The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-22
Sir James Thomson Ritehie Will
Make Dignihed Officer for
Great Metropolis. ss9
.ENGLAND's FUTURE RULER
Naal Career Has Been Decided Y
Upon for Little Prince Ed N
ward Of Wales.
BY PAUL LAMBETH.
Especial Cable to The Tlmes-D ispatossas'
Copyright, 1903.)

(special Cable to the Times-Dlspatch.) s&
LONDON, Nov. 21.-The Lord Mayor OF 4
London. who succeeded Sir Marcus Sam
uc on November 8, Is Sir James ! homson
Richie, brother Of Mr.. G. 7. Ritchlee.x n
who resigned the office OF Chancello : o!.
the Excheauer at the recent Cabinos
crisis. i8 ,3 d
He Is sixty-n!ne years old and is part
ner with his brother in great juts. I
business. s3',s:s99
He has been identified with the m11. T.. 4
nicipality Of London for the past twelve 4
Years. being one Of the sheriffs In lS07i
when he received his knighthood as one OF 3
the honors distributed ct Queen Victoria Nj
diamond jubilee.
Sir James is a fine looking man and GER :
tainy viii make q more dlshlIieu 4Stit -
Mayor than his predecessor.
AS he Is a widower. his eldest unrn ar. /
rled daughter will undertake the hea We
social duties Of Lord Nlayoress, WnlcHsi
she is sure to do admirably. M, III /. !.
Sir auses Ritchie's nayoralty W" VII. Do. S
m e1nora bic for the absence from the tlme.s \
hnnored inaugural pageant kno wn as ne \
Lord Mayors Show. Of the allegorlca4At
cars which have hitherto been It's most
y! ointment feature d. 93}e
This action Is regarded as q very sen
sible one, and not a few people Woulo %
glad II the whole thing were abolis hed.3iis
At best 1t serves no better purpose ~ thah ~
being an annual treat for the chlldren,5
and a field day for the pickpockets.5
TO compensate for the absence Of the the
cicus element q great parade OF the va -.
rious volunteer regimen Is OF tne .ci -
was introduced as the great feature ex
the show. &tA 53 Ky .i3 sj&G
Entertain the King.
e.., ,I,, fors more ha II two
hundred years the Benchers OF the Mid-
die Temple have had the honor OF en-.
ltertaining the reignins king OF one q 5
| the grand nights VS.. ,. gss. Y
TO any one unacquainted with the ENG:
fish legal institutions. these terms ma
! convey nothing. or hint at seml-secfet
societies and mysterious rites.
| But without going into q full deScrlp.55
ton Of the London Inns OF the Court,l3
OF which the Middle Temple Is one,s "
| may be explained that the Benchers are,
I the se,.ior, or governing members OF
( these societies OF lawyers, and tha t It's
| the custom. compulsory on all stuaenls
4 and other proba toners. to dine In hal
d certain number Of times during the
5lterm. four occasions In each term neng
A dignlAed as grand nights, "hen olsti! -s
i gu!shed guests are invited. lbs g8
i AS the Foundation Of the Middle Temple
! goes back to medieval times. It may be
! Ina sined that traditional customs 81 and
l quaint ceremonial have survived "a these f.s
/ feasts. 5ss . 5 As ~
No speeches are made and smoking Y =
5. tabooed The latter rule is only broken.
when Ills Majesty IS present, and this
| Indulgence .sLtes from 1851 when the
4 then Prince OF Wales. being a guest o..
| the occasion Of the calling to the bal @
/ the late Duke OF Clarence, III cigar, stl,3i
I p! emely unconscious OF the OLD rule. ana
] Of course, the royal example was fol-
i lowed.
The King has been a Bcncher OF the
i Middle Temple forty-two years, but mo-
veInber Q, 1903. was the first time he haa
i dlnsd as sovereign in the grand old nall.
1 where Queen Elizabeth Is said to nave Wlc-
1 messed the fyst performance OF IWe!tth
i Night" and Charles II d!ned the LAST
! time the Benchers entertained their royal
| master" 50.
4 Am ericans will be Interested to know
that their Ambassad in London, MI.
g Joseph II. Choate sat at the King > right
hand. and must have been very Interested
i In the picturesque and ancient customs
1 observed at the dinner. 63i
Naval Career. II
A naval career has already been de-
l cided upon for the3ltt.le Prirco Edward sof
\ Wales. who Is now In his tenth year, ana
a who, In the natural course OF thinss, VIII
! one day ascend the throne as Edward
4 VIII.
when he la old enough he will h. en-
tered as cadet In the ne" naval Co!lese.
4 which has been formed out OF OsIoTne
House. Isle Of Wight, where Queen VAC
. toris died.
The Prince will he only following the
example OF his father. who. 2 7 ire age q
I twelve, was sent to the Britannia tha
former naval cadet school. with his hhroeh.
q or, Prince 'Iddy" to learn the rules y.
4 sea service.