Clippings.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 312, 13 April 1878, Page 20

Clippings.

WHAT THE “ WORLD” SAYS. There has been a competition among the authorities as to who should nob give a ball in honor of the Crown Prince of Austria. It was thought that Lord Derby, who, having no family calls upon him, may be supposed to have a fair average income, would have taken upon himself the duties of host. But his lordship declined ; and it has been left to Lord Salisbury to entertain the Crown Prince, which he will do on Friday next.

The Emperor of Russia’s devotion to family ties may, it is feared by his advisers, lead him to entertain more favorably than they desire the claims put forward by Greece, whose Queen, a daughter of the influential Grand Duke Constantine, is the Czar’s niece.

That indomitable Russian Princess ! She vows to her friends in Paris that Austria s remonstrances are part of the programme. She is heart and soul with us still, and the triple alliance, say what they will, is unbroken.”

I do not believe in a Conference any more than Prince Bismarck does in the French Exhibition ; but if any such affair should by any accident be attempted, I am heartily glad to hear that Lord Derby has decided not to represent England, on the alleged ground that he does not speak French sufficiently well. There arc rumors, and something more than rumors, afloat about Loid Derby which would entirely prevent his inspiring any confidence in the public mind. Lord Lyons is spoken of, and he would be a far better - man.

Club gossip is busy, of course, with the names of the Generals who may be expected to come to the front if we are drawn into war. For a long time Lord Napier of Magdala stood high in the betting ; but a stronger favorite now for the chief command is feir Lintorn Simmons. Sir Charles Ellice under him might get an army corps, so might Sir John Garvoch, but he is unfortunately senior to Simmons, and his chances are thus reduced to a minimum, even if he waived his. rank. Another probable corps commander is Sir Thomas Steele. Sir Garnet V/olseley can hardly expect more than a division ; he is still only a major-general, although high up the list. Perhaps he would prefer the onerous

and deeply important role of Chief of the Staff. Other probable divisional generals are Sir Daniel Lysons, Generals Somerset, Stephenson, and Shipley ; Generals Oakes or Drysdale to commaud the cavalry; Collingwood, Dickson, D’Aguilar, and Ad'ye the artillery; Colonel Galwey, Sir John Stokes, Lennox, and Home filling the most prominent posts with the engineers. There would be a great rush for brigades. Among the e encrals are Anderson, Leicester, Smythe, Peyton, and Pakenham, who would probably go bodily with the brigades they actually command. Otherbrigadiers might be Lord Alexander Russell, Percy Fielding, Hsmley (the military writer), Hawley, and Sir John McLeod. There i 3 very little doubt to whom some at least of the principal staff appointments would be given. Colonels Greaves McNeil and T. D. Baker would go as a matter of course, and with tlienr many of tlie juniors from the Horse Guards. Of the rest of the staff it may fairly be assumed generally that the best men would be selected, and tire choice just now is fortunately unusually wide.

I am able to announce on the best authority, notwithstanding the persistent rumors to the contrary, that the Marquis d’Harcourt, the much-esteemed Ambassador of France at the Court of St. James’s, is not to be removed from his post. That fact has additional importance in connection with the rapprochement which is believed to have lately taken place between the English and French Cabinets on the Eastern Question. When will the Saturday Review give up the barbarous pedantry so long persisted in—and never, that I know, remarked upon —of translating foreign titles ? The “Duke of Morny” is an elegant turn which has long decorated its pages, and lately I have observed the “ Duke of Audiffret-Pasquier,” which is still more pretty and intelligent. Where is Morny? where is Audiffret-Pasquier ? Why not convert other family names and titles into noms de terre, and give us the “ Count of Orsay ” and “ Mr. Emilius of Girardin ?”

It is known in diplomatic circles that Germany strongly opposed Austria’s proposal for a European Congress, but that the idea chimed in with Prince Gortchalcoff’s own desires. The Russian Chancellor, it appears, feels that the time has come for him to retire from the conduct of offairs, and leave the direction of Russian foreign policy to younger men. But as a fitting close to his life’s work, he passionately wishes to preside at a congress that shall solemnly annul the treaty of Paris. Then he will sing his Nunc dimittis with a peaceful heart.

Among the large crowd which spent its Saturday half-holiday in attending George Cruilcshank’s funeral, I was sorry to see so few representative men. Lord Houghton, who is ever foremost in evincing his respect for genius, and -who braved the miserable cold in his skull-cap and muffler, Mr. Sal a, Mr. Chas. Landseer, R.A., Mr. C. S. Hall, and Mr. Charles Kent were among the invited mourners. Round the grave -I noticed Mr. John Tenniel, Mr. Frederick Locker, Mr. Gruneisen, Mr. Manville Fenn, Mr. Brunton. The news coming from Malta about Mdlle. Sarda is only in part true. There is no foundation for the statement that the young lady has sought and obtained from Mr. Gye permission to be excused from making her appearance at the Royal Italian Opera during the approaching season. H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught has been the guest of Lord Clanmorris at Cregg Clann, in the county Galway, during the past week, and his programme of sport was in this wise : Mounted on Black Knight, he took a forward part in a brilliant run from Annagh to Bawnmore on Tuesday. On Wednesday he shot a good shoot at Moyode Castle, killing thirteen woodcocks to his own gun, out of a small total. On Thursday he assisted in two capital gallops from Carragh Gorge to Eastwell, and from Grange to Tynagli ; while on Friday he hunted in the Athenry county, and went to the hunt-ball in Galway in the evening. The reception of their Duke by the Connaughtese was enthusiastic to a degree. Now that Pio Nono is dead the gossipers are busy picking uo “ ana” about him. Here is one, which, although perfectly true, is not in general circulation. Shortly after his election to the Papacy, and when Antonelli held his first office under him, that of Finance Minister, the Romans, meeting their Pontiff in the street, complained to him of the tax on salt. The tax was a monopoly farmed by one of the speculators who thrived in earlier days. Pio Nono sent for the speculator. “ I suppose that salt tax is very valuable to you,” said he. The speculator trembled, fearing the price of the monopoly was about to be raised, protested that it was a dead loss. “ How much would compensate you for being relieved of your loss?” asked his Holiness. The salt-tax farmer named a ridiculously low sum. “Then,” said the Pope, “ you shall have the money and calling for Antonelli, ordered him to pay it. The rogue of a speculator refused ; but on being informed by the Pope that he would publish the fact that he had offered him his own price for the monopoly, at last took the money,. and went away a sadder, a wiser, and prospectively, a more honest man. The day afterwards the salt-tax was abolished.

A naval officer just returned from Turkey tells me that if our fleet had proceeded to Constantinople when first ordered there about a fortnight ago, it might possibly have had hard work to fight its way out again. The Russians were within a few miles of Gallipoli, and if, either with or without the connivance of Turkey, they had gained possession of the forts commanding the Dardanelles, they might have used the 40-ton Krupp guns which are in them with serious effect, leaving oiitof thequestionthe use torpedoes might have been'put to. It would have afforded a startling piece of intelligence, sensational enough for any of our “dailies,” if the British fleet had been caught in a- trap. Popular Prime Ministers should never quit their mansions without leaving behind a plentiful supply of cold collation and a little champagne to wash their viands down the throats of

enthusiastic admirers. That is the only moral of a deputation incident which occurred at Whitehall one evening last week. A noisy deputation of working men, numbering a few hundred, proceeded down Parliament-street to Lordßeaconsfield’s private residence just as the shades of evening had fallen. Arrived, at Whitehall Gardens, they cheered for the Prime Minister, and declared they didn’t want to fight, though by jingo if they did, &c., and appointed a deputation of about a dozen to mount the steps, knock at the door, ask for his lordship, and present him with a resolution in support of his policy. “ His lordship is at diuner,” answered the janitor in livery. “Very well,” said the leader of the deputation, “ we’ll be happy to join his lordship, for shouting is both hungry and thirsty work.” The janitor smiled, and informed the British workmen that his lordship was dining out. The deputation did not leave the resolution, nor even give three cheers for Benjamin the Beloved. In emulation of the “ men of Sheffield,” who recently presented Mr. Gladstone with an axe, as a souvenir of the staple of their town, the “ women of Bridport ” sent the other day to the hon. member a halter, made in their town, of Russian hemp, with an intimation “that he had better use it, and rejoin his master the devil, whom he had served so loyally, as his work on earth was now completed.” Strange to say, Mr. Gladstone has not acknowledged the present—even by card. Dawn broke some time back upon the Army Supply Departments, and order is rapidly replacing the chaos which followed the sweeping abolition of the control. Much however, still remains to be done; and it is to be hoped that effect will be given to the suggestion for further symmetrical reorganisation made by Lord Cadogan’s Committee. Chief among these is the recommendation that the departments should have a more distinctly military basis. The Serapis is the most unfortunate troopship in the service, and met with another almost ludicrous mishap in the Mediterranean on her passage home from Bombay. The captain, it is said, on a former occasion was blamed by the Admiralty authorities for extravagance in overloading his vessel with coal at Aden, where that all-important commodity naturally commands a very high price. Paying due reverence to the cheese-parers (who, sitting slippered in their studies at home, gain such an immense amount of practical experience of to the management of ironclads at sea), it was only human nature for the worthy mariner to go to the opposite extreme, and not ship enough coal on the present voyage. The result was that when the Serapis had arrived within seven miles of Malta, she ran short of fuel. A heavy gale rising at the moment when she was thus deprived of the means of contending against it, she was carried away somewhere in the neighborhood of Greece, and went drifting helplessly about the Mediterranean with more than 1000 troops onboard forquitefivedays She was ultimately picked up by H.M.S. Raleigh, which had been sent in search of the derelict. Now, now, Mr. W. H. Smith, when we go to war for Turkey, you know, it will never do to have our soldiers tossing about on such a duckpond as the Mediterranean for nearly a week to save a few tons of coal.

The levee on Saturday was like a martial manifesto. Pall Mall blossomed with uniforms military and naval, the Service Clubs were filled to overflowing with red and blue coats, cocked hats and gold lace. I own, as an inoffensive citizen, I was much impressed at finding so many whom I had long taken to be men of peace like myself, really veteran fire-eaters of the fiercest type, and I was pleased to think how ready they were to come out on occasion in their true colors. A very large number I observe remain who wear Crimean decorations.

THE GOLD DISCOVERIES AT NEW i£r GUINEA.

The Port Moresby correspondent of the Brisbane Courier, writing under date Bth February, says :—“ I have made all possible inquiries about the reported gold discovery in New Guinea, and learn as follows : —The first specimen was found by a native of New Caledonia, called Jimmy Caledonia, who, I understand, has had experiences on Jicrcriuo-g in New Caledonia, N ew Zealand, aiicf Queensland. Jimmy Caledonia did not inform Mr. Goldie of the discovery until four months afterwards, his object being to carry the news to Queensland himself. Mr. Goldie is a collector of plants for an English firm of horticulturists, and has no knowledge whatever of mining affairs. He informed me that, on being told by Jimmy that he imagined gold to exist at the Lalobrie, he took his party inland to obtain further information, and that they were absent about a month, during which time they obtained the specimens forwarded to Sydney. Jimmy Caledonia’s account is as follows :—-‘ I have had considerable experience at various diggings, and was for some time a mate of Mulligan’s, while prospecting the country which led to the discovery of. the Hodgkinson. I found the first specimen which I thought contained gold at the junction of the Lalobrie and a river (which [Mr. Goldie has since named the Goldie), while inland with the Rev. W. Lawes and Mr. Goldie. About four months afterwards the Bertha, schooner, arrived, and as some of the crew were going inland with a vieu T to prospecting, I thought it advisable to inform Mr. G»ldio that I had found a specimen which I believed contained gold. Air. Goldie then went inland with me to obtain further information. I prospected the bed of the river wherever practicable, and obtained the specimens which Mr. Goldie forwarded to Sydney. All the quartz specimens are from boulders found in the river bed. We did not succeed in finding the source of the river, nor did we find any of the reefs from which the boulders have come.’ From the above it will be seen that there is nothing whatever to justify diggers in leaving Queensland, as the specimens obtained are inferior to the prospects which may be obtained in almost any river of Noithern Queensland. It has long been the opinion of

geologists and others that New Guinea is an auriferous country, and the specimens forwarded merely bear out this theory, while the work of finding a goldfield yet remains to be done. I would further caution storekeepers and others to be very careful in sending any large quantity of goods to Port Moresby, even should any goldfield be discovered in the locality mentioned by Mr. Goldie, as, from the conformation of the country, I am of opinion that a more suitable port may yet be discovered ; and I should be excessively sorry to witness a repetition of Bowen and Townsville, and of Cairns and Island Point. Jimmy Caledonia is well known here as an intelligent man, and well up in mining.” The Sydney Echo says :—“ It seems that, notwithstanding all the cautions which have been given, some twenty-five persons have decided to risk the chance of finding gold, with all its attendant dangers, in New Guinea. The schooner Colonist will leave Circular-quay to-morrow, in all probability, for Port Moresby. The number of men mentioned go as passengers by her, and have provided themselves with provisions and outfit, paying £l2 each for their passage-money. There seems to be no organisation about the party. They have associated themselves in small numbers, five or teu mating together, and they have laid in provisions to the extent of about scwt. each man. No horses are taken—no boat, cutter, or steam launch is provided ; they will be landed at Port Moresby, and there they will have to shift for themselves. They seem hopeful and confident of success, and it remains to be seen how far their expectations will be fulfilled. We understand that the Colonist will take about twentyfive men more from Cooktown, bound on the same expedition.”