ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 270, 15 November 1890, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)^

THE ANGLO-COLONIAL GLOVE

FIGHT.

London, October 4, The greab event of tho week in AngloColonial circles has boon the AustralAmerican glove fight. . Slavin having clean " khOcked < out " tbe big American bruiser in something under six minutes, ib was inevitable certain clever people should soon discover thab the resulb was a fluke, and thab bub for this, that and the other, McAuliffe would havo " walked around " his conqueror. Now, as a rule, nothing can bo more fatal than to listen to this sort of talk. The fool who makes excuses for his favourite's defeat (be ib man or beast) generally pays through the nose for his folly.' I do not for a moment propose to depreciate Slavin's victory. Ifc was thorough and complete enough for anything. At the same time, there are circumstances in connection with ib which one might find ifc politic presently to remember, especially in the likely event of long odds being laid on the Australian to beat the American with the "raw 'uns." The scene, I may tell you, to begin with, was, to inexpert eyes like mine, highly objectionable. Mosb of tho company had been drinking in the Club from ten and eleven the previous evening, and a fair proportion were, to use Slavin's favourite expression, " bloomin' well boozed." One of the Australian's chief backers, indeed, liquored-up to such an extent thab by 4 a.m. he had passed the " blue blazing and blind" stages of intoxication, and was during the light in a superlatively paralytic and unconscious condition. That, bowever, did nob, aa an envious Rechabite remarked, "prevent tho beast winning a pot of money." In bhe firsb round of the fight McAuliffe, to our intense surprise, seemed to knock Slavin about simply anyhow. It has been suggested the latter feinted purposely. If so, he completely deceived his own backers. My memory is not so shorb as theirs, and I can distinctly recall many of their exclamations of surprise and dismay. " Why, the man's a fraud, McAuliffe '11 walk round him anyhow," said a colonial bookmaker, and tho offers of 3 to 1 on the American which a minute or two previously would have been eagerly snapped up, remained unregarded. VVhen ticae was called, Slavin looked to have had much the worse of tha round. He was red and bruised in a number of places, and seemed savage and uneasy, besides appearing far mora blown than McAuliffe. The American cams up for the second round with, as Mr Mitchell ("Captain Coe," of the "Star"), said, " a smila of confident victory " on his lips. He began briskly, bufc all of a sudden the light died oub of his eyes, his lefb hand involuntarily sought his side, and he half stumbled. Slavin thereupon gob in the terrific blow which practically ended the battle. McAuliffe just managed to stagger fco his feofc, bub Slavin promptly " laid him oub " again, and Madden jumping into the ring practically proclaimed his principal's defeat. The impression is strong in the minds of many of the spectators of this round thab MeAuliffe'a sudden and incomprehensible collapse was caused either by an attack of atitch or some heart trouble, He has. nob confessed to anything of tho kind, but then, of course, it would be exceedingly impolitic to do so. As things stand, should tho pair meet again long odds will be laid on Slavin. Ono of tho papers states thab Slavin has refused under any circumstances to fight or box McAuliffe again, bufc this, though probable, is not at presenb confirmed. I never wish to see another 4oz glove fight. Slavin's crashing blows and the sickening lifeless thud with which the big American struck the floor still ring in my ear, as do the scarcely human yells of tbe evil-looking gang of spectators. Ib was surely Hades let loose. INTERVIEW WITH SIR JULIUS ! VOGEL. I called on Sir Julius Vogel yesterday, afc St. Margaret's Mansions, Westminster, with a view to ascertaining bis private opinion on tha subject of New Zealand's debt to him for "services rendered," and also to procure some further information as to the career of the Petroleum and Iron Syndicate. I found the ex-Premier in vory good health and spirits (for him), bub apparently deafer than ever. On thesubjectof the Petroleum Syndicate Sir Julius would say nothing, bub advised me to make inquiries of bhe Secrebary, Mr Ogilvio, ab bhe Company's Offices, 147, Fenchurch - street. With regard to his claim on New Zealand for £13,000, the. old gentleman was particularly reticent. Ho said he knew nothing more of the progression of bhe case bhan the reports contained in the files sent him. The claim was a jusb ono, aad with the best counsel available in the colony to plead his cause he had, of course, hopes of getting bis debt settled.' Sir Julius' replies generally gave ma the impression thab he considered the Governmenb had only been hesitating between equity and popularity, and finding the latter too powerful a factor to be disregarded, had chosen io fight the case rather than Buffer in the estimation of the large number of colonists who do nob consider his claim fully justified. Sir Julius' son (a good-looking young fellow) was in the room during the interview, and contributed an occasional bluebook from an adjacent heap to the conversation. With statistics from these his par- | enb convinced me that his views on the labour question were founded on something stronger, than hearsay.

A LETTER FROM MR J. C. FIRTH. Mr J. G. Firth has been having a busy time of ib during' the pasb week. The author of " Nation Making" is an indefatigable intervjewer, and spends little time at his headquarters, in Salisbury Square. I discovered chis when I called twice to see the old colonist on Friday. I, however, lefb a card, which produced a lengthy epistle, from whioh I extract) the ■ following : — "Notwithstanding tho disfavour into which New Zealand has fallen by reason of excessive borrowing, I find people are very much fcberssted in the colony. All sorts of inquiries are made of me about its resources, health, climate and people. To these inquiries I answer thab If they want to become millionaires they had better go elsewhere, bufc if they wanb fco find a place to live in and homes fco be happy in they cannot go to a better place, providing they have ■ a little money, some common sense, a little skill, and a good deal of energy and industry, for indeed, New Zealand is the best place the Almighty has made, so far as I have seen. I find bhe American McKinley Tariff Bill excites the deepest dissatisfaction in all circles here. Nobody, however, has any remedy than bo ' grin and bear it,' for so wedded are the people here to . free trade,' as they call it, that either they have no remedy or are afraid to name it. I tell them thab English free bradors are largely responsible for" the outrages American Republicans are perpetrating in their tariff legislation, I also tell them that free trade, as they call it, is steadily making every English colony protective. I tell them they treat their colonies jusb as* they treat foreigners, and thab there will never be any Imperial Federation in more than name until they make ib the interest of fche colonies to federate, by giving them advantages over-foreigners, by establishing an Imperial Customs Union. Interesb being stronger than, sentiment, this Union - arrays England and her colonies on one , side, with all Protectionist countries on tho

other, and so fight the battle on these lines." . , Mr Firth leaves for New Zealand ia the Britannia, on October 31st. PERSONAL AND GENERAL. " The Decline and Fall of England " is th* somewhat ponderous title of a brochure o f the "Looking Back" character which a well-known Christchurch gentleman will publish shortly. The work appears anonymously, as the author has reasons for nob wishing to connect his name with the views it supports. Mr Garlick, who waa to have lefb for Auckland by the Oceana yesterday, has transferred his passage to the Rome, sailing a fortnight hence. Mr and Mrs E. R. Brown, Mr and Mrs D. Campbell, Mr and* Mrs H. W. Snell, Mr A. L. Spiegel, Dr. Wilson, and Mr G. H. Wood left for New Zealand yesterday per Oceana, which has been full for weeks past in all parts, and has a phenomenally large passenger list even for this time of tho year; Mr Rosewarno, tha well-known mining expert, who resided for some years ab the Thames, and is now in the employ of the South Australian Governmenb, has accepted the management of the Aclare silver mine (South Australia)"at a large Balary. ' • Mr Frank Cornwall has'forwarded-me some papers describing his case, -which is, no doubt, a hard one. I fear, however, he will find some difficulty in airing ib in English papers. For one thing the story has scarcely sufficient general interesb, and for another it bristles with accusations of a distinctly libellous character.