ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10129, 12 May 1896, Page 6

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

I |TEOM OUE OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London; April 3. NORFOLK ISLAND. CONOBRNING the Norfolk Island question some fresh developments are in progress, Mr. Hogan, the Anglo-Australian M.P., has addressed several questions to Mr. Chamberlain lately on the subject of the future Government of Norfolk Island. The

Times points out that) for the past 40 years the Norfolk Islanders have been, to all intents and purposes, a little Republic in the Pacific, but thoroughly loyal sub« jecta to fler Majesty, while every Boxing Day they meet and choose their chiel magistrate for the ensuing year. Bub Mr. Chamberlain now proposes bo place them nnder the direct authority of the Government and Parliament of New South Wales. The Timos admits that judging from the tone of tho Australian papers just received, the proposed change does not meet with general approval, and that Mr. Stephen Adams, the Chiof Magistrate of Norfolk Island lot the ensuing year, discussing the situation with Lord Hampden, the Governor of New South Wales, said" We want to continue as we are. We respect New South Wales, but we prefer the rule of the Imperial Government, which has been just because it has left us alone," which is corroborated by a correspondent, who writes "Generally speaking the change, if decided upon, will bo distasteful to the inhabitants." However, the whole subject will be

discussed at a meeting of the Colonial Party of the House of Commons when Parliament resumes shortly after Easter. At this meeting bishop Selwyn has promised to be present and to deliver an address. Dr. Selwyn having lived for fourteen years as a former Bishop of Melanesia, is recognised as an authority on its people, its affairs, and its requirement*, He has intimated to Mr. Hogan that he will be happy to place his knowledge and experience in the possession of the colonial members of the House, so that they may be fully and accurately informed on the subject. In tho opinion of The Times, the matter has been complicated by the action of the Government of Now Zealand, which has approached Mr. Chamberlain with a claim, that if any ehtnge is made, New Zealand aught to bo the colony under whoee jurisdiction Norfolk Island should be 1 placed. But the Thunderer conveniently 1 ignores the fact that Norfolk Island ias long been in some degree under

the wing of Mow Zealand, ab all events in ecclesiastical matters, as Melanesia is a diocese within the province of New Zealand, is represented as to bishop, clergy, and laity, in the New Zealand General Synod, and is largely aided by financial contributions from your colony. The Times heads its article " Home Rule for Norfolk Island" and apparently favours this alternative. At any rate there is evidently a feeling against the Norfolk Islanders being "bossed"by New Zealand. Mr. Reevos, however, is assiduously endeavouring to bring the other side of the case into prominence.

THE AGENT-GENERAL. Your new Agent-General was present last night by invitation at the Canadian dinner, and so had the opportunity of hearing Mr. Chamberlain's historic speeoh, in which he impliedly advocated the establiihment of a British Imperial Zollverein. Mr. Reeves was very much struck with the power and ingenuity displayed in the speech, but he holds that Mr. Chamberlain as a postprandial orator, clever as he is in this respect, is nowise beside Mr. Chamberlain the Parliamentary debater. The New Zealand ex - Minister for Labour had the pood fortune to be present in the House of Commons on the previous night, when Mr. Chamberlain delivered his great speech on the Egyptian war question. " ft was the most perfect kind of its kind I have ever heard in all my life," said Mr. Reeves, " the neatest, most complete, most pointed and most telling in every way. As a debiting speech his was simply absoutely perfect, and one cannot say more than that. I shall always regard it as a great privilege to have been able to listen to such a masterpiece of debating oratory." In reply to my enquiry as to how the colonies would regard tlio propojodCustoms union for the whole Empire, Mr. Roevea observed rather dubiously that it would probably depend a good deal upon bhe terms each side was willing to offer and accept. He thought there was no doubt that sooner or later the colonies would have to face the question of naval defence more thoroughly than they had hitherto done.

A fair portrait of the new Agent-General is published in Black and White, which, in the course of a notice of his career, says "That the routine work of a colony's representative in London may Appear somewhat monotonous to this energetic young politician is likely enough, bub a few years' residence in London is very desirable for every colonial politician aspiring to hold high office." This is very true; and everybody who knows both London and the colonies agrees in holding the view that a visit to London ought to be regarded as an almost indispensable qualification for every New Zealand Minister of the Crown, more especially for each one holding such an office as that of Premier or Colonial Treasurer.

The New Agent-General for New Zealand has been requested by the Council of the Royal Colonial Institute to read a paper before the Institute early next month. Mr. Reeves has had hi* hands fall in the way of engagements. He has had to go to 13 dinner parties during the past 14 days. Mr. Reeves was afforded a very acceptable opportunity ot meeting mauv men famous in various capacities — celebrities with whom be has long wished to be brought into contact.

MR. WARD'S NAVAL SPEECH. That speech of Mr. Ward's about New Zealand borrowing some millions to build a fleet of ber own is applauded by the Financial Times as " a good sign" and it is remarked that " It evidently requires only another scare or two t« bring us and our colonial cousins to our senses." Unfortunately for this view, however, the AgentGeneral who cabled asking if the report were true has received a reply in the negative for which he tells me he means to obtain all possible publicity.

BANK OF AUSTRALASIA. The 62nd annual report of the Bank of Australasia shows a net profit for the halfyear of £41,158, to which has been added £10,495 brought forward from the previous half year. Of this £40,000 will be absorbed in paying a dividend of 5 per cenb. per annum, and £11,653 will be carried forward. The directors refer with satisfaction to the revival in trade, and to the improvement in the value ot wool. On tho whole they regard the general position as encouraging, while tUgy report thab the bank's business connections in the colonies

generally has been well maintained, and in some places shows a satisfactory increase. The meeting passed off very pleasantly. The chairman (Sir A. R. Scooie, M.P.) stated that the bank's business had greatly increased, and thab the increase hard been spread over all branches in New Zealand as well as in Australia. Special complimentary reference was made to the ability, intelligence, conscientiousness, and devotion of Mr. John Sawers, the bank's chief officer in Australia, who was, ib will be remembered, a very successful and popular manager of one of the bank's branches in New Zealand. NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURAL

COMPANY. Another "dependency" of the Bank of New Zealand has just been virtually extinguished, by paying off its outstanding debentures. I refer to the New Zealand

Agricultural Company, all of whoso shares Lave become vested in the Bank of New

Zealand Estates Company, and all of whose property has been acquired by the new Realisation Board. It was decided to pay off all the debentures of the Agricultural Company on May 15, with a bonus of one per cent, for every year of unexpired currency. That is to say, holders will receive £101 for each £100 that has a year to run, £102 for those thab have two years, and bo on. A meeting of the debentureholders was called one day last week to consider this {jroposalj bat it lapsed for want of a quorum. A second trial resulted in the requisite quorum being obtained, and in a resolution being adopted, accepting the proposals. :iV THE MIDLAND RAILWAY CASE.

A great deal of disagreeable feeling exists in city financial circles regarding the way in which tho Midland Rnlffftjr Company iiavo

beau treated by theNewZealandGovernment, 1 and this feeling is by no means mollified by Mr. Blake's award. The way the thing is pub to me by city men is this Mr. Blake's award was, thoy Bay, doubtless quite just from a technical point of view as being based on certain evidence, bub they claim that the victory won by the New Zealand Government is a purely technical one, and that they have scored off points of law and questions of legal interpretation rather than on the merito of the case, which, in the general city opinion, are distinctly on the other side. The view is, therefore', that the Government having won tho day might reasonably feel itself strong enough to be generous, and might at all events meet the debentureholders half way in some equitable negotiations for averting the threatened loss of the bulk of their money invested in the debentures, if not the whole of it. Now, of course, I am not putting this forward as my view— views are of no consequence at all—but Ido think it right to place before the New Zealand public the views expressed by London financiers who have it in their power to influence very materially, for good or for ill, the future fortunes of New Zealand. The cry is continually being raised that Now Zealand has treated the Midland Company very badly, and is bow getting out of the consequences by. relying on legal quibbles. This may be very unjust, but it certainly voices the prevalent feeling, and if any reasonable means can be found of allaying this hostile sentiment and of recouping the debentureholders, in some degree at any rate, it might be an act of good policy for the colony. As I mentioned in a former letter, the general manager of the Company holds very strongly the vie* that by seizing the whole of the Midland Company's property, the New Zealand Government will be found to have also taken over the Company's liability to the debenture-holders, whose security it hat thus forcibly collared. The opinion of counsel is, I believe, being taken on this point, and every effort is being made to build up as good a case as possible before the dreaded meeting between the [ directors and dobenture - holders takes place. A rumour found currency that the presence in London just now of Air. George Hutchison, who at one time was counsel for the Midland Railway Company, is more than a mere coincidence and is connected with further possible proceedings in the case. lam assured, hoover, on whatl have reason to bolieve good authority, that this is not so, and that Mr. Hutchison's connection with the case of the Midland Company is at an end.

THE MARRIAGE LAWS. A meeting of the Agents-General for Now Zealand, Australia, and South Africa with tho Acting High Commissioner for Canada was held yesterday at the office of Sir Saul Samuel, Agent-General for New South VYalee, for the purpose of considering certain instructions winch had been received

Rom the various Colonial Government* with

regard to the'question of legalising marriago with a deceased wife's sister. It was agreed to wait on the Secretary of State for tlio Colonies with the request that the Government would introduce legislation to render valid in England marriages with a deceased wife's Bister which had been legally performed in the colony and were valid there. I learn from Mr. Reeves that accordingly the Agents-General had an interview with Mr. Chamberlain yesterday afternoon at the Colonial Office to urge upon the Government either to support General Laurie's Bill or to introduce a measure themselves

legitimating the issue of marriages with a deceased wife's sistar performed under the colonial laws which authorised those marriages, all the Acts passed by the colonial Parliaments having beon sanctioned by the Crown. Sir Saul Sainuol, as the senior Agent-General, introduced the quostion. He said the children of these marriages would be illegitimate when they came to this country, and it was very questionable if a man who married his deceased wife's sister under the colonial law, and came to England and married an/other woman while his wifo was liv ing, could be tried for bigamy. This was a question which the Government ought to take up, as ib was considered in the colonies cruel that, after these marriages had been performed thero, they should have no effect vin the mother country. Mr. Chamberlain, in reply, said he was favourable to legislation on the question, and he quite sympathised with the objeots the colonial Governments had in view; but he much doubted whether General Laurie's Bill would be dealt with this session. At the same time, whenever that or some other

measure having the object of legalising marriages with a decoased wife's sisbor came before Parliament he shouid support ib as he had done in the past. The deputation thanked him and witndrew.