ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES, (From Our Special Correspondent ) London, May 17.

NEW ZEALANDERS IN PARIS. I am indebted bo Sir Walter Bullei*, who returned Irom Paris on Thursday, for some amusing particulars anenfc the opening of the great Exhibition in the Champs de Mars. Owing to the illness of Sir Polydor de Keyser, it fell to Sir Francis Bell to welcome the President to the British section of the Exhibition. Sir Douglas Galton was at first proposed for this office, but declined it on the ground that his French, was nob up bo mark. Sir Francis, fortunately, speaks with a perfect Parisian accent, and nothing could have been neater than the few sentences which he 1 addressed to M. Carnot. The organisation on the opening day was deplorable, and conlre' temps abounded. Colonial, Commissioners, it seems, were considered of no account at all. Sir F. D. Bell and Sir Walter Buller (as members of the Executive Council) received every attention, bub "our trusty and well-beloved " W. H. Montgomery, Albert Seetham and others, were not even invited to the function. Mr Montgomery is very sore about this, and has solemnly demanded an explanation. ' * Quite an hour before the time fixed for the opening,alltheleadingavenuesof the Exhibition were blocked with gendarmes, and hn portantCommissioners arriving(as requested) in evening dress, and waving mammoth invitation cards, found, to their horror, they could not get in. In vain eelfimportant K.C.M.G.'s tried' to explain who they were, and that they were expected to take part in the function. The gendarmes remained stolidly obstinate. Two great men in your part of the world managed, however, to effect an entry by stratagem. Orders had been given to pass the opera singers who were to take part in the opening ceremony. The two artful Australians put -their invitation cards and their"stars of Michael and George in their pockets, and when the party of vocalists came, followed in after them. Sir Francis Bell aTid Sir Walter Buller were r well-advised and arrived early. Whilst, however, your Agent-General was dressing his sanctum was invaded by i gendarmes, who said the room was wanted for some official, and that he must finish his toilette elsewhere. The idea of the repre-. sentative of the British Government on this great occasion being igriominiously turned out of his own room, breechless and unshorn, proved for the moment too much for Sir Francis. He couldn't speak. Thereupon the gendarmes again imperatively ordered him to allez vous en. Then Indeed the vials of Sir Francis's wrath broke. It is difficult for an elderly gentleman costumed merely in shirt and socks to be very dignified, still your AgentGeneral was as impressive as circumstances permitted. Seizing his umbrella, he^dair'ed the minions ot bhe'law\to lay bub one finger' on him. The room* was Greab Britain's, the Union Jack waved above it, and he'd be blanked if he budged for any French officials. The gendarmes thereupon came to the, conclusion it would be wise to lot SirF. D. Bell alone. ' " I hear Sir Graham Berry excited considerable amusement, not unmixed with ridicule,' by, appearing at the opening function o'fthe Paris Exhibition' in 'full' Court dress, and wearing] the collar of Mjcbael and George. Everyone else; of course, came' (as requested) in plain evening' clothosj and u'ndecora'ted,'save 1 for small star's or gibbons on bhe"coat lappel. ' -This was badlenough betise, but Sir Graham effectually capped it

oh Saturday morning, for he' appeared at Siv'Polyddr de'Ke'yaer'a breakfast, at which, of course, all woi;e plain mornitTig clothed; in elaborate evening attire— white tie, swaucw tails, etc.' The effect was naturally ridiculQus in the extreme, and caused some of the Frenchmen' present much amusement.; ' ' "tv " All who have boon over to Paris agree that the Exhibition'' is the' finest show of the sort ever known in Europe, and that it would have been well worth the whole of the Australian colonies to have made what is vulgarly called a ' " splash " there^ As things are, no one cares a dump for the colonial courts or the Colonial Commissioners, and' the dismay of many of the selfimportant men who've come homo in. the latter capacity, expecting tq be made much of and ffited after the manner of the visitors to tfte " Colindies " in '80, is unmistakable. Many were not even asked to the opening function.

ILLNESS OF MISS GRACE. In all the newspaper accounts I have seen Dr. Grace is named as one of tho New Zealand Commissioners present at the open* ing of Paris Exhibition. As a matter of fact he was not in Paris at all, being most unfortunately kept at Florence by the serious' illness of his daughter, who is down with typhoid fever and has not yet passed the crisis. The sole features of any interest in the tiny corner which forms the New Zealand Court at Paris are Sir Walter Buller's picturesque group of Maoris and the cases of New Zealand birds presented by your Government to Sir James Maitland. All the beautiful timbers, etc. (in fact pretty nearly everything) which Sir F. D. Bell hoped to get from Melbourne, Mr Twopenny has " bagged " for Dunedin.

"TRUTH" ON NEW ZEALAND BISHOPS. Referring to Bishop Hadfield 'selection a 8 Primate -of New Zealand, "Truth" remarks : "He 's the best of the New Zealand prelates, which is not saying much, as they're a weak lot." It adds: "If the Primate has any duties it does seem absurd to elect a man- with his 76 years and in feeble health."

MR S. W. SILVER'S LIBRARY. An interesting meeting of the Library Association took place at Yor k Gate on Monday, for the purpose of inspecting the unique library of Mr S. W. Silver, whose collection of works appertaining to Australia, Tasmania, and (more particularly) New Zealand, is unique. I understands is quite likely Mr Silver may either present or will this famous library to the Colony of New Zealand. He has, you probably know, an estate in the North Island ("Silverhope ") -which he purchased from Sir W. Buller, and which he 1 means to bestow on his boy when he comes of age, some years hence.

THE CO -OPERATIVE COLONISING ASSOCIATION. Messrs Cracknell and Crombie, since the departure of Mr Rees, are trying tQ infuse some life into the members of the Co-opera-tive Colonising < Association, Limited. Cracknell is interested in Canada, and as his notions are more' modest and practical than Mr Reess -he may get the money he wants. The' Association, by the way, passed appropfiate^resolutionk' bidding Mr Rees"God>apeed.'\r.- •

MR WILLIAM BRIGHT. Mr William Leatham Bright, M.P., who has been in poor health fpr some time, sails by the Doric to-morrow on a long sea voyage. Thcr member for Stoke, who will be accompanied by Mrs Bright, will proceed first to Tenerifile, .afterwards to the Cape and thereafter' to-New Zealand, returning in one of the Shaw-Savill boats j)ia, Cape Horn and Rio. "MF"Brightris" a"fairly able but by no means brilliant fnan, very pleasant to talk to and very proud of being,the "Great Tribune's" son. He will be much missed at the National Liberal Club, where he has, of'tourse," many friends, being as you know a Gladstoirian Home Ruler. John Bright was much upset when his son declared for Home Rule, and on dit gave him a parental roasting. It was then the modest Willie' is said to Have left his parent absolutely speechless by regretting that " two statesmen " like he and his father could nob discuss politics without indulging in " unnecessary -personalities." That, of course, was long ago, if indeed it ever happened. I fancy Mr Bright's particular friend, Professor Thorold Rogers, fathered the yarn originally.

THE PARACHUTE BUSINESS. As I understand Baldwin is performing somewhere in Australia, ifc may interest your readers to learn, that the parachutist's' rival, Higgins, has completely snuffed out the old performance. The " Professor," the other day at Cheltenham, took up with him a Mias Devoy, he sent sailing down from an altitude of 3,500 feet, himself following from 4,000 feet. Both came safe to graaa. I expect -now to hear shortly of Baldwin taking up and sending down a large family. If he's hard pressed, for subjects, I daresay I could find him some. Most of us have a few friends whom it 1 would be pleasant to be able to "drop" safely.

PERSONAL AND GENERAL. The two New Zealanders A. P. Bennett (of Christ's College) and E. Y. Palmer (of Jesus), who were tried in the Frenshmen's match at Cambridge on Saturday last, only distinguished themselves moderately. Palmer put together ten runs, but Bennebt failed totally to score. There were many inquiries after the young Reess, whose ,stay at the 'Varsity was short as it was doubtless sweet. The marriage of Mr Larnach with Lady Isabel Boyle, Lord Conk's daughter, will take place in the middle of J une, and be one of the smart functions of the season. I saw the bride and bridegroom-elect in the Park on Sunday, and both were beaming. The Arawa has completed another fastest on record, viz., 34' days 23 hours, lB minutes net steaming time from Lyttelton to PI ymouth. From Rio to Plymouth her speed averaged a steady 14 knots. Good Captain Stewart does know how to crack on a bit. The "Illustrated News, 8 ' of Saturday last, contains a number of admirable views of Apia after the hurricane, etc., for which it announces its indebtedness to Mr Henry Brett, of Auckland. The Liverpool " Liberal Review " also refers to' Mr Brett as a coming visitor to the " good old town," and gives aome particulars of his paper and career. I see by-the-way, or rather 1 learn this morning ab the Agent-General's, that Mr Brett he's .been appointed Commissioner to the New Zealand sectidh of the Paris Exhibition. ;"' Poor old 'Barry "Sullivan, whom I'killed off so unceremoniously two months ago, still lingere ; indeed, he is if any thing rather better. Some days he knows 1 people and will e*ven talk a litttei' biitr the greater part of the t time' he^lies 7i ih"'semi- r stupoiv / John Amory Sullivan^has^eeh doing fairly I well in the" provinces' on* the strerigtli of ,his father's popularity. " '-■' «•»'.• " It was* generally undefstbbd'that Genev vieve A Ward h*ad J rebh?e'd;fr6rtr the' stage and fme'ahl>'tbf me'ah1>'tb pass 5 the rest 'of _ her* days, in dolce r fdr^ niente'^ab her beautifulnew hou^e at Surbiton. Not a bit^ofit. -".Forget-me-not" 'has i merely been s "resting," and now /returns vigorous as- ever' to play Stephanie

with her tfori bed f fire afc a 1 -* series of Opera • Coinique matinees. W. H v Vernon, who 'has grown old acting Sir Horace Welby all 1 ! over the world with ; Gehevieve;,once morV, resumes the familiar role, and the theatre is crowded^daily. , - «'« * Sir Saul 1 Samuel was the' only Australian Agent-General present at- the Royal Academy banquet on Saturday. • Sir Graham Berry, Mr Braddon and Sir F. D. Bell were, of course,' in Paris, but Sir Arthur Blyth should surely have put in ah appearance. I must ask how ifc was ? ' Sir Charles Dilke's treatise on " Our Selfgoverning Colonies With Their Methods of Administering State and Local Affairs" will be published shortly, unless Sir Charles should persist in his intention to tour through Australia and New Zealand this autumn. I understand the gentlemen he consulted as to the advisability of the step discouraged it, misdoubting his reception, especially in New South Wales.