ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1745, 16 August 1905, Page 72

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

PITY THE POOR PENGUINS. (From Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, June 23rd. At the Ornithological Congress, just closed, a vigorous and, indeed, heated debate occurred on a motion brought forward by Mr Walter Rothschild. Speaking, he said, as an exponent of the wish of the bulk of the Congress, he moved that "a telegram be sent to the Government of New Zealand and Legislature of Tasmania, urging them to introduce legislation to prevent, in islands under their rule, the destruction of penguins now going on for the sake of boiling the birds down into oil." Numbers of members spoke in support. Sir W. Buller, who is writing a book on the subject, and Dr Giglioni spoke with especial vehemence; and a Tasmanian delegate, after announcing that the Legislature had recently put the penguin on the total protection list, said that such a telegram would strengthen his hands. He also gave some terrible details of the torture of mutton birds. At this point, a vigorous protest was made by M. Leonhard Stejneger. fi’om the United States, on the ground that the congress had no business to dictate to Governments, and he instanced the hypothetical feelings of , the American Government. if so schooled. Dr Bowdler Sharpe replied that if the Americans were boiling down penguins in the Philippiness and the congres, did not tell them to stop, the congress had better cease to exist. Finally, the motion was enlarged by including "the Commonwealth of Australia," and the substitution "all birds boiled down for oil" for "penguin"; and passed with one dissentient. THE CABMAN CLAIMANT. Whether George Augustus Jervis Meredyth, late of Hobart, who, during his long life has played many parts, having in turn been shoemaker, stoker, storeman, policeman, and cabman, is a baronet of the United Kingdom, heir to a creation of 1660, or a plain commoner, appears to be in some doubt. An official of .Ulster’s Office states that when the first baronet died, in 1665. he left no heirs of his body. This is held to be proved by his will, date'd June 2nd, 1664, in which he left all his property to his wife during her lifetime. At her death, it was to go to his brother Charles Meredyth. Further, Sir William’s funeral certificate states that he died childless. The property eventually passed to a nephew, Robert, whose will (1743) describes him as “esquire." The contention of Barry Colles Meredyth, who assumed the title of seventh baronet, was that he was the great-great-grandson and heir male of Sir William, the first'baronet. That ,in fact, his ancestor, Robert Meredyth, was the son, and not the nephew, of Sir William. Ulster Office acquiesced in Sir Barry’s claims, apparently without inquiry. A well-known authority on heraldry states that the two proofs put forward by Ulster Office that the first baronet left no male heir were by no means conclusive. As to the funeral certificate, it was notorious that these were, years ago, very untrustvvorthy. If the seventh baronet had a Tight to the title, there .ca.ll be no doubt that the present claimant is the eleventh baronet. In any event, however, no property goes with the title, but it possesses some financial value even if only as a prospectus 'ornament. JOTTINGS.

Amongst the obsolete warships to be ottered for sale on July 11th at Portsmouth Dockyard are the Orlando, the -harrakatta, and .boomerang, late of the Australian squadron. Mr W. H. Keary, Mayor of New Westminster, British Columbia, is particularly anxious to add to tlie attractions of the Dominion Exhibition to be held there in oepteinber and October next, a senes of sculling races between the world’s best men. lie has, it seems, been in communication with George Towns with a view to discovering whether the champion would be willing to defend his title against all coiners on the Frazer river ciunng the progress of the and has ottered a purse of <£soo and reasonable expenses to competitors. Towns, ■it appears, has expressed his willingness to make the trip, ana suggested to Mr Keary that the exhibition authorities should also have a double sculling raee, as he proposed to bring Stanbury with him; the brothers juarry had challenged the world for a double sculling race, and probably Sullivan ana Human would be willing to make a tmrd pair. The executive, Mr Keary informs the "Sportsman,” have adopted Towns’s suggestion, and are offering a purse of <£2oo for such a race, in addition to reasonable expenses to selected competitors The list of applications closed to-day for the issue of £IOO,OOO of four per cent, debenture stock at the price of £94 10s per cent., which the New Zealand Shipping Company is making. The stock, which will rank pan passu wtih the existing four per cent, aebenture stock, will be specially secured by first mortgage of shipping or other property to thG trustees, having a total value of 50 per cent, in excess of the debenture stock issued. It will be repayable at par on July 1, 1926, unless previously redeemed or purchased for cancellation. The Trustees are Colonel Bethel Martin Hawes, Air J. F. W. Deacon, of Birchin lane, London, and Mr William Ewing, of Glasgow. The stock is issued for the purpose of providing part of the cost of the new steamers recently added to the company’s fleet. In 1896, when the first issue of debenture stock was made, the fleet consisted of eleven steamers, aggregating 51,727 tons gross register, and four sailing ships of 4,581 tons register, the wholestanding in the company’s books at £713,263. At the present time the fleet consists of fourteen steamers, representing a gross tonnage ol 89,740 tons, with an average per ton of less than six years, which stand in tiie company’s books, less depreciation, at a total of £996,058. It may be added that upon the £473,840 ordinary share capital the company paid dividends of 4 per oent. per annum for the six years ending June 80, 1900, and 5 per cent, per annum for the four years ending June 80, 1904.