ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10267, 26 January 1895, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(Feom Oufi Own Cobbesjpondbnt.)

London, December 14-.

On Thursday last Dr Edmund Henry Colbeok, 8.A., M.D., of Porohester terrace, Hyde Park, fourth son of Mr W. H. Colbeok, of Auckland, New Zealand, wag married to Miss Susanna Mary Wiriearls, second daughter of Mr Henry Winearls, of King's Lynn, Norfolk. The wedding was solemnised at St. Mary's Churchi Henley-on-Thames, by the Rev. J. Maule. Mr Henniker Heaton on his return from the colonies has been extensively interviewed. He says.there.js.no objection.in the colonies to a penny postage'/rqm Kpgland, but, on the contrary, this would.be welcomed, though at present the colonies could' not afford to send their letters to England at a cheaper rate than 2d ; but' hie .believes this rate would be readily adODte;d in preference to the awkward fractional 2^,'which, he Says, nobody likes. ' . Australian federation, according to Mr Heaton, is to come " within a couple of years." He says :—"All the best men are now determined that it shall be brought about."

He has obtained a statement as to the appropriation of the 160 millions borrowed by Australia—not New Zealand—from the mother country, and he makes oat that less than a quarter of a million has gone to revenue deficits, nearly all the rest having been used in " building up the assets of the colonies." It is a pity he could not have got New Zealand's figures as well. They would be an "eveopener " to many people here. '■". Mr H«S*ton asserts that the decision of the Wellington Postal Conference did not at all represent the views of the colonies as to ocean penny postage. He maintains that the English Government have now a clear course before them in carrying out "the mandate of the House of Commons" embodied jn the resolution of April 1893, and that the fact of new mail contracts being pending offers a specially favourable opportunity.

' Last Tuesday, Sir Henry Wriion read a paper, before the Colonial Institute on the Ottawa Conference. It has been characterised by a London paper as "one of the most brilliant addresses ever but; before the members of the Royal Colonial Institute." I must confess that it did not so strike me. I cannot at all endorse this opinion. I should say rather that it was a fairly good paper, by no. means too well expressed, viewedfrom a literary standpoint, and having a tendency to be a shade'tnrgid, in its 'dictioa.. What Sir Henry said, however, as to the importance and uniqueness of the Ottawa i gathering was very jnst'and to the point, As' an earnest advocacy of Imperialism as opposed | to "Little-Englandism" it will appeal strongly j to colonial sympathies...

: Bob it was in debate and reply that Sir Henry VS'mon proved his true mettle.' Lord Brassey, commended the paper and Lord Jersey's report, aiad expressed his hope that the views set forth in-each would find favour, and receive practical shape from the Imperial Government. Sir John Thompsoni the Canadian'- Premier, who unhappily made his lsit public speech on this occasion, urged that' the' recommendation^ of; the Ottawa- Conference should be carried out, and declared' his conviction that the Australasian'c'olonies were willing to bear their share of the cost. ' ' i

This proved a red rag to that anti-colonial "bull of Bashan" Sir John Colomb, who is never weary of' roaring and raving about the alleged parsimony and meanness of the colonies in ' not offering to pay a ' larger contribution toward the expense of the British navy. He pooh-poohed the Ottawa Conference and Lord Jersey's report and Sir Henry Wrixon's paper \ alikeas"being all mere ebullitionsof frothy sentiment. He objected to such questions as these being dealt with by mere appeals to people's feelings instead of to their common sense. The worthy admiral at length sat down, with the convictien written in the largest capitals all over his face that he hid made it warm for the colonies for once.

He was subsequently a good deal enlightened and undeceived on this score. . Bat first, "Mr " Playfbrd, the South' Australian Agenl;;general; urged that Australia must be united to speak with force- and effect. He utterly decried the idea that Australians were governed or guided by mere sentimeat, and asserted that likeothercbmmunitie's the Anstralian colonies were'-mainly ruled by "£s. d." Mr James Huddart also advocated federation. .. '

And then Sir Heary Wrixon, replying on the digcußßion, proved how much better a debater he is than an eseay writer. He "slated" Admiral Colomb with admirable skill and, in point of (act, completely pulverised and flattened ont that gallant but prejudiced naval 'q|Eicer," His1 speech,was cordially applauded, and he dißtinitly soared. ."• '.'-,. .

"*~imong tb'6 Nfw Zealanders ptesent werfe Mr J. Stuart, Mr and Mrs Henry Reynolds, Mr H. M, Paul, Messrs G. Beetham, Owen Jones, W. C. Watson, 13L. B. S«l«Well, and others. :

. It seemed peculiarly sad that on the very nest day the'brilliant and promising career of the Canadian Premier, who was among the most prominent and distinguished figures at that Colonial Institute gathering, should have come to an untimely close. Sir John Thompson's words would have been listened to with very different feelings had it been known that .they were the.last public utterances of that eminent colonial statesman, who passed away almost in his sovereign's presence, after attaining the tituled dignity which may be regarded as the coping stone of an honourable colonial career—membership of her Majesty's Privy Council. ' '

Sir -John Thompson had beea summoned to Windsor,to be swprn in aB a member of the Privy Council, and had also been invited to (toe *nd Bleep at the Castle. He seemed quite well as he went down in the special train with the Ministers of the Crown and the Lord Steward. He seemed still quite well at the meeting of the Council, and at the ceremony of swearing in; bat while sitting at luncheon he suddenly fainted.. Lord Breadalbane and a servant took him into the next room, and gave him brandy. He soon seemed to recover, and.' .expressed the utmost vexation at having made such a "sceno," as he put it. But Lord Bre&dalbane very reasonably said, "One does not faint on purpose, and begged him not to distress himself about it.

After awhile Sir John returned. with Lord Breadalbane to the luncheon table, and was placed next to Dr Reid, the Queen's physician. Before he had tasted a morsel of food a second attack seized the Canadian Premier, who fell sideways, almost into Dr Reid's arms. The ladies who "were present were requested to withdraw, and a careful examination of the patient was made, but life was found to be extinct—death being due to sudden failure of .cardiac .action. Sir John, it appeared, had long heen suffering from fatty degeneration of the heart.

The Queen was greatly distressed on hearing of'the' sad event, and caused a digniried and touching", expression of her sorrow to be published in tha official Court Circular. Sir John was only 49 years old, and was regarded as among the ablest and most far-seeing of colonial Prime Ministers. "

It is remarkable that during the past week two colonial Premiers have had the honour of receiving "dine and sleep" invitations to Windsor Caßtle. Sir John Thompson was one ; Mr Cecil. Rhodes wai the other. Who will be the first New Zealand statesman to be thus honoured P

New Zealand Government stocks have fallen considerably. Four's now stand at 104-106, and 5£ per cents, have gone down to par; indeed, some sales have been made at 99 and even 98. The downward tendency, however, Seems to be shared by all colonial Government 'securities.

Sullivan, the New Zealand sculler, has just gonb'to'Newcastle-on-Tyne to make arrangements for Us trailing match with Harding, jrbich is to come off on the 10th February next. Thematch is to bs sculled on the Tyne. Sullivan would have preferred that it should take place on the Thames, but he is the holder of

next to discuss the proposed extension of the existing mail contracts until the year 1898.

With reference to the call just made by the Bank of New Zealand Mr Snow, the shareholder who has on more than one occasion taken bo active a part in the public proceedings of the bank, sent oat notices conyeuiug a meeting of the bank shareholders to discusß the matter. About 150 attended, and » long debate took place. Mr Snow urged that a committee should bo appointed to take counsel's opinion as to the legality of the call with a view to this being tested in a court of law if possible. Ha also urged the advisableness of not paying the call nntil the directors furnished full information as to the bank's losses and as to the cause of the call. He also advocated insisting, before the call was paid, upon information being supplied as to what guarantee would be given against further calls being made. In the end the views pat forth by Mr Snow were adopted by the meeting, and a committee of nine, including several large shareholders, was appointed to take the opinion of counsel I and to watch over the interests of. the shareI holders generally in this matter.

Mr Clements R. Markham, F.R G.S., and Dr John Murray are working hard on behalf of tha proposed Antarctic Exploration Expedition. They hope that ultimately the Government will consent to equip and send out the expedition. I don't fancy they need have much hops in this direction from the present Government.

Some hopes are entertained that the Government may assist Mr Huddart's proposed mail scheme, if the colonies come forward well and handsomely, but otherwise there is no likelihood whatever of such help being given. There doe: not seem at present the slightest probability of any Imperial subsidy being forthcoming for the Pacific cable. One adverse critic puts the case in this disagreeable way.— " Surely fonr millions of money could be better employed than in sinking a coupie of wires to a depth of 3000 fathoms in the Pacific Ocean !"

This, of course, is smart, but not sound logic. The point is that that same sinking of those two wires 3000 fathoms deep in the Pacific would give England a second and safe means of instantaneous communication with her important distant possessions and also with her navy in southern seas in case of war. Many people regard this as of moment fully equal to that of the naval extension which is beiDg so loudly demanded.

Mr Playford spoke out very plainly at the recent meeting of the Colonial Institute, and declared most distinctly that the loyalty of the colonies to the mother country was in the main a matter cf self-interest and might be alienated by bad treatment. It is as veil that tho Imperial authorities should realise this. Some of them, I fancy, do not.

At a recent meeting "of the S.P.G., at Exeter Hftll, the Rev. Cnnon Scott-Holland made a most bitter and uncalled for attack on the colonies. He declared tnat "the soul of the colonies was being secularised," and that this

Washington, and altogether had a very tiue trip through the United States. The most prosperous town I saw was Los Aogelos. It had the least number of .unemployed in proportion to population, and the fewest empty houses. There were 11,000 empty houses in San Francisco, and 40,000 mechanics out of work in Chicago. In fact there was as much commercial depression through Americas as in tha. colonial towns. "I have" (Mr Witheford says in conclusion) '' a matter of some public importance to New. Zealand in hand, of which I will inform you if progress is made, but just now a leading man. I am to see is oat of London, and I must wait." Keferring to the Bank of New Zealand call, the British Australasian says :—" We put ifc to the shareholders an common-sense men, which would have be^n preferable—to call up the full £10 for the purpose of paying creditors, with no possibility of ultimate recoupment; or to do what has been done—viz., to call up one-third of tho shareholders' current liability with the view not of throwing good money after bad, but of paying off a preferential liability which stands in the way of a profitable handling one of the hank's most nolid assets ? The call is hard on the shareholders, •no doubt; and it comes suddenly ; but surely it is better to pay one's money into, the coffers of a Gorßrnment guaranteed concern than to pitch it into the bottomless pit of a liquidation which might be conducted on the moet ruinous lines. As a matter of fact, the shareholders are making an advance to themselves on terms much lower than those on which the money could be obtained from outside sources, and we fully believe that in the long run they will get their interest and find they have made a good investment." The report of the Ravenscliff Mining Company, which is to be presented at next Monday's meeting, is generally favourable. It says that good ore is bning found and the cyanide process beiDg used. The report proceeds as follows : — "In the early part of this year communications w«re made to the shareholders in this country and New Zealand with the view of raising funda to enable the board to introduce at this company's mine the cyanide method of gold extraction. It may be mentioned that, in order to assist in thin matter, Mr H. F. Logan, the vendor, offered to give one fully-paid share for every £1 of debentures subscribed up to 5000, and that this offer has been duly carried into effect. The balance (about £3000) of the £5000 of debentures authorised to be issued having eventually been subscribed, mortgage deeds, dated November 29, 1893, and April 25, 1894, for securing the £5000 by mortgage over the company's properties and effects were duly registered in New Zealand, payment of tha debenture subscriptions called for, and telegraphic instructions sent ia May last to Mr C. H, Turner to proceed without delay with the necessary work." BOYAITcOLORSXOBACCO

I have received a very sstrango letter, which you deemed it necessary to scud registered, in order, I presume, that your Excellency might have my receipt for the same. I am glad you have my receipt. I regret to have received this evidence of your Excellency's want of appreciation of my persistent devotion and sacrifice in the interests of truth, morality, and religion. For years I have felt that you should be, next to the Holy Father now reigning, the greatest factor for good in the whole Catholic world. Unfortunately, I am forced to say that here, in New York, the greatest power in the world' for good and humanity and the Catholic Church has been thrown to the winds, and we are now reaping the whirlwind. lam not the only man who believes and thinks that the greatest opportunity Heaven has thus far given the Catholic Church since the days of our Lord and Jlia apostles for good has been sacrificed in the City of New York. Had the church,' through churchmen, openly acted with courage in opposing the corruption and corruptors of this great cily, the Catholic Church would have glory throughout the world now. I deem it the duty of every good citizen to assmt the Lexow Committee and its counsel in their effort to purify the city by removing the cesspool of crime and corruption created and fostered by the corrupt managers of Tammany Hall. . . I am pleased to know that I have been a humble factor in bringing about the result of Novemher 6. There is nothing in my course, " now that the elections aro over, as you say, that calls for a vindication of the sanctity of the priesthood by you so far as my conduct is concerned. . . I do not know in what way I have exposed myself " to receive canonical admonition," and I cannot see "why I should be commanded to abstain in future from going to sessions of the Lexow Committee without permission in writing" from your Excellency.

Of course upon the publication of go clear and uncompromising a, letter as this the public wan anxious to know what Archbishop Corrigan would say in reply, but the archbishop has nat replied to the press. He has sent a letter marked "private" to Father Ducey, butbeyoud hints from secretaries that other tno&ns than letters to the press would be used to "discipline " Father Ducey, nothing has bean doce or said. Others, however, entered into' the fray. Bishop M'Quaid, of Rochester, ma<!e a speech, at some parochial school celebration, attacking that most popular of prelates, Archbishop Ireland, most vigorously. This latter gentleman, like Ducey, had taken an active part in politics, so far as fighting for pure mun and purity of government is concerned, but this actioa Bishop M'Quaid characterised as " undignified aud disgraceful." No priest ought so far to forget himsolf, and the dignity of his holy office, Ice., &c. He further labelled th« charge against Archbishop Corrigan's being in alliance with Tammany Hall as a " calumny " and " effrontery." Nor osn we help noticing that Ducey and Ireland— apart altogether from the question of meddling in politics—are upou the side of good morals and good government, irrespective of any party, and such a position ought, one would thiuk, to count for something and mitigate much of their critics' anger. Further—aud, although I am simply recording history, I recognise the delicate nature of the subject Mid the miecon-

such a sale, the author's monetary profits will be something for people who worry about such things to remember, as, in addition to this country, there axe Canada, Great Britain, Cape Colony, Australasia, India, aud foreign countries to draw from. Ou Maurier states that the actual time devoted to this his second work was six weeks ; he simply sat down and wrote it, with intervals for his art work, until finished. Trilby, the heroine, is not a living actuality, but a creation of the author's brain, and Paris is not the Paris of to-day but the much better Paris of Dv Maurier'a student days. At the same time many of the incidents related are as real, and more so, as the incidents narrated by men of ability, experience, and wide knowledge of men and cities generally are. Meanwhile " Trilby " concerts and " Trilby" entertainments, and " Trilby " socials are the fashionable fad.

Oonan Doyle has just returned to England after a brief lecturing tour in the East. lam at a loss to know why he ever came upon such an errand, as it is not given to all men to be competent) as entertaining lecturers, and .as Doyle states he will never lecture again, either here or elsewhere, I presume he has discovered that a clever writer, a good sportsman, and an all-round decent follow is not necessarily a good drawing card in the totally different character of a lecturer. Of course Doyle had to give his opinion upon America, and whilst frankly stating the tyranny of corporations, the brutality of the police, and the like, filled him with indignant astonishment, he paid warm tribute to the oharm of the women and the heartiness of the men with whom he hud come in contact. Joaquin Miller in an article upon Rudyard Kipling terms him the "Napoleon of letters" and " the greatest of »ll the great men that are or have been," In fact the entire article is amazing in its eulogy, and fairly takes one's I breath away. Although, like most men, I have my literary likes and dislikes 1 am not com- j petent to qusition Miller's justness, but merely I pass both him aad his " Eureka " on to more | efficient judges. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The broad-minded women of the Women's Christian Temperance Union raised quite a tempest in a teapot because Mrs Cleveland christened a new steamship with a bottle of champagne. The W.C.T.U. had aeked her to use water, and her non-compliance is termed a " snub " and an " insult." Why ? Many of your readers may. be surprised to hear that the once-famous Monsignor Capel, who so long since dropped from the, world's gaze, ia living in an out-of-the-way part of this State. Some 12 months ago his name appeared at the bottom oS a couple of letters on Ritualism, and this past month a brief letter of his commending a book was used as an advertisement. President Cleveland's private fortune is, according to Democratic partisans, from four to six million dollars. As Cleveland was one of 1 the poorest men who ever became « President,

and as he is by profession a lawyer of no very extraordinary reputation, thn question is being asked, Wh«re did he get; it ?

The authoress of " Snips that fuss in the Night is r»nching in mi out-of-the-way part of Southern California. Judged by an interview some over-anxioun f omale reporter had with her, I should say this, our latest, literary sky rockr.t is a very commonplace person in every sense. Of course, having been in America a few weeks, it follows the world is to be favoured with an American novel in the course of a day or two. Recently a column of news was wirod from New York describing a performance at the Royal Opera. Six lines were devoted to the opera, and the balance to a description of Clie ladies' toilets. And «o art, and culture, and the love of 'em go hand in hand.

The Alameda Board of Education has prohibited the further circulation of temperance literature in its schools, ou the ground that such literature is utterly unlit for young people to read. The extracts given would seem to bear out this conclusion, although it is but fair to state that the child drnnkard is by no means rare in California. In tho same paper as that in which the board's action was given I read an account of three children, all under nine years, who had kept up a drunken orgie until they dropped insensible, and bad to be taken to the hospital for treatment.

The great-grandson of George IV is at present located in Portland, where he fills the position of lineman to ono of the telegraph companies. There seems little doubt of his bond fides, as all documents of the "first gentjeman ia Europe's "'marriage with Mrs Fitzherbert, and tbosa showing the history in this country of the issue of that marriage, are in existence. Naturally the Americans are in ecstasies over a real live prince, and the yonng fellow is already referred to in most snobbish terms, and stands a fair chance of some heiress running away with him.

Leg-pads, padded canv&g knickerbockers, rubber-pads for thejiofe, pads that completely cover the ears, scalp-protectors strapped round the head, and shields for the abdomen constitute the regulation outfit for footballers in America.

The work " A Quecroslander on His Travels," by A. B. Stephens, aod published simultaneously in Loadon and Australia, has been quoted from extensively here. The work speaks the same old story of rice, rottenness, and corruption, and, so far, js not in any, sense original.; .'..'.

~r \ saw a statement in print.to the effect th»t New Zealand's graduated land tax had made business boom with you, and that " immigration is pouring in >;t the rate of 500 to 1000 a week, not merely from Australia and Europe, but even from the United States." Is tbi« bo ?

The question whether the extension of the privilege of voting to women carries with it the return of women ai members of the Legislature has been settled, so far as Colorado is concerned, in the affirmativs. Three women will take their seats in the Hoiise of ?Efpresentatives of the State Legislature of Colorado in January next. , It will be,a.matter of everlasting regret to New Zealand "reformers" that their colony did. not lead the way in this glorious triumph !

Twenty-five, thousand people attended the annual Harvard-Yale football contest. Yale won by 12 points to 4. It should have been 12 points to 11, bat the umpire and referee were remarkably one-sided. From first to last it was a pure "slugging" match. The record reads—one concussiun of the brain, one head broken, one eye gouged out, one collarbone broken, one ankle smashed, and a score of black eyes. ...

Max O'Rell has returned to this country to lecture for " positively the last time." The "puff preliminary" was made iv New York, and consisted of a fulsome eulogy of that unmitigated uuiaacce, " ihe American woman."

John Burns, M.P., arrived in this country to attend the Labonr Congress at Denver. Representative coloured 'men propose asking.his sympathy and his opinion...upon. the treatment meted out by the f tee American white' man to his black "brother." I f.uould not be surprised to hear that. Burns, agrees with Stead's assertion to the effect tb*6 American working men are, iv all matters of moment to themselves, 50 jeirs behind the, workers in England. ■ Consul-Connolly, of. Auckland, writes the authorities hera that Mormon missionaries in New Zealand are trying to adopt-children for the purpose of sending them to Utah, and that they are also meeting with many converts among adults.

In an article upon a subject dear to the American heart—the British peerage—l read that Sir Charles Burdett (whose ancestors run back to the- reign of Henry III) is drifting about New Zealand, dependent lor his subsistence upon public and private charity. His father, it is said, died two. years ago in the Auckland Gaol. If true, I would suggest the advisability of young Burdett makiuj; tracks for the U.S.A. Titles are valued at their proper worth here, and heiresses are many, Mrs Vanderbilt having decided to give a young sailor with artistic ability c, proper, course of training in a well-known New York' studio, the papers gravaly affirm that through her generosity the young man may some day write M.A. after his name. Oh,, dear I We were informed the other day that Edward T. Langtry and valet had arrived in New York, that Mr Langtry is the husband of the " Jersey Lily," and that his object in coming is with a view to—'umr-^divorce proceedings. Naturally the news created surprise. People thought that the husband of the " Jersey Lily" —'tis but a little faded flower — was dead, or worse than dead, years ago; but, being alive, why shonld he talk o!divorce now?.

Superintendent Bear, of the Sydney Fire department, has had his opinion upon the S&n Francisco Fire department put in print, whereat the superintendent of the' San Francisco Fire department affirms Superintendent Bear was drunk from the hour he landed in to the hour he left this city. - From which it may be inferred Superintendent Bear's remarks will not bear criticism.

The United States Strike Commission;' after an exhaustive investigation, made an official report, in which is used this language:— " There is to evidence before this commission that the officers of the A.R.U. at any time participated in or advised intimidation, violence, or destruction of property. .' . . The mobs were, by general concurrence in the testimony, composed generally of hoodlums and recruits from the criminal classes. Few strikers, were recognised or arrested in those mobs. The A.R.U. and its leaders and a very large majority of the men on strike are not Shown to have had any connection therewith. The real responsibility for these disorders rests with the people themselves, and with the Government for not adequately controlling monopolies and corporations and for failing to reasonably protect the rights of labour and redress its wrongs "—all of which confirms the view taken by the writer at the time and duly set forth in your columns. ; : . ; . • '