TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 462, 12 April 1890, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

o-— —— (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, February 22. THE WEST HAM TRAGEDY. The body of a respectable young girl named Amelia Jeffs (who had been missing from home for a week) was discovered on Friday last in the cupboard of a disused house at West Ham in a condition which leaves doubt whether “ Jack the Ripper ” may not be at work again. The crime seems quite as mysterious as any of the Whitechapel series, and up to the time of writing no arrest has been made, though, the detecivos, as usual, allege they havo clues. Mr Montague Williams declares in his book that he believes the famous revelations in connection with the Do Goncourt Turf Frauds practically broke up our de- ' tective service. The department was reorganised certainly, but with disastrous effect. Anyhow, evor sinco, clever murderers have enjoyed a remarkable immunity from capturo. Tho West Ham coroner connects this Jeffs, however, with tho disappearance of two girls from tho same locality some years ago. The police do not, however, agree with him. The deceased’s perfect respectability appears to be beyond dispute. THE COMMISSION REPORT. A week’s disputing betwixt Unionist and Parnellite papers over the Commission report does not appear either to have cleared tho air, or brought tho dispassionate public any the nearer to a definite conclusion. All one can Bee is that the Government are getting into an awkward hobble. If, as the “Times ” alleges, the Irish mem- • bers who have been convicted by the judges of Feuianism in days gone by are traitors to Queen and country, and should be strung up as high as Hainan, they clearly ought not to be sitting in Parliament and legislating. Bub will tho country stand their being expelled? The Government thinks nob, and even the “ Times " dare nob recommend such a course., The Gladstonians know this, and mean to force their adversaries into a corner on tho point. The Irish debates so far have been dull to a degree, everybody being sick and tired of the confounded question. Colonel Saunderson, who sometimes says a good thing, was rather on the spot on Friday. “There is only one liberty,” he said, “which is taken away from the Irish people, and that is the liberty of making free with tho lives and property of other people.” Equally unpleasant from a Home Rule point of view' was the veteran Orangeman’s description of tho “ War Chest ” of the Plan of tho Campaign.” “ I refer,” he explained, “bo that mysterious receptacle into which so much money went anti from which so little came out. ” THE LAST OF THE DANDIES. Lord Lamington, better known to most of us as Mr Baillio-Cochrane, was almost the last living representative of the famous generation of “Dandies,” and of the smart young men whose praises Disraeli sung in “Coningsby.” He appears in that nowadays bub little read and yet remarkable' novel as “ Buckhursb.” In appearance and manners Lord Lamington was latterly a judicious combination of D’Orsay, Brummell, and Talleyrand. That, at least, was what he would have liked people to think him, but the actual result was irritating rather than impressive. No one, however, could make himself pleasanter—when he chose —than the old Lord. His conversation teemed with information and anecdote, and was phenomenally brilliant and epigrammatic to boob. Tiioso who doubt this have only to recall the articles on the “Days of the Dandies ” in “ Blackwood ” lor January and February, which I nob long ago commended to you. These papers were, it seems, by Lord Lamington, and his last literary work. A quarter of a century ago Baillie-Cochrane, in cornjunction with Algernon BoubLwick and Henry Calcrafb, produced that avantcourier of society journalism, the “Owl.” This was a journaletbe published at intervals during the Parliamentary session by a choice band of anony mites. It was pungent, sparkling, and satirical, and the greatest curiosity prevailed as to who the contributors could be. That they were very much “in the swim,” and thoroughly understood many things believed by both sides to be s ur les cartes, wa3 obvious from countless shrewd hits. A file of the “ Owl ” is now worth its weight in gold. There never was anything equal to it before or since. The Duke of Rutland (better known to us, like Lord Lamington, by tho name he bore so long in the Lower House, i.e., Lord Jno. Manners) is now chief survivor of the “ Young England ” school, popularised by Raillie-Ccchrane and Augustus Stafford, He helped Disraeli enormously in his early days, and the novelist-politi-cian as reward painted him (or rather daubed him in, for the colours were absurd and overdone) as “ Lord Henry Sydney ” in Tancred, ’ During his latter days, Lord Beaconslield had some ado to keep in with youthful friends, such as Baillie-Cochrane, Lord John Manners, Newdegate and others, who. had became colossal Parliamentary bores, and yet were necessary to him. He managed it, however —in Baillie-Coehrane’s case, by listening to his stories and refraining from capping them, and by translating his old friend iu the nick of time ta the. U pper House. ... Lord Sydney* like Lord Lamington, was a “ Dandy,” but bis interest subsequently centred cbiefiy in the Court and Court trifles, and his death cannot bo said to deprive us of a notability. The Queen was attached to, both old men. Young Baillie-Cochrane, now Lord Lamington, is a handsome, pleasant young fellow, but has not so far made much. : mark. TRUE GRATITUDE. 'U There is a story current about Montagu Williams, which does not appear in “Leaves of a Life.” He had got a ienowned dog-stoaler off, and, tho worthy fellow came to thank him, for his forensic efforts. “lb were splendid,” he said,, referring to his counsel’s speech, “ I niver ’eard sich lying afore. Why, it almost took. me in myself.” (and so on for ton minutes. Th©©, the man wound up), “Well, sir, I’m greatly obleeged, greatly obleegeu, and (dropping his voice) it any of your friends ’ave gob a dawg which you’ve took-a-fancy-to like, why, you've only to name it. ” The sale of “Leaves of a Life ” has, so far, been unprecedented for a book of its class. Mudie’s and Smith’s Libraries were each obliged to take one thousand copies, and in addition the publishers took orders in the first five days for 3,000. Expensive editions at 36s tho 2 vols. are not often disposed of thus.