PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10998, 22 June 1901, Page 4

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

ifBQK OVB OWK CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, May 18Mr Seddon has 'been appointed by the I King a Privy Oooncilloir, and of the I papers appear to look upon it as lan altogether new appointment. Hdwever, why the ; Premier of New Zealand should be made a member of jtbe Privy Council by King Edward when |je had'been already appointed by the late! Queen,, has been a puzzle to many. Tbe.TeafctpaßQg, I hear, is that an appointment *6>tfie Privy Council, though holding goodfor,life if, the Councillor be net anmmoyd*'to or if summoned the holder of the honour does attend, lapses at the first non-attendance on summons. Now, a meeting of the Privy Council was called recently in Australia, and 'Mr Seddon, in consequence of the illness of his daughter, was unable to attend. Therefore he ceased to be a Privy Councillor, but has immediately been reappointed by the King. Mr L. D. Nathan, of Auckland, is about to run down to Norwich for a day or two. Later on he md his family purpose visiting the Champagne and Cognac districts, and perhaps Paris too, retuming~t>o this country en route to the Glasgow Exhibition. Mr D. Murray Roes, of Dunedin, New Zealand, hae passed his second examination for the M.B. Degree at Durham University. He ia now studying at St. Thomas's Hospital in preparation for his final examinations.

E. H. Clere, son of Mr IV de J. Cfere, architect, of Wellington, and to ex-pupil of the Wangacui College, who has been studying for some time past at?" the famous Blundell School, at Tivertbn, Devonshire, when competing in the school sports, won the second prize for throVing the cricket ball, although he is only sixteen years of age, and had to compete against big fellows of nineteen. He also won one of the 100-yard races, but was unwell and so could not compete in the final heat. Mr and Mrs Thomas Bullock, of Ashburton, and their daughter, arrived by the New Zealand Shipping Company's new steamer Rinmtaka. 4'hey tell mc they had an exceedingly pleasant trip, and are looking forward to an enjoyaible. sojourn, in the Mother Country. They leave London on Friday for Cornwall, which is Mr Bullock's native county, and subsequently go to Scotland for the Highland Show. Their present intention is to leave England' in August or September next on their return to New Zealand. Mr Bullock thas already been looking into matters concerning the New Zealand meat trade. He • was disagreeably surprised to find that the price of New Zealand mutton had dropped so seriously in spite of the confident anticipations of all the experts that its recent high rate would be maintained' for a long time, if not permanently, owing to the shortage of the New Zealand supply. But one grain of comfort was picked up in the statement of a candid butcher in London that New Zealand mutton now stands so well in public favour that it is sold under its proper name as New Zealand meat, and not as "prime Scotch" or "Welsh," as formerly ; while the New Zealand lamb holds its own against all competitors. The Rev. H. T. Purchas, of Christchurch, is afc present in London. He intends leaving shortly for the country. Mr W. P. Turton, of South Qeraldine, is now in London.

Mr Isaac Wilson ran up to town from Torquay a few days ago. He is just leaving for the English Lakes, and , expect* to return to t&e colony, by way of San Francisco, some time in September. Sir John Hall, who arrived fn town recently, is still staying at 20 King street, Portman square. One of Ms latest calls was at the Leathersellers , -. Hall, -in St. Helen's Place, 'he being a member of the ancient Company of Leathersellers. He has also been engaged in the city, and I am told that he was never looking better. ' . .

I notice that the Rev. J. G. Greenhough, M.A., President of the National Free Church Council, will shortly leave England on a visit, to , Uew- Zealand send Australia. Reading the "Pall Mall Gazette" tihe other evening, I wondered whether a paragraph therein was intended as a compliment or not. The heading was 'The Rt. Hon. 'Dick, , " and, of course, had reference to the re-appointment of Mr Seddon to the Privy Council. ;Mr Seddon's Imperialism was warmly appreciated in ■fact, he is held to be "a sound Imperialist if ever there was one." But, it is said, "his wildly experimental legislation and oppressive land laws have played the mischief with capital. His tactics at election time* are not calculated,, to put it mildly, to elevate public life. Still, he appears impregnable, since the present Opposition is, if anything weaker than its predecessor. The time will come when New Zealand with a little leisure again for reflection will discover that 'Dick' Seddon has cost it more money than it-can afford. Meanwhile lie will chuckle jovially over his new honour." And the writer of this says that, he personally knows all about New Zealand. ...-■'■ Lieut.-Colonel Montague Cradock does not see any prospect of returning to the colony.