LONDON CHAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10495, 19 October 1895, Page 2

LONDON CHAT.

(Fbom Oub Own Corbesposdent.)

London, September 7.

Empty as London has been for four or live weeks past it will be emptier still next week. For tho brief session of tho ntw Parliament has come to a welcome clo3e; and the members of the House of Commons, the peers, and the heat of officers and attendants are scattered to the four winds of heaven, not'to reassemble for soma months to come. K.UCWSS MiWEris. ■' August closed and September has opened, both with superb weather. Holiday-makers are having a flue time of it, and'tne railway traffic in several popular directions has broken all records. That the acceleration to Scotland I and the North generally, due to tho recent1 competition—which the respective companies stroDgly object to 'befog described as « ;'! race "—has attraoted muny additional pas- ! eengers is most clearly established. Most people hata railway travelling, but if they must travel they like to go quickly; Many are it is found, induced to travel to distant places because they discover they can reach them speedily and comfortably now. The hint may be commended to your New Zealand railway authorities, who as a rule discourage hieh speed. 6

There has been no renewal so far of the • railway rcc^," but ifc may break out Wain any day. The E.-isS Coast companies adhere to their August time-table times for the 8 p m Scotch express, and reach Edinburgh and At>si> deon in 7hr 30rmn and lOhr 25min respectively But the West Coast companies have altered their time to Aberdesn so as to coincide exactly with that of tha Eait Oo»st, lOht Zbmin. l his means, afc any rate, a race over the vast length of hue before Kiohaber (38 miles south of Aberdeen), where the two routes converge and whence bath trains have to run oa the same ineMs. Whichever gets fits! to Kinnsber secures precedence of passage; and, in consequenes. priority of arrival at Aberdesn. Tao Nortn-AYeitern has ceased running to Crowe without a stop, but splits the twin there and | runs the first portion onto Carlisle (HI miles) without ft halt over a summit 900tt high io dht ZBmin, or at the scheduled average rate of over 57 miles an hour, including starting and stopping. This is the smartest thing in trainrag that the whole world at present can show Meanwhile the East Coast lines are attacking the West Coast in their stronghold of Glmrow and are giving a better nighb tervice to the second city of the Empire" than their rivals There is t*ik, too, of the North-Western in reprisal cutting the Great Northern altogether oat of Manchester by running thither from Londan in three and a-half or even threa hours, which the Grast Northern, with itj much longer and more difficult road, could not hope to equal, while it would be a comparatively easy feat for tho North-Wfsfcera after recent experiences. So there is excitement in railway circles. A fresh railway sensation has been provided by the steady going Great Western The company has bought np the Swindon Hetel interest for no less than £100,000, so' as to escape the legal necessity of a 10 minutes' stoo for every train at Swindon. This' was included in the 99 years' agreement sigced in 18*1 which does not expire till 1940, For many years this compulsory stop has been a grievous nuisance and impediment, especially since the competitive line to Exeter and Plymouth was opened by the South-Western Company, with 22 miles shorter distinee

Now, however, tue.Great Wesiern hopes to save IS or 20 minutes on the western journey by running through from Londpn to Bristol 118 i miles, without stopping. , They cau thus reach B«ter iv three, .and.-.three--qairter hours *tid Plymouth io fi*e hours, instead of Th* si?'" n . »Dd v s? r 30inini-.as at.preieut.lha directors distinctly protest ' th»t:' they do not mean to rao». « 3.SWI they do mean to be io Exeter as s^oa is their rivals, and if the latter with their shorter road insist on being in first, as they almost certainly will, thtn we shall see some mvrefuur ■•'« Both Rues have long bson,-preparing' for the struggle, and the Northern lines are getti D g ready for, another fight next .season "The recent flights to the North hare been-a revelation to most People—even; to experts—as to railway pofsibilitiea—Vh*t is, in respect to lonsrsustamed high speed wuHast uphill running. PAKIXAMBKT. '. !".- '

Tb.6 members of both Houses of Parliament are fleeing Worn the metropolis, .as swiftly a3 express trains will carry them, liopin* yet to get a shot or two at grouss and partridge. The session closed very quietly-.. There" was fust one little scene toward tee end. A subsidy had been-proposed tor.the ..West Highland railway extension. Some \ Scotch :. Kadisals opposed this, whereupon the Chancellor of theBxchequer remarked that the opposition came not from Highland representatives,; but from two Lowland Sottish members acting, though; they might not know it, solely:»« the interests of rival railway companies; " ProßaWy paia " here interjected the Attorney-general t I°»n™ta?'»llw<"oproar. Up sprang to.his feet Mr Dftlztel, one of the ißember«ithus.Btigmatised. He demanded an iaotant explanation.' But Sir Richard Web.ter at once recognised that ne had made a mtst»ke. " I oujht not to have »aid that," he exclaimed,' "and I un-' reservedly withdraw it". Here arose cries of 'Shame ! and "Pigott!" mainly from Mr Tim Healy. Mr Ddlziel contended that he onghS.to receive an ample apiloify in addition to the withdrawal. "I do not think it necessary," hefaid, "todefend myself in this House. I h%ve not h*d any communication1 with a rival company, and I do not think I ought to insult the Hoate by replying fc> the insolent and UDfounded "rem'artof the Attorn°ygeneral." Sir Kich«d Webster made a care-fully-worded and somewhat qualifies apology, which Mr Dawl h«d to accept fautt de meux, and there was psace ones more in larael. ~ .- '.■ -■.... . . , .

It ssems certain now tba% among tho echemes for the relief of the distressed agricultural intercut which are to be brought forward by tho new Uwemmtnt, th 9 utansiou of iight, cheap railways will hold a pcomineot pUca. It is understood thxt the existing raiUay compauies are willing and even eajer to fall in with the idea, but it ij distinctly laid down th*t excessive compensation to landowners, who will benefli so greatly, will bs resolutely resisted. ,

THB LORD MAYOn X PABIS. ' Oddlj enough, after carrying AaKlophobia to the yei.-ge of an international rupture; our volatile French neighbours are about "to inaugurate a grand rapprochement of an entirely original character. They are: going .to recoptiooise, foteaud decorate anil.deify—whom do you think? The Tjord Miyor of London! Yes, " Le Lormaiire," who h*» always been .in French eyes a personage of pro ro'ind and awful grandeur, utterly overshadowing the 'Sovereign' '—-■whom he could actually "boss" »t the gate of his own city,—is to make a State cntryin to France a* the guest of the President, and is to be entertained as if he wcra hilf a dousn kinga all rolled into one. '

It is a very .smart stroke on the part of Sir Joseph Eenals, who hw ingeniously brought about the whole thing, but it has excited quite disproportionate ire and disgust ou th* part of some people, whose feelings are voiced to-day by the Daily Telegraph in a caustic leader, and by the Sun in one of Tay Fay's characteristic enpers.

All the past Lord Mayors are furious to think tb4t such d splendid notion never occurred to them. AU the future Lord Mayors are mad that Sir Jo3epu Renals has secured the gori?(ois spree which in the ordinary course of things cannot be repeated withpufc. absurdity for a good many yeatß to come. And so they all chorus a fhout of censure .ion : Sir ..Joseph's preposterous arrogance , and assurance and impudence and so on, in pushing himself forward at the representative of tSe people of England. . :

"Whoishß, confound him!" says in effect though not in those precise worda the D.T., "that he should make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem—l mean Paris—as if ho .were a deity instead of being merely a trumpjry little mayor of a municipality ? " And so siy all of them. However, Sir Joseph means to go and take his Swordb?arer and his Remembrancer, and that remarkable official, who wears the wonderful " cap of Maintenance," and- he intends to show thosß benighted -frog-eatera what a real live " Lormairo "is lika. It is all very funny!

But in his exultation at the> big '''ecote'' he has made over all his predecesiors and successors, Sir Joseph has incurred a veEyimmiuent ri?k of making himself and his boats aurl his country and his city absurd.- He has had the folly and bad taste to propose that the President of Franca shall ba invited, not by the Sovereigu of England, as be expressly stipulates, but by »tho people of England" as represented by the Lord' Mayor of Londoa. •Now, as the French President holds virtually the rank ot a Sovereign Priuee, it is clear that a mere mayc^ of however big a foreign city cannot with propriety iavite him, though he may invite tha mayor. Aud in any case, the Lord Mayor of London is not ex ojkh, or otherwise, the lecofnised and accepted representative of the British nation. .. ■■: ■'

However, I don't suppose, -any harm will bo done by all this comic posturing. Indeed, if all go well the result will be beneficial, as showing the good feeling which really'exists in France towards England in spite of all the attempts of Anglophobes and Cimuvinists to make rniechief. If the outcome is to convince the fools of sensnt'od-mongera anil French " shocker" writers that they are on the wroug— that is, the unpopular— tack iv reviling England, Sir Joseph Ken&ls may well he pardonedhis little vanities and etruttings. For in that case he will indeed have been a public benefactor to both countries. THE ABSIENIAN ATROCITIES. •' .' Bmtem Pasha, the Taikish Ambassador in London has cabled to his august matter the Sultan a whole flood of tears, > This is quite true, Rustem distinctly avets in bis telegram

thit hi« tesrs ate flowing in floods as he writes because of the stern language used to him by Lord Salisbury in an interview jast ended. The Eoghsh Premier in effect-told Rustera that he really had nob time to listen to any more Tarkish excuses for outrages on tae Armenians and th»t unless the Porte looked sharp and put matters right the Turkish Empire would be dismembered.

This was very "straight" speaking. Ifc frightened the Sultan's entourage as badly as it did Riistem, though it is not stated tbafc they'! actually blubbtrsd as he did. Bat I d6ubt if I even yet they are convinced that England means interference. At any rate the murder, torture, dishonour, aud rnia of the unhappy Armenians proceeds with unabated rigour, and ! there will soon be none left to protect. This I will not redoucd to the credit of the nutioris tLit pledged themselves by the Treaty of Berlin to proieet thosa down-trodden sufferers.

TUB CZAR AND NIHILISTS. Nihilism is known to be one? more rampant in Russia, although the fact is strictly conceited by the authorities. The Czar lives in constant peril, and the nerves of his nice and pretty jouog wife are beginning to suffer from the perpetual strain. This is especially to be doplored in existing circumstances, which I need not more particularly specify. Everyone here is very sor.-y for the charming youne Empress, woo has left her sife though homble home for oue of the most splendid and exalted positions in the world coupled with the hourly peril of a dreadful d~ath—a fate which menaces equally her husband and herself, r hearths Qaeen and the Kaiser are bath much worried about the matter, and deeply anxious as to the outcome, at the propitious match they had so mach to do in bringing about. -i 11(7510. ' j Of musio there still remains little to be said It is the dead season—deader than usual,—and ! the sweetness of gjod music is not waslei on tha deseifc air at thews times. True some pv.-menade concerts ate going on at the Queen's ' Hall, and they are remarkably gcod of their kind—of their kind, you understand,—but they do not furnish material of interest to colonial readers. The Gloucester aad Leeds tr-enoial festivals are clow at hand, but this year tbey do not seem likely to present any novelties of first-class importance. An. oratorio by Mr P W. Co*on on the subject of " The Transfiguration " appears to be the work of most pretension that has been composad specially for the occasion.

It must bo admitted that Mr Cowcn,1 with all the charm and bsanty that usually pervade his work, does not soem entirely to have won the public favour. His opera "Harold," produced at Covent Garden during the season just passed, was * virtual failure, or at the best ooly a " suceoss of esteem." People raid aloud. " What a very clevnr composer Mr Cowen is," and in a whimper, "But what a very tiresome oper.» ' Harold ' is." And so it died I have ™«fc v«rJ f<>w People who really enjoyed his j Kith, and uobody seems to look forward with much zest to his " Tc»n.figur»tion." I ! rc.>lly don't exactly know why. Some delightful works of his have b»en produced in New Zealand, and were eutirely appreciated, but ouo does not oftdn *eem to come sckms any of his larger works in an English progr*tnrn» * Drs Hubert Parry, V.llers Stanford," and U»rtord Lloyd will also contribute new works of small" dimensions. Of these as yet nothing definite has been made known ' Everybody will be glad to hoar that onco more S:r Arthur Sullivan and Mr W. S. Gilbert have patched up their foolish quarrel, and have agreed to collaborate in a uew Savoy open whi-h is to como out during the approaching autumn" This is really good news, for the temporary associa^on of Sullivan with another librettist and ot triloert with another composar has been th 3 revet se of satisfactory or successful. Tha plua fast la these two consiitute an inseparab'e moiioriramatic Siamesc-twinehip Glhecfs now libretto U said to be more topsj-turvefled tban. ever. I hear that th» maiu idea underlying the whole in ridicule of ,lVX?Il , f. . oom:n :'uifcy being so deplorably jdJicted to tb:s mode of settling every dispute that taey are driven in seir-defence, and i» oriisr to avoid c:.mp!eto extinction, t> d scover some fre.h method of disentangling difficulties. Herein lies, I believe, the chief fun of the plot, bub the precise nature of the deviea is at present kept secret. It is only described as "v hurnoroas discovery of »n unwritten law in the Gregorian Calendar. " That is not very clear or explicit, bat it is the best I can do for you this mail. *

It is annonoctd that a new grand opera house 1 j to be built on the vacant plot of ground in the Haymarlcet, which was foimerlv occupied, but which h»« long Uio a howling warte. It will be a formidable rival to Covont Garden and strenuous tfforta are to ba made to have it ready for opeaiug cert season ; but that seems impossible.

Sir Augustas Harris his already secured Jean and Edou&rd do Reszke and Madama Albini to open the next; opera season at Covent G.rden. I have not yet heard whether lamaguo, that mighty stentor of tenors, wjll »mg neit seawu, bat it is evident that Jaan da Ktszke intends to precede and not to follow his big-voiced confrere. Any other tenor, however nna a singer he.may be, setms a mere baby after tha tremendous vociferations of Taraagno. Probably the latter will come at a subsequent; period of the ssason, so Nsw Zeaknd visitors next year may h*ve a ibance of hearing both. A very remarkable dibut was made at a recant promenade concert b/ a new soprano of r*re merit (Miss Anna Filler), who sang the glonons "Prayer of Bliztboth," from Wagner* " Tainljaaser." Sfce p^sajses a beautiful voico, and slugs lik3 a thorough artist, with p&ision m well ai ohartn, and with lyrical as well as dramatic power. Sio hts sung twice with ucqnjlibe.l sacctsi, and a brilliant future seems assured lor her. It may accentuate tie interest of this item for New Zsaland if I mention that tbis eifwd young fady is said to ba betrothed to Sir John W, Hill, the New <ssAlsnd tsnor.

A sharp controversy is reigning in the English world of music ov<r the iirajecte* universal owning of the Kaglisu pitch to the Continental standard The Philharmonic Society of London has definitely adoytel ths lower pitch, and arrangements are being made for its extension to orchestras generally. This is not being brought about without tome warm protest* from admirers of the orchestral brilliancy produced by the higher pitch, or without terns piteoui pleai from wind inatruaiant plnyers that their to )ls will be rendered useless, while they cannot afifjrd to pnrehase uew ones However, meanwhile tie low-pitchista have it I have just received a few ficsh ptrticulari about Mr Oowen's new oratorio " Ths Trantfiguntiou." The score, I learn, is divided into seven " cumbers" and is not oontiuuoaa " The Transfiguration " itself is indicated by c. finaly ecored instrumental interlude, and a nova use is nude ia ssveral inntauccs of peculiar!; phrased rhythmical figures in the accompaniments. The chorus "O. elder hro'-fco'," the scene depictiag ths foar of the dieeipie, sad the XtoveciaXJinnU are expected to prore apeoiaUy effective and i>trikiog in performance. A "ood judge who has been privileged to »cc the score tells me that in hi» opinion tho work is one of the finest Mr Cowen has yet produced, and that it exhibits hig musical-creative powera in their fullest development

A gratifying compliment to our English musicians has been paid by Madame Mtrchwi, the famom Parisian teacher of siuging She has just returned horns after a visit to London and has expressed to a German paper her delight with English music. She declare! that the operatic perfortnanca at Covent Garden equalled the bust to ba heard or seeu in the whole world. Even ths opera chorus came in for high commendation at the hands of this distinguished authority. An album of original songs composed by the German Emperor is about to be published Ihe proceads will be given to the fund for erecfr^ mg the memorial church in Berlin. MIiCKIXANEOUS. " Judy "is at the point of death. Her next appearance is to bo her last. Her death will occur at the aga of 26 years. Mr Gilbert jDalziol, the present proprietor of the paper, has resolved to discontinue its publication after Uf Xu ?H mber- Tha rea!Oa " not publicly stated, but it is understood to bo the non-payine of the paper. There is some talk of reviving it under the title, of the "New Judy." but in theso days there are bo many new publications iot a greatly superior class to poor " Judy" that udlbsj the new one should display unexpected brilliancy. I fear ils prospects wou'.d be suaay. County cricket is over for the season. Surrey haa again won the championship after a very tough light, _ Lancashire pressing her closely, with Yorkshire not far behind. At one time it looked very much as if Lancashire would wrest tho first place trom Surrey. But Riohardeon's. bowling has pulled his county through all dangers, anil to him unquestionably is the championship due. He ha« always been effective and frequently irresistible, hit terrific pace ana consummate command of the ball havine often completely baffled even the finest batsmen of the day More than once I have teen Or Grace completely puzzled and beaten by this veritable terror of a bowler, who is a tower of strength to his county. It is noteworthy ..that he ha) been playing the whole year round saving done an Australian season between two English ono* Yet there is not the ghost of a symptom oF " stateness " about him Lohminn's return with unimpaired bowline powers has boen another strong point in Surrey's favour. He stand, next to RichW«on in the averages. But his batting has fallen off sadly Abel s prowess with the bat has been the third factor in Surrey's snecess. _ Lancashire has the double honour of making nrfv^ ge ftm8C °re- cV5 Seen in fl«t-c»"S county onokrt-801 against Somersoi-and also of dis-. missing Notts for the smallest score, ever seen mthe.econtests-35. It was in the former of - these two matches, that Maolaren made his "ISfV" »™ °f m' <w *ich hR9 Placad him first m the batting averages, over the head even of Dr Grace, who is a jjopd second Dr Grace, by tho .way, had just made another century," his ninth three-figure innings of the present season. What a wonder ho is! The

D.T.'n shilliDc; testimonial now clo3ely approaches 100,000 shillings, or £5000, at which figure it is understood tho list will clo3e.

Grace's batting and jogng Townacnd's bawling hava won for Gloucestershire the fourth plac} among tho counties. Derbyshire and Hampshire are well up, bat poor Kent is at the ■ bottom of all, with Notts in close attendance, notwithstanding the return of Shrewsbury in superb batting form. It has been a magnificent ssason for rungetting, and on the whole a batsman's yaar, yet there bave been periods when the bowling was predominant, and this yeir's bowliug has been unsurpassed in excellence. Surrey with Richardson and Lohmann, L»nca«hire with Mold' and Briggs, York-hire- with Hirst, Peel, and Wainwrigat, Essex with Kortright and Head, Gloucester with Towniend and Jessop, all are very strong in this department, but Notts has no bowler of the fiat order except Attewell; Sussex has only Tato of much account, and Kent and Middlesex are distinctly weak with the ball. The ex-aolooUU Spoffarth and Ferris only "come off" now aad then.

I It is difficult to judge from the published cricket reports of a bowler's ruarit. Lest "week I I was watching Yorkshire pUy against the M.C.C. In the second innings of fchs latter Hirst, the Yorkshire fast bowler, took three or" the Marylobone wickess for four run*, aud would have had a fourth only Davidson was misoed off him very badly by the wieket.kr.Kper, an awfully easy catch. Had it ceme off Hirst would have hed four wickefa for four runs—*ndgood wickets.too. But Duvidsoo, after bsing missed, ran up 41, aud spoiled poor Hirst's aualjsin. -. • THE SUICIDE EPIDEMIC. Thera seems no diminution of the 'suicide epidemic. Indeed it appears to bo on tho increase. Directly 3. man's love »ff«r* go crooked, or his businea* goes wrong, or he frfels a little hipped, off he rushes, and either blows out his braius or swallows poison* or in some other way "jumps tha world to come"; and the women are just as bad.

A new fashion has came out thi3 week among the sniciders. Last week the fashionable method was to swallow carbolic acid—a most painful plan, one would imagine. This week the rage is for decapitation by express trains. Fully halt a dozeu pnrsnns of both seres have sought de»th thus durin? the last few day». Most of the stories of the victims are extretnsly piteous. But this shrinking from trouble iost>»d of battling with it is a bod sign of the times. People have grown impatient and thtir nerves are oversttuug; thay will faca anything but patient endurance ; and so the coroner 13 k<jpt busy.