COLONIAL NEWS BY THE RIMTUTAKA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7268, 5 March 1885, Page 6

COLONIAL NEWS BY THE RIMTUTAKA.

, : <£yiA WKLLINGTON.] • ; ' ; < y : -' : London, January 16. Uβ. Dβ LxSLt Hay, of Brighter Britian, Contributes to the current number* of the Field an interesting paper entitled "Sharking la New Zealand."

The Coleraine Guardian of January contained an article entitled " Coal Wealth oi New Zealand." The writer speaks very brightly of the future of New Zealand coal fields. Most of his information is taken from the laat report of the Colonial Secretary for Mine*, __ Mr. Morrison, the newly appointed English matter of the Danedin High School, has decided to leaTe for New Zealand in the Tainni on the 28th of Janu&vj. the daily papers on Monday were yery guarded in their expressions of opinion in reference to New Zealand's action regarding Samoa, evidently wishing to do the friendly thine by New Zealand without inonmng She enmity of Germany. The Times uid i% might be a natural impulse on the part of New Zealand to desire annexation of the Samoan Isle*, though they were separated from that oolony fcy » wide sea, but the question was not one that could be settled by the wishes of the colony alone. The United States would probably want a say in the matter. Moreover, it had yet to be shown that annexation was expedient, either in the interest* of New Zealand itself or the Empire %t large. The Daily News supposes that what New Zealand wants is to be beforehand with Germany. The colonial Government may, too, have remembered that through a yery similar procedure on the part of Queensland England was compelled to " protect " New Guinea. The Daily Telegraph opines that Germans will be permitted to annex Samoa with remonstrance, as we could have no adequate object in fighting* for land not really required for colonisation or the safety of our possessions. For us to impose any obstacles weuld be specially absurd. considering that, eight years ago, we were asked by the native chiefs to take over the islands and formally refused the request. The Standard considers we ought to coneider the wishes of the rich and populous colonies already established, whioh are of more importance to the Empire than the doubtful friendship of Franc* and Germany. The St. James'e Gazette says it is probably safe to assume thai an understanding ha* been come to between Berlin and London on the subject. Lord Derby will inform New Zealanden that their steamer will not be wanted, and Germany, in retunj, will not annex or protect the islands. The Manchester Guardian thinks if there is one spot in the world where Germane would raent and legitimately resent being anticipated by another Power, that spot is Samoa. It is, on the other hand, impossible to maintain that the possession of the group is a matter of vital importance to New Zealand. The death is announced of Captain Frank Eager, eldest son of the late Colonel Edmund Hungerford Eager, some time Quarter-master-General «t New Zealand. The death is announced under peculiarly ■ad circumstances of Mrs, Bloxam, wife of the second officer of R.M.S. Tongariro. Mr. and Mrs. Bloxam were married in November We, and within a few days of the wedding the husband was obliged to join his ship, and sail for New Zealand. He left promising to write from Plymouth and Teneriffe, but owing to stress of weather, the vessel was unable to put into either port. Not hearing from her husband for 80 long threw Mrs. Bloxam into a very depressed and anxious state. On Saturday last ahe waa missed, and six hours later her body was found on the sands at South End, drowned. It is thought she was drawn on to these fatal sands by some impulse, and that the tide came in upon her unperceived till too late. On the very day the poor girl's body was recovered, letters arrived from the Cape from Bloxam explaining that that was the first port the Tongariro had put into, and that, although extremely anxious, lie had consequently been unable to forward letters before. It is feared the news of his bride's death under such painful circumstances will be a terrible blow to Bloxam.

At Newport, Monmouthshire, a tradesman aamcd William John Esdailo, a married man with one child, formed xa illicit connection with ft woman named Price, and determined to elope with her to New Zealand. He secured two berths in the Royal Mail steam - ship Bimntaki, and had got away to London with a lot of luggage when he was arrested at the instance of hi* partner, Thomas Doweon on a charge of embezzling the firm's cash. Dowson dio> covered Bsdaile'i crime in a somewhat ■tnage manner. The absconder wrote to a London firm of passenger brokers ordering them to secure him two berths for New Zealand, This letter was blotted on a new office pad, and Dowson, who was writing afterwards, noticed some words which aroused his suspicious. He cut out the uppermost leaf, and read the whole epistle. Troth tells the following story apropos of the frozen meat trade :—" A few weeks ago I mentioned the names of some butchers in West End who sell New Zealand mutton. A nobleman residing not one hundred miles from Gxoßvenor Square called upon one of them, and pointing to this statement in Truth, asked him whether it was correct. On his replying that he had furnished New Zealand mutton to some customers who asked for it, the nobleman informed him that he should withdraw his custom because the butcher did not support home agriculture. And yet this man probably roted with glee for the Irish Crimes Act, which makes boycotting a criminal offence."