Our London Letter

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIII, Issue XI, 9 September 1899, Page 454

O ur London Letter

PRINCE OF MONACO A STAUNCH DREYFUSARD. From the very outset C aptain Dreyfus has possessed a real friend in the Prince of Monaco, and what is more tiie Prince has taken no pains whatever to conceal the fact. In virtually every Court in Europe he has alluded to the now famous case, and in Paris has conferred with public men regarding what he believed to be a miscarriage of justice. His latest exhibition of good nature is indicated by a letter he has just written to Madame Dreyfus. in which he invites her husband to rest in his Chateau of Marchais. in the Northern Department of the Aisne. I'he Prince wrote: "Madame. — You have with admirable courage defended the honour of your husband, and triumphant justice awards you the reparation due. In order to help you to forget so much suffering and grief 1 invite your husband to come to my Chateau of Marchais as soon as the sacred work of justice has been accomplished. My house will be honoured by the presence of a martyr towards whom rhe conscience of humanity turned in its anguish. Amid the sympathies which you receive. Madame, there is none more sincere and more respectful than mine.—Albert. Prince of Monaco.**

On November 13th. IS4B. the Prince first saw the light in Paris. He is a man of almost as many accomplishments as dignities. He thinks, however. little of his dignities, and is far prouder of being a practical naval offi-

cer. and an acknowledged authority on scientific questions. He served in the French Navy during the war of 187 n. having previously commanded a frigate in the Spanish service. Since then he has been deeply interested in scientific studies, chiefly those connected with marine biology. In his yacht, specially constructed for the purpose, he has explored the lowest levels of the seas, and has discovered numberless previously unknown sped-

mens of submarine life. He is a member of the French Academy of Sciences. His wife is a Jewess by birth, and this fact, doubtless, accentuated his interest in the Dreyfus question. The Princess of Monaco, a cousin of Heinrich Heine and formerly Duchess of Richelieu, is the first Jewess who has mounted a European throne. She is related to the Furtados. Kohns, and Reinachs. of Paris, and the Wolfs, of Vienna and London. Her father, the banker. Michel Heine, made a large fortune in New Orleans, where his daughter was born forty-one years ago. He afterwards settled in Paris. In 1575 his daughter became the wife of the late Duke of Richelieu, who died in 1880. Nine years later she married Prince Albert I. of Monaco. The Princess is a lady of considerable culture, and of many attractions. She is catholic, almost democratic in her friendships.

Our illustration is a portrait of the Prince. Many people have never heard of San Marino, probably the oldest Republic in the world, with its toy army of 24 doughty warriors. Much better known is the province of Monaco, nine miles from Nice, with its area of 5| square miles, and an army of 126 men. Down to 1848 this State included Mentone and Roccabruna. the whole being governed, appropriately enough, by Princes of the house of Grimaldi. 'Mentone broke from bondage, and was run on its own account for a year. Intoxicated with the unaccustomed air of liberty, it staggered into the open arms of France. It would be almost impossible to find a more charming drive than that along the seashore from Nice to Monaco. It has been said that Nice, the city of flowers, has been spoiled by its neighbourhood to Monte Carlo. But moral reflections cannot destroy the wonderful blue of sea and sky. the rugged beauty of the mountains. the tender grey of the olives, and the vivid green and brilliant gold of the orange gardens. Nor can they mar the seductive aspect of this curious little principality as one sees it stretching at the foot of the barren heights behind a fortress rock, crowned by the Grimaldi Castle, and fringed by the green of the old Monaco gardens. jutting into a sapphire sea. All the contrasts of the civilised would seem crammed into these tiny dimensions. From Monte Carlo to old Monaco is a jump through centuries. The palace of the Grimaldis, with its grey bastions, its jumble of architecture, its <piaint Place d'Armes, where the tiny army jjerforms its evolutions, might, but for its red striped blinds, belong to the Middle Ages. So might the narrow streets and the gardens, which compare oddly with the exotic luxuriance of the Casino. The smart carriages which roll in front of the Casino do not seem to find their way here. There is no evidence of trade, nor. though Monaco is a seat of government and ba« its Council of State and long list of public functionaries, is there any sign of official business.

The gaming tables of Monte Carlo not only support the reigning Prince in eminent res|>ect ability, but also pay the entire expenses of the State. Every part of the Casino, of which the gaming rooms are a portion, is fitted most luxuriously. The ceilings are elaborately frescoed, and the walls and niches adorned with numerous works of art. Games progress from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.. and varied indeed is the fortune that attends the busy players. The contract made with the late Prince Charles ensures the payment of €70.000 a year to the ruling sovereign for the concession to play. This agreement expires in 1913.

LORD LANSDOWNE AND HIS CONSCRIPTION BILL. The Secretary for War—Lord Lansdowne—created no slight commotion on rhe eve of the Volunteer Review, when in the Upper House he descanted on the provisions of his Conscription Bill. The Marquis of Lansdowne is the eldest son of the fourth Marquis by the Hon. Emily Jane, daughter of the Comte de Flanhault and rhe Baroness Keith and Nairne. He is 54. and succeeded his father thirty-three years ago. In 1869 he married .Maud, daugh-

ter of the first Duke of Abercorn. his heir being the Earl of Kerry, who was born in 1872. 'The career of Lord Lansdowne has been a busy one. for he was Under Secretary for War from 1872 to 1874. Under Secretary at the India Office from May to August. 1880. and Governor-General of Canada from 1883 to 1888. From 1888 till December. 1893. he acted as Governor-General of India. In 1894 he was appointed a Trustee of the National Gallery, the following year accepting the post of Secretary of State for War. He owns about 143.000 acres.

RE-OPENING OF JOHN WESLEY'S CHAPEL. The re-opening services in connection with the "Westminster Abbey of Methodism** have just been held, and were of far more than metropolitan interest. We give a sketch of the historic building in City Road. The chapel has been entirely renovated. The front has been repointed: the foundations, which originally rested on great baulks of timber laid in a marsh-land. were secured eight years ago. The interior, begun then and now finished, has been made beautiful in its neatness and perfect in its adaptation to simple worship and to the orderly transaction of business. The chapel has been completely furnished, regardless of cost, with ail the necessary conveniences for great assemblies meeting day by day. The memorial sculpture to the Rev. Dr. Moulton (late headmaster of the famous Wesleyan school. "The Leys,*' at Cambridge. and a great Biblical scholar, by Mr Adams Acton, was unveiled by Sir H. H. Fowler. M.P. It occupies the hitherto vacant space between Dr. Newton's tablet and that of the late Revs. Dr. Punshon and Dr. Gervase Smith, on the left wall entering the chapel. It consists of a white statuary marble bust, placed within a suitably framed alcove of white Carrara marble. 400 guineas being the famous sculptor’s fee. It has been erected by Wesleyan ministers in conjunction with the trustees of Wesley’s Chapel, and is greatly admired by those who have had the opportunity of seeing it. Benson's Building, the Morning Chapel, and the interior of Wesley's Chapel have been artistically decorated. It may l>e interesting to add that from first to last the amount contributed to the work of restoration. the settlement and endowment of Wesley's house, the new buildings, etc., has been £28,895. Within the »'ast eighteen months the Rev. Thomas F. Westerdale. the resident minister, himself raised £13,895. of which the

trustees are said to have received £10,387. Wesley’s Chapel is now not only one of the oldest, but in every sense the finest Noncomformist place of worship in London. ANOTHER MONOPOLY GONE. The administrative lights of the Royal Niger Coni|)any are practically no more, for it has been proposed to transfer them to Her Majesty's Government. The change has come none too soon, for the division of authority between the directorate of the Company. the Colonial Office, and the Foreign Office was most unsatisfactory. The Colonial Office is now to assume

control. To achieve this the Niger ( ompany has to l>e bought out, and the House of Commons has lately concerned with the terms of the purchase. The Government is to pay £865,000 to the Company, and in return is to take over all the rights that have hitherto been exercised by the (’ompany’, and to acquire the property and plant now in the Company’s possession. The prospective value of the purchase is a matter largely of guesswork, but that the country has immense possibilities in the way of trade is obvious from the one fact that the population is estimated at about 30.000.000 persons. Henceforth the Niger Company will be reduced to the condition» of any other trading corporation. The debts of the Company, which amount to £300.000. are to be taken over by the Government. who will pay a like sum for compensation, as well as £ 150.000 for land and mineral rights, and compensation for dislocation of business. and lastly. £115.000 for the administrative plant. The territories will be divided into three districts: Lagos. Southern Nigeria. and Northern Nigeria, and in locating these districts our sketch map will be helpful. Although the credit of discovering the Niger must be placed to Mungo Park, it remained for Sir George D. Taubman-Goldie. D.C.L.. LL.D., to secure it to English traders. Sir George was born in the Isle of Man 53 years ago. and is the son of the late Colonel TaubmanGoldie. for many years Speaker of the House of Keys. It is interesting to note that the Manx Speakership has been in the same family for three

generations: the last holder of it—his elder brother —having died only in the latter part of 1898. Sir George was educated at the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, and from there obtained a commission in the Royal Engineers. He was. however, born to rove, and early in life visited Morocco. Egypt, Algeria, the Sudan, and other parts of the Dark Continent. In the

course of a recent interview. Sir George said that the transfer of the territories of the Niger Company was verv satisfactory from an !m|>erial standpoint as a pecuniary transaction, for the Empire was buying for a mess of pottage a great province which had cost twenty years of arducvs lalwmr to build up. and for which either Germany or France, or both, won hl have paid a very different sum. Speaking l>ersonally. he said: “I am glad to be released from almost crushing work, always at full speed and high pressure. Until I went to the Andes last autumn, to get away from- despatches and telegrams. I had not had a rest for over twenty years.*’

SHAMIUX’K AND COLUMBIA IN COMPARISON.

Our sketch shows the hulls of these two yachts in outline, the comparison between which is of < xceptional interest just now. It was the first intention of Sir Thomas Lipton to make his new yacht wholly Irish, hut he altered his mind. As she hears an Irish name, was designed by a Scotchman, and built by an Englishman. she is essentially British. There is a remarkable i esemblance between the hulls of the two competitors for the American Cup. as will be observed by our diagram. The ••fin-keel” of the Columbia is more

aft. ami has a more graceful fore line than the Shamrock, it will also be noticed that both have practically the same length of water line —89 feet 10 inches and 89 feet 6 inches. Both yachts, in fact, have been built to the full limit of 9> fee . wi: h six inches allowed for change of trim and a possible difference between their actual and calculated displacements. Both have the same draught of 20 feet. The Shamrock is 1 0 inches longer over all, 34 inches broader in the beam, and 24 tons lighter in displacement. In spread of canvas the Shamrock has the advantage with 14.125 sepia re feet for 13,940 square feet for the Columbia. These figures, however, may be enlarged or reduced, hut probably enlarged, during the preliminary trials. Nickel steel and manganese bronze has been employed in the construction of the Shamrock. and she is now being fitted out with light steel booms and gaffs, supplied by Messrs Fry and Co., who also provided the Britannia. Her crew will number from 40 to 50 men. In the opinion of experts, both of these new yachts are improvements on the Valkyrie 111. and the Defender of 1895. The strong point of the Defender was “reaching.” and her weak point running with the wind dead aft: but the Herreshoffs have tried to remedy her defects in the Columbia, by changes in the model of her hull, the materials used in construction, ami the plan of her sails. With fairer lilies. a lighter hull, ami smaller displacement, a

much lower centre of gravity, and a much larger spread of sail than the Valkyrie 111., the Shamrock is by far the most dangerous competitor for the Cup that has ever crossed the Atlantic.

THE GREAT VOLUNTEER REVIEW.

Saturday. July Sth. was indeed a memorable day in Metropolitan volunteer circles, for no fewer than 30.000 troops were reviewed by the Prince of Wales, who represented the Queen. The review was the outcome of a suggestion made in the first instance, it is believed, by Col. Sir Howard Vincent. M.P., Commandant of the Queen’s Westminster V.R.C., that Her Majesty should witness a

parade of the volunteers of the Metropolis on or about the hundredth anniversary of a review of the volunteers of that day which was held in Hyde Park by King George 111. on the occasion of his sixty-first birthclay. which fell on the 4th of June. 1799. It cannot, of course. Im* claimed I hat the volunteers of to-day. who are now as distinctive a unital Immlv in the defensive forces of the Crown as any other in the service, have preserved—except in one or two conspicuous instances —any direct continuity with those of a hundred years ago. It must not Im* forgotten that

it was Sir John C. Bucknill. the father of Mr Justice Bucknill. who really started the Volunteer movement in this country. On January 27th. 1552. he invited Mr George Pycroft and Mr George H. Haydon to dinner at his house, where he was ( hief of the Devon County Asylum. and he discussed the state of the country and its scant means of defence. He produced from his desk a draft of a memorial which he sent off to Earl Fortescue, the Lord-Lieutenant of the county, in the course of which he propounded a scheme for a corps of Volunteer Riflemen. The Lord-Lieutenant’s reply was favourable, and on February 7th a meeting was held, at which eighty gentlemen were present, and resolved to found an association under the title “Exeter and South Devon Volunteer Rifle Association.” The Hi st muster in uniform took place in the Castle Yard. Exeter, on October 6th. 1552. when the oath of allegiance was taken by fifty-three men. including one bearing the historic name of Arfred Guppy, solicitor. Honiton. On the Queen’s Birthday. 1895. the Duke of Cambridge unveiled a handsome national memorial at Niorthernhay, Exeter, twenty-five feet high, which contains a portrait, a medallion bust in hard Cecilian marble, of Sir John, who was knighted in 1894. Lancashire was also well to the front in the movement for national defence, and it was a Liverpool man, Mr Nathaniel Bousfield. who was the first to receive a commssion under the War Office Order of 1859. which authorised the general raising of Volunteer corps. This officer held the first Volunteer camp, and one of the biggest provincial reviews on record took place at Knowsley.

where eleven thousand Volunteers from all parts of the County Palatine inarched past before Lord Derby, and. it is chronicled, consumed five to six tons of pies and twenty-five hogsheads of ale. Our illustration depicts the various changes that have taken place in the uniform worn in 1699. in 1799. and in 1899 by the Honourable Artillery Company, the most ancient of the London volunteers.

••Vonolel.” Lord Roberts’ charger, which has recently died, reached the age of twenty-nine, and saw twentytwo years service, gaining a distinction attained by very few of his species. The noble animal fairly won the decorations conferred ii|»on him by Her Majesty, and wears the Kabul medal, with four clasps, and the Kabul-Kandahar star.