LONDON CHAT.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12647, 10 November 1906, Page 7

LONDON CHAT.

(ntOX OCH OWN- COXRESPOVDEST). LONDON, September 28. Aberdeen has been quite tho eontro of attraction throughout the past ■week, the occasion being the 400;! i eciobrai«ju? vii t.bo fan»ous University, and tho opening of the now buildings at Mariechal College in connection with ono I , n iTere.it y—a splendid granito structure cw-cied at a cost of £350.000 and admitted to bo not only the largcet but tho fiiK-bt *amp.« of granite architecture i3i tiio world. Tlr.Misande o: visitors are in tho northern city attending thtv-e celebrations, and a Sato vi.»it wae paid there yesterday by thwr Majestic*, the ept-cial rt\a*on tor tho Royal visit bring tho opening liy tho Kins of tho now building. A brilliant assemblage was preeont it lading men and women in every bra:.* h of science and literature. In >J>■ > evening n groat banquet was given by l.or-1 Stra.hc na to moro than "J-)i)l gucste, a special building harms U> n c roc tod expressly for t: o oooasi. v. a: d vory special provisions having boon taken from London as well as noariv 700 waiters and aesietants who ! bcon sent North to attend tho bis function of the evening. 1 i;o granito city was illuminated porj;--oi*ly at night, and all tho colourations havo boon favoured with idi-al weather. Dogreos wore conienoJ on many eminent men during the week Lithe 'University, and representatives from all parts of tho won<l att-oiKie tho foßtivitice, two having conic irom Now Zealand. MR CHAMBERLAIN. Mr Chamberlain has been on tho sick list for quite a long time, suffering first from a sharp and prolonged attack of gout. It is now announced that on medical advice, the right hon. gentleman will not undertake any public engagements this autumn, and. therefore, has been obliged to cancel sorao fixtures which had been announced for the immediate future. Mr Austen Chamberlain taking bis father s place It is also stated that 3ir Hinmberliun * ill not be in Parliament during the autumn, ac it is hi* intention t.) take a long and com pie u> rest from work of every kind. The following official statement has found publication in Birmingham:—"Mr Cliainherlain has suffered from tho most severe attack of gout ho has ever experienced, but ho is recovering. Ho en mc home to Birmingham on Monday week, and he would have returned a week earlier but for the fact that goiit was then not his only trouble. Whilo walking in his houso in Princess Gardene he slipped down and twisted his foot. Tho injury was so painful that lie was not able to walk in comfort, but after resting tho limb for some days ho was in a position to travel. Ho bore the journey very well, and on arrival at Snow Hill station, Birmingham, ho was carried on an invalid rnnir from .tho train to his carriage.. This method was ,-irtA"*"f? b • the right hon. gentleman'e family m » meaanra of precaution, but whe.i the fact hpon*no known rumour began to spread that Mr Chamberlain's illness was still of so' serious a character as to leavo him prostrate. It has also boon stated that the gout has affected his cvosirht to svc\y an fxtc't that ho is unable to see, that hie right arm is so contracted that he is not able to write, and that since his return to Highbury he has been wheeled in the garden in a bath chair. These were the latest rumours, and it was because of them, followed by tho announcement that Mr Chamberlain hnd cancelled his autumn engagements, that our representative had an interview with Mr Neville Chamberlain at Hiehhnry," who said that the iniured foot was rapidly gaining streneth, tha+ it was true that his father's eyesight b«d been slightly affected, and that he had not been able to read much, but that an improvement was now noticeable; it was not troo that his arm had been affected so that ho could not write. His progress toward recovery was rr K» ; n<* "ory «nf<V*i r t-rv. "Tndeed. ,, *»rM"H Mr * Neville Chamberlain, '"'T think T can see an improvement in him every day." AN IMPRESSIVE SERVICE. One evening this woek a great audieuort, represent ing Snlvwtion Army workers in all the <v»untri<« and ook>Tiirw wheTo tfoe> organisation u> efltßblished, assembled at tho Alljcrt Hall to h-cld a memorial «<»rvico for th.irty-eix S-viralion Army officers who have diod dnrring tho the past .war—"Salvation Army officers in heaven. ,. The vort building Ts-ae crowded from flror toe* : < ing witih mnnlwre of the Army ana tli.ir friends, and tho weno was reniarknbly picturesque and impressive. Sa.lvtron Army lassioß Wiorw «>atod in the body of tho hall i.v such a way thnt their hejHJWressoe formed a cWs and coim aga.inst a background of dirk oos--1 umc.s. Tho service begisi w.:/t.h' silunt prayer- Kepnceentativ** wearing oo«----tnunes, and carrying the flags of tho countries and oolonios m which tlie Army b working, iukl whore tho officers in whmee memory t'lie errvieo was hold, had died, then entered the 'hall the vera* of a hymn Deginnaiig "V~g p-hill walk througjj valley of tlie shadow of doitb." Then, with the organ and tho bands of t.ho hoadqusrters staff playing the Dead March vn '•Saul" General Booth and numerous prominent officers took their placee on tho platform; t!ie aiidionco engaged in united eong and prayers, which were follow-d by fvcrirtture roadimg and a fervent ad-dro>-e from General Booth hJmstJf ail tho dofiiro oommon l ho tho human r."<» to do honour to lovod one« who hiid faithfully fulfilled thiair mission >en earth, and to k«?p their memories green. Tbe GcmeTal's marvdlous voice oonld be hord all over the l>uiklii!jr when ho spoke of t>bo moral cotira.ge if tho Army's departs officers. At the oonohieion of the address, the hall was d\Tken<?d while "me/engen from piv»mo+o<l comrades"—tho dying words of offi-cers—-wero thrown on a scroon. Tlx'ti f he worcifl of hymns sung in the denfh cliAmbors of tho oftioens wero ak on to tho screen, and Mine 'y tho huge and,irinco in t3i«> darknewi. The 5-rvice concluded with further nona: -mi "a wave offering." the Itf4<v ooirmieting in tlve waving of hundreds of flags nnd palms, producing a ourioun but not unpctureque effect. J. L. TOOLE'S WILL. The name of the lato 'Johnny" T*xjle is still well reroctnbored in tie colony, wfocre he made a vf-ry tour'some years ago. This week th<? will of the famous comedian wn« proved, th« net value of his p<.-reon-il estate boing *worn at £79.Q81. t"V grow value entered at £80,133. There ere thirteen codicils to this will which boars the date April 17th. 1894, and which is a document of Q7 r )0 w rd»=. Mr Toolc felt many thouMnrTe of pounds to lw devoted to rfiaritable purposee—son© threctenfha of h» residuary e«tate. Mony of the logacicß bf?qneath<»fl by the <]&■ have lansed by th<- death of t>i« lor'ntoo^: for instance, ho bi«qiieatlh i d £i f MX) and hi* howe at- .Maida Vnlc to the late Sir Henry Irving, and ho l«>rt £l&)0 to the lat<- Mr Jo-rn l'.i!n aceoidanw with nn ancient o'lilorn, now very ~okl*>in o!»- j 'rved, i-,e famoM 1 " corredian k-ft £20 cadi for the purchew* of mourning to no fewer than 107 of hs frion-ds, d,areatic critics, and acquaintances, -o -, c nf wtiorri pre-deo"**a him, am; ng tse bttor being Sir H**nry Irvioij, Mr Clement Soott. Mr G. A. Sala. Mr Wikson Barrett, and Mr Dan Leno. The liet of living recipients inclu<3*fl tho following names:—Sir Charlie Wyndhan Ms Pirvoro. Mr Tr««. Mr Cyril Maude, Mr Georg<> Orcesnuth. MxJohn Hare, Mr W. S. Gil-

Bert, Sir F. 0. Bumand, Mk» BUert Terry, Mr George Alexander, Mr Charles Warner, Air J. M. Banne, and tho Rev. Canon BcnhaM. To nm prompter ho left £1000, to his rakxfc £200. to hie maid £200, to Mr Edwwd Yates Low-no (an executor) £2300, to Mrs Elita Johnston©, atmwtime or ni» company, £-X)()0; to Mr Lionel Brougb ho bequeathed £600, to Mr Wccdon GroKsinith £300, to Mrs BroUgfr and Miss Betty Brough £i.'oo each; to Mill. B. Irving and Mr Lawrence Imn*c £100 each ; vet those arc only a few oi the many mi mc left by the labo Mr Tool,* to hm old friends. &> ™«>y actors nnd tiirißtirs .\oeni to fall on ovil days after a career of enocms. that It is pleasant to know that Mr Toolo was not ob!iy«], after his retirement, to have a «strufy;l«> with poverty. <v-P<hm«ll.v as hie bust illnt-es ■β-an of very long duration. A BATTLESHIP'S GUN TRIALS. Sonio .Tlarniit--t rtimonrs foutwl publication wsterdny to the effect that tlw iiowt'sl Iwtt'etihip, tho Ilibernia, whidi li.is just bo en lui\lt at ilw Devoni>ort Dvliyaid, had returned to Plymouth from lirr heavy-gun trials very eoriously and with several nieml.vr-* ot tin* yun ciiewß temporarily d»It wa.s stated that after only firinc; half a quarter's allowance of full wn-iw» <')uirg«"s from her tour twerve-iiH-li and fimr 9.2-imJi Runs she retiiTintl to Plymoutli Sound with buoklod qunrUiMWk, vt>jitiliitoiw. and otluT d«.vk tiitings dist.inctl.V straimyl and tin , glatw in tho quarterdeck skylights Slivered. But tlioso etatemeiits h.Tvo Inien immediat'oly oontradicted by ;i gontleniaji who was on bonrd the Hibcrnia durins tho triele. He Miid: "1 can only hopo that tho Dreadnought will pass throngii lwr puniurv- trials an w<ol jw tlve Hibnrni* n*ix)ii<l<d to the e<-vero strain pnt u)K>n her ypsterday. It ie not the fact that thu battleship wae seriotwly damaptxl, nor war© any 'neriotis rosulte , reported with respvt to t'lie effect of concussion. trials worn thornuiihly end were, indeed, the most <stico<*«i'til of Any of that claw. When these twtfi take plfttx> the Kivatost possible strain is always purposely put upon the v««sej and Hμ amiamont. Battloshipe are not built to be u-ed ac playgroundis. Tlic buckling of the plates wvw a v«ry slight matter—much lose than has genorally hiappciKHl lyfore under like droutnstances to any ship of this large class. The_ extent of the damage in this dirt ct ion was ono plate elightlv oi»nod. M*e always exj>ect a lot of damage on those trial*; but yesterday's oxporionoo on the Hibcrnia wne in tliin respect an ewrprise. Of oouree, the clastic dtvk is lwund to shake a bit when the prent force of tli© charßO ie liberated; but the fnct that o little around during tho firing ie certainly not an incident worth chronifHng. No damage was reported veet.»?nUy, either to ship or men, end'th* re=ponnil>lo offieere aro perfectly eatiefied with tho trial*."