Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-21
Humorous Side Of Scramble
for Public Office
WITH THE NEW REGIME
THE FUTURES OF LORDS cURzoN
AND LONDONDERRY.
Comment in London Over the Two In
teresting Politicians--An Old
American Map.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

AAAASAASsSAA uA0Rs
Special Correspondence of The Star.
LONDON, December IT, 1905.
The most humorous thing connected with
! the resignation of the late government was
the scramble of the last few days of office
to give place to supporters and friends.
During the last few days there has been
mucn activity behind the scenes in the dis
tribution OF loaves and fishes. The resig
nation OF Mr.. Justice Wills was due to a
hint that there was a candidate for the ulti-
mate vacancy he left. The retirement of a
Scottish judge-Lord Adam-was no doubt
connected with the same urgent need, and
there has been a good deal of shutting Of
posts In Ireland. Haste has been the order
OF the day. A vacant county court Judge
ship, caused by death, was filled up almost
before the departed judge had been buried;
and two lord Observation-Disclosures of Suffolk
and Cheshire-went to recipients who have
claims on the party, the Dukes of Norfolk
and Westminster
A long reign of patronage has come to an
end. and no wonder there Is rush at the
last For three years only out of twenty
have the tories had the distribution OF
PATRONAGE mighty engine-out of their
hands There is scarcely a judge Of the
high court who does not own his appoint
ment to Lord Halsbury, who, In his capaci-
ty OF keeper of the kings conscience. has
also distributed many loayes and fishes to
minor ecclesiastical claimants. As for the
bishops bench, only four or five belonging
to pre-tory times, and all the rest, includ-
ing two archbishops, were appointed either
py Lord Salisbury or his nephew, the late
prime minister.
And in the great pro-consulships of tho
empire the tories have distributed the most
enviable posts open to British subjects-the
Indian viceroyalty, the Canadian vice.
royalty and the Australian governor gener-
alship have been filled twice by the late
government, and the minor governorships
OF the Indian presidencies aud the Austria
Ian states have been filled over and over
again by nominees OF the same party. A
very interesting sum in arithmetic would
reveal the material side OF the accountable
millions sterling that have flowed from the
fountain of patronage that has PLAYED so
long. And now that fountain is dry until
electoral chance sets it gushing again.
But 1t Is the general election which, after
all, Is to count most. and until we know
what that has in store 1t is perhaps as well
to be prudent; and 1t is the general election
which Is no doubt responsible for a large
part OF the strange political quietude that
has enveloped us. 1t is obviously of no use
to exhaust our energies in worrying now
when the real time for political excitement
will come with the opening of the electoral
campaign In four or five weeks time Then
no doubt we shall have plenty of anima-
ton and "go," and no lack OF shillalahs or
OF heads to use them on.
X
One of the minor issues of the change is
that which involves the. Political future of
the two interesting men. Lord Curzon and
Lord Londonderry. Lord Curzon returns
to London to find that the government
which compelled him to resign has itself
had to submit to that unpleasant process.
Now that he Is in "a position of greater
freedom and less responsibility he may
be expected to return to a sphere for which
his talents, as well as his disposition, fit
him. He is understood to be a strong free
trader, and as his Imperialism is based on
different conceptions Of empire than some
of the opponents of that creed, he is likely
to be found In a position Of detachment
from the party with which he has hitherto
been associated.
Meanwhile he is. hear. engaged upon
history of his viceroyalty. and one of the
chapters of his book will deal with the
controversy which was the last chapter of
hos Indian career-the relative position
OF the viceroy and council Of the
commander-in-chief Of the Indian forces.
In letters written to his friends here
toin that he was absolutely right in the
constitutional position which he took up
He renders every tribute to Lord Kitch-
ener's capacity, and thinks the northwest
he is equally convinced that the precedent
created is full Of danger when the post falls
into the hands of a man inferior In caliber
to Lord Kitchener.
slightly different from Lord Curzon's With
the resignation Of the government he, too,
Is Elm a position OF greater freedom, and
there Is very little. doubt that he will make
liberal use OF 1t. It has for a long time
been known that he has differed acutely
from many Of his cabinet colleagues. and
there Is little reason to doubt that he did
threaten Mr.. Balfour with resignation at
the penultimate meeting OF the defunct cab
met. One who has been In close association
with him for many years tells me that che
Is the most sensitive of men, and that he
resents very bitterly the sneers which Mr..
Chamberlain leveled at him some weeks
ago." Those remarks, indeed. were the
direct cause OF him insisting upon his resig-
nation.
When the secret history of the last few
weeks comes to be written 1t will be known
that Lord Londonderry played great part
In Fastening the end. He was prevailed
upon by Mr. Balfour to withhold his resig-
nation at the last meeting but one, on the
ground that "all would soon be going to-
gether,' and the resignation was only de-
ferred on the distinct understanding that
the whole cabinet would throw up the
sponge at the second cabinet meeting held
last Friday. Now that he Is free Lord Lon
donderry may be expected to take a strong
er line against the Birmingham policy even
II 1t Involves the severance of party ties.
\
The first map printed In America con.
tanned, as collectors are aware, In a small
quarto. 1.-THE Present State Of New Eng
land. by w. Hubbard. minister Of Ipswich
issued by Thomas Parkhurst In 1877 In
good state. such as is the map in the copy
of the book which comes under the hammer
today, IT Is rare and valuable. 1t is known
as the Wind Hills map. and the inter
esting thing is that the decorative border
in the original block Is evidently defective
at tho left bottom corner and at plane
near the top right corner.
AH
The old-fashioned pantomime. based ON
haekneyed nursery rhymes and padded out
with topical songs and comic interludes,
has steadily been decaying in London, and
this Christmas 1t will suffer further de-
cline In its traditional home at Drury Lane.
It is not yet to be banished altogether, but
Its more banal features will be eliminated
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