The Washington herald., 1911-01-09
AND GOSSIP
OF OTHER LANDS

special prize m The shape OF gold medal
to be shot for at Bisley by military Ter
ritorials. Is following an example set by
the late Queen Victoria. when In the sum-
ton. an offspring Of the volunteer move
ment, held its first meeting at Wimbledon.
The Queen might do much to stimulate
renewed public interest in the ''Bisley'
shoot. II she followed further example
OF her fllustrious predecessor, who not
only gave the queens prize" but her
self attended the opening Of the meetings
and fred the first shot.
No member Of the royal family has
been brought into more intimate contact
with the city Of London than the Duke
Of Connaught. who, on his return home
from South America, is to be welcomed
home by the city corporation. Thirty
years ago the duke attended the first
civil function. taking the place Of his
mother. Queen Victoria, at the unveiling
Of a window placed in Guildhall to the
memory Of the Prince Consort Since
then hardly a year has passed without
the duke being an honored guest at Guild
hall. From the time Of the dedication Of
Epping Forest to the public in 1882 by
Queen Victoria, the duke has acted as
Chief Ranger, taking the deepest interest
in its preservation. The Duke of Con-
naught also is an honorary member OF
the Grocers Fishmongers'. and Merchant
Tailors' companies. He holds the office
Of permanent master Of the Guild Of Sad
dlers, a position unique 40 far as MEM
bers OF the royal family are concerned.
The dukes trip to Africa recalls the
days when Sierra Leone bore the sinister
title Of 1.-The white mans grave" Science
and resolution have transformed a coast
that for centuries had been q byword
for malarial and >Other pests, and have
all but banished them in the wake Of
the slave trade. The place has every
reason to remember the old and evil
days. for it was there that British slave
chasers used to deposit most Of the cap
tives caught along the West coast. And
the staple part Of its population to-day
is the posterity Of those emancipated
slaves
Recently, when the Duke Of Connaught
called there on a state visit to the gov
ernor and for reception of loyal ad-
dresses the colony was zen fete" for the
first royal visit in its annals. Wilber-
force Hall. in Free Town, where the
chief ceremonies took place. remains as
a perpetual memorial to the dark past
referred to above, while the new law
courts. to which the duke laid the corner
stone. are to be an admonition of the
obligations that liberty involves. One
foundation stone more or less. hardly
can awaken in the duke a special thrill
after surfeit of such functions in the
Cape territory. but at least he will be
able to report to the King. in reply to
the message sent by the sovereign
through him. that the enthusiasm of the
smaller colonies is akin to the proved
devotion Of their sister dominions on a
larger scale
To find the origin Of the Court Of
Claims. which met recently in connection
with the coming coronation, It is nee
essary to go back to the days Of feud-
alism, when the King was the lord of
the soil and the great mobiles held their
lands in tenure from him on condition
OF rendering certain services, generally
including the filling of some more or
less menal Office about his person on the
day OF his coronation. In course Of time
personal service to the King came to be
considered an exceedingly high honor.
and it was to decide conflicting claims to
the privilege of holding certain offices
that the Court Of Claims was established
Formerly it was presided over by the
lord high steward, but since the abolition
Of that Office the duty of deciding claims
has devolved upon a committee Of the
privy council. Those whose claims were
dhO"cu ScHcIdily TeCclSeO very SUD-
stantial reward for their services at the
crowning of the King For instance, the
chief butler could lay claim to the Kings
best cup and all of the wines remaining
after the banquet: the chief carver pos
sessed himself of all the superfuous pro-
visions; the earl marshal received the
monarch's horse and all its costly trap
pings. and the great chamberlain had
right to the bed in which the King lay
on the night before the ceremony.
At the Marie of the Eighth Aron-
dissement in Paris recently the civil
marriage took place of NJ. Albert de
Goldschmidt. son of Baron Max de Gold
a daughter of Baron Edmond de Roths-
child. The ceremony was performed by
DR.. Marechal, the deputy mayor. who
in the course Of his address to the pair
said:
Monsieur, you are about to take one
Of the pearls Of your family to England
Fortunately England is not far away, and
you will cross and recross the straits
more than once to come and breathe the
air Of France, which she and her relations
love with so much fervor, and which you
love also. So many links. in fact, attach
you to Paris, where each of the Roths-
childs has won the utmost affection, even
among the working classes! Every one
has seen that the name of Rothschild
stands for fortune. but it also stands for
intelligence charity, and generosity. There
can be no higher praise in the world
That the Jews make keen and earnest
politicians in England. not to mention
Disraeli and others, would seem to be
demonstrated by the fact that three OF
the small band Of fifteen in the last r'ar-
lament achieved ministerial honors, and,
presumably, will continue in the same
Offices. namely. Mr.. Herbert Samuel post
master generaD, Sir Rufus Isaacs (attor-
ney generaD. and the Hon. f. S. Mon
tagu (under secretary for India). Mr..
Montagu is a son Of Lord Swathling-
better known as Sir Samuel Montagu-
and a first cousin 10 Mr.. Samuel and like
wise OF Mr.. Stuart M. Samuel, M. p. for
whitechapel. so that the family Is well
represented in the government.
Lord Washington, who has decided to
place his estate of Aldwark Manor under
the hammer, Is one Of the most learned
members Of the peerage. one Of the finest
entomologists OF the day, and fellow OF
many learned societies. His interest in
agricultural science. no less than a de-
sire to foster industry in this country,
| once led him to attempt. the growing OF
tobacco; but the chancellor Of that day
looked unlkindly at the experiment. re-
fused permission for further work, and
even sent inspectors to insure that the
stems Of the old tobacco plants were
burned and not converted into snun.
Lord Walsingham, with the single excep-
tion Of the King, perhaps, is said to be