TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7525, 15 April 1890, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

.London is happy in the possession of tody County Councillors to rule over its destinies after all. will be remembered that the High Court of i Judicature solemnly decided on Lady Sandhurst's case that ladies, although elected by the ratepayers, .were not quaLUled to serve on the County Council. .Even the High Court of, Judi-: cature, however, is not always a match for the deep designing ingenuity of lovely woman, when she has aa object in view. So it has proved in this .case-, Lady Sandhurst seems to have accepted -the- decision of the Court, and to have retired from the field. There were two other lady candidates elected at the aajuae time who, lite Brer Rabbit, "lay low." At a meeting of the Council, held a few weeks ago, the'members were astonished to find fidiss Cons and I_is3 Cobden, who had been returned at the election twelve months before, actually taking their seats I at the Council table, despite the decision; i of the<C©urt. Not only were bnl; there" they to trtay, as* _hey' promptly and lucidly explained to the 5 bewildered Cot-uwiUora. We quote from the report in the Daily News :— ( "Miss Cobden, who was loudly cheered,* i asked the indulgence of the Council while! i she made a short statement. On the 17th I of January of last year she was elected to, | the Council as -the xeptesentativ*ol -athel i Bow and Bromley Division, and the candidate whose name followed hers in the i return (Mr Rider Cook) had not challehgafd her election —a generous and courteous act of abstention that ahe was-very pleased to publicly acknowledge. (Chee_s.) She had taken the opinion of eminenj! cojuttsel, and had been advised that if ajhe satiamd

ft member she would be liable to penalties, Aacttha-t she ifoujd also be liable .if s he resigned. (Laughter.) She had further been informed, however, that by the Municipal Corporations Aot, if twelve months elapsed without her election being called ia question, ahe'wae entitled to her seat and ail the rights of a member. (Hear, hear,) She now proposed to take her seat and resume the duties of a member, and her votes would be as undeniably valid as those of any of her colleagues. In conclusion, she had only to express her conviction that before the term of office of the present Council came to an end the injustice, the impolicy, and anomaly of the present law would by common consent be removed. (Cheers.)"

The law has been responsible for many comical complication-, but this is aa curious and amusing as any we have yet heard of. Tbe Councillors laughed heartily at the a_tutenesß of their lady colleagues, and cordially welcomed them to their deliberations. So far from objeoting to their presence they have by a large majority approved Bills for expressly enabling women to set as County Councillors. The courage and tact shown by Miss Cobden and Miss Cons will, we imagine, go a long way towards scouring the passage of chose measures.

Thb "Epidemic of banquets" which broke out in England previous to Mr Toole's departure constitute quite a feature in theatrical history and afford the strongest testimony to the great comedian's popularity. The series culminate! by a brilliant gathering at the Hotel Metropole. Her Majesty's Solicitor-General (Sir E. Clarke), occupied the chair, while near him sat a Judge (Mr. Justice Chitty), a statesman (Lord Randolph Churchill), and the general company included Queen's Counsel, I Royal Academicians, clergymen, journal- [ ists, physicians, actors—indeed, it is diiiicult to say who was not represented. At I one of the cross tables sat almost the I entire staff of Punch. This ought to ■be enough to deter any man [from cutting jokes, but Mr Toole is not easily to be intimidated or abashed. Among the stories he told in the course of his speech was one of a policeman at Oxford, who was asked late at night whether he liked reminiscences (Mr Toole's own published "Reminiscences" being in question), when the guardian of law and order said, " Well, I don't know, but I don't think there is any place open." Another story concerned a young man who had offered to accompany Mr Toole to Australia "in any capacity." The reason was, he explained, that he had heard that at the Antipodes " their night is our day." This must have been a gay young dog; anxious to " lengthen hia days'" in the questionable manner set forth in. a well-known bacchanalian ditty. However that may be, Mr Toole did not take the responsibility of bringing the young man with him. Everybody who has known Mr Toole in the Old Country will admit that his popularity is well deserved, and will wish for him a series of successful seasons in Australia and New Zealand, if he should pay us a visit, so that he may have no reason to regret having come -so far.

What is certainly the oldest English pro- ( vincial journal in existence — Berrow's cesfcer Journol—celebrated its reputed two hundredth anniversary the other day. The record of its earlier years is somewhat shadowy but ,its pedigree, according to an English wmtemporary, is |to be traced with certainty to the foundation in 1709 of the Worcester Postnian —supposed to be the new name of the, earlier publication. Only one provincial paper, it ,is believed, had an ; earlier existence,than 1709. Tl"a was, the Norwich Postman, which made its appearance in, 17Q6, and is described as a small quarto foolscap sheet, the charge for which, according to the publisher's announcement; was * f one penny, but a halfpenny not refused." As the Norwich Postman hag disappeared this does not affect the claim; of its Worcester rival to be the oldest English newspaper now existing. Few people realise what a modern devlopment of our civilisation is the newspapertpress. It has been conclusively proved that the copies of the : EtyUshiMercurie, a publication professing to have been issued at the time of the Spanish Armada, are forgeries, which were executed about the year 1766. According ±0 the-bestauthorities,- the first real newspaper published in England was established by Sir Roger L'Estrange in 1663. It was entitled The Public Intelligencer, and continuednearly threeyears, when it ceased; oh■ tiie ; _ppe«Mraee ol the London Gasstte.l 4n oouneotapn with this latter valuable but not very exciting' publication it may ba noted that an issue was forged on May 22nd, 1787, with a view of affeofcing the funds.j Apart fromftti. &mtie t i4e|oJdest London 1 paper is Lloyd's List, which was established in 1726. The Morninsr Post is the oldest London daily now alive, having been* founded ii Tft'&V The SSmcs; Was established on let January, 1788. G/reat have been thestridea in human industry, it is questionable whether any department has made such a prodigious advance as the! newspaper.