile, on the
understanding that the independence of
the Beers shall be restored under a Botha
government. with safeguards against any
future war, and guarantees as to the gold
mines. Concerning this, it is enough to
say that independence in the ordinary use
OF the word the present British Ministry
will never grant to the Beers. So EN-
phatic are the English ImperiaIists, Tory
and Liberal, on this point, that the Min
istry simply dare not. even if they would;
but If by independence the Beers mean
what Sir Wilfrid Laurier meant when he
called Canada a nation, negotiations
would not only be possible, but pretty
certain to result in the conclusion of
AIf- l. ic nhGfaclp
in the way Of the initiation of any such
negotiations; but whether it would be
possible through Mrs. Bothas agency to
remove that obstacle is another question
altogether
Meanwhile Sir David Barbour's report
on the finances of the TransvaaI and Or
ange River Colonies disilusioni7es any
British taxpayer who imagined that the
gold mines would relieve him of any sub
stantial part of the cost of the war. Two
millions sterling a year is the utmost they
can contribute. and that is just about
the sum being spent each week of war
fare.
An announcement from Rome published
here today says that the Pope for DAYS
past has been devoting the greater part
OF his time to the composition of a Latin
poem, anticip, tory of the twenty-fifth
year Of his Pontifcate, which begins next
year. 1t viii be the subject of a great
celebration at Rome and throughout the
Roman Catholic world. Up to the present
only Plus TX and St Peter are credited
with record of twenty-five years in the
Pontificate. The Pope informed several
persons that his new work will be his
poetic testament. Despite all recent re-
ports, his Holiness is declared to be in
excellent health.
\ good deal of half serious. half jocu-
lar comment has been excited by the ad-
vertisement in the Times from the
American gentleman who desires the ser
vices of an English lady OF title as chap
eron for his only daughter, and offers
honorarIum OF E5,D11-
In view OF the constant assertion that
New York is rapidly displacing London
as the centre of the worlds publishing
trade, special enquiries have been made
mere among noNeIlSts, at the instance of
the editor of the "BookInan." Ii seems
that there are not more than forty novel
lists IN this country who can 1--we in a rea-
sOnable way on the profitscof their books
alone, though eighty-ffve can live by what
they receive from the publication of their
novels as serials as well as in volume
form. Thus 1t is concluded that even if
American competition does swamp the
noyelistS' trade here, the number Of per-
sons affected will be very few. 1t is es-
timated that from fifteen TO twenty only
OF the English noYelistsl receive an i'm
ca, while new authors and authors who
are not very popular find it more and
more difficult to get American publishers
to take the risk of setting up their books.
only three or at the most four can count
on getting more from America than from
England
There are about eighty novelists who
may receive from America between $50
and el00 for their book rights If they
are able to arrange for the publication of
serials they will receive more. There are
thirteen only for whom the suppression of
the American market would mean very
drop in their incomes, and
to this is reduced the extent Of any pos
sible calamity to the English world of
novel writing.
The investigator concludes his report as
follows: "One comfort the English novel
ist may take is that there is no sign that
he will be rivaled in his own land by
the American, has had great popularity
here, but mainly on account of the ina
bility of the British public to believe there
can be two Winston Churchills As for
the American pirate, he may take heart.
He has been much discoura ged of late.
There are few firms that have not been
pirates in their time. Some years ago I
visited one New York pirate in his den.
He was a Scotsman and had been revisit
ing his native country. Surrounded by
pirated publications, he deplored the de-
cline of Scotch religion, which he attrib-
uted entirely TO the neglecrof the shorter