Society Gossip.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 998, 17 April 1891, Page 11

Society Gossip.

(from the society tapebs ) The reconstruction of the Spanish Navy has been a profitab’e affair for Mr Cohen, of Great St. Helens, who has just been awarded the tidy sum of £17,475 for introducing Don Jose Martinez Las Rives to Sir Charles Palmer, in connection with the building of warships at Bilboa. If for his share in the works Sir Charles has been as expensive a luxury as Mr Cohen, Don Joss may wonder if he were wise in undertaking the patriotic task of renovating his country’s navy and its shipbuilding fame with the . aid of the foreigner. . 9 Interest in Ibsen does not decrease in England, despite the contention of certain irritable quidnuncs that the ‘ cult * brought into being by 4 A Doll’s House ’ would soon fall into limbo of forgotten follies, and that society would recover from Ibsen rb a child recovers from a short, sharp attack of the meaales. Society is not yet convalescent, and is, therefore, considerably interested about Mr Gosse’n translation of ‘ Hedda Gabler,’ just published by Mr Heinoinann. Ibsen may be pessimistic, bat he is powerful. We may not agree with him, but wo can hardly deride a writer of such extraordinary subtlety and thoughtfulness. 4 Hedda Gnbler ’ is very interesting, if saddening. Last year a new rule respecting presentations at Drawing Rooms was promulgated. Formerly, if a lady went to a Drawing Room she could present any number of persons, but now she is limited to one in each year, excepting only her o»n daughters and daugh-ters-in-law. The Queen now contemplates introducing another restriction, and it is proposed that ladies shall be allowed t» present only persona with whom they have personal acquaintance, and whom they are in the habit of visiting. Tne operations of those enterprising dames who made a business of presenting persons of whom they knew nothing, in return for a pecuniary 4 gratification,’ have been stopped.

A strange story reaches me from Chicago, to the effect that a* company has been formed there for the organised exportation of American young ladies to Loudon ns a commercial speculation. If the details I have received can be credited, a well-known English perBouaga is to receive a premium on all of these who contract successful marriages in this country.

‘London to Sydney in 18 days’ is the latest sty e of progressive locomotion. Taking into consideration the known existence of underground water in Australia, it is proposed to sick a lot of artesian wells aoross the Australian continent', and store the water in cool covered reservoirs, which would form the various inland stations in a railway from Sydney to Porfc Darivin, and thus enable one to reach the former town by this new overland route in under three weeks from leaving London. • Ono man s meat is another man’s poison,* and should the idea receive practical support, the future decline of Melbourne would be in inverse proportion to its miraculous growth, so that one cannot wonder that its inhabitants do not favour this latest 4 Darwin ’ evolution theory.

Prince Bismarck’s title passes on to Count Bismarck on his death. Ia order that the title may be inherited it is necessary to buy a diploma, the cost of which ia very considerable. When Bismarck received the title of Prince, in 1871, the old Emperor William, who was always ready to pay a General’s debts or to get an old friend out of a difficulty, paid the needful sum. In the same way Prince Bismarok’s title of Duke of Lauenburg can only descend to his son by the acquirement of a diploma ; but, although his fortune is a very large one, he has hitherto taksn no steps towards paying for the honour, and the present Emperor does not seem inclined to loosen his purse strings as his grandfather bid. We may, therefore, reasonably expect that this last addition to the Dukes of Lauenberg will die out with the present holder of the title.

The Princess of Wales is an ardent photographer, aud ia a very clever originator of dainty ideas, Ono of her latest is no w being carried into execution by Mortlocks, the Court potters of Oxford street, who are making a tea service to H.R.H.’s order, on every piece of which a view taken by the Royal artist will appear. In shape the cups will be that known as pear, with glass-cut edges—a technical term, meaning slightly waved indentations. The Princess has forwarded her own negatives, which, are to be reproduced on the china in un orange colour, and the set when complete will be a unique specimen, for it is believed that this will be the first time that Buch a triumph has been accomplished.

It is a strange phenomenon that the Upper House, numbering 537 peers—composed of statesmen, men of literature, lawyers, men of science, poets, bankers, cabmen, and bishops—ia utterly uoable tostart aud carry on a debate for a oouple of houis. The public do not expect to hear the voioe of Demosthenes thundering forth, or yet the Bilvery tones of Cicero, but they do expect something more Grecian than the shouts or dribbles of the Denmans and the Delawarrs. This shirking of their functions by the Lords cm only cause their enemies to chuckle,