AMERICAN RUMOURS ABOUT THE QUEEN.

Marlborough Express, Volume XIX, Issue 187, 24 August 1883, Page 2

AMERICAN RUMOURS ABOUT THE QUEEN.

The Washington Herald recently publishod the following startling bit of iiowh : I nm fortunate enough to furnish the readers of tho Sunday Herald this weok, with Home very important news. A. representative of one of tho prominonl European powers tells me that a very serious event is impending m England, which is the abdication of the Queen. The reasons given for this unexpected course are her Majesty's fast failing health, and increasing unwillingness, and sometimes an inability on her part to perform the 'duties incident to Government. For some years the Queen has been a mild believer m spiritualism. She thought the spirit of her dead husband used to assist her m working out questions which perplexed and sometimes annoyed her. Since the death of her favourite' servant, John Brown, she has been very much depressed, and finally it was necessary to remove her to Balmoral, where some of her happiest daya were spent with the lover and husband of her youth. lam told that some very pathetic scenes took place at her last visit there. She seemed to feel the actual presence of her dead prince, and talked as though he were by her aide. This, and other occurrences, frightened and alarmed her daughter Beatrice very greatly, and she insisted that some of the other members of the family should come down at once. The life of Princess Beatrice must be dreary beyond words. But, to resume. It was telegraphed from London, by the ambassador of a great power, to his sovereign, on Wednesday la3t, that the abdication of the Queen of England .vas impending, and would probably occur very soon. From any other than this most reliable eource I should doubt it. The Queen haa clung to the visible endowments of the throne with Buch tenacity, that she must have greatly changed before the thought was bearable. But the breakdown of her health has been followed by melan- | cholia of the most pronouncod type. It seoma to be generally known that the trouble with the Queen's knee comes from a large ulcer, of a scrofulous and cancerous nature, that has formed under the knee joint, which, m spite of all that can be done, is eating its way through muscle and nerve to the bone, and her condition is vory serious indeed. The abdication of the Queen and succession of the Prince of Wales as Prince Recent, would change the whole condition of English politics. He would be a very popular ruler, as he is a very strict Liberal, a curious political faith for England's coming king. The old Tory party would be torn to bits, for it would, of course, be loyal, and to be so would have to adopt the very thing it detests the most. Well, iwus venons.