OUR LONDON LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 7875, 6 April 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR LONDON LETTER.

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

[From Our Special Correspondent ]

London t , February 23,

It will, I imagine, be with a cheerful heart, a thankful spirit, and a more or les3 overloaded stomach that your new Viceroy will this afternoon bid a fond farewell to the chalky cliffs of Albion. The amount of valedictory feeding and ppeeehifying the poor man has had to go through during the last fortnight has been prodigious, and he must indeed be heartily glad it is at last all over for a time. Moat of tho functions were of course private or semi-private, and must be treated as such ; but there were one or two I may tell you a little about. That exclusive coterie, the Beefsteak Club, gave His Lordship a very jolly little dinner at the Cafe Royal last Sunday evening—the night, by the way, of the great snowstorm, Lord Granby (better known to fame as Mr Manners, Lord Salisbury's private secretary) occupied the chair. He was at Eton with Lord Onslow, and apparently a "chum "of his, though they were in different houses, and he congratulated him with unaffected heartiness on his success in life. Mr Montague Williams and Mr Underwood represented the law; Bancroft, George Grossmith, Corney Grain, John Hollingshead, and many lesser lights the stage; Edward Lawson and Captain Gooch journalism ; and the great Whistler and Leslie Ward art. There were very few toasts, and soon after eleven the whole party adjourned to the Garrick Club, where George Grossmith and Corney Grain obliged with their latest musical sketches. Lord Onslow's speech was on this occasion confined to a few gracious words of thanks to his old friends, and contained no matter of interest to you.

A far more important and interesting function was the St. George's) Club banquet on Friday last. Lord Knutsford presided, and Lord Lome, Lord Normanby, Lord Bury, the Agents-General, and a whole host of K.C.M.G.s connected with Australia and New Zealand shed the light of their countenances on the occasion. Being more especially an Anglo-New Zealandic affair, it was rather surprising to find Sir F. 1). Bell, Sir John Hall, Sir Charles Clifford, Sir W. Bullor, Sir Julian Pauncefort, and Sir George Bowen sitting " mumchance " throughout the whole evening, while Sir Charles Tapper, General Nonran, Mr J-Henniker-Heaton, and others, with no sort of connection with the club or the Australian colonies, orated. Lord Normanby prooosed the ' Army and Navy'—why, T can't think, but he did, and did it very badly, too. I had no idea the old fellow was such a wretched speaker. The impression made on the reporters after a few minutes lamentable stammering and stuttering was that lie hud mixed his liquors injudieionsly. A young man near me began to smile, but was promptly suppressed by a ducal " liner" from the ' Morning Post,' who observed, severely, that he saw nothing to laugh at in the noble Marquis's speech. " Nothing in tiie matter, but a good deal in the manner," responded my neighbor, tersely. " You are evidently unaware His Lordship suffers from an impediment in his speech," said the ducal one. My neighbor had been unaware of the interesting f ict, and thought the peculiarity a great misfortune. Any average person might certainly be excused for supposing the aged Marquis had imbibed not wisely but too well. "I am glad," quoth the 'Morning Post' party, witheringly, " I am not an average person." At which my young friend, unabashed, ''."mole" still more loudly. This was the first time I ever heard Lord Onslow speak in public, and I was much pleased, lie was fluent, easy, and amusing.'without being flippant or the least undignified. Lord Knutsford, in proposing the toast of the guest of the evening, remarked it had once been said that " It was preferable to abuse] a man behind his back than to praise him to his face." He feared that as be knew nothing to abuse Lord Onslow with behind his back, he should have to praise him to his face, which he there and then proceeded to do in stereotyped phrases, Lord Onslow said some rather smart things in the course of the quarter of an hour he was on his legs. I made a note of one or two of them, which was just as well, as the London papers confined themselves to the dullest portions of your new Governor's observation?.

His Lordship said he " had been told that the duty of a colonial Governor nowadays was to sit at the end of the telegraph cable and smile." With all due respect to the wonderful strides science had made within the last few years, he hoped it had not come to that yet. It would be, he bclioved.his duty to sympathise with persons in afllietion, and to encourage all enterprise ' nt, perhaps, above all, to exercise the " divine right of hospitalitv." The union between the Mother Country and the colonies was essentially one of hearts, and, as in real life, they had their levers' quarrels ; but they were only lovers' quarrels, and it must not be forgotten that, as the Latin quotation says, "The falling out of faithful friends is the renewal of love." He hoped the day would never come when there should be any necessity to choose between closer federation and separation ; but if it should, his utmost energies would be directed towards the maintenance of union.—(Cheers.) He believed that New Zealand had a great future before it; and it already showed signs of overcoming the effects of a period of depression, which. in common with other countries, it had ! endured.—(Applause.) If the rebound to prosperity took place during his term of office, he would not (as an eminent statesman had done) take all the credit to himself, but would perhaps on his return venture to draw their attention to the odd coincidence in the two eveuts. As a matter of fact, things were already beginning to look up in the colony. His Lordship also referred to your heavy import duties. " On this subject," said he, " I speak feelingly." Clothes, wine, in fact most of the luxuries of life, were heavily taxed. Champagne, for example (which beverage he understood New Zealanders consumed in fair quantities and appreciated thoroughly), had to pay an appalling dntv. He had found that out for himself. His Lordship wound up seriously enough by saying he was anxious to draw a distinction between that ambition which was selfish and that which was noble ; and he hoped to cultivate that ambition the aim of which was to leave the world a little brighter, better, and nobler for the toiling millions of our fellow-countrymen. The kindness they had shown him led him to believe that, with God's blessing, we might be able to carry out this idea, and that when he came back he might meet with the same kindness in this dear Old Country which he was proud to call his home, and that they might meet again as happily as they parted that night. —(Cheers.) „ , . , The eldest daughter of Sir Frederick Weld, G.C.M.G., was married to Captain Dmitt, R.E.,Jat the Manor Church, Chideock (Devon), on Wednesday, amidst great rejoicings. The Bishop of Plymouth pfficiated, and the Pope wired a special blessiDg.

Several colonial friends of the bride were present, and a great number sent gifts. Lieutenant Baden-Powell, brother of Sir George Baden-Powell, has been appointed A.D.O. to Sir Henry Norman. Sir George Bowen has republished the pamphlet on ' Imperial Federation,' which he amplified from his address to tiie Colonial Institute.

An amended prospectus of the "Co-opera-tive Colonising Association, Limited" has been forwarded to me, from which I gather that there is to be no chairman and board of directors, but a manager (Mr W. L. Rees), a deputy-manager (John Edmund Cracknel), a council—viz,, Messrs Frederick A. Beer, David Crombie, Rev. A. Styleman Herring, Willoughby Mullius, Alfred D. Sassoon, and Wi Pere (chief). I called on Mr Rees yesterday morning to ask how much money had been subscribed, and when the directors were going to proceed to allotment, lie was cloudily vague on both points. Pin him down to a plain statement of fact I couldn't. One thing, he said, presently, he would tell me: He was going to Scotland to see a Co-operative Society which had one hundred and fifty thousand pound* (impressively), for which it had no outlet, He (W. L. Rees) was going to provide it with an outlet (with a wave of the arm). " De'il doubt it if you can," I thought to myself. Mr Rees did not enlighten me a3 to the name of the society. The prospectus is a gem, Here are some of the objects of the association: —" (a) To provide investment for the savings of the laboring classes, (e) To act as agent 3 and trustees for all purposes and to administer charitable funds. (/) To borrow and leud money." The land Mr Rees wants to sell to the Association (of which he is to be the manager at a nice salary) is the Pakowhai block, at Gisborne, of 5,000 acres. For this h-T asks the " mere bagatelle" of L2. r >,ooo (L 21.000 in hard cash and L 4.000 oidy in shares). The commercial status of the members of the council or directors is not given on the prospectus, from which I gather that they none of them belong to very notable City firm 3. Mr Sassoou has, of course, a good Anglo-Indian name and connections, but seems himself to be an artist, just as Mr Styleman Herring is a clergyman and Mr Crombie an ex-photo-grapher. Mr Rees talks as wildly and sanguinely as ever, The rolling over of large sums of money on hia tongue seems to give him inexpressible pleasure. At present the important results to be achieved from his Scotch tour chiefly occupy him.

The London correspondent of the Manchester ' Guardian' is responsible for a remarkable statement to the effect that a Norwegian gentleman (name unknown), who has been settled in New Zealand seventeen years, has "just come to Europe for the purpose of taking out with him a considerable contingent of his fellow-countrymen. With the help of those, he hopes to be able to organise an expedition in two steam vessels to the Antarctic region. Of course his main purpose is to create an extensive fishery industry in seas where it is believed whales still exist in great abundance. But in order to do this it is necessary to hive a much better knowledge of the wide region within the Antarctic circle than we now possess ; and to obtain this, not only would the seas be explored and the nature and movements of the ice observed, but the enterprising colonist referred to would endeavor to station a party on the inhospitable Victoria Land, in the neighborhood of Mounts Erebus and Terror, for a whole year. He hopes to make the expedition pay its way, but at the same time expects that the Australasian Governments would grant him a moderate subsidy, for if ho succeeded in establishing a profitable Antarctic fishery theie is no doubt it would greatly benefit these colonies, Competent scientific men, equipped with proper instruments, would be taken on board and left with the wintering party, so that much good to science as well as to industry will result if the scheme be carried out." Sir Francis Dillon Hull knows nothing of this mysterious Norwegian-New Zealander, who has not called at Victoria Chambers. I have written to the Manchester 'Guardian' man on the subject, but up to the present time he has not replied.

Princess Louise has become a member of the Anglo-Australian Society of Artist 3.

Do you remember what a stir there was in Australian society two or three years back when it became known that Lord William Nevil, then on ft visit to the Governor of Victoria,, had, at the instigation of Lord Castlerosse, A.D.C., walked down to the Prc-Cathedral at Melbourne one fine morning and been formally received into the Roman Catholic Church ? The Abergavenny family were with the young man at the time ; but, in all probability, it was the best stroke of business be ever did in his life. But for it His Lordship would most certainly not have been married to a charming heiress, before the Prince and Princess of Wales and the smartest section of London society, at Bmmpton Oratory last Tuesday morning. The De Mariettas are strict Catholics, and the Marqucse De Santurce would as soon have thought of allowing his daughter to go on the stage as to marry a Protestant. The engagement has been off and on for years, and but for the influence of the Prince of Wales, who delights in helping lovers and arranging marriages, would never have come to anything. The marqueae and his wife (bnt ter known in London society as Mr and Mrs De Murietta) were till quite recently dead against the match. Lord William Nevil, as the younger son of a, comparatively speaking, poor nobleman, and with the record of a rolling stone, seemed to them a wretched match for the rich and beautiful Miss De Murietta. Lord Castlerosse, who inspired the bridegroom to " vert," was present at the wedding on Tuesday, and rubbed bis hands as he thought of his old " pal's " good fortune. Mr Henshaw, a notable Liverpool footballer, is about to emigrate to New Zealand, and played for the Old Boys' team, against Belfast for the last time on Saturday week. The International Conference at Berlin on the Samoan question will, it is feared, not come off for "some weeks yet, as a Special Commissioner is coming from Washington to represent the United States. The ' Financial Times,' whish so habitually attacks the credit of the various Australian colonies, was started by the estimable Colonel North, and is believed to be vei"v heavily subsidised by him. The Mr F. W. J Wyndham who is described as an actor and about to visit Australia and New Zealand for a pleasure trip must not be confused with the famous comedian, Charles Wyndham. He is—well —quite a different person. The late Sir William M'Arthur has, it transpires, left a a large sum (Llb'.OOO, it is said) towards the extension of Wesleyan chapel accommodation in London. Mr Quintin Hogg, the practical philanthropist who has so phenomenally developed the London Polytechnic Institution, is starting on a lencrthy tonr of India, Australia, and New Zealand, with a view of ascertaining what openings there are for young men of the class of his proUqis. The venerable Mr George Muller has got Home safely from Australia, and seems none the worse for his prolonged tour. Needless to say, the aged philanthropist was warmly welcomed by bis friends in Bristol. The Lord Mayor (Alderman Whitehead) invited Sir George and Lady Bowen to meet the masters of the Livery Companies and the Baroness Burdett-Coutts at the Mansion House on Wednesday evening. Sir George was entrusted with the toast of the House of Lords, but somehow or another got on to his "Imperial Federation " hobby, and pranced about with post-prandial heaviness for nearly half au hour. I couldn't hear very well what he said, but I don't think I lost muoh, as no one seemed to care to report the old man.

Amongst the converts to Mr Walter Reynolds's "Church and Stage" theories is a certain colonial archdeacon named—well, I spare his blushes. The pursuit of information carries this rev. gentleman a good deal behind the scenes, and the archdeaconal hat and gaiters are specially well known in the greenroom of a well-known temple of the drama where the " sacred lamp of burlesque" shines luminously. The numerous friends of the late R. A. Proctor in Australia and New Zealand, will be pleased to learn that Mr W. H. Smith has seen his way to allow poor Mrs Proctor LIOO a-ycar from the Pension Fund. M. Paul Blou'et (Max O'Rell) tells me the "pars" in the various papers announcing his immediate departure for the Antipodes on a lecturing tour are wholly incorrect.

It is just possible the idea may ripen into a plan some day or another, and that is all. The partners of Mr Louis Brennan (the clever young Victorian of torpedo fame) have resolved to recognise his services to their firm (Miller and Co., of Edinburgh and Temperlev) by the presentation of a cheque for LI,OOO and a magnificent service of silver plate, which i 3 now on view at Eikington's. 111-disposed persons have cirjulated rumors to the effect that the Government are not satisfied with their bargain with Mr Brennan, and that his torpedo has been superseded. That, of course, is nonsense, as will presently be fully apparent. When he can find time Mr Brennan means to bring out the pocket type-writer which (as I told you in my last) he has recently invented and patented. He has great hopes of its entirely superseding the Remington. Mr R. W. E. Muclver's friends in your part of the world will be pleased to learn that he has got hold of a white lead patent which promises well. One thousand copies of Mr Philip Mennell's 'ln Australian Wilds' were despatched to Australia and New Zealand by last week's steamer. The book is not, however, out here vet. Mr Trischler (the 'Hansom Cab lishing Company) says he's got Fergus Hume locked up in his new house at Brixton, and doesn't mean to let him out till he's finished the "shocker" he's at present engaged on. A mad wag. is Trischler, yet business-like withal. The Savage Club are raflliug the silver plate which was presented to the late Mr Crcswick during his Australian tour by the Bijou Theatre Company, Melbourne, for the benefit of the widow.

Barry Sullivan continues in the same moribund condition. He cannot possibly recover, even partially. His son, Amory Sullivan, has inaugurated a new " Barry Sullivan " company, and is travelling in the provinces playing poor Barry's parts. He opened at Cork in ' Hamlet,' and seems to have pulled through fairly, judging by the notices in the 'Era.' Sir J. Somers Vine has been "blackballed " at the Garrick Club.

The fair Australian Miss Thorndyke's connection with the evergreen Boucicault cropped up again at the Law Courts on Monday. Samuel French, the theatrical publisher, collects "Boucy's" fees for him in England. These amount to a considerable sum, and Mrs Agnes Boucicalt (Dion's first) wishes to impound them, as the alimony ordered her by the Divorce Court has never been paid her. " Boucy has by deed (duly signed and sealed) consigned his plays and all interest therein to his " beloved wife Louise Thorndyke Boucicault." This deed Mrs A. Boucicault now asked the Court to set aside. The Court said it would think about it, but meanwhile wanted to know a number of thing? about Mrs Louise Thorndyke Boucicault. Was she legally married to "Boucy," and if so, where were her " marriage lines," etc. Case adjourned for inquiry.

Mr Chamberlain made a felicitous speech on Imperial Federation at Glasgow on Monday evening. The discussion, he said, may be summed up in a phrase: Should the British Empire be governed for the benefit of England, or should England be governed for the benefit of tho Empire ? In any approach to Federation, England, as an integral part of the Empire, would have to abandon, or rather share with the colonies, certain rights, as Virginia and the old New England States were compelled to do when they formed the American Federation. A question of practical statesmanship would at once arise—namely, would England gain in the strengthening of the Empire, which would undoubtedly come from Federation, what she might lose in the abandonment of those ancient rights and privileges ? At the Colonial Institute, on Tuesday evening, there was a fair audience to hear Mr Alfred Hensman dilate on the manifold i advantages and glorious prospects of j Western Australia. Mr Hensman is an , advocate of the single Legislative Chamber Government, and devoted a large portion of his paper to pointing out its strong points. Sir George Bowen and Sir Frederick Weld | spoke iii the after discussion, and objected j to Mr Hensman's view, opining that the | dual Chamber system worked well, and j would answer best in West Australia. Sir George Bowen thought Northern Australia should be retained as a Crown oniony. The accounts of the Imperial Institute for the last twelve months have been published, and show an excess of expenditure over income of L 12.335. The salaries of Sir F. Abel and staff—although there is nothing doing yet—come to L5.23G, and keeping up a temporary office L 9.134. The ' St. James's Gazette' of Saturday last contains a g-owl from "A Sydney Resident," who, after falling foul of the editor for calling Victoria " our chief Australian colon v." says : " The obstinate refusal of Lord Knutsford to give us the right of choosing our own Governors has excited tremendous discussion and almost hatred of Great Britain here." Mr Slade Murray, who sails this afternoon for Australia, is one of the new school of music hall vocalists, and will, I think, be considered an improvement on Riekards, Vance, and Co. His comic songs have more real humor in them than ditties of the «La-di-da' or ' Is he guilty ?' class, and some of his serio-comic lyrics (notably 'Balaclava ') have been enormously popular. Sir George Baden Towell is, _ I am sorry to notice, one of the directors of the " West Moodies Gold and Ex ploration Company," which has turned out such a swindle. Sir W. T. Marriott, Q.C., M.P.. known to his political opponents as "Ananias," occupies the proud position of chairman. He and Sir George profess to have been as completely taken in by the vendors as the shareholders ; but I hear that the latter talk of holding them responsible. The "Bank of England and Australia, Limited," with a proposed camital of four millions in LlO shares, and offices in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, etc., has. needles* to say, no connection with " the old lady of Threadneedle street." City opinion, in point of fact, seems against the venture, the general opinion being that the ground which the prospectus proposes to cover is already fully occupied. Moreover, it is seriously doubted whether British capitalists will care to find four millions for such a venture. I shall, however, know more about this next week.

The scene of four out of the five acts of Mr Hall Caine's new play «The Good Old Times' are laid in Tasmania, about the same period as Marcus Clarke's ' His Natural Life,' and a feature of the piece is a panorama of scenery on the Derwent. taken from sketches made on the spot. The plot of the play seemed strangely familiar. Surely I have once before seen Mr Wilson Barrett taking upon himself the burden of a murder accidentally committed by Miss Eastlake, and going' into penal servitude for that fair lady's sake. The Tasmanian scenes are good, certainly, especially the one in which Miss Eastlake, who has followed Wilson Barrett to Van Dieman's Land, gets that stalwart convict (her husband, of course) assigned to her as bailiff, and he defends the up-country station against bushrangers. The Australian rights of this piece ought to be worth something. It is not a 'Silver King' or a ' Claudian,' but the colonial scenes are freshly treated, and the dialogue is brisk and amusing. Charlie Warner would revel in the adventures of the much-wronged hero. To the great regret of London playgoers Miss Lingard is not in the cast of the ' Merry Wives of Windsor' now it has been put in the night bill at the Haymarket. Mr Tree offered her splendid terms to abandon, or at least postpone, her provincial starring tour; but the engagements were unfortunately all signed and sealed. Mr Garner has found time to communicate various items of Anglo-colonial theatrical gos3ipto the 'Topical Times.' You may know them. If not, it will perhaps interest some of your readers to learn that the 105 performances of the Gaiety Company in Australia realised close on L 27,000, and that Charlie Warner played ' Hands Across the Sea' for seven weeks in Melbourne to an average of L 1,200 a week. The 'Silver Falls' Company, now on its way out to Adelaide, includes J. H. Clynds, A. Bucklaw, Clara Cowper, Miss Edith Blande, and Miss Maude Williamson. Edith Blande is the wife of Austin Brereton, the theatrical critic, who recently came to such grief with 'The Red Lamp.' Garner has arranged with both the Kendals and Wilson Barrett to visit Australia next year. He considers

the new Lyric Theatre the only one approaching in comfort the new Princess's at Melbourne.

Mr Stuart Cumberland has started on another " thought-reading " tour of Europe.

POSTSCRIPT. Sir Julius Vogel’s book is not out here, but 1,000 copies of the colonial edition have been shipped by the lonic to-day. Lord Weatbury and MrH. J. Tollemache, M.P., are passengers by the lonic to New Zealand.

Sir John and Lady Hall return to New Zealand next month, sailing, in all probability, by the direct steamer Coptic. The Onslow party sailed yesterday per Victoria. They did" not go down to Tilbury by the ordinary passenger train, but later in the afternoon in a special of their own, with a number of friends. Lord Salisbury and Lord Knutsford were amongst those who saw them off.

The Hon. W. Trefuses will be a through passenger to Auckland by the Orient next Friday. Mr Dillon sails for Australia by this ship.