Considerable further progress has been made with the Coronation. preparations, 'A sate visit by their Majesties to the City, with a service at St. Paul's Cathedral wud a luncheon at the Guildhall, has now been arranged for Thursday, July 3rd; the King's dinner to the poor of London was fixed some time ago for Ju'y 3th; there is to be a great garden party at Windsor Castle on the previous Monday, June 30th; and no doubt other events will fill in the intervening days, so that the celebrations will extend over the whole week following that in which the actual Coronation takes place. Everywhere the preparations for local observances are going on on a big scale. The bonfires promise to be much more numerous than on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee; and altogether. the popular rejoicings will be on a scale eclipsing everything that has ever been seen even by generations which have helped to celebrate two jubilees of a great Queen. The prices for Sea's to view the great procession are decidedly higher thin they were in 1897, the only part of the route where there is any chance of obtaining a seat at a moderate price where there are plenty of seats on stands being on the south side of the ware., still to be had at a guinea a piece. The route is so long that a careful calcula. tion has shown that the procession may easily be seen by at Ivast two and a half million people without crowding or discomfort, if only they will distribute themselves evenly. Unfortunately, however, there are favourite spots to' which parte of the route are left half empty. people are sure to throng, while other precautions will, however, be taken by the barricading of bridges and streets to prevent such accidents as those which occurred when the C.I.V.'s came home.
The Shipping Combine. filled with statements Tout the rab Although the newspapers have by Atlantic Shipping Trust, the "N, aiftcale even now to arrive at a true Syndicate," as it' terns' itself, it is very debate which took Place onthe subject appreciation of its scope and purpose. A hn the House of Commons last night. has, however, set the more extravagant fears arrest. Mr. Balfour was able to state to the House that the Government hav been informed in confidence of the details of the scheme, and although he was bound to respect this confidence he was able to assure the House that there is no immediate fear of our Atlantic fleet being transferred to the American flag or of the subsidised liners being unavailable for our use us armed crui-ers in case of war. The arrangement under which the fast cruisers receive their subsidies holds good for another three years. During this time they will of course'be kept to their bargain, On the commercial as spar from the naval aspect of the question there was a very wide difference of opinion. In spite of the pean of welcome to which the "Times" gave "utterance when it first announced the scheme. mest people regard these great American trusts as a serious menace to British commerce. Lord Charies Beresford, who has just returned to the House as member for Woolwich, suggested as one means of meeting this particular combination the sutsidising of a line of steamers between Great Britain and Canada; but the general opinion is that any attempt by Government to interfere with these commercial "combines" would do more harm than good. Perhar: the most sensible view was that taken by 'Mr. Allan of Gateshead. Seeing that about four-fifths of the freight revenue of the North Atlentic comes' from the United States, and that three-fourths of the first-class passengers are Americans, the United States are bound sooner or later to have a great Atlantic fleet, and from our point of view it is better that they should buy them from us than, build them themselves, Two-penny Cheques.
Sir Michiel Hicks-Beach has brought on himself the derision of the who'e nation by his new proposal with regard to the two-penny stamp duty on cheques, When he made the proposal on Budget night it was pointed out that the tax would be a heavy charge on the innumerable cheques which now-a-days are drawn in payment of very small accounts. Sir Michnel admitted the force of the objection and has agreed to remit the extra penny on the case of all cheques for amounts under two pounds. But he insists that we shall first pay the extra penny and then get it back through the p: st-ofice, Th" banks are compelled to return us our cashed cheques, and we are to take them to the nearest or some other _post-ofice and_ get pennies for them. The inconveniences of such a system, especially in small towns where the residents object. to the postmaster, who ig also a shopkeeper, knowing all their business, are so obvious that one cannot imagine how any-be 'y can have persuadel Sir Michael to wher such a scheme. The only newspaper which supports it is the "Times," which defends ie with a warmth that has led to the suggestion that the proposal must have originated in the office of that journal. Sir Michael was made. v wrath by a facetious suggestion thit the cashed cheques should themselves be used as penny stamps; but he will certainly have to withdraw his proposal. Even if everybody has to keep two cheque books at hand, one with penny stamps and one with two-penny, that will be far less inconvenient.
"The Article Club."
The first of a series of libel actions against Mr. Labouchere arising out of some criticisms of the Axsticle Club which appeared recently in "Truth" has been adjusted with divided honours, and the second which promises to be the most interesting has been outred upon. The tour to our manufacturing centres made last year by ihe Chinese Ambas: ador under the auspices of the Article Club will no doubt be fresh in the minds of your readers. Sir Chih Chen has himself since not then withdrawn from the Club because he saw reason to object to the manner in which they exploited him, The Clubis the creation of Mr. Lawrence Coweu—or more properly Cohen—whose literary pseudonym—is "Lesser Columbus." He and his brother run a commercial newspaper, and the Club consists in the main of commercial men who have received a putting notice in that paper and who have paid some £300 for advertisements in it. It is supposed to include only one representative of a particular trade or manufacture. "A finer dodge for enlarging an advertising connection," says "Truth," "no newspaper man ever invented, and the astute Cowen seems to have worked it for all it was worth." He has certainly got an amazing number of men of high position, including Lord Strathcona, Lord Jersey, Lord Suflield, som of the Agents-General of the Colonie, and the Chinese Ambassador to lend themselves to his scheme; and among the commercial men are representatives of some of the leading firms in the kingdom. They are astute men of business. and they must surely have found that they receive from the Club advantages commensurate with the sums which they pour into Mr. Cowen's pockets; nor is there any imputation of dishonesty in connection with the Club. Still, it is a queer business, and everybody is looking forward with interest to Mr. Cowen's cross-examination, The first_action was brought by Lord Sufiield, the President of the Club but after some very curious disclosures as t" the methods of the Club and as to an attempted traffic in a title, the case has been withdrawn, Lord Suftield satisfying himself with a declaration that the articles in "Truth" were not intended to reflect in any way on his personal honour, integrity or Veracity.
Earl Russell on Divorce Law.
Tiere was a strange scene in the House of Loids last night when Earl Russell introduced a Bill to amend the law relating divorce, narriage and legitimacy. To a house absolutely colli and' unsympathetic the noble Earl, who has undergone a term of imprisonment for bigamy, expounded his views in a speech which is admitted even by those who most strongly condemn lis opinions to have been extremely able. Briefly, Earl Russell's views are that any husband and wife should by mutual consent be able to obtain a divorce after living one year apart, and that a child born out of wedlock should ho legitinised by the marriage of his rents, as is of course the case in many foreign' countries. Incidentally too, the Bill wontd legalize marriage with a deceased wife's sister or a deceased husband's brother. Lord Russell's main argument, was, of course, that there is no morality in compelling the victims of an unhappy marriage to live together. There was but one other speaker in the debate, and that was the Lord Chancellor, who condemned the Bill as un-Christian and moved its rejection, which was carried unanimously, Earl Russell not daring to challenge a division, probably because he could not have found a ce-teller.. Those who would condemn the noble Earl too severely may be reminded that there is this to be said in extenuation, that his views on matrimony are similar to those notoriously held and advocated by his parents, the lute Lord and Lady Amberley.
9th May,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.