PERSONAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9824, 20 May 1895, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Lady Dcff and family leave Melbourne for London by the Victoria. Mr. J. I). Ritchie, Secretary of Agriculture, arrived from Wellington on Saturday on departmental business. Judge Conolly left Wellington for Auckland by the Manapouri on Saturday, and will arrive to-morrow morning. It is rumoured that in all probability Major Harris will bo one of the Government whips in the coming session. Herr Zimmermann has been appointed conductor of St. Benedict's choir in the place of Mr. W. E. Payne, resigned. Private letters from Mrs. Ballance indicate a probability that she will accompany Mr. and Mrs. Ward back to the colony. Comte d'Abbans, Consul-General for France in New Zealand, arrived from Wellington by the Takapuna on Saturday. Mr. W. Blacklock, Vice-Consul for the United States at Samoa, who has been on a visit to his relatives in New Zealand, left for Apia by the Monowai on Saturday. Mr. Solomon Slossman, the discoverer of the Viscount of Canterbury nugget, which caused co great a sensation many years ago in Victoria, has lately died at Coolgardie. Captain W. H. St. Clair, who was captain of one of the Australian cruisers, has been selected for the command of IT. M.s. Sanspareil, vice Captain A. K. Wilson, V.C., whose period of command has exDired. Captain C.J. Barlow, D.5.0., K.N., who formerly Rerved as flag-captain on H.M.s. Orlando on the Australian station, but who lately has been serving as captain of H.M.s. Endymion, a sister ship to the Crescent, has now been selected by Hear Admiral A. T. Dale as flag-captain of his flagship, H.M.s. Empress of India.

Among the passengers who arrived from the Islands at Sydney, on the 12th instant, by the Taviuni, were the Rev. J. A. and Mrs. Bowring, Wesleyan missionaries from Tonya. Mr. Bo wring has been Chairman of the Tongan District for some years, but at the last Conference it was arranged to appoint him to circuit work in New South Wales, in consequence of the reappointment of the Rev. J. E. Moulton to the presidency of Dubon College, and the Chairmanship of the Tongan District, in addition to his present position as president of Newington College.