The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-25
HOUSE OF COMMONS
VERY THIRSTY BODY
. toms, Of exhllars,ion that could DO az

cIipeu 10 SIlrluIantS.
Curiously enough, one OF the most
notable instances of this nature was
furnished by no less statesman than
the late Lord Beaconsfield, before he
was raised to the peerage Although
the most temperate OF men. he was on
one memorable night SO intoxicated in
the House of Commons that no had to
be assisted out OF the chamber.
1t was not altogether his fault lie
was Prime Minister at the time. and as
such 1t had fallen to his lot to speak
at late hour of the sitting. Feeling
greatly tagged and worn out. he begged
one Of the whips to bring him a glass
of brandy -and-wat The glass, when
handed to him, Instead of containing
the minimum. which was all that lie
ever allowed himself. was filled with
good deal more of cognac thar. of
water. and he gulped it down without
noticing the difference. Before ten
! minutes had passed he was perfectly
drunk He began to stumble in his
sentences, and to become incoherent i'm
his utterances. Then he stopped
abruptly and smiled vacantly at the
house Then lie let his handkerchief
fail and made wild attempts to pick
1T up. like the comic drunkard on the
stage. After that he suddenly sat
down and completely collapsed, so that
he had to be half-led. half-carrieo, out
! OF the Legislative chamber.
'nS muse pretended 10 take no notice
of this extraordinary scene, the truth
OF which has been vouched for by a
number OF witnesses, including Sir
| Toby Lucy and the late Henry La
bouchere, the proprietor of London
| Truth. who at the time was represent
ing Northampton in the House of Com
/ mons. 1T is the only occasion in mod
ern times of a Prime Minister ATTEMPT
ing to address Parliament while drunk.
| There Is nothing more pulling for a
| foreigner writing in French than to
Know the correct manner in which to
| wind up a more or less formal letter
For the document invariably ends with
| an expression of consideration for the
| person to whom it is addressed The
problem is, how to grade the degrees
of consideration.
In a note recently addressed to me
! by reader of these articles informa
| ton is asked about the matter can
only quote the species of handbook of
ofhcial etiquette compiled by the De-
partment of Foreign Affairs in Paris.
and which is entitled, lie Protocole de
aiinistre des Affaires Etrangers." There
Is nothing like it that I can recall. ex-
cept the Academy of Compliments"
which was published early In the nine
teenth century In Dublin, and widely
bought. especially among the lower
middle classes who wished to avoid
y.
According to the ProtocoIe, members
of reigning houses not actually sove-
relgns are entitled to respectful con
sideration, while the President of the
republic commands the homage of
deep respect" High consideration
haute consideration is due to vice
admirals and generals OF division.
ar-admirals and brigadier- generals
have to be content with "distinguishe ed
consideration"
There are also changes runE In on
me word as to whether the party ad-
dressed should be asked to agree
to the expression of "distineuished CON
sideration," or whether he should mere
~ be told to receive 1t. Thus. n cardi-
nal has u right to the "agreez," while
an archbishop, bishop, law officers,
no matter how high, and projects, or
provincial governors. must be satisfied
with "receyez." In letters to sove.
reiEns. one signs oneself with deer
respect. the very humble and obedient
servant"
People on this side OF the Atlantic
who wish to hand their names down to
posterity, might do we'll to communI
cate with the committee that has been
formed at Coutance, in Normandy, for
the monuments there in honor of Tan
cred and Robert de Hauteville, the
common ancestors of the reigning
house of Great Britain, and of that
Bourbon dynasty which for SO many
hundred years occupied the throne of
France
The prospectus issued by the com
mitteo which has charge OF the affair
announces that Subscribers of $500 are
entitled to have their names inscribed
upon one of the statues. Those who
contribute 500 are entitled to have
thcir names engraved on one of the
escutcheons on the cornice. while those
who subscribe $50 can haTe their
names engraved on the pedestal
Immortality has rarely been offered
on more reasonable terms. and the offer
thus made by the committee with the
view OF stimulating the liberality OF
possible contributors will doubtless
lead to the strangest association of
names that are most modern and un-
distinguished, with those that are both
historic and illustrious.
Lord and Lady Ashburnham, who
have been staying at Boston with
friends for several days, have now gone
! to Fredericton, N B.. where they
made their home up to last Christmas,
when the then Major Thomas Ashburn-
ham succeeded TO his brothers. earldom
! of Ashburnham and to the entailed es
tates. comprising Ashburnham Place,
near Battle, in Sussex. The new Lady
| Ashhurnham was Miss Marie Ander-
son, and formerly telephone girl in
the employ of tho New Brunswick
| Telephone Company. Her marriage
took place there about eight years ago,
| her husband being man considerably
! her senior. namely. about sixty years
OF age. while She was twenty-five No
I children have been born to the union.
and when the earl dies the family hon
ors will become extinct
The late earl also married outside his
own class Of society. for his wife. who
| died in 1900. was the daughter OF Rob-
! ert Chaplin. petty tradesman of re-
| spectacle but very humble origin. She
| lett daughter, who is now a. nun of
| tho Convent OF the Sacred Heart at