A UNIFIER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 565, 21 July 1909, Page 7

A UNIFIER.

> ——.A'.,.'. LORD'SELBORNE RECEIVES ORDER OF THE GARTER. « (By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.) London, July 19. The King has conferred the Order of the Gartor upon.tho Earl of Selborne, High Commissioner of South Africa. A vacancy in* fhc Order was caused by the death of the Marqliis of Ripon. . < :

[Tho Order of the Garter is tho highest order of Knighthood in Great Britain, consisting of the Sovereign, the Prince of Wales, and 25 Knights Companions, and - open , in addition to such English princes and foreign Sovereigns as may be chosen and sometimes to extra Companions chose® for special reasons, so that tho whole Order usually numbers about fifty. Formerly the Knights Companions wero elected by the hody itself, but since tho roign of George 111-appointments have'been ii'iaao by the Sovereign. Tho Order was instituted by Edward 111 some time between 1344 and 1350. To this incident the foundation, tho name, and the motto are usually ascribed:—According to'the 'common legend,' probably fictitious, Edward 111 picked up a garter dropped by tho Countess of Salisbury at a ball, and placed it on his own knee, with the words, to his courtiers. in response to the notice taken 'of tho incident, "Honi soit qui mal y pense."] r A

• PREPARED Tip WAY, FOR UNION. , (Eec. July 20, 10 p.m.) . ' V /:' London,, July 20. Tbo Dutch and English papers, in South Africa congratulate Lord Selborno on receiving tbo Order of the Garter, which is admitted to be well-deserved. Lord fSelborno's statesmanship prepared the way for- South African Union. , /,, '. A UNIONIST PRO-CONSUL. Lord Selborne was - a Gladstonian Liberal prior to 1886, but became a Unionist at : the time of the Homo Rule, split. ..In 1883 lie had married '■ a daughter of^Lord.vSnlisbury.'i,..ln.. Unionist Cabinets', he did good.•service as Under-Secretary for the Colonies, under .Mr. Chamberlain (1895-1900), and as First Lord of tho Admiralty (19004)5), from which office ho went to tho High Commissioncrship of South Africa! As h'o succeeded Lord Miltior, and as the Liberal Government came 'in' just afterwards, Lord Selborno as a Unionist had h task of great difficulty, ;yet ho. has succeeded in offending no important section, and in fostering trio movement for South African Union to a successful issue. "In South Africa," remarks ono, authority, "British, Dutch, and natives alike'respect him." His advocaoy of federation; has throughout been logical and consistent, and ho penned on the subject a memorable dispatch.'