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OUR LONDON LETTER,
From Our Correspondent.
LONDON, 10th October.
IVifch the exception of an occaaionnl Bpcooh
from Mr. Chamberlain, who is in great form,
nnil if indofatigftblo in hi effort to keop the
position of tlio Llhsral Unionists prominently
before the constituencies, littlo or no interest
is taken in homo politics. The by-elootion at
Birkenhead created a mild excitement. The
neat vacated by the elevation of Lord Bury to
the peerage, through the death of hie father,
was contested by a Liberal, Mr. AV. H. Lever,
who had been in a minority of 604 at tho
general oleotion, and a Conservative, Mr. Elliott
Leon, formerly mombor for Oldham. Mr. Lever,
who is best known to famo as a persistent ad
vertiser of his Sunlight soap, is a large and
popular employer of labor, and Mr. Lees had
fallen into some local unpopularity, because
when mernbor for Oldham ho had championed
the causa of tho Manchester ship onnal, whioh
is regarded as likely to injure tho prospects of
Birkenhead. Tho cleotion was fought with
grcftt spirit and determination on both sides,
and 12,192 persons recorded their votes, as
compared with 10,916 at the general eleotion.
Mr. Lees, tho Consorvativo candidate, won tho
seat by a majority of 106.
In addition to the other causes of disquiet in
foreign affairs, there has been a somewhat un
satisfactory incident at Lorenzo Marquez, tho
capital of Delagoa Bay, whioh has been attaoked
hy tho Mokozuli, who are believed to havo cap
tured a portion of tho town. An English man
of war, anchored in tho port, offered to land
marines and blue jackets to aid in the defence.
and the Cape Government offered to give any
nsimUnoe that might be required. But the
Portuguese authorities preferred a self-reliant
polioy, and stated that if they did want any aid
pending the arrival of reinforcements from
their West African colonies, they would profer
to apply to the Boers of the Transvnal. This
polioy iB not approved in England, but it is
voioiferonsly applauded in Germany. Ever
since Delagoa Bay was decided by Marshal
MaoMahon to bolong to Portugal and not to
Great Britian, it has been an openn Bccrsfc that
Mr Cecil Rhodes and the Cape Government
were prepared to give the Portuguese Govern
ment a good round sum for the
possession of a port which oomm&nds
Mashonaland andMatabeleland. But the Govern
ment at Lisbon has up to the present refused to
consider any proposition, and an attompt is now
being made by the Gormans to show that tho
offer of tho Cape authorities and a British
oflioer to protect the unfortunate inhabitants of
Lorenzo Marquez from the assegaiB of tho
savages is a movo on tho part of Great
Britain to obtain possession of the
country. Germany has not been conspicuously
successful up to the present in its schemes for
colonisation in South Africa, and it is extremely
jealous of tho suocoss of the British. One
reason for tho comparative failure of the Ger
mans is that they treat the natives with great
soverity and punish them for offences which
according to native idoas are not offences at all.
A remarkable trial, whioh bears upon my asser
tion, has recently takon place at Berlin. Htrr
Leizfc, tho agsnt of the German Government
at tho Camoroons, was tried before the
Tribunal of Disciplino, ehargsd with having
provoked n revolt of native troops in that
cotony against Gorman authority by having
cruelly flogged some negroes and ncgrcsscn.
The acoufjed admitted everything, even to im
moral relations with native women, but
he was acquitted on tho ground
that the flagellation of tho woman was
necessary for tho maintenance of order, and
i that tho Gorman agent had not gone boyond
I his powers, wbilo for the immorality he was son-
i toncod to removal to another port at a slightly
I reduced salary. It is only fair to add that this
K judgment is sevcroly blamed by public opinion
I in Germany, and that the Government has
I appealed against it
I Tho Czar is in a very critioal condition. His
death is only a question of weeks, it may bo or
dayR. The Czar's death took placa on the 1st
! Novembor, a fortnight after the dato of this
letter. The marriage of the Czarewitch will
take placo almost immediately, and his jiancte,
Princess Alix, has obtained a number of con
cessions from tho Russian Holy Synod, such as a
princess - in her position has never boforo
scoured. In embracing tho tcuots of the
Greek Church she is not obliged to
dcolaro that her former religion was aocurscd,
nor will she stato that her conversion is duo to
the oonviotion that the truth lies not with her
own, but with the Greek Church. The Synod
will content itself with the declaration that tho
princess baa joined the Groek Church in order
to ho of one roligion with her future husband.
Unusual interest is taken throughout Europe
in nil tho details about the health of the Czar,
and the dispositions inado by him for the conduct
of publio affairs during his illness, because
everyone regards him as the most potent faotor
for the preservation of peace. No one knows
what would be the polioy of his successor, but
the fact that ho has chosen for wife a princess
born in Germany, and who is the granddaughter
of the Queen of Great Britain, is pretty good
I evidoncc that ho is not likely to rush bald
8 bended into tho arms of France. Indeed, there
I is n general feeling of discouragement amongst
I . Frenchmen at tho illness of the Czar, and a
| leading statesman said to me a few dayB ago
I that "France was very unfortunate; she had
I only ono powerful friend in Europe, and him
i' she was about to lose."
I The war in the East still continues, but aotivo
I operations aro likely to be ohcoked by the ap-
S pronch of winter, whioh is severe at Pekin and
1 bitterly ooid in the Corea and Manohurlo.v
3 There seems little doubt that the inhabitants of
i Washang, a province whioh has been com-
| plotul/ denuded of troops, have broken
I out , into open rebellion at the instigation
of ' the Kulao-Wei, ono of those nume
rous seorot societies with which China is
honeycombed, but no one appears to know the
extent to which tho revolt has extended or tho
objects of tho rioters. Meanwhile the Japanese
seem to be willing to make peace, but on their
own terms. Their proposals are that China
should pay an indemnity, should codo Formosa
to them, should dcolare the Oorea independent,
should rofrain from any interference with
tho reforms whioh are said to be
necessary for that country, and finally, as a sop
to foreigners, should throw additional ports
open for trade. As I stated a few weoks ago,
although the great powori may not interfere
wbilo the war is going on, it is more than likoly
that they will insist upon boing consulted about
the terms of peace, and that they will refuse to
allow Japan to obtain any additional territory
a a the spoils of her victory.
Franco is just now very much excited about a
report that the Emperor of Germany has an
nounced his intention of paying a visit to Parie
during the exhibition of 1900. A newspaper
has sonfe a letter to a number of eminent per-
lon&goa asking what ought to be tho attitude
of Franco if tho Kaiser were to carry
nut his intention, without having pro
viouely surrendered Alsace and Lorraine, or,
as they are beginning to bo termed by persons
other than Fronohmon, Elsass and Lothringen.
Some think that ho should be rooeivod with
solemn.silonoe ; others that he should be hissed
and hooted. An inoident recently oeourred at
an inn callod the Sohlacht, on the Franco-
German irontier, which throws a certain light
upon the stAte of mind amongst the governing
H| classes in France. The tavern in question is
H built on the border line, quo half of the garden
being in French and tho other half in German
territory. German soldiers were drinkiug in the
Gorman half, and Fronch soldiers in tho
Frcuoh half. In obedience to a simultaneous
impulse most oreditable, to both, the soldiers
toucbod their hats to each other, and the Frenoh
« votre santd responded to the German prosit.
The Emperor William, on being informed of the
inoident, sent for the names of the soldiers of
his army and rewarded them for their ohiv&lry
and politeness ; but the Frenoh Minister of
War, General Meroier, took a very different
, view of the display of good comradeship.
He sent express orders to all the French frontier
garrisons that they must not in future venture
oloso to tho frontier without an express permis
sion in writing.
It is said, with what amount of truth I know
not, that the Emperor Willinm and his brothor,
Frince Henry, are strongly opposed to the
Byitem undor whioh persons of royal birth are
ft8 Put over the heads of older and better officers
In both nrmy and navy. Prince Henry in hMII
only a post captain, and he refuses to bocoine
an admiral, in the first place, because ho (loan
nob feci liimsolf competent to command a (loot,
and in tho second bccauno promotion would
remove him from that close contnct with his
officers and mon which is givon to him by his
present grade.
Three years ago tho wholo press of Europo
was agog over tho romantic lovo affair between
Princo Ferdinand de Itohcnzollern, the pre
sumptive heir to tho Crown of Roumania, and
Mademoiselle Helune Vncaroico, tnaid of honor
to tho Quoen (Carmen Sylvia). The Prince wan
violently in love, the Queen favorod his
suit, and tho young lady accopted the position.
But tho King and his Ministers came to the con
clusion that the prince must contract a royal
alliance, tlmt his mushroom crown must get
some additional gilt upon it, and that under no
circumstances must ho marry a subject. Ac
cordingly tho VacaroBeo family wero banished
from the oourt, the father of Mdllc. Vacarcsco
was compollcd to leave tho diplomatic service,
and the young princo was sent on his travels,
with the result that a marriage was arranged
botween him and the daughter of the
Dulco of Edinburgh. Tho Quoen of.
Houinania resented tho decision of
her husband and bin Ministers, and
left the court for several months. Poor Heleno
was for some timo as inconsolablo as Calypso
but not for muoh longer than that nymph. A
Tolemachus came along in due time, and a few
days ago she was married at Bucharest to M.
Paul Catargin, the nophew of a former Minister,
Tho wedding was strictly private, but Prinoe
Ferdinand and his bride sent their felicitations,
and it is understood that the Vacareseos are ouce
mere to bask in tho sun-hir.e of court favor.
Children of Circumstances is essentially a
modern novel. The hero, Geoffrey Hyde, is
married, but not mated, to a oousin, who is too
highly bred to feel either paselon or affection,
flfargaret Doring is a poor woman brought up
by two maiden aunts, who are Plymouth
Sisters, and who aro ahooked when they find
thoir niece reading Shakspeare. She is thrown
into contact with Geoffrey, and falls in love
with him. She does not know that
he is married, but when sho does it docs not
very much alter her conduct. Sho is waiting
for Geoffrey in a romantic spot, with her back to
a rock and her face to a stream, when a lady
makes her appoarance. The two women look at
each other, and tho new arrival, whoso voice
" is so extreme and fine drawn in its culture
that it sent a cold shiver down Margaret's back,"
opened fire : —
" You were about to ask me who I was.
. . I'm afraid you will not be pleased wlion
you know. I am Mrs. Hydo, the wife of
Geoffrey Hyde, whom you are now waiting
Margaret is not by any means taken aback.
"You aro Mrs. Hyde — Geoffrey Hyde's wtfo
— And ho loves ine. He never told mo ho — you
told me by coming bore. And — I love him — I
love him ! You told me that, too, by ooming.
Surely you havo told ine a groat deal iu a few
minutes."
"Can you not understand — can you not see?
Have you no shame ? He is my husband. I only
hove the right — "
"But you have lost your right," said Mar
garet. " He was yours, yours altogether. You
let him go from you. How dare you speak of
shame to me. It is only you who should bo
nshamed. Why did you let him come to mo —
why 1 Look at us togethor— wo two ! I am
nothing— nothing at all compared to you, and
yet he is no longer yours now, ho is mine. "
After this no ono will bo surprised to hoar that
Geoffrey and Margaret go to London, but wlion
they reach tho Hotel Motropolo, the lady
changes her mind. She will not keep house
with her lovor, neither will sho return to her
aunt's. So she takes up hor abodo with an old
nurse, nnd goos in for rescue work in the West
End, and has ail sorts of improbable adventures.
Finally Mrs. Hyde dies, after giving birth to
"awhito faced baby," and Margaret nurses
Geoffrey through a bad illness, but leavos before
ho is well enough to reoognisc her. The book,
notwithstanding its improprieties, is deadly dull,
hut I should not bo surprised if, by the aid of
a little judioious puffery, it became as popular as
The Yellow Aster and The Green Carnation,
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