LONDON GOSSIP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9147, 31 August 1888, Page 6

LONDON GOSSIP.

London, July 30. a PEER'S little JOKE. Society is amused at the moment at a little joke perpetrated by a member of the House of Peers. It will be remembered that at Christmas time Lord Leveson, son and heir tc Earl Granville, a bright young Eton gentleman of eighteen years of age, accidentally swallowed a half-crown while performing some conjuring tricks at a children's party. Fears were entertained at the time that he might suffer some internal injury, but, so far, His Lordship seems to have been none the worse for his misadventure. A day or two ago a fellow Peer asked Earl Granville in the House of Lords how his son was getting on after the accident. Lord Granville replied that Lord Leveson had, as yet, experienced no inconvenience, and that since swallowing" the half-crown he had gained 111b. " Oh," said the Peer, "that makes £11 2s 6d." GOING OVER TO ROME. A story is afloat that the Duke of Newcastle, a young gentleman of some 24 years of age, is about to join the Church of Rome, owing, in a great measure, to the influence of a beautiful young American lady with whom he has become acquainted. His Grace has not appeared in society very much since he came of age and entered into possession of his historic title fiind vast family estates, and he is said to be a young man of quiet, intellectual tastes. He is lame, and spends a good deal of time in fishing in the waters of the family estate on the Clumber in Nottinghamshire. The Duke's mother and sisters profess the Roman Catholic faith, and he himself has always been a strong Ritualist. Mr. Gladstone was one of the guardians of the young duke during his minority; and it was the ordering to be cut down on the denselywooded estate of Clumber of an immense quantity of timber to pay off some of the debts of the late duke that gave the right hon. gentleman his taste for felling trees. THE OLD NOBILITY. Negotiations are said to be proceeding between Mr. W. H. Smith. M.P., and the Earl of Devon, for the purchase of Powderham Casile, the historic seat of the Courtenay family. Lord Devon is a man much to be pitied. He is clo«e upon his 80th year, and there is no member of the House of Peers who has a higher reputation for the possession of all the qualities which go to make an English gentleman. But he is blessed (or the reverse) with a son. Lord Courtenay, who has been in a state of chronic impecuniosity for the last twenty years. Lord Devon has frequently assisted him ; but he has, at length, declined to do so any further. He allows him an annuity of £400 a-year, but very wisely refuses to go beyond this. The present Earl of Devon succeeded his father, who inherited the title from a cousin, who, in 1831, called it out of an abeyance of over 250 years, by proving that he was the first cousin, sixteen times removed, of the previous Earl, who lived in Queen Elizabeth's time, and is mentioned in Sir Walter Scott's novel of " Kenilworth." POPULAR BOOKS. The four most popular books of the season appear to have been " The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," " Mr. Barnes of New York," Mr. Weroyss Reid's " Life of Forster," and "Robert Elsmere." A cheap edition of 5000 copies of " Robert Elsmere" has been sold out before it has been published. The first edition of the " Life of Forster" is exhausted, and a second will be issued shortly, while the enormous sale of the two first-named works is too well known to need repetition. WASHINGTON'S ancestors. It is announced that the ancestral estate of the Washington fam'ly (some 220 acres in extent) at bulgrove, in Northamptonshire, is to be sold by auction on the 7th of next month. The stars and stripes of the American flag are said to be derived from the coat of arms of this family. George Washington, the founder of the American Republic, and whose invariable veracity, even in matters of the smallest detail, is subject of historical record, was a descendant of the grandson of the Lawrence Washington to whom Henry VIII. granted the manor. BREACH OF promise. Miss Phyllis Broutrhton has assessed her damages against Lord Dangan for breach of promise to marry at £20,000. The case is not likely to come on for trial before the long vacation, and strenuous efforts are being made to compromise it. TENNYSON'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. Lord Tennyson is said to be engaged on an autobiographical poem, which will present a history of the growth and development of his religious and political convictions. MR. CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. Chamberlain's prolonged absence from the House of Commons is somewhat commented upon The right hon. gentleman has recovered from his attack of gout; but it is noticed that he has never been in the House during the whole of the committee stages of the Local Government Bill.

THE BISHOPRIC OP KILDARK. The Right Rev. Andrew Phelan, who for several years was a Roman Catholic missionary in New South Wales, has been nominated with two others for selection by the Pope for the Bishopric of Kildare and Leighlin. Dr. Phelan has for many years had charge of the parish of Maryborough, the largest and most important parish in the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. He was recalled from Australia by the late Dr. Walsh, and made administrator of Carlow. He and two other priests, who are nominated with him, received 24 votes apiece. LADY UNIONISTS. The Ladies' Liberal Unionist Association are buckling to work in a most praiseworthy fashion, and evidently intend to do for Liberal Unionism what the Primrose League does for Conservatism. They have adopted as a sign of membership a silver brooch with an enamelled Union Jack upon it, and, although their association has only been in existence two or three weeks, they are busily organising committees for the various counties of the kingdom, and, in some instances these committees have already commenced operations. It is a curious fact that in London nearly all the women are Unionists, even though their husbands may be on the opposite side in politics. There are many notable instances of this, but the one which occurs to the mind most readily is that of Mrs. Evelyn, the wife of the late M.P. for Deptford, who strongly disapproved of her husband's resignation, and vigorously opposed Mr. Wilfrid Blunt, the Separatist candidate, whom Mr. Evelyn supported at the recent election. Mr. Arthur Arnold, too, a former Radical M.P. for Salford, is a strong Gladstonian, while his wife is an equally ardent Unionist, and both speaks in public and writes against the Home Rule movement. To make matters even, however, a married sister of Mr. Balfour, Mrs. Henry Sidgwick, is a strong Home Ruler. But there has been no question in English politics for many a long day which has divided families so much as that of Home Rule, and it is the commonest thing in the world to see members of the same family ranged in different camps. The case of the Bright family is a notable one in point.