NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10416, 14 April 1897, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

To-day Sir George Grey completes his 85th birthday, and we are only expressing the general sentiment of the people of New Zealand in wishing the veteran statesman many happy returns of the day. His is a name that will for ever remain inseparable from the history of this colony, and although opinions may differ respecting the policy which ho pursued whilst in a position of influence and responsibility iti connection with the public affairs of New Zealand there is, and 'can be only one opinion in regard to his long and distinguished career as a broad-minded and enlightened servant of the State. That career, it is interesting to recall in this year of Her Majesty's record reign began before the Queen ascended the throne, mid there are few if any of the many eminent men who hare been her representatives in outlying parts of tho empire so early in her reign that still survive. Although Sir George lias taken up his residence in England it will be pleasing to him to know that he is nob forgotten in the land whose history he did so much to mould, and it will be gratifying to our readers to know that there js a likelihood of the old statesman returning to the colony to end his days in the country he loves so much and with which hie name will be for ever linked.

A comrade who was riding with Mr. Cecil Khodee in Matabeleland when the news came of the burning of his house at Capetown and the destruction of the much prized contents, has given Mr. Lucy, the well-known London correspondent, a pretty account of the scene. The news was tacked on in telegraphic laconics to a long official message received by Earl Grey. Like other visitors at Groote Schuur, Lord Grey knew how dear to Mr. Rhodes' heart was the house he had rebuilt and upon whoso adornment and comfort he lavished untold wealth and infinite care. For some time he shrank from the duty of conveying the bad news. At last he said, "Rhodes, I have got some terrible bad news from Capetown." "What is it?" said Mr. Rhodes, growing pale to the lips, "Is it Jameson?" An earlier message had described Uγ. Jim's illness, and Mr. Rhodes, thinking of the very worst news in the world, feared ho was dead. "No," said Lord Grey, "it's nob Jameson. Groote Schuur is burned down to the ground." " Oh," said Mr. Rhodes, a smile of relief lighting up bis face, " I can rebuild that." When they came to a halt he sat down and wrote a letter, giving full instructions for rebuilding the house.

In the present critical condition of affairs in Europe, the question has no doubt occurred to many of our readers, is there any danger of Great Britain being attacked? The Spectator believes there is. It says:—"Wo hold, and we believe all competent politicians of both parties hold, that there is real dauger lest within the next few years Great Britain should be attacked by a coalition of ab least throe Continental Powers. Wβ are considered to have taken more of the world than is our fair share, which, if 'fairness' is to bs the principle or distribution instead of the good of the world, is quite true; we are believed to be always fomenting war in Europe in order to relieve ourselves alike of pressure and of commercial rivals, which is quite false; and we are at once hated, despised, and envied, bocause we, 'amere nation of shopkeepers'as the German papers call us without a conscription and without a military caste, hold so lofty, or, as our rivals phrase it, so 'intolerably arrogant, , a position." All of which only accentuates the more the necessity of Great Britain constantly keeping in a state of preparedness for whatever may happen.

The romances of the London workhouses would form a thrilling and pathetic record, and, for tad vicissitude and ill-luck, few cases (says the St. James Gazette) could surpass that of an inmate of one of our poorhouses, who has very recently passed away. A lady visiting the institution was struck by the evident refinement of an elderly woman in the infirmary, who was a Norwegian by birth, but who spoke English and other languages fluently. She had all the beaux testes of a very lovely woman, which years of poverty and ill-health could not destroy. She was very reticent as regarded her past ; but) was so evidently a gentlewoman that the sympathetic visitor exerted herself to obtain admission for the nvalid into a home for the dying, in which she might pats her last days in peace and amid congenial surroundings. Before her death the etranger told her story, and a strange and romantic one it proved to be. At seventeen she was informed by her parents that she was to be married; and although she had no voice in the matter nothing could have been more satisfactory. Her husband wag handsome, cultured, and devoted. They lived in a charming country house, surrounded by every luxury, and four children were born to the couple. The only drawback to the perfect happiness of the young wife were the long and frequent absences of her husband, which he attributed to business, bub would explain no further. At last) there came a day when the man returned no more from his accustomed journey, but aenb his lawyer instead, from whom the bewildered and heartbroken woman learnt that her supposed huiband was the King of —, and that, owing to pressing reaeoni,' the liaiion should terminate An adequate ,i ... '..*•■. ■'. ... ■ .......

sum was settled on her and her children and, wishing to break entirely with the past, she canie to live in London. some years she married an Englishman and shortly after, the King died, leaving & lump sum to her. This money the husband got from her to invest, and tan off with the entire amount, leaving hie unfortunate tjfe penniless. She had never been trained to do any sort of work, ond things wont from bad to worse until, utterly destitute and dying, she became an inmate of the workhouse.

The situation in the East, although itbai nob assumed any new phase, appears tc have somewhat relaxed in tension. Thia ig due solely to the forbearance of Turkey, The Sultan is by no means anxious for war and notwithstanding the provocative action of the Greeks is not disposed to resort to the ultimate argument. He will not regard the Greek invasion of his territory as a casus belli, provided the raid is not* repeated, while the British Under-Becretary for Foreign Affairs is apparently of opinion that both Greece and Turkey without losa of dignity might arrive at a peaceful con. elusion of the difficultly between thorn. The exclusion of Japanese from Hawaii seema likely to lead to «orioua complications. An expedition is being fitted out by the Royal Geographical Society for the exploration of the Antarctic regions. An important gold diecovery is reported to have been made in Alaska.