Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09

whose property is not quickly or easily re-
alizable. and who may be as actually short
of ready money as a man is who has no
available funds in a strange town, but a
check he cannot cash. No doubt the cupid
tty and corruption too common in the Rus
sian public service of all grades has wasted
huge sums during the war, the cost of
which is, in any case, stupendous. But
there is, of course, no question as to the
great intrinsic wealth of the country. indie
pendent of those ecclesiastical funds of
which the ear is the nominal head, and of
that boosted accumulation of gold of which
we are just now hearing so much. NJ
KOkOvtsoff, the Russian minister of finance,
has the credit of new idea. His invita-
ton to the editor of the Times to make
personal inspection of the gold reserve kept
in the vaults of the state bank claims the
merit of undoubted originality.
The editor of the Times, like the editors
of most big papers, is supposed to be a
pretty busy individual, and the idea of his
starting on journey to st. Petersburg, ac-
companied by Trustworthy and technically
trained experts in auditing gold bullion and
money" has its distinctly humorous side
Press men get strange privileges sometimes.
l remember once seeing on an editorial ia
BILE card bearing the inscription, Admit
the editor of the - to a private view of
the Plains of Heaven and the Last Judg-
ment." That caps even M. Kokovtsoffs in
vitation, which the editor of the Times has
declined with thanks. The Russian govern
ment is fond of giving these visible proofs.
1t invited Mr.. Henry Norman to view of
its treasures, and Mr.. Norman kindly pho
tographed them for us before the war. All
the same, they have not lasted the war out
The Russian nnancler, moreover, misses the
point of statement in the Times at which
he has taken umbrage. 1t is true that NJ
Wolf, who wrote the article called the re-
serve a colossal Humbert safe, which was
hardly fair, though it is believed Russia is
paying her interest on old loans out of new
ones, but the real question of her solvency
is how far she can draw upon the existing
reserve without damaging her credit.
Selborne's Self-Sacrifice.
Lord Selborne has been commended for
his self-sacrifice in giving up the admiralty
for South Africa. His lordship's sacrifice"
involves a doubled salary and an Office
which, If he does not exercise it's functions
with too much of the bias of a party poll
tician, ought to be occupied by him longer
than he would have held that which he has
just relinquished. Lawyers have also fire.
quently been commended for their sacrifice
in giving up lucrative practices at the bar
for office under the crown, but it would ap-
pear that their sacrifice" too, has great
compensations. 1t hcs just been shown
that the attorney general and the solicitor
general, Sir Robert Finlay and Sir Edward
Carson. in addition to their salaries, have
during the last three years received no less
than G100,000 (cloSe on half a million dol
lars) in fees.
This large sum ard the prestige attached
to their positions will no doubt console those
gentlemen for any sacrifices they have
made. 1t is possible that at the bar they
might have earned sums just as large. but
the conditions would not be quite so agree
able. Formerly English law officers could,
and did take Urge amount of private
practice, but this was limited in 1894 and
stopped altogether in 1895. The high-water
mark of the law officers prosperity was
reached in 1894. In that year Sir Charles
Russell, the attorney general. received over
for tic nff1 nj lah npal
to Mr.. Hamburg, in an interesting speech on
a proposal to censure him, that he was con-
siderably underpaid. AT the same time he
was at the height of his enormous private
practice, which was estimated to bring him
in about 100000 a year, sum never ex-
ceeded by any lawyer in England.
Notes.
What were the circumstances, one Won
ders under which ma ~nificent pearl neck
lace came into the market at Christie's yes
terday? 1t was composed of fifty we'll
matched pearls of fine orient, and with irri-
tating reticence the catalogue merely stated
that II had been sent for sale by lady of
title Obviously some one who figures in
society has been feeling that pinch of which
experience is not confined TO any one social
degree. Is 1t a dressmaker, one wonders,
who rs calling or payment, or are those
losses at bridge to be met? 1t is to be
hoped that the result was satisfactory and
that the necklace, which was sold for
81 go, will not be recognized by the friends
of the former owner when next it appears
in public.
At the same sale, but coming from other
owners. was sold a four-row pearl necklace,
composed of $40 round pearls for ESQ.
Another necklace, composed of fifty-three
pearls, sold for e1,35o, and a pair of fine
ear studs for G360. A set of old diamond ear
rings and four foliage spray brooches. orig
inally the property of Henrietta, wife of
the first Earl Grosvenor, realized E660
while hand mirror of gold and brlliants
sold for GL300, and brilliant neglge
necklace for e700.
Seldom have connoisseurs had a richer
opportunity of indulging in their weakness
for collecting engravings of the fair women
and beautiful children whom Sir Thomas
Lawrence painted and Bartolozz s. w.
Reynolds. c. Turner and Samuel Cousins