ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

Lake County Press, Issue 981, 26 September 1901, Page 7

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

|Tkom the Evening Correspondent.]

LONDON. August 2. •‘OF ALL THE BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND IHE SEAS, KINO.”

The proposed addition to tin* King s title so as to make it more truly Imperial in scope seems co meet with a.mom general approval. Lord Salisbury introduced on Friday the Bill to amend the title. __ It enacts that it shall be lawful for the King, with a view to the recognition of his dominions beyond the seas, by his Royal proclamation, to b-* issued within six months after the passing of the Act, to make stick addition to his style and title as to His Majesty may seem fit. Lord Salisbury intimated that the amended title wi.l probably run: “Edward VII.. by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and ol all the British dominions beyond the seas, King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.” Earl Spencer, who was one of the opponents of the inclusion of “ Empress of India ” in the Queen's title, confessed that he found the addition has had a profound effect, especially in India. It struck him, as it has struck most of us, as singular that “ this great subject and new style should not be actually recapitulated or described in the Bill itself.”

The suggested addition comes from Canada. The communications between the Colonial Secretary and the colonies showed that Mr Chamberlain’s own suggestion to Canada and Australia was “ King of Great Britain and Ireland, and of Greater Britain bevend the Seas.” Greater Britain is a convenient colloquialism, Jmt liard.y suitable for a formal title, conveying, as it does, a suggestion that Great Britain is in some way inferior to Greater Britain. The Canadian Ministers this out, and suggested the addition of “ King of Canada, Australasia, South Africa, and all the British Dominions beyond the Seas,” or if the mention of greater colonies should be deemed objectionable then “ King,” or to avoid repetition of tho word, “ Sovereign of all the British Dominions beyond the Seas. ” The Commonwealth Ministers preferred “ Sovereigg Lord of the British Realms beyond the Seas.”

Mr Chamberlain then put the three suggestions of Canada and Australia before the Cape, Natal, New Zealand, and Newfoundland. The Ministers of these colonies all favored the addition ” King of all the British Dominions beyond the Seas.”

That the style of the King should correspond more closely to the extent of the Empire all parties seem agreed. The criticisms go not to the principle of the addition but to the expression. The general sentiment here is well expressed by the following extract from the 4 Pall Mall Gazette ’: —“ His Majesty's accession has coincided with a remarkable and unprecedented phenomenon, the crystallisation of the floating elements of attachment on the part of the colonies to the Mother Country into a practical demonstration of loyalty which has manifested itself in the free expenditure of blood and treasure in the Empire’s cause. The silent growth of the Imperial sentiment during many years has come at last to 4 blossom in purple and red' on the battlefields of South Africa, and it is right that the splendid flower of colonial loyalty should be plucked, as it were, to shine as a new and bright jewel in the Imperial Crown. The granting of the desire of the colonies mav vet prove a step along the path which will bring them and us in good time to the goal of that closer union which will be consummated by the attainment of Imperial Federation." 4 The Times’ cavils at the term dominions, which, it says, 44 is appropriated to Canada, and it is conceivable that the Australian Commonwealth might prefer some word not thus specialised.’ - 44 Again,” it says, 4 India ought certainly to he included in all the British dominions beyond the Keas,’ yet it is logically excluded by the succeeding phrase 4 Emperor of India.’ ”

The ‘Manchester Guardian' declares that Liberals would have preferred “ colonies and dependencies ” to “ dominions," which has a thoroughly feudal significance, and so to describe such a Government as the Commonwealth of Australia is not merely absurd in itself but a dangerous symptom oi the present reactionary tone in politics." There doesn't seem much to choose between “ dominions and “ realms.” but as the word domiiron is identified with Canada probably realms would have been better. It may be that the reason why the Bill proposes to give the Cabinet a blank cheque is because negotiations on the subject are still pending with the Commonwealth. In moving the second reading of the Royal Titles Bill Lord Salisbury intimated that until there had been connnunicafon with the colonies by letter it was possible that some slight change might be necessary. In leaving the alteration of the title to the King under the advice of bis Ministers they were following, the precedent of the Indian title in 1876. Lord Rosebery advocated, both on the second reading and on the order for going into committee, the title “ King of the Britain* beyond the Seas,’’ as placing the parts of the Empire outside these islands more distinctly on an equality with these islands than any other title. A precedent was to be found in “ Bvitamiiamm Regina ” on Queen Victoria’s coins. He thought the simplest and most comprehensive title would be “ of all the Britains within and beyond the Seas.” ‘The Times,’ wlrle preferring the Anglo-Saxon “ cver-sea,” thinks there is a good deal to be said for Lord Rosebery’s version, as it has the greatest merit of brevity and the greater merit of affirming in a very • striking aay the unity of the Britain at Home and of all the Britains she has founded over the earth.” By-tbe-way, bow is it that Mr Chamberlain has not obtained the views of the colonics by letter as well as by cable i He received the answers to bis cables in hebruary, and there has been ample time for him to write even to distant New Zealhnd and to receive an answer since.

the QUEEN VICTORIA MEMORIAL

The Victoria Memorial promises—mirabile dictu—to be worthy of the occasion. The Committee has accepted Mr Brock s design for the memorial and the plan ot Mr Aston Webb for the general treatment of the place in front of Buckingham Palace. So far as mi>- could judge from Mr Brock s sketch Mr Webb’s drawings, exhibited 0 Press last Friday, the memorial will be both dignified and artistic. The plans involve a wholesale reconstruction of the space in front of Buckingham Palace, taking in portions of St. James s Park and Green Park. The railing at present in front of the palace will either be raised and brought forward, or a new arcade of pillars and gates will be constructed on a straight line 20ft forward of the old frontage. This line will then become the base of a great semi-circular arcade, having one grand entrance immediately facing" the. central line of the Mall. Within this arcade a striking symbolical sculptural monument will be erected. Its base measurement will be 170 ft, and its total height from .-ie ground to the topmost figure of Victory will be 68h. A graceful sweep of i.eps leads up from both front and back to a platform eight feet from the ground, guarded at the foot by four winged lions and flanked on each side by a crescent fountain basin into which

1 the wnter flows from arches on either side. I Each of these arches and the balustrade ! on the riirht will be ornamented by figures representinj.r the Navy, while on the left | they will represent the -Army. Provision ! is also made for friezes illustrating the pro- ■ ress of civilisation during the Queen’s I men. From the platform there will rise | a column of Portland stone 60ft high, surmounted bv a winged figure of Victory J Hanked by' Courage and Constancy seated jat her feet. In front of the pedestal facing i the Mall is a stately statue of Queen V icj toria seated and holding Ihe orb anil sceptre. I Her tie.tuc will be three times life size, to | her right there will be a group symbolical i of Truth, to her .eft one symbolising Ju*I tiee. while at the back, facing Buckingham Palace, will be an exquisite group representing Maternity. All the figures will be of bronze, and the stone will be Portland stone. (Hardens are to be laid out round the monument in the semi-cir-cular arcade.

Mr Webb’s plan provides for the conversion of the Mall into a great thoroughfare by prolonging it into Charing Cross just below Spring Gardens. Two carriage roads and a great “ processional road ” between them are projected. This change is to be completed within the next nine months. The National Memorial Fund amounts to £150,000, but at least £200,000 will be required to carry out in its entirety Mr Webb’s scheme, so that for the present his design for two groups of sculpture in the Mall representing 1 1) Canada jiud Australia, (2) India and Africa, must remain in abeyance. The memorial and the treatment of the space surrounding it will, however, be at once proceeded with. "THE REN WICK REEF.” MINER THOMPSON STRIKES A RICH POCKET. An amazing story of well-nigh imbecile credulity was unfolded at Bow street ! asl Friday.' when two confidence tricksters were charged before Mr De Rutzen with conspiring to obtain money by false pretences from Mrs Annie Remvick. a Melbourne widow, with apparently more money than common sense. The accused were a couple of well-dressed and fairly good-look-ing men. and one of them, George Thompson alias Stephens, is known to a good many people on your side of the world. It may be that some there would like to renew the acquaintance. Thompson calls himself a gold miner, and lie certainly exhibited a considerable amount of skill in handling the Remvick reef, which, however, proved uncommonly easy to work, and yielded readily to the matrimonial process of extraction. His “ pal,” one Charles M’Nelly, is a dentist by profession, but apparently he has found the extraction of molars and grinders much less profitable than the extraction of cash from the pockets of confiding females and the addlepated of his own sex. The prosecutrix was not present to witness the first of the rehearsal of her comedietta ‘The Remvick Reef’ at the T.K., Bow street. She had had to leave for Australia before the principal villains had been “ engaged.” but left word that when the Scotland Yard Bureau had found the men for the parts she would come back to assume the—ahem I —heroine’s role. She also left behind the scenario of the play, and I think you will admit that its presentation ought to afford a good deal of amusement to Bow street patrons if the widow keeps her promise. Mrs Rcmvick's play, as read over by the clerk to Manager De Rutzen, tells how Widow Annie, of Bourke street, left Melbourne, with her daughter Daisy to bear her company, in the good ship Omrah. At Marseilles a man calling himself George Thompson came on board. He messed at ihe same table* with the widow, and told her he came from Bendigo. On landing it Tilbury, on May 25, Mrs Remvick, on the advice of Thompson, went to stay at the West Central Hotel, Southampton row, Bloomsbury. Later in the day, when out for an airing, the widow and Daisy met Thompson in the street, and he introduced them to another man as being a friend o! his, and that evening the four dined at the Garrick Restaurant, Leicester square. On the recommendation of the other man the widow left the West Central Hotel and took rooms at the Hotel Cecil. One evening the dau.liter went for a walk with Thompson as far as the Garrick, where they dined, and he introduced her to a man who gave the name of M’May. All three returned to the Hotel Cecil, and Thompson introduced M’May to the widow, and the quartet became very "pally.” Thompson said ho was a widower, and asked Mrs Remvick to go to Paris and get married: and M’May proposed marriage to the daughter. After staying at the Hotel Cecil for a few days, Mrs Remvick and her daughter moved to an hotel in Finsbury square, and from there to the Hotel Russell, on Thompson’s advice. Thompson now commenced to woo rue widow with ardor, and eventually persuaded bar to go to Paris with him, the party being completed -by Daisy and “ M’May.” Shortly before leaving London Thompson asked for the loan of £loo. He said he was expecting a draft from Melbourne for £1,200; that in fourteen mouths’ time his affairs would be settled, and he would receive a lot of money. Believing his statement. Mrs Remvick handed him £IOO in sovereigns, and during the same week Thompson noticed that his inamorata was wearing a diamond ring worth about £SO. He asked a loan of if, but as it was the late lamented Remvick s gilt the wid- • declined to part. Thompson, however, was not to he baulked. He collated the ring by force, and wore it in spile ol the lady’s* protestatons. A day or two afterwards, when walking from the Hotel Russeß to the Holboru Restaurant, Mrs Remvick asked Thompson to mind her purse. He put tlie contents —about £4O in gold — into his pocket, returned the empty purse, and 'declined to account for the money. Yet. in spite of all. Mrs Remvick accompanied him to Paris ! Whilst there Thompson induced her to part with £SOO, on a statement similar to that he made at the Hotel Russell. He introduced the widow to a man who slated that he was from Columbia, and that his uncle had left him £IOO.OOO. This man said to Thompson :

“If you will prove that you are a. man of means 1 will give you £500."’ Thompson thereupon said to the widow ; “ Lend me £SOO to show him that I have it. A day or two later the foolish woman lent him the money, and of course the man never returned it, nor did he lead the lady to the altar as promised, “because," said lie, “it would not be legal “ ; but he would marry her iu London when they returned. But when they did Thompson took the earliest opportunity of what the street boys call “doing a guy," .caving the poor lone widow to lament the loss of about £BOO, .. couple of diamond rings, and a considerable amount of self-respect. Row Daisy fared Mrs Remvick’s outline of ‘The Reuwick Reef’ did not disclose, but doubtless she will have a. fairly fat part in the future presentations of the piece. Manager De Rutzen thinks Thompson and M'Nelly will till the roles selected for them admirably, and at present they are rehearsing under supervision pending the arrival of the rest of "The Reuwick Reef’ Company, when, after public rehearsals at Row street, the comedietta will he presented in its entirety at, it is presumed tiie T.R.. Old Bailey.—[Roth men have been committed for trial.]

The biggest artesian veil iu Europe is at Grenelle, near Paris. It gives 700,000 gallons of water a da v.