ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9815, 26 August 1897, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(from our own correspondent.)

LONDON, July 14. Sir John Hall and Mr O. C. Bowen, M. L. 0., were entertained at the dinner by the Junior Carlton Club on Tuesday evening. Three of the New Zealand Bishops—the Primate, the Bishop of Christchurch and the Bishop of Dunedin— with their wives, ware among the guests at Lady Warwick's? reception in the Gallery of the Institute of Water Colours, Piccadilly, held on Monday night in connection with the Imperial Education Congress. The Bishop of Christchurch and Mrs Julius, with their daughters, will leave Marseilles by the Messageries Maritiines steamer, Armand Behic, on the 15th of August, on their return to New Zealand. Mr F. Faithfnll Begg was, after all, done out of his day for the Women's Franchise Bill by the device of blocking it with auother Bill, which was discussed with detail and prolixity until the Franchise Bill was effectually killed. Mr Faithfull Begg accordingly withdrew it for the session. It must be confessed that the prospects of the measure were seriously discounted through the excessive pertinacity and obtrusive volubility of numerous strong-minded women, who thronged the lobbies and worried members to such an extent as to promise very unpleasant times if women really had the vote. Mr H. F. Yon Haast has'decided definitely to remain in England, and is thinking of joining the English bar. He will probably enter at The Temple shortly. Mr E. J. Greenstreet, of Cox and Greenstreet, has come Home for the purpose of making enquiries as to the prospects of the refrigerating trade in England. Mr W. H. Montgomery, M.H.R., is about to pay a visit to Paris, and intends leaving England on the 29kh inst. on his return to New Zealand. He will go by the Vancouver route.

Mrs C. Cutten and her son and daughters (Mr and the Misses Mendelson) leave almost immediately for the Continent. They intend spending some little time at Homburg partly for the benefit of Mr Mendelson, who is somewhat out of health, and who purDosee going through a course of the waters. He has been obliged to give up athletics for tins season, much to the regret of his College, of whom he was at one time one of the chief athletic ornaments.

Mr J. H. Witheford has a house boat at Henley this week, where he is entertaining some of his colonial and English friends. Several New Zealanders were present at the Duchess of Devonshire's garden party, including Sir Weatby and Lady Perceval, Mr and Mrs Seddon, the Hon. J. B. Whyte and Miss Whyte, and Mr and Mrs T. Harrison Davis.

At the Imperial Education Congress, the Agent-General for New Zealand read a paper on "Education in New Zealand,' describing very fully the scope and work of the departments and system. The Bishop of Dunedin took part in the discussion which ensued.

Mr and Mrs G. G. Stead are still in London at the Langham Hotel. Mr Stead has had, and still has, his hands full of engagements. Hβ Ins received a great deal of attention since hie arrival, and has in fact been unable to accept many of the invitations sent to him. But while thoroughly enjoying his holiday in England, Mr Stead as usual has had a keen eye to business. As the result of the visit he paid to the Royal Agricultural Show at Manchester, he subsequently purchasedtwomagnificentSbropshire ram lambs which were in the prize list. Mr Stead also attended the first July meeting at Newmarket, the Stewards having recognised his prominent standing in the New Zealand racing world by sending him a special complimentary ticket. While at Newmarket Mr Stead purchased two fine colts and a filly. Mr and Mrs Stead, as I mentioned before, were at Ascot,, and this week they have beea at Henley Regatta. To-day they are at Bandown in the hope of seeing Persimmon win the Eclipse Stakes. Mr Stead has been over Sir

Blundell Maple's stables, and has also inspected Mr Leopold de Rothschild's breeding stud and racing stables, Next week, by invitation, he is going to see the Duke of Westminster's stud ab Eaton*

Mr Stead was one of those who took an active interest in getting up the New Zealand produce banquet which was given at the Holborn Restaurant last week. He was a vigorous member of the Committee, and lie justly regards the affair as having been a great success. He has also been recently to Nottingham in reference to gas matters, and is spending a considerable amount of time in looking over various newspaper offices, and inspecting their machinery and appliances. Next week Mr Stead goes by invitation to look over a large farm which has proved a mine of wealth to itis owners. This is a clear proof of good management, as any English farm which pays nowadays must necessarily have been well managed, and Mr Stead is anxious to pick up any new ideas that may suggest themselves to the advantage of pastoral and agricultural matters in New Zealand.

The ram lambs purchased by Mr G. G. Stead will be shipped by the c.a. Mataura, leaving about the middle of August. They were bred by Mr Philo L. Mills, a successful exhibitor of prize stock. They were sired by Ruddington Eclipse, a very famous ram which realised no less than 230 guineas at auction, and is generally admitted to be one of the best sires that has been known for years.

Sir John and Lady Hall are still residing at 15 Bulstrode street, but are now thinking of paying some country visits, the first of which will be next week to Mr and Mrs William Gisborne, at Allestree Hall, Derbyshire. They were among the guests at the Baroness Burdett-Coutts's garden party, which they enjoyed very much. Otherwise they have not been out a great deal owing to Lady Hall's health, although Sir John himself was at a good many social functions. They have, of course, had numerous invitations, but "begged off" from, most of them. Sir John Hall says that the gathering at Mr Chamberlain's reception was the greatest crush he ever saw in his life. Lady Hall is not, lam sorry to say, in much better health. She has undergone a slight operation which was successful as far as it went, but from which she has not as yet derived much benefit. Sir John and Lady Hall expect to leave on their return trip in October. Their present plan is to go by one of the North German Lloyd steamers.

In view of the importance of last week's New Zealand banquet at the Holborn Restaurant it will be interesting to give the names of those patriotic New Zealanders and London friends of New Zealauders to whose aid the success of th,e movement was due. It should be remembered that the method adopted was not to charge for admission tickets, but to raise a lump sum by private subscription, and then to issue the dinner invitations free to those persons whose attendance wu3 deemed desirable in the interests of the colony. Accordingly I append the full subscription list, which was as follows:—Leednam Crow £3 3s, Balme and Co. £10, Dalgety and Co. £5 ss, Sanderson, Murray and Co. £3 3s, bclandere and Co. £5, Hudson Bros. £5 ss, Cross and Sons £5, W. G. Innes £5, C. C. and l>. Co. £15, J. Alexander £25, W. P. Reeves £35, Turnbull Martin and Co. £10, Tesehulaker £5 ss, Clement and Son £10, W. Cunningham Smith £3, Sutton and Sons £5, New Zealand Shipping Company £15, Trengrouse and Co. £5 ss, Bell and Co. £5 ss, Gordon Woodruff £5, Sir John Hall £5, Birfc, Potter and Hughes £5 ss, Herbert Haynes and Co. £5, C. Balme £3, Thomas Mackenzie £10, A. A. Best £30, J. Lovell £30, W. Weddel and Co. £15, Hurst and Co. £15, Bnxton and Ronald £10, Christchurch Meat Company £10, Rose and Glendinning £5 ss, Anderson Webb £5 ss, F. Bryant £5, Sir E. M. Nelson £5, G. G. Stead £5, R. H. Rhodes £5, and Waymouth £10.

Two beneficial results have already accrued from the dinner. In tbe first place unusually full accounts of the affair have found publication in various ■widelycirculated papers, complimentary testimony to the excellence of New Zealand products being in every case a prominent feature, This is really a good advertisement for the colony. In the second place, the pronounced success of the banquet has encouraged the promoters to make it an annual event. The Committee met on Monday to cloae up accounts, those present being Mr Thomas l£*dc«utK Sir £ M. Nekon, MmshQ. 0.

Stead, W. Weddel, W. Kennaway, A. Sclanders, J. A. Potter, W. Crow, Arthur A. Best, W. Cunningham Smith, F. Bryant. W. G. Innes, N. Sherwood, J. Muller, and H. C. Cameron (Hon. Sec). Mr Weddel suggested that as each of the other Southern colonies had ite annual dinner New Zealand might as well go and do likewise. Hβ tabled a definite resolution to this effect, which was seconded by Mr A. Sclanders and carried nem. con., as also was a further proposal by Mr W. Kennaway that Mr Thomas Mackenzie should be requested to act as the annual convener of the New Zealand dinner. Very hearty votes of thanks wore passed to Mr Thomas Maokenzic, as the originator, and to Mr H. C. Cameron, as the Hon. Sec. of the movement A prominent New Zealander who was present at the dinner, writing to mc about it, says—" The dinner was a great success, the only drawback being the long speech by Mr Seddon, which occupied nearly an hour, and somewhat wearied his audience."

A most amazing statement is attributed by the Standard to Mr Seddon. According to that veracious journal, the New Zealand Premier said in New Zealand they had put a stop to extortionate interest. The Government lent money to farmers. They had advanced 32,000,000 {sic)— thirty-two millions—on mortgage at 5 per cent., and had saved farmers £60,000 [tic) a year. This very wonderful statement has excited considerable surprise amoMg those who know anything about the matter. They who don't, and who of course form the majority in England, are quite prepared to swallow any marvellous statement as to New Zealand borrowing and lending. As for the Standard, anything bearing on this subject acts as the red rag is supposed to do to a wild bull. And the figures appear to be bmlt up in much the same fashion as was the capital of Mr Moutague Tijjgs's famous Anglo-Ben-galee Insurance Company, " a figure of 2 and as many noughts as the printer can get into the line after that." In this case the Standard seems to have put down 32 and then added the noughts with indiscriminate prodigality, and without the faintest per* ception of what really was implied by such a gigantio total. It would be interesting t» know how the Standard supposed the New Zealand Government managed to lend thirty-two millions out of the million and a half which was borrowed for that purpose by Mr Ward, and which formed the only source available. But this is a pleasant little way some of the London papers have whenever New Zealand finance is the subject of discussion.

New Zealand securities generally are firm and buoyant and the tendency is still to improve. New Zealand threes are quoted at 99-101, 3| per cents. 107-108. fours 114*. 115J; Auckland City sixes 135-140, fives 115----117 ; Auckland Harbour sixes 109-113, fives 116-118 ; Christchurch City sixes 127-130; Lyttelton Harbour sixes 123-128 ; Dunedin City sixes 125-128, fives 112-114; Otago Harbour sixes 113-115, fives 103-106. Bishop Julius is frequently referred to in connection with the Lambeth Conference, and always as " the unconventional Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand." Sometimes he is also called " the athletic and unconventional Bishop." His speeches almost invariably come in for warm commendation, and he has distinctly scored. A number of surplus curios connected with New Zealand, including an historical S'cture of the late Tawhiao, the so-called aori King, were offered for sale by General Robley on Tuesday, and I understand generally found purchasers at favourable priced. Most of them were bought, I believe, for foreign museums.

According to latest advices, Mr E. T. Hooley's great scheme for the buying up and amalgamating all the meat freezing enterprises in Australia and New Zealand does not promise to prove such,a success as his previous enterprises have been. I under* stand that the replies received from the colony have been generally unfavourable to the prospects of the proposal, it being deemed impracticable to arrange amalgamation on anything like a satisfactory or equitable basis.

There has not been muoh doing in New Zealand mines this week. So far, I believe, there is nothing definite to record as to the progress of the various subsidiary companies contemplated under the suzerainty of the Consolidated Goldfiekle Company and Kauri Freehold Company respectively.