ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 283, 28 November 1891, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(from our special correspondent.)

(Via Brindisi.)

A WORD ABOUT PARNELL'S

DEATH.

If Mr Parnell would have taken the long sea voyage to tbe Cape or Australia recommended by his doctors, he might and probably would have lived many years longer. He knew he wanbed resb and 1 quiet badly, bub he couldn't tear himself away from the scene of his humiliation. Both fche Redmonds' and Sir Thomas Esmonde, I'm told, urged him strongly to winter at bhe Antipodes, assuring him thab if he and Mrs Parnell went merely as valetudinarian visitors, their iucognito would be respected as certainly as in England. Latterly Mr Parnell was constantly in the habit of telling his friends how happy he was. He of course wished them to understand thab he didn'b bhink the price he'd paid for his wife a bib boo dear. A fearful storm (the worst of the season) raged ab Brighbon whilst Mr Parnoll lay dying in Mrs O'Shea'a (I should say Mrs Parnell's) house on Tuesday, lbs situation is very exposed, and bho sick man groaned painfully as bhe wind roared round bhe building, often shaking ib to its foundation, and the sea thundered on tho adjacent beach. Nevertheless, there seemed to poor Mrs Parnell something almosb appropriate in tbe turbulence ot the elements at such a time. She bore up till all was over, but no one has seen her since. BISHOP SELWYN. Bishop Solwyn is reported a libfcle better to-Jay. Lasb Tuesday week, he underwent an operation, and is nob likely, under the most favourable conditions, to be ablo fco leave hia bed for bhe next) month. He is staying at his old quarters in De Vero Gardens, Kensington. The Southern Cross lefb tho Albert Docks last Monday, and after taking in stores, etc., at Gravesend, left for Auckland on Wednesday. Captain Bongard is iv charge. MR CROMBIE. Mr F. E. M. Crombio, a stepson of Captain Ashby, has taken his passage for Sydney in the Porb Douglas. Prom thence he goes to Auckland, where ib is his intention to settle permanently. The same vessel will havo on board the Rev. Eastland and Miss Eastland, of Ramsgate, who have decided to make Christchurch thoir future home. BIOLOGICAL. Tho transactions of tho Liverpool Biological Socioty for 1891 contain an imporfcanb paper by Professor S. Murray on the distribution of marino algse in space in time. The author compares the algal flora of three widoly-separated regions—Australasia, the Arctic Sea, and the West Indian region—and shows in a table how many genera and species are common to any bwo of the regions. The number of known species of seaweeds is given as 1,132 for Australia, 788 for the Wesb Indian region, and 259 for bho Arcbic Sea. Only 12 species are common to all three regions, and of these four belong to the ulveues. MINING EXHIBITION. A Mining Exhibition is to be hold at Johannesburg in July next, and exhibits are to be invited from all parts of the world. Mr Goo. Gray Russell returns to Otago at the end of the presenb month. FERGUSSON WINS. Sir James FergUHSon appears to have conducted his successful election campaign afc Manchester with much tact. He was presenb ab a big foobball match on Saturday, and won many hearts when the ball fell almost at his feat by "vaulting lightly ovor the rail and sending ib back bo the players wibh a neab drop kick." This, of course, wa3 during bhe interval, which Sir James likewise utilised to obtain an introduction bo tho Liberal candidate and his pretty wife, who were present. Tho crowd looked on admiringly whilst the rivals talked amicably, bub the general feeling seemed to bo thab the Postmaster - General had scored. Sir James has up to now been deaf to the severe strictures in the local press on his "guinea-pigging" proclivities. I hear, by the bye, that so far from being a lay figure at the Boards of the New Zealand Shipping Company, Bank of New Zealand, and P. and O. Company, Sir James is considered a most valuable coadjutor, and will be much missed should he retire. The Bank of New Zealand would gladly havo retained him as Chairman when the reorganisation was commenced, but Sir Jame3 declined the honour on tho ground that the duties would demand more of his own time than he could spare. Sir James's majority over Mr Scotb proved very small, 160 only. SIR JOHN POPE HENNESSEY. The simultaneous deaths of Mr Smith and Mr Parnell have dwarfed the demise of Sir John Pope Hennessey, which ab any other timo would have provoked much moralising. Sir John was the mosb unpopular colonial Governor of tho century, bub whether he really deserved his unpopularity seems uncertain. Ifc looks suspicious, however, thab during bhe Mauritius hurly-burly he was glad oven of tho supporb and countenance of a comparative nonentity like Henuiker Heaton. BANK OF AUSTRALASIA. Mr W. A. McArthur, M.P., presided ab tho half-yearly general meeting of fche Bank of" Australasia yesterday. The reporb shows a slight falling-off in the Bank's business, but the Chairman thoughb shareholders could not very well have expected otherwise, considering the circumstances of fche half-year. The causes which led to the diminution of fche bank's business were, according to MrMcArbhur, the depression,; following the Victorian land boom, fche rabbit plague in New South Wales, and tho rash speculation in mining stock in Queensland. There had, he remarked, been a decided improvomenb in Now Zealand and Tasmania. On the subject of the recent labour troubles in Australia, and tho subsequent accession of labour representation in the New Zealand Parliament, he said he had heard a greab deal as bo whab was likely bo occur from bhe presence of a strong labour vote in the New Zealand House, and although ha had no wish to minimise the risks fco capital which ib mighb entail, he thoughb the dangers had been greably exaggerabed. Whatever mighb happen, trade would not cease or bhe crops to grow. No doubt, in the firsb flush of electoral success many wild words had been said and foolish pledges given to constituents, bub he believed the labour representatives would find fchafc everything could nob be done by Acb of Parliament in ben m'nufces, and bhab they would nob be guilty of the folly of driving capital oub of bho country and preventing the employment of their own members. „,