ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 157, 5 July 1899, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(JFrorn Our Special Correspondent.)

LONDON June 2. THE N.Z. MIDLAND RAILWAY

TBOUBLE.

The "Westminster Gazette," one of the few English newspapers that has remarked on the New Zealand Midland Railway case without going baldheaded for the Government, comments on the circular now being sent out on behalf of the debenture-holders thus: "Now ithat the debenture-holders have again been defeated in the law courts, their apologists dwell more strongly than ever upon the moral side of the question, and it would certainly advance matters if they would state what the debenture-hold-ers really want. Their company broke the. contract, wilfully as the judges have held, and the New Zealand Government is exercising its legal right on behalf of the New Zealand people to seize the line. The apologists complain that no further time was allowed to complete the line. But will the debenture-holders complete it even if they are granted a century? Apparently what they want is to be quietly paid off without sacrifice, so that all the loss may fall upon the New Zealand Government, For the Government to submit to an arrangement anything like this would be to commit a breach of trust with its taxpayers." "Moses Moss," writing in 'Truth Ms week, says: "The case of the New Zealand Midland Railway deben-ture-holders attracts renewed attention, as after the recent adverse decision it will now come before the Privy Council. But even if that Court should decide against the de-benture-holders the moral claim remains. The action of the Government of New Zealand in confiscating the property must greatly injure the credit of the colony, and the prophetic words of Mr Seddon, the New Zealand Premier, spoken in 94, will be brought home to the colonists, that if this difficulty is not removed, and the honour of the colony is not left untarnished, their friends at Home, 'instead of assisting them to maintain the colony's credit, will say they cannot trust them.' " The "Financial Times," commentin" on the cabled news received m London on May 25th, to the effect that the judges of the N.Z. Court of Appeal had unanimously found in favour of the Government in the matter of the N.Z. Midland Railway dispute, remarks: "We do not doubt that, the Bench has been perfectly bona fide in its ruling, but on the facts of the case it is difficult to see how such a decision could be given unless with a considerable degree of unconscious bias in favour of the authorities. So far, the petition to the Stock- Exchange Committee against the granting of quotations to further New Zealand issues appears to have fallen on deaf ears, but we now expect to see a strong revival of the agitation against the colouy's investments." "CLUTHA" MACKENZIE'S FARE- . WELL DINNER. The well-deserved reputation which that most good-natured man Mr H. C. Cameron has attained as hon. secretary of Anglo-New Zealand dinners was more than sustained by the Mackenzie Farewell Banquet. I 'have to the detriment of my constitution sat down to many sorts and conditions of public meals'in London, but I don't think I ever faced one better cooked or better served than that provided by the Albion, Aldersgate-street, last Friday evening. True, the company was not large—under 100 all told—but to provide a really recherche repast for even this number and send it up hot requires considerable organisation. The Albion is an old-fashioned city house, run on the sumptuous lines favoured by our pot-bellied grandj parents. It doesn't call itself a resit aurant, or an hotel, or a cafe, but a tavern. Dinner there signifies ten or twelve courses of particularly solid fare.

Mr Arthur A. Best, as Chairman of the Mackenzie Dinner Committee, presided, with Mr John Alexander, Mr Charles Balme, Wr W. Ludham Crowe and Mr N; N. Sherwood as vices. The dinner took some time (needless to say) getting through. Then Mr Thos. Powell's Lyric Vocal Quartette were turned on and warbled a class of j music which one only hears at these ■) dinners, and whidh is somehow inex- ! tricably mixed .up in my mind with j the coffee and old brandy one usually ! imbibes at.the same time. Whenever I hear a. glee, or a madrigal now I always smell—old brandy. Mr Best-made a capital Chairman, and presented Mr Mackenzie with an illuminated address and a silver punch j bowl. The latter will I doubt not be found sufficiently capacious to provide "toddy" in for a good few after Clutha election. 'Tis a noble piece of plate and in excellent taste. Mr Mackenzie, replying, thanked his friends with genuine feeling for their good wishes, the illuminated address • (pronouncing him a- prince of good fellows), and the silver bowl. He then proceeded to business and promised in no enigmatic' language. to try and make things warm for insurance folk and others hindering the development of the New Zealand produce trade should he get into the colonial Parliament. I fancy, however, these bellicose sentiments were not meant to be reported. Other speakers were Mr Alex. Bitchie, Mr A. C. Arthur, Mr. Bcag, of Canterbury, who only arrived the night before, Mr.-N. ■N. Sherwood and Mr Cameron. . , Mr Arthur, replying to the toast of the prosperity of New Zealand, paid a handsome tribute to the capacity of the Agent-General. He had, he said, known four representatives of the colony and the}' 'had all been remarkable men and filled the office with distinction. Mr Reeves' brilliant book, "The Long White Cloud," gave him, however, a special claim on the regard of New Zealanders. Amongst the prominent alumni of the city who joined in paying Mr Mackenzie the compliment of this dinner and presentation I should include Sir Edwyn Dawes, Sir Montague Nelson, Mr Davidson (of Buxton, Bonalds and Go.),'-Mr Jas. Gaird (of Turnbull, Martin), Mr. John Eoss, Mr Chas. Balme, Mr Sherwood, Mr J. A. Pottei", Mr 0. E. Strickland, Mr Thomas Bortliwich, Mr John Alexander, Mr Leedham Crowe, Mr A. W. Cunningham. THE AETICLE CLUB'S EXHIBITION. Onlytwo colonies, New Zealand ancT Queensland to wit, are in evidence at the Industrial Exhibition formed under the auspices of the Article Club at the Crystal Palace, and opened to the public by the Duke and Duchess of Connaught on Tuesday last; but the Australian colonies were well represented at the opening ceremony,

the only Agent-General not on view being Sir Julian Salomons, Who-was enjoying the more inspiriting show, the Military Tournament, at the Royal Agricultural Hall. But New South Wales was not entirely unrepresented, her popular ex-Governor, Lord Carrington, being well to the fore among those who stood near the dais from which the Duke delivered his declaration that the Exhibition was open. After the usual round of inspection the Royal party lunched in a private room ,and the remainder of the guests, some 500 souls, sat down to a cold collation in the concert room under the presidency of the Hon. W. P. Reeves, Chairman of the Article Club Committee, who had only returned from Berlin, whither he went with Dr. Cockburn to attend the Tuberculosis Conference, a few hours before.

The Agent-General for Maoriland, in the course of a brief speech proposing "Success to the Article Club," said his German trip had ,given him a more cheerful view of the prospects of the Mother Country than even that which he took away with him. There might be countries which possibly showed more ■ skill "in ' advertising, though he was not sure of that, but when it came to producing a good article the British manufacturer was second to nobody on earth—a fact shown by the exhibition just opened by Her Majesty's third son. " New Zealand and Queensland in conjunction have an exhibit showing the process by which meat is frozen for export and. carried on board ship from the colonies to this country.

The exhibition, which remains open till October, possesses the unique feature of only one exhibit of each kind. This arises from the fact that only members of the Club can exhibit, and that not more than one representative of any particular industry can, at the same time, be a member.