The age-herald., 1901-11-03
s LONDON GOSSIP
English Army
 in Disgrace.
BY HENRY pEvEREAUx.

his, vicillation may be instrumental in bringing upon the country
 
 Apropos of the coming coronation and the reluctance of Americans to yield to claims of aristocratic precedence at any function whatsoever, London Truth H. lustrates the point 1t seeks to make as follows: "Mr. Jesse Grant, though not of the ornamental sex, declined to dine at Windsor with the Lords gentiemen-in- waiting. If I do not dine with father (the ex-President of the United States) and mother at the Queens table I go home A court official with fear and trembling, conveyed this .ntimation to her late Majesty, who reluctantly yield ed. MT. Jesse Grant did not know that the smallest of the court officials with whom he scorned to dine, took precedence of the grand old Gladstone and that without shocking any Englishman. The aristocratic nobody who waited on the Queen was supposed to absorb some of her sacred virtue. So far as precedent went, the Prime Minister, who was the representative of the nation was of in- ferior standing" At one of the clubs the other evening this young Grant incident was referred to by one of small group or gentlemen who were having a social chat. By the way" said one of them, Grant. fills, was not the first member d the precedence rules. The ex-President himself vigorously protested against their enforcement in his own case, or rather the American Minister of that day, MT. Edwards. did for him. At the first formal function to which the great American was invited the programme was that he should take his place in the procession behind the members of the nobility and their heirs apparent. who had arrived at the dress-coat stage of existence. MT. Edwards promptly said: No; the ex- President of the Republic Is by virtue of the office he held, entitled to all the so- cial right of an ex-sovereign and they must be conceded; otherwise he will not attend And the ex-President or the United States Minister won for him."
 Thoughtful men of all parties are con- vinced that the latest fad" of Joe Cham berlain to cut down the representation of Ireland in the House of Commons is, in view of the present complications, mili- tary and otherwise, extremely ill-advised The obstructive policy of the Irish mem. bers Is, of course, a source of worriment, and from legislative point of view in- defensible; but after all 1t is a minor evil, the effect of which might be min- imized without resorting to so drastic a measure. In the opinion of the best law yers the constitutionality of the pro- posed Jaw is by no means certain. By the act of union Ireland was guaranteed certain representation in Parliament, and her population at the time had noth- ing whatever to do with it. True, her population ne@ Is less than 1t was then by many millions, but If she been given representation in proportion to numbers when the union was effected. the number of her members of Parliament would have been more than the double of what was agreed upon. Ireland has always been the best recruiting ground for the army and navy ana 10 create a new Irish grievance In the present calamitous state or affairs, when the very beggars spurn the Kings shilling, cannot be re- garded in any other light than a blunder of the first magnitude