Miscellaneous.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 860, 24 August 1888, Page 20

Miscellaneous.

An English letter from our London _ correspondent appears on page 11 of thi3 issue. Messrs S. and W. Mackay, booksellers, of Lambton-quay, advertise the arrival of some new and interesting works.

Mr Robert Triggs, of this, city, has been highly successful as an exhibitor at the Dog Show held in connection with the Melbourne Exhibition on the Bth, 9th, and 10th instants. Hia fox-terrier, Shelford Jack, by Chafnpion —Richmond Jack, took first and special prize in the colonial bred dog class, and second prize in the open class ; and bis bitch Harewood Rose, by Diamond Jack, took first and special prize in a field of eighteen in the colonial bred bitches class.

“ Did you see the Panama Canal?” asked an interviewer of Mr Melton Prior, the celebrated artist of the Illustrated London NTews while in San Francisco recently. “ Spa* it ( Why, my dear sir, I spent two weeks iu it. making sketches.” “ VVhat do ( you think of its prospects ? I feel confident De Lesseps will complete it, ana that without allowing the work to fall into the hands of his Government. I am willing to bet a champagne lunch that De Lesseps Company will have the Canal completed before 1890—that is, if a European war does n6t interrupt. They have done far more work than they are credited with, notwithstanding that millions of money have been wasted in extravagance and in lavish exrnenditure for machinery, which lies rusting £nd going to ruin in great quantities. In my opinion, all your American alleged ■soepticism of De Lesseps’ ability to finish -the canal, and even your Nicaragua project, 5s simply a method of “bearing the De Lesseps stock, as you say in your speculative dealings, in order that the Panama Canal may eventually fall into American control,” Referring to the million surplus of the recent Victorian budget, a correspondent of a Southern paDer says :—“Never before has an Australian Treasurer had such ? pleasant tale to relate ; never before have colonial finances been in such a prosperous condition. And the way he told it, too—so dryly, so methodically, without a trace of enthusiasm in voice, manner, or gesture. He referred continuously to his notes, and sever for a moment seemed to think he was doing anything but relating the moat ordinary and matter-of-fact details. The Premier is certainly not a commanding man to look at He is short and fat and round, and has a big whiskerless face, and a boyish manner, which rather disappoints one at a first 'dance. And there he stood, reeling off his monotonous details, whilst all the time the man must have been bursting with pride and „«ir.«nnCTratulation, And then when.it

came to tolling how the Government.pro. nosed to deal with the surplus, Mr Gillies was the only unmoved man in the House. He acted the part of a nineteenth century good fairy, and gave gifts all round. Everybody is to benefit by the good time—Melbourne and the cotntry - townsmen, gownsmen, and farmers —Ballarat, Sandhurst, and Warrnambool—high and low - big and ittle.”