ANOTHER SCANDAL.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1643, 6 October 1887, Page 3

ANOTHER SCANDAL.

A recent special cablegram from London says ; —Society is stirred to its depths by another scandal of some magnitude. Colonel Hughes-Hallett, Conservative member of Parliament for Rochester, is the principal person concerned. Ho is now husband of an American lady, but w>is formerly mairied to the widow of Lord Justice Selwyn. Ho is now accused of having ruined his step-daughter, Miss Selwyn, who expects shortly to become a mother. The intrigue was discovered in a country house where they were both staying. Miss Selwyn is young and rich. She recently transferred £6OOO to Colonel Hughes-HaOett. Her brother, Ca tain Charles William Selwyn, the Conservative M'-mber for Wiabencb, North Cambridgeshire, consulted his solicitor, and meanwhile the money has been restored. It is believed that Mrs Hughes-Hallefc will seek a divorce. The case has caused great excit p raenl in Clubs and in society, where all the persons are well known. The Pall Mall Qixotte exhorts the Government to expel Colonel tlughes-Hallett from Parliament. Colonel Hallett is 48 years of age, and Captain Selwyn 2f. The former commands the Second Brigade,[Southland Division, of the Royal Artillery, and the latter is in the Royal Horse Guards (Mae). Colonel Hughes-Halleit, who has been charged with seducing his stepdaughter, Mias Selwyn, admits tho truth of the main accusation, but says the girl is not his step-daughter, but step-daughter of his first wife, Lady Selwyn. Ihe Gazette says that Miss Selwyn was first seduced at Colonel Hallett’s Own house. The Tory society papers, in commenting, say the matter is of secondary importance. Mr W. H. Smith, leader of the Hoaae of Commons, denies that either he or the Ministerial whips have white-washed Colonel Hughes-Hallett. The Gasette exhorts Mr W. H. Smith to vindicate the honor of the House of Commons by moving the expulsion of Colonel Hughes-Hallett. The following particulars were lately given by the writer of “ Social Gossip ” in the Argus regarding Colonel ilughes-Hallott:—“ Buffalo Bill,” who is a past master in the art of “ booming ” has just entrusted his interests in the political and journalistic world to Mr A. M. Breadley and Colonel HughesHallett. M.P. for Rochester, and he could not have made a more judicious selection if ho had lived in England for years. Colonel Hughej-Hallett is the only man on record who has won fortune and fame by amateur acting and nothing else. As a slim and handsome horse artillery man he played “ young lovers ” in garrison theatrical, and on one of these occasions attracted the admiration of a rich and lovely widow, Lady Selwyn, widow of a Lord Jusiice of Appeal. They married, but in a few years their union whs dinsolved by death, and the ieau sabreur found hunself in tha strange position of father to four young f amilies. The lady had originally mariied a widower with a family, the Rev. Dr Dupre, rector of Richmond, She and ho had a family, and after his death she married Lord Jnotice Selwyn, by whom ehe had another family ; and then she married Hughes-Hal'stt, by whom she bad a thud family, in addition to Ihe step-children of her original family.

The greatly afflicted widower, however, managed to shunt the whole four families on to other relatione, and in the course of time liis fine acting and handsome person won him a second wife—this time an American heiress of vast wealth and mature charms, and by the aid of liar money and his own elocutionary powers, developed on the amateur stage, he woo « seat in the House for Rochester, and has proved himself a speaker of the first quality. His position from the first has been exceptional, and he is at this moment the hero of the House—not only as the bear-leader of Buffalo Bill, but ns the saviour of the Government, who, but for the wonderful 40 minutes’ spin of impromptu eloquence, would have been defeated in their first division in Committee on the Coercion Bill.”