MR WARD'S VISIT TO ENGLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2545, 25 June 1895, Page 3

MR WARD'S VISIT TO ENGLAND.

*JTF! BRILLIANT SfidCKSS (IE THE r.dA.V TUB CREHI’J,'. EULLY HUB TO TUB TREASHREIL From Our Hpceiul Correspondent. London, Ala y 18. The next timo ono of your Premier*) or Colonial Treasurers talk of visiting tho Old Country there will, it is to bo liopud, bo nono of tbo ill-conditionod sneering and grumbling which preceded tho lion J. Cl. Ward’s departure, liy now it must bo tolerably apparent even to tho most prejudiced opponents of the (lovornmont that tho Treasurer's visit has, from first to last, been a huge success. Not that ono for a moment expects those good people to admit tho fact. Had tho three per cont. loan boon a failure, wo should have boon told that tho criminal audacity and financial nmladroitnoss of tho Treasurer were entirely responsible for tho fiasco. As it has on tho other hand panned out phenomenally well, wo shall bo, indeed are, told tho triumph is entirely duo to tbo present plethora of money for Investment, and that oven had Mr Ward been l-t,( K> miles away tho result would havo been exactly tbo same. Well, I can assure yon, Sir Westby Perceval doesn’t think thus. That he could havo brought out tho loan successfully, oven without Mr Ward behind him, no one doubts, but that his hands were enormously strengthened by tho presence and assistance of tho Treasurer, and that the latter's speech to tho city magnates at the Chamber of Commerce materially contributed to tho astonishing result of tho subscription the Agent - General would bo tho first to admit.

'That lb is is the view of tho situation taken iu tho city tho press comments abundantly prove. Almost tho first scrap I take up from over KX) cuttings singing the same congratulatory song, says:— " New Zealand has beaten tho record, but this wo think is more duo to the work put in by Mr Ward, the Colonial Treasurer, who is now ‘on lour’ in this country, than to tho actual condition of tho Colony, which is by no means all that Could bo desired.” Tliis remark comes from tho World's financial man, and has been repeated again and again in various forms. lioth tho distinguished visitor and Sir AVestby are being overwhelmed with Congratulations. Nothing succeeds like success, and as the Times observes, "A more brilliant ono Ims never been known in tbo history of Australasian loans.”

Though tlio scheme for transferring the inscription of stock to the iianlc of New /calami at an enormously reduced cost Ims, owing to legal dilKcultios, fallen through, and the Agont-Oouoral and Mr "Ward have had to bo temporarily contented (or rather discontented) with the stingy concession of the Hank of England, New Zealanders should boar in mind that through tho 'Treasurer’s visit the whole question has been opened up, and Sir W. Pcrcoval’s hands materially strengthened. Depend upon it Mr Ward will not bo back long in tho Colony before he and Mr Hodden aro putting their heads together to moot tho legal dilliculties in tho way of the groat ooonomy which can bo effected in this financial process. NEW ZEALAND LADIES AT THE DEAWINdROOM. Though Now Zealand ladies aro not often discoverable amongst tho throngs of Muo-bloodod dames who flock annually to tho Court of St. James to pay their respects to our gracious Sovereign, it is generally conceded that when they do come they aro a credit to that distant dc ■ pendency. Mias Buffer was, it I remember aright, tho last debutante from MaOriland, and all who wore privileged to join her Drawing-room Tea afterwards will remember how charming she looked. On Wednesday, tho Bth, there wore quite a number of Australasian presentations, but the palm fet beauty was unanimously awarded to Mrs J. G. Ward. Curiously enough, too, she was only ono of several attractive ladies of tho samo pame at this function. Georgina, Countess of Dudley (who is of course tho. head of the Ward family), and still ono of the handsomest women in England, was attending, Sim wore n gown of gloamffig' white satin velvet and brocado> specially designed to eot off hor tiattg Riviere fceckiaoo, bracelets and stomacher of incomparable emeralds, an historic collection of fabulous value. Mrs Humphrey Ward, tho famous Tasmanian novelist, was also proeonted at this Drawing-room, and in her turn presented her daughter Dorothy. Tho latter wore a corsage petticoat of white ducliosso satin; train of white ribbon brochc, lined with eau de nil satin morvoilleux, corsage trimmed with pearl galon and clusters of honeysuckle tied with quaint bows of oau do nil satin; hoad-dress, plume and veil; ornaments, pearls. Tho author of “ Bobort Elsmero” appeared in a corsage and petticoat of satin Mario Antionotto in a delicate shade of jouno pousso; train of rich black Lyons velvet lined with daffodil satin ducliosso ; corsage trimmed with black embroidered laco with a seine of pansies in front of corsage. Head-dress, plume and veil ; ornaments, sapphires and diamonds.

LADT ONSLOW AND MKS J. O, WARD. None of tho wives of tlio Agonts-Genoral were present, nor was this at all remarkable. Whilst tho representatives of tho Colony aro refused tho entree (a privilege accorded tho legations of every trumpery South American Republic) it is too much to expect their ladies to go to Court frequently. Lady Onslow and Lady Jersey (the latter with her daughters), who were to tho fore on Wednesday, had, of course, tho benefit of this great convenience, which besides ensuring reception by Her Majesty (who never takes the general company nowadays) does away with half tho waiting and weariness of going to Court. Lady Onslow woro a lovely gown of antique brocade in a design of largo bows. The bodice was covered with lace, and trimmed with a knot of chartreuse-green chiffon on ono shoulder, a long trail of orchids falling from tho other over the train of rich brocade lined with green. The ornaments woro a tiara and stomacher of diamonds, and a bouquet of choice orchids. HRS WARD’S DRESS. Mrs Ward’s gown, which was designed and carried out by Madame Rosalie Wade, tho fashionable Court dressmaker, of 22, Buckingham Ralaee road, will doubtless bo seen in a modified form and minus tho train at some Now Zealand balls. It consisted of an under-dress of rich rose pink satin duchosso i the skirt, with fans of chiffon let in at the horn, fastened with bunches of roses, tho seams outlined with trails of rosebuds and fine foliage. Tho bodice was cut square and draped with clouds of pink chiffon, in which woro arranged bunches of roses, with trails and fringe of rosebuds on ono side, and bows of ribbon and long ends reaching to tho hem of tho skirt on tho other. Tho court train, fastened from each shoulder, was of rich forget-me-not blue brocaded satin, bearing a design of guelder roses in pink with foliage and tinted leaves, the whole shot with gleams of gold colour, tho effect being most artistic and uncommon. The train was lined with a bright shade of serpent green satin, and trimmed with fine point do gaze caught up with groups of roses and bows of pink and blue. Headdress, plume and veil. Ornaments, pearls and diamonds. . Bouquet, a posy of roses. This dress sounds a good deal brighter in colour than it in effect looked. The masculine critics at Mrs Ward’s Drawingroom Tea pronounced tho effect delightful. Unquestionably the toilette was, from an artistic point of view, entirely successful and most becoming. Naturally, Mrs Ward was terribly tired. Buckingham Palace is within five minutes’ walk of the West Palace Hotel, yet it took-tho New Zealand lady from 11.30 a.ra. till 4.45 p.m. to get there and back again. However, once this dreaded ordeal with its culminating trial of tho swimming curtsey to the representative of the Sovereign, and tho cruelly difficult backward waddle have been successfully negotiated, every woman is glad to have been to Court.

A DRAWING-BOOM TEA. Mrs Ward fulfilled the inevitable programme by being photoed in Drawing-room attiro by the Italian nobleman whose trade name is Van dor Woyde, and on Wednesday evening was at home from 5 to 7 to her friends at the Westminster Palaco Hotel. Amongst the eighty odd guests who looked in during that period wore ; —Sir George Grey, Lord and Lady Onslow, Sir Julius and Lady Vogel, Sir Charles and Lady Tapper, Lady Hillingdon, Mr and Mrs Henniker Heaton, Mr Moberly 801 l (manager of the Times) and Mrs Bell, Sir W. and Lady Perceval, Mr and Sirs Jas. Huddai’t, Mr and Mrs Siemens, Mrs Bal- I lance. Sir Charles and Lady Dilke, Mr and Charles PJiarazyn, Mr and Mrs Georg© Beotham, Miss Coates, Mr and Mrs Owen Jones, Mr and Mrs Martin, Mr and Mrs Charles Rous-3larton, Mr and Mrs Nation, Sir James and Lady Garrick, Mr A. S. Rathbone, Mr and Mrs Balrao, Ac., Ac. THE WARD BANQUET, The Ward dinner takes place at tho Holbom Restaurant next Tuesday, and it will not surprise me if directly it is over your Treasurer cuts and runs. Both Mrs Ward and ho are heartily tired of the rush of London life at high pressure, and longing for rest and quiet. Mr Ward says he will have a week to himself before ho sails, and if ho means this ho must leave town on the 22nd. Sir Edwyn Dawes presides at the dinner. Lord Onslow would have liked to. but he had a long arranged Masonic banquet to attend on that date, and as he had fixed the day himself, it was impossible to bog off. LIONISING THE WARDS. The Hon J. G. and Mrs Ward bring good constitutions to bear on the labour of being “ lionised/' otherwise they would havo found thiehvsfc fortnight a bit trying.

Cofiiiiiencirig from Where t left oft oh the 3rd infit,, 1 find from niy diary of thoir movements tliat.upori this afternoon they, bko thyself, found (mails notwithstanding) time to,look in the private liow of tho Academy,-whew, they found’ Mr and Mrs ftous-Martefi, and i orl-0 of two other .New Zealanders, making, a belated pilgrimage towards? p.m. That evening Mr and Mrs J Ward were present at a very smart ball given by Lord George Hamilton, at Ealing. .Saturday your Treasurer and Mrs Ward spent as tbo guests of various City notables, who showed them over the Tower bridge, the Mint, lh« Tower of London, tbo Guildhall, Ac. On Sunday they jiaid a visit to Mr and Mrs Martin (of tho Loan and Mercantile}, and on Monday after a long day’s business Mr Ward was at ii couple of dinners, whilst his wife went with some friendn to tho opera. Tho Wes* traliah banquet was one of these Weals, and a dinner given by Air Nelson in JLf Ward’s honour tbo other.

On the Btli, as already stated, Mrs Ward went to Court and held a reception, and late in tbo evening your Treasurer and his wife joined tho big gathering at tho National Liberal Club, and saw something of Lord Rosebery, Sir V. Jtafcoiirt, titid the lights of up-to-date Radicalism. ‘Thursday was a comparatively idle day, a lunch with Sit itohn Tender and the address to Hit! Colohiill Party at the Ht,Use of Commons agreeably filling up the chinks between an arbitration cash in the city arid an cVcniug at tbo Theatre. On Eriduy your Treasurer again sat oti tho arbitrutioh fuse nfhrbnlentiotiou, and dined, ih Cohipany with Mrs Ward, with Lord and Lady Onslow at their town house, Richmond terrace, Whitehall;,

On .Saturday Air and Airs Ward and Sir W. Perceval were present at tho Imperial Institute at the invitation concert to hear Hie first performance of tho renowned Strauss Orchestra (the finest string hand in the world), ami in theevening Airs Ward wont to a dinner and one or two receptions. Yoilr Treasurer himself was present at the annual dinner of the Savage Cl llh at tho Holbotn lies tail rant, over which All' I leilry 1 Klllff presided. On this occasion sJU.ieclieS art) permitted, uhd Air Wal'd, in addition to heatin'? all tho stock “ stars” of tho Club, listened to an admirable speech on the “ Old and Now llohemia " from tho chair. Sir W. (i. Robinson ('Governor of Western Australia) was unfortunately willed onto answer for tho guests. This was a pity, as Air Wahl Vv'Omd haMi Uoht) it fat bullet. Sir William mounted his AVoatorn Australia gold hobby, and might havo boon talking now if wo had not imperatively bade him sit down.

This week has been equally a rush. Ono evening Mr and Mrs Ward went down to Chislohurst, and dined and spent the night at tho old homo of tho Empress Eugenio, now tenanted by Mr Chas, lialmo, tho wealthy woul-brukor. They woro shown tho room in which Napoleon lit. died, and many interesting relics. Dinner parties and theatres filled in tho rest of the week. Mr Ward has tired of public and now refuses all save private Invitations. Ho doesn’t like London, says the place is too big for his tasto, Borne of tho press folk, led astray by a “par.” in tho Timcs, included Mr Ward itl tho special party incited to Warwick Castlo to-night to meet tho I’rinco of Wales. Lady Warwick; it Whs remembered, asked tffbbs, of NoW South Wales; to join a similar party two years ago. The JlOll Mr Ward, thus distinguished on tho present occasion, was - not, however, tho Now Zealand Treasurer, but an obscure sprig of ariscocracy, tho HoU It. Ward, Lord Dudley’s brother; Surprise has been expressed by people unacquainted With tho rigid laWs goVcrU* ittg Koj-al circles that Mr Ward should not havo boon “ commanded ’’ to either Marlborough House or Windsor. As a matter, of fact, an invitation of tho kind would havo broken tho regulation which relieves Royalty from recognising colonial magnates UUdor tho rank of PrimO Minister. ... . ...