LONDON CHAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10525, 23 November 1895, Page 6

LONDON CHAT.

(From Ope Own Cosp.espondekt.) Lonbox, October U,

THE WEATHEK. Having with the advent of October changed j from summer to winter in tbo course of 2A hours, the weather bas ever since resfcsd on its laurels, and maintained its wintry character. Even those people who grumblsd at the intense j heat; (874c3eg in the abide at the end of September) find the sudden change rather trying. In ScotUnd the abrupt ehaage we» even more severe. On one of the last days in September j it was too hot in Inverness to walk about at nil in the middle of the day—well, over SOdeg in the shade. Only three dajs lster 7in of snow lay on the ground! The weather-wise profess to foresee another hard winter, bat such predictions are the merest guesses. THE EASTERN QUESTIO.V. Lord Salisbury has returned to town much, jarlier than the date originally fixed. It is nnderatood that hi* early return was connected •with the grave pojifcion of the Eastern question, which haß lately undergone such a formidable development through the removal of the locality of Armenian outrages to Constantinople itself, under the very eye of ths Porte. The fact seems to be clearly understood that Lord Salisbury ii, and intends to be, virtually autocratic in hia management of England's foreign affairs. He is Foreign Minister as well as Premier, and he rseins, a*-the Americans gay, to " ron the show himself." He it recognised on all hands as by far the most able Minister for Foreign Affairs that England has had for some generations, and most psople are quite content that he should "run "a department of politics which he is so exceptionally qualified to manage. Still everybody is natorally anxious to know what he is really going to do aboat-Turkey and Arasma. Russia is said to be waiting for England to make the first move. But this England has done by sending tha fleet to Lemnos, to the extreme annoyance and uneasiness of the Sultan, who duily prays in vain for its removal. There is an idea that the Russians believe Lord Salisbury to have been mainly the cause of their discomfiture at Berlin whan-he and the late Lord Beaconsfield negotiated the famous "Peace with Honour" treaty which made waste paper of the Russians' pet treaty of San Etefano, the cherished outcome of the last RussoTurkuh war. It is thought Russia might enjoy "paying him out" by throwing every obstacle in his way when be endeavours to carry out the provisions of the detested Berlin Treaty. So far tho six great Powers seem to have worked in concept at Constantinople in bringing pressure on the' Porte to stop the savage reprisals which the ill-judged outbreaks of the Constantioopolitsß Armenians have ao unfortunately provoked.. But wheu it comes to the permar.f nt provUions- against future outrage, tfcn'wii be the "poll." Russia means to have a very .-.dive finger in any arrangement for the protection of the Armeniacs, and will tike good care that any attempt to elbow her out will be abortive. Much, too, will depend on the attitude of France. The French victory in Madagascar may serve for a time as ft sop to the Chauvinists, bnt France is ever t an uncertain element in political calculations.' FEANCE. With England in Egypt and Germany in Alsace-Lorraine, France cm never feel very happy. The firafc is a perpetual memorial of her haviDg "funked" her jhare in a neceesiry international operation, and so having failed to hold her own as a iWer of the first class. The second is, of course, a constant reminder of galling and disastrous defeat; And so the French chafe and bluster. They seem to have made a shocking mess, of it in Madagascar, judging from their own accounts, the final victory and capture of the capital being due mainly to the brilliant ability and resolute determination of General Duchesne, who triumphed over all the difficulties which the incompetent French organisation and tho physical obstacles of the country had placed in bis way. No doubt another and a very raaterial factor was the cowardice and disaffection of the Hova», who appear to have offered co definite resistance at any single point. However, the French are in ths capital, and ars arranging tenna of peace, so it is to be hoped that the national self-esteem will be soothed, and that the friendly sympathy freely expressed'by some leading English papem will be appreciated and accepted as the voice of tha British nation. In conversation the other (lay ivith a Freacisman of high culture and standing be remarked :—" You must not take all you lead in the Parisian journnls as representing tha true feeling of the French people. It ip not so. Believe me they entertain thd most friandiy sentiments towards the people of England; and would grieve to see any breach in the friendship I Df the two great nations. slt is only certain newspapers that publish violent Chauvinistic utricles- because they think their readers like that sort of thing. So they do as reading matter, bnt it does not influence them. The great mass of the French people desire peace and friendship with Great Britain."" .■■■:' - ' OSCAR WILDE. ''- ; : Oflcar Wilde was brought up from Wormwood Scrubbs.lately with reference ta his bankruptcy proceudings, but did not appear in court. It transpired that hi« debts will probably be settled by his fri«nr!s—not hio relations—and j that a considerable turn for that purpose has already been gathered. His wife has obtained a separation, and.lives in Montrauxwith her two boy 3, who are at school there. She has laken her maiden name, and those who-have seen her nay the is a wreck. Poor young woman! She has had an acquisition in fortune, and has now about a thousand a year of her own. Oscar is a model convict. He is very deft with his bands, and is employed making bags Df a rechtrchi description. The prison fare is agreeing with him, and be has lost the bloated, look that distinguished the aroh-priest of tsstheticism, when the pet of society. Ju3t now he is busy studying divinity, and asked to be allowed ocopy of the "Confession* of St. Augustine," the translation of which is not exactly suiied to the family circle. There is another voinrne which has never been translated. It is probably this which the Ozford classic got. It may be that Oscar, on hii release next year, will blossom into en edifying preacher; ■ but whether on the side of Holy Mother Church in one of her countless sections or as a Bnddhis!; cannot be eurmised. Religion of Borne sort will certainly claim him, as it is the rery best social renovator. Willy Wilde has become a family man,' and is said to be both ' proud of hid little daughter and devoted to her. The child i* a great solace- to her grandmother, Lady Wilde, who is in winter almost wholly confined to bed. BAILWA* KACING. Railway ricing in various forms still continues the order of the day, and now ev3n the sober-going Midland is apparently about to be I forced into tho competition for the Scotch traffic. The tremendous acceleration of the night ttains both by ths East and West Coast— Edinburgh now betog reached by two night train* in seven hours und a-half and Glasgow in eight boura from London, or at the average rate of 52£ and 51 miies an hour rc«pf:ctiv?.lv, including all stoppages—has induced the Midland's regular Glasgow customers to intimate that unless they can enjoy approximate advantages they will .transfer their patronage to the quicker lines. This wouid be serious, an:l so the Midland directors are considering a plan by which their trains, instead of taking 9i ta 10£ hours as at present, would ran from London to Glasgow in 8 or 8£ hours, calliog ouly at Leicester, Leeds, arid Carlisle. It i< quite I feasible, but means some smarter work thun the Midland ha 3 indulged in of late. The E»Bb and West Coast. companies threaten further acceleration, and an important meeting on tha v subject is being held at York to-day. There is still much controversy over the English and American race for tho railway speed record, but one leading American authority at last.has admitted that England haa tho best long-distance record, viz., s^o miles in 500 minutes' actual running time, exclusive of stops. I am afraid, hoirewr, he has been misinformed, for I have the official time 3 from both railways which jointly made that record, and their figure* show the total to have been 505 minutes for the 540 miles. This brings it vtry close to a "tie" with the American best-, rrbica wss specially run to beat the English record, and at present I am nnable to cay which is to bs eradite.l with the win. CHIT-CHAT. Princess Louise, it is said, takes kindly In her new mother-m-laY/, the present Dachr-s? of of Argyll, asd that she has just paistßd an pzeillent portrait of her. Had the dok» not married, tho PrioceßS would have had to be oiore at Inverary Castle tbaa she would baro . relithed. The duke is said to bs a tsrriblo domestic autocrat. rlhe statne of the Empress Queen o? ludia is nt last ready for shiprurntto Raiiitcon, where it is to bo erected. It is of heroic size, and when on its 6ft pedestal will stand 13ft high. It in of fine Sicilian in»rble. Her Majesty has od a Hoaiton lace skirt, and on her head a coronet crowu ef the Icind knoffD as a diadoca. Tha coronet portion ouee graced the brows of the virgin Queen, Elfzibetb. She holds the tceptre, of course. A veil falls behind; it is the representation of the one her Majesty wore a(: her marriage. Bracelets and a great diamond necklace fotm the domestic regalia do her sscrad psrapn. A. cast of the precious stones was taken for fcho sculptor. Ik is - announced that Lady Bandolph Churcbiil Trill shortly marry again. Her fianci, it is said, is a well-known military oSScer. The bright American ban not been a disconsolate widow vary long. She is as pretty and fascinatieg as ever, and .in immense favourite in Engliah society.

A good deal of tho gilt is taken off tho gingerbread now that it h anuoonced that thfi marriage of Mia* Consuelo Vanderbilt to the Duke of Marlborcui;h will take place in Acaerioi. It bad been understood that the young lady would come to England, where she ie so well {mown, for the ceremony, but she hs.a been patriotic enough to cast her Republican she!) io tie conn«r.r of ter bitth. She h»s for her ci-

elusive dot £2.000,000 sterling—not dollars — and the Duke is to be given £600,000 for his private consumption. Lily, Duchenn of Marlborough, the widow of the late Dako, bought in the magnificent bric-a-brac of Blenheim, and it is known that the present jieer earnestly wishes to buy it back. He is on excellent terms with his step-mother, and his mother does not disapprove. It is rumoured that he will use his £600,000 in clearing off some of his heavy mortgages. "Talking of bric-i-bcoc " one of my feminine correspondents writes:—"l caw some lovoly china this week in the room of a lady who has hud a rsmarkable past. Shs tra? all through the Indian mutiny, and saw her young hmband, a cornet iv the civahy, shot beside her. Her baby died of starvation, and it, with two other infauts, the children of two beleegued friends, were buried in tbe same grave in Lucknow. After her release she came to this country with her sole Eurriving child—a girl. When grown up she took the «irl back to India, and thete met She Prince of Wales. The girl was of remarkable beauty, snd through the kindness oJ the Prince was brought forward in society. On their return to this country they were often entertained at Marlboroogh House. The girl mtrrietl and died. Tbe mother still goes a, great deal into society. She hao an immense portfolio of photographs given her by the Royal family and others- in the cercU intime. She has lived for threa years with the Ducbew de Coilunnr., who has a great fortune from tli!it distinguished house. Among many valuables, the Dachess possessed a uniqno set of Ssvres china, presented by Louis XV to the Prince Lanto de Tbeodora, her great-grandfather, when Italian Ambassador at the court of France. There were 178 plates, besides numerous dishes. She wished to fell it, and had it brought to England for the purpose. The packing aione cost £50. Being of rather an erratic disposition she sent it to C'aristy's for sale without a reserve price. It was bought by Wiertbeimer for £2000, and soon aftor was sold by him to Alphonao Baron. Kothccbild for £6000. Tha Duke, her hnsb»nd, did not know she had parted with i!;, and this summer when dining in Paris with the Baron he recognised the set!"