LONDON CHAT,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9904, 24 November 1893, Page 6 (Supplement)

LONDON CHAT,

(By Oub Special Correspondent.) 30 and 31 Fleet street, London, September 29.

The' Czar has. little love for his confrere the Kaiser. The latter expressed a wish to make one of ilia family gathering round the Danish domestic hearth, but he received a hint that he was nob wanted, as the Czar objected to j fraternise with him. So Wilhelm stayed at I home, and withdrew his ambassador from St. Petersburg for a period. The Kaiser now feels batter! Tho German Empress "likes colour for her money." At the review of the nine regiments of the Bth Army Corps her Imperial Majesty appeared in a 'ight-coloured silk gown with a, yellow sash of moiri antique over her shoulder, and a wide-brimmed sombrero-shaped hat with a plume of waving white ostrich feathers. We are almost Republican in the way we wear our royalties, with whom simplicity is the order of .the day ; but there is no doubt a little colour does tell, and if the Queen now and then would drive down the city in her crown, and don au ermine mantle, possibly the people would pay qaeen's tax more cheerfully. But this may be open to doubt. Wilhelm II has played a trump card at Alsace-Lorraine, where very imperiously he j has induced Mr Sendret, a manufacturer, to sell to him his noble schloss of Urville, in which his Majesty intends occasionally to reside. The loyal tradespeople of Urville rejoice, as all provisions for the castle are to be purchased at Uiville, and as the suite and servants number over 500 the card took the trick. The Duke of York keeps a book in which he pastes all references made to him in the public press that he can manage to get hold of. The epidemic of suicide does not seem t> affect those engaged in the gloomy employment of mining, as there are fewer cases an ong miners than eny other class. The cult of interviewing has grown so amazingly—out of all proportion to its inception—that an Interview Association has been started, and it is said that any paper indulging in a private interview is notified that the association has a monopoly of the industry. Bub the papers don't see it! Belie Bilton, now CouDtess Cloncartv, has a picture at the Continental—" A Tiber's"Head." It is a, clever piecs of work; the fair artiste was always a good caricaturist. At her husband's remote Irish castle she will have ample time to renew the innocent occupations of her younger years. ' s A young man called lately on the principal of a girl's school at Brighton, and requested for the admission of his sister under special circumstances, which were thit certain particular corsets which the pupil wore were never to be removed night or day, as her mother desired her waist not to exceed 15in. He added that money was no object. The principal, to her credit be it said, indignantly refused the pupil. • The Duchess of Cleveland, the mother by second marriage of Lord Rosebery, and some years past 70, has gone ou a trip to South Africa. The duchess was one of the Queen's bridesmaids. In her youth she was a famous beauty, and it is told of her that in old age she met au old admirer, a French noble, who failed to recognise her. Talking of old timeshe asked what had become of the lovely Lady Catherine Stanhope, her maiden name. "Elle n'estplus," was her sad, if womanly answer. The duchess has no trace of «her youthful loveliness. Mrs Hodgson-Burdett was introduced to her at the duchess's request, but found her "gaunt and unint-erestirig," and coldly passed on. She was touched alterwards to hear of her early triumphs, and also of her intense admiration for brain-workers. Philatelic enthusiasts may be interested tj hear that two] Mauritius stamps, one a penny the other twopenny, dated 18*7 and blue in colour, recently brought £3*o each at auction. The reason is said to be that only two other stamps of this issue are known to be in existence, and both are in the British Museum. Talking of the museum reminds me that the plan which I mentioned in' a former letter for acquiring the whole of the block on which the building stands a3 far back as Montague place seems to hang fire. A prominent official of the museum told me the other day that he only wished it might be carried out, for they were crowded to death already, but he feared the hope was too good to be true. There is no doubt that tho expansion is badly needed, but it means an enormous expenditure, and the present Government does not relish spending money unless some prompt popularity can be purchased by doiug so. Here is a superb opening for an ambitious New Zealand clergyman. The Bishop of Norwich invites applications for a vacant benefice in his diocese. The stipend is £10. Ten pounds per annum! The district is moral and the population 500. And there is a house. New Zealand clergy, please do not all speak at once ! But if you want that "living (I)" very badly you must apply to the Bishop of Norwich— at once. Do any of your readers suffer from headache ? Or are any free from that occasional misery P To the former I may mention that some London doctors now make a specialty of treating headaches. The treatment varies greatly accordiug to the circumstances and constitution of the patient, but the most usual remedy is salicylate of soda with citrate of caffeine. In some cases of sick headache "Indian hemp" is administered. In both cases the relief is said to be almost certain. Another favourite and most efficient remedy is antipyrin with choloroform water. While on medical subjects I may say that many London doctors now hold the terrible influenza (or " grippe"), which has been so prevalent and fatal of late years, to be a disesse of tho upper portion of the spine induced by the reception of tho specific diseaseproducing microbe in the blood. A certain cure is stated to be a preparation of salicylate of Eoda. This salt has also long been'," exhibited" with beneficial effects in cases of rheumatism Sir Henry Norman's somuwhat tardy dscision to decline the offsred Indian Viceroyalty has placed the Government rather in a difficulty. No announcement has yet been made as to who is to succeed Lord Lansdowue in that important post. It is an open secret that Ministers find it no easy task to select a man who shall combine all the different qualities needed in an Indian Viceroy. In Sir Henry Norman's case | military merit was thought to have carried the ! day in his favour. A3 this evoked some adverse criticism, it is not at all improbable that the Government, being peculiarly sensitive to outside opinion, may follow an opposite course ia makiDg the next choice. Bishop Moorhouse, of Manchester, who has always been distinguished by his practical view of things, has just been delivering an address

n-" Church Work: Its Helps and Hindrances." [is prescription for bringing about improved fe and vigour comprised " bright services; eraioiis nos exceeding 20 tniuute3 iv lengbh; j ommunicants' classes, with the social element ! irgely preponderating; and model classes to i aise tho tone of Sunday school teaching." This I eema sensible enough, doesn't it? ' That Welsh Land Commission docs not ppear to havo been a great success. Krom the Ministerial patty viewpoint, indeed, it must ba onsidered a d'Cided failure. Ithaselicitedabuu- j laut evidence that tho prevailing agricultural i lepcessiou is due to economic, causes quite ! ipart from any question of " landlordism," and j t is not attributable to oppression by flintyloarted landlords or to the crushing operation { «f the game laws. An the raison d'etre of the j iommissiou wa3 well understood to be to make >ut a strong case against landlords and game j aws, the outcoms must be disappointing. Of 1 :ourse there were plenty of -witnesses who ;ave profuse and sometimes rather reckless ;estimony as to oppression and intimidation, jut unluckily their statements did not " hold vater," but were usually met with, prompt and jonclusive disproof. Some surpriso was caused by the tone issumed by Lord Carriugton, ex-Governor of j South Wales, who is a member of the I ;oinmission, and who cross-examined the witaesses who refused to curse the landlords very nucb. in the style of a prisoner's counsel dealing with a notoriously hostile deponent. It is ;hought he is allowing public feeling to carry nm much too fast in this respect. By the defeat of the marvellous horse Isinjlass for the Lancashire Plate last Saturday a lew text was presented for a sermon on the uncertainty of all things mortal, and of racing in particular. Isinglass had won the triple Bvent—the Two Thousand, the Derby, and the Ledger. He had thriceabeaten Raeburn. Yet Dn Saturday Raeburn turned the tables and beat him. Hence there is much weeping and wailing and quashing of teeth in sporting circles, with a certain proportion of ecstatic jubilation. The explanations offered for the remarkable bouhveraement are—first, that the course was too loDg for Isinglass, but suited Raeburn better; second, that Isinglass had to give Raeburn an advantago of 101b in the handicapping. Still it is felt that these explanations do not maka fully clear the failure oE that v?onderfnl horse. He is now thought to have "shot his bolt." He has since been scratched for all engagements. A curious discovery has recently been made iv arboriculture. Most people know that red ■clover will not fertilise unless visited by humble bees, who duly mix the pollen of the flowers. But nobody suspected until lately that frnit trees were equally dependent upon the insect world. Yet this proves to be the case. With the object of preventing the dissemination of blight by insects the experiment was made of excluding inse&s altogether from access to a plantation of fruit trees. The result was that though the trees blossomed profusely no fruit set, This was the case with all the varieties of apples and pears with which the trial was made. They escaped blight but they bore no fruit. This may bs news to New Zealand fruit-growers, and useful too. Much praise is being accorded to a London magistrate who refused to sanction a sensational performance in which an infant was to be rescued from a burning house by a dog. The applicant asserted most positively that every precaution had been taken to ensuro absolute immunity from peril. But the magistrate insisted that people only went to see a risk run, so there must be a risk to draw them. He persisted in refusing his sanction, and everybody says he was right. The inquest on the three victims of tho Regent Square tragedy elicited no new points of importance. The evidence went to confirm what had been previously stated as to the good character and aimable disposition of pooi " Daisy" Montague, and to show that she hac become wearied of a long and apparently hopeless engagement to Percy—had accordinglj broken it off, and ultimately had becamf attached and engaged to Garcia, whereas Percj had retained unabated his passion for the girl, and had resolved that if he could not have he: nobody else should. Heuce the double murdei and suicide perpetrated with his revolver. 1 tremendous crowd assembled to witness thi unfortunate girl's funeral. To my surprise, '. found even tho Buston road quite blocked u| with intending spectators some time before thi appointed hour. The funeral service was chora and very impressive. Nothing fresh of any value has como to ligh yet regarding the Ardlamont shooting mystery although the papers try to whip up a littla ne-. interest now and then by announcing discoverie which usually prove to be mares' nests, By-the way, did I tell you that the name of the plac is pronounced " ArdZammoat"—with accent oi the "lain"? Lord Mayor Knill has bsen talking ver plainly to the unemployed. A deputation waite upon him a few days ago and stated that ther was so much distress prevailing that unles something was done at once there would b difficulty in restraining the starving msn t'ror breaking the law. The deputation suggeste that the men out of work should be emoloye in throwing np earthworks for the defence c London as the city at present was wholly dc fenceless egainet a foreign fos. The Mayc promptly put down his foot upon the implie threat of violence. He said it was a ver serious matter to use threats of breaking th law, and that if this were done it would bs hi duty to take a firm stand and to check effectual! any such attempts, and this he assuredly shoul do. At the same time he recognised the sat nes3of the existing sfc:ite of things, bub pointe out that when relief works were organised on previous occasion the men refused to take lower rate of wages. The deputation said thi would not be so now, and the mayor promise careful consideration of their case. It is deplorable to hear of 5000 members < one union—tho Boot and Shoe Operative3'being absolutely without work. One of the! stated to the Lord Mayor that he and his faniil were literally starving and were threatene with being turned out of their horns into tl open street. He declared that if he did ni succeed in obtaining work iv a few days thei would be no alternative for him but starvatio or suicide. This is a shocking state of thing Yefc at present prices the wonder is that wor' men in that trade can earn enough to kee body and soul together. la plenty of goo London and provincial shops you can buy vei fair and well-made men's boots or shoes fc four or five shillings, and a friend told me sb saw in one shop some very neat and prett patent leather shoes for ladies at Is 6£i ps pair! What profit can there ba at thea prices ? "Autumn fashions" (writes my feminiu correspondent) "are not even yet fairly ouc as we have had so many returns of summf that people do not care to relinquish the: cooler attire. You may remember my descril ing to you tho vivid horrors of early sprio colours aud fashions. It was curious to not how, as ' the season' set in, and • society gradually settled in towD, these glaring hut and outri materials softened down into th most exquisite and delicate shades; ho1 violent voilets, mad mauves, ghastly greens and screaming scarlets toned down into fsit heliotrope, and pink and cream, and fawn an grey, and blue and gentle green; how th lunatic head-gear was succeeded by pretty an simple sailor hats, aud other graceful an becoming head-coverings ; how the gay-coloure striped and spotted stockings and yellow or ta ckaussure gave place to the neatest of blac silk hose and the daintiest of patent leathe shoes ; how the parasols, which seem designe for a burlesque or pantomime, disappeared i favour of tasteful and. appropriate suDshades Verily 'society' does pome good, if only i regard to taste in dress."

"The Woman at Home" is the name of a new magazine owned and edited by Miss Annie C Swan. It opens brightly, and promises by its start to be both useful and entertaining. The Princess of Wales opens the subject matter, and is photographed down her swan in stages. There is a delightful interview with Parti, and numerous illustrations of herself in stages, also of her pressnta and her castle home in Wales. The price of the magazine is 6d. All topics connected with women are ably dealt with.

LAWRENCE.

(Frosi Our Own Correpo.vdent.)

The political atmosphere in this district continues clear. The candidates, lam happy to say, are not indulging in any offensive personalities towards each other, such as wo hear of from others who ought to know better. Every night there is one or more meetings held in some part of the electorate, and, strange to say, each and every candidate gets a fair and impartial hearing and a vote of confidence as the most fit and proper candidate to represent us, and the same people in a great many instances, hold up their hands 'for all the candidates. A new feature which has come in with the woman's franchise is the shower ot roses and other horticultural products that tails upon the favoured ones. Mowers are very plentiful, and a few bouquets don't cost much, and have a wonderful effect in getting up a little mild excitement, as there is no doubt the excitement is of the very mildest description, so much so, that there appears to be the greatest imaginable difficulty in getting anyone to act as eommitteemen for any of the candidates; in fact, it is universally admitted that the general body of electors never felt so little interest in auy election as they do in this. One gentleman whom I overheard discussing the question a day or two ago, emphatically said it was all rot to say " that a place was as well represented as it deserved to be," as if no candidates of ability, experience, and worth came forward, how could we elect them. There is, I think, little doubt that if Mr Pyke was not such a declared believer in the present Government he would head the poll with a good substantial majority, and as the Government are not growing in favour here, I would not ba at all surprised to see a considerable amount of support given to Mr Rawlins, simply on that account. One thing the Government are blamed for is the rushing the election on in such hot haste, that alone will cost the country a considerable additional sum of money. Another thing the average elector resents is the Governmental interference with elections. However, this day week will settle the matter of who our future rulers (for a time) are to h% and i.,l' 1S t0 1)e hoped th:it voters will use their privilege with care and discretion, and with a single eye to the welfare of New Zealand, which at the present time in spite of all the blow of the Ministerialists is commercially speaking, not in a very satisfactory state. What with over-competition, too much credit, the banks cramping their customers and

a variety of other too well-known circumstance?, the past few months have been the moßt unsatisfactory, unprofitable, and worrying that merchants and traders of every description have known for a lon- time, and I contend that this state ot tilings, to a great extent, has been brought about by the present Government's uncertain meddling and muddling fondness for law-makintr all, we are to have a contest for the mayoralty; at the last moment the present holder ;ot the olhce, Mr Chalmers, having decided to ! again come forward. As the two candidates are | both men who have been connected for a lornr ; t;mo with the council, and there being no burning questions at issue at the present time, I do not. think the election will cause m uch excitement. I mnro especially as it fallows so closely on the heels of the general election. The Tuapeka County Jockey Club have issued' ( their programme for their two days'meeting on I -Slat January and Ist February. On the first dvy*^y 5 1™,£ way -£215 for eight races, and on the' second £Lo7 10s ior seven races, and as the club' j are talking of further improving the grounds for the comfort and convenienca of their patrons I expect this meeting will bs as popular as it generally is and two good days' sport enane. | the Horticultural Society are gsing to hold | their annual exhibition on the game days as the races, the. committee thinking that what with, the excursion train from Dunedin and the racing 04^S?-th?Ji r sb°w^°l? ld be we}l Patronised. ° nrinr tth \ p ™babl T y b?;, my la3t communication «!, i ielectlon-. 1 will give you the same tip as our local paper gives its reader regarding the mayoral election-yiz., that of course I know quite well who will be the successful candidate, but I would not like to hurt the feelings of the. others in the meantime by mentioning itf AN INNOCENT LOOKING PROBLEM* TO TH<3 EDITOR. Sii!,—ln to-day's supplement "Inquirer" asks you to solve a problem for him. It looksa small and innocent contract, but please don't attempt it, as we (some of your readers) don'l? want to loss your valuable services. The calculation was made about 1871-1872 fo? the police in a prosecution of Chinese forgambling, and the case was heard at the City £ohct Court, Melbourne. All the papers published this calculation. I am not sure of any oi the figures but the last—namely, a°-ainsG-getting 10 marks, 8,500,000. " Inquirer" has' baen gambling -. let him give it up, even if ho has won. Ten marks were never got in the colonies unless recently, but nine have been. 'Inquirer" calls thea figures, but ifc is the Unnese lottery, and let me tell him the totahsator is a babe to ifc. The calculation was made by an expert, and i created a small sensation at the time, and it was thought it would stop that form ot i gambling—but it didn't.—l am, &c November 22. Caed .