Etiquette and Diplomatic Order

Embassador Sir Julian Paunceforte from England, felt he ranked higher than even the U.S. Vice-President and widow of the late-President, Ulysses Grant, for the unveiling of Grant's tomb and monument.
  

The Embassador of England at Washington has had his tail feathers clipped. When the Grant tomb and monument were solemnly unveiled, the British Embassador insisted that in procession and in position, he must occupy the next place to the President. He held that he must have precedence over all officials, except the head of the nation, because he represented the English Empire and its Queen-Empress. This caused a great fluster, for it meant the crowding out of even the widow of Grant and the Vice-President of the United States. 

These, for the sake of peace, yielded, but when Mr. Hobart became Vice-President, he determined to have the matter settled by authority that Sir Julian Paunceforte could not question. He appealed therefore to the British Government through Embassador Hay for a ruling as to rank and precedence. The result has been that the English Foreign Office has held Mr. Hobart to be in precedence of the English Embassador, because he stands in the relation of heir-apparent, so to speak. 

So a question of etiquette and propriety has been settled in official circles at Washington, peace reigns and amity has been restored. The whole country is gratified to learn that what threatened to create a breach between functionaries of such importance as our Vice-President and the Embassador of the Queen-Empress has been rendered harmless. Now we can go on with every day life duties. — Sacramento Daily Union, 1898

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