The Washington herald., 1913-01-28

The MEASURE has the support Of both
UnloDists and Liberals. and its digest is
that tne Lord Lieutenant Of Ireland, in
the discharge Of the duties of his office,
shall conform to the methods practiced
by the governors of the British Oversee
Dominions. This bill is intended 10 pave
the way for the appointment OF a prince
4 of the royal house to be the Viccroy OK
Ireland.
Hitherto the Viceroy has always been
a conspicuous member Of the political
party in power and has retired from
office with the fall of the Cabinet. Hence
I forth the viceroyalty Is to be nonpar-
i tisan. The Lord Lieutenant is to serve
Il q T. nm OF six years, independent Of the
tenure Of office of the imperial adminis-
tration; is to remain aloof from party
politics and is to be on precisely the same
Il footing as the Governor General Of Can
/ ada. of South Africa, of Australia, and
! OF New Zealand. 1t is quite possible that,
| when the Duke of Connaught leaves Can
ada, he may become the first royal Lord
| Lieutenant in Dublin.
| The royal family always have been pop
ular in Ireland since the days when
| George ~ held festive court at Dublin.
his good temper there being brought to
/ the brimming-over stage by the welcome
news of the death of his wife, Queen
Caroline. The Irish people have no quarrel
/ with the reigning house. and that what
ever bitterness there is in Erin in con-
| nection with British rule has been direct
ed against the methods of the govern
J ment. King George and Queen Mary
both prior and subsequent to their &C
cession to the throne: King Edward and
! queen Alexandra, and Queen Victoria
| always have been welcomed with I'M
bounded cordiality whenever they have
| visited Erin, and through the years that
the Duke of Connaught- spent in Dub
| lin as commander-in-chlef of the military
! forces OF Ireland neither he nor his
wife or daughter ever received an I'M
friendly word or look.
Approaching this, Queen Victoria, King
Edward, and now King George have
turned a deaf ear TO the suggestion that
any member Of their family should hold
court in their name as Lord Lieutenant
at Dublin Castle as long as the vice
royalty remained a political party office
The sovereign. constitutional ruler
often Is forced to give way to the wishes
OF Parliament and to those OF the admin
istration Tor the time being. and TO sane
tioh things repugnant to him. But he
mas not sought any advantage by iden-
ufying himself more than necessary with
acts or policy dictated more by a part-
san spirit The popularity of the royal
FAMILY in Ireland would have suffered
mad a prince of the blood been Obliged
10 assume the odium OF the distastefuI !
measures devised by Downing Street and
to Identify himself with its views But
when the viceroyaIty ceases to be a |
partisan office and its occupant is re- ,
quired 10 hold aloof from party politics J
therc Will be no objection to its being
held by royal prince.
The Irish viceroyaltv is an ancient
once which dates from the reign Of |
Henry III. SThe first incumbent was Hugh
de Lacy. in H.. There have been sev- |
il" occasions during the latter half
the nineteenth century, when Il was
posed to abolish it. but this ALWAYS
. been opposed by the Nationalist, |
regarded the maintaining of a sep
.T &c court at Dublin as emphasizing |
r separate existence from Great Bril- |
land always has been ruled more or |
from Downing Street. even in the |
de- prior to the Union. when there !
an Irish Parliament in Dublin The |
...." Lieutenant therefore has relatively |
real power. The later has been !
almost wholly In his PRINCIPAL !
,ary., who. occupying a scat In the !
ct, has been the real minister for !
- --a..d. The result was that IL has been :
ing TO accept the role of Lord Lieutenant,
content TO act as scapegoat for unpopular !,
measures of their political party. in the
framing of which they have had no voice
and in the execution of which they have
no real authority.
Some Lord Lieutenants have been re-
nowned for their drinking habits in
country where Conviviality is the rule
rather than the exception. and there are Il
few who do not know the story of that 4
Duke OF Richmond. who. TO the dismay
OF Crown and Cabinet, was in the habit
when intoxicated Of exercising his vice
regal prerorgative of comforting knight
hood. The latter is a privilege that until
now has tbeen enjoyed by no other sub
Ject of the Crown. Neither the Viceroy j
OF India nor even the royal Governor
General of Canada can knight a man
save by a written authorization from the
sovereign. But the Eiceroy OF Ireland
can knight whomsoever he likes without
asking permission Of any one.
On one occasion. as 1 read in a con-
temporary paper, when making a vice
regal progress through Galway and
forced by inclement weather to spend
the night at a country town inn. and
after having been put to bed by his at
after dinner in an intoxicated
condition. he insisted on having the
porter OF the establishment brought into
his presence, and then and there, arrayed |
in his nightcap and nightshirt, he pro- II
ceeded to knight the man. whose name Il
was Denny Cuffe,'' enchanting. as he
tapped him OF the shoulder with his
sword: Arise, Sir Denny Cuffe'' On
the following morning the Duke repent
ed. as usual. and sending for the man.
told him the whole affair was a Joke and
had better be forgotten, at the same
time slipping a guinea into his hand. Sir
Denny Cuffe." after splitting on the
cOin for luck, transferred il to his
oreeches pocket, and replied: II should
be- well PLACED to obleege Your Grace.
but, unfortunately, / mentioned the mat
Ter to Lady CUTIE (the chambermaid at
he inn) and she would sooner part with
ler life than give up her title"
The Lord Lieutenant receives a salary
II a0.0o0 pounds year. is provided with
TWO official residences-Dublin Castle and
he Viceregal Lodge, in Phoenix Park,
both maintained by the state, which also
pays foB his stan of aids-de-camp, sec
-etaries, chamberlains. his master of the
horse, and other court dignitaries.
some incumbents of the Office. such as
ord Dudley, Lord Spencer, and Lord :
crewe have spent more than double the
amount of their emoluments and allow
Inces in maintaining it with BETTING