ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume LV, Issue 9968, 1 August 1893, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES

(FROM OUI& ' LONDON' CORRESPONDENT

GUESTS OP THE GOLDSMITHS. London, June 10.

The Agent-General and Sir Walter Bailor were tho guests .of tho Goldsmiths Company at their livery dinner on Wednes* day evening. Lord Balfour, of Burleigh, returned thanks fur the House of Lords, and fijr Henry Ifowith, M P,, for the House of Commons. In toasting ‘ The Colonies/ tho PAma Warden referred specifically to Now Zealand, only this colony seeming fco be in high favour in the city just now. He men* tioned that amongst the guests of the evening were tho Agent General and Sir Walter Btiller, to whom the Gold&mitbs’ Company offered a hearty welcome, and he invited the former of these gentlemen to respond to the toast. Mr Perceval did eo, and with a brevity and felicity which it could be wished after-dinner orators generally would imitate. Flo said that baling lived all his life in New Zealand, ho came to England with a feeling of prejudice against these rich guilds of the City of London, whoso revenues were tho outcome of ancient plunder. Hub ho considerably modified his views when he came to enquire into their working, and discovered that hugo sums were expended by there organisations, and especially by the Goldsmiths' Company, in aid of tho charities of the day. Indeed ho had come to the conclusion fcbat these richly endowed bodies wore as a practical fact doing on all hands good democratic work.

NEW ZEALANDERS AT HOME. Mr J. 17. Rnsroll ia surpriaieg the doctors by the rapidity with which he ia casting off the effect of laat week's serious operation. When I saw him yesterday morning I was fairly amazed. He Boomed as bright and cheery and talkative ae a man oonld bn, Mr Russell lonka, and no douht fools, Immensely relieved. Bar accidents, Mr Russell's complete recovery is now only a question of weeks. Within sir from date bo should be able to move to the seaside. Mr Horton, of the New Zealand Herald, in, I regret to bear, in very indifferent health, and has placed himself under the care of Sir Andrew Clarke, the Queen's physician, and the best possible man for bis case. Mr and Mrs Horton and family have taken rooms at Dorchester Terraco, Bayswater.

Other recent arrivals arc Mr Peter Cunningham and Mr W. D, Wood, of Christchurch, who are at tho Laagham, and Mr James Smith, of Dunedin. Tho New Zealand firemen who wore advertised to take part in tho International Eire Congress end displays now in progress at the Agricultural Hall, have not, apparently, put in an nppearanoe. Nothing at least ia known of them at the Agent-General's office or tho headquarters ot the London brigade at Snnthwa-k,

Mr Perceval will bo examined before the Meat Marking Committee of the House of Lords this (Friday) afternoon.

MR 11. G. SETHSMITH, E.M. Mr 11. 0. Seth-Smitb, R.M., has taken rather longer to recover from the effects of tho last operation to his eyes than tho doctors anticipated, hat is now, I am glad to learn, back again at hia brother’s house in Surrey. Ho leaves for New Zsslaad at tho end of tho month, and will almost certainly go by the Rcahina Mr Seth* Smith writes, *The result of the operation has been a decided improvement in my eyesight, but the full recovery of strength Is n work of time, «nd I am looking forward to tho sea voyage to complete tho ouro,’

TARANAKI IRON SAND. The company formed some time since under Sir Julias Vogel, for the purpose of utilising the iron sand and petroleum oil of the Taranaki bar, has not, it seams, altogether lost its vitality. A movement is now afoot for raising a farther sum of £IO,OOO by the issue of preference shares. If this should bo done (os 1 fear is not exactly probable) wo may hear of aolive operations being resumed at New Plymouth within the next few months.

MR J. M. DOWSETT. Mr 3. M. Dnwsett has not lot the grass grow under his feet since arriving in London by the Ooeana three weeks ego. Ha came Home, ns most of your readers are aware, to exploit Mr Bella's patent ‘ Nutloss Railway Belt' (an Invention which should on precedent yield extremely handsome returns to its owners), and ho hns already found a purchaser for certain ot the rights. Sir Julius Vogel has been tho ‘middleman ' bo> tween Mr Dowsett and tho wily capitalist. Yonr ex-Premier after ho had inspected the invention for tho first time, at once offered to find a minimum sum of £IO,OOO for the European rights, but Mr Dowaett considered the rights of Great Britain alone worth that amount. Finally, alter ranch correspondence, it was agreed that Sir Julias should arrange for tho disposal ot the tights for Or«-at Britain, France and Germany at a minimum of £IO,OOO. Tho sale is not yot complete, hut neither Mr Dowsett nor Sir Julius anticipate any difficulty in settbng tho matter. The remaining European countries Mr Dowsett hopes to arrange for separately, and ho will probably go to America later on to soil tho rights in the invention in each State separately. At pro. sent ho io considering certain modifications in the cAtent, with a view to reducing the cost of production. If Ur Belk has many more such proraising inventions up h's sleeve (and lam told bo ia one maos ofouto notions) he should turn himself into a Limited Liability Company, a la Dnko Plaza-Toro. Dr Pennefather's handbook to New Zealand ia not likely to ho issued by Messrs Murray until September next. So far as tho compiler's work goes, the volnme is finished with the exception of a small amount of proof reading and indexing, and tho only bar to its immediate publication is tho absence of up to date maps. These will be prepared in Now Zealand In order to get the latest work of the Survey Department. Dr Pennofather la immensely pleased with the efficiency of this particular division of tho .Colony's public service, and owns to a largo debii of gratitude to various gentlemen con nested therewith. His publishers profess themselves delighted with bis work, but it ia not true that Messrs Murray have commissioned Mr Pennofather to compile other Australian handbooks, Some gossip put it about that lie was writing* broobure ou the northern territory of South Australia, but this also has no foundation in fact. Dr Peunefather, indeed, Btatsa openly that he has no interest in any of tho Australasian colonies save New Zealand, Hia present intention is to remain in London till towards tho end of the year, breaking the monotony by short trips to Ireland and elsewhere as fancy dictates. Up to tho present he has been engaged in private business and small mattoro connected with Adelaide Univer* sity.

MR THO 3. SPURGEON'S ENEMIES,

At the mooting which woa held at the last Friday evening for the pur* peso pf presenting testimonials to the votir* ing pwitoro, Dr Pierson and Dr James Spar* ■ goon, a most un-Ch/latUn bitterness was •displayed towards the supporters of Mr .Thomas Spurgeon. Many of the latter would gladly have subscribed to the tosti* tmoniala and joined in giving Dr Pierson a friendly 'send off/ but they were not permitted to do either, or even to attend the meeting. Dr Pierson, in tho conrso of a sombmim taut, semi-sanctimonious address, urged the congregation to give youug Mr Spurgeon’s ministry every chance of success. (These were the words, hut <ho tone suggested, ♦Give him rope enough and he'll hang himuotff then I will come back, 1 ) Let them compass him in loviog arms la his youth and inexperience (much shaking of the head hero). Ho himself would be grieved if he thought that anything that he'd said In public or in private would imperil the sue* cess of his ministry. Dr Spurgeon's benedictions were oven more forcible. He prayed liia nephew's ministry might be blessed, ho tho work of the Lord might not be ‘ ><jkec(. but his expectations, 'twas painI v, ‘ l evidence, lay in a totally different VT \ Other speeches judiciously oom* uirectiou. • piety were made and altoblniDg spit. M # p Wa i ona to onlooker the exhl-

NEW ZEALAND epiENIXSTS Mr H. 0. Forbas ha. .. ,ilo . d “ bh a »PP I|O “- lion for tho curotorahip U ‘“ S>»g«poro Mnsenm. Ho is still in towo, * In a correspondence with Prote la the columns of Nature about *“• remains from the Chatham Wand. • Profoamr, who is considered the authority, declares that they are not . 08 bones of Aphanoptorys, as Mr Forbes sup. pcsed, hut of some groat Kutlme bird, nov. eX Mr°Alfred R. Wallace, the great scion, list, has furnished to Nature a very appieoiative review of Mr C. W a little book, "Tho Intelligence of Animals (Christ, church and Dunedin, 1893). After questioning some of tho author’s views and oonciu. alone, Mr Wallace says On the who e the book ia very clearly and pleasingly written. It is a pity it is not issued In a more attractive form, the paper covers. “‘“f scarcely fitted to snob a book ; bat it Is, well adapted as aa introduction

to the study of fcho subject, and will be espc* cially interesting to those who think highly of the intelligence as opposed to tho mere instincts of animals, and who are nob afraid to recognise that even in their mental faculties and emotions the lower animals have much in conunnn with ourselves. The lirct volume of Professor Newton’s Dictionary of Birds has just appeared. In the preface ho acknowledges the assistance he has received from Sir Walter Bailer, F.K.S,, and under the heading of 4 Externa* nation* remarks : -* In respect of oxtermlna* txofi Radioimmediately to extinction tho present con ditlon of fcho New Zealand fauna is one which must grieve to the utmest every ornithologist, who cares for more than the stuffed skin of a bird on a fcholf. . , . No one can doubt that the rabbit plague has Infiictod serious loss on the Colony, yet a remedy may he worse than a disease, and tho so-called remedy applied In this case has been of a kind that every true naturalist knew to be most foolish—namely, the importation from England and elsewhere and liberation of divers carnivorous mammals, polecats or ferrets, stoats, and weasels I . , , Assuredly, the scientific naturalists of another generation, especially if he bo of New Zealand birth, will brand with infamy tho short-sighted folly begotten of fgreed which will have deprived him of interpreting some of the great secrets of nature while utterly falling to put an end to the nuisance/ This is strong language, and , should, vulgarly speaking, make tho stoat* cum-weasel importers ‘ sit-up/ Sir Arthur Gordon, who owns a nice rstato ot Ascot, on tho borders of the Royal Heath, does not countenance tho annual carnival and usually lets his homo for the race-week. This year the Duke of Beaufort has fcho Red House (as it Is called) lor Ascot.

THE TIME 3 ON MR MOSS AT KARA-

TONGA,

Lord Onslow’s suggestion that Her Majesty’s Government should assume direct responsibility for the control by a British Resident of tho administration of the Cook Islands, formed tho subject of o long and instructive leader In tho Times of Monday, The writer agrees with Lord Ripon and Lord Knutsford, that the present arrangement is tho beat, and that the Now Zealand Ministry exorcises a much more effective and satisfactory supervision over tho Islands than could bo maintained hy Hjt Majesty's Government here. Even were that not admitted, it Is, the Times con* eiders, conclusive in favour of the existing system that an alteration might Lord Hipon’a belief, bo regarded by New Zealand as diagreeablo and perhaps offensive. Tho chief debate, however, on this matter tho Times opines was highly profitable In that It let much useful light on some oi tho effects of missionary enterprise in the Pacific. A description is given by your contemporary of the condition of affairs at the Cook Islands when Mr Moss assumed control there, and incidentally fcbat 4 able administrator* gets much kudos from the oraole of Printing House square for the capable and pacific manner In which he subdued clerical ag»ression. Missionaries are, up a certain point, good things no doubt, but tho Times agrees with Lord Onslow they must be made to recognise the existence of a natural line of demarcation between the temporal and the spiritual do* main.

MISS KATK MARSDFN. Tho Charity Organisation Society has not yet presented its report upon Mies Kate Maraden and her leper fund to tho public, and 1 am givo/i to understand that a mass of evidence still remains unsifted, so that its issue may not take place for some weeks to oomo. For the present the leper’s angel is taking a blot from the Brer Babbit and lying low, and as for her three and seventy mieerables ia Siberia, they are forgotten of the world. A few weeks ago it seemed vory probable that Truth would seriously tackle Miss Mareden’a case, but so far Mr La* houchere’a organ has contained no definite allegations against the lady. If what 1 hear ia truo. Lobby had intended to analyse Miss Maraden and her doings, and to that end gathered together an immense quantity of evidence from all quarters, bit Hading hio hands very full (there are two libel actions against him down for hearing next week), and knowing that the C O.S. bad the matter In hand, ho preferred to let that organisation carry on tho war. What evb dence Truth had been supplied with, has been banded over to the 0,0.5. It ia a pity Mr Labouchore could not prosecute this case himself, £rr then an issue would have been arrived at much sooner. The C. 0.5., like most pnblio bodies, ia very slow of action, and it will probably be some considerable time before the world can judge Miss Maraden oo hor merits.

THE BLUE yPUK COMPANY. At the last meeting of tho bo*rd of the Blue Spur Company it was decided to summon the general meeting of shareholders for the 30th iost. 1 understand that the report to be submitted for adoption then will on the whole be satisfactory, Owing to the large amount of dead work the general manager has had to get through in order to get at the main body of the cement and to expose its face to effective sluicing,the yield of gold during the past year has not been so Urge as was expected. The board have, however, now !on fixed deposit a sufficient amount ot money to pay in* teresfc on tho bank mortgages of £15,000, and to meet the annual slaking fund of £2OOO in reduction of the company’s debt. There ia also money available to pay in* terest on the £SOOO worth of preference shares, but the board will not be able to pay any dividend on ordinary shares, a result that will no doubt cause some disappoint* ment. But in view of those facte the directors have decided to waive their fees altogether for tho pabfc year—an examp'e which might be followed with advantage by the directors of other nondivldend-paylag companies whose namo is legion.

IMPERIAL INSTITUTE NOTES. Major • General Feilding has offered to present to the New Zealand Court at the Imperial Institute a series of photos showing what the township of Foilding was 20 years ago and what it is to-day. At tho earlier date the settlement was an almost unbroken stretch of virgin forest; now it is pictured as a busy, thriving township, evidently tho centre of a prosperous district. Photographs were one of the few essential features in which the otherwise exemplary NewZsaland Court at the Institute was lacking. I am therefore pleased to hear a fine collection has just been received from the Railway Commissioners. The Now Zealand frozen meatkolak at the Institute continues to bo one of the chief attractions of tho Western Gardens, and ths many questions asked the attendant onent the prices of the meat and dairy produce shows the exhibit is fulfilling Its popularising mission. The carcases are frozen hard as marble, and there is therefore not the faintest scent perceptible, whilst their fresh colour leaves nothing to be desired.

The plsn of the reserving of the Institute after 3 on Wednesdays for Fellows and their friends only will almost certainly be abandoned directly. Last Wednesday not mote than a snore of people were there in the evening.