ANGLO COLONIAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9702, 14 April 1897, Page 6

ANGLO COLONIAL NOTES.

(FROM OUR OWK COnnESPO^DKNT.) LONDON, March 5. It.seems to be regarded as a dead certainly that Mr.Seddon, when he comes Home, will receive an offer of knighthood, but opinions differ very much as to whether he will see bis way to accept it. I hear, however, that should the New Zealand Premier consider that the acceptance of knighthood would wreck or risk his political future, he will be invited to suggest one of his colleagues as a substitute, in which case it is reported that the Minister for Lands would be the recipient.

Mr P. Bigg 3, the well-known C'hristchurch chemist, who has been spending some little time in the Mother Country, is sending out no fewer than 40,000 willow cuttings to be planted in various places along the sides of the Avon. He says that these willows grow very much more quickly in New Zealand than in England, and that the English makers of cricket bats find that willow wood which has come rapidly to maturity, is much more suitable for their purposes than the timber of slower growth. Tiie London makers say that wood sufficient to make some 50,000 bats will be required this season alone, so it is thought there is a chauce of New Zealand earning an honest penny in this direction.

Air F. Biggs purposes leaving on his return to Christchurch in about three weeks. It maj' be remembered that he brought Home for exhibition a very fine collie dog, which had taken the principal prizes in New Zealand. Unfortunately, however, the dog has not arrived in good condition, and so Mr Biggs has decided not to exhibit him as originally intended. Mr Henry Gray, whose resignation of his position aa London Produce Surveyor to the New Zealand Government I mentioned last week, will bring his present duties to a close at the end of the current month, and shortly afterwards will take his departure by the lonic, accompanied by Mrs Gray, for New Zealand.

The Hon. J. B. Whyte and Miss Whyte have left London for Scotland, where they intend to make rather a lengthened stay.

It will be remembered that Lady Onslow, wife of the ex-Governor of New Zealand, was a daughter of the late Lord Gardner, who died fourteen years ago. A curious circumstance has attracted attention in connection with the Gardner family. The present Lord Gardner is Lady Onslow's cousin, and he has for some reason abstained up to the present time —that is, for four years -from sending in the necessary certificates to prove his title. It is alleged that he married a black girl, said to be a great granddaughter of the late King of Delhi. It will be remembered that about ten yeirs ago the gentleman who ia now Sir J'klmuud Lechmere. and who was then barely twenty years of age, married a Uhriscchurch (New Zealand) young lady, Miss Alice Samuels, who seems to have been cordially welcomed by her husband's people in Worcestershire, where they have owned property ever since the Conquest, and whore they are justly esteemed as among the oldest English families. Lady Leehmere died some time ago, and now the young baronet, who is hardly thirty, has married for a second time, his bride in this case being Miss Katharine Pay ton Wright.

Mrs Harrison - Dav.s's new play was brought out in the i>rovinces a few days ago, and appears to have met with a very favourable reception. I have seen some exceedingly good notices of it in the provincial papers. It is entitled " A Life l J olicy,' and I need hardly say it consists of the dramatisation of iVIVs Harrison-Davis's well known novel, "For So Little. 1,