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.+?..?.,? m Hotes from London

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+?.. ? ? m Hotes from London ALL THE GOSSIP OF TOWN AND CLUBS. Progress of the Bye-Elections—The Irish Vacancy-The Muddle at Leamington -Primrose Day. The bye-elections are the one topic of political interest. As matters stand, there is little chance of any alteration in the state of parties. It looks at present as if the Unionists will keep Oxford, capture Mid- Norfolk, and lose Leamington, while the Ministerialists will certainly keep East Leeds and may keep East. Wicklow. The pros- pects at Oxford are much brighter than when the contest commenced. Were it not so conspicuously uncertain a constituency, I would say that Oxford is safe to return the Tory. The absent voters have given satis- factory assurances of their intention to go to the poll, and, a* Lord Yalentia is a pcpular local candidate, there is no reason why he should not do at least as well as Sir George Chesney, who oame before the con stituency as an unknown candidate. Mid- Norfolk is also doing well, This is a seat which the Tories ungrudgingly admit to be Liberal Unionist, and both wings of the party are working unitedly and strongly. East Leeds, as I before hinted, i,s not for the Tories this time. The most we hope from that division is a further reduction of the majority. THE IRISH VACANCY. East Wicklow is very uncertain, inasmuch as Colonel Tottenham, despite the pressure that has been brought to bear on him, per- sists in going to the poll, and was accord- ingly nominated with tine other two to-day. The gallant colonel's candidature is against the strong wishes both of the Loyalist members in Ireland and of the Unionist leaders here. He is doing it entirely off his own bat, and will receive no assistance, pecuniary or otherwise, from the party. It is held by the chiefs that the two sections of the Nationalist party should have been allowed to ficrht out the ouarrel, inasmuch as the return of a Parnellite would, in the present state of parties, have been more disastrous to the Government than the election of a Tory. The supporters of the three candidates in the constituency are almost equally divided, and it is a tow up which comes in first. In the best-informed circles, however, it is felt that the unfor- tunate candidature of Colonel Tottenham may tend to the victory of the Anti-Par- nellite by 'Mvinsr Parnelb'tes to vote for him rather than let in a Tory. THE MUDOLK AT LEAMINGTON. Leamington and Warwick is certainly lost to the Unionists unless Mr. George Peel withdraws. Although the local Tories will not bring out a candidate of their own, they will not vote for Mr. Peel. No assistance will be given to him from the Tory head- quarters here. It will be impossible to do #o, because it would violate one of the cardinal principles of Tory organisation, namely. that the local party must have :ts freedom of action respected. Under the circumstances, it is thought that if Mr. Peel goes to the poll he will receive not more than five hundred votes. PRIMROSE DAY. It is Primrose Day to-morrow. The eve is celebrated by the receipt of the first floral tribute, which has been laid in the place of honour at the foot of the Beaconsfield statue in Parliament-square. It is from the gentle- man at Hong Kong who is distinguished a.s one of the most regular of the annual contri- butors. From a large case of primroses there rises up a shield, in the shape of a heart, in ivy, with Œte and other inscriptions in white everlasting flowers. The motto is God defend the right." This is Hong Kong's tribute to Beaconsfield's memory. SPEAKER AND EX-SPEAKER. The Speaker has appointed Archdeacon Farter his uhaplain. His secretary is still to be appointed. To-night the ex-Speaker is giving a farewell dinner to the officials and S»lice of the House of Commons at Grosvenor ouse, Buckingham Palace-road. Mr. Peel and Miss Peel were present, together with the Serjeant-at-Arms and the Clerks. ROYAL MARRIAGES. ? arises Tue strange pertinacity with wfciefa some of the papers insist on the engagement of the Duke of Gotha's two ifildren—Prince Alfred and Princess Alexandra—to the Queen of Holland and the Prince of Naples respectively? Even "Truth," which usually gets hold of some trustworthy backstairs gossip, while deriding the story as far as it concerns the Princess, accepts Prince Alfred's engagement seriously, and kindly informs us that when he becomes King Consort of HoMand he will have to give up the succession to Saxe-Coburg, which will then fall to the Duke of Connaught. There is nothing in either report. One tnay aswime that they are derived from speculation due to the coming visit of the Queen of Holland to London and of our Queen-Empress to Darmstadt. THE QUEEN'S INTERVENTION. As matters stand, I am not the one to say there has never been any project of marriage in either of the two cases named. They would both be excellent matches. The Duchess of Coburg has been an admirable match- maker, and successful in marrying earlv and well her two eldest daughters. It would, no doubt, have pleased her maternal mind to have married her son to the Queen of Hol- land and her third daughter to the future King of Italy. In that event her four eldest children would have become reigning Sove- reigns. But often in these matters where Royal mammas propose politic statesmen dispose. There was a striking illustration of this in the case of the Princess Victoria of Prussia, second daughter of the Empress, Frederick. Her mother desired to have the Princess married to Prince Alexander of Battenburg, then on the throne of Bulgaria. The Emperor William 1. and Bismarck strongly opposed the match, on account of the danger to the peace of Europe, by sriving offence to Russia. When our Queen was! made acquainted with the circumstances she also unhesitatingly opposed it, and this drew from Bismarck an admiring observation on her Majesty's statesmanlike capacity. So the engagement was off, and the Princess Victoria is still unwed. POPULAR OPERA. We may not be a musical nation, accord- ing to the classicists, but no one can witness- the crowded houses which are the rule at Drury Lane this week without coming to the conclusion that the love of melody, to put it at a very low standard, is very powerful amongst us. At popular prices, Sir Augustus Harris is nightlv staging one of the old-time operas, so ridiculed by the modern school, and nightly he is receiving his reward in the shape of full coffers and enthusiastic attendances. It is a question whether "Faust" or "Uaxnien" is the more popular with the pubMe. They cer- tainly appeal more to the audliences than either the "Bohemian Girl" or Mascagni's works. An exceptionally strong list of artistes nightly appear. Madame Fanny Moody, who is so popular in the provinces, has achieved an excellent reputation here. Her husband, Mr. Charles Manners, is like- wise excellent, and Mr. Joseph 0 Mara,, Mademoiselle Dagmar, Mr. Harrison Brock- bank, Mademoiselle Olitzka, Miss Florence Monteith, and Madame Amadi have likewise contributed to the excellence of the revivals. DELIA HARDING." Victorien Sardou's new three-act play, Delia Harding," which saw the light for the first time at the Comedy last night, is artificial to a degree. Interesting, un- doubtedly, but marred by the staginess of the old hand and the worst tricks of the old school. This is to be regretted, for it, undoubtedly, contains the essentials of a very powerful and interesting play. The story in a nutshell concerns a girl's heroic sacrifice to save a worthless brother's life. She confesses that she is "the villain's mistress, and that her brother shot him as he was coming out ef her room. Unfortu- nately, instead of developing this story in a natural manner, Sardou has resorted to the tricks which he found so successful years ago—the stolen letter; the poison which the heroine has placed for herself taken in mistake by the villain,and the hurried inquiry into his death at the last moment which brings the play to a happy ending. Yet, despite these defects, the play is interesting; it is likewise admirably acted and beautifully staged, and, though the familiar stage devices were guyed by pit and gallery, the reception accorded the play at the close was of a very friendly and cor- dial nature.

BURSTING OF A MAIN.

BAZAAR AT CARMARTHEN,

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Welsh Liberals Talk.

MARGARET OF ORLEANS.

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INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERS.

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? Development of Africa.

BARRY CONSERVATISM.

FATAL THUNDERSTORM.

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ROMAN CATHOLICISM.

PONTYPRIDD COMMON.

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