ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FEOM OUR LONDON COBEKBPONDKNT.J London, March IS. FERSONAL AND GENERAL. The latfl Primate of Australia, Dr Barry, 1 is one of the htroes of the hour at Oxforo just now. To the surprise of many, he was selected as Bampton lecturer for the year, and last Sunday commenced his series of discourses at St Mary's. The sprmon lasted an hour, and was listened to throughout with profound attention by a representative 'varsity congregation, including many London visitors. The subject was the reconcilement of science and religion, and Bishop Barry took up a comparatively new stand point. It in already freely predicted that Dr Barry's Bampton lectures will rival in sensation and interest those of Canon Gore, of " Lux Mundi " celebrity. Lord Knutsford haa just laid on the table of the flou3o a little Bill, important to persons owning property within England and New Zealand. Up to now, when such folk died it has been necesuary for their executors to take out letters of administration within England and in the Colonies. Henceforward, letters taken out in any British Colony will be recognised by the Home Courts and rice versa. Mr J. H. Every, who cune Home in April last year, has booked for Cbris-tchurch by the Tainui, sailing in May. Mr Every is at present located in the neighbourhood of Burton-on-Tront. The Rev Frank Melville Jones has booked for Napier by the Massilia, but whether on a pleasure trip or to stay deponent knoweth not. Mr Joncß was educated ut Nelson College, New Zealand, and has been curate of the Holy Trinity Church at Cheltenham. By the same boat Mr Thomson returns to Auckland. The Hon W. Johnston, brother-in-law of the Agent-General, has arrived Howe, and has joined Mb wife and family at Runuymede, near Egham. Mrs Perceval, by the way, has not, I am sorry to e»y, been in thu best of health lately. Lord Glasgow haa been spending much of his time, since the announcement of his appointment to New Zealand, in enquiring into the frozen meat and dairy produce trades, in both of which he has conceived a lively interest. In company with the Agent-General Lord Glasgow visited the new frozen meat atores erected by Messrs Nelson, at Blackfriare. last week. I gave you a description of these stores somo months back, when they wore only in a very incomplete state. Lord Glasgow saw tnein in completed form, and expressed hiuuelf much pleased with the enterprise dieplayed by Meatrs Nelson. Mr H. von Haast, who ba? been sampling the pleasures of life in England pretty thoroughly since his arrival Home last year, haß decided to return to the Colony by the next direct steamer. The late Mr Dry's picture, which was on view yesterday at the Agent- General's, and which hiiß recently been exhibited at tho Agricultural Hail, is to be sent to the Chicago Exhibition. The lat-3 Earl of Denbigh, who died last weak, was the pioneer peer in the matter of Australian land investments, and, like most pioneers, he did not profit so much by his enterprieo as thoee who followed in his footsteps. He was at one ti«ne largely interested in the development of Northern Queensland, but I believe his speculations in that quarter did not enrich him to any appreciable extent. The late Duke of Manchester, the late Earl of Carnarvon, and Lords Rcsebtiry, Brassey and Winchelsea, made very remunerative inveat- , ments in Australia and New Zealand. Nor must one forget poor old Lord Sherbrooko (how long ago it seems since he was a political power), who, as Robert Lowe, i'oity years ago invested a few pounds in Sydney suburban blocks that are now covered with houseß and returning him thousands. Sir William Anderson Ogg, of the AngloColonial firm of Prince and Ogg, has been elected a director of the English, Scottish and Australian Chartered Bank in place of Mr Hankey. Mr Joseph Thomson, the well-known African traveller, whom some of your readers, no doubt, met when he was out in the Colonies a few year* back, lies in Edinburgh Eeriously ill. He had originally an iron constitution, and boasts (I think I told you once) that he is the only living man who ever took a bottle of brandy (amongst other medicines) to tho heart of Africa with him and broughb it back untouched. To realise the full force of this feat you require to understand what the stomachic agonies occasioned by the climate A special Colonial edition of 3ir J. P. Hogan's "Convict King" is being despatched to Tasmania (for Australasian distribution) by to-day's New Zealand steamer. ! Mrs Stanley's statement that the boys ' of Dunedin are the " sturdiest and rosiestcheeked children Bhe had ever Been" is being quoted far and wide. The Star bad a " par " on the subject, and tho Provincial weeklies have all copied it— some with commente, some without. It seems a trifle, yet I dare say will weigh down the ueale with many a family man about to emigrate, and doubtful which Australasian Province to Belect. The failure of Sir Thomas Elder's Australian Exploring Expedition is discussed in one or two of the Home papers thin week. A scientific weekly says :—" From the little the Colonial Press tellß üb, internal dissensions of the same sort that disgraced Stanley's Bear Guard appear to have rendered the whole of Sir T. Elder's outlay and public Bpirit abortive. The greatest possible care ought to be exercised in the selection of officers for exploration expeditions. The introduction of even one well-meaning but unsuitable man like, say, Major Bartelot, may, when troubles or sickness or differences of opinion arise, wreck all." ! The Times is concerned, as well it may br, at the inroads which the German steamship lines have in a few years made upon the Atlantic and Australian passenger trades, once wholly ours. Not much harm

ia done on the Ans'.ra'itn nide yet perhaps, but the German lines are steadily eating out the English on (he Atlantic. " In 1891 tht> North Gorman L'oyd's carried 738,068, Hamburg- American 525,900, giving a total of 1,20t,505." The Cumwd and White St*r Companies apparently cannot touch thorn.