OUR LONDON LETTER.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8432, 15 March 1893, Page 5

OUR LONDON LETTER.

[FROM OT7S OOBBBBPONDEST. j LONDON, February 3,1895. (The event of the week is of course thrf opening of Parliament, and long before tbitf reaches you tho Queen's Speech will have been discussed throughout the Colonial Empire. Regret is once tni/ce expressed in Colonial circles on this side that no reference whatever is made in the document to her Majesty's possessions beyond the seaa. The word "Empire" occurs once, aud once only, and this is in reference to the Bill which will be submitted on Monday evening to amend the provisions for the government} of Ireland. This measure, her Majesty is made to say, " has been prepared with the desk* to afford contentment to the Irish people, important relief to Parliament, and additional securities for the strength and union of the Empire." It need hardly bo said that all who have the welfare of the British Empire at heart sincerely hope that the Bill will tend to its consolidation rather than its disruption. That the measure will be opposed tooth and nail by the Opposition is already evident from the tone of the debate on the Address. The moat notable incident in connection with the opening of this year was the waking up of the j&nitora at the early hour of 5 a.iK. by Mr Seton Karr, who had to be shown his way into the House by the aid of a dark lantern. Members of the Government and ex-Ministers, as many of your readers arc doubtless aware, have the front bench on either side reserved to them, and some courtesies are observed in the case of very prominent) independent members, but the rank and' file can only secure places by arriving early and placing a hat on a cuoseu Beat, the right to which is given for the whole session by ft subsequent attendance at prayers. Early arrivals there have bean in former years, bufc Mr Seton Karr broke the record this yea* in hie desire to be the iirat member to secure a> seat in the House. Following the robust Tory, who sits for smoky, stony St. Heleas, in Lancashire, came the Ulster Tories in a determined body. These appropriated the whole of the front Opposition bench below the gangway which used to harbour Mr Labouchere, Mr Gonybeare, Mr Dilivryn and tho Welsh members, Colonel JSaunderson, who has already oauaed the first " scene " in the House, Mr Macartney, Mr Dunbar and aeveral other* in glossy hats are now ranged there side by aide, and the bench that was formerly the sbroaghold of the Fourth Party with Lord Randolph Churchill at ica head promises to oe a stormy quartet for the Government. The Liberal Unionists have found a respectable haven in the two upper benches below the Gladstoaian gangway, where they sit in two solid rows headed by Mr Chamberlain and Sir Hoary Jaxaes and cheer Ualfouriiin utterances to tike ytoofusdon of the surrounding members. Mr EfJfour, of course, occupies Mr Oiad« stone's old placo, and Lord Randolph has posted himself at tho corner just behind the front bench wMch Mr Jessie Colliugs used tt> enjoy, aead Mr SbanEfieldiainthe old seat of the hero of Mashonaland. it maybe mentioned that something like 000 Bills ware jsainounaed en the opening day by private members, not oue-fourth of Mihioh. of course will ever see tko light. Mr Gladstone, iJheaff, is Aα be questioned in the Moose of in xogard to the new coinage. Lord Salisbury, it -appears, before lie went out of office, advised Her Majesty to assume tho Imperial title,. ana the words "Indsn Imperateix" are to be added to all the new coins. It may be remembered that when bar Majesty assumed the new title in 1876 Mi- Disraeli, £hen First Lord of the Treasury, distinctly and em« phatioally stated that under no circumstances would her Majesty assume, by .the advice of iior Minißtera, tha title of Empress in this country. The Marquis of Hartington at the time expressed apprehonaion that when once the proposed title had boon assumed, although in relation only to a limited portion of her Majesty's dominions, the new title would .gradually come, partly by common use and partly, perhaps, by being used in -official documents and instruments, to be confused with tho more ancient title of sovereign. For the life of mc I cannot see why there should be co much fuss about a niero title. Queea or Bmprese, her Majesty will be sovereign ovor the English people throughout her vast dominions, and the inoro addition of the words "Indtelmperatrtx" on the coinage will certainly make no difference in the loyalty of her subjects, l>o tboy white or coloured. Although it %vaa distinctly understood when the Royal Titles Act was passed that it related only to tor Majesty's Indian title yet it was agreed that at any future time Parliament might decide whether the title «hould not pass into usage iv this country. Tb.9 talk of society ie the marriage of Lord Arthur Grosvenor, eldest son of tho Duke of Westminster, with Miss Helen Sheffield* sister of young Sir Berkeley Sheffield, of Iffonnanby Park, Lincolnshire. Between Irord Arthur and the strawberry leaves there stands but one Jife, that of the youthful Viscount Belgrave, His next brother. Lord Henry Grosvenor, turned Benedict five years ago, but lias as yet oatyboea blessed with a couple of daughters. Lord Gerald, the laat eon of the Duke's first family, is but eighteen. There are two still younger aoaa by the second marriage, so that the line is nob likely to become extinct. Lord Arthur, who will be tliirty-throo in MaY, has passed moat of his 12a at hie father s seat, Eaton Hall. He is Captain in the Cheshire Yeomanry, a Steward of the Cheelier races, and very popular in the county. The Sheffielde are feft'handed descendants of the Dukes of iJormanby and Buckingham, and on the death of the last Duke in 1735 succeeded to the estates and to Buckingham House, which was pulled down t» make way for the existing .mansion. Miis Sheffield's eldest sister is the wife of the Hocu Lancelot Lowther, brother and heip presumptive of the Earl of Lonsdnle. Hardly hae tho marriage of tho eldest daughter of the Duke of Edinburgh become nn fait accompli ere an announcement is made of the engagement of the ticocmd daughter of hie Boyal Highness {Victoria Melita) to the Italian Crown Prince. It is pretty generally understood that the heir to the throne of Italy has been for some time in search of a wife, but the search has apparently been a fruitless one. Owing to his delicacy in early years he was always kept apart from the world. Honevaf enjoyed the society of other children, iw»t shared with them his studies or his pie** sures. The gifts hia father made him were always of the most serious character. Brought up in this auetero and secluded way he has naturally become older in mfnd than ibefita his years. Ho ie not wanting ie intellect or culture, but bin roanucr is eorioua and taciturn, and he is neither expansive nor communicative. It is indispensable that he should marry according to the Catholio ritual, and yet no Catholic sovereign houee dftree to incur the ill-will of the Vatican by allying itself with the excommunicated race of Savoy. , Your late Governor, the Earl of Onslotf, has not lost his interest in the bird qutratioa, i.e., in the preservation of the rare species which are in danger of dying out. YottP Government seem lukewarm on the subject, and in the meantime Lord Onslow i> invoking the aeaistance of tho Zoological Society. It seems a pity that the appellation " Royal "ebould be so readily granted as seems to be the C4ss just now. lam referring particularly to the case of the Royal Anglo-Australian Society otf Artists, a piecure dealing confraternity, who under the pretence of educating the poor colonials in art matters, manage to dispose of a good many pictures which would not meet with » very ready Bale here. There was an im« pression that if the Society were aided ia exhibiting in Australia they would return the compliment by assisting the display of works by Australian artists in London. Ima idea is, however, totally disclaimed by the President of the Society, Mr ,;Aycrotj Ingram, who was challenged <m {the subject) by a writer in the Britith Australasian.

Spbino Flowering Botjb for present planting, via, choice Hyacinth*. Nax* s eß a9rTalipH,Anemon6 B ,groouß,Banan. fconlas, Snowflakee, SeHlas, Wafeaonlae* FritlUarlas, &c, at Nairn a»j> SoM»r ( Florlete, Lincoln road, Chrielclia»«S?s/ Country Castomers pleane note that ouf addreea is J. H- Fabseu &nd,p6», flaU Parker and Tribe), 157 Caefr&l Wnilte H«*t comer,--iADVE.j