OUR LONDON LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7443, 23 December 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

OUR LONDON LETTER.

indices with a description of the vessel—which j * .-.Ci-ms.to haw: impressed the gallant gentleman , \ery favourably-after which come several stiir- • gestious for its improvement, ,-ome of them vuvy >, likely to lio adopted. I'utting a-idi: thepeculia'r ! feature of thepi.wr of rural immersion, (!e:ier:d ! Steward considers that the Xordeiif.-'.dl lv«it ! possesses many features which might with advau- ; ta.je. be- incorporated into the ordinary torpedo l:3a!«. The gallant general then goes'on to say that a>i improve! • torpedo boat would be a valuable addition lo the defences of any : Colonial port, inasmuch as, in the absence of ' .-.mall ve>-el, of the cruiser type, it would afford the only means by which fast sailing era It be- ■ longing to the enemy could be prevented from : hovering about the entrance to a port. It | wool 1 be of paramount importance, says General i Steward, to sink or.scare away any such vessel*, i" for, if allowed to remain, they could, without : coming in range of the shore guns, du an in- , credible amount of damage to Colonial shipping ; in a very .short space of lime. The co.-t of an j improved .submarine bout would hu from .CUHiiii ro.CIO.fKXI, but General Steward suggests that the- Colonial Governments, in ordering such boats, might, enter into nn arrangement whereby ' a large proportion of the cost should not be («u! until after the- vessel had attained a spee.l of 13 knots on the surface mid live knots belnw. CAM K TAKIITS. I TJie Agents-general had a meeting last we-k I lit ilie Victorian office, at which .Mr Pender w.ts ! present, in connection with c.ililere biction-.. Mr ■ Fender held out the hop,.- that the Press ml::.- I tior.-i would come into opciMtion mi January 1 j next. The Government and public reduction of j :U id per word he declared would nol conn- iu.o i force until the Indian (tfivernui.-nt consented 1.) I

tank?, a reduction of ;>.',d per vvur<l in tln-ii transit <lnc.<. There wai. naturally :i ;{<Kwl tleal uf ri'mmistrumr at tlm unfairness"nf iinikinj,' iin ulrnntngcnf Is 1(1.',.l t<iAiiHti-a!i«<lein-ii<leiit nni.j

:< fm-lh<.T advaiUngu yf 2!j] from India. Th> argument tvus usuil—ff Aiistmlin i< .ntitie.l in tlrk reduction :vt nil givi! her t!i!> miijiii' pavtion of it at once, and lut. her harp tin? remaiinli-r nt n sulise.'iuent nra'od. Hut Mr IVm'.cioouM nnt 11« brouglit to sei- tliu forw ~[ this very rational argument. Naturally a goo 1 (leal of speculation I'xMtvl nmong the Afc.'nt--L'cntu-al as to Mr J'ender's raotivi- fur rakimr u<i

ihis position. That gentl-n-an Himself dec'lures that ho wants to use the Australian influence as

a lever against the obstinacy of the Indian Government. It was shrewdiy pointed out by Mr Gar-rick, the Agent-genera! for Queensland, that -Mr I'ender laid himself open to the imputation nf not really wishing to give the reduction at all, because'it was so clear to an ordinary

mind that it would be to his interest not \<> d'u

so, and that tho obstinacy of the Indian Go-

vevnment was of advantage to him. But Mr Kmder disclaimed this idea, ami declared that hff was acting (|iiito fairly, and nii-.ni; quite fairly by both public 'and Government. Sir Francis Hell suggested tint perhaps he was Making to obtain a special wire of his own ■ from Bombay to .Madras, and. indc.-d, it is quite clear" that tuis is what .Mr Ponder is striving after. Tii:Indian Ciovernmen!, however, require n ve.-v heavy siihsidy. They re.pi-n' .y'>.iiSH rupees fi.'r consenting to lease a' 5 1)( .. ( .i,,( wire from Bomb.iy to Jfadnis. Mr Pemler thinks this sum exor-

bitant, because in Knalanl special win's can be lea-a-d lor ,C"> per mile', though, he recognises tint there are exceptional circumstances which make the Indian charge* heavier. !Sul.'seqiieiirlv io the interview Mr I'.-nder wrote a letter to Lord Randolph Chun-hill, trusting that he wind 1 make representations tu induce the Indian Government to make their reduction, so that tinlower tariff might he brought into operation l.v July 1. It is understood that the AgentsGeneral, on behalf of 'he Colonies, intend l.i support his recommendations, but, up to the present, they have not agreed upon the form of their letter. THE intKUITON- HIUVMV fis|.' The trial of James Malejlm. otherwise Captain .Macdonald, of the Kaikoura, for bigamy, ended a fortnight ago, with a convictiun and':i sentence of seven years' penal servitude. T, - wards the close of the trial the prisoner's guilt became too manifest to admit of a doubt :\,s tu what the issue would Ih:; but, nevertheless, th« man h.id a very gootl chance of an acquittal. In tho circumstances atteniling the going through the ceremony of marriage" with Miss Dash, r.f Brighton, ho. had evidently timed and arranged his movements with the deliberate object »!' being able to provPan tilth! should such a course become necessary. He had dour- this so skilfully that even at the .second trial several of the jury were, staggered by the completeness of tho alibi put forward on his bdhalf. But what utterly upset the theory of the defence was this. With that extraordinary fatuity which frequently marks lmnitunl criminals, James Malcolm had no sooner contracted his mock marriage with Miss Emma Dish, of Brighton, and left her, than he began t) try the same deception with a young lady at St. Albans, and under the very same alias of Captain Mncdonald, of Uie Kaikoura. He was actually carrying on his courtship with this yjung lady at the. time he was arrested for committing bigamy by marrying Miss D.ish. The second young lady, Miss Dickenson, of St. Albans, read the report of tba first ease in the newspapers, and came up to London for the purpose of seeing the prisoner in Court. She at once re;ogni.ied him as the Captain Macdonakl who ba-1 been courting her. She, however, did not mention the fact at tho time, and it was not until the second trial that she was brought forward as a witno-ss for the prosecution. Her «7ideuc<i completely upset the alihii for the defence, and left the jury no alternative but to convict- tho prisoner. Another incidental fact which, had it not betn for Miss Dickenson's, e -iilence, would have told strongly in favour of t ifc prisoner was the partiality of Mr Justice Field against him. The judge had evidently made up his mind that the prisoner was guilty, a irl he allowed the state of bis mind to become : t io plainly manifest. AL'CKLANfr CXIVEIfSITY COLLEGE. i Applications for the post of successor to Pro- ■ fessor Tucker in the chair of classics at the ] Aickland University were received up till Svtui-day last. In all about 00 applications i h ive now come in, but the decision upon their respective merits will not be- marie known Tor t t ire.e weeks or so, inasmuch as the applications, i teitimonials, &c, have to be referred to a com- i mittee consisting of Vice-Chancellor Jowett, of ■ Oxford; Dr Perceval, Master of Trinity Hall, . Oxford; Professor Henry Sidgwick, of Cam- t bridge; and Professor M'Haffy, Professor of . Greek at Trinity College, Dublin. The name of i the latter has been placed on the list in great t measure out. of deference to the wishes of Lord a Cirnarvon, who privately expr. ssed fo your c A^ent-general a desire that any application!- t w iich might come from Trinity College, Dublin, a .ould receive consideration at the hands of a i: O •pmitteo on which sat a professor of that h u ikersity, so that there might be no ground for e complaint that the applications of Irish scholars f had not been duly weighed. Sir F. Dillon Bell <• at once, recognised the fairness of this s-igges- \ t on, and added the name of this eminent Greek ii s nolnr to the committee-. Some of tho names li appended to the applications are decidedly good fi o ies, but there is no prospect of Auckland tl University again securing the senior optimc of t< his year. t] THE PANAMA CANAL. t, In order to complete the Panama Canal, M. o! d-3 Lc-sseps will have to borrow £21,000,000 ster- p t lg more than his first estimate. He has applied n 11 the French Chamber for permission to issue c( t lat amount of obligations with prize drawings. i|i If this permission i-i granted, [it is calculated tl that the company will save between £30,000an<i w £90,000 per annum, as the interest, with tin ,:; prizes, would not amount to more than , ri pei w c sit., or about £145,000 a year; while if they la have to borrow the money by means of or- cc dinary obligations, they would have to pav of ab:mt S per cent, per annum, or about ci £235,000. This additional capital is in great fu part rendered necessary by the construction of m a dam across the River Chagr.':s, at Gamboa, tli si as to regulate the floods ol' that stream, in This dim is to be a mile long, 203ft above the nc livel of the river at Gamboa, 52ft wide, and b lilt of masonry. A large culvert through this sp dim will be provided with sluicegates, by means C a o" which the flow of the river from the upper ca v dley can be temporarily checked, and the water ar ra ide to collect in the natural basin formed by £] the lulls. After the floods the water will be to gradually, and it is believed safely, drained wl through the culvert. ' re MISCBI.LANEOI'.s ITEMS. w l The Rev. J. G. Paton, the well-known New C n H ibrides missionary, has returned to Australia th by the Potosi. He has raised £«000 for a new at missionary vessel for the Pacific, and £2500 for t le support of missionaries, two of whom are to st.irt early next year. ' t j r

A fresh trial was made at Shoeburyness this we;k of the Armstrong gun and new hydrop leumatic carriage to which reference was in icle in a previous letter. The gun was subje :ted to some very severe tests, a charge of 11 Jib being fired on several occasions, with satisfactory results. At, the previous trials the charge was 75!b. The normal charm! of the gun is 1001b. Sir George Des Vamx is regarded here as the successful candidate for the Governorship of Tasmania, in the event of the Liberals coming back to power, inasmuch as the influence of his father-in-law, Mr Pencler, would be used very strongly on his behalf.

Victoria has been disappointed in her efforts io get the Tasmanian court, and the space which the latter Colony refuses to occupy is to be devoted to the purposes of a Colonial wine bar. The fact of JOOO square feet of space being utilise'd for the convenience of the imbibers of Colonial wine seems to suggest the expectation that a good deal of hard drinking will go on. Victoria, however, will reap a certain amount of advantage, from the fact that the approaches to the wine bar are through her courts. This will, of course, bring her a greater accession of visitors.

A company has just been formed to develop the Colonial frozen produce trade, to be entitled rite New Zealand and Colonial Consignment Company. Tile first directors are Mr T. B. Bosanquet, Mr G. C. Mackenzie, Mr A. Vandevelde, and Mr R. M. Stephenson. The capital is £50,000, in £5 shares; but it is doubtful whether any appeal will bo made to the public, inasmuch as the capital has, it is said, been subscribed privately. Mr. R. M. Steplienson,of the Australian Company, is the chief promoter of the work. The concern is formed to carry on the ConsigmneiJt business hitherto worked by the Australian Company. The directors have made I

,ecial .■ni.mg.-nemls for sale and i-uii-.isiiiu.Mit ' me.-n nn this <;.!,-. They have also .-.,1 hn-f..- iiryaiiisi.i-io.-i ih.-o.i[;hout. tin- ouiitrv, insisting nf about i,U or TO centric ami L'ili nips. .Mr 11. .11. Stephens,,!, havjusl returned , ihi-ciuinti-y fr.u.i -Xe.-.v Zealand. Coloni.-!.-. i-ii this side, of the water who are tei-e^e-l in smiattinsr .ire feeling-very depressed . the low price of Australian wool. It is said Hit Sir .lohn Hall has realised .'!<> per cent, less ir bis wooN this v.-av than last.

Lord Carmgtun. the new (Sovernor of Xew South Wales, left London last .Monday week for Sue;:, where lie will .join the Cartilage and prowed to Svdm y. His Lordship was accompanied by Lady" Carmgton and her sister, the Hon. Judith Harbord." An immense crowd of aristocratic personages ii-.vinli'.e.l at Victoria railwaystatinn to bid them u well. Lord Carington takes with him 110 t'.n- of luggage, i". horses, and eight servants, a;,I it is anticipated that he will keep up verv high >tare at Government House, Sydney. With the evceptiou of the speeches of prominent politicians on the Colonies, there is a gi'eitt dearth nf Colonial new. Things nr.: (|iiieter just now in respect to Colonial matters than has been the case for the past two years. Comparatively few colonists are in •the Mother Country, and no particular disposition is being evinced either to start or invest in Colonial undertakings. This state of things is p.-rhaps to be accounted for by the fact that unionists are reserving themselves for the Indian and Colonial Kxhibitiou of next year, and they are inconlestably wise in doing this. The '' «rcat Colonial invasion" of next year, which i.i being talked about, is regarded 'with very grot favour here, and it is proposed to mark the adveul of thi's" visitors by an unusual display of hospitality. In the 'meantime a large number of apartments in the best neighbourhoods of London are already being engaged nn behalf of int Ym« guests "from the Antip.>des. from Canada, from India, and from the West Indies. " Pegasus," of the Xews of the Wc.rld. states that he has been authorise! by Charles liT.vt'll. the liiiglUh pedestrian, to issue a a cballeng,' for :l ' twelve-hours ami a twenty-

four hour.-.* "go-as-you-please ' match against. Scott of .V"w Zetland, I'.ir utiy sum (he latter pleases. If Si-ott desires ii. Kowell i> willing to ■id mit to Xiv.v Z -aland and compote with

hitl) then', accepting " reasonable expenses." I! well's great opponent, Liftlowood. offers ail uinvivlitioiittt acceptance, of Scott's challenge. LiUlewood i-- •.vnerally c-on-;i,!;:redn;ir best man, bit judging l.y the reports which have reached us of fl:'e X.'iv Zealander's prowess, it is thought doubtful whef'i i- he will be able to beat Scott. If ISowell comes to Xew Zealand, it is hoped that his visit maybe the means of settling the

r..ml<i qmr-xti:, ns to whether the cl:matic iuiluences in the Antipodes have any influence

op-jo our athletes, and prevent them showing their usual form.