PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 94, 21 April 1903, Page 5

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Our Special Corres_ioiident.)

LONDON, March 21

Evidence of the great popularity of Dr. Neligan, Bishop-elect, of Auckland, was provided last Thursday evening, at the Queen's Gate Hall, South Kensington, where Mrs Neligan gave a farewell "At Home" in the late evening. The proceedings commenced at 0.30, and from that time till an hour later there-was a constant stream of arrivals. Between two and three hundred people at least must have been in the hall ere eleven struck. An excellent musical programme helped to drown the hum of voices, and when tired of discussing the topics of the day one could take refuge in the rooms above and refresh the inner man, in a prettily decorated salon plentifully furnished- with what may called "tete-a-tete tables." Among the few New Zealanders I came across in the brief half-hour I spent in the halLwere Dr. Pennefather, Mr Rous Marten, and his niece, Miss Evans.

Dr. Neligan, who sails for the colony next week by the Kumara, was the special preacher at St. Edmund the King, Lombard-street, yesterday, and spoke on the connection between Imperialism and missions. "Referring to our various colonial possessions, Dr. Jseligan pointed out how great a factor tlie Church had been in helping in the early settlement of many of the distant parts of our Empire. Bishop Cray, in South Africa, and Bishop Selwyn, in New Zealand, and many other bishops and priests, did good service for the State as well as for the Church, and it was so still. The preacher stated that he had authority for saying that Sir Henry Parkes, the pioneer in the cause of Australian Federation, learned much from the parochial and diocesan organisation of the Church of England. Dr. Neligan emphasised the importance of work among the white colonists.

Dr. F. W. Pennefather, LL.D., lias decided to settle down in London per* mancntly, where lie finds his interests — legal, literary and charitable—-are chiefly centred. Two institutions in which he is especially interested are the Church of England Waifs and Strays Society, whose headquarters are in Savoy-street, Strand, and the other the Red Hilt Reformatory.

It seems but a few days ago only that Sir George Whitmore culled to say "good-bye at your London offices, and by v peculiar coincidence the news of his death reached London on the day when a case in which the dead soldierstatesman was plaintiff, and Captain Cecil Johnson, the defendant, was set down for hearing at the Westminster County Court. The announcement of the sad news from Wellington brought about an adjournment of the case.

Mr W. 11. Hamer, C.E., the new engineer of the Auckland Harbour Board, has take&his passage by the Oceana, which leaves London on April 30th, mid is due in Sydney 13th June. Before he sails Mr Hamer is making good use of his time by going to sec several of the great harbours round the United Kingdom which he has, not hitherto visited, including Liverpool and Clasgow.

.Messrs. R. W. Williams and F. B. Logan (Napier) arc now with a wsllknown "coach" at St. Leonards, on the South Coast, and will soon pass on from his hands to one of the Universities.

"Mr David Glasford, who has arranged to give a dramatic and musical entertainment at tlie Stcinway Hall next Tuesday week, has not forgotten the presence in the Old Country of artistes hailing from "down under." Included in his list of vocalists for tlie evening are Miss Noel Griffiths, Miss Regina iSagel, ilr A. H. Gee, and Mr Henry Stockwell. and "selections from colonial authors and composers" are to be a feature of tlie programme.

A first meeting of the creditors of Sir William Wasteneys, Bart., who is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand, of Mazenod-avenue, West Hampstead, was held at the London Bankruptcy Court yesterday. The debtor returned his liabilities at £3_MG 19/9, and no available assets were disclosed. Sir William mainly attributed bis failure to constant vexatious litigation brought against him, which rendered it impossible for him to make an income at the Bar. of which he is a member. No proposal was submitted, and tbe meeting was adjourned to the 30th inst.

Mr Reeves has been elected one of the vice-presidents of 'the Robert Browning Settlement? at £amberwell. whereof MiGeorge Cadbury, of cocoa fame, has consented to become the first president. I trust their association in this philanthropic endeavour will be to both gentlemen '''grateful and comforting" as one of Mr Cadbury's trade rivals declares, in advts.. his own particular manufacture to be.

Among the few visitors who have inscribed their names in the Agent-Gene-ral's book during the past week- are Mr F. B. Kiall, of Wellington, who for the nonce is residing at 57 Sisters Avenue, adjacent to Clapham Common; Mr Jno. Barr, also of the Windy City, who has taken London quarters at 8 Wellington Square, Chelsea; Mrs and Miss Greenstreet, of Christehureh, who are staying with Mr C. S. Mackie, at "The Croft," Rye, in Sussex: Mrs H. Baxter, and Miss Lora Baxter, of Canterbury, who have made their temporary home at 206 Al-bion-road, Stoke Newington; Mr P. E. Baldwin, of Wellington, whose town residence is at 20 Half-Moon-street, Piccadilly; and Mr W. W. Potter, erstwhile of Wellington, who is now general manager of the Unstead Mills, Shulford, and who appears to enjoy life in the Old Country in spite of climatic vagaries. At any rate his physical appearance suggests robust health and excellent spirits, though I understand he has only recently recovered from the effects of a rather severe fall. Mr Richard Whittingham, brewer, of Gore, who, I hear, intends to see what can be done with a patent he holds for an air-ship apparatus; Mr J. F. Kecne, late Sergeant-Major N.Z. Defence Force; Mr John Henry -Warner (Christchurch), who was cook and steward on Kerry's yacht, the Ariadne, when she was wrecked on the Ninety Mile Beach, have also put in an appearance at 13 Victoria-street.

From the "British Australasian" 1 clip .the following concerning one who is better known to you as Miss Therese Sievwright, of Dunedin: —"Mrs John H. Davis has already become a personage among New York's 'four hundred,' and her beautiful home in * Washington Square is-one of the show places in that exclusive quarter. On March 2 Mrs Davis gave a birthday dinner in honour of Miss Ada Crossley, when among the guests were Prince Del. ! Drago aud Count Visone. The iloral decorations were of unusual beauty. During the evening a number of new' pictures of the hostess' step-daughter, tlie Marchioness of Dufferin, in her Coronation Robes, arrived from England, and were naturally a subject of much interest to the party."

A South African friend tells me in a private note from Johannesburg that a meeting of New Zea landers was "recently held in that city to consider a draftconstitution for a "New Zealand Association," that there were about three score people present, and that Mr Archibald Joel took the chair, that it was resolved to invite Lieutenant-Colonel Bauehop, C.M.G., and Mr Advocate Hutchison to accept the offices of president and vice-president respectively, and that the following committee was elected: Messrs. A. Jack, E. S. Norrie, J. Grindley, J. A. Parsons, W. Hutchison, and Captains Todd and Batger. He fails, however, to indicate the precise objects of.the Association, but I take it that they are much the same as those common to most organist.. ion 1; of strangers in strange lands.

The Hon. A. J. Cadman is still confident of bringing the business of the Taranaki ironsands, in connection with which he has been Home for some time, to an early successful issue. His health has unfortunately been anything- but satisfactory since Christmas.

Mr W. L. Lambe, erstwhile of Auckland, is going out to Buenos Ayres next week, to supervise the erection of freezing, chilling, and canning plant.