ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9400, 5 January 1894, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

'■-.i;-'■■'■■ ■'■'■Xr •'■''•'' ♦. !'' ■■''. v :' ; "';-'- : 'H ■ „ '" "* [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] .'•,'-■ ;-'"' ' ,: ' . :." London, December 2. ; Mr, Perceval Las been laid up, I am sorry to Bay, with & bad feverish cold, and has consequently been absent from the Agent* General's office for some days. I have jusb received a letter from Mr. J. B. Russell, who has settled down with his family for a time at Bournemouth. He says :—" We are unable as yet to tell how we shall like it. The fashionable epidemic of catarrh has taken hold of us, developing in me a bronchial attack, which, however, am thankful to say I am shaking off. lb is infinitely warmer here than Morden was when we left. Caution as yet has kept me indoors. At the first "At Home " of the seaeon, of the London Salon, held last Tuesday evening at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water-colours, several New Zealand guests were present, including Sir Walter and Miss Buller, Dr. and Mrs. Maunsell, Mr. , Edward Wakefield, Mr. and Mrs. George Nation, Miss Mills, Mr. and Mrs. Owen Jones. Lady Vogel is at present on a visit to Mrs. Ferguson at Amersham. Miss Whitiiker is expected shortly, via America, and will also stay with Mrs. Ferguson, to whose charming rural home in Buckinghamshire all her old New Zealand friends are always cordially welcomed. Wellington readers will be sorry to hear of the death of Mrs. W. M. Bannatyne, which occurred a few days ago at her residence in London. Her age was 74 years. Mr. Tegetmeier and Mr. Michie, of the Bank of New Zealand, have been away for a short holiday trip, which they made in company, going to the Continent and spending a very pleasant time in Paris. Mr. Ross (of Messrs. Ross and Glendining) and Mrs. Ross, who have returned to England and settled down again, accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Brown on their interesting tour through America. Mr. and Mrs. Ross had previously made a very enjoyable trip through China and Japan. 1 learn from members of the new London Butter Committee that the appointment of Mr. S. Lowe as dairy expert for New Zealand in London, is highly approved. The committee entirely agree with the view of the Agent-General as to the great desirableness of such an officer being appointed for London, and they are quite satisfied with his choice of an appointee. Some fears had been expressed that the committee might not work with an official expert, but these fears proved to be wholly unfounded. The committee are not only willing but anxious to work with Mr. Lowe, and they believe his appointment will have very beneficial results as regards the New Zealalhd butter trade. Great regret is expressed in Colonial circles at the death of Lady Bowen, who was a universal favourite, and whose kindly and eracious regime at Government House is still pleasantly remembered in New Zealand as well as in Victoria. It will be recollected that Lady Bowen was a daughter of Count Roma, President of the Legislative Council of the lonian Islands, of which Sir George Bowen was once chief secretary. With reference to the proposal that Colonial Agents-General should be regarded as Ambassadors and should be accorded the special entree at the Queen's levees, the Pall Mall Gazette contends that such a proposal does not fit in with the theory of Colonial relations or with the Imperial theory. It is stated that Lord Carrington in refusing to concede this point did to purely on the ground of want of space, and did not attempt to deal with the political question involved. "Mr. Perceval, the Agent-G6neral for New Zealand," in the opinion of the Pall Mall Gazette, "has nob only displayed a zeal for which even Mr. A. J. YVilson would commend him in the exploitation of the English market for the products of his country, but has shown a determination to vindicate its political importance and his own status as its representative, which even the most advanced of Australasian associations must recognise as thoroughly patriotic." Lord Onslow's brilliant paper on " State Socialism and Labour Government in New Zealand" has formed a fruitful theme of comment in most of the provincial papers, and has come in very acceptably in a decidedly dull season. Mrs. H. P. Lance, widow of the late Mr. H. P. Lance, of Canterbury, New Zealand, was married last- week, at St. Peter's Church. Cranley Gardens, to LieutenantColonel Wade, late of the Bth King's Regiment, the fifth son of Mr. R. C. Wade, of Clonebraney, County Meath, Ireland. Mrs. Lance was the fourth daughter of the late Hon. W. Robinson, of Cheviot, New Zealand. An interesting series of papers on "Mining in New Zealand in 1892 1 ' is now appearing in the Colliery Guardian. It is remarked that the accidents in New Zealand coal mines have been comparatively slight, and thab '• the coal resources of the colony are being steadily and capably developed, so that the future interest of New Zealand, which has lately assumed a foremost place in the confidences of British capitalists, will not suffer from lack of fuel." The same journal says :— With the enormous unworked stores of gold still known to exist in its rivers and mountains, the vast and varied resources in many minerals as yet hardly touched by the prospector, its unequalled posibilities in the shape of natural water supply, and its ample store of coal, New Zealand cannot fail to be a powerful factor in the future destiny of the great English-speaking community." " At present," says the Manchester Courier, "the foreign or colonial mutton which obtains the highest price in this country, is thab which loaches us from New Zealand, much of which appears in the butchers' shops in a most attractive form. Its appearance is in many cases even better than a great deal of the meab which is grown and fed in our own country." Mr. Arthur Clayden writes to the Daily News, retracting a statement he had made in a speech at Dulwicb, that Lord Onslow's resignation of the New Zealand Governorship was due to the Ballance Ministry's ** determination to send a dozen supporters to the Legislative Council, to counteract the antogonism there to its radical reforms," Lord Onslow having informed bim that the resignation was posted, though nob announced, before the question * arose. " If Macaulay's New Zealander has not yet arrived iu London," says the Liverpool Post, "his spokesman has just pub in an appearance, and we are evidently destined to learn from our antipodean fellow-subjects gome lessons on social politics that are perplexing the minds of Englishmen in no small degree." This, of course, is in reference to Lord Onslow's paper. "We may at least infer from that New Zealand experiment," continues the same paper " that common sense and knowledge of the practical business and everyday requirements of a country are, to say the least, as good qualifications for members of an Upper House as the possessing of acres and long descent." The Echo says with regard to the case of Professor Aldis, of Auckland : — " The Council of the College appear to have treated him with such flagrant meanness as to deter any other distinguished man from 'accepting a similar appointment." The same paper adds : "lb is very clear that the attempt to oust Professor Aldis was . made by people who really had no charge to bring"against him." I have jusb met at the New Zealand Agency-General, Mr. William Gisborne who is up in town for a day or two. He is looking wonderfully well although perhaps the weight of years is beginning to tell a little. He has settled clown very comfortably into a regular English country squire, being the lucky inheritor of two delightful estates, Allestree, Derbyshire, and Lineen, Herefordshire. The Pall Mall Gazette says that "that unfairness of Sir Maurice O'Rorke's be- -: haviour throughout the whole (Aldis) "affair was almost too grotesque to be • '.indecent," and that "the completer the details, the more scandalous does the affair appear." It adds "the moral is that English learned men had better starve _ at home then wax precariously fat in New Zealand, and especially is it incumbent on all men of honour to refuse to fill this particular chair until the Council has explained its treatment of Mr. Aldis." .-« The son of a London journalist write to „ his father- warning immigrants against the -• colonies, on the ground of his own experience in New Zealand. He says i—" We '' \ cto'ft want immigrants, we are oven tacked.,

££2222222*' ' ' f SB This is a pastoral country,, and nobody but • farmers and tradesmen stand ft ghost of a show. The clerk has to turn his hand to farm work, because he is absolutely useless in the town. I had my boots blacked by a r clergyman only last week, and not so long 3 ago met an M.D. cooking on a station." In Westminster Abbey a day or two ago,l * ran across the '.'much travelled" and almost übiquitous R, S. Stay the. ( He and his son . are staying at present at the Savage Club, a but leave for Paris in a few days. He was s nob to be " drawn" as, to the next colonial r move. Ha looks as well and as keen as 3 ever. r The Spectator thinks that women's [ suffrage has been "carried almost by a s fluke " in New Zealand, but that " perhaps i the New Zealandera may teaoh us somej thing by their last experiment." It observes that " New Zealand probably will nob I scruple to undo what ib has done with so . little consideration it it finds reason to » repent it." 5 Messrs. J. Martin and A. Lawrence I write from Christchurch, New Zealand, to . the Baptist, warning any Baptist minister 3 who may contemplate coming to New Zeai land that the churches are very pcor in the country districts, and are laden with debt. , They add : " The downgrade has found its - slimy (sic) way among us r They deplore the I deep depression in business, bad prices, glut ) of labour, and the "utter disrespect shown . to Baptist ministers "in New Zealand, and ) they earnestly caution all ministers of that sect against immigrating to New Zealand. f I hear that the nexb report of the Tyser , shipping line will show a debib balance to . profit and loss account of £57,994, of which £27,000 was brought forward from ) the previous year. The depression in Aust tralian trade is the alleged cause. The rei port, I understand, will state that the I Tyser Company's working agrco.aent with the Direct Shipping Companies, has . answered satisfactorily, and will express a 3 hope that a similar agreement will be con- . eluded with Australia. Before the splendid new White Star i steamer Gothic, which has just been built f for the New Zealand trade, Leaves on her maiden voyage to New Zealand, which j will be about the middle of this month, her f owners intend to give a grand lnncheon on . board, so as to inaugurate her career with i all possible eclat. She is being fitted up f with the Hall refrigerating machinery, and . her appointments are pronounced to bo in r all respects as perfecb as modern knowi ledge, science, and experience, can make I them. b Mr. Riversdale Walrond, who was per--3 haps the most (deservedly) popular private a secretary that any New Zealand Governor 3 ever had, is just as popular and efficient 3 and successful in his present position as 1 secretary to the Education Office at WhiteP hall. On all hands he has won golden opinions, and I neod hardly say he is a [ special social favourite. > I had a pleasant chat last Tuesday evenr ing with Mr. Edward Wakefield, who , looked the picture of vigorous health and . well-being. He told me he was living with , his children and his sister at Pan, iu . France, bub that his business interests were , in America —prosperous, too, I should ■ gather. He writes occasionally still, and ; always effectively as of yore, but I understand he no longer exercises literature as a , regular profession. His little work, " New I Zealand After Fifty Years," is very popular t in London. i Last week's Guardian contained a bioi graphy of the ex-Primate of New Zealand, i Bishop Hadfield, on his retirement from the i New Zealand Primacy. Unfortunately it i was inserted in such a way as to convey the > idea that ib was an "In Memoriam" notice I of the ex-Primate, and people regretfully I assumed that the respected prelate must have quitted this world as well as the New - Zealand episcopal bench. However the 1 Guardian has relieved their minds this week i by explaining thab the Bishop is not dead , at all, but quite the contrary. I Many Canterbury people may remember i Mr. Arthur Husey, who was formerly en- ) gaged in farming at Akaroa and, I think, i elsewhere in the province. I met him the i other day in London looking rsmarkably , well and prosperous. He is in business i now at Halsey House, Red Lion Square, and, I hear, is doing well. , Dunedin residents will probably recollect r Dr. ■ Bulow, who was at one time head of . one of the Dunedin High Schools. He and L his family are now living at Dinan, in r France. They are all well and prospering. Dr. Bulow's son has gone out to Demerara as a sugar planter, and I believe has excel- , lent prospects. t Just before closing my letter I have had . a final chat with some of the leading . financiers and business men in the city, and : they all agree in the opinion that things are looking very well, so far as New Zealand is i concerned, and that the prospects of trade , generally, and colonial trade in particular, are on the whole decidedly favourable, , Although Mr. A. G. Morton arrived in - England in a rather precarious state of i health, he has steadily improved under medical treatment here, and has almost r from the first managed to attend to some . very important business affairs, including those of a public company having sharer holders in New Zealand. Mr. Horton, I . believe, would now have been on his return i journey to New Zealand, but has been com- [ pelled to remain until the affairs referred to i have been dealt with. He is very frequently I in London, and purposes to leave for Auck- . land in January. The cold weather apr pears to agree with him well. 3 My latest news about Mr. and Mrs. J. B. i Russell (who, as I mentioned, are now at ; Bournemouth, and have been suffering from t colds), is that they are now much better, t Mr. Russell is able to get about again, and ' was out driving a few days since. He hopes to make steady progress now towards t recovery. , Captain Rough, one of the Pilgrim Fathers 3 of Auckland, who was at the Bay of Islands i with Captain Hobson, is now residing at 3 Bournemouth, and appears to be in good . health. He still hears occasionally from : Sir G. Grey. 3 The will of the late Professor Jowett contains inter alia the following clause:—" My r plate I bequeath to my cousin, Mrs. Steven, 3 of Clifton, excepting the silver vase pre--3 sen ted to me by the New Zealand Govern- . ment, which I leave to Mr. Hbert." i At a recent meeting of the Students' ; Union of the Edinburgh University, Mr. J. fc A. Laing, of Auckland, was elected presi- . dent. Mr. Laing has filled the office of 1 secretary to the Union for the past year, and has worked very hard in connection 1 with it. He b very popular among the men. b Mr. J. T. Arundel, so well known in 1 New Zealand and the South Sea Islands, i was visiting Edinburgh shortly before the I mail left. It was Mr. Arundel's intention 3 to leave for New Zealand in December.