FROM PA TO PALACE.

' MAORI TROUPE IN LONDON. [from our own correspondent.] LONDON, 6th May. The voyage of tho Maori troupe to England to take part in the Festival of Empire at the Crystal Palace was, unfortunately, saddened by the death, shortly before reaching Colombo, of a youth, Aporo, son of Sophia. An hour or two before reaching the Ceylon port the vessel slowed down, and the human remains of the New Zealand native were buried at sea. Otherwise the natives, both men and women, have had a'prosperpus trip, and they are now billeted in the vicinity of the Palace, awaiting the preparation of the hutfl in_ tho Palace grounds in which they will reside during their stay it* England. They will have little time beyond the present week for enjoying the novelties of London, for they nave much to do to get their quarters, ready and to prepare themselves for the parts they _will take in the great pageant. Maggie Papakura. has, needless to say, been the object of most interest in the group, for it is through her instrumentality that a host of English newspaper reporters have been enabled to communicate with the natives and to drag from them volumes of stories, legends, and personal and present day observations on what they see and near. One of them, Wiari, is not new to England, for he was a. member of the Maori continfent at the laet Coronation. Another, fita Tanpopoki himself, grizzled with age, feels that he has reached the end. At least, for him this home of kinge is the end of all things, and lie wishes to travel no more. The Maoris were met at St. Pancras station by Mr. T. E. Donne, Mr. I C. B. Westmacott (who isto be their manager here), and Mr. William ShoTt (the King's Trumpeter), who saw much of .them while' he was in New Zealand, and is anxious to do what he can for^ them in return for kindnesses he received there.

An interesting case, containing some features probably unique and involving the position of the Crown in referenceto State advances to miners, came beiove the Warden at Waikaia last week (says the Ota go Daily Times). The Muddy Terrace Company some time ago took up a sluicing claim at Waikaia, and for its further development they obtained from the State a. substantial loan. In order to eecure repayment of the loan the company assigned to His Majesty j the .King the whole of the claim and i mining privileges by way of mortgage. The effect of 'this is that the King became the legal owner of the claim. On Tuesday a. suit came before the Warden, Mr. ii r oung, by which a man named Hugh Nelson sought to obtain from the court a' decree of forfeiture of the claim on the ground that the original application wae irregular. Tho summons had been issued and served upon the Muddy Terrace Company, but the Crown had not received any notice of the uuit. Mi-.-Hay, who appeared for the company, instructed by Messrs. Duncan and MacGregdr, pointed out to the Warden that the Crown wad interested tinder the agreement. He contended 'that the Crown was the real defendant and should therefore have been joined as a party. Mr. Inder, who appeared for the plaintiff, contended that there was no power to join the Crown. The Warden decided that the King should be made a party, and adjourned the case to en- | able the plaintiff's counsel to* consider the position and take the necessary steps. If the Crown ie joined the peculiar ques- , tion arises whether one of the King's courts can forfeit or confiscate the King's property, For all practical purposes the Mayor's street improvement scheme is I dead (says the Christchurch News). By adopting the Works Committee's report on Monday night (recommending that the proposal be submitted to a poll of the ratepayers), tho council has sealed its fate as effectually as if it "had exercised a direct veto and refused to entertain it at all. The Mayor, flushed with the success of having got his scheme through the council by a majority of one — the vote of a councillor who really favoured the delay — may not Ihink so. but aujone who recalls the difficulty which lias been experienced iv the puit of getting Hie ratepayers to, assent to loan propositions ol a much sounder kind than Mr. Taylor's will have no doubt about it. Tho train arrangoments for the Pulmerston North Winter Show and Coronation Day aro advertised in this Issue Tho Rev. \V. Powell, the superintendent of tho Leper fioine connected with tho Baptist Ali'sionary Socioty of South India, has. tin ml creating btory to tell of nork ainougss tlie^e outcasts of India. Mr. Powell is advertised to tpeak at the V.M.C.A. men's meeting to-niorrow after.696B. "