ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FEOM OUtt OWN COIIBESPONDENT.] LONDON, 21st October. PERSONAL ITEMS. Mr. J. F. Dundas, of Nelson, has been travelling about in most parts of Scotland and means to remain there until the pnd of this month when he purposes coming south to stay for a time in London. At the opening meeting of the Council of the Royal Colonial Institute last Tuesday, forty-seven new Fellows were elected, including Mr. Thomas Turnbull, F.R.1.8.A., of Wellington. Dr. and Mrs. Bey, of Greytown, are obliged to postpone for a fortnight their return to New Zealand as the s.s. Orient, by which they were to have travelled, was buddenly requisitioned for the conveyance of troops to South Africa, and as the small old boat, Cuzco took her place they and other passengers are shut out. This will prevent them from reaching the colony before New Year's Day as they had hoped to do, but, on the other hand, it will cause them to travel in a far finer steamer— namely, the new s.s. Ortona, the splendid twin-screw boat which has just been built for the Orient Company, and which is to leave on her maiden voyage on the 24th November. Archdeacon and Mm Dudley return to New Zealand via Australia by the s.s. Ortona, leaving Plymouth on the 25th prox. Mr. and Mrs. Allan Stra-ng, Miss Strang, and Miss Reid (of Wellington) and Mr. and Mrs. Josepu Stevens (of Christchurch) will travel by the same trip. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Baker, formerly of Wellington., are at present residing at 11, Campden Grove, South Kensington. Mr. Charles Pharazyn, who returned recently from his tour to Norway, Iceland, and, in fact, to the North Pole or thereabout, culled on me a few days ago. He apoke with enthusiasm of the trip, which he found extremely pleasant and intensely interesting. ' His experience of Iceland does not seem to have suggested to him any hankerings to reside permanently in that somewhat bleak and treeless region, where the staple diet is milk and fish. But Mr. Pharazyn thoroughly enjoyed the wild grandeur of the scenery and still more that of the Norwegian fiords, as well a« the spectacle, not a common one to a New Zealander, of the "midnight sun." • Two or three days ago I had a chat with Mrs. Dampier who, it will be recollected, has brought Home her gifted daughter, the promising" young 1 violiniste. Mrs. Dampier tells me that her daughter has received some very high encomiums from some excellent judges who have heard her ittthia country, particularly from Senor Arbos with whom she is now studying, and who is himself a player of high eminence. Mrs. Dampier is at present awaiting instructions from her daughter's trustees, but thinks it probable that her best coUrSe- will be to settle in Brussels so that her daughter may have the advantage of the excellent tuition to be had at the Brussels Conservatoire. She is in hopes tha& ther young violinist© may be heard shortly at a London concert. Mr. E. W. Smyth, of Wellington, who has been' in the Mother Country for about two years, has recently been joined by his wife who arrived by the last trib of the 1 P. and O. s.s. Himalaya. Mrs. Smyfih (who was formerly Miss 1 Toomath, of Wellington) suffered from serious, illness for some months' before her departure f rom the Colony, but I afta glad to be able to state that she is now in excellent health. -Mr. Smyth is at present studying the profession of medicine at the Edinburgh University. Miss Kathleen Ballance is still steadily improving in health under the new course of treatment she is experiencing. But the curative process is likely to take fully a year. She is able to go about in a Bath chair, and in this way often visits the Crystal Palace, near which she v living, being taken about the) beautiful grounds. Dr. Leonard Andersoni, son of Mr. David Anderson, of Wellington, has accepted the position of doctor on board the s.s. Rakaia in order that he may take a holiday and visit his New Zealand relatives and friends. He left for the colony last week. Mias Alfreda Bowen, youngest daughter of the late Right Hon. Sir George Ferguson Bowen, P.C., formerly Governor of New Zealand, was married on Wednesday last to Mr. Rob&rt Lydston, eldest son of the late- Mr. T. H. Newman, of Great Cumberland Palace and Corytofl, Devonshire. The wedding took place at St. George's Church, Hanover Square, which was bsautifully decorated for the occasion with flowers and foliagje. The Revs. D. Anderson, and E. Dalisen were the officiating clergy and the service was choral. The bride, who was given away by her brother, Mr. Bowen, wore a wedding dress of ivory white satin, draped with Brussels point lace, with transparent yoke and sleeves of rucked tulle. There was a transparent Court train, of beautiful Brussels lace, the bodice being draped to correspond. In the place of a bouquet the bride oarried a Prayer Boot bound in white and gold. There were six bridesmaids—Lady Mary Lowry-Corry, and. the Misses L. Stuart, D. Campbell, J, Cyie.h-ton-Styarfc, E, Goodman, a,nd tlajkes.— and they were prettily dressed in white silk, veiled. wjt& white gilk gauze and inserted with fine white lace. The yokes and sleeves were transparent and the dre.ssos.were finished with paahes of pale blue chiffon. Their large black hats were trimmed with wx'eaths of blue forget-me-nots and black feathers j their shower bouquets were of lilies-of-thervalley and viokts. To each, the bridegroom presented a gold curb chain bracelet with heart lockets of pale blue enamel and gold. Captain and Mrs. Rose, with the Misses A. and N. Rose, have left town and are now staying with relatives at Sb. Leonards. Miss Rose is agaiq on a visit to Mrs. Strang and Miss J. Reid, of Wellington, and later she is to go to Boxmoor, in Hertfordshire, to stay with friends. In the list of arrivals by the P. and 0. s.s. Australia I notice the name of Mr. A. C. Wellesley, who has come ; £rom Wellington. Sir Walter Buller and Miss Buller arc now paying a round of visits among friends in the country. They will probably spend the winter at Dresden, returning to London in the ensuing spring. Mrs. Kingston, formerly of Karori, Wel ; lington, who has been residing in Jersey for some years post, recently paid a sh,ort visit to London, but has npw returned to Jersey accompanied by Mis£ L Halse, of tVfllington, who will stay with her. Mrs. Napier Bell and Miss 1^ Napier Bell haye returned to Paris for the winter after having hod, they tell me, a delightful summer at the old French seaside and fishing town, Etaples. They are now residing at 76, Rue D'Assas. A serious change for the worse has taken place in the condition of Lord Kelburne, who, as you are aware,, has been lying ill at Plymouth for some time past. It was hoped his health was improving, but now grave apprehepsions are entertained. Loifd and Lady Glasgow have been staying with him during his illness, and now his sisters and other members of the family have bean hastily summoned to Plymouth. Much sympathy is felt with Lord and Lady Giasgow, and this I am sure will be shared by their many friends in New Zealand. Sir Robert Stout has contributed to the Contemporary Review an article on New Zenland, and it is being somewhat freely noticed. It is stated that in the colony and in the eyes of a section "the State has bqcome a deity which can do no wrong-" Mr. Reeves has utilised the time prior to the opening of the Philadelphia Confer-

ence in lecturing 001 New Zealand in Bos* ton and other places. Mr. James Mackay joined the s.s OmfubJ. la<*t week to enter upon his return voyage" to New Zealand after a very pleasant timer in the Mother Country. Indeed, so agreeable has Mr. Mackay found his sojourn/ on this side of the world that I believe Jie has decided to return, again next spring and take up his abode permanently in.> Great Britain. I understand that he will j dispose of his fine estate hi the west of! the Wellington province, but will retain*, the valuable town property which ii& pessesses in the city of Wellington. Mr. Mackay has been one of New Zealand's successful men, owing his success wholly to his personal exertions and shrewd judgment, and he has well earned the period of rest and enjoyment upon which he is bo fortunate as to be able now to enterOn Friday last, at her residence, 10, Cornwall Gardens, Kensington, the Dow- s ager Lady Clifford, widow of the late Sir Charles Clifford, first Speaker of the NewZealand House of Representatives, died in her 81st year. While returning from Ireland, on 27th September, she contracted a chill, but refused to take medical advice. On the Sunday prior 10 death, when alone in her house except for the servants, she fell. The butler, be&jmg a sound, went to seek its cause and found Lady Clifford lying at the bottom of the staircase. She had a book in her hand and said, "I am afraid I have hurt myself; it was worse than a fall in the hunting field." A doctor Was imtttediately called in and he found that besides having broken an arm, Lady Clifford had fractured several of her riba. There was little shock, but bronchitis set in and tha patient gradually sank and died. Dr. Walker said that death was due to bronchitis accelerated by the injuries received. On the 9th inst., at the Kensington Coroner's Court, an inquest was held in reference to the death,' when a verdict of "Accidental Death" was returned. Mr. Harry B. Vogel has bought out another novel. It is' published by the Pearson Company and bears the curio as title of "My Dear Sir! A Tale of a Duchess, a Marquis, and a Mere Tutor." A tombstone has lately been erected over the grave of Sir Julius Vogel, in the Willesden Jewish Cemetery, and it bears the following inscription: —* 'Sacred to the memory of the Honourable Sir Julius VogeL K.C.M.G., at one time Prime Miatetei and Colonial Treasurer of, and subsequently Agent-General for, New Zealand, Whc died 12th March, 18y9. Aged 64. Tke secret consciousness of duty Well performed j t&e public voice of praise that honours virtue and records it; all these axe your 3." The tomb ia described as a solid block of marble carved in the form of a scroll. At the head it is so shaped as to represent a massive roll gradually .diminishing toward the foot, which finishes with a Smaller roll. Each of the side* 18 eat in high relief so as to form, the twisting of & huge scroll of paper whioh it is fneant to represent. The incline thus formed from the large* to the smaller roll is Utilised as a Bpace for the inscription. The setoll rests on a bed of flowers. Lord Onslow has tetired from ohe London County Council and much praise has been bestowed upon his career while a - member of that body. In the opinion of the Pall Mall Gazette, he has been "one of the few Conservative statesmen who have taken the trouble to. study and assimilate the complex system by which London is governed," and to work strenuously for simplifioationv It is pointed out that the resuscitation of the ancient City of Westmineter is due to his inspiration. A suggestion i& made that he should be eleoted the first Mayor of th© 'new-old" city. But a general impression prevails that some important mission or distinction is in store for our ex-Governor, and that this is the true inwardness of his retirement. However, as to this I ha-sjß a* yet been, Unable to learn anything definite. On the 6th inst. Mr. Alfred Saunders, of New Zealand, was married to Miss Sarah Box, youngest daughter of the late Mr. Richard Box, of Freemantle, Shirley, Southampton. The wedding took place at the parish church ofShotterwell, Surrey, and was solemnised by the Rev. G. H. Purdue. Lady Gore Browne, also Captain and ! Miss Gore Browne, have taken their pasI fiages by the outgoing trip of the new Orient steamship, Omrah, which*ails from Plymouth to-morrow. Mr. A. H. Gee has been scoring a great success at the Crystal Palace lately by his splendid singing of "Rule Britannia," in 1 the ballet "The Services" which is now j "on" at Sydenham. The New Zealand ; baritone has had some enthusiastic receptions. New Zealand bowlers will be interested to learn that Mr. Jas. Norsburgh, of Dunedin, who was formerly President of the New Zealand Bowling Association., is endeavouring to arrange for bowlers from New Zealand to be included in the matches which are to come off next year between England and Australasian colonies. He has written to the Secretary of the Com* mlttefo appointed to settle the detaflg of a visit irom tije Australian bowlfng team suggesting that New Zealand should be included in the scheme, and the matter is now under considfirafciiin. , I hw that Madame Cecilia Staunton (Goldenstedt) made a successful appearance as the heroine of Bizet's opera * Carmen " at Sheffield last Friday. Sir Walter and Miss Buller are st^il ■ staying at the S.t. Ermin Hotel, biio J understand that they intend spending the coming wipter in the South of France. Jt is aanounced that the Rev. >VC H. Fitchett is about to write a "Life of Wellington." ONE OF OUR "ACHIEVEMENTS." It is pleasant and in^trilctive to ham from a Jaew Russian journal that cue of th.c principal achievements during the "unparalleled r&ign of Queen Victoria" Las been "the extermination of the Maoris in Australia and New Zealand." lljis is so admirable all round that one cad. only ! say-: —! ! ! * J 1 OLD AGE PENSIONS. "Experientia Docet" writes to The Times in reference to old age pensions, and using experience in New Zealand,, he rerors to ; the political possibilities of such measures, and says when the system is put into practice in a democratic community, old age ; pensions can scarcely fail to lead to political corruption not less deadly to public morality than the pension list of the United States. NEW ZEALAND MIDLAND RAILWAY APPEAL. So far as can be ascertained at present there % little probability of the New 2feakund Midland Railway appeal cage coming before the Privy Council until December. Mr. H. D. Bell has arrived to tajce part and is at present staying at the Oxford and Cambridge Club, Pall Mali/Wtfr. Blow is expected some time next month, I h&lieve. THE POSTAGE RATES. Changes in postage ratee, though not aa yet affecting New Zealand directly, seem to be causing trouble to colonists. The Rev. Julian M. Whitehead, of Halkett Vicarage, Canterbury, writes to the Standard •asking that it be impressed upon correspondents at this end that the postago of a letter to New Zealand w still He says his last English mail cost him Is lOd in surcharges.

The net cost of the London Fire Brigade . to the ratepayer last year, according tc the County Council's annual report, vrn-i £197,000. The brigade attended 35£j fires, of which only 205 were classed "se:lous." number of occasions on -which life was lost was 85, and 99 persons perished.