PERSONAL AND GENERAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Evening Star, Issue 11676, 7 February 1902, Page 7

PERSONAL AND GENERAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

[From Ode Special Correspondent.] January o. We seem lately to be “ obsessed ” by tbs cr.;orfi*ion until it is over and done with. Definite information as to festivities ny which it will be marked is scanty, but out of the rumors, reports, and understandings enterprising journalists extract an abundance of copy. One tells ns that “Coronatia” will be a favorite name for daughters this -ear. Another, apropos of the assiduous hunting of the rabbit wfaich suplies the lining for coronation robes, bursts into this neat little couplet in the ‘ Onlooker’:— , Hail, day of bunting! Britain's gone a-hunting, To find ber peers a rabbitskin To view the Coronation in. tf is definitely settled that immediately at the close of the Easter services—on Ist April, to be precise—Westminster Abbey will be closed to the public and handed over to the Chief Commissioner of Works to be transformed and decorated for the ceremony. The ancient structure is bkely to he somewhat the worse for wear when all the stands that must be erected to accommodate some 4.000 spectators are finally dismantled. Among those invited will he the Lords and Commons, Judges of the High Courts, Knights Grand Cross, Lord Mavors, Roval and State officials, and representatives of reigning families and foreign nations. Sir Frederick Bridge is to be responsible for the musical arrangements, and is to submit suggestions to 'e King. It is tolerably certain that the musical programme will he a good deal shorter Than it was at Queen Victoria's coronation, when there were four anthems, the f.itany, Boyce's Te Deiim. the Hallelujah Chorus, and several other pieces. Doubtless Handel’s anthem, ‘ Zadok. the Priest,’ composed for (le.orge 11. ’» coronation and used at every coronation since, will he sung on this occasion also. Probably the body of performers will be smaller than that of 1838, when there was a band of 117 players and a chorus of 288 vocalists, the instrumentalists being dressed in scarlet uniforms, with the male singers in surplices and the women in white dresses, and the whole party being stationed on a special gallery or orchestra erected on the site of the present organ screen, but extending far into the nave. Nor are there likely to he, any of the scandals in connection with the music that existed at Queen Victoria’s coronation, when the Earl Marshal had to pay £SOO to redeem the Abbey organ, as it was claimed as a permiisito, and when, thanks to the Court fiction that the choir of Westminster Abbey for this ceremonial became a, Chapel Royal and was under the control of the Bishop of London ns Dean of the Chapel Royal, Sir George Smart was pitchforked into the office of composer, although wholly unsuited to the post ami despite the fact that the Queen had expressed a well-merited preference for Sir Henry Bishop, composer of 'Home, sweet home.’ Sir George Smart on lhat occasion sold some of the seats in the choir and orchestra to outsiders wholly ignorant of music and anxious only to see the ceremonial. Even the, price Sir George asked was openly slated—namely. £SO a seal. No doubt he considered it more or less a perquisite, for even the great Purcell sold to the public seats in the organ loft in the cnmiation of William and Mary, but was promptly brought to hook by the Chapter, who ordered that his salary should cease until he, had paid back the money to the Treasurer, accordingly ho did. Apropos of music, it is not vet settled whether we arc to refer to the King in t,ho National Anthem us “ Our Lord the King,” “ Oar Gracious King," or " Our Noble King. iSome publishers appealed to the King himself to fix the official version, hut ILs Majesty modestly refused to decide. 1 1m result was that last Maturday night at a crowded public dinner a couple of hundred men rose to their feet and sang “ God save rum-tiun-ti-Tnm.” A naval review at Spithead on or about the 28th June is to be otic of the coronation pageants, and will probably quite eclipse the great gathering of warship.- m • 1897. The combined licet is lo anchor in four lines, and the principal naval Powers are lo bet invited Lo send a squadron each under the command of an admiral. The Good Hope, the Cape’s gift to the Navy, is to have a prominent place, and at the head of the principal line of ships is to be moored PEALS. Loudon, which is noiv bung completed for sea at Portsmouth. On this line battleship the Prince of Wales on the day of the review will hoist his flag its admiral of the United Kingdom, and take supreme comiltand of the huge gathering of warships. His immediate subordinates will be Admiral Sir Michael Cnlme-Scymour, Viceadmiral of the United Kingdom, and Admiral Sir E. R. Fremantle, rear-admiral to the United Kingdom. CeUciti ivirEmeu in your colony who rc,d with IV-clings of disappointment the King's Birthday honors list may not be greatly pleased lo hear that New Year’s Dav was drawn blank so tar as K.C.M.G.s and other alphabetical rnatks of kingly appreciation Mere concerned. L’or years rio such thing has happened, and no official explanation i> forthcoming as to why it was thought good to allow the fount of honor to run dry lids year. Probably, however, the reason is to be found in the mere accident of dates. The late Queen's Birthday being on .May 24, it. was convenient that the, conferment of honors in bulk should be made on that anniversary and on the first day of (he new year, and the lists 'were thus divided hv half a year. King Edward’s birthday being on November 9, it would be obviously inconvenient to issue a list of honors again so early as January 1. It will probably oe, found ultimately that a good many of ’lieevents hitherto celebrated on May 24 will be transferred lo Coronation Dav (June 29). New Zealand's Premier is the late-t 'o contribute to the ‘ St. James's Gazette’ fas impressions of the effect of the Royal vr.Jt. That it will strengthen materially the b-mls that unite the colonies to the Mother Country goes, in his opinion, without ;.".vnv_. The men who have helped to bund ibe Empire tire sure to stand by the l.;o|t;e rn prosperity and adversity. The Amm can builders were very badly treated, and they ‘‘cut the painter,’’ hived n;f, and built a great nation for themselves Ti.e Australasian builders have, all they nut—freedom within, .protection withou ; "cut the painter" is not in their vocabulary. That visit now stands in our record- as ;).« last of the pleasant series of fa .".s hj distinguish the appreciative period of British statesmanship sharply ina tic: •. t-rv different epoch in which the AmerEn-- woe (t.rown away. Mr Seddon show- w nu rh better Lord' Nnrrnanby gauged the public opinion of the colony than those \ s who declared that “the first war wv.i.hl kill our loyalty and the first reverse would ’cut (he painter.’’’ The Boer war had shown that Jyord Norman by w, ; . •of.t m his guarantee of colonial loyalty, and the loyal professions that abound d m the addresses to the Royal pair were gi, arin'od by performances. The loyalty wm.-ii has rushed to the battlefield has tie injii to proclaim itself genuine. After desenruiig the fervor of that loyalty ;umj tic rated during the Royal tour regardless of expense, Mr Seddon thus peron 1; tas been demonstrated that our people regard the Empire, which they have pio'c] tiinr readiness to maintain, as a great system of liberty and universal justice unique in the world’s history; that they have the deepest personal regard for the Royal House, which is the political symbol of that system; that nothing but overwhelming force CAB ever break “ the crimson thread of kinship” which binds us to it. it would have been more effective if Mr Seddon had said “not even overwhelming force can break,” ttc. Im Mr George William Von Zedlitz the Tkrtoria College, Wellington, seems to have secured an exceptionally good professor of modern languages. Mr Zedlitz is young (he will he thirty-one next March) but experienced. A German by birth, he *shows no trace of foreign origin in his speech or manner. He was educated at a German school until he wa* fourteen, then spent two years at an entirely Frenchspeaking school, and afterwards spent three years at. Wellington College, followed by four years at Trinity. College, Oxford, wheve he took high honors and qualified for his

M.A. degree. Since he left Oxford be has had seven years’ teaching at Loretto School, and has conducted several of the modern languages examinations at Wellington College. Of twelve long summer Vacations Mr Von Zedliti has spent eleven on. the Continent, in many cases taking Ritpils with him. He is an enthusiastic student of Italian, and has a good working familiarity with the colloquial idiom and classical literature of Italian, acquired by long, residence at Florence and Rome, and has a literary knowledge of the Spanish language. He is highly spoken of by educational experts as a man of high culture and wide knowledge, a capital speakeir, an admirable teacher and excellent duciplinanan, and finally, I would mention, for the benefit of New Zealand girls, that he is a bachelor. Mr Von Zedlitz expects to take his departure for the colony at the end of Ja Majm F. B. Bdkdey, of Linden Hill, near Twyford, Berks, and Utanlow place, Staffordshire, died on Christmas Day at Bournemouth, at the age of seventy-three. He served for some time m the army, retiring from the 65th Foot with the rank of major. He took part with in New Zealand in the war of I860" 61 ' ml in the campaigns of 1863-651 After being appointed aide-de-camp to Sir George Grey, he was present at the attack and capture of Waierora. and obtained mention in despatches. Major Bu&eley received the medal for the New Zealand War. On account of a death in her family, .Miss Ruth Meeson’s wedding to Captain Gord-ra-Hall at Wimbledon was of the quietest description, no invitations having been issued. The bride was married in a travelling.costume of brown cloth and velvet, with a jacket-blouse elaborately embroidered m gold, hat and furs en suite. Her only bridesmaid was her sister, Miss Dora Meegon, whose gown was of dark-bine cloth and velvet stitched in white, and who wore a peacock feather toque. The honeymoon was spent at Bournemouth. Captain Gordon Hail, who looks none the worse for ids severe wounds, first in the Tirah expedition and then near Lindley, has been one successful officers to pass into the Staff College, Gamberlcv. After a brief stay in town Captain aim Mrs Gordon-Hafi will make Camberley their headquarters for a couple of yeats. Since Mr F. Ronalds arrived with ! :s wife and daughter in the middle of last summer he hits been visiting relations in Wilts, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Lancashire. and other counties, and hopes lo spend a month in Scotland in the spring. His London address is 29 Harrington Gardens, South Kensington. Mr Charles Smith (of Te Korito, Wanganui' who has on several occasions enriched the library of tire. Royal Colonial L, statute, has just presented it with a rare and very welcome book on New Zealand—the journal of an expedition overland from Auckland to Taranaki by way of Rotorua, Taupo. and the West Coast in the summer of b" Sir George Grey. The book was written by Mr G. S. Cooper, assistant private secretary to the Governor, and published both in English ami Maori in 1851. The library of the Institute is largely consulted nowadays on ail colonial topics, and such books help to make its large collections still more complete. Mr Smith’s is an example that other New Zealanders might well follow. The six corporals of the Defence Force who are undergoing a course of instruction here have finished their gunnery, and n e now being trained in signalling at Aidershot. They will probably return at the end of next month. Mr F. Harcoart's (of Wellington) return to South Africa was delayed by a slight touch of fever. He left last Monday in a hospital ship in good spirits, and much better for ids holiday, and hopes before long to participate in the Johannesburg boom, which, we are told, is just, beginning. Mr and Airs Clins. Gilbertson (of Invercargill) have purchased No. 16 Gloucester Waik. Cam’ ocn Hill. Kensington, and arc quite established in London now, where Mr Gilbertson is steadily making his way as an architect. Air Oh as. 8. May. Lite of the Telegraph Department at Dunedin, who arrived by tho N.D.Tj. a couple of months ago. ts Home on twelve months’ leave to gain experience in electrical matters. He has been giving some attention to the carrying of telegraph and telephone wires underground in the metropolis, with a view lo reporting to his department thereon. He has also been looking after his new invention, a water-level registering appliance, for which lie has obtained provisional protection from the Patent. Office, and for which patents have been applied for in Europe and America. Mr May has not yet done much travelling, his journeying having been confined to North Lancashire. I hear that a very interesting practical trial of the Muy-Oatway fire alarm will take place shortly at Ilford. The company have been fitting their appliance to a good many workhouses lately. Dr Jas. H. Neil, who is studying at Netley, comes un to London at the end of Inis mouth. He lias made up his mind to see the Coronation festivities before returning to New Zealand. Afiss Flora Nairn (of Dannevirke). who came over in the Wakanui as nurse to >ir George Whitmore, has been spending most of the time since her arrival in Berks, Wilts,-and Gloucestershire, and hopes to go to Ilfracombe and Ireland before returning to New Zealand. Mr F. M. Alinogtte, who was for several years assistant brewer to Messrs Staples and Co., of Wellington, is the only Antipodean at the Britisii University of Malting and Brewing in Birmingham. He is well satisfied with the tuition ha is receiving at that newly-established institution, and mtends to supplement the two years’ course of instruction there by practical experience in the summer vacation in a brewery in, Lichfield. He speaks highly of Professor Brown, the head of the institution, himself a practical brewer, and his assistants, and thinks that me university should be better known by Antipodeans who contemplate becoming brewers. Bacteriology and arsenic have been two of his latest subjects of investigation. Mr James Kennedy (of Alasterton). after spending throe months in France, lias gone to Buenos Ayres with his wife to escape the English winter. He will look round in the River Plate and seen how he likes i’ e country, the climate, and the people, if he takes to them it is possible he may settle there. On New Year's Eve Mrs Brown-Potter took part in the watch-night service nt Corleston Parish Church. The actress, who was charmingly attired in white, was escorted by the Mayoress of Akarmouth, tin: vicar’s wife, and the churchwardens. During the service she recited Kent’s ‘St. Agnes Eve,’ with organ obligato, and on <be stroke of midnight, while the hells were ringing, she recited the first, second, -ed eighth verses of Tennyson’s ‘ Ring out, wild bells.’ Mr Sydney Preston, who takes a keen interest in the matter of missing heirs, fortunes iu Chancery, and kindred subjects, has issued his annual list of the more important cases which have come under his notice during the past twelve months. I cull therefrom those that seem of possible interest to dwellers in Australasia. Among those who arc wanted in connection with unclaimed estates or money are the children of James Butcher, who emigrated to New Zealand some years ago; William Marson, who emigrated to Australia in 1860; J. T. Mills, supposed to have been employed in sheep-shearing in Australia; Joseph-Ben-son, cabinetmaker, of Sandhurst, Victoria, iii 1863; Emma Terry, who emigrated to Perth before 1850 as a domestic servant and who married a Mr Roberts; S. W. Tasker, of Sydney, in 1887; B. T. Jackson, of Melbourne, son of Ebenezer Jackson, ■<[ Sheffield; and Thomas Justice, last heard of in. 1831. lludyard Kipling has been badly “ratted” by Canadians for his daring to miscall their country “Our Lady of the Snows,” but he is unrepentant, as witness this Limerick perpetrated by Mulvaneys biographer in a littie giiTs album : There was a small boy in Quebec, Who was buried iu snow to the neck; When asked “Are you friz?” Ho said “ Yes, I is; But this isn’t cold in 'Quebec.” Touching postal matters, may I once again draw the attention of colonial Premiers, Postmasters-General, newspaper proprietors and managers, and others interested in making the colonies known in the Old Country to the fact that the British Post-

Office still mulcts colonial newspapers posted in Great Britain at the book post rate of Ain a penny. Yob, can send a •Bib It&fs paper frorh Land’s End to #ohn o’ Groats for a halfpenny, but if tfcfc deSifes to send a copy of any one of the popular colonial ■weeklies to a friend -a few miles off the Bo«t Office charges him a halfpfenny for every 2ot of its weight. In these days of Imperialism and cheap postage these thrngH should not be. Poor Mrs Gallup! Her attempt toEE ve Bacon the author of Shakespeare's. pity’® has involved her in controversy With half the literary men of note in the Kingdom, and if she attempts to wWtvfer ball the objections to her bi-literal cypher story her time is fully mortgaged for the next so. months. In the ‘Nineteenth Century Mr H. Chandler exposes the ridictiloas errors in history and language into which Mrs Gallup has fallen, including the use of words unknown or differently employed in Bacon’s time; while in the ‘Monthly Review’ Father Thurston scores a further point with regard to the alleged difference in the founts of type. The greater xperts at the British Museum cannot detect the alleged difference, and, moreover, Father Thurston shows that Mrs Gallup gives to one of the tied letters, such as ff, fl, fi, etc.) not less than four different values at her own sweet will! The letters in which the journalists who accompanied the Royal party on their tour round the world recorded their impressions for the benefit of the British public burgeoned with purple patches of passionate Imperialism. Most of their screeds were very ordinary “ journalese” of the “loyalty striking the deep chord that will vibrate to the doom ” and “ the bond of brotherhood welded by blood ” order, and were, so far as my experience goes, skimmed rather than perused by the man in the tram and the train. Arid now all these correspondents are making books! Mr William. Maxwell, the ‘Standard’ representative, is the first in the field with his ‘With the Ophir Round the Empire,’ published oh hew Year’s Day. The Ophiris cruise has been somewhat overdone already, and we might well have been spared these rechauffes ';f newspaper letters in book form. Lan t it time, too, that we should ceaso to express our astonished surprise and admiration for the lovaltv of everv part of the Empire. We all have glorious traditions, aspirations, and liberties- Isn’t it about, time that we took our pride of race and loyalty for granted. Why shouldn’t we all be loyal. Does anyone in Australasia happen to be aware, of anv practical work done by the British Empire League? Many distinguished men’s names figure among the membership of the League, but so far as I am aware thev have achieved absolutely nothing that con be set down as practical work. Apparemlv the League exist principally for the purpose of passing resolutions of condolence and congratulation as occasion arises. At the latest meeting the Leaguers presented congratulations to the Prince anc. Princess of wales on the “signal and unvarying success” of their recent tour, and. in moving the same. Lord Crewe indulged in a considerable quantity of fulsome compliment of the Koval tourists, tor instance- “Throughout the recent journey those who know best the Prince and Princess of Wales were surprised, not at the goodwill and geniality with which they entered on their task, but at the extraordinary aptitude which they displayed for its performance. By general admission, they had shown hereditary genius in carryin"' out the various duties and labors involved bv their tour.” Rather a backhanded sort of compliment, surely. Did “ those who know best ” anticipate that the Duke and Duchess would prove verbahy or otherwise unequal to the social duties of the tour? Another resolution passed by the Council at the same meeting was one favoring the principle of the establishment of an “ Empire Day.” They also added to their number t.lje Dukes of Hampton, corner,lt. and Wellington, the Earl of Glasgow, Lord Harris, and i-ord Lamington. 1-e Council is now “a truly magnificent aggregation of nobility aud gentry. Sir John Coiiiinh, M.P., Ims addressed ti, the First Lord of the Admiralty a lengthv memorandum on the question of garrisons for coaling stations now under ihe cousideiation of tlie Admiralty and War Office. Sir John argues that, the effect likely to be produced by artillery lire on moderalcly-defeuded positions ill pionorlion to the ammunition consumed reduces almost to minimum the risk ot at tuck bv warships on such positions, bn John there fore considers that we have exaggerated the risk, and overdone fortifications of coaling stations. An outbreak of wai should .not find our admirals without a force at their disposal, exclusive of the complement of their ships. Sir Johns view- is that they should be able to look to ttie colonies for producing such a force in wai. The naval contingent furnisher by Australia for China illustrated on f small scale what could be done. He does not believe :>nv colony would form a marim artillery reserve, but there would be great readiness, he believes, to form a reservt to do precisely the same work, provider the force be ca-lleo naval and be dresser as bluejackets. This policy would, In urges, produce a colonial auxiliary nava force available for the release of the peac( garrisons of coaling stations in time o hostilities. The Did Country is following the ex ample of the Britain of the Sonth in looking into her coal supply. A Royal Commissioi of sixteen representatives of the coal trade railways, shipping, lire mines, geology, am chemistry has just been appointed “ to in quire into the extent and available le onrees of the coalfields of the Unite* tCio-rrlom : t.lie n'ic ot Wciustion wind may be anticipated, having regard to pos sible economics in use by the substitutini of other fuel or (he adoption of other kind, of power ; the effect of our exports of coa on the home supply, and the. time fo: which that supply, especially of the mor valuable kinds of coal, will probably b available to British consumers, includin; the Royal Navy, at a cost which would no be detrimental'to the general welfare; th possibility of a reduction in that cost, hj cheaper transport, or by the avoidance o unnecessary waste in working, through th adoption of better methods aud improve* appliances, or through a change in th customary term and provisions of miuera leases; and whether the mining industry of this country-, under existing conditions is maintaining’ its competitive power witl the coalfields of other countries.” Yoi can’t have your coal and bnrn'Jt, and th important question to he solved is how t* make our coal hold out until we can re place, it by electricity. In 1865 Professn Jevons estimated the contents of the Bri tish coalfields at 85,000 million tons, an* conjectured that at the then rate of pro duction our mines would he exhausted R 1970. His speculations and those of M Mill led u> the appointment of a Boya Commission in 1866, which after five years investigation came to the conclusion tha the supply down to 4,000 ft was 90,201 million tons. If to this the supplies a unworkable depths were added the tota was raised to 146.454 million tons. Duv ing the thirty years that have elapsed Kind the Commission reported- in 1871 our out put has probably more than doubled, si that the rate of exhaustion is far in exce? of that assumed by the Royal Commission The results of the’present Commission’s in quiries are sure to he interesting, hut hardly see how we are to economise ou coal, however dangerous its exhaustion ma; be to the “unborn millions.”