CORONATION TIME.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 268, 21 November 1901, Page 2

CORONATION TIME.

In journals to hand by the last English mail there is a good deal of sDeculation as to the intentions of His Majesty King Edward in regard to the Coronation ceremonies. Among other statements made is one that the King is anxious that the Duke of Devonshire should be Prime Minister at the time. “ Lord Salisbury,” states the writer, “is rapidly falling into a condition of chronic somnolency. For mouths it has been growing more difficult to arouse him to a sense of the Gravity and urgency of the Government’s situation. The result is that each Minister is acting without control.” All that there is in this statement probably is that Lord Salisbury having outlived tb o worrying stage ceases to concern himself with triuC-S that would give much trouble to many a younger man, and the statement that Ministers are acting without control probably merely indicates that each Minister has a due sense of his own responsibility and acts accordingly. According to the story there is as usual a woman making mischief, The Duke of Devonshire,

we are informed, would be willing to stand aside for the Marquis of LausJowne, but the Duchess of Devonshire will have noue of that sort of thing, aud insists that her husband shall become the Prime Minister. The Duke of Devonshire is now the Lord President of the Council in the Salisbury Cabinet, aud the Marquis of Lansdowne is Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. If the latter were raised to the position of Prime Minister Lord Curzou would succeed him as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Here again a lady comes upon tiie scene, for it appears that when Lady Curzou was about to leavo England for India sho gave her friends to understand that she intended to he Homo before the Coronation ceremony took place. Probably all this talk is mere “ moonshine,” hut it is interesting to know what the gossips who pretend to speak with some authority have to say in such matters, though it is well not to accept their statements as facts.