ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1250, 13 February 1896, Page 12

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Frojyi Our Special Correspondent

PERSONAL NOTES. London, December 2S. The Earl and Countess of Onslow, Lord Cranley, and family are spending the Christmas holidays at Nice. Mr Robert Millis, of Dunedin, has succeeded in impressing the merits of his paper-bag-making machine on experts in England, and a syndicate entitled “ The Simplex Paper-Bag Syndicate, Limited,” has been formed to exploit the invention. Mr Millis is under engagement to them from January Ist for two years, and a number of machines have been ordered fiom Jas. Milline and Sons, of Edinburgh. This tirm have, under the inventor’s superintendence, already manufactured two sample machines, one of which will shortly be visible at work in London. Mr Millis* headquarters next year are to be in town, but he has gone to Glasgow for the liolidavs.

Sir Maurice O’Rorke will reach England in a few days, but does not propose to come to London first. He wishes to spend the New Year in Ireland, and will stay there some six weeks. Later he goes on a visit to friends in Norfolk, and will then, presumably, pass through town and look up Sir George Grey. • I am very glad to hear from Mrs Baker that over a thousand copies of her successful novel “The Majesty of Man” have been sold in the Australian colonies alone. The New Zealand lady’s health is much improved, and Miss Baker has in a few months shot up into a tall and altogether charming- example of the colonial beauty. Mr S. S. Blackburne, of Christchurch, who came Home in the sailing vessel Hurunui last June, is just now residing at Sydenham. He, as you may be aware, takes a great interest in the frozen meat trade, but hitherto on account of indifferent health and numerous social engagements has not moved in the matter in England. Mr Blackburne’s health is now happily restored, and he is to be married on January 15 to Miss Lanphier, daughter of Dr Lanphier, of Alford, Lincolnshire. The honeymoon will extend to two months, and be spent near Biarritz, and Mr and Mrs Blackburne sail for New Zealand in May. Dr Alexander Hill, the Master of Downing College, will pay a visit to New Zealand early next year. Ho has booked passages for himself, Mrs Hill and their three children by the Austral, leaving London on January 21. The party wiil most probably spend some time at Colombo, and from thence will proceed via Melbourne to Christchurch. This trip is the outcome of a perusal of Captain Ashby’s brochure on New Zealand, published some years ago, and now out of print. Dr Hill, lam told, is somewhat sceptical as to the veracity of some of the captain’s statements therein, but Mr Ashby is quite content to let the Colony speak for itself. The annual concert of the London Australasian Club, which will be held in the East Conference Hall of the imperial Institute, promises to be a most attractive function. The committee are at all events doing their utmost to make it so, and I must commend them for (wittingly or unwittingly) taking my “ tip ” regarding the artistes engaged. So far as is possible they have gone in for colonial talent. Miss Amy Sherwin has consented to accept a very nominal fee for the occasion, and her presence will do much to make the concert a success. Other colonial singers will be Miss Jose Jacombs, Mr Mandeno Jackson and Mr A. 11. Gee, whilst Mr George Clutsam and Mr “ Jack ” Lemmone will play.

SIR GEORGE GREY. The move from Park Place to St. James’ to the less congested Stanhope Gardens seems to have benefited Sir George Grey not a little, for when I called upon him on Monday, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, and the temporary absence from London of Mrs and Miss George, the venerable statesman was intellectually and physically more vigorous than I have seen him for some time. Like most of us ho is keenly interested in the Venezuelan affair, but, whilst agreeing with the majority that war between England and America is highly improbable. Sir George has some doubts as to whether the stilf-neckedness of Americans and the obstinacy of John Bull may not bring about that which both nations dread. “ I do not,” he said, “ believe there will be a war, but the wish may be father to. an error.” Sir George deplored President Cleveland’s bellicose Message as most unstatesmanlike, but at the same time he blamed Lord Salisbury for having rejected the President's previous offer to arbitrate between Venezuela and England. Had' any European sovereign made, a similar offer Sir George says it would have been accepted, and therefore the refusal of President Cleveland’s mediation amounted to a direct snubbing. Contrary to most Englishmen. Sir George does not believe that there is in America a general dislike of England, but, of course, his impressions of Americans have been gained almost entirely from the more cultured classes and not from the rank and file.

Asked as to the results to England should war ensue, Sir George rather startled me by expressing a fear that it would end in our Australasian colonies breaking away from the Empire. I scouted the notion, but Sir George evidently believed he had grounds for his fear. It was, he intimated, a mere question

of £ s. d. vcrsxis sentiment.' Australasia would not, he thought, be willing to make big sacrifices in order to maintain England’s supremacy. I wished to pursue this theme, but, alas ! a lady was in waiting to see the G.0.M.; so, passing the seasonable compliments, I withdrew, quite unconvinced that in the event of war between John Bull and Uncle Sam the seven sturdy sons of the former would either disown their parent or remain passive spectators of the fight. Sir George, by the way, seems to think that England has always presented an aggressive front to America, and looks upon the fortification of the Bermudas as a standing menace to the United States. In event of war the money spent upon the Bermudas will certainly prove to have been well spent, for that the islands form the best possible base of naval operations a glance at the map will show.