ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 147, 24 June 1887, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(Jroji Our Special Correspondent.)

(Via San Francisco.)

London, May 18. jhc Colonial Conference. is a great difference of opinion about jhe results of the long deliberation just finished, and pending the publication of the oSicial report, every journal cites it as an Illustration of its own views. The "Pall jlall Gazette " is of course sanguine to the last degree, finding in the proceedings a justification not merely for federation, but also for Home Rule ; it thinks that the temporary council thus formed will have to develop into a standing committee, and it points to the haggling over the contributions for defence as evidence of the " cash-nexus " ff bich is a far stronger link than fine sentiments; _ but its most percent remark is the following: — "The New Hebrides discussion to which Ye have just alluded suggests a third general reflection—the immense importance, namely, of personal acquaintance on the parti of English statesmen with colonial sentiment. Here is Lord Salisbury, for instance, who stands with his party for all that is patriotic and Imperial; and yet bo unsympathetic is his grasp of colonial questions that, according to the -Standard, , Jus -was the speech at the Conference that created the one 'unfavourable impression." Jvery English Minister should be bound to qualify for office by personal knowledge of the colonies, just as he should bo bound to jerve an apprenticeship in Ireland."

The " Echo " says that the only important point that was settled related to Australasian sea defence, and that the settlement was due merely to the acceptance by the English Government of an oiler wliich the colonies made some time ago ; but then the " Echo " always docs sniff at anything which savours of Imperialism. Really the change amounts to nothing more than this —the Government wanted to maintain a squadron in Australian waters on a war footing, but as the colonies would not promise the . requisite contributions and there is no imminent danger of war, the Government have acquiesced in having the squadron on a peace footing, and will receive a proportionately smaller allowance from the colonies ; the actual difference in cost-to the colonies is L 62,000 a year—the figures on a war basis being L 154,000. It is a very unsatisfactory compromise, as it only shirks the question for a little longer to raise it again when Australia thinks herself menaced. Thanks to the shunting of the dangerous topic of the New Hebrides, and also that of the regulation of tariffs ; and thanks, too, to the suave and conciliatory manners of Sir H. Holland, who is popular with all who meet him, everything went off very well. On some points there was an unexpected unanimity, but if what the London correspondent of the " Liverpool Post" 6ays he overheard be true, this may be only a spurious sign of good-fellowship :—" I em afraid some of the rose leaves have been crumpled for our colonial guests. I was putting on my coat the other night in the cloak-room at a reception, when I heard one decorated colonial statesman remark to another: 'Did you hear what that fellow said as we came downstairs? He said, /Every place is smothered with colonials.' The other decorated colonial statesman replied : ' Oh, I have heard a great deal of I that sort of thing since I have been here.' "

|: '.- ■ •■■ -Mr Sala. ' fMr G. A. Sala, who found his voyage to the Coloniee of benefit to his Sealfch, has just been giving a lecture at St.James's Hall, entitled, " What I Saw in Australia and New Zealand." It seems as if none could make a journey there without writing a book or lecturing on it; certainly from a pecuniary point of view it is dl right , . Mr Froude made, and is still Saking a good pile out of " Oceana," and ik interest iii\ colonial topics does not Bern to subside. There was a great crowd to hear Mr Sala, and he was very cordially received. Of course he was bound to refer to the unswerving loyalty to the English throne, the love of democratic institutions, and freedom from flunkeyism that he saw; he spoke out plainly against the emigration of young men who were not kndy and against shipping off the black tcp of England to the colonies. The only new criticisms he had to pass were on ithleticism and literary life. As to the former he thought young Australia had a tendency to overdo it-, but for the latter le'was on the whole full of praise ; the I Gonial press he described as honest, 'patriotic, and cleanly, although Australia id'hot yeb become a "happy huntingpbiindfor literary men." General News. the social entertainment of the colonists goes on without any check, and now that the' London season is beginning once more, they may expect a lot of invitations. Last Saturday Mrs Gladstone gave a garden jjttty,- , at which a good many were present, md the week before she did the same. ■ Most of the delegates went down to CamI bridge at the invitation of the new Master lof Trinity. It is rather a pity that the visit 1 tonld not have been postponed for a couple lof months, when the town is at its best, I ilthotich the colleges are deserted. Stul, Ito judge from Sir W. Fitzherbert's speech Hin proposing the health of their host, they ikd a very enjoyable time. A good many SI oHhe delegates have had enough of it, and 19 are off home. H The will of a Leicestershire gentleman, M Hγ V. A. Eyre, a man of great wealth and M "speculator in land in New Zealand, has Hjoit been proved-his personalty alone H taunting to nearly half a million. B. Tie trials of a new torpedo boat that has ■ fut;been built here for the Spanish Go- ■ lament excited a good deal of interest ■ laongthe delegates who are thinking of ffltoloriial defence. The boat is 1474 feet in H%h, and draws 4ft. Sins. ; when moving HfW ordinary pace of nearly 16 knots an B*r see can turn in three times her own lUv'gth; during the trials on the average ■fwent over 30 miles an hour, and a tew ||% ago. attained the extraordinary speed miles an hour. .§§ /cc final proceedings in the action against m* BeU-Coleman Refrigerating Company off last week ; the machinery of the was proved to have been sornoHMfaulty, and had not preserved the JSew in a satisfactory manner; mf as the jury found that the charterers, had been guilty of contnbuin not cleansing the pipes, my- Coleridge and Justice Smith had no Miff course °P en than t0 P racfcically , ■Jwonr of tho defendants, by awarding ■Ei?!™tiffs the nominal damages of a ill ' n tJ■A*" "Drawing-room" last week most Wtefa Col P n ial representatives and their ml® * ere presented. ■'■/•Henry Holland said in the House the other night that a fHrfty-.-.for the administration of New BS ,had been approved by ™ c ■Sal;delegates; but of course the 1S» of the colonial Governments jh South Australia stands mZ' ™ the rest of the Australian GoffiS»te are to subscribe L-15,000 for ten ■E&ttd the English Government just sum. As soon as there is an of the delegates' proceecl»S ;effi cient administration will be set country formally annexed, full Srm being given to native interests.