OUR LONDON LETTER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10303, 22 March 1894, Page 6

OUR LONDON LETTER.

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [froh our SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] London, 9. The statement cabled to the New Zealand papers in December, to the effect that the Agent-General might be obliged by Lsdy Perceval’s health to retire even before hia term of office comes to an end, was not inspired from Westminster. I felt surprised when 1 read it in your columns, and took the first opportunity of questioning Sir Westby on the subject. He states distinctly he has never contemplated retirement, and will not even begin to think about what is to happen when his term is up for six months or so. One fact which your papers are rather apt to overlook in discuesiug the Agent - General’s successor is that very few of your leading men could afford to accept the post. Owing to Lady Perceval’s delicate health the present holder does not entertain, and yet it is no secret that he spends between twice and thrice the official salary. Whoever replaces Sir Westby will have to cLv quite this much if a mat tied’ man. Nothing, indeed, is more certain than that as the importance and dignity of the AgentGeneral’s position increase so will his expenses.

A new paper, called Commerce, contained on Jsn. 31 a long iuteiviow with your Agent-General, in which Sir Westby, whilst i.ffording interesting infoim-iticn concerning the frozen meat trade, dairy produce, &c., is represented as a facetious parson exchanging *’ retorts courteous ” with the reporter. R-ally and truly, all the AgentGeneral did was to answer a few questions and supply the Commerce man with a certain amount ot literature. On this slender foundation a long serio-comic interview was raised. Sir Westby’e nature,! impulse was at. first to repudiate the reporter's jokelets, but the main facts about the colony being accurate, he ultimately decided to suffer in silence.

Though Dr Abbott has not been able to prevent the appointment of a good man to succeed Professor Aldus, he has managed to give the Agent-General an immense amount of botner. Three gentlemen approved by tha Wow Zealand Government were at last persuaded to undertake the task of selection, but they would only do so on receiving assurance that their names would not bo made public. This Commission has already sat several times, and sifted the applicants down to three for each post. The nine, who are all, the Agent-General says, good men, and quite up to the usual average, will in the course of nest week be interviewed personally and their antecedents sifted. It is probable we shall know the result c£ the Commission’s deliberations before the departure of the San Francisco mail. Deprived by the privacy of the proceedings from gibbeting the members of the Commission, Dr Abbott can do no more ut present. That he will make an endeavour by- and-bye to get at the successful candidate, seems probable; but, it is most unlikely that fortunate individual will listen to him. la ia short timo the whole tiresome business will be ancient history to everyone but Mr Aldis. The Athenaeum this week has a little “par” in which the good doctor’s hand can be observed, buc the Press generally has entirely done with the subject. If the names of tua Selecting Commissioners leak out, it will probably be through one of the six unsuccessful competitors. The Earl of Onslow has been taking an active part in the debates in the House of Lords on the Parish Councils Bill, which is being so altered that the Commons will hatdiy recognise their bantling when they get it back. Sir Wilfred Lawson baa started au agitation against the Peers. Speaking at a big meeting on Wednesday, he said the Liberal Party had a number of useful measures on the rails and were doing what they could to push, them through, but were jammed and blocked by four hundred political bandits of the House of Lords, who stopped and cried, "Stand and deliver !” The Lords toiled not, neither did they spin; but over their door should bo I placed a sign, with the words, “ Mangling done here.” The straight question to be put before the country was, “ Do you wish to be governed by the people or by the peers ?” The sooner Gladstone said, “ Up, Guards, and ot them,” the better. Mr Alfred Buck law, who spent tome time in Australia about three years ago, has, with Miss Olga Netheraole, whom you also know, scored heavily in The Transgressor at the Court Theatre. The p].*y Si noor, but Mies Wethcreole's and Mr Bucklaw’a fire acting may cause it to hold the boards for some time. Sir Geosgo Cbeaney, the-author of “The Battle of Dorking,” “ The Dilemma,” and other excellent novels, will,lecture at the Colonial Institute nest Tuesday on “ The British Empire.”. Sir Henry Bulwor la topreaide. • Mr Best, the veteran organist of St George’s Hall, Liverpool, who not long ago visited the colonies, has been compelled by ill-health to resign his office. If the throe brothers Marriott-Watsou fail to set the Thames aSra it certainly will not bo far want of trying. Just at present all three are engaged on plays for different managers. Mr H. B. M. Watson has managed, in the intervals of composing leaders for the Pall Mall Cfa-reffe and short stories for the National Observer , to write a three-act piano lor Mr Carr, and is now busy polishing it up in case it should be wanted to follow Sheridan at the Comedy Theatre. His brother Frank has evolved a melodrama, for which he borrows the title of Miss Braddon’s “The Trail of the Serpent”; whilst Mr Frederick Marrio-t Wat-soa. is busy on a sketch for one of tfce host-known troupes whicn is working the London Music Hr,Us. New Zealand journals are asked to insert a notice of the marriage of Mr Willis Edwin Tarver, of Motfa Lodge, Tavistock, only sou of the late Julian Tamer, Esq., of Fleetwood and Plymouth, to Rosalie Helen Isabel, second daughter of Major-General Augustus D. Farrant. The ceremony took place as St Paul’s, Upper Norwood, the 11 ev Lee Harnett, assisted by the Rev Allan Ellison, clEciating. An advertisement-, “more especially directed to the children of John Dunkorley,” who is suopo.el to have died about 1830, and who was a brother of Will’am Dunkcrlcy, late of Macclesfield, who died m December, ISS3, appears in the personal column- of the Times advertisements to-day, Friday, Feb. 9.. Some of . them children are supposed to ba resident in New Zealand, and are, apparently, entitled to money under the will of Mr William Du nkerley. Claims must be proved at the chambers tf Mr Justice Canty, at the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, on or before June 15, IS9I. Communication should be made to Messrs Stephens and Stephens, tolicitors, 119, Essex Street, Strand.