LONDON TABLE TALK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 253, 22 October 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

LONDON TABLE TALK.

(from our special correspondent.)

London, August 19. Me Labouchere was at the Reform Club on Tuesday evening, quizzing and chaffing the new Ministers in his usual fashion. Nevertheless, 'twas the general opinion he felt deeply chagrined at being overlooked, and that Mr Gladstone has turned an enthusiastic supporter and obedient follower into an independent critic and free lance. Ib is all very well for ' Labby' to Bay that holding the strong views he does concerning the imperative desirability of our evacuating Egypt forthwith he could never have worked with a Salisburian Foreign Secretary like Lord Rosebeiy. A week ago, when Mrs 'Labby' was tolling everyone her husband would be PostmasterGeneral one heard nothing about Egypt, fclor is there a word on the subject in this week's 'Truth.' Mr Labouehero has suddenly awakened to the importance of the question bocauso he knows the Liberal leadors differ thereon, and it affords an admirable pretexb for making mischief, or bs ho hitnsolf would say—'raising Hades.' The news of the member for Northampton's discomli'turo was made public on Tuesday afternoon. The following morning tho ' Central News announced that Mr Labouchore's first act next session would be to challenge the foreign policy of the new Governmont, by tabling a motion for the evacuation of Egypt. In this he will have the support of Sir Charles Dilke, and many of tho extreme Radicals. Ab Lord Rosebery only accepted office on the understanding the 'evaciition difficulty should be shelved for the present, 'tis easy to sco that in this motion there are the makings of a pretty kettle of fish. Of Mr Gladstone's fresh appointment, Mr Asquith's and Mr Burt's are warmly approved! Mr Asquith, besides being young and level-headed, has the reputation of possessing remarkable moral strength, and is oven less likely to be influenced by popular clamour than Mr Matthews. Sir Burt, though rugged and often obstinate, earned tho respect nnd liking of the House long ago, and bis selection for the Under (Secretaryship of the Homo OiFieo has greatly pleased the Labour party. Mr Acland and Mr Fowler aro also the right men in the right places, but many doubts are expressed concerning Mr Arnold Morley'a fitness for the Post) Office. Ho belongs to. the King Stork order of reformers. The apparent overlooking of Lord Carringbon and die selection of the unknown Lord Houghton for the Lord Lieutenantcv of Ireland I have dealt with elsewhere. Many worthy people at iirsb mistook the latter for his famous sire the Houghton better known as Monckton Milnes. I believe the present peer inherits his sire's knack of turning out pretty verses, though he has not ho far given us a ' Strangers Yet.' Lord Herschell, tho new Lord Chancellor, ia a selfmade man. His father was a smart Nonconformist minister and the son owes his great position entirely to self-denial and unrelaxing hard work. Sm Charles Dilke. In the form of what Mr Stead facetiously styles a ' character sketch' the August ' Review of Reviews' contains an attack on Sir Charles Dilko of unparalleled extravagance, ferocity and malignancy. The whole miserable story of the Crawford case is gone over again, and every damnable point against Sir Charles carefully resurrected and italicised. In addition, Mr Stead now hurls the most hideous charges of immorality wholesale at his advorsary. When he writes on this subject he seema to lose all control over himself. If I were Dilke, I should ab once (innocent or guilty) prosecute Stead criminally for libel. He noa made damnable statements it would be simply impossible to prove. The covert insinuations against Lady Dilke are particularly disgraceful. At Last. Tho marriage of the Duke of Devonshire to his old friend Louise, Duchess of Manchester, was quietly celebrated at a email church in Down-streeb yesterday morning. The Duke is fifty-nine years of age, his bride sweot sixty. Her Grace has five children, two sons and three married daughters. The marriage was announced soon after the late Duke of Manchester's death, but tho old Duke of Devonshire objected strongly to it, and nothing was heard of tho arrangement for so long, most people hoped it had been quietly abandoned. Mr Victor Cavendish is now, of course, more than ever likely to be his uncle's heir.* A Dohghty Deed. Lord Salisbury's last official acb was to advise that the K.C.T.E. should be con* ferred on Mr Henry Seymour King, of the firm of Henry S. King and Co., East India merchants and bankers. Mr King, did good Borvice in connection witb the 1 Colindries,' and is tho proprietor of the 1 Overland Mail,' and brother-in-law of 'Ginx'e Baby' (i.e., Edward Jenkins). Nevertheless, 'tis probable he would have had to wait for knighthood till the Conservatives came in again, bub for an act of loyalty to his party and conetitueucy whichwon the Premier's heart. Mr King waa in Switzerland when Parliament met last week. He had arranged to return for the division on Thursday, bub on Monday, whilst oub mountaineering, slipped and badly sprainedhißanklo. Thehonourablemember, wiir also seriously bruised and so ill altogether the doctors forbado hia moving' No one could possibly have blamed him had ho stopped at Lucerne. Mr King never dreamt of such a thing. Fever or no fever, legs or no legs he insisted he mint bo at Westminster on Thursday afternoon. Doctors warned and threatened in vain. Assisted by his son and a servant the sick man negotiated tho awkward railway and steamer journey. On Thursday afternoon Mr King was carried into the House and lay on a sofa in the library till the Division Bell rang at midnight. Mr Balfour heard of this accident from the Whips. 'He ought to have had the K.C.T.E. in 1887,' remarked one of them. 1 It so ib should be seen to now,' said tho minister. Ib waa seen to. Detective Ward. Detective Ward, to whose unwearying patience and perseverance the capture and conviction of that murderous monster Neill are mainly due, would make a capital hero for a Gaboriau or Anna Katharine Green romance. He ia quite a new hand and was nob thought much of by the force till this case began to develop. It began with, you remember, the Stamford-atreeb murders, which seemed an impenetrable mystery. Tho police had only the descriptions of the dying girls Donwortb and Shrivell of a vague man whom they had each seen once. Ward compared these descriptions and the evidenco of P. C. Conwtock and Lucy Rose till he had photographed on his brain a portrait of the sorb of individual he wanted. Then ho posted himself on Westminster Bridge (which the dead girls had habitually " walked ")." For five long days no one suspicions came alongl. On the sixth Ward saw fteill, and instantly fastened on him. From that moment, Neill was ehadowed morning, noon, and night. Every girl ha spoke to was promptly interrogated by tho untiring; Ward, and every place he visited was entered on the tablets of Ward's memory until sufficient had been found out to justify the man's arrest. It wna a great achievement, and has naturally earned for the young fellow the unstinted praise of his superiors, and the bitter envy of his brother detectives. The latter do not hesitate to dub Wvrd'a finding Noill a ' bloomin' fluke.'

The Hatfield Scandal, All's fair in love and politics, according to the Radical creed, or the «Star' might feel some compunction at mixing up the stainless Cecils with a loathsome scandal for which they can by no train of reasoning be held responsible. It seems an ex* chaplain of Lord Salisbury's, a Mr Edwards, to whom he presented the rectory of Essendon, has been misbehaving. It anita the 'Star' to essume that the man was guilty ot offences for which he could and should have been arrested, and that the Rev. Lord William Cecil (Lord Salisbury's sou], the Premier himself, and the head of the Hertfordshire police connived at1 his esoape. Aa a matter of fact, the police had no ovidence upon which tbey could act, but Lord Salisbury learnt enough to enable hm to turn Mr Edwarde out, ' lock and stock,' at 24hours' notice. Secrecy there was none. The Rev. Lord William Cecil rode over to Essendon and interviewed the accused clergyman. Next day, quite openly and publicly, Mr Edwarda left the village, and two days later resigned the benefice. That political capital should be made out of an unfortunate incident of this sorb aeotns to mo abominable—not but what the Tories are just as bad. One hears the most innocent acts of iit Gladstone's garbled and distorted till tboy seem monstrosities.

Teacx Turnbbelu Again.

Thero are some truly great men, who again and again rico superior alike to anuba and jibes. Such a one is Mr Tracy Turnerelli. Tbo melancholy fate of the Beaconsiield wreath and the -cruel sneers of the statesman whom he had, with the besb possible intentions, made look profoundly ridiculous, would have crashed most people. But our Tracy does not belong to the cruahable sort. He simply transferred his allegiance to the Royal Family and Lord Salisbury, and proceeded cheerily on his self-advertising way. Now, alas, Lord Salisbury has disappointed Mr TurnerellL In a circular scattered broadcast over tbo country and called " A Lesson to Patriots," the vapouring old peacock seriously complains that for the second time the late Premier has refused to recognise hia stupendous services with a title. And what services they are* Evory grotesque piece of eelf advertisement which the perpetually-praneing-in-publio Tracy has committed, he manages to dexterously twist into labours for Queen and country. Mr Turnerelli says: *I, the old Conservative, have just been refused ft title, or some recognition asked for tlvo second time for me by some of the taosb distinguished members of Lord Salisbury'^ Cabinet." Thus far in large capitals. And then he recapitulates his stupendous services to the cause. 'Firstly, during my fifty years of toil for Queen and country, I have spent in constant, daily, almoets hourly toil, 1,036,800 hours. Secondly, la 'Tribute' to the Royal Family, notably my tribute to the Grand Duchess Marie.conmating of a * Russian Gtost Story, 1 written in commemoration of H.K.I.H's. marriage with the Duke of Edinburgh, and gratuitously circulated by me in every' ducal and aristocratic family in the kingdom, and (2) my 'Jubilee tribute to the Queen' consisting of a 1 Children's Jubilee Song,'set to music by an eminent London composer, also circulated by me gratuitously in all schools in England, Scotland and Wales, and whicn was sung on bhe day of Jubilee by half a million of children. I have spent £1.300. Thirdly, in the circulation of 141 free tracts for the people written to support the ' Crown and Constitution,' I have sprmb in Government! stamps alone £940. Fourthly, my total half century's expenditure all for love of Quean and country amounts to over £10.000.'

'Tib indeed on imposing catalogue! But one cannot quite swallow those 'hours of toil' for Queon and country. One million and thirty-six thousand and eight hundred hours equals 42,200,000 days of 24 hours each, or rather 118 years. Mr Turnerelli is, 1 believe, about eighty years of age.

Labouohere in sympathising with good Tracy, expresses fervent hope that the base ingratitude of the Tories will not lead him to desert them in the hour of their misfortune. 'Do not, I pray you,' says the editor of 'Truth,' 'on any acoount ba tempted to join the Radicals.' And ' Labby's' expression will find echoes in the hearts of all the Liberal party.

Medical Slander Case,

We aro promised a medical slander cas^ of a delightfully sensational character in the coarse of the coming autumn, Tho plaintiff is Dr. Keeley, the inventor of tho so-called chloride of gold cure for intemperance, recently attacked by Dr. Ussher, of Melbourne, and other authorities, and the defendant the 'Lancet' newspaper. The libels complained of are contained in a number of letters and articles ou tho gold cure in the organ of the profession. The most serious reflects on the character of the medicine habitually administered to the chronic dipsomaniac patients at the doctor's sanatorium in the States. For a long time (I have before mentioned this) medical men from all partp endeavoured futilely to obtain some of his mysterious specific. At length by stratagem a student obtained a little and sent it to the late Dr. Tidy (Governmenb analyst) in London. Thia authority having carefully analysed fcha liquid pronounced its basis alcohol (Scotch whisky in fact), and stated that the mixture was absolutely innocent) ofr chloride of gold. The 'Lancet' gave forth this statement and Bticks to its guns. Dr. Eeeley, I understand, maintains that the doctor who obtained the sample was hoaxed, and that the stuff palmed off on him was whisky and water. At the sama time the doctor lias been constrained to admit the genuine injection contains alcohol. Furthermore he still declines to submit a guaranteed, sample for analysis.

The Maybrick Case.

The frionde of Mrs May brick have lost) no time in getting at Mr Asquitli, who is particularly awkwardly placed ,as in one of the several actions for a uew trial ho acted with Sir C. Russell as tho lady's counsel. Ot course the new Home Secretary can't do anything in tho matter except revior tho new evidence, and decline to interfere with the course of justice. If the so-called new discoveries in the case had amounted to anything they would have been submitted to public opinion lont> ago. I confess nothing short of an absolute miracle would convince me of the lady's innocence. The only person who heard the trial throughout, and who has ever expressed the faintesb doubt of the justice of the verdict is Sir Charles Bussell. Eren his belief in Mrs Maybrick is based on senfci* mental rather than practical grounds. The circumstantial evidence, he admits, was strong enough to hang her twice over. Many people have partially forgotten the trial, and are beginning—in consequence ol the repeated agitation—to feel as if thera really was a doubt about the case. Tosucb it may be some satisfaction that the new Home Secrefary 3hould review the circunv etancss. When, however, that is done, 1 hope we may hear no more of the matter. The woman, too many people forget, murdererl her husband with ruthless, nay, with diabolical, cruelty, hypocritically pretending to soothe and comfort the poor tortured wretch whose vitals wero being agonisingly burnt out by the poison she trom time to time administered to bim. The crime was, nob committed in anger, but with carefully planned deliberation.