OUR ENGLISH LETTER

New Zealand Mail, Issue 780, 11 February 1887, Page 19

OUR ENGLISH LETTER

(from: our own correspondent:) THE HOUSE OF ARGYLL. The Campbells have come and gone with a vengeance, and it must have been a sair Xmas in the house of MacCallum More when the head thereof sat down to reckon up the bawbees spent in defence and offence on behalf of his hopeful son. Not for the first time has the canny Scot discovered that London, and especially the law courts of that city, are awfu places for getting rid of the siller. “Heck, sirs, I had na been there twa hours before bang went saxpence,” was the mournful confession of Old Reekie’s son. Well, it is a good thing for the public, not less than the parties to the suit, that the notorious and disgusting case of Campbell v. Campbell, Bird, Shaw, Marlhorough, and Butler is at an end, and the jury seem to have taken the only course open to them of finding everyone innocent of the charges laid against them. Only this must be admitted as a necessary sequence, that such an amount of hard swearing, and in one or two cases absolute perjury has seldom been committed in a Court of Justice, and ought not to be passed over without investigation and punishment. Not to weary or disgust your readers, the salient facts of the ease may be just briefly touched on. A few years ago Lord (by courtesy) Colin Campbell met a certain Miss Blood in the neighborhood of Inverary Castle, which, as most people know, is the celebrated house of the Argylls. Being a young lady of great personal attractions, both physical and mental, she was nob long in captivating the Duke’s son, and after only a three days’ acquaintance, a proposal was made and accepted. Before marriage, however, took place the young lord adm.tted to Mrs Blood, as it is alleged, that he had some years before, when a mere boy from school, been entrapped by a woman of the town, and in consequence had suffered, and was suffering in such a way that the consummation of the marriage was impracticable, and would be so for some months after the public ceremony. It was affirmed on the strength of a surgeon’s opinion that if this time were permitted to elapse, no possible injury to Lady Colin could result ; and it appears (though in the opinion of many the fact is not creditable to the Bloods) that the marriage took place, and that the parties occupied for a long period separate rooms, and in the meantime the husband was nursed by his wife through one or two operations and illnesses that supervened. Ultimately consummation took place and in the result the wife suffered to such an extent that great bitterness of feeling resulted. The husband seems to have been constantly ill or to have not cared to go out with his wife, who in a short time appears to have more or less taken her own course in life ; gone to public meetings, parties, &c., without her lawful protector, and in this way tohave created great jealousy on his part. On her side anger at what she considered to have been the brntal imprudence of her husband in insisting on his rights at too early a stage culminated finally in an appeal to the Court for a judicial 'separation and alimony. In this suit she was successful some months ago, there being in fact no defence, for in the eye of the law the conduct of Lord Coliu was technical cruelty. From this time the most violent anger against his wife seems to have stirred the heart of Lord Colin, and in this it would appear he was backed up by his fatherand his brothers. Detectives were freely employed to follow Lady Colin about, the servants who lived with the unhappy pair during their outward married life were hunted up, and by one means and another sufficient evidence was collected to fnduoe the Campbell family to believe that Lady Colin was, and had been from the first, an adulteress of more than ordinary audacity. To complicate the matter a certain Lady Miles, a cousin of Miss Blood’s, and a great friend of Lord Colin’s, seems to have played the part of busybody and mutual friend. First she was neutral, then took Lord Colin’s side, and finally went over heart and soul to the wife, and as soon as she heard that Lord Colin was about to lodge a petition she went to him, and, in the presence of his solicitor, charged him openly with adultery ■»*th a servant girl who had been in Lady Colin’s service. Thi3 charge was made on the strength of certain acts which she declared she witnessed through an open door; and in the witness box she went further, and declared that the fact of the girl heing Lord Colin’s mistress had been more or less openly acknowledged by him. As to the other side, the co-respondents were Mr Bird (a wellknown physician), Captain Shaw (Chief of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and one of the best-known men in London), the Duke of Marlborough (already well-known for his frequent appearances in the Divorce Courts), and Sir Wm. Butler (General in Her Majesty’s Army and eminent literary | man, husband of the well-known Miss Etiz Thompson, the artist). It is unnecessary to go into particulars. Aots of adultery were openly sworn to by servants whose beliefs were based on conjecture and inference in every case but one, in which a man servant of somewhat doubtful character, swore to witnessing the act through a keyhole, bub as the locus was the diningroom of the house, and the time during daylight, the details were so repulsive that the jury refused to believe them. The co-respon-dents, with the exception of the D ke of Marlborough, were each of unimpeachable honor, and a sensation was provided in the case when the Duke, with a magnanimity which did him credit, went into the box and admitted that a woman, who it was alleged had slept, with him two nights at a hotel at Purfleet, was not, as represented, Lady Colin, but a member of the demimonde from Pimlico. As to General Sir William Butler, his conduct was incomprehensible. He refused to appear in Court at all, but Bpent the time of the trial in France with his wife, and in consequence a Bevere condemnation of the meanness of his conduct was passed by the Judge and reiterated in a special rider to their verdict by the jury: indeed, his absence caused such uncertainty in their minds that it was some hours before they could agree. As to Lord Colin’s alleged adultery, the girl was proved by the medical evidence to be virgo intacta, so the verdict ultimately given cleared all parties. There

is little doubt that the revelations of the past year in this and other notorious cases will bring abont some change in the law of publication. It is felt that too much publicity in the presß is likely to produce evil consequences, and efforts will be made to compel the Judge to hear evidence in camera. The effect on the Duke of Marlborough, will probably be to close his public career. He is an able man, and might have had a future, but this and previous scandals have effectually effaced him. As to General Butler, his refusal to appear seems to have been due to pride and furious indignation, for the evidence against him was absolutely nil. When the citation was served on. him he was with the army in Egypt, and he flung it in the Nile to be eaten by crocodiles. Lord Colin’s conduct cannot be sufficiently condemned. He had the incredibie meanness to try and induce the French authorities to arrest his wife in Paris and throw her into the hospital of St Lazare, the refuge of all the worst prostitutes in France ; and had he through his detectives proved the adultery in Paris, there is no doubt the vile act would have heen done. It is difficult to express the disgust which has generally been evinced at the whole o th se proceedings. THE SOUTHPORT DISASTER. Pleasanter it is to tnrn from this horrid case to the general response of the public in aid of the families of the lifeboat men who perished on that wild night at Southport iu December last. The exact amount of the fund is not known, but it is certainly over L 22,000 more than enough to do what is necessary and to leave a handsome surplus to the National Lifeboat Institution, wherewith to increase the fleet and to correct what it must be feared are the inherent defects of more than one of the boats now in use. Since the accident nearly all the crafts round the coast have been tried, and in several cases have failed to right themselves when upset. Tanks with water ballast, to give greater stability, are now to be fitted to all the boats ; many, indeed, already possess them, and the alterations will be made as quickly as possible. It is sad to believe that the members, or some of them, of one of the ill-fated craws (St Anne’s) were not in a good state of health; indeed, it ia said that the coxswain was in a rapid decline, and that another had scarcely tasted food during the day ; but, unfortunately, it is largely conjecture, for in this particular case not one survivor remained to tell the tale, and in the excited state of local feeling too much reliance may be placed on mere hearsay. It is almost incredible that any man in a half-starved state would have had the courage to face such a terrible sea.

LORDR. CHURCHILL’S RESIGNATION,

The resignation of Lord Randolph Churchill fell upon the country like a bolt out ef a clear" sky. None e£ the astute gentlemen of the Press who think they know a thing or two intimated beforehand a word on the subject. Differences in the Cabinet it was known existed, but this had been the case from the beginning. The “old gang,” slow-going old Tories who owed the young Chancellor of the Exchequer many a grudge, were at deadly feud wi h him and he with them, but there was no reason to suppose that an open rupture was immiuent, and it was generally surmised that Lord Salisbury would make any sacrifice to conciliate his clever bu!; tyrannical young follower. The course taken by the ex-Chancellor was characteristic. Even before the resignation had been sent to the Premier or'sanctioned by the Queen, it is said the noble lord took a cab and drove to the Times office, and communicated his intention to Mr Buckle, the editor. The consequence was that when the announcement appeared in the leading journal next morning, and in no other paper, it was believed the editor had been once again made the victim of a hoax. The ostensible cause of this unlooked for divorce is alleged to be a determination on Lord Randolph’s part to cut down the expenditure in the spending departments to such an extent that he might bring in a startling Budget with a reduction of at least L 10,000,000 in the estimates, and corresponding popular reductions in taxation. To this the War Office and Navy declined to accede ; the more so that, the horizon of Europe being so overcast, it is deemed by the heads of those departments and by the Prime Minister himself, necessary to actually increase rather than diminish the annual charges. Lord Randolph refuses to believe in the croaking of the prophets, and, having long ago deeply pledged himself to financial refornC be declined to budge from his position. Moreover, there is good reason to think that a Coercion Bill for Ireland is in process of hatching; and to this also the tyrant of Woodstock refused his consent, believing the existing law to be amply-sufficient. But whatever the true story of his resignation may be matters comparatively little now; except as interesting history. He, the ablest of Lord Salisbury’s crew, is gone, and /what prospect is there that the Tory Cabinet can resist the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune? The Whig section of the Liberal Unionists forms the only body from which effectual help can come, and to Lord Hartington accordingly Lord Salisbury turns. He is ready to offer him anything if only he will help to cover the retreat from the assaults of a Gladstone and a Churchill, and possibly even a Chamberlain. Long ere this reaches you the issue will have been made, but there is little doubt that if Lord Hartington consents to become Prime Minister with Lord Salisbury as Foreign Secretary, even under the name of Coalition Government, that his connection with the great Liberal party —a connection that for years has been the boast of the house of Cavendish —will be finally and completely severed. Such steps, it is also fully foreseen, may bring about another, viz., the transference of Lord Randolph to the Radicals ; no two men are said to be more bitterly opposed to each other than the haughty heir to the Dukedom of Devonshire and the passionate and vindiotive young man who has inherited the geniusl but not the estates of the Marlboroughs. THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. The Imperial Institute seems likely, after all, to have some definite result,

though it must be confessed a good deal of cold water baa been thrown on the proposal, chiefly by men of _ the type of L&bouchere, who are nothing, if not critical. But what mainly gives point to their objections is the undoubted fact that no statement of account respecting the returns and expenses of the diflerent shows held at South Kensington has ever been rendered, and the absence of such information justly gives rise to the fear that a clique exists who have too good a thing in hand to make it desirable to take the general public into their confidence. If such jobbery really exists, of course it is absolutely essential that the inauguration and control of tho proposed Institute must be taken, not merely out of the hands of what is called the South “Kensington gang," but out of all suspicion of connection in any way with it.

A NEW MAGAZINE. A new magazine has been started by the great publishing firm of John Murray, and in the first number will be found a thoughtful article by Captain Columb on the connection between the scattered menbers of the British Empire, the causes that have led up to the cry for Imperial Federation, and the best way of attaining it. The question is undoubtedly attracting attention more and more every day. Beaarding the new magazine, .it opens with some unpublished lines by Bvron, belonging rightly to “Bara,” and also an interesting letter from him never before published. We are promised further contributions from the same source. must candidly admit, however, that “Murray’s” does not start very well for a first number.