OUR LONDON LETTER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9481, 16 July 1892, Page 5 (Supplement)

OUR LONDON LETTER

(From Our Own CoBBEsroNDENT.)

London, Jlay 27, THE EXECUTION OF DEEMING.

At last all is over. Deeming has been executed on your side of the globe, and we have heard the last of one of the most brutal and vulgar murderers of modern times. Never did criminal die with fewer sympathisers. He was of the most barbarous type of assassins, for whom no excuse can be offered, aud tho only feeling which prevailed in the laud when the news of his death reached us was one of extreme thankfulness that the world at large was rid of a thrice-damned scoundrel. A week ago much doubt was expressed lest tho appeal to the Privy Council should have the effect of gaining a reprieve, hut fortunately this did not happen. In fact the Judicial Committee had practically nothing to consider. As the Lord Chancellor pointed out, it had not been shown that iv the course of Decming's trial thero had been any disregard of the law in the case, or that any injustice had been done. It was, ifc is true, suggested, in the course of the proceedings, which have terminated just as might have beeu exoected, that thero aro also documents, bearing on Deeming's alleged insanity, on their way to this country ; but those persons who have road the medical evidence of witnesses who had Deeming under observation while in prison must feel pretty certain that these documents can be of uo real value. It seems to be iuevitable in these days that when a great criminal is convicted the most strenuous efforts will be made by ono or two peoplo to save his life, and the reason for this it would not be difficult to explain. It has been left for tbis savage miscreant, who is scarcely above the level of a beast, to prove after all how closo we como to you, our Australian brethren. Tho leading topic ou Tuesday morniug, both at tho Antipodes and "at Home," was the execution of Frederick Deeming. The murderer has beeu an element of Imperial Federation. We have heard far more about Deeming thau we ever did about any other subject. The cable has kept up a perpetual exchange of messages. We have been told how the criminal looked, what he said, what he did, and informed of all the little nauseaut details about his crime. Aud as if tho real facts of his career did not furnish enough horrors, sensational news agencies invented interviews with him, and circulated tho statement that ho was the elusive " Jack tho Ripper." This latter statement, bowever, was proved to be entirely false, as Deeming was not in England at the time those murders wero committed. The perpetrator of those horrors is yet to bo discovered. Well, Deeming is now dead, and the sooner the fact of his over having existed is forgotten the better. TIIK QUEENSLAND SLAVI-i THAI-*I'IC. So the Governor of Queensland has formally approved the now rules regulating the recruiting of kanaka labourers for employment on the sugar plantations. As they stand, the rules glare upon you with all their hideous brutality, and if the Queensland Government has any desire for the respect of her neighbours and kinsmen she had better follow tho lead of the great Wilberforce and sweep away such a disgrace from the Australian shores. The British press are unanimous in their disapproval of tho movement. Hearken to a few of the expressions of their disgust:— " AVo havo thorn at last. The ' stringent regulations' under which the kanaka slave trade is for the future to be carried on wore announced in Brisbane yesterday, aud they arc, we have not the slightest hesitation in saying, the most delusive anil execrable piece of legislation over approved by a British colony." l£3"Tlio slave-collecting vessels arc permitted to carry firearms, and it is specially provided that 'a ship's master may'—the murderous words dri]) idready with kanaka blood—' have two boats working together—the one containing tho recruiting party, und the other an armed crew.' 'Working together,' indeed ! Tho darkest hour of American slavery knew no more horrible provision than this." " But—and hero is the revolting hypocrisy of this dastardly traffic iv humau blood—'thu engagement of natives on Sunday is forbidden.' That cups everything. All that is contemptible in man can go no further. Let the rogues and vagabonds of the earth bow in unfeigned humility beforo this consummate combination of Christianity and kidnapping." The papers here have also been filled with letters from privato persons expressing their |

loathing und disgust that "slavery" uuder another name should be permitted in ono of the British colonies. The loudest among these is from the pen of Jlr Hume Nisbet,'who not long since toured th.-.cgh New (,'uinea and Australasia sketching for a wcli-knuwn firm uf publishers here. Ml, r declaiming bitt-ily against the injustice done to the poor kanaka.'! by the passing of sue!: regulations, Mr Nisbet winds up with what is the hearlMt hope of all who desire in any way to " do as they would be done by "—namely, " that the nation may wake mi to tbis foul fraud and hypocrisy, and never rest until the blot of blood is wiped from our Hag."

BIRTHDAY HONOURS.

On Tuesday last, the Queen's Birthday, the usual list of "honours" was issued. As a whole the list is a very fair one, but New Zealand and Australia aro conspicuous by Ihcir absence. In the entire list I can only find four honours given lo tho united colonies of Australasia. The honour of knighthood has been conferred upon Jlr Joseph Palmer Abbott, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of New South AVales. Among those chosen to bo Knights Commanders of the Order of St. Michael and St. George I find the names of Sir AVilliam Montagu Manning (member of the Legislative Assembly of New.Soulh AVales), Mr Patrick A. Buckley (Attorney-general and Colonial Secretary, of New Zealand), and Jlr Louis Adolphus Bernay, clerk of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. These are the only Australasian honours to bo found. The

number seems small enough, but I suppose taken, comparatively speaking, with those conferred elsewhere the average is about even. AUSTRALASIAN* HOOKS AND IIOOKMEN*.

Two important works on Australasia and Australasian men and things, which Jlessrs Huchinson and Co. have in the press, will be issued very shortly. They are Mr Gilbert Parker's "Round the Compass in Australia," and Jlr Philip Jlemiell's "Australasian Dictionary of Biography." Sir Parker who, some three years ago left Australia for these shores,

is rapidly coming forward, and his work will doubtless be largely sought after. It will bo more for the general reader than Jlr Jlemiell's book, which is a "Men of the Time" of the Australian colonies. Jlr Jlennell will be remembered as the special correspondent of the London Daily Chronicle, who toured New Zealand and Australia last year. From time to time tho "Australasian Dictionary of Biography" will be reissued. In fact it will always be an up-to-date hand-book.

Jlr B. R. AVise, who has just issued through Cassell and Co. for the Cobden Club a wellreasoned treatiso on Freetrade, entitled "Industrial Freedom," was one of the small group of Oxford men wko were brought together by the late Arnold Toynbee for the discussion of social questions. These young men have made their mark in the world. Jlr AVise has taken an

active part in New South AVales politics for some years, and was Attorney-geueral under Sir Henry Parkes, to whom ho dedicates his hook. The genesis of the work is interesting. It originated at the meetings with Toynbce. Mr AVise was chosen to write an essay under the supervision of Toynbee "on the best means of fixing popular attention ou the relation of political economy to fiscal questions." Toynbee examined the first outline of the work in 1882, before his last illness. The pamphlet was scut next year to the Cobdeu Club, but tho MS. was lost.^ Jlr AVise embodied some of Toynbee's opinions in a pamphlet published in Sydney in 1885, aud his present work was intended as a second edition of that pamphlet, but has expanded into a well-thought-out and convincing treatise in favour of Freetrade.

Two new morning papers have suddenly dawned upon London, both selling at a halfpenny. The ono is The Jlorning, which came out for the first time on Saturday, the other The Jlorning Leader, which appeared on Jlonday. I believe L 30,000 has been got together for the former, and that it was only to hurry this rival out of the field that the Star

proprietary, who are also the proprietary of the Jlorning Leader, started the paper. From the look of them I don't think either will do ; cer-

tainly not The Jlorning, which has no politics, and is edited by an American gentleman named Ives.

ANGLO-COLONIAL JOTTINGS.

In tho cricket match Oxford University v. Gentlemen of England I notico that Jlr S. 81. J. AVoods and Jlr J. T. Ferris, the Australians, played for the latter team. Jlr AVoods made top score, with a total of 73, in the only innings thq Gentlemen had, while Ferris was dismissed for the poor sum of 5. Ferris and AVoods, too, did all the bowling, and between them were responsible for 17 wickets during the two iuniDgs.

Jlr Rudyard Kipling, since his return from the colouies, has been writing articles for The Times. For each contribution Jlr Kipling receives the sum of about 30 guineas. This is a much lower rate, of course, than that of Lord Randolph Churchill, who received "LIOO per letter from the Daily Graphic. Still it is a good round sum for so littlo trouble.

Jlr Henry JI. Stanley makes his first public appearance since his return from the Antipodes at the Royal Geographical Society's meeting on Monday next. It has been hinted recently that he intends soon to apply for a seat in Parliament in the Liberal Unionist interest. I find on inquiry that negotiations on this point have been opeued, but that nothing is definitely arranged up to now. Only ouce, so far as I recollect, has Jlr Stanley taken a direct part iv English politics, and this was in his speech on African affairs at Jlanchester somo two years ago. Some of those who heard him then, and many of his intimate associates in tho past, are of opinion' that he might render better public service by giving expert opinion from outside than by entering Parliament. Jlore thau 20,000 persous visited Shakespeare's birthplace last year, aud of theso threefourths inscribed their names in tbe visitors' book. Of this number, Australia contributed 174 persons, while New Zealand summed up a total of 34 only. Here is/a new idea for tho Australasian gum tree growers : —" The virtues of eucalyptus oil, which came into such favour iv America during the influenza epidemic, were found out in a singular way. A General Stratton planted 55 acres near Haywards, in California, in 1869, chiefly for timber purposes. In 1883 it was discovered that a decoction of the leaves would removed the encrusted scales from boilers. AVhen the engineers wero preparing the liquid they imagined the odour cured one of bronchitis and the other of asthma, and they started a factory to extract the oil at Sail Lorenzo. Considerably over 20,0001b of tho oil was sent to England from California last year." AVhy cannot the Australian colonies follow the Californiau lead, and ship their eucalyptus oil to the mother couutry for disposal ?