ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9161, 17 September 1888, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[from our own correspondent.]

LqNDOK, August 11. I find that with some New Zealanders Bishop Cowie's book, Our Last Year in New Zealand," does not realise the hopes that were entertained of it. They say that it is purely a record of pastoral work in the colony, and will not interest a large class of readers in this country. It might havebeen expected, they continue, that a man of Dr. Cowie's culture would have taken the opportunity to produce something more worthy of himself and of the colony he represents. lam told on good authority that, Mr. John Murray, to whom the manuscript was submitted, declined to publish the book on any terms, and that it is now brought out at the author's risk. A well known New Zealander tells me that ho thinks Dr. Cowie will find it easier to write such a book than to sell it. The yield of gold from the four tons of quartz sent home by Sir William Fitzherbert, from the Antimony Company's mine, at Jackson's Head, has fallen far short of the expectations formed of it, from the sample previously assayed, the result being only about 7dwts of gold and Idwts of silver to the ton. However, the shareholders are now building their topes on the further shipment of quart/, idvised by Sir William per lonic, due >n the 30th instant. Meanwhile the Sew Zealand Antimony Company's shares ire firm at a premium of 2e 6d, at which jrice they are quoted in the Times. The collection of moa feathers exhibited >y Mr. Taylor White at the Colonial Exlibition has been purchased by Sir Walter Buller and presented to the University Museum at Cambridge. These feathers vere displayed in two frames at tho Exhibition, but owing to the high price put upon -hem (forty and fifty guineas) they did not ind buyers, though they attracted much attention. They were discovered in a lave at Queenstown, Otago, in 1878, and ire fully described in Professor Owen's ' Memoirs on the Wingless Birds of New Zealand."

The colonists in London, like everyone else who can afford it, are leaving town, though in such a miserable wet summer as we have had London is a pleasanter place to live in than either the seaside or the country. All the colonial Agents-General have already flitted or are doing so. Sir George Bowen is detained by sickness in his family, bub will leave shortly for the Continent. Sir Arthur Hodgson is going to Italy, and'' thence probably on to" Australia. Sir Walter Buller and family, after visiting friends in Devonshire, will make a tour in Switzerland. Mr. and Mrs. Sain will join Sir Francis and Lady Bell in Germany. Sir Charles Clifford will go to Scotland on the 12th for shooting. Mr. Larnach is at Hamburg Mr. Coutts Crawford will visit hi.3 friends in the north ; and Mr. H. R. Russell will join a yachting party on the coast. In company floating there is an almost absolute cessation of business, the season being practically over until November next. I do nob know what progress Mr. Williamson is making with his New Zealand Copper Company. The prospectus has nob yeb been advertised, and it is to be hoped for the credit of the colony that, before ib is, the scheme will be considerably modified. Mr. Travers, the well-known Wellington barrister, has arrived in England, and is looking remarkably well. He has taken up his residence for the present at Folkstone with his mother, an old lady of 91. He will return to the colony via Egypb on the loth cf next month.

Mr. Guys, of Canterbury, is amongst the most recent arrivals, and being a Governoi of Canterbury Museum, was able to assisl the Committee of Selection—Sir Philip Cun liffe-Owen, Professor Flower, Dr. Forster, secretary to the Royal Society, and Mr Mallet, of Canterbury— their final meet ing, when a successor was appointed to Sii Juliuß Von Haast. The successful candi date, Mr. Henry 0. Forbes, is a marriec man, but without family. He proposes t< leave for the colony in about six weeks 01 two months, but has in the meantime gone to Scotland to wind up some family affairs Lord Brassoy has just fitted up in hi: London house, in Park Lane, a museun containing the curiosities collected by him self and Lady Brassey during their voy ages round the world in the Sunbeam The museum is erected on the site of th( stables, and the decorations and panellings of the room are made of the durbar-tent which attracted so much interest at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition. The woodwork is sandalwood and teak, anc gives a fragrant odour to the room, while the subdued colour of the walls and aisle form a beautiful background to the objects exhibited. The museum is approached through the dining-room, and has a large hall on the ground floor, surrounded by t gallery above. The collection, though not large, is most interesting, coMpris ing as it docs specimens of natural and manufactured products from all parts of the world. Perhaps the most attractive of all are the shells, seaweed, and marine curiosi ties ; and in the evening the electric light is so arranged as to shine behind large; pieces of coral, delicate shells, and transparent seaweed, producing a beautiful Fairylike effect. Amongst other objects is the feather cloak given to Lady Brassey in the Sandwich Islands. The death occurred on the 31st ultimo of 3ir William Sargeaunt, who had acted as treasurer to the Royal Colonial Institute aver since its formation. Sir William was a man of great experience in colonial matters, but it had all been gained in the service of ;he crown colonies. One of the evening newspapers in describng an interview with Mr. Clarkson, the amous wig maker, lets us into the secret ihat King Tawhiao, while in London, was vont to avail himself of this gentleman's lid for the improvement of his personal appearance. His Majesty was very fond of ,he society of the ladies of the ballet, and n order to make himself more presentable ,o the Coryphean nymphs he used to go to Sir. Clarkson to have his tattoo marks filled i p. Mrs. Gordon-Baillie has succeeded in >btaining her release from custody on jail, pending her trial at the Old Bailey. Mr. Knight Aston may perhaps be interested to know that Mrs. Gordon Baillie's riends are representing him to be dead, [nspector Marshall, of Scotland Yard, who ms charge of the case for the prosecution, s engaged in searching the files of the Australian papers to obtain evidence of that gentleman's vitality. The last mails delivered in London stated that Mr. KnightAston was singing at Sydney in the opera )f " Dorothy." The first edition of a hundred thousand ;opies of Mr. Fergus Hume's new book ' Madam Midas " has already been sold out. Dr. Redwood, the Archbishop of Wellington, is in Ireland, accompanied by his secretary, the Rev. Father Patterson. The avo are the guests of the Marist Fathers in Dublin. Dr. Redwood went to Dundalk to see John Dillon, who is incarcerated in the jaol at that place. But his request to be illowed a personal interview with this lotable prisoner was politely refused by :.he governor of the gaol, and an application a> the Prisons Board met with no better success. Dr. Moore, Bishop of Ballarat, is also in Dublin. He expects to return to Australia ,n October. Cardinal Moran, who has broken his lourney from Rome by a short stay in Paris, s hourly expected in Ireland. The report .hat he is coming to Ireland on business connected with the Papal difficulty is un;rue. At the seventh annual conference of the Bible Christian Connexion, which was held .n London last week, the Rev. F. Quintrell x&s appointed for work in New Zealand, :he Rev. T. M. Flood for work in South Australia, and the Rev. W. Bennett for work in Queensland. The statistics of the connexion show that in New Zealand it has 5 regular preachers, 16 local preachers, 5 chapels, 16 preaching places, '216 full memaers, 13 members on trial, 69 teachers, md 535 scholars. In Victoria it has 36 preachers, 168 local preachers, 106 :hapels, 56 preaching places, 2501 full members, 70 members on trial, So'2 teachers ind 5248 scholars. In South Australia ,he numbers are: Preachers, 35; local teachers, 193; chapels, 130; preaching Dlaces, 26 ; full members, 2817 ; on trial, i2; teachers, 921 ; and scholars 6465. Queensland has one preacher, six local preachers, six chapels, no preaching places, >0 full members, none on trial, 29 teachers

and 265 scholars. The late Lady Graft an has left £70,000 to the Hon. Algernon Tolleraache, who will be known in. New Zealand, having resided in Wellington for several years. Mr. Tollemacho must- now have an income of not less than £80,000 a-year. Lord Herschel's Liability of Trustees Bill, which was sent down to the House of Common*; some time ago, has been under the consideration of the Standing Committee on Law of tho Lower House, and been fatally amended as far as colonial interest in the measure goes. In spite of the efforts of Sir George Baden-Powell, the subsection ."> of clause 9, which empowers trustees under certain conditions to invest trust funds in colonial stocks was struck out of the Bill by 17 votes to nine. The omission was moved by Sir George Campbell, and supported by tho Solicitor-General on henalf of the Government. The latter have thus distinctly laid themselves open to the charge of bad faith in dealing with the colonies, for Lord Salisbury certainly promised in the House of Lords that the powers of trustees to invest in colonial stocks should be extended. It is believed that Mr. Goschen's influence iB responsible for the excision. The Agents-General, however, had been flattering themselves that they had brought him round to their way of thinking.

Last week a memorial tablet of the late

Mr. W. E. Forster was unveiled in Westminster Abbey in the presence of a select company of relativos and friends. The ceremony was performed in silence by Lord Knutsford, the Dean of Westminster merely reading a prayer and saying at the conclusion of the proceedings, "This memorial of the Right Hon. Wm. Edward Forster is added to the monuments of the Abbey." The tablet is of white marble, and bears the inscription, "The Right Hon. Wm. Edward Forster. Born July 11, 1818. Died April sth, 1867. To his wisdom and courage England owes the establishment throughout the land of a national system of elementary education." Mr. John R. Rogers, husband of Miss Minnie Palmer, has written a book entitled "Scraps from the Scrap Book of Minnie Palmer, My Sweetheart." The volume contains about two hundred printed pages, and a copy of it will be given to every lady who goes to see Miss Minnie Palmer on her forthcoming tour, which commences at Manchester on September 3 with " My Brother's Sister." Truth this week addresses a note of warning to British investors against sinking their money in Australian mining ventures, whether gold or silver. I have just seen a letter from Professor Owen, in which, speaking of the plates in Sir Walter Buller's new edition of the "Birds of New Zealand," he says:—"l have not seen any coloured illustrations, save perhaps Gould's humming birds, to equal them." A rumour has been set about on this side that Lord Carrincrton has asked to _be allowed to resign the Governorship of New South Wales at the end of this year. The Imperial Defence Bill passed through all its Parliamentary stages to-day, and now only awaits the Royal assent in order to become law. The Victorian Government seem to have been labouring under a mistake when they instructed their Agent-General to raise objections to the proviso in the Local Government Bill which enables the County Councils to devote money to pauper emigration. In the first place, the clause is merely permissive, and is hedged round with so many restrictions that it is hardly likely to be acted upon ; and secondly, if any scheme of emigration is embarked upon, Canada rather than Australia will be the colony selected. Under these circumstances, Sir Graham Berry felt a, certain amount of difficulty in acting upon his instructions, and accordingly has not done so.