OUR LONDON LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 7475, 20 March 1888, Page 3

OUR LONDON LETTER.

Tho Coptic brings two days' later news than than the 'Frisco mail. Our London correspondent, writing on January 27, says :

Mr Raikes (the Postmaster-General), speaking at the annual dinner of the Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce last night, referred to the numerous projected improvements in the Australian mail service. One way aad another, he explained, the Government had effected economies to the extent of L 107.000 a j ear on the Indian and China mail service, and this sum, or a portion of it, would be used in perfecting the Australian service. They were going to have a weekly mail as hitherto, but it was to be independent of the Indian mail. It was to go to Adelaide, and to be carried by the Peninsular and Oriental Company and the Orient Company alternately in thirty-five days to Adelaide, and thirty-five days from Adelaide—Adelaide being made the centre for the Australian mails in the great group of the colonies. Moreover, the Government hoped to be able to reduce the cost of postage from this country to the Australian colonies. They believed that when that had been done there would still be a saving of from L 50.000 to L 60.000 a year on tho entire service, and all these letters would go by sea from Plymouth to Adelaide, instead of going via Brindisi. They might be longer going than by the overland route, but greater facilities would be given for correspondence between this country and the colonies. A reduction had also been effected of L 20.000 ia the branch rates between Calais and Brindisi. Mr Heneage intends to bring forward the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill directly Parliament meets. If energy and determination can ensure success it will be pushed through at last this session. I fear, though, the loss of Lord Dalhousie, who had charge of the Bill in the Lords, will be seriously felt,

Lord Brassey addressed the London Chamber of Commerce on the subject of " Our Coaling Stations and Their Defences " at Cannon street Hotel on Wednesday afternoon. After describing the elaborate Government scheme now in progress for the defence of our coaling stations, His Lordship proceeded to sum up what he considered the most important omissions. Amongst other things he recommends the establishment of armaments of sufficient force to deny the harbor and coal supply to cruisers at King George Sound, Port Darwin, and Thursday Island. The Duke of Cambridge and Lord Charles Beresford approvo of His Lordship's suggestions. Mr Douglas Sladen's ' Australian Ballads and Rhymes,' in the 'Canterbury Poets' series, was published yesterday. Specimens of the work of several New Zealand rhymsters—3uch as Alexander Bathgate, Alfred Domett, E. S. Hay, Mrs J. G. Wilson (of Wellington), and John Liddell Kelly—are given; but I miss the names of John Blackman, "Paddy Marphy " (Iforget his real namo), the Waikato poet (who has published so much), and others. Mr Sladen has, however, in hand a much larger seleci tion which will be published in octavo by Griffith and Farran.

Australasian playwrights have not so far achieved, conspicuous success on the London stage. The last to try her hand pn the metropolitan public was Mrs Haddon Chambers with ' Dawn.' Now, however, much more ambitious attempt is to be made. Mrs Campbell Praed, tho successful novelist, has, with some professional help, adapted her novel ' The Bond of Wedlock ' for Mrs Bernard Beere, who will produce it at the Opera Comique next week. Mr Hennikcr Heaton will take the floor at the Colonial Institute on April 16, the subject being, of course, " Imperial Penny Postage." Your K C M.G. is not far off now, Henniker ! UKNERAL ITEMS. The Conservatives are thunderstruck at the success of the new Radical halfpenny paper the ' Star,' which has in little over a week achieved the unexampled circulation of 200,000 per diem. The third anniversary of General Gordon's death was celebrated all over the country yesterday. The weights for the spring handicaps were declared yesterday. We learn from them that Major Egerton (the Jockey Club handicapper) considers Minting one stone and two pounds better than any other animal in training. Themostfavoredanimal in the City and Suburban seems to be the Oaks winner, Revo d'Or, who should make a great bid for success with only 7st 121b to carry. For the Lincolnshire Handicap, last year's surprise, Oberon (5 years, Sat lib), looks well; whilst for the Grand National, St, Galmier (6 years, list Sib) is sure to be an immense favorite. Kempton Park Champion _ Coursing meeting has been in progress this week and concludes to-day. The last four dogs left in the Champion Stakes, of LI,OOO, for sixtyfour dogs, were Redvale, Holmby, Mullingar, and Mr R. F. Gladstone's famous greyhound Greater Scot, who ran up for this event last year, and subsequently divided the Waterloo Cup with Herschel. The final will lie between Mullingar and Greater Scot. Most people think MuliiDgar is slightly the hotter favorite.