Royalty And The Law

The bazaar in aid of the fund for rebnilding thö Crathie church, near Balmoral, was held under the patronage of the queen, who üIpo gave two plaited straw baskets made by her own royal hands. These precious presenta were naturally made muoh of, and with the queen's approval were disposed of by a raffle, although the gaining laws distinctly specify raffling as illegal. The question arises, Has her majesty, by aiding and abetting it, made herself liable to prosecution before a magistrate? Lawyers havo no doubt about it, bnt it does not follow that the law will be set in motion. The British constitution would scarcely survive the shock of the epectacle of the empress-queen in a criminal dock and possibly fined 40 shillings or a raonth at hard labor. Bnt whilo nobody is disposed to take action against the qneen for conniving at a mild form of gambling plenty of people would not be sorry to see her son, lieutenant general, his royal highness the Duke of Connaught, tried by court martial for risking the lives of the men nnder his command. The duke is commander in chief of the Aldershot district. On Wednesday he and his wife went to the military balloou ground in order to christen a new balloon to be natned after the duchess. The weather had been threatening thunderstorms, and the atmosphere was heavily charged with electricity. Nevertheless it would never do to disappoint the duchess. So, just as the storm was aboat to break, the balloon was sent up 300 feet and anchored by a steel rope held by three sappers. Tho result', as might have been expected, was that the lightning struck the balloon, rushed down the steel conductor and horribly mangled the unfortunate sappers. The question every one asked is wby the ceremony was not postponed, seeing that dauger was palpable to the meanest understanding. The demand for a court martial is very general and will probably be acceded to, but it may be safely predicted tbat the prisoner will not be the general commanding, but some inferior offlcer.-