Evening star., 1902-08-02
BRITISH ARE UNEASY
Apprehensive About King
Edwards Health.
COR0N ALTON PLANS
LESS EXPENSE AND DECORATION
TEAM At FIRST.
individuals, However, May Decorate
Lavishly as They Please-Lon-
don News and Gossip.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

king. Not much has been openly said or
written on the subject, but it is known
that the second coronation date was prac-
ucally decided upon by the court in con-
sultation with the kings medical attend
ants, and that the members of the cabinet
had little or nothing to say about it..
Throughout the latter have entertained
misgivings, and they are following the bull
letins as they are issued with an anxiety
which is none the less acute because it is
concealed. They appreciate, as perhaps the
court may not. the seriousness Of a second
breakdown In the coronation program, and
anything calculated to arrest or retard the
recovery of the king Is viewed by them
with intense concern. On the heads of Sir
Frederick Treves and Sir Francis Laking
the main responsibility undoubt edly rests
and nothing will be left undone to guard
the king from danger. But continuance
of such rain and cold weather as we are
now having would be a serious matter.
Although preparations for the coronation
on August are being actively carried on,
1t is now clear that in the matter of dec
orationS and from some other points Of
view there will be nothing like so brilliant
spectacle as would have been the case
mad the ceremony taken place at the end
OF June. The Westminster city council. for
instance. which spent 5000 decorating the
streets a month ago, will probably not re-
peat the work. The king has asked that
public expenditure should be kept as low
as possible, and acting on this wish, the
highways committee of the council decided
today to recommend the council not to dec
crate the thoroughfares next month.
Will Not Affect Private Decorations.
OF course. this will not affect decorations
carried out by private individuals and
here is every reason to suppose that these
and also the number of stands erect ed
along the route, will be quite e,Iual to those
contemplated in June. With the exception
of the stand erected between the National
Gallery and the site of Old Temple Bar
where the city of Westminster ends prac-
tically all those previously contemplate ed
for seats for the procession to and from
the abbey is enormous, a great portion Of
those who intended TO be content with the
procession on the second day in June now
wishing to find some accommodation on
the coronation day itself
The result of the holding of the corona
tion In August is the prolongation Of the
London season. In an ordinary way socie-
ty begins to break up about this time. west
end houses are emptied, and the daily pa-
rade IN the park shows a perceptible falling
on Even as 1t is. good many people are
taking short tours or trips to the continent
with the intention of returning to town for
the ceremonies of next month Prior to
the original coronation date we heard a
good deal of the financial strain which the
adequate preparation for it was involving
in the cases of impecunious peers and peO-
pie of other ranks. AS matters have fallen
out, the burden is even greater than was
estimated, and not few will have to econ
omise very rigidly for three or four years
to come in order to recover from the nm
precedented expense to which. they have
been put this year.
Balfour and Chamberlain in Accord.
Further evidence of the good understand
ing that exists between the prime minister
and the colonial secretary was afforded in
the glowing tribute paid by the one to the
other in public speech yesterday And
Mr.. Balfour's praise of Mr. Chamberlain
is deserved There are few countries where
supreme political power could have been
transferred from one statesman to another
with such an utter absence of disturbance
friction and rivalry. 1t is doubtful wheti,-
er even this country was prepared for such
smooth and rapid transfer, and the fact
that 1t has been possible is due to the ac-
qu1escence OF one man, and that man is Mr.
Chamberlain. 1t was in his power to make
Mr.. Balfour's position impossible. and in
the last extremity to wreck the llnionist
party and the government
NO one who has followed political deve1
opments during the last few wears and is
in a position to gauge the strength and ins
huence of the colonial secretary can doubt
this. Under these circumstances there ia
nothing extraordinary in the fact that Lord
Salisbury'S successor should have pone ont
of his way to speak of Mr.. Chamberlain IN
the same breath as he spoke of Lord sails
bury himself. Clearly the relations he
tween Mr. Balfour and Mr.. Chamberlain
are are OF the most friendly and confidential
KIND, and therefore the new administra t,on
begins Its career unhampered bv anv of
the internal jealousies and discomfort which
might have been prophesied for IT What
external parliamentary troubles If mav
inc TO -
reconstruction of government ALWAYS
leaves some soreness behind somewhere,
Garden Party at Hatfield House.
The garden party at Hatfield on satur-
day was the last great entertainment that
Lord Salisbury will give 1t really marked
his farewell to the diplomatic and political
| world, and henceforth he will live his life
| in the retirement which has always beer
so congenial to him whenever affairs n,
state would allow him to snatch it. Neye,
much attracted by the ordinary diversions
| of society, the ex-premier has been ever
| less disposed to associate himself with
| them since the death of the Marchioness OF
| Salisbury than he was before. He hates
crowds, even aristocratic crowds, and will
| now spend most of his time in the seclu.
sion Of Hatfield where his scientific labora.
| tory will engross most of his interest anC
| most Of his time. 1t is suggestive tha
| nobody expects Lord Salisbury to write 8
| book. That he certainly will not do.
| Hatfield House abounds in historic treas
ures. and so an eager welcome may be an
| ticipated for the ninth volume dealing will
| the manuscripts of the Marquis of Sails
| bury which Is now in the press and will
| shortly be issued by the historical monu
| scripts commission. The ex-premier b,
| the way, Is a member of this commission
| Since 1883 eight volumes, descriptive of tn.
| famous manuscript of the house of Cecil
| have been issued. One of these, the frs
/
! There are also passing through the press a
| present a volume relating to the Stuar
| manuscripts at Windsor Castle belongins
| to the king; the second volume of the man
| uscripts of the Duke of Beccleuch, Si
| George Wombwell, the Duke of Norfolk
| his brother, Lord Edmund Talbot, Lad,
! Buxton and others. and the first volume O
| the papers Of the Marquis of Ormonde
| Agitation for Clean Streets.
i Good LQndouers are irving to get I'M a,