The list of the King's birthday honours which was published
on Friday contains some interesting items. Lord Cromer becomes a member of the Order of Merit, a distinction which the whole Empire will agree to be well bee towed. There are ix new Peers. The first is Mr. Leona rd Courtney, who will undoubtedlyoring to the Upper House a valuable store of political knowledge and a clear and incisive intellect. Mr. Shaw Lefevre, a Liberal administrator of experience, will also add to the strength of the Lords. Mr. Pirrie, the great Belfast shipbuilder, Sir J. Jenkins, chairman of the Swansea Metal Exchange (both Unionist Free-traders), Mr. Armitstead, and Mr. Wentworth Beaumont are the other Peers. The new Privy Councillors, who number six, are Sir J. T. Brunner, Sir James Kitson, Sir Francis Mowatt, Sir Charles Clementi Smith, Dr. Far- quharson, and Mr. George Palmer. All Free-traders will be glad to see the inclusion of Sir Francis Mowatt's namp The new Baronets, who number fifteen, include Sir Walter Lawrence, the able Indian administrator who lately accompanied the Prince of Wales to India, Mr. Albert Spicer, Mr. Felix Schuster, and Mr. Edgar Speyer. There are thirty new Knights, among them being Mr. Carruthers Gould, "F. C. G.," whose political cartoons in the Westminster Gazette instruct and amuse the political world. This honour is thoroughly deserved, for Mr. Gould's rapier has always made clean wounds. In many cases, indeed, we believe that the victims of his pictorial satire have been as much amused as the general public. Among the new Knights who have done excellent public service we note Major-General Moody and Professor Simpson, of Edinburgh. Lord Brassey, Sir Kenelm Digby, and Sir Edward Hamilton become Knights Grand Cross of the Bath ; while Sir Maurice de Bunsen and Mr. Cecil Spring-Rice are made K.C.M.G. Mr. Spring-Rice, who is one of the most able of our younger diplomatists, is about to take up his appointment as Minister to Persia.
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