ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5478, 9 February 1885, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Odh London CoRBEsi'ONbKNT),

London, January ]'i Annexation. TAk nowe of tho Gorman annexation to Now Guinea has raised a storm of indignation, throughout tho length and breadth of England, and tho paporo have boon flooded with lottovs from all BoVts of people denouncing tho notion of tho Govornm'ont in no uioasnrod to'rms. Evon papers which usually support tho C-ovornment liAve ti'mioc* Against tho Ministry, And the policy of Lord tWbjy in atopping English ci-niJxAtton and thon allowing Gormany to plunt her flog whoro ours should bo has boon, to way tho loast of it, vory sovoroly crilicieod. Directly tho country had ceased to pour out tho vials of its Wrath upon tho dovotod head of tho Uovornttißnfc, it was rumoured that Lord Dorby would soon I'ofilgu his ollico as Colonial Socr^i.y, Whothor this roport is tjl^ or no {;, 1 cannot say, but I knOw1 tills much—that nothing Would givo more satisfaction to a vory large party of politicians than to 800 Lord Dorby superseded by a mail of powor, ability, and jud^moht. Lord Derby's wholo tonuro of oflico has boon bno long repetition of glaring errors, and -his policy with regard to each Of our colonios may bo doaeribod ac sl'dw, Wtbctilo, diid woalc. As soon an Earl Derby's retirement wan spokon of, tho riamb of his successor was frooly givon. It ifl Bald that &ord Rosobery is rlosivaiu at filling tho post, and wo eannet wish to too a oettor mr»n to Buooeod Lord Derby. Confiding Colonists. A rooont numbor of " Truth " gave come oxtraots from a Melbourne paper of tho " impressions" of Thotiipaon, tho booltmnkof, Who visited England last racing season, Thompson seems to havo boon drawing the long bow considerably during his interview, for ho says that tho loading bookmakers in England "are gentlemen, and are fronted liko Rontlemen,' and that " jockoyflaro swells, and keopthoir valete." If Australians bellevo this, they will beliove anything. Tho Frozen Moat Trade-Arrival of the EMorsllo from Oamaru. Ou the 19th of December tho steamer Eldorslie, from Oamaru, arrived safely at tho Victoria Docks with a cargo of 22,961 shoop, C6O half carcases, and 14 carcases of lamb, all of which aro reported to bo in excellent ordor. On tho following Monday a number connected with Lloyd's and the ownors and charterers of tho veseol inspected tho stcamor and hor cargo, Tho sheep are consigned to tho Australian Company (Limited), so that no New Zealand importers woro present ; but Mr Martin, (of Turnbull, Martin, and Co., of Glasgow), ono of the ownors of tho vessel, Mr JU. Langbridgo, Mr J. Wotherapoon, under whose inspection the Eldornlio Was built, and Several other Australian merchant?) looked over tho ship, and afterwards lunched togother on board her. Tho arrival of tllb Eldorslio wds noticed in dl the pnpurs, and several of tho dailies had lea'dors on the frozen meat trade the day aftor sho arrived. Tho " Morning Post" says:—" Tho arrival'of tho Elderslie with its unprecedented consignment may bo said to mark a new departure in tho frozen meat trade. Hithorto ships havo been fitted only partially with refrigerating chambers, ana only a comparatively small cargo of sheep taken on boSrd. Neither shippers nor Breeders wore particularly sanguine bf tbolr ability to carry tho new enterprise through ; hence tho export of what mil noVv bo rogardod as very small consignments of frozen mutton. But at last the experiment has been tried on a really gigantic scale, and complolo success has attended it. We may expect now tho arrival of a regular series of cargood of New Zealand and Australian mutton equal in size to that which now lie* in tho Victoria Docks ready for consumption," Tho "St. James's Gazette " says i "Tho arrival in this country in eno cargo of nearlj' 25,(K)& Irozen carcases of New Zealand sheep is a fact of considerable significance, it shows to what enormous proport ions tho frozen meat trado ia likely to attnJn, though eferMin Halts f<nd tUfficilftlos ttill stand Stand in its way; Tho ordinary danger of lone voyages will, of course, Always havo to be met, but thoro are other difficulties to bo got over. Until quito recently tho rofrigorating machines had a habit of gotting out of order on very slight provocation, and directly their icy breath was withhold unpleasant conebc^uencoi ensued. Till prejudice in thio country against iiipbrted moat is largely tlus to tho occasional distribution of cargoes of ' chilled' boof or mutton, tho tcxturos and flavour of which aro abominable. Even now that tho apparatus for refrigerating has boon brought so much nearer porfeor tion, there is always a chanco of its breaking down during tho voyage, and thus spoiling every carcaeo on board. It is this consideration which made the Elderslio venture so courageous a ono. Had hor cargo gone wrong, tho loss would havo been serious indeed." Tho writer then goes into figures to prove that at presont tho shipper can hardly make any profit, and concludes by saying, "Ono important matter needs attention. Many butchers pass off tho best imported mutton as English, and soil enly the Inferior consignments for what they are. And now that New Zealand is getting so good a name for tho moat, it is extremely likely that a variation of this device will be resorted to, and its namo given to the less fat and juicy products of Australia and the ltiver Plato." Tho State of tbe Market. Christmas timo always has a depressing effect on the price of mutton, for every Englishman thinks it hie duty to consume an enormous amount of roaat beef at this soason of tho yoar. Frozen mutton is now fetching about fld a Ib, somo as much as fijd. Messrs Ward and Stimpaon givo tho following quotations :—New Zealand mutton, 3s to iJs 4d per Slbs ; Melbourne, 3s to 3s 4d ; Sydnoy, 2s 6d to 2s lOd ; River Plate, 2s (id to 2s lOd ; Dutch, 3s to 4s ; English (middling), 3s to 4s. Somo of tho Eldorslio's cargo has been sold, and reached 5Jd. The Ruapehu and the Victory are due in about a week and a fortnight respectively, and as each brings a largo cargo of mutton, wo may expect prices to be somewhat low. Tho English Mastership of tbe Otago High School, Sir F. Dillon 801 l and Dr. Macdonald have at last selected a new English master for the Otago Boys' High School. Ono hundred and twenty applications were sent in for tho post, and the sifting of these took a long timo. The gentleman chosen is a Mr Edward Morrison, M.A., who comes from Morchieton Caetls School, Edinburgh. Mr Morrison ia 16 years of age, and has had a good deal of experience in teaching, having been at the Madras College before going to Merchiston. The date of Mr Morrison's departure for New Zealand is not yet fixed, but ho will probably leave in the Talnul on January 28th. Tawhlno'a Welcome Homo. The report of Tawhiao's speech at the Blue Ribbon meeting in Auckland on October 22nd has caused a good deal of amusement in London, The "Daily News" of December 23rd contained a paragraph, evidently from the pen of Mr F. W, Chesson, describing the reception of the chiefs in Auckland, in which Tawhiao is said to have stated that he did not see a single drunken man during his stay in England. "If Tawhiao did really pay this, either his memory or his eyesight lrust bo very deficient; for I remember well how, on Whit Monday last, when I had the pleasure of escorting the chiefs from the Sorata to the city, Tawhiao at one station formed the centre of a circle of drunken stokers who danped round_ the King with great glee, until the arrival of a policeman on the scene made them sheer off, after giving his majesty three very drunken cheers. Personal and General. It may interest you to know that your colony stands high in tho rolls of the Salvation Army. This body has now 910 corps, namely :—ln the United Kingdom, G37 ; Canada, 71; United States, 50; South Australia, 35; and New Zealand, 23. Thus New Zealand occupies the fifth place. The " Pall Mall Gazette" of December 22, 1884, contained a clever article on New Guinea and the Pacific, from the able pen of Mr F. P. Labilliere. This was supplemented on the following day by a letter on the same subject from Mr Frederick Young (Hon. Sec. of the Royal Colonial Institute), Mr W. Fill.ingham Parr contributed to the "Morning Post" of December 24th a long and interesting letter on the native population of Fiji. The "World" gives a curious case of " virtue rewarded" which has occurred lately in Dublin, and been given publicity through the law courts. Some forty years ago, it seems, a servant was enabled, by the bounty of her master, to emigrate to Australia. Is 15 to 20 years she saved nearly £2,000, and on her death left the money to her only son, and in the event of his death without issue, to her late master's heirs, who have made good their title to it. Mrs Lingard is playing Pauline in "Called Back " with immense success. On Boxing Day the piece was transferred from the

Princes Theatre to the Olympic, whoro it Is now drawing splendid houses, nightly. Mr and fcady Constance Combe aro about) to nialfo a voyago to.tho antipodes in ordpr to recruit Mr Combo's health, which htia not recovered the attack of typhoid favel', from which lie sullbrod about a ypar ago. They Will sail on January Ist, and expect to bo back by fcho end of April. . That ostimable gontloman, Mr Levy, tho cornot-blowcr, hasi I learn from an Americnn pajpor, just entered tUo tioly fltiito of 'matrimony for tho third timo. The lady chosen £>y this cminont musician io Mies Stolla Costa, tho loading soprano of the Levy Concort Company. IJovy has only just been aiVoreedl fi'oill hiS sce'emu Wke Minnfo Cohway, who is now tho wifo of a Mr Osmond Toarlo. Tho "Daily News" of Dceombor 29th contained a very interesting account of a visit to New Britain and Now Ireland by Mr J. E. Maddock; Tho "British Australasian " ttjMnttffllng w6o!d.y.ft dhatebiish bl tho various harbours of Australasia and their ncculi^viiiies. Last woek's iss^S contained 'an accurate CCCOunt bl Port Chalmers, Dunedin, with a description of tho various railway piers, quays, docks, and jottief. of tho port. Mr 'A. C. Parr, Honorary Secretary o£ the Canterbury Acclimatisation Sodoty, is now in Londoru Mr iTttrr intonds shortly to talr out solno iriaro salmon Ova to Now Zealand. I am afraid ho will have come difficuty iti this, for winter i& not tho proper seafton of thb year to got tho sjiawh. A rocerit number of tho " Daily Telo graph " coritaincd an article by " Seafarer," entitled " Kidnapping in tho Western I'octflo," desoribing tho oaeo of MoMurdo and Davlas, who were rooontly sentenced to imprisonment for burning natives' huts in tho Laughlan Islands, but were noon after released by Sir William Dos Vceux. The viotory gained by the English Eleven in Australia over Murdoch's Anglo-Austra-Hah team hiis given great satisfaction ovor hero, and the " Sportsman " goes so far at to say that it will recovor tho lost prestige of English cricket, which most of us were not awaro was lost. Mr William Courtnoy, of Taranaki, who is trying to got emigrants for his district, has taken offices at 79, Fenohurch-street. Ho has published a circular setting forth all tho advantages, climatic and otherwise, of Taranaki. The Rev. F. H. Spencer (interpreter to King Tawhiao), who was married about two months ago to a daughter of General Hutchinson, is on his way back to tho colony with bis wife in the Iberia, which left Plymouth on the 2Gth December. Mr Spencer is booked through to Nelson. Tho "Wigan Examiner" of December 27th contained a description of a journey to Lake Taupo from Mr J. H. Burnot, of Auckland. At tho last meeting of thoHeckmordunte Naturalists' Society, Mr J. M. Barbor exhibited a variety of beautiful New Zealand ferns. , The Prince of Wales has recently granted warrants to seven neW lodges of Freemasons in the Australasian colonies; two of these are in Now Zealand, NO. 2,072, Tho Zealaridia Lodge, Whangaroa, Auckland, and No. 2,073, Thb Puke of Albany Lodge, liolenevlllo, Auchlafid. Postscript. Ist January, 1885.—The papers of today contain emphatic denials of the rumoured retirement of Lord Derby, but notwithstanding this, I do not think he is likely to remain much longer at tho Colonial Office. His action over tho annexation question has made him particularly unpopular. rihUppioK and tfassfingor tffttes. Tho following through passengers _ for Auckland left Londop in the Orient liner Iboria on Decembor 24 : Mr and Mrs M. C. Yaxley, Mrs Handysido, and Colonel McEwen. The following passengers are already booked for Shaw-Savill's Doric from London, January s:—lst Saloon : Key. C. W. Garrard, Miss E. Garrard, Mr James Wolflnston, Lieut.-Colonol Gamble, Miss Gamble, Miss Sanderson, Mr John Haddock, Mr W. .15. GriJTin, Mlbs M. B. Davia, Mrs E. Jackson;, Dr. arid Mrs J. H. Allen, and child, Mr L. W. Bates, Capt. Philip Bennett, Mr J; Bruce Ismay, Mr W. H. Hacking, Mr Arthur Gamblo, Mr Wolff, Mr and Mrs John Rucker. Second Saloon : Messrn Waltor «nd Arthur Potts, Mr and Mrs L. Booth and jnfant,Mr, F. J. Lightoller, Mr A. E. Tomlin, Mr and Mrs L. Bond, Mips Paton, Mr Alex. Mclntosh, Miss Emily A. Carr, Mr and Mrs R. Tullis, Mr and Mrs Wilson and six children, Miss Lucy Darbishire, Mr Francis F. Reynolds, Mr Thomas Coy, Mr John L. Patterson, Mr T J. Davis.