MR SEDDON IN LONDON.

New Zealand Mail, 20 August 1902, Page 20

MR SEDDON IN LONDON.

A! WEEK’S DOINGS.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 4.

This week hag been one of modified festivity for Mr Seddon and his party, with just a touch of Imperial business and the usual amount of private correspondence to tackle, with the aid of a couple of secretaries and a couple of typewriters. Last Friday and Saturday were quiet days, spent mainly at the hotel in private work and business. On Saturday evening the Seddons and Mr and Mrs Frank Dyer dined en famille with Mr and Mrs D. Zirnan. Sunday was spent by the party with Dr Lennox Browne at his country house at Northwood, and in the evening Mr Seddon and the New Zealand Contingent attended service at St. Peters, Limehouse. at which his cousin, Rev. D. Lindsay, is vicar. On Monday the first meeting of the Coronation Conference occupied Mr Seddon’s attention, and in the afternoon the Seddon family and Mr and Mrs Frank Dyer put in an appearance at the musical At Home by Mrs Willes and Mrs Heaton Rhodes, at 12 Elveston place. On Tuesday Mr Seddon and his party witnessed the review of colonial troops from stand C, on the right hand side of the Horse Guards parade, and Mr Seddon, as all the papers noticed—one crediting him with the eloquence of a Demosthenes and the fist of a Tom Say. ors—led the cheering for the Queen and the trootps in robustly loyal fashion. This is how it looked to the “Westminster Gazette”:—“The Queen was welcomed warmly on the Horse Guards Parade yesterday; but, doubtless out, of sympathy with her, the crowd refrained to an unusual degree from indiscriminate cheering. What cheers were given were hearty enough, but they were of the ‘organised’ nature. From the neighbourhood' of the saluting point they appeared to be led by an elderly gentleman in the front row of the stand nearest to the Horse Guards. He stood with his back to the parade ground, waving his hat and his arms when a cheer seemed to be appropriate, and led off with a stentorian “Hip, hip, hip—.” When he relaxed his exertions and turn, ed round, the gentleman was seen to be —-Mr Seddon!”

“Ring Dick”—an “elderly gentleman.” Great Scott! That journalist never interviewed him, I guess. Mr Seddon’s “lead” is thus explained by another journal:—“People in the neighbourhood of the colonial Premiers soon became aware of their dissatisfaction at the frigid demeanour of the crowd. At length Sir Wilfrid Laurier lost all patience. ‘Look here. Seddon,’ he said, turning to New Zealand’s Premier, ‘you have a good voice. For Heaven’s sake get them to raise a cheer.’ Hence the stentorian (Hip, hip. hips’ on which the chronicler admirably congratulates Mr Seddon.”

The afternoon afforded another opportunity for quiet work, of which Mr Seddon was not slow to avail himself, and the day closed with the Dominion Day banquet, at which Mr Seddon made a brief speech, and Lady Lansdowne’s At Home, which latter entertainment was also attended bv the Misses Seddon, Mrs Seddon remaining quietly at home. Wednesday was devoted to the excursion to Taplow Court. Mr Seddon dined with Sir Henry Canipbcill-Bannerman and met many of the chief Liberals. In the evening the family saw “The Merry Wives of Windsor” once more at Her Maiesty’s, and participated in Mr Tree’s Bohemian supper on the stage at the close of the performance. Yesterday the Premier, with his wife and daughters,' left the Cecil, in company with Mr and Mrs Frank Dyer, on a visit to Windsor. Starting early, they reached the Royal borough soon after ten o’clock, and were conveyed in one of the King’s carriages to the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, where the Premier deposited near the late Queen Victoria’s tomb a beautiful wreath of Christmas lilies of the valley and white rosebuds superimposed upon a base of feathery green. Thereon was inscribed, “In loving memory of our late beloved Queen, on behalf of tlie people of New Zealand, by Mr and Mrs R. J. Seddon.” The party afterwards drove to the Castle, and were shown over the Albert Chapel and the State apartments.' In the evening, after attending Lady Roberts’s At Home, the party were the guests of Sir Henry Irving at the Lyceum Theatre, and after seeing the performance of “Faust,” stayed for the reception given by Sir Henry to the leading social and political Coronation visitors. Sir Henry not only dispensed princely hospitality to a gathering which included many men and women of mark, but lie gave a fresh proof of his triumph as a theatrical manager by the extraordinary quick .change■ which converted his theatre into a salon. The curtain fell soon after eleven, and in less than half an hour stalls and pit seats had vanish, od, a refreshment buffet had boon built along the space where a brief hour before the “pittites” had clamoured and the front' of tlio stage was hidden in a mass of decorative evergreens. Not the least marvel was the celerity with which Sir Henry Irving himself discarded the garments of Mcphistophclos and assumed the black of the orthodox English

gentleman. The theatre was admirably adorned and illuminated. It was a real triumph of a Union Jack which glittered and sparkled in festive illuminations of red, white and N blue athwart the balcony, and above it there beamed a crown in which the tint of golden lights was mingled with the regular colours of the Empire. The reception was a great success, and many of those who took part in it dallied till the “wee sma’ ’oors” lured them from the blandishments of the occasion. Mr Seddon was not among the earliest to depart. Besides Maharajas and Indian officials galore, the colonial Premiers and their family entourage, King Lew r anika, the Sultan of Perak, Earls, Lords, Knights, and distinguished commoners, there were present many gallant soldiers, including Colonel Porter, Lieu-tenant-Colonel Cameron, cf the Federal Contingent, and Captain Seddon, Captain Macdonald, Lieut. Hardham, V.C., and Lieut. Blair.

To-day Mr Seddon is attending the first real business meeting of the Colonial Premiers’ Conference. This will keep him fully occupied for the best part of the day, and in his absence his family will doubtless indulge in those 'hopping excursions so dear to the heart of most ladies,- and dearer still, sometimes, to the domestic banker. Meanwhile his secretaries will have their bands full of work, for the Premier, from the time he rose this morning till the hour of eleven and the arrival of the carriage to convey him to the Colonial Office, was busy dictating’ to them — so busy, indeed, that of the very numerous callers from 9.30 to 11 o’clock prayed in vain for “just a minute with Mr Seddon.” Some of tho more obtrusive, not content to wait their turn (they only waited 7 for a brief, and emphatic “Impossible!”). in the waiting-room set apart for callers on the colonial magnates looged at the Cecil, went upstairs and formed a little queue in the passage between the Premier’s apartments. The waiters remonstrated in vain; hut Mr Gough, who is the head of the pages and men-servants set apart for the Premiers’ convenience, ignominiously bunded them all downstairs again, with the cutting remark to one whose selfimportance made him obstreperous: “This is not the public entrance of an botel, but the private passage to a gentleman’s apartments.” To-day the Premier has an engagement to attend the Royal Botanic Society’s Garden Fete, at which the visitors are to be entertained with, among other sights, a Maori “haka,” and in the evening he and his party attend the reception of tlio Indian princes at the India office by the Prince and Princess of Wales, which promises to be the most gorgeous of all tho State functions. Mr Seddon and the New Zealand Contingent attended Evensong last Sunday night at St. Peter’s, Limehouse, the vicar (Dr Lindsay) being a cousin of the New Zealand Premier. The church was hung with flags, and was crowded. As the New Zealand Contingent, entered, “God Save the King” was sung. The Processional and Recessional hymns were, “O Word of God .-move,” and “Onward Christian Soliders.” The vicar gave a patriotic sermon from Ezra vi., 10: “Offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto tlio God of Heaven, ana pray for tho life of the King.” After church, the contingent had supper in the handsome hall of the Scandinavian Home adjacent to tho church. Mr Seddon thanked the superintendent and his wife for kindly lending the hall, and said that during that afternoon he hail seen more of London than he ever had before. He said that the Scandinavians who were meditating a visit to New Zealand would receive a hearty welcome, and he translated some Maori phrases with which they should he greeted. He spoke of L he good work his “boys” had done in South Africa, of tlie great progress of tho colony, and of its devotion to tlie Mother-country. As Mr and Mrs Seddon drove away in one of the Royal carriages, and the New Zealand. Contingent marched off, they passed through thousands of delighted East Enders, who lustily cheered them. Intelligent anticipation is the journalist’s first duty, and I trust that the King’s recovery will he so speedy that a description of the lovely gowns which tho Misses Seddon had made by Madame Vernon, of Sloano street, for the ceremony in the Abbey, will scarcely be a day before the fair when it reaches you. Miss Seddon’s corsage is a perfect confection of guipure and finely tucked chiffon and crepe meteor, with clumps of shaded pink roses and foliage. Tho lowing skirt of crepe meteor has the shaped piece at tho foot filled in with small volants connecting the top with fine motifs of guipure and inserted tucked chiffon. Miss May Seddon has a similar gown—tlie corsage being in crepo meteor and guipure entredent, t-he top arranged with softly folded chiffon and Iceland poppies. The skirt lias a yoke and panel in guipure, also border attaching masses of frills in crepe meteor. From the same costumier Miss Seddon lias obtained a stylish walking gown in Pastel blue panne cloth, with bolero coat lined with white satin, embroidered collar and facings in lawn and rose applique, with Egyptian gold buttons. Tlio skirt lias tlie new shaped Jlaps at foot. Miss May’s walking gown is in Rose du Barri panne cloth, the coat cut as a Russian blouse lined with

satin, with collar and garniture in embroidered lawn with fine lace edge, It has dull gold Arabic buttons, and the skirt has the new graduated tier.