LONDON LETTER.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6627, 18 December 1886, Page 2

LONDON LETTER.

[FBOM OUH SPECIAL COBBIBPONDKNT.] LONDON, November 4. The several departments of Government bate seldt in, or never, been better officered than they are at the present moment, the executive work cf which, of course, always falls open the Under-Secretaries. One of the most efficient of these is Sir James Fergusaon, M.P., your erstwhile Governor; and he is receiving the greatest possible kudes for the admirable manner in which be is conducting the business of Foreign Affairs. While Parliament was sitting he was chief spokesman on all questions relating to his department, and, though constantly badgered by some of bis political opponents, he always succeeded in affording, or refusing, such information as he deemed necessary in the moat ceurteous, and yet dignified, language.

One of the most popular members of the present House of Commons is Mr Henniker Heaton, of Australian renown. This gentleman is still btrenu maly advcoiting the adoption of a penny post for the colonies, and though he did nob auoceed in passing the measure last session, he is very sanguine that his idea will shortly be paced upon the Statute book. His hut argument in its favor is that on ing to the present almost prohibitive rates emigrants and their friendß at Home get absolutely lost to each other, whereas were the universal penny, postage established, they could be in constant communication. Whether the scheme is finding favor in the colonies I am not in a position to determine.

It is highly gratifying to see eoloinal art so well represented at the Exhibition, and New Zealand specimens standing out in such relief. One water-color painting iB described as being by Mr Walter Dicksee, and as being a drawing of considerable depth and power. Bat tho notice goes on to say that the artist " must bave noted with attentive vision the incidents of carrying wool in Canter* bury, in the North liland of the NeeZealand group!" The argument of another writer that the term '-'colonial art "'is a misnomer, and that "art in the colonies'' /* would be more correct, ia surely veryab. surd. He considers that the artists are not as a inle colonial-born, and have for the most part home experience and reputation. It would be a wonder, indeed, were it otherwise in some instances, say in such a yourg colony as New Zealand; though these sinister viewi are by no means altogether borne out by facts; andianuie those who are interested in the matter, that colonial artists, pure and simple, an - m»t thoroughly appreo'ated in England. Mr J. A. Biackie contributes a veryenk* gistic article to the " Mag&z'ne of Art" entitled, "Art in New Zealand," in which -

he drawß attention to the leading characteristics of the paintings illustrative of . the scenery both of the North and Middle ' Islands; and likens Mount Cook as dominating some of the scenes to thefeinotw , Mount Fujios in Japanese landscapes. The ignorance of English writers on most colonial subjfleta is proverbial. Bat ' the following is an instance of aft Irish > bull by one who professes that he has for many years been a resident in Hew Zealand. He was writing of the religion of the . Maoris, and said that on passing, through some Native districts he was hi* formed by one of the inhabitants that a certain church was Cathoric, the writer correctly explaining this spelling by the fact < that the Maori was deficient in the labial ' pronunciation. But the same Mewi i* made to conclude his remarks by ssyb)g that some churches " b'long to the other chap," meaning the Protestants,- and. -. though he conld not define the difference in the two religions, the latter, be saM, knew "a lot about Solomon and Maths* . selah,"where thealliterationof the hitherto tabooed labial Ib so absurdly apparent.

Mr B. L. Farjeon, who, since his MB* nectdon with the Otago Daily Timta, hsj taken quite first rack as an anther of fiction,ia now writing a sensational story ' in the English IllustratedMagasine.ettttltd " A Secret Inheritance." I near also that an old Canterbury resident has completed . the manuscript in readiness for tho printer of a work entitled "Paraskene, or tbe Last Hours of Onr Lord upon Barth, . attempting to fix conclusively the vessa' question as to whether Oar Lord was oruoifledon Thursday the 14ih, or Friday the 15th day of the month Kuan, and proving the latter interpretation. This work I believe is very elaborate. Another batch of recidiristes have recently left France for New Celedca*. They are said to be a eet of rofians cf the lowest and most pronounced type, ana, strange to say, a considerable percentage- ■ of them are women. Thus it is that the British possessions in Australasia are.,.. being cursed with impunity by the ««■*- ~ tinned introduction cf this perniew** element in their very midst, and E U unaccountable that all protests- appear, to > be unavailing. The Psychical Society are to the !«*• again. They appear to have established tbe fact of some appearance or impresrrt* r —call it what you will-happening » persons far away from relatives or M*jT who are on the point of death. ThewJ* lowing is a case in point. A lady, **v* sitting at my elbow as I write these wero* - waa two or three weeks ago stajiSf f* Oetend in company with another Ww friend. Ia the middle of a crowd apCS*"* ' Esplanade one day her friend snddjnuy exclaimed, "There's my cousin—H'*, ' the same moment disengaging herself Wj* ~ the other's arm and rushing into w* crowd, almost lot ing herself, ra her w» ; endeavors ta reach this cousin. Theft*** , insil from England broaght the aooos»» > that cousin's decease, the time of ***** • exactly answering to this ''appearaao* atOstend. » At the recent Brewers' Eshibibea. * was demonstrate that tbe secret *Sf- ' tuccesa of the famous Burton beer MJ _ been thoroughly divulged by ™&?Z sraentifto analysis. The virtue ooaBS»» - the water, whioh contains certain sAW»f ingredients, and especially gyP* o ' sulphate of lime. The oonseqoeawJaW» from water artificially supplied with «■*»»., ingredients beer equal to Burton «*** crterla varibut, be brewed in any part «'. the globe, Manning's, or W«ta*i *

vytasta*** psoe** wary take • not* of these **llM?teAvedtae"Falbaai tragedy" *J***a sadly aad aofeaaarybsoaght toa aaaawasfeaTby tba bnrisl of Mrs Leader andlwrfesrslriAdres. Frost taeevideace \g- the Coroner's inquest it appears that aa* poor woman was undoubtedly tempo--2a«iaße«e.the Affection taking the form Tcßfsaa&ed jealousy cf her hucbaadt aid, awnover, that before drowning aesv atffaad her children she drank a eutuiderZttt esaattiy cf spirits aad bier, aad -fj—Try forced some of it down the throats *f her fitti* oees. The only satisfaction gad trim fr.*r» the irqaett is the camafjfc* absolutics cf Mr Leader from any ffeaat attached to his conduct whatever gait ceeU have given his wife any grounds lar her saspieioes of his infidelity. An iavpartast event for Londoners has last the delivery "to the public for ever ** at the famous Righgate Gravel Pit Wood, ggaasty acres in extut. Negotiations ate aba psadisg by which the neighboring awjamity, known at ChnrcbyArd Bottom Weed, of fifty-two acres, will be secured m a similar manner, aad thus a vast rejimlim ground wiU be provided for the laaajfag popsl ttioa. MrD. Talkxataa has given a grand Amnm at the Exhibition. Tbe fish came fgam British Cclumb'a, Ptiaee Edward's jaka* l . Mew Brass* ick. Nova Scotia, aad fataHs-on; beef, mutton, aad rabfaHa feem N«w Zealand aad Australia; beans *mam Canada j arrtw.xxjt poldirgi from gay F)s; jam tartlets aad pastry from Cased*! pineapples frem Btr.g«pore: twits, aesrs. and whits casexiea ia syrup, fjast Victoria and Canada; cheese aad |*ja*r from Canada; hooey from Western jaataaba aad Canada; wines from Tioaats, ¥<w South Wal«e, asd South Aneaa&ai aad tea aad coffee from India, fas affair wra a pre aonaaad taceese. load Iddeslaig*, whose pubße life baa lata ao lorg apatedated by Bsg'Jahaaea ataw be warn fescwa as Sir Stafford Ncrthaasv baa baca again elected Beetor ef fjttbaug*! University by a large majority ottt mt Lyon PUjf air. Best yoAT hi to be devoted to Jubilees, fjtattatof her Majesty diwawards. By **■**£* the least impoitmt of these will at that cf Mr Isaac Pitmas, who published aa fiat book oa Shorthand in If 37. A {JaaasiiUe has been formed to make suitasw atr*sge«ußts for (1) aa l«t»ra«ty> nitt games ot bfcorthaad writers all over the aanaV to b* held ha London, where aslaiii i of every system extant will ass imliV sad where papers win be read, ftaat wAkh it is anticipated that tie ffaiilßßil of the future" wfll be defatd; (2) a testimonial to Mr Pitman; m tat celebration of the tercentenary of xaaethy Bright, the father of modern aaeriaaadia Skxland; aad (4) the eatabaawaeat ef a permanent Institute, where awaj ajite in wJI be represented. Tat Salvation Army are doing their beet ft task* both end* meet by means of forced SMhJleHrri bat they are, pecuniarily tjasASag, m » « OC7 T ltfmit - Unfortunately, of their more or lees prominent BBBBtbers have been figuring rather conayJeataaay lately in tha criminal dock; aad ttsegh I do aot anticipate any immediate aaaates ef the organistti>a, yet its sxaith a already psawrT. Meanwhile tbe **oara.fßafs 1 * eoati&nes. Their Life Guards asm tart heard of at I»euntngton, where -Hejbal rmiirmTl-trrT m ~tsrr*i cf 230 mile*, fat "foots* ooctfsting of about 200 affaarsaad men, accompanied by aB the awea at atami i—i ist aad ambulance waggons. An important oareraony was aaawesadeeted, in which as many as ISO taw mil i inns were issued to men to •aero" ia America, India, Anatralaera, OdßaV sad varioae parts of the Continent. Mr Caariee WifiixaM, a war correafamdrat cf the Central Nrnes in London, sal wboaa I knew formerly as editor of Sba Svemiag Stwa, has just got £300 .eaaagra from tbe Batiariay Bevtem. Ia a faaoas article, beaded «*How we lost wsrdcs,** Sir Charie* WSaoa was blamed awths oelay ia reaching JLaartonm. Bnt, et tbe ether haad. Wilßama waa taken to ""la*k fcr the suiievtitsoas rnaimr t ia which atlaadobtsiEed his ißCalpitoryinformataa, aad they charged him with going to , aba tanks ia seaich of Olnatured aad goraip about a com-BBBder-ia-ehief, aad spoke of the cart-tail —i other iadstnitwe as hia deserts, vfaliaau' virfory it very popular, fcr the <|awpte are always ia sympathy with taanaoß, nar do they care to look very parVedatfraa to the source of such informa- ■ ana. It it eaough for them that the aaaßantatdsnt got it, aad to him they give fat new Emigration Bureau at 31, Basel aa j, Westminster, under tba anaaaaa ef the Government, baa already awjeed a great conrenießoe to intending •waeitti and their friends. Already aapkwahla iasttnoeaof igaotaace of locality have come to hand, •at the cfaoalt are busy distributing BAtaeaat trustworthy isf ormatioa en the amVjeal. They are ie comwiuaication with JatabaWcrking Men's Clubs throughout aaieJßßtry, their latest device being the sktadsooß of a penny pamphlet, oempfled aaa eiaonial ttaliatica and ether reliable ataaaea. The other day the Sunday Times flats saexatllent account of New Zealand aMlte resources, the writer acknowledgahiarslormaticn frem the Asrent GenesaL there I alto may express my deep sense ef the courtesy which I havereeeived from 9m ttsM geatiemia. aad from Mr laaawZtaxiaaray, in affording mc whataßaraasttof information were of interett ttysar saadars; asd Sir Julina Voa Haast aw tho tavariably treited mc in the same aaatetpMr. I wish I could say as much iar tit Colosial Offici; for I am sorry to stew that Mr Stanhope has elected to Mawia the groove of bis aala* perpetoate the hard-and-fast rule sßaVßSder r» canarderation whatever, are SBBaaaatatiTei of the Coksial Press peraeacd to interview anyone connected in tay way with bis d^partinont. nhcrpatted that a huge and valuable baiaf aaale baa recently been discovered •tar BArttepcol, oontainisg petrolenm of laßaVat finality. Waether it is antkitaatdthat a marketable supply will be rWeieail lv rot transpired. Stan of year readers maybe interested st latnnag that the quettica is being diseases! is high quarter* whether the estabaalßßeat cf a system of coaapulsory life in* aaaaase weuld not he preferable to the jßaaat ißtpcaitica of poor ratea. It is •Vaei that whereas in the one case pAtjeritui te fed and even pampered, ia fyetaar poverty wooM be rednced to a •aaaßaaa, aad the humblest member of ftamfr weald be enabled to acseit theinwalaaaames cf his manhood. Anew penny p*p#r has been started in fSfJcßveafled Th* Jowmal, and if it is a SS™ ****** eveataatesbat the anezlyatad.ltacnld imagine, from the geaeral ' «|Saaaari«t.cj •! this production, that its *woßaaiaaA<uied. jtmhmm. Judd, President of the Giolofjedßeeiery, baa given a very interesting ••tan al tbe Toynbee Hall, Whitecbapel. ••tte recent vokaeic emptiont ia the »«rah Iskad. The lecture was illustrated jfjaaaate drawicgj of tbe localities, both wsyaaad after the cataatrophe. ■■« haatiag has just commenced in fjafwasVaadan excellent aeaecn isa&tiBatter,late Head Matter *H*rrtw, has be. n appointed Master of gWay College, Cimbridge, and the apfatsbatat ha* given geaeral satisfaction. y'wdwr of Commerce, bat beea Te*y. y***? received here, aad the eomgwßM world la thoroughly reassured of •■»«ar* ef the eolosy. m ** Canathert, formerly Governncent 3y***»hi New Zealand, baa recently re"aaT em where be has been ye*! oat acme important worka. He of &c eonairy. J* ssoMuaoeacent of the death ot Mr aB^ a w«B«aa*caTaedtbedee7astccßeexn aaeay friends in England, jaeatea «f about 200 migrants of the jEMf"*"** to be seat cut to New Zea-

_9"**£-T»e Ohoka Lodge, TJ.O.A D, S*ttafr anal meeting oa Deo«mb«r &Sh, Bro. H. Strata _^ B * a ?'a*ar. Bro. G. Chi ittmas ia the After the usual routtae busir** was peas through; two candidates and three others proposed, closed,