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I OUR LONDON LETTER.

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OUR LONDON LETTER. [From Our Special Correspondent.] Though the Women's Suffrage Bill pro- moted by the Conciliation Committee passed its second reading in the House of Commons by a substantial majority, it is really as dead aa New Zealand mutton. What mght have happened if the Government had permitted it to go to a Standing Committee instead of reserving it for Committee of the whole House it is of not much use to discuss. But by adopting the course they did the Govern- ment plainly intimated that no further facilities would bo given for the Bill this session. So this Bill goes the way of the others. Other Bills may, and will, come in future sessions; and one ef these days, no doubt, the ladies will get the vote for which they long so ardently. But not yet. It re- mains to be seen how they will take their defeat. Already the air is thick with threats of coming revolutions, and the lives of Cabi- net Ministers will be made a burden to them. Miss Pankhurst is grimly determined. She and her friends, she declares, will iit.irve by inches in prison sooner than agree to live at liberty but voteless. The position in the House of Commons with regard to the question of votes for women is a peculiar one. For years there has been a majority in favour of giving women Parliamentary votes only, curiously enough, that majority is composed of mea- bers of all the < parties. the Govern- ment. against whose wishes no legislation can pass, is hopelessly divided on the point. The same may bo said of the Opposition front, bench. So that, even if the present Administration came to an end to-morrow, their Unionist successors would be no more likely to pass a, Bill to give women votes. It seems that women will have to devote their energies to the conversion of Cabinet Minis- ters and those who are likely to be Cabinet Ministers in the future. Once they get a Cabinet unanimously in favour of the pro- posal, the rest should be easy. There has been a good deal of dissatisfac- tion expressed by members of Parliament about the arrangements made at the funeral of the late King. There was no place for them in the procession, which was, as a matter of fact, a. great military pageant. In this respect it cannot be denied that it was to a certain extent incongruous, for King Edward was the great Peacemaker of his time. Soldiers, sailors, and Court officials took part, but there were no representatives ef the civil and commercial representatives, and no members of either branch of the Legislature as such. True, Lord Rosebery was there, but not as a Peer or an ex-Prime Minister; he attended as a JOeputy Scottish Archer. Mr. McKenna also walked in the procession, but as First Lord of the Admiralty, head of a. lighting Service, not as a member of the Government. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Speaker had a place in the procession. Certainly, there seems to be ground for complaint. Pageants of this kind are regulated by tradition, but, per- haps, innovations may be made for the Coronation next year. Tradition is all very well, but there are occasions when a depar- ture from it seems to be called for. It was much too strictly observed at the State funeral, and one of the absurdities which re- sulted was the placing of the repi-estntatives of the two greatest Republics in the world— the United States and France—in a carriage far back in the procession, while the rulera of a number of insignificant monarchies rode proudly with King George and the Kaiser. Such a mistake as that ought not to be made again.. There are many people who never seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves unless they are talking scandal about those in high places. King George has not escaped, and there must be few of his subjects who have not heard at some time or other certain rumours regarding him. One is that he is intemperate, and another tells of his marriage many years ago with a daughter or niece of IIOme Admiral. The rumours became so widespread that several public men. includ- ing Lord Rosebery and the Dean of Norwich, have thought it necessary to deal with them, and they have given them the lie direct. Mr. W. T. Stead, too, does so in the "Review of Reviews," to which he contributes an article on "The Personal Character of the New King." King George, says Mr. Stead, .hi "probably the most abstemious 'King who has ever ascended the English Throne," and "there is not a man more abstemious in the use of intoxicants among all the millions who own his sway." With regard to the other story, Mr. Stead inquired into it' seventeen years ago, and went so far as to approach King Edward, then Prince of Wales, who gave "a most categorical, definite, emphatic repudiation of the whole story." Mr. Stead has made other inquiries since, and is satis- fied that there is not, and never has been, any foundation for the story. It is to be hoped that Mr. Stead's emphatic and authoritative statements will put a stop for good and aU to those particularly cruel calumnies. All ranks in the Army are delighted with the interest shown in the welfare of the men by the King and Queen during their week's visit to Aldcrshot. Their Majesties were not only concerned with matters of military training; they made inquiries and saw for themselves how Tommy Atkins is housed and fed, and displayed a warm interest in the social side of the soldier's life. No formal programme was arranged for the visit, but the King and Queen saw all that could be seen in the time, and the time and energy they devoted to Army affairs surprised the Headquarters Staff. Every day was fully occupied from nine in the' morning until seven in the evening. is expeaw gutl e yifit to All*Slk^ fJII be made an annual event, and the espeetar- tion 11\1 strengthened by the, fact that the Kin,z has given orders for the rteoiiStractioU of the Royal Pavilion there. No doubt the Kins:, having thus shown the kettx inttwrt which he takes in the Army will take a a early opportunity of paying a similar com- pliment to the Navy, which 1ms always fcdtf j a warm corner in his heart. j We are always being tole) In. these öyø: that native musicians get 110 show, and that it is neccssarv to be a foreigner to r< r>h~u?x& any success, either ns a composer or a per- former. There was n time when that could I be said i tít someJ.'siug like justice: "tmfc things are changing, and native composers, sm<rert>. aval instrumentalists have their chance oqnnUv with those from other lands. Indeed, from the preliminary 'announcement* made in cos*section with the ioi'theomingf of "enade Concerts at íL,; i, it would seem that native composer# considerable over their foreign con- freres. at -least as LIT as the new composi- tions are ct>ne'Tned. Novelties aw alwayft a. strong feature at the Promenade and this year there will be given sixteen new works of importance, of which British com- posers contribute twelve. This J* & tribnt# to British art, for after all the mosie w the only thing that matters, and if the native composers had not doiv good work tfctjf would not find a nlace in the programme. A, E.. M.

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MURDER WITH A COAL PICK.

A MODERN ROBINSON CRUSOE.

SHOT HIS SWEETHEART.

POSTMAN AND M.P.S CHEQUE.

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