New-York tribune., 1908-05-25
LORD MORLEY BALKED
Objected to the Usual Oath Of AUc-
glance Enacted of NeSc Peers.

capacity Secretary OF State for India, to select
the dvines OF the State Church Of England for
nomination to the bshoprtcs OF Bombay. Madras
Calcutta and other Episcopal sees Of India, is an
agnostic. This led curious episode on the
occasion of his taking his seat for the first time
in the House OF Lords the other day. The Gus
tornary ceremony, which involves the presentation
Of the new peer the Lord High Chancellor by
two peers acting in the role OF sponsors and
bv Garter King at Arms. proceeded without
hitch until. the patent OF nobility having been re
cited by the clerk OF the House, the latter handed
to the new peer the form OF oath Of allegiance
and asked him to repeat and subscribe It This
Lord Morley refused 20 do, owing to the religious
terms used in the phraseology, and claimed tho
right to make instead thereof an affirmation AS
there was absolutely precedent for this In all
the annals of House of Lords during Its exist
ence OF some eight hundred years, something like
CONSERVATION ensued. There hurried con-
sultation with Lord Loreburn. the Lord High Chan
ceIlor, who, fortunately, is a very broad minded
man At his suggestion the difficulty was got over
by making the necessary alterations in the form or
the oath so as 10 enable X to be administered
without offending the conscientious scruples or
Lord Morley, who thereupon recited 1t and ah1ed
his signature 70 the document
Had the Earl Of Halsbury. who is an Anglican
churchrnan OF the most intolerant type. with pro-
nounced religious preudices against all other forms
Of religious irregious beliefs still been on the
woolsack, there is no doubt whatsoever lhat
he would have refused 10 permit Lord Morley
Of allegiance which has done service on 'he oe-
casion the investiture of peers for so many
centuries. He would have held up the en'ire
ceremony and have raised an extremely oIs-
agreeable controversy. which might nave as
sured national proportions and have eAcileo
the most bitter pretudces against a man who now
enjoys the most universal respect, both at nome
and abroad. who has been honored by MS soFereish
with the rarely conferred Order OF Merit ano WIN
Cabinet Office who was the most intimate 1rlenu
cto hiOsTapher
acutor Of SO devout churchman as Gladstone, and
whose views the subject Of religion ne Keeps 10
himself as far a possible. feeling that they CON
Germ only his own conscience. In fact, had Loro
Halsbury been Lord High Chancellor when boro
Morley was introduced into the House OF LORDS
the other day there would have been somelh'''s
very much akin 10 the repetition OF the bra"anei1
case with this difference. that, instead OF occur
ring in the Commons. II would have taken place III
the hallowed precincts OF the sided upper cha i,
her AS It was everything passed on SO quietly
that the matter escaped the attention mol ONLY
Of most Of the peers present but also OF INC pfess
and might never have been known had II hoi peon
for the revelation Of the affair by one Oh iio
No-l.vs snonsors 10 some of his friends that Same
evening.
E.C4TAND'S NEW PUBLIC PROSECUTOR
Sir Charles Matthews. popularly known among
his friends as Willie" has been appointed by me
government to succeed the Earl OF DesaFt as IN
rector OF Public Prosecutions. an once "hicii oe
rios with Il salary of sl5 oo and which is
Of the utmost Importance, since II rests with tho
Incumbent thereof TO determine whether puDhc n-
terests are best served by insitutins criminal pro-
ceedings or by Withholding them Sir Charles was
49,, :, N.w York where his father, Charles
Matthews the famous actor. was filling thea'Fi-
cal engagement at the time Chis mother ha'ins as
Lizzie Davenport, also been footlisht IsVoriue'
and those who have read Montague Williams So
Leaves Of a Life will recall therein many Klhoiy
references TO the authors closest friend, Willie
Matthews, who, indeed, was the executor OF his
will.
Matthew. who is a most popular In London
society and persona gratissima with tho King. Is
counsel to the Jockey Club and member OF inc
Turf and OF that most exclusive OF London clubs
the Travellers well as OF the old Garr'ch CiuD
He is precise and ultra polished In MS speoci
and manner. and is without exception 'he lore-
most criminal lawyer OF the present DAY IN Eng
land having been associated in one way or another
with most of the criminal causes celeores OF 'he
last twenty-five years. He was knighted about
three wears ago by King Edward on the occasion
Of the opening OF the Courts Of Justice at
Ncwgate
Owing 10 a slip OF the tongue the part OF tho
Lord Chamberlain, Lord AlthorD. who called for
Charles Williams instead OF Charles Matthews,
King Edward almost knighted the wrong man
But fortunately, the mistake was repaired In time
Such mistakes these. however, are by no means
infreuuent and there is notable instance where
a man got q barony and a seat in the House OF
Lords through a misunderstanding. in lieu OF the
barOnctCy
other case where an individual through a similar
arro- was honored with a knight Commandership
Of the Bath instead OF receiving an ordinary
knighthood.
AN IRISH ROMANCE RECALLED.
John McGrath's death. at Lisronagh, County TIP
perary, ten days ago serves 20 recall the role
which he played IN the famous Carden-Arbuthnot
abduction case in 1884 The hero in the affair was
John Garden, uncle of Aone Garden. British
RIiDisr to
American girl a daughter of John Lenerts, OF
Flatbush Long Island John Garden was popu-
larry known as ''Woodcock" Garden. owing to the
number of times he had been fired at by discon-
tented tenants on his Barnane estates in Upper
arv. and fell violently in love with relative
Miss Eleanor Arbuthnot who was staying at the
time with her sister. Viscountess Cough, at the
latter's country seat Rathronan House, near
C1onme
Miss Arbuthnot declined young Gardens offers OF
marriage Instead of realizing that his attentions
distasteful. he conceived the foolish idea that
she really returned his affection but was prevent
ed by her friends from accepting his proposals So
he planned abduction when she was returning
with her sister Lady Cough, from church. The
preparations which he made were on the most
elaborate scale. He had arranged relays of horses
between Templemore and Galway. fifty miles away,
and in Galway he had a vessel, with steam up
ready to convey himself and MS expected captive
the Continent.
The attempt. however failed, thanks to the vigor-
Gus resistance of the ladies and of peasant John
McGrath who ran to their assistance. Garden took
10 flight but was overtaken, captured, tried at the
Tirperary AssiZes In 1854. and sentenced to two
years Imprisonment. under the old Irish law
enacted in 1884. for Furnishing such as carried
away maidens that be inheritors.' Abductors In
those DAYS used put the girl before them on the
horse instead OF behind. in order that they might
claim that il was she who had taken the lead IN
the abduction. and that it was they who had been
carried off by her, instead of she by them John
ty,a