ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 252, 21 October 1892, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(via brindisi.)

I (FROM OCR SPECIAL COBRESI'OXjmT.)

London, September 9. Though tho "dog days" are nominally ove rthere seemfew signs of renewed activity in .the city, and the majority of financial folk: profess to oxpeco nono before the pending Bank of England meeting, ab which the Governor i 9 expected to mako an important pro uouncoment re the Baring liquidation. " During the present week," cays a compefranb authority, •' there have not been twenty purchases mado in the colonial department of the Stock Exchange, and the value of these orders would not exceod as many thousand ponnda." ORIENTAL CONGRESS.-AUS-TRALIAN SECTION. TWe ia an Australasian and Oceanic section to the learned Oriental Congress, sitting in London this week, and Sir Arthur Gordon is president. On Wednesday morning, Sir Arthur delivered an address on (the "Poetry of Fiji," to a limited audience of sombre savants and withered dames. His contention was thab though the "Poetry of Fiji "had not had done for it whnb Sir George Grey had done for Now Zealand poetry, and Mr Gill for Polynesian, the::e was, nevertheless, plenty of it. Fijian songs could be classified as danco songs, yangona (Kava drinking) eongs, love songs, and occasional poetry. Some of the historical songs were highly dramatic The love of natural scenery shown throughout the poetry was very remarkable. Sir Arthur gave many examples. In the afternoon, Mr Sidney H. Kay read a paper on tho languages of British North Guinea. EXPLOSION ON A NEW ZEALAND SHIP. The new 'sailing ship Auchmountain lyingab Greenock with a general cargo for Isevr Zealand, took lire on Friday and kept burning till shortly after five ou Saturday monnng, when a tremendous explosion took place, there being 20 tons of gunpowdor aboard. The crew had previously lefbthe ship, and whon the explosion occurred she sank- The report was heard many miles away, and a lot of damage done. Ordinary glass windows and many plate glass ones.were badly broken. When tne hre broke out the captain and crew were asleep, and rushed on deck partly dressed. -They dared not delay long leaving tho ship, and have lost everything. The estimated value of ship, and cargo is about £40,000. feeveralhew/ealandcorisigneeswillbolosers as their goods, were only partially insured. Later accounts state the Auchmountain was a brand new vessel, and just starting on her | maiden voyage with a valuable cargo, including 20 tons of gunpowder.and a large quantity of Scotch whisky. W £"„ the fire was discovered, the panic-stricken crew rushed to the> boats, but Captain Jones insisted on their first making a resolute attempt to.get the fire under. Whenhesaw this was impoasible, the men launched the Meboat and rowed to H.M.". Kerb! lying further down the Clyde. They had mostly only trousers on. CapSones was m his pyjamas when aroused Wd had no t,me to return to his cabin & clothes chronometers, or ship's nailers kL£ « *v?» firo'barrecltheway.'^C^teTyt be some, httlo rumpus over the damage done ashore, and the captains of & M .! ships Superb and Forrester, both of which vessel were anchored w.thin three quarters1 of a tmlc from the Auchmountain are in a fair way to get) "a wigging." Ib p aßses com .

prehonaion that these gallant officers should have made no attempt to sink the blazing vowel which all know was bound to explode with serious results to property if nob to life. The master and owner of the boat ■vvovo on the spot, tho war ships had moana afj hand ior sending shot into tho burning vessel, yet nothing was dono beyond pationtly awaiting for tho dmoitemenl. It 13 said that some of tho sufferers on shore intend to claim from the firo insurance companios, en tho ground that the damago to their proporty was caused by lire, bub it ia moro likely they will attempt to fasten the liability on the owner of tho vessel, tho claim being that tho master should havo taken stopa to scuttle tho ship, when ho found that it was impossible to get the conflagration under by the ordinary methods. The Auchmouut-ain was built this yoa r by Russell and Co., and waa 1456 tons gross register

LORI) ONSLOW

Astho lease of Clandon, Lord Onslow's seat in Surrey, has still eomo time to run before it reverts to your luto Govornor, ho bus taken a placo at Rougham, in Norfolk, and ia living there quiotly with Ilia family. On (lit His Excellency's resignation of hid posb without adequate cause was seriously resented both by Lord Salisbury and Lord Knutsford, bo much co indeed, that had tho Into Preraior raturnod to power Lord Ouslow would not(as ho calculated) have been given oilico again. 1 gathor that ut tho Colonial Olliee Lord Onslow ia blamed for tho present crux betwixt your Governor and his ministors. It 9001113 to bo thought, thub if ho had diplomatised judiciously Mi- Ballunco would novcr havo forced matters to an issuo. Instead of that, 'tis boliovod ho mismanaged things till n serious ditliculty thrcatonod, and then onvlod it by resigning, leaving tho unpopular acb of disregarding his Ministers' advico to his unfortunato successor. Lord (liascow, of courso, wont out primod how to act, and if tlioro had nob boon a change of Government at homo, wo could safely predict tho issue. What, howovor, aro Lord Ripon's views no one knows.

Tho " Colonies and India" hazards tho statomenb that Lord Ripon (convinced tho colony is bohind Mr Ballunoe) moans to back him up and adds " in that cu.-o Lord Glasgow would probably resign.1' 1 don't for a moment suppose Lord Glasgow would do anything of tho sorb.

.SHIPPING NOTES.

Tho Oamaru, which has just arrived in clock with a large consignment of mutton, was vory much ovorduo, and as much aa 40 guineas had been paid on Friday for roinsuranco. Tho following day tho vessel was reported oil' I'rawle Point, and tho underwriters rejoiced oxccodingly. There is a very heavy crop of missing vessels for them to taco this month.

Mr Henry G. Nicholson, who was over a quarter of v cotitury in thoservico of Messrs .Miles Bros., of Oracechurch-streot and Christchurch, Now Zealand, during lifteen years of which poriod ho was underwriter and mnnagor to tho Union Fire and Marine Insurance Company of Now Zealand (now absorbed by tho Alliance Company), has now commenced business as an insuranco broker at 13 Birch Lane. Mr Nicholson has boon appointed London Agent to tho Hull Association of Underwriters.

The Now Zealand Shipping Company's clipper tha Opawa lias just arrived at Liverpool with a cargo of frozen mutton. This is the first sailing ship that has discharged fro/an meat from Now Zealand at Liverpool, but somo of this description of cargo has been landed at the port by steamer.

NATIONAL BANK OP NEW

ZEALAND.

Tho circular which Mosars Stobart and Maxwell have presented to tho Bourd of Directors of the above bank concerning tlieir recent tour of inspection was non issued to tho press, but I have scon a copy. Ib runs thus :— " Iq accordance with your requo.it that wo ehoulcl proceed to Now Zealand and investigate tho allairs of tho bank, wo started in January last, and roturncd in August), having been absent over tsovon months. Four of those wero epotit in tho colony, during which time wo visited every branch of tho bank, examined every advance, and interviewed every manager. Tho provision for bad and doubtful debts raado a year ajjo ongaged our special attention. Several of the accounts will turn out better than anticipated, some will nob turn out so well, and in many cases securities have to be realised. To do this advantageously time will bo required. Bub after careful examination, and conferences with tho general manager and branch managers, we wore satisfied that full provision had boon made for the estimated losses referred to in tho chairman's circular of 10th Juno, 1891.

"We found tho curront busineas of tho bank in a satisfactory condition, much better, in fact, than wo had expected, considering tho extraordinary depression which iiad prevailed in the colony for tho last tow years. Every managor was instructed as to tho lines on which the business for the futuro was to be conducted, and to bear in mind that in making advances safety was to be tho first consideration. They wore specially warnod againsb undertaking any rieky business, or making advances without good security. We made it our special duty to inquiro into tho character and efficiency of the colonial stuff, and arrived at the conclusion that wo have in our servico as capable and loyal a body of ofiicors as any bank could wish to possess. In the trying times through which the bank had to pass, it was mainly through the united oxortions of our director, Mr Rattray, and tho stall", that tho credit of the bank was so well maintained, and the bank steered safely through a period of grave anxiety.

"Wo carefully considered the question, which has been more than once raised, of the advisability of closing somo of tho smaller branchfis of tho bank, but aftor close examination of their business, we were of opinion that it would bo inadvisable to tako any stops in that direction, as we found every branch was of moro or less assistance to the bank. Indood, having regard to tho rapid progress which is taking place in certain parts of the colony, it is a question whether ib may not rather be desirable, at no distant date, to opon new branches ab places which are growing in importance. We drew the general manager's special attention to the colonial charges and urgod reduction1 where it cculd bo done without impairing efficiency. The expenses of the bank have always been closely supervised, and it is our opiuion that very little retrenchment can be effected. The bank stands well with and posseasos tho confidence of the public, and in viovv of the improved and improving aspect of affairs generally in New Zealand wo a/o satisfied that if the strict instructions we gave to each of the managers are carried out, tho bank will have a successful future."

DEPARTURE OF THE ANTARCTIC

WHALING FLEET.

The four Dundee whalers which are to prosecute the Antarctic whale fishing—the Balena, Diana, Polar Star and Active — sailed from Dundee on Wednesday and Thursday. The area selected as tho destination of the whalers lies between tho meridian of Greenwich and longitude ninety degrees west. Tho vessels have been equipped as steamers, but it is intended thab moeb of their long trips shall be made under sail, two months being given as tho probable duration of the voyage. Four months will be spent in huntfng for whales, and the vessels all being well are expected to be back at Dundee in May next. Each ship will carry a crew of forty men, and the officers havo been supplied "with instruments which will enable them to record fully the results of meteorological and magnetic observations,, to take soundings, bring up specimens of the sea floor, colh^flo-sn and fauna and so on,

A large Norwegian whaler is also about to proceed to the Southern seas on aimilar purpose intent.

A COMING SCANDAL.

A divorco case, in which a K.C.M.G.. who has ruled moro than 0110 of Her Majesty's Antipodean possessions, will play a loading part, ia a^uin said to bo pending. It has been burked twico by mutual friends of husband and wife, but tho lattor has now gob quibo oub of hand, and may at any moment lilo a petition. If she does the husband will cortainly return the compliment, and from- all accounts ho has the better caso of the two. Jn Lord Connemara's matrimonial troubles you may remember tho pretty wife of his A.D.C. was at the botton of tho mischief. In the present instanco an A.D.C. will probably tijjuro as co-respondent. Tho Hcandal began, 'tis said, yoars ago, in ono of tho Australian whero tho " goings-on " of tho Governor's l«dy with the handsomo olficor acting aulc for some months formod a delicious scandal for tho society of tho capital to roll round its tongue. It has all, however, long been forgotton, nnd tho raking up of tho ovidonco would bo very expensive. Neithor husband nor wifo have much money, and it ia on this facb tho relatives intervening principally rely. Unfortnnutoly tho husband's supposed peccadilloes aro rocont. They amount, lam (insured to nothing worso than philandering in an oldorly-gontlcmun sort of way with a pretty govornoss, bub tho wifo is joalous (or protends to bo), and scorns bout on mischiof. Private inquiry ngonts ns usual fomunted tho quariol for thoir own purposes.

PERSONAL AND GENERAL.

An intorviow with Miss Kate Mar«dcn foom?, unfortunately, out of the question, as tho fair plrilunthropist in at present 10----cvuitiiifr her shattered ■ energies at Hastings. Miss Marsdon leaves in the course of a fow weeks ou her lecturing tour in tho States.

1 forgot your Into visitor, Lady Galloway, was Lord Salisbury's nistor,or I should have understood better tho significant reforenco to an Irishwoman from Mitchelltown in her paper on "Globe-Trotting in Now Zealand" donlt with last mail. It has aroused tho wrath of " 'lay Pay," who, in some romarks on tho articlo, crossly observes sho ought) to " keep hor political bins under due subjection." Mr Gladstone writos to Messrs Hutchison that ho haa been reading " Sir Geotgo Grey's Lifo " with interest. Mr Philip Monnell's " Practical Notes on Western Australia " was published by Hutchinson yesterday. I hoar ho has concluded to mergo tho Australian " Mail " into tho " British Australasian," nnd will hencoforward edit and generally manago tho latter papsr. Mr and Mrs Speedy and family and Mrs A. Cowio have been booked through to New Zealand by tho Orizaba sinco I last wroto.

Captain Scruby, who was until quito recently in tho omploy of tho Now Zealand Shipping Company, has decided to go down to tho sea in command of ships no raoro. His wile, I understand, is already located in New Zealand, nnd as soon as ho can got rid of his English home ho will join his better halt. Ho has been connocted with the Now Zealand Shipping Company sinco ho was quito a youth, and was in command of thoir new cargo boat tho Otrama (or Soa King, as aho waa orriginally named) when she got nground at Froemantlo, owing to an error in judgmont or carelessness on tho part of the pilot. Captain Scruby'a mother and hi* sister accompany him to tbo colony, and in all probability tho party will settle in tho neighbourhood of Napier.

Mr and Mrs William Speedy and family, who c»mo Homo in tho Tongariro. hnvo decided to roturn to Now Zealand via tho Sue/. Canal, and lonvo London in tho P. and 0. Victoria next Friday. They have spent a good portion of their holiday at Godalming in Surrey. Mr and Mrs Somorvillo, of Wellington, iiavo decided to leavo England shortly, and will probably bo passengers by tho new Huddart Porker boat tho Miowera which is fixed to Bail on October 18th. MrSomervillo has, I boliovo, persuader] at lonst ono gentleman to give Now Zealand a trial before going olsowhoro to make his futuro homo.

Dr. Batcholor, of Duncdin, ovidently means to stay in England for a lengthy period as I am told ho hac bought a prnctico at Richmond, or is working up one— I am not suro which.

Mr John R. Randorson, of Chrietchurch, commenced his lecturing—cum—pleiisturo tour in England at Ilklcy, tho tamous Yorkshire hoalth resort, this wook. Now Zealand is of course tho colonists thomo and ho haa brought with him a fino selection of views to illustrate his discourse.