LOTHAIR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 294, 11 December 1900, Page 2

LOTHAIR.

DEATH OF THE MARQUIS OF BUTE

THE MAKER OF CARDIFF.

(From Our London Correspondent. )

LONDON, October 12.

Had Lord Bute died in the seventies his demise would have caused far more than the passing word of regret one hears today. And yet all his best work has been done since. Then the Marquis was simply the suppositious hero of a Prime Minister's novel, "Lotliaii'," just as the Aberconis wen: the "Duke and Duchess," Goldwiu Smith the "Professor," Mons. Chad "Catesby." and Wllborforce the

"Bishop." Of late years ho lias been known chiefly as a curious mixture of. devotee, man of business and philanthropist. Cardiff owes an Incalculable debt to the Marquis." and I fancy the Roman ecclesiastics looked but sourly on the huge sums he spent in its development. The. papers give Lord Bute but short obituary notices. The "Chronicle'1 says:—

"Although - shunning the more conspicuous paths of politics and Parliamentary strife, Lord Bute— the "Lothair" of Lord Beac-onsfield's novel — from the moment of reaching his majority took an ardent interest in many spheres of social and mental activity. Endowed with a strong religious bias, he spent his youth in devotion to the Anglican Church, as represented in Scotland by the Episcopalians. His benefactions in this direction were many ami large. But Rome was already casting her spell upon him, and in 186S he. was admitted into the Roman Catholic Church as one of its most enthusiastic- supporters. The commercial foresight of an energetic father—-the builder of the Cardiff Docks—had provided him not only -with ample means for gratifying his devotional Instincts in the construction of beautiful chapels, but for the lavish embellishment and maintenance of numerous residences throughout the country. Three houses in ScotlandDumfries Houso Cumnock, Ayrshire, where he died; Mount Stuart, Rothesay; and the House of Falkland, testified at once to his wealth and his artistic taste. Cardiff Castle, in the heart of the town, whose immensely valuable site he owned, is one of the most magnificent residences in the country, while Mount Stuart has been described as an Italian palace on a Scottish island. Its glories cost the late owner something like £700,000.

It can hardly be said that the munificence of Lord Bute corresponded absolutely to his vast wealth, although for his gifts to St. Andrew's and other Scottish universities he earned the gratitude of all lovers of learning.

The late Marquis was among the first peers of Great Britain to seek an outlet for his energies in municipal life, and when he became tho Mayor of Cardiff in 1S!)1 he set a useful example to his uobie comrades. Even Rothesay was not tob small a place for the attentions of the Marquis, and we find him for a year filling there the office of Provost.

Literature also—chiefly of the patriotic and historical kind—commanded the services of Lord Bute. His better-known works are "The Early Days of Sir William Wallace," "The Altars of St. Columba," and "The Burning of the Barns of Ayr." He will, no doubt, however, be longest remembered by his translation into English of fhe Roman Breviary.

As ii "restorer" of ancient castles and other venerable buildings the Marquis has done something to earn for himself an enduring fame, Whether his restorations of Elgin Cathedral and Sanquhar Castle would meet with the approval of the elect is matter for discussion, but In any case his efforts have stayed the disintegration of several precious monuments of the past.

In spite of his archaeological absorption, the Marquis found a fascination in modern journalism, and he it was who founded and housed at a cost of some £80,000 the "Western Daily Mail" at Cardiff.

"It will help to pay for the war," was the comment of a man In the street yesterday on hearing of the death of Lord Bute and estimating the amount of his death duties. No doubt it will, an_ it will all be wanted. At a rough reckoning, Lord Bute's possessions may be set down at five millions sterling, the larger portion of which consists of money drawn out of, or still invested in, the Bute Docks. "When, thirteen years ago, the Docks ceased to be his private property, he left about £2,000,000 in the company, and took about £1,500,000 out. Whoever the Chancellor of the Exchequer may be In the new Administration, a handsome windfall awaits him-a far larger one than that which, more than half a century ago made Sir Robert Peel blush. The late Marquis of Bute at the time Cf his death was engaged in very extensive renovations at his Castle in Cardiff During the work of extending the west wall, which has been going on through the present summer, the workmen came across a Roman arch in a fine state of preservation a young man, the Marquis, while strolling through a wood in the neighbourhood of Rothesay, was accosted b> a little Cockney tourist, who told him he was glad to see a civilised human being at last All the natives he had met were, hi Smarted, like a pack of wild beasts "but maybe, Cockalorum," continued the tourist, deceived by the patrician youth's apcent "you're an Englishman, like "No I'm-a Bute man," replied the Marquis. "Then-Where on earth were vm tamed*" inquired the Cockney ln aso^shment. The juvenile head of the nouse of Bute'put on a very fierce expres«inn and raising menacingly a cudgel he was'cam'ns, roared. "Who said I was famed*' The alarmed Londoner uttered not another word, but turned and ran for S_lr Me in- the direction of Rothesay.