ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 142, 17 June 1891, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(fkok ouk special .correspondent.)

Loxdo.nt, April 24,

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONVENTION.

A private meeting of tho London Chamber of Commerce was held at the Westminster Pnlaoe Hotel on Monday, to which Sir Graham Berry, Sir A. Biyth, Sir Saul Sf.muel, Sir James Garrick, and Sir Francis Dillon Bell were specially invited, the idea being that they should advise upon and suggest subjects for discussion atthe Chamber of Commerce Convention nexb year. Thi3 was originally fixed for fche present autumn (October), but now stands adjourned to May, ? 92. The Agents did nob till put in an appearance, and those who W'-rc present expressed their inability to offer material assistance. They had, it way printed oufe, no instructions to neb in their oWcial capacity, and if) wouldn't do for them to give hint*, etc., as private personages. Their views might nob chirno in wibh bhoso of their Governments.

THE AUSTRALIAN" CRUISERS.

Tho defects in the Australian cruisers seem simply innumerable. Every week I appear to have to chronicle the discovery of o'r-.e or two now ones. Last Friday the Mildura was pronounced ready, and ordered tc procoed to sen on Sunday for a final trial cruise. Bef'oi'e that, however, a serious defect burned up in fche sluice valves of tlio torpedo tubes and the order was cancelled. The Mildura has instead returned to Chatham Dockyard for repairs, which will occupy a fortnight. FALL IN COLONIAL STOCKS. The fall in colonial stocks, which has followed on the failure of the recent Victoria loan, is ao.?uming rather serious proportions. Wednesday's prices of representative Australasian inscribed stock, compared with those of April 4th—the day preceding the issuo of the Victorian prospectus, show the following changes : —

April 4. April 22. Fall, Now Zealand 4 p.c. .- 1031 102 J- 2:, 1 ' Kow South Wales 3£p.c. 102* 99J 2:{ Queensland 3J p.o. .. 93i G7 lj Queensland 4 p.e... ._ 109 107 2 South Australia 3V p c. .. 97J li South Australia 4 p.c. .. 107 104J 2i Victoria 3ip.c 99* 97 i 2i Victoria-1 p.c 106$ 105 li

The explanation of this " slump " may be found in tho facb that underwriters and syndicates, who have been carrying large b:ooks ®f undigested stocks from previous colonial issues, have now given up hope of an early rally, and are unloading as fast as they can. Sanguine folk opina that as soon a; the market has quite absorbed the stock v.hich is now being thrown oub there will bo a rally to the old p.-ices. Sir Arthur Elyth cannot agrss with this view. Mo considers there is a dark future before colonial stocks. South Australia and Victoria have had their shock, and ifc remains to be seen how New South Wales pulls through the coming conversion. The sensitiveness of the public on the subject is shown by the iniluence which the sinister series of articles in the; " Graphic " comparing the Australias with Argentina have had on the market.

SIR JAMES HECTOR'S R.G.S.

MEDAL,

The latest awards of the Royal Geographical Society, of which I told you lasb mail, do not find favour with a certain section of the Homo press. The "Chronicle" is particularly ill-pleased with the bestowal

of bho Society's highest honour on Sir James Hector, who, says your contemporary, "as a director of the New Zealand Geological Survey assuredy deeerves well of science, though not more so than officials in a like position. But; what the Royal medal is allotted him for is his work in the Rocky Mountains thirty-three years ago. This, ab besss, was notoriously vary little, infinitely less than what has beet; accomplished sir.cc that date by many other explorers who have received no recognition, and at tho time w>l! amply rewarded by his official chiof, the late Captain Paliiser, obtaining: fcho patrons modal in 1859. . . Medals, of course, like kissing, go by kindness and fcho advocacy of friends. If, however, the present secretaries end council do nob wish to forfeit the confidence of tho Follows, they would do well to explain afc the general meeting the principle on which the medals were awarded, as their latest decision lias aroused unfriendly comment." Tho "Chronicle" evidently thinks that Sir James Hector received the medal solely for his Rocky Mountain labours, bub I beliave tho decoration was conferred in recognition of his general contributions to science, rather than for any specific piece of work. THE JACKSON CASE.

Mrs Jackson has been favouring one of the Lancashire papers with a lengthy rigmarole (published ab tlio rate of two columns per diem) which she calls her deienco. If anything could add to the dislike that the majority of the public appear bo have conceived for this unamiabls woman, 1 should imagine her self-drawn portrait) would do so. According to her own showing, Mrs Jackson is 46 years of age, vain, suspicious, narrovv-mindod, moan ■a money matters and prone to treasure small grievances. Sho never appears to have pretended to care a great) deal for he" husband. His social position attracted

ruul hia tall talk and dashing manner carried her away for the time being , . The first thing to excite the newly - made wife's suspicions was her husband's extraordinary behaviour on their wedding da;;. Instead of baking her away anywhere for a brief honeymoon, Jackson calmly returned his bride to her family, travelling back to Rochdale third-class in a carriage with other people, and not omitting to correct the lady irritably when her h's went wrong. Being a vain body, Jackson's reflections on her uso of the aspirate rankled sorely even then, and have never been forgotten. Jackson went off in a whirl to Now Zealand a day or two later, the understanding being that Mrs J, should follow when he had made a home. No sooner, however, was he off, than Mrs Jackson becarao full of misgivings concerning colonial life. Like most of the uneducated middleclass,she possessed only the haziest notionu of Now Zealand. That Auckland would or could bo a far pleaeanter place to live in than Clitheroe, never entered her mind. She wrote to "dear Haughton " to come home, as she had decided she couldn't stand the hardships of colonial life. Jackson replied, agreeing, and suggesting thab she should send him and his friend Robinson the money to pay their passages back. This epistle put the fab fairly in the fire. Mrs Jackson landed she had married a man of possessing at least enough to keep himself. That he should be penniless and she obliged to keep him was bad enough, but that the fellow should add insult to injury by/jcalling upon her to pay money for his friend, Dixon Robinson, was oimply scandalous. Mrs Jackson's jealousy and meanness became equally roused. Miss Jackson (her husband's sister) made things worse by writing to her once or twice to aak if tho money had been sent. Mrs Jackson said to herself with temper they thought of nothing but her money. She ssnt not a copper, buc instead despatched a shrewish epistle in which Mr Jackson was accused ot marrying her for her money (resettled the morning- after the wedding). Jackson replied with combined temper and marital authority. In etlect ho said thab by marrying " dear Emily " he had given her social position. Whon ho returned home she must live where he liked and his friends must be hers. He wished she would write in a more ladylike manner, etc., etc. Mrs Jackson choso to translate this into a declaration that her husband meant to make her hi 3 slave. He subsequently wrote far more modorately, bub the woman's mind was mado up — she wouldn't live with him. After much correspondence Jackson forced twofruifcless interviews on his wife. At the first of these he completely lose his temper. Naturally this didn't mend matters.

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Ultimately came tho abduction. Mrs Jackson declares she was bundled into the carriage with her poor old legs hanging out, and terribly bruised. On arrival at Blackburn, Jackson toro off his wife's bonnet, and flirjgiDg it upon the fire assailed her with a torrent ol coarse epithets. She dared neither cab nor drink for fear of being drugged,and for fournightsshenevor slepb a winkf Mr Jackson does nob, I understand, mean to reply to his wife's statement. Ha is quite right. It pleads for him (perusod at length) moro eloquently than anything ho could write himself.

The Judge's docision in the Jackson appeal has not been long in producing results. All over the country cases aro cropping up of wives leaving husbands to shift for themselves. Hitherto it has been understood that marriage was binding on both parties. Now, however, a woman has only to take nn inexplicable dislike to her husband and bolt, and no power on earth caa comuel her to return. For a working man with five children to be suddenly loft wifeless thus (as a Mr Bailey, of Wakafield, was last Saturday), is no joke. But no magistrate could help him.

NEW ZEALAND ANTIMONY COM

PANY

The Now Zealand Antimony Company is in a parlous condition. Ib possesses an ofiicQ, a large safo and a secretary, bub no monoy. A call of a penny a share to meet current expenses was proposed at the adjourned meeting on Saturday last, but was nob carried. Mr Gibberd presided on this occasion, and tho committee of investigation presented their report, which stated that they were unanimously of opinion that there was good ore in the niino, which, when reached, would yield a substantial profit to the shareholders, bub tbab up to now the lode in which the rich ore was deposited had not been reached. They thought, therefore, that a determined e:Torb should be made to reconstrucb tho company rather than to go into liquidation and bhus lose all the money and labour which up to now had been expended, and the fruit of which would in such a case be reaped by the vendors, who would doubtless purchase the mine at a small price from the liquidator, who would be cempelled to soil. They thought, however, that the reconstruction should only be proceeded with upon the following among other conditions : —That all moneys to bo obtained on the reconstruction should bo devoted exclusively to determined efforts bo win the rich ore which undoubtedly was in the mine, and which alone could be remunerative, subject, however, to all oxisting obligations save tho claims of the vendors ; and that the £4,Q00 claimed by the vendors should bo taken by them in shares of the reconstructed com - pany, and that that should be a sine qua non with regard to reconstruction. Seeing that the directors hero were absolutely without funds, and that an amount of £500 was required for outstanding accounts, office clerk's salary and other expenses in London, ib was a matter of necessity thafe thab amount should be forthcoming pending the arrangements for reconstruction, and they ventured to hope thab the shareholders would cheerfully subscribe at the rate of one penny a share for these purposes, which should be repaid oub of the moneys received for reconstruction. They were convinced bhab the assay of ore made at) the

mine in New Zealand was incorrect, and that that obtained by the directors in this country could be relied upon. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, stated that Mr E. J. Reid (manager of the Colonial Bank of New Zealand) had arrived in this country, and he together with MiNicholas Reid (t&e former manager of the Company in Wellington) end Mr Levion (both of whom had by now sailed) had been appointed by the New Zealand shareholders to represent them, and to make such arrangements as they ini'iht think best, under the circumstances, with the directors in this country. Mr Simpson seconded tho motion, and the report was adopted. The meeting was then adjourned sine die, in order to allow of a conference with the abovenained gentlemen. PERSONAL AN2 GENERAL. Mr Henry Keynolds, of Auckland, is entirely satisfied with the results of his venture in opening a New Zealand produce denot in London. Ha has indeed made greater progress than he anticipated. The butter and cheese which has arrived up to now, with the exception of a consignment per the Arawa, has been of excellent quality, and in consequence New Zealand dairy produce ia receiving much attention from both middlemen and consumers. The Arawa'e refrigerating machinery went wrong , on her last homeward passage, and consequently the butter aboard suttered to some extent, arriving , in a heated condition. In spite of this untoward occurrence the bubtor sold fairly well at about 112s to 116 a por cwt. The cheese which arrived by the some vessel was slightly stronger than is desirable for the London market, and did nob go off as readily as former lots. Mr Reynolds will probably leave London for New Zealand about the end of May.

I have repeatedly pointed out that it would bo worth while to establish in London and the bipc provincial towns special depots for the salo of Now Zealand mutton only, instead of allowing your meat to be indiscriminately mixed up with River Plate and Australian imports as it 13 now. My attention was specially re-drawn to this subject by a chance remark made to me by an Australian Agent-General, who seemed to think it very odd that the Now Zealand exporters could not grasp the importance of impressing tho public with thesuperiority of their own production.

Dr. Honeyman, of Auckland, has taken advantage of his presence in England to secure his M.D. degree ab St. Andrew's University, Edinburgh, which was duly conferred upon him last week. The doctor has just deepatched to New Zealand over a hundred handsomely-bound volumes on medicine, surgery, and kindred subjects, which he proposes to present to the Auckland Medical Society.

Mr Leonard Harper was amongst the officers of the Royal Artillery presented to the Prince of Waloa at laat week's levee.

Ab an entertainment hold last week for tho pur Dose of augmenting the Duke of York's School orrjan fund, much interest waß oxeited by tha presentation of a particularly well-staged tableau depicting , an " Incident in the New Zealand Vvar." The scene was very striking;. It represented Captain Swift (wounded desperately) saying to McKenna, "Never mind loading; take my revolver and lead on tho men."