Year: 1869

From the London Daily News, June "A.


Members of both Houses some looking
grave and sad others, whose air seemed
to say, q told yOu so - sporting men,
who seemed exclusively bored at the whole
proceedings and fashionables of both
sexes, whose great care was to edge away
from the brokers who tried 20 fasten on
them, were welded together in a strange
medley IN the dining-room of IS Carlton
House Terrace yesterday. The policemen
who kept guard ut the foot of the great
staircase and at the entrances to cellars and
rooms had no sinecure, for the applica-
tions to wander freely through the mansion
were both numerous and persistent the
man who stood in the hall with catalogues
had disposed of his stock at shilling each
soon after p. M, and even such things as
Japanned water-cans, housemaids' boxes
and baskets, hand d-brooms aud dust-pans,
gave rise to animated bidding. This in
creased when more interesting articles
came to be offered, and between d. IN.
and 5 p. m., when hand-work and gilded
chairs and tables were put mp, what may
be termed clancy prices were obtained.
The house in which this scene is taking
place is one of the largest in Carlton House
Terrace, and stands at tho Spring Gardens
end, with offices which cross the road,
forming cM de sac, and communicating
apparently with house on the other side.
The auctioneers' bills tell their story di-
rectly the corner by the Duke of York's
Column is passed, making the Dukes ruin
manifest on both sides of the road. The
words Heirloom-Clumber" on O large
case of stuffed birds meet the visitors eye
directly he is in the hall, and they are re-
peated upon marble busts and other arti-
cles which stand between him and the din
| = HlN0r 90 ,01oa Al
in many respects rs its unfortunate holders
left it. The fine oil-paintings are hanging
in the accustomed places, some with 'their-
loom on the label attached, others, and
those the most numerous, numbered as
lots. The dining-table is just where it
would be if party were to be given. 1t
needs no great stretch of fancy to people
the noble room with host, hostess, and
guests, where Mr.. Lumley now does the
spiriting at the head of the table, round
which keen-faced men are ticking off the
prices in their catalogues


1t is seldom that anything 80 disastrous
as sale by auction takes place in Carlton
House Terrace, and the idlers assembled
there yesterday might be suspected of de-
irving gloomy relish from the knowledge
of this fact. That Duke should be sold
out Just as you or me might be to-mor-
rer, my dear" was an unfailing source of
trite moralizing on the part of one stout
lady, who bought nothing but prosed
much and that the sale was taking place
within half dozen doors of the residence
of the Premier of England, the Dukes ia
theirs friend, was given out quite frequent
ly as an item of news by an old gentleman
who took possession of snug cornear ear
ly in the day, and never once looked at the
auctioneer. Now and then anecdotes
| Hv1N Of Il oof
dents which had taken place when it was
thought the crash could be staved off and
minute details of personal history were
freely given, just as if those inventing and
retailing them had had the Duke in their
possession like tame animal. Ii is, of
course, not to DO expected that sympathy
for revCrses, even when due to unavoidable
misfortune, should be found in an auction
room but its utter absence was never more
marked than yesterday. Had those present
been stern Pharasees, whose consciousness
of virtue impelled them to be hard upon
the weak and falling, their tone would
have been more didactically severe. How
ever, everybody present who touched on
the subject at all seemed to consider them
selves entitled to have fling at the absent
prodigal and men and women who, if
lphysiOgnomy is to be trusted, were not ex-
emplars of all the Christian virtues might
be heard inveighing against the short
comings which had led to ruin with bitter
ness which could hardly have been caused
by pecuniary loss. The sorrowful indig-
nation of silent and solitary old man In
drab, who was said to have been q servant
: to the present Duchess since infancy, cul-
minated when certain articles Of furniture
were offered up ; but his panied look did
not stop the gossip or the covert sneering
and for the next two days the household
goods Of the Duke Of Newcastle will CON
tinue to be distributed to just such run
ring fire of cynical criticism as generous
minds shrink from and lOathe.


The Confederate dead are being removed