LONDON LETTER.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1536, 20 January 1879, Page 3

LONDON LETTER.

[from odk own correspondent.] London, December 5. As wo have just commenced a little war in Afghanistan, it has been deemed necessary to have a winter session of Parliament, and as I write these lines noble lords and hon. members are assembling at Westminster to open this extraordinary session, which is expected to last only a fortnight. It is a groat inconvenience for everybody to have a meeting of Parliament in the last month of the year, but as it would not bo in accordance with constitutional usage to spend money on powder and shot in any portion of our Empire without tho money having nominally first been voted by tho House of Commons, therefore our elected legislators must como to town, away from their country homos, their shooting, fishing, and hunting, to vote funds which Lord Beaconefield requires. And a respectable proportion of the House of Lords must Como too, for although they will have nothing taore to do with tho supply of money than merely to register and confirm the vote of the House of Commons, yet it is to that Chamber that the country will look, as it always does, [or the most thorough and i.aarching criticism qn tho causes which have brought about this War, They are not far to seek. During tho past week I havo read through nearly five hundred pages of the official correspondence which has been presented to Parliament on tho subject, and in a word they show that the late Government disbelieved that our Indian possessions were in any danger, while Russia was all tho while making tho most insidious advances with the view of repeating in Afghanistan tho story ot tho conquest of Khiva, Mr Gladstone has made to his constituents at Greenwich a long speech which, in the opinion of many Liberal politicians, and almost all Conservative oms, lias wholly destroyed his chance of again becoming Prime Minister. Still bo will talk on, more and more wildly.

This very morning is announced the failure of another Scotch Bank—the Caledonian. The stoppage, however, is one rather of Ijgal technicality, for there does not appear

to bo any likelihood of any financial loss. It, Ins been brought about by the present state of the law of trusts. The Caledonian Bank holds in trust a 'few shares of the City of Glasgow Bank, and os there is likely to be a severe strain in getting tho money to pay the creditors of that concern the funds of the Cal- donian would he liable to the lest penny. In the event, however, of the Caledonian undergoing a formal winding up, the liquidators of tho Glasgow Bank would have the power to accept a fixed sum in discharge of the hitherto unlimited liabiality. It has, therefore, been resolved to throw the Caledonian into liquidation, and when all the legal processes have been accomplished the Caledonian will be revived on a stronger basis than ever. I am assured that there is no shadow of unsoundness about it, yet as showing what may ho brought about by one commercial disaster it is worth consideration.

Tho liquidation of the affairs of the City of Glasgow Bank is proceeding, and the day is fast approaching when tho unfortunate shareholders will have to pay the first half of tho astounding call which has been made upon them of £SOO per shore. Many of them will not bo able to pay it. Indeed some of them have been rendered so destitute by this calamity that a large fund has had to be subscribed to keep them from absolute want. The affairs of the Bank itself have produced no more disclosures, but the examinations of the members of the several firms which were forced into bankruptcy owing to the collapse of their money supplying source has produced some remarkable revelations, and the firms which borrowed such large amounts are now known by the name of the “ Glasgow Bank Ring ” —the first time we have had such an Americanism used here. The directors, with one oxcepfion, still remain in prison. One was able to satisfy the Lord Advocate that ho did not mean to bolt, as so many men have done in recent years when they were rich enough to pay, through their friends, on their bail being estreated ; but as regarded the others, though the same offer was made to them, they have proved quite unable to beguile tho Judges in the Court of session. The prisoners are now “ running their letters,” as the Scotch term it, which must be almost as tedious a process as that of learning them in our English schools. Early next year they will have to take their trial, but up to tho present time I have not read anything to palliate their offences. Indeed a Scotch newspaper estimates that the direct consequence of the failure of this Bank has been to Scotland a loss of at least sixteen millions of money ! I had ths pleasure of listening a few evenings ago, to a very interesting paper by Mr Frederick Young, the secretary ot the Royal Colonial Institute, read before the monthly meeting of the members of that increasingly popular body. Its subject was “ England and her Colonies at the Paris Exhibition,” which he, like everyone else thought was more magnificent than any of its predecessors. New South Wales, he said, made a most effective show. In her department, however, were included the few contributions made by New Zealand. These comprised samples of wool and an astringent extract, which was thought to be probably for tanning purposes (eo that if there should bo any mistake about this it is Mr Young’s, and not mine) ; a collection of ordinary articles made of wood, with some doors, hey rakes, Ac., a number of Native manufactures, carvings in wood, and diorite or greenstone, and photographs. New Zealand obtained one silver and one bronze medal. “It is,” said Mr Young, “certainly to be much regretted that this splendid and rapidly advancing colony wes not more conspicuously represented in her great natural riches and industrial products on this occasion.” Sir Julius A r ogcl has certainly had a compliment paid him by the London “ Globe,” an evening newspaper of considerable reputation. To be a contributor to it may bo taken os a sure indication that the writer has made his mark on the literature of the day. The conductor of this journal just commenced to publish a series of articles descriptive ®f our principal colonies. They secured a certain number of manuscripts before they began to publish any, and they selected that by Sir Julius Yogel on Now Zealand as the first of tho scries. I cannot congratulate your AgentGeneral on this production. It looks to me as if ho had put it together in a very great hurry, mid it is not nearly eo good in style as his literary productions generally are. The legal year, which opened at tho beginning of last month, has already produced an astonishing number of more than usually interesting cases. Prominent amongst those is that of Lady Annie Louisa Gooch, wife of Sir Francis Gooch, a baronet of an old family. Tho Gooches do not seem to possess much stamina; at all events they are not of tho modern type of muscular Christians, but they have a fine property in Suffolk, reputed to be worth fivo-and-twenty thousand a year. That is a magnificent income for a private gentleman, even in expensive England, but it will not suffice to keep up three or four minor establishments, besides the family one at Benacre Hall. Already the widows of two former baronets have to be allowed a maintenance out of the estate. Both these Gaoches died at an early age, and one of them left no children, by which means Francis, his brother, became baronet. Francis married. The present Lady Gooch is, I am told, the daughter of people in a comparatively humble position in life, but at all events when I saw her the other day, seated by the side of her solicitor in the Marlborough street Police Court, I thought she was a very nice little woman, though her thick veil prevented any one from seeing whether her face is as pretty as her figure ia well proportioned. In due time she presented Sir Francis with a eon, who was not destined to be the heir, for he, like so many of his ancestors, enjoyed but a brief existence hero, and at the ago of eight months ho died, to the great grief of his mother, who has given up all hope of having any more children. Then, it seems, with the idea that if she was left a widow she should not bo dependent on a small allowance out of the next possessor’s purse, she took it into her little head to pretend to become the mother of a baby, which she procured from an institution in London apparently for the purpose of adoption. But she took the most extraordinary steps to pave the way for tho advent of this little stranger. First of all she made to her husband the interesting communication of her prospects and hopes, but ho was incredulous, laughed at her, and threatened, if she persisted in her folly, that he would not live with her. Under ordinary circumstances, of course, a man would not have disbelieved his wife, but in this case Lady Gooch had divulged her plot to Alias Garrod, tho housekeeper, who in turn only told her master as mildly as possible that Lady Gooch’s apparent condition was only owing to a superfluity of petticoats. However, Miss Garrod came up to London with her mistress and put up at a grand hotel, where two or three days afterwards it was given out that she had been confined. Certainly tho chambermaid heard a baby crying, but the infant (which was what I believe Is euphoniously called “a lovo child,” and was born in tho suspicions neighborhood of Beckham; was a fortnight old, ub least the doctor who was called in said so at once and left. Sir Francis could not stand this attempted deception, and, therefore, caused his wife to he summoned before the Police Magistrate on a charge of imposture. Ho has had to undergo three very unpleasant sittings before that functionary, and some very remarkable ptatemems have been made in the course of the evidence. At length Sir Francis relented, and having exposed tho whole affair, and particularly the uystom by which babies of a few days old might be earily procured for adoption, bogged that he might not bo forced to prosecute hia better half any further. The magistrate took aovemi days to consider whether tho matter should bo allowed to drop at this stage, and at length resolved to commit Lady Gooch and her nurse for trial. Her ladyship fainted on the spot, and made n great scene in tho Court. However, the committal ia only the decision of tho magistrate, and Mr Newton is renovened for his eccentricities. I cannot believe the ease will go much further. Nyc u if tHo Grand Jury should tho opinion of tho magioLgle, I expect that tho coucscl engaged in the trial will coino to some agreement, and will not further persecute a foolish woman. If tho case goes further her little ladyship intends to turn tho tables on her husband by

presenting a petition for divorce, on tho ground that bis conduct is not immaculate. Our artists have boon rather extravagant in their patronage of the law during the past month. Tho principal case was an action brought by Mr Whistler, an artist, I suppose I ought to call him, of Russo-American extinction, against Mr John Ruskin, an art critic of such eminence that I am sure I have only to name him for every one to know that he is the very foremost man of tho time in all matters relating to painting, and that ho is equally as eccentric as clover, and one of the very best writers of this generation. Mr Whisker is one of the very small body of artists who have tried to found a now school of painting, in which there was a great deal of imagination and very little work. Having converted Sir Couits Lindsay to their views, they got him to build the handsome Grosvcnor Gallery, and when their pictures were rejected by the Royal Academy the doors in Bond street stood wide open to receive them. Mr Whistler had so much imagination that he could not call his productions by tho ordinary names. If he painted a picture representing a night scene it became a “ nocturne,” an ingenious combination of two glaring colors, generally regarded as bad taste, became a “ symphony,” and so on. He painted Battersea bridge by night, and tho fireworks at Cremorne, but you could not imagine what they were unless you were told. Indeed, the Cremorne picture is merely a daub of black and a shower of gold sparks, and in a classical show would do equally well for the descent of Jupiter to Danae. It took two days to “ knock off” one of these pictures, that is one day to paint it and another to dry it. Mr Whistler says it is the study of a lifetime. Mr Ruskin calls it flinging a pot of paint in the face of the public, and says it is “Cockney impudence ” to charge two hundred guineas for it. Mr Whistler brought an action for libel, and the jury had the Cockney impudence to give what was practically a verdict against him, for they only gave him a farthing damages, and the Judge left each party to pay his own costs.

The trial of Herr Daniol Edward Bandmann, an actor of very considerable ability, and well known, I believe, in Australia, if he has not even visited Now Zealand, on the charge of assaulting Mrs Roueby, a very pretty woman, who is something of an actress, and was once the rage of London, has at length taken place after a very long postponement, and has resulted in tho acquittal of the defendant. A groat deal of very unnecessary personal matter was imported into this case, probably with a view to making a sensation trial, and in this respect it certainly did good to the evening newspapers. Mrs Rousby-was subjected to a searching cross-examination as to her condition at the time of tho quarrel on the stage, and several witnesses were called to show that she was in tho habit of taking a great deal more “ stimulant,” as some women politely call it, than was proper for her. It could not be denied that in the course of the quarrel about t he possession of the manuscript of a play he had written for her, Mr Bandmann struck Mrs Rousby on the arm, and some very contradictory statements were made as to how much she was hurt, but the judge left it to tho jury to say whether the injury was such that ho ought to be subjected to a criminal prosecution and punishment. The jury declared their opinion that the injury was accidental, a verdict which led to the discharge of Mr Bandmann, who has since accepted an engagement to play Hamlet at Drury Lane Theatre. This is a good speculation for both parties. It will make a good actor much bettor known to the English public than he is at present, and it will pay the lessee, for tho million will be sure to flock to see tho playing of a man who has been the hero of a big trial. “Jove laughs at lovers’ perjuries” writes one of the translators of this Latin poet. And so it seems does the English law, to judge from tho result of the great suit which has just been decided between Mr and Mrs Agar Ellis. The husband, a scion of an old family, is a Protestant; ho wooed Mies Stonor, a daughter of tho noble house of Camoys, who are Roman Catholics. There was some impediment in the way of the wedding, as there usually is in these “ mixed marriages,” as they are termed, but the parties met at the house of a noble relative, who arranged matters between them. Mr Ellis promised that the children should be brought up as Catholics, and thereupon became the son-in-law of Lord Camoys. But when the children came he changed his mind. As they grew up he took them to church, while, when she could get them away, the mother took them to the Catholic chapel. At length the difference became so great that Mr Ellis made his children wards in Chancery, and at once commenced a suit to have himself declared entitled to the sole custody of them, and at ([liberty to (bring them up in his own religion. The mother also presented a petition under a recent Act of Parliament, and both causes were brought at one time before Vice-Chancellor Malins, who decided in favor of the father. Tho mother, of course, was not satisfied and appealed to the three Lords Justices, who have proved of one mind on the subject, and delivered a judgment which is a clear and authoritative declaration of the law of England on the rights of married people. They declined to examine the children themselves, as had been done in all former cases, as to their religious convictions, but declared that the father was tho proper and solo judge as to that, and the promise made to tho mother before her marriage was of no effect now and could not bo enforced. It is pleasant to read in those days that the English law regards a man as “ master of his own bouse, and king and ruler in his own family.” This is sure to produce a howl from the advocates of woman’s rights, even though the vast majority of them are bitterly opposed to the religion which Mrs Agar EUis professes.