The honour list is a very conventional one. Indeed, it
may almost be said that with the exception of Sir John Lubbock's well-deserved peerage, the list is official. Sir Safford Northoote also becomes a Peer, but he is going to Bombay as Governor. Lord Cromer becomes a Privy Councillor, but here the only wonder is that he was not sworn years ago, for if ever there was a man fit to be numbered among Her Majesty's Council it is the man whose wise and strong counsel has so long been felt in Egypt. The same honour is bestowed upon Lord Rowton and on Mr. Beach, the senior Member of the House of Commons. The new Knights do not call for special notice, except in the case of Dr. Lauder Brunton, the eminent and learned physician. The want of striking features and the tenuity of the list are perfectly right. This is not the moment when we ought to be handing about ribbons and titles. As we have pointed out elsewhere, it is by no means wise to underrate the value of honour; and we are all for keeping them up. But just now we must wait till we have straightened things out in South Africa. When our work there is accomplished we cau again begin to think of honours, civil and military.
Previous page
