Evening star., 1923-10-12
Baldwin of Tuscan Origin,
t.. Italians Are Now Claiming

Beck. solicitor general for the United
States, appeared to appeai-not to
any British tribunal, but to the Brit
ish king-against a decision rendered
against his American clients by the
supreme court of Canada.
The sovereign usually accepts the
advice of the judicial committee of
his privy council, and decides the
case in accordance with its recon-
mendation. But he is under no obli-
cation. legal or constitutional, to do
so. He remains the fountainhead of
justice for every one of his subjects,
for every corner of his empire, be it
in South Africa, in Australia, in Can
ada or in the Irish Free State. On
the advice of the judicial committea
of his privy council he can, in the
case Of appeals to his throne, reverse
the decision of the highest tribunals
of any portion Of his empire, even of
the house of lords, in order to repair
justice, his sovereign's action in the
matter being safeguarded by the CO.
operation of his privy council. Con-
seQuently, the people Of the Free
State of Ireland, while through the
treaty granting them autonomy they
have lost their former right of appeal to
the house of lords at Westminster.
still retain unimpaired their ancient
right of appeal to the sovereign
against the decision of their own
courts.
X * <
The election of Sir Lewis Newton
last week to the office of lord mayor
of the city of London, now merely
one of the twenty-nine boroughs into
which the huge British metropolis is
divided, will involve his taking up his
residence in the official abode which
the colossally rich municipality of the
city has provided for 200 years past
for its chief magistrate. Prior to its
construction, according to the designs
of the famous architect, George
Dance, in 1898, the lord mayors lived
in their own homes, generally above
their shops or business premises, and
thus 1T has happened that the chief
magistrate of the city of London, who
is entitled to the prefix of lord"
and who ranks with the earls, has
In former centuries administered the
duties of his office from a cobblers s
store. from a brick yard. from a
haberdashery emporium and even
from a pawnshop.
street from the Bank of England, is
today stately, rather pompous build
ing Of the palatial and "churchy' or
der, which has been described as a
sort of Hallelujah chorus in stone. 1t
cost some 100000 and was paid for
in entirety out of sheriff's fines. OF
course, it's building led to many
charges of graft and there seems to
be no doubt that some of the con-
tracts were grossly corrupt, and some
of the most strange discussions en-
sued Thus, no provision was made
for baths, and when. in 1872, the lord
mayor of the day demanded the in
stallation of a bath the municipal
court of common councilmen was
unanimously against any such luxury,
on the ground that no previous chief
magistrate of London had ever made
such a demand upon the city or had
not until 1882 that the city council
finally gave way and ordered single
bathroom to be fitted up.
English people seem to begrudge
baths to their fellow countrymen, de-
spite their proverbial love for soap
and water. Thus the present Mar
oufs of Salisbury, a member of Stan
lev Raldwin's cabinet, on one public
occasion protested against money as
signed to the Improvement of agri-
cultural laborers' cottages being used
for euuippng them with the useless and
extravagant luxury of baths, while,
when the house of commons was call
ed upon to vote the money necessary
for the TRANSFORMATION Oh iportl0n OF
the Palace of Westminster. into an of
fcfaI residence for the lord high chan
ceIlor of the realm, it stubbornly re-
fused to provide the funds required
for the construction and equipment Of
even a single bath, indicating that it
was in no way concerned or inter
ested in the ablutions of the lord
keeper of the great seal and Of the
kings conscience. then Lord Birken-
head.
Mansion House occupied the site Of
a former livestock market. knownsas
the Stocks market. where, if any of
the animals were found to be dis
eased they were straightway killed
and incinerated on the spot, in such a
manner that the perfumes of the COM
bustion were directed entirely to the
nose of the offending owner. And be-
fore It's being a livestock market 1t
was the site of a villa dating from
the time of the Roman conquest by