PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11535, 21 November 1900, Page 6

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

[FBOM OtTB OWN COBBESPONDENT.3 London, October 20. Mb. Govett goes out by the s.s. Omrah, on his way to Auckland. . ' Mr. T. Leys, of Auckland, is, I learn, in town, and has greatly improved in health. Mrs. Napier Bell and her daughter have again settled for the winter in Paris, at 5, Rue D'Assas, where they hope to meet old Christchurch and Dunedin friends. I hear that Mr. Isaac Wilson has decided not to return to the colony yet awhile. So far as present arrangements go he purposes remaining in England for another year. Mr. A. H. Bromley, a well-known mining map, sails in the s.s. Australia, on the 26th inst., from Marseilles for New Zealand, via Australia, "to report on several gold mines there." Dr. Somerville is staying in the Mother Country for a time, to go through a course of the hospitals, with a view of picking up all the later improvements and developments in medical and surgical science. Lieutenant d'Arcy Chaytor, who some time ago was invalided Home, has now completely recovered from the effects of the fever, and has had instructions to rejoin his contingent in South Africa. He sailed for the Cape on Wednesday. Mr. A. G. Horton and Miss Horton leave by the s.s. Omrah next week, on their return voyage to New Zealand. Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Wilson and their niece, Miss Someri ville, will also go out by the s.s. Omrah, but will join her at Naples on November 4. Mr. John Mitchell, architect, of Auckland, is still in town, and has not yet definitely fixed the date of his departure for New Zealand. He has been working hard at scholastic matters, and has, so to speak, gone completely through the London School Board. It is announced that Her Majesty the Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Mr. Nicolas Passek to aot as Russian Consul for New Zealand and Australia. Also the appointment of Mr. G. L. Denniston, who will act as Belgian Consul at Dunedin. Mrs. W. J. Habens, of Wellington, who has lately been staying at Newick, in Sussex, came on to London and stayed for several weeks with friends at Anerlcy. On Monday > last, however, Mrs. Habens returned to Brighton, where she expects to make a lengthened stay. Yesterday's Times contained notification of the marriage of Mr. J. L. Wood, of the Natal Bank, Pretoria, formerly of Calcutta, to Miss Joanna Elizabeth Turnbull, daughter of the late Mr. Walter Turnbull, of Mount Henlv, Upper Norwood, and Wellington, New Zealand. The wedding took place on the 18th inst., at the English Presbyterian Church, Regent Square. Lord Glasgow was one of the mourners at the funeral of Lord Bute, the seven times millionaire Marquess and great benefactor of the Roman Catholic Church, to which he was a convert. It was typical of the man, who inspired Beaconfield's "Lothair," that he should desire his body to be buried at Bute, and his heart at the Mount of Olives, at Jerusalem. The wish is to be carried out. Mr. Hallenstein. of Dunedin, is, I hear, returning almost immediately to that city. Since his arrival here some time ago he has been travelling a great deal, spending a considerable portion of his time in Germany and other parts of the Continent. He will bo accompanied on his return to Dunedin by his daughter, Mrs. Fells, who ha* placed her daughters at school in Cheltenham. They join their steamer at Marseilles. Mr. Aiken, of Nelson, has returned to London after another visit to Paris. Ho tells me that he and Mrs. Aiken are in no hurry to return tt the colony. Their daughter, Mrs. Mcßae, however, takes her departure from London for New Zealand, via Australia, next week, travelling in the s.s. Omrah. Sho has thoroughly enjoyed her visit to this country, but is anxious to get back to her home in New Zealand. Lord Onslow has been trying for some time to get a boy named Herepath, the son of a Freemason in Auckland, into the Masonic Institute for Boys. He now writes to Mr. W. P. Reeves: "This time, by sending out cards appealing for votes on the ground that New Zealand has done so much for the Empire, that it would be a graceful act to comply with the desire of the mother, I am glad to say he is elected second with 8691 votes."

Miss M. Davidson, of Kumara, who came Home by the s.s. Rakaia, and has since been travelling about Great Britain, also in Germany and Belgium, visiting the Paris Exhibition, called on me yesterday. She informed me that she was having an exceedingly pleasant trip, and intended to continue travelling about for a year or two before returning to the colony. During part of the time, at any rate, she will be accompanied by Miss Hope, of Auckland.

With reference to the retirement from political life of Mr. Faithfull Begg, ex-M.P. for St. Rollox, Glasgow, and the consequent loss by the feminine suffragists of their ablest and most energetic advocate, a leading London paper says: "The question of female Parliamentary suffrage may be considered for the present as entirely shelved. In our Australian colonies movements for its establishment have been rejected by large and most decisive majorities. In New Zealand it certainly has not worked satisfactorily." By the Aberdeen lines, s.s. Sophocles, which sailed from London on the 23rd inst., the Hon. G. Gathorno Hardy and Lady Dorothy Gathorne Hardy, third daughter of Lord and Lady Glasgow, leave for Hobart, via the Cape. It is understood that they will tranship at Tasmania for New Zealand. It is also probable that the Hon. Gathorne Hardy, having been through the South African campaign, will join the Duke and Duchess of York's Imperial Guard of Honour in New Zealand and Australia. Mr. A. Glenville Hume, R.N.R., writes to me that he is staying for the present at Bath, but has been for the last fortnight at Upper Norwood, with his aunt, _ Mrs. Golding. He is going to be married to Miss Rogers, a young lady of Bath. His future plans are not yet definitely fixed, but he will probably wait in England for the return of his elder brother, who has been attached since February to General PoleCarew's Guards Brigade in South Africa, and who is now on his way back to England. Mr. and Mrs. P. H. Dale, of Christchurch, with Miss Dale, arrived in London during the summer, but proceeded almost immediately to the Midlands and thence to Scotland. They have also made a Continental tour, visiting Rome and Paris among other olaces. Mr. Dale says they will next go to Wales for a few weeks; then on to Liverpool, at which port they will join the White Star steamor Oceanic, proceeding by her to Mew York on their return to New Zealand, via San Francisco. Professor A. W. Biekerton. of Christchurch, continues to mako good progress here with regard to his theory of cosmic genesis. Fie tells me that he has been invited by the editor of Knowledge to contribute four articles to that paper on " Constructive Impact," the first to appear in January next, ♦he other three to follow respectively in February, March, and April. Last Thursday Professor Biekerton left town for Oxford for the purpose of delivering two lectures there ot the Ruskin Hall. Recent callers at the Agency-General include: Mr. P. H. Dale, of Christchurch; Mr. A. G. Hume, of Wellington; Mr. G. W. Gilman, of Christchurch; Dr. N. R. Childs, of Dunedin; Mr. John Reed, of Elderslie; Mr. J. E. Schneider, of Christchurch ; Mr. E. H. Godsal, of Hawera; Mr. W. C. Curtis, of Wellington; Mr. W. D. R. McCurdie, of Dunedin; Mr. Sydney L. Thompson, of Christchurch; Mr. T. H. Russell, of Milburn; Mrs. E. Morton, of Dunedin; Miss A. L. S. Clark, of Temuka; and Miss Buchanan, of Little River, Canterbury. Mi. B. Sefch-Smith, of Otago, was in town recently, but left this week for the North fo. the purpose of visiting several of the leading Shropshire sheep-breeders, with a view to getting as much information as possible as to the best class of this breed for improving the New Zealand flock, both as regards wool and mutton. Mr. Seth-Smith also hopes to visit the Colonial College at Hollesiey Bay, where he spent some time before going to New Zealand some years ago. He also purposes paying a round of visits among relatives and friends before leawng the , colony in February next.

i I observe that among the passengers by. the Ville de la CHotat, which has just arrived from Sydney, are Archdeacon Devoy, VicarGeneral of New Zealand, Dean Carew, and other representatives of the Roman Catholic Church, who are bound for the septennial conference to be held in the south of France. They belong to the Order of the Marists. Archdeacon Devov represents the Archdiocese of Wellington. He has been in New Zealand for 22 years. Dean Carew has been for 25 years on the West Coast of New Zealand. The other fathers come from Samoa, Fiji, and other islands. Archdeacon Devoy will visit Rome on the return journey.

A new story by Miss A. D. Bright, of Auckland, will appear in the first number of the new Imperial and Colonial Magazine. I hear that the editor is so much delighted with it that he is anxious to publish a whole series of stories which Miss Bright has written. All are remarkable for, the strong New Zealand spirit that they breathe. Miss Blight's book comes out next year. She has been touring in England and Scotland, and has greatly enjoyed the beautiful weather. The date of her return to New Zealand is still undecided. I may add that Miss Bright's stories are beautifully illustrated by Mr. Frank Wright, of Auckland. The publisher declares these illustrations to be among the most perfect pieces of work yet produced by any colonial artist.

Sir Henry Acland, the eminent savant, who has just died at the advanced age of 87, was connected with New Zealand not only by direct relationship with a well-known and highly-respected family in the colony, but also in an indirect way. His wife, Lady Acland, was the sister of the Rev. William Cotton, who was for a long time chaplain to the first Bishop of New Zealand, the apostolic Selwyn, with whom he travelled throughout many of the long and wearisome and perilous journeyings that the episcopal duties of those days involved. Lady Acland's father was Mr. William Cotton, F.R.8., the celebrated governor of the Bank of England, who invented the delicate machinery by which a sovereign of light weight is instantly detected in the midst of thousands.

This month two more weddings of direct interest in New Zealand have been celebrated in London. On the 10th isist., at St. Mary Abbott's Church, Kensington, the marriage took place of Mr. John AnketelJ, of Masterton, New Zealand, and Miss Charlotte Warren, eldest daughter of the late- Mr. Joshua Warren, of Oampdon Hill, Kensington. The officiating clergyman was the Rev. C. H. Nicholson. Next day, the 11th inst., Captain Ewart Scott Grogan, of the 4th Royal Munster Fusiliers, son of the late Mr. William Grogan, of 97. Queens Gate, London, was married to Miss Gertrude Edith Watt, of Napier. New Zealand, second daughter of the late Mr. James Watt and of Mrs. J. H. Coleman, of Napier. The wedding took" place at Christ Church, Lancaster Gate, the officiating clergy being the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge, assisted by the Rev. T. Collisson, Rector of Gravenhurst, Bedfordshire.