The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-16
Minister of Commerce in Asquith
Cabinet to Succeed Lord
Gladstone.
ny IA MaRouIsE DE FoNTENoY.

@ YDNEY BUXTON. Minister of Com
= merce in the Asquith Cabinet
since 1911, and for the previous
ave years Postmaster General. has
been appointed to succeed Lord Glad
stone as Governor General OF South
Africa lie furnishes. according to his
first cousin. Lord Knutsford. the only
case of Cabinet minister who has lost
his trousers without losing his char
acter.
1t seems that Sydney BUXTON. while
Postniaster-General, arrived at Has
socks, the railroad station nearest to
his place In sussex, FIVE minutes ahead.
of the arrival of the train By which
he was to travel up to town. and ac-
cordingly sat down on tho grassy en-
bankmcnt to wait. When hc took his
place In the compartment OF the train,
he found that his coat and waistcoat
were swarning with ants SO as he
was alone. no took them off, and shook
them out OF the window. shortly nf-
forwards he felt tho ants swarming
about in his neither garment. So he
took his trousers off, and was shaking
them out of the window when a pass
ing train tore them out of his hands.
This was very awkward. He was on
his way to n Cabinet council In Down
Ing street; and there he was with "A
frock coat and a high silk hat, but
no trousers. At the next stopping
place he called TO a porter: Il have
had the misfortune to lose my trousers
out of tho window"
The porter was horrifed. and. under
the impression that ne was dealing
with lunatic, shouted out TO the con-
ductor, Here's a bloke In first ella IS
compartment without any bags ont
The conductor csmo up, and. on hav-
ing matters explained TO him by sydney
Buxton, teleGraphed up to tho terminus
In London: There is Cabinet min
lister on tho train who has thrown his
trousers out of the window. Get an
other pair for him.
When Buxton reached London he
was provided with pair of those ex-
tremely roomy, green corduroy trousers
that arc affected by the English raj
road porters. and In them he alighted
from the train. and proceeded TO tho
Cabinet meeting In Downing Street
where his peculiar neither garments
excited much hilarity
As president OF the government
Board OF Trade. which is the Official
title OF the Minister of Commerce in
England Sydney Buxton. who has been
n member sof the Privy Council since
looe, has been receiving a salary of
$4,000 a year As Governors General
OIL tho Union of South Africa, he will
nave a salary OF $4,000 a year. be-
SIDES allowances OF about half that
amount. and furnished official resi-
dences at Pretoria. where his head
quarters are established, and at Cane
toWn. IL may also be taken for
granted that, like his predecessor
"hen he exchanged a seat In the Cant
net Tor tho Eovernor-gencraiship of
South Africa, he Will receive a peerape
re is man of nearly sixty, has been
vice married. his first vito having
oeen a daughter OF the late Lord
Avebury. who, rs Sir John Lubbock.
was SO famous az n financier, an edu
cauonalist, as the founder of tho legal
bank holidays. still known as st. Lub-
hocks Days. as n scientist, and, above
all, as an entomologist. whose fascinat-
ing writings on tho subject OF ant life
arc rs familiar on this side of tho At
iantic as they are in England. and have
even been translated into Japanese
and Chinese. Sydney Buxton's present
wife Is very much younger woman.
and 1t Is his seven ycar-old boy By
her. Denis by name. who will be tho
heir TO the peerage now about 10 be
bestowed upon him.
The BuNtons are an Essex family
the members OF which have played an
important role during the last 800
years; notably, the first baronet OF the
line. Sir Thomas POWELL Buxton, who
was one of the leaders of the slavery
abolition movement IN England, and
also OF the prison reform agitation, In
conjunction with his slster-in-law,
Elizabeth Fry--an agitation which
spread all over Europe and America
and which brought about z wonderful
Improvement in the treatment OF bo.h
prisoners and lunatics.
The present head of the family Is
Sir I. POWELL Buxton, who for fifteen
years has been tho very active presi.
dent OF the British and Foreign Anti
slavery Society, and IS members de-
rive their great wealth from banking.
and especially brewing, being ident,-
lied with the great firms OF Truman,
Hanbury, Buxton & Company, and also
with that or Barclays Limitedt They
are all disposed to be evangelical, and
staritlaced, haunt tho Athenaeum In
London. rather than the Turf Club, and.
while intellectual. are lamentably de-
hcient In any sense of humor.
II Is said of the Buttons that they
can never see Joke. and there is
nothing that renders Sydney Buxton,
the new Governor General OF South
Africa. more indignant. than a refer
ence to the absolutely authentic story
OF how he arrived by train In London
TO Cabinet meeting arrayed in the
conventional frock coat and high silk
hat but trouserless
Whether under such circumstances,
sydney Buttons appointment as Gov
of South Africa VIII
prove a success is doubtful i'm the
extreme. Indeed, it is the lack OF
numor which Is so curious trait of
the Gladstone family that Is mainly
responsible for the failure OF tho retir
ing Governor Generals administration:
a failure which has led TO his resls
nation. The office of Governor
of South Africa Is one OF particular
difficulty. with subjects OF irritation
and trouble cropping up all the time
To deal with them successfully, and IN
a statesmanliko manner. fund OF
humor is practically Indispensable.
Sir Daniel Gooch. who Is mentioned