ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 49, 28 February 1896, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

London, January '26. This diecovery that those exciting war scare?, which form such excellent materials for newspaper "copy" and tnusic-hail songs, have touched our pockets severely, ie helping very significantly to mitigate popular worship of tha great god " Jingo." Wo now (even in conversation) mingle caution with patriotism. "We don't want to tight, and, by Jingo, if we do " it's going to be exceedingly unpleasant and expensive for everybody. Jonee quite understood Brown and Robinson would suffer in the event of war, and his sentiments on tho necessity of the honour of the nation boing considered before tha wolfar3 of the individual were elevated in tho extreme. The discovery that hia own business was suffering came, however, as a distinct) shock. I "Who could have supposed that threatened j war would aflecb tho salo of (say) bicycles ? As a matter of fact, luxuries of ail descriptions wore tho first things to suffer. The number of pianos, bicycles and typewriters advertised for sa',e justs now with the intiination "no reasonable) offer refused " is phenomenal. At tho annual dinner of the Musical Instrument Tradeß Protection Association the other evening, ib was stated thab only Becond-hand pianofortes by reputable makers woro saleable at all just now, and bhab "a very fair instrument could easily be picked up aa low as thirty shillings."

(rB0 M OUS 10SO0S CORRESPONDENT.)

London, January 22. THE AGENT-GENERAL.

cGfokge Gket considers Sir Wesbby £^l "th« stronqesfi -Agent-General SSSand ever had." The GO. M.'s views 5 thTßtaperse S ,ioD of blie former may °? 'fare be imagined. Like overyone else *!£l with tne colony, surprise ab Mr •"2S. action in volunberiiy depriving of a bulwark such as Sir 6 «*««. however, his dominant senWf* Wherever Igo i» the city this Sm« *eeti9 me' co»biaed with much •"TT, »' What can be behind it all ? "C',| tbe AKente-General to mo yes jV "There are two sides to our Slme which the press knows all about, She business and financial one which » S« only to the colonial Government and KffiA. Now. /happen to be aware f valuable as Perceval's known services The.colony have been, they are comparafl unimportant set alongside his SjUento a, a financier and man o l' L The New Zaaland Government ETthis well. They must be perfectly i they could not possibly improve «» Westby as a representative, and M "to pub ib very mildly) a change a ning risks. Why then make ib? qn«Wnot because this colleague wants to SI berth, or that one has awkward STwHch makes it advisable to get rid 4S or that a third will • rab ' unless m thing U done for him. Honour, we are 3 e^u amongst thieves, does it find no !« in the vocabulary of Porcevnl's StottOßS? They have professed gratitd. I understand, wribten him reams of Stawtt and thanks. 1 know tba-ort Ken, I have had them myself. What do they mean ? Why, less than nothing. ••You are warm, su1," I interjected. "Warm," he replied with heat), "I (hould think I am. These are the things ebich disgust good men with public life in Australia and make them (as in my colony) fhan the Aaeembly like a peab house. There is do patriotism, no public spirit, about oar way of doing things. The New Zealand Government and the New Zealand people admit, I believe, Perceval is the basti Agent-General they've ever had. Xet they -6»un him V . "Sir Westby was only appointed lor thrsoyeare," I ventured to remark, •• that is New Zealand's rule." # "And an absolutely idiotic rule, promptly replied the honourable genbleman, "presumably foundod on the assumption tbat'the city of London ia a village, and that the subtleties of finance are as easy as ABC. Why, an Agent-General only gets into bis stride in three years. Ib takes a tirelvemonth to know people, not indeed till his third year can any average man be said to be a really safe agent." "They say if an Agent-General Btays to too long be gets out of touch with the colony." "Oub of touch with his grandmother ! Eoeh, sir, bosh ! ThR really importanb thing ia for an agent-General to be in touch with the financial magnates in the city who can niake our stocks dance. Mr Reeves Bay be in touch with the colony, bub will that help to conducb delicate negotiations mth the Bank of England ?"

MR W. P. KEEVES. The notices which have appeared about the new Agent-General in the London papers would, doubtless, have been fuller had the newa of his appointment reached is all a lesa exciting moment. The South African colonies naturally monopoliae attention both in official aud commercial circles at present. Sir Westby Perceval hs, however, been inundated with enquirhi us to tho record and capacity ot hia successor. To both, I bear in vhe city, he has borne highly complimentary testimony; in fact, whatovor can bo dono to smooth Mr Rjoyea' path, the present AgentGeneral may be relied upon to do. Fortu-. lately, there is a disposition east of the Bank of England to "look favourably on Jtsff Zoalaud politicians. The prejudice aroused in influential quarters by Sir Juiius Vogel'a eccentric finance, has been eraeed by thsstraightforward dealing, and ?hrewd, capable commonsense of Sir VV. Perceval and Mr Ward. Mr Reeves will have fair play and a polite welcome, though the resurrection of Sir Julius Vogel in the capacity of Sir P. Julyan's successor has, it would be useless to deny, caused a good foal of uneasiness. With Sir Westby Perceval firmly in the saddle, Sir Juliu3 could,ad worst, have been but a"a thorn Jn the flesh." To Mr Reeves ha may prove infinitely worse. SIR GEORGE GREY.. j Sir George Grey continues in excellent Wth and spirits, the mild weather allow H him to take a certain amount of out wor exerciße nearly every day. When I •W aim on Wednesday morning the first topic he touched upon was, naturally, the caange ia the representation of the colony to London. "lam very, very sorry Sir Weatby is ln2)' the veteran remarked, and then he derated his good opinions of the present °«apant of the chief chair at 13, Victoria- "^ Asked what he thought of Mr j 76*, appointment, Sir George said he 06ff little of the gentleman in question, r^P* b Y hearsay. He intimated, however, wane did not think any change uould be Z HUer- Tben Sir George startled i.' f«expressed, in no doubtful manner, »» opinion that tho colony had no real need tbo an A Bent General at all. Ab first I -i £"' that ha was simply opposed to the sZ makin!? .th 6 head*h 'P oi'ibe departn ' 8 political p'um. But no, Sir ™ree meant that the whole affair was an cl •nee; thab 1h.9 buaineSß of the »nd ?h n°6 nfcC6s&'l;afce >ts existence; »&»' Wllen any financial operations jj L n Process a man could bo mab from I *n(* to arrange mattars. •• But," tofi™d >nßt'atod fesb|y« " Sir Wesbby eeema own fR°' U' t9 enou?h to do to occupy his "Matehours and thos-e of his staff." Wickl ***■'" the °-°-M- auawered W)in» *' ' r Weatby dues a variety of colon make th(J °mai usefal fco tlie Vtou\ '^ 'ie '8 a' vv"7;' fon'ly to afsiit tj v i 8 w "° fco there for inlormation and "W "I-' 8 Mr Koßr)ilwyy- T>iey both Wiki'! R'" fclieir power" to make the of t O rvice." 'elievB 0"' Sir (iuor KO, I take it that you Wn uld b8 a real ooonony if the entirl,° aral ,? fficwi wote "bolted «Hcli»«' , anc* Sir Goorfro intimated that ar(. Bln6 " hia viowp. 1 did not pursue the kiiovrkri Dy furtl' er> not having sufficient 4 ?eat J"° of ,"'0 buwneM done by tho llso tbat o?1' 8 omc °i an() feeling certain "Pinions Georce hud founded his P°? iri"uffici9nt data- I* saems '■"scoinSftv tllisl viewß niugt ba wron S» tyt.l,6 ?" the v"rious eflorta at economy utolish re Btrai an eo!on' ea n 0 P'opo.-al to ''^n enuP' efie"iation in London haß ever Jrpm A"ainedlifted Jyntß'General the conversation sir GeorrTe Soutn African situation. 'laitl to'the i!f? atod t0 me much of wnafc he aeo ,p^ronicl9 " interviewer a few •'•ready ho. Bubsta"CQ of which has 1 g««n transmitted to you. The

right honourable gentleman has no eympathy with Mr Cecil Rhodes, and views the Uharteied Company with greab disfavour. Not to put too fine a point on it, Sir George consiciora the granting of the charter to Rhodes and Company a3 a robbery of the nation ab large, and I believe thab nothing could pleaee him better than to see that charter revoked. He certainly seems convinced thab "Dr. Jim's " ride into the Transvaal was part and parcel of ft conspiracy, connived at by the bosses of the Chartered Company, and I think, hopes that President Kruger will be able to prove tbeir complicity. If he can, of course the Chartered Company's day is over, and Cecil Rhodes' " empire making " will come to an untimely end. Sir George will rejoice at these bhings with Me Labouchere and the ] " Little Eiiglantiers," but for a ditierent reason. THE INSCRIPTION OF STOCK. The solicitors bo the Bank of England have, lam given to understand on good authority, reported to the Governor and ,Board that whatever New Zealand may ehoo.se to do in the matter of floating future loans she cannob take away from them any of those already in existence. It seams Sir Julius Vogel, when entering into relations with the Bank years ago, gave a deed poll whereby ho guaiauteed not only that the interest of loans Soared in Threadneedlestreet should be distributed by them, but thab the principal should ba repaid there. Of course it this proves to be so, the question of tha removal of the inscription of stock is at an end. No colonial act of Parliament can over-riiie a definite contract, and the Imperial Parliament would not interfere in such a matter. Since learning the foregoing I have seen the Agent-General, and find that he does nob appear to think the legal difficulty in surmountable. Apparently he has no greab faith in the obiter dicta, of the Bank of England solicitors. The whole thing appears to me to contain all the elements necessary to a protracted law suit which will only end in the Privy Council. Win or lose this means & heavy legal bill for the colony, and it seems questionable whether the game is worth the candle. WOMEN IN POLITICS. What is the particular influence of Maori women in Now Zealand politics? I ask the question because the following somewhat nebulous paragraph appeared in btio "Chronicle " a few days ago ;—"At a drawing-room meeting held in Bedford Gardens yesterday, Mrs Alexander gave an amuaing account of the by gone battle for woman suffrage in New Zealand, and she drew a suggestive picture of the present influencs ot women, and especially of Maori women, in the politics of that colony. The ladies' gallery in the House of Representatives seems to be a very pleasant evening drawing-room, much frequented, where knitting and other handiwork would appear to be so constantly incident to the occasion that a trough of green baize is suspended from tha -.edge of ib for the gXpress purpose of catching stray knitting n eeiUea and reels of cotton." A SMART WEDDING. There was a smart Anglo - Colonial wedding at tlie Alford Parish Church on Wednesday, January 15th, when Mr Stewarb Shirley Blackburne, of Christchurch, New Zealand, took unto himself a wife in the person of Misß Mabel Lizzie Lanphior, second daughter of Dr. Richard Lanphier, of Alford. The ceremony was performed by the bridegroom's father, the Rev, S. Blacktourne, assisted by hie son, the Rev. A. P. S. Blackburne, and the Vicar of Alford, who save the fashionable congratulatory cutn-admonitory address—a piece of verbiage moat people deem nothing moro than a nuisance. A very full congregation was present. The bride wore a handsome cream silk dreg?, and was given away by her father. The bridesmaids wore blue and cream silk dreases. The service was fully choral. In the afternoon the happy pair started for Biarritz, where the honeymoon will be spent, Mr and Mrs Blackburno leave England for Now Zealand in May.

On the previous day, ab St. John's, Ladywood, Birmingham, Mr Arthur Clendon, M.A., «on of Mr Thomas Clendon, of Upper Hutt, New Zealand, was married to Mi9B Elsie Hickinbotham, only daughter of the late Dr. James Hickinbotham. of Birmingham. The Rev. A. R. Moas, M.A., vicar of St. John's, and tbe Rev. Cecil Grant, S.A., chaplain of All Hallows School, Honiton, shared the task of uniting the happy pair. THE REV. E. ASHBY. The Rev. Ernest Crombie, a step son of Captain Aahby, leaves London shortly for a hfialth trip to JN'ew Zeuland. Ho will go as far as Egypt in the P. and 0. steamer Malta, and after spending a couple of weeks in the Land of the Sphinx will continue his journey toward your colony in the Himalaya, Tho many friends of Captain Ashby in New Zealand will be glad to loam that the efiect3 of his late severe illness aro slowly but surely pacing away. He has now done away with his aim sling, and no longer requires the aid of a stick in his peregrinations at the seaside and in the city. Captain Ashby is, indeed, nearly hia old self again, and that, as his friends know, is saying a good deal. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Mr Thomas William Boulton, son of John and Lucy Boulton, who loft England in the year 1874 or '75 for Auckland, New Zealand, is being enquired for by Messrs Garrard, Jamen and \\ olfe, solicitors, of 13 vSuilblk-Btreeb, Pall Mall, East London. They can tell him "something to hia advantage" and promise to suitably reward anybody giving particulars of Mr T. W. Boultoa'B present whereabouts, or of his death.

I hear that Mr F. I. WilliamsoD, of Eshor, has been comtniasioned to execute the marble life-sized recumbent statue of the late Bishop Harper which it has been decided to erect in Christchurch Cathedral.

Mr Spencer H. Gollau, of Manyatarata, who is now living at 6 Porchester Gate, Hyde Park, has informed the world at large, through the medium of the "Times," that hi 3 wife presented him with a son on Saturday last, January I9fcb. Inquiries elicit the news that both mother and child are progressing favourably. May the boy be as good a sportsman as his lather 1 Sir Henry Havelock Allen, who served in tho Maori campaign aa a staff-officer, has juss been selected to replace General Fraser at the head of the Ptoyal Irish Kegiment. It is just fifty years einca lie obtained hia first commission in tho Army. Ha made his earliest bid for fame in the Indian Mutiny; and won two steps in promotion during that bloody period, gaining also the Victoria Crosß. Sir Henry also fought ae* an amateur, i.e., he vra* not officially connected with the rioopa engaged in the Telel Kebir business. ANGLO-GERMAN SENTIMENTS. It is a pity the sentiments of all Gomunic Antipodean are not kb unexceptionable as those of Mr L. li. Samuels, the Victoria mining expert. This gentleman was dined at the Holborn Restaurant last week by Mr Howard Spensley, Mr Etheringkm, and a number oi other friends, and replying to the toast of his health, said he had been referred to as a born German, and be had for 20 yearn lived under the fUg of Germany, buc Jor 30 years he had lived under the sceptre of Queen Victoria. (Cheers.) He was a British subject;, and he belonged to that Great Britain ot which Austrulia formed no inconsiderable part. There are millions of poople similarly I situated who live under the beneficent rule of Queen Victoria, and acknowledge the liberal institutions of Great Britain, and any attempt to coerce or intimidate these people, who were to all i intents and purposes compatriots with I Englishmen, was an attempt which he did : not feol ho could iind adequate words to

I condemn. (Cheers,) Ho was surprised | thab in a city like London, where tens of I thousands of Germans were residing, bej longing to Great Britain, and calling them- ' selves subjects of the Queen, that a meeting J had not been called to make a united protest against the ill-advised action of the German Emperor. (Loud cheers.) There were thousands upon thousands of Germanborn ■ English subjects who thouehb the same, although they might nob have had | the same opportunity of expressing themselves as had been afforded to him. (Loud cheers.) A NEW ZEALAND VETERAN. Another of the veterans of the New Zoa- ■ land war haa gone to hia last rest, namely, ' Dr. George Cunningham Meikieham, who •lied at Soufchsoa last week. Tho doctor's career since ha entered the army medical service five and fifty years ago had been a very active one. Forty years ago he served in Butmah, being present at tho storming of the White Houee redoubt, and also ab the historic capture of Rangoon, Then came the Crimean War and Dr. Cunningham had a tull share in the exploits of that most exciting time, gaining two medals for his humanity and heroism. In '63 he served in the New Zealand war and he aleo took part in the Abyssinian campaign.