OUR LONDON LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1795, 17 April 1886, Page 1

OUR LONDON LETTER.

London, February 12. THE CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT.

The appointment of that " dinner-loving old Whig,"' Earl Grahville, as Secretary of State for the Colonies has been received with almost as deep a groan as one of his own party organs confessed would have ascended from the nation had the noble Earl been allowed to return to the scene of his former fiascos at the Foreign Office. It was, however, only by a narrow chance that he escaped — or, rather, that the nation escaped — having Earl " Grannyville " placed in charge of its Foreign affairs. Mr Gladstone, with characteristic contempt for everything outside the region of parochial politics, actually proposed to the Queen that Lord Granville should again be given the seals of the Foreign Office. But her Majesty, with true patriotism, replied with an emphatio non ■possumus; so that the Grand Old Man was forced to find some other billet for his old, woman. Accordingly he selected the next pla.ee to Foreign Office, where the " considerable coal merchant," as he once described himself, could do the greatest possible amount of harm' to the exfcra-insular affairs of the Empire viz., the Colonial Office, where the "illustrious ancient," as one of his own party papers calls him, is now comfortably installed. One Radical organ, indeed, is bold enough to anticipate that the noble Lord may repeat the '•triumphs" in that department which he achieved some IS years ago ; but as a rule tn« Press comments upon Earl Granville's appointment have been extremely outspoken. T:e Pall Mall Gazette, which plumes itself upo. watching with maternal solicitude over the interests of our Colonial Empire, speaks of the noble Lord's nomination as " sad and disheartening." Tt describes Earl Granvillo as being a Minister saturated and poisoned with the evil doctrines of the old Manchester anti-Colonial school, and protests in thename of an ocean-girded empire against the grave mistake of placing a discredited Foreign Secretary in charge of the affairs, of tinnew England of our time. There is, however* some ground for hope that the lordly incubus may uot be of very long duration. The Daily News indicated a day or- two ago that if Siv Charles Dilke emerge 3 immaculate from thr divorce suit which is now proceeding he may replace Lord Rosebery at the Foreign Office, in which case the latter " self-sufficient young nobUv man," as iv leading Colonial paper call* him, will receive the seals of the Colonial Office, and " Pussy " will be made Lord Privy Seal or sonicthing else in which he will have nothing to (1q and plenty to get, « as the soldier said yen thty gave 'mi three, 'undred lashes."

The appointment of Mr G. Osborne Morgan as Un-li r-secretary of State for tbe Colonies i* also a " sad anil ilishoartoning one." Mr G. O. Morgan i« known principally, if not solely, on account of the active part he took in the controversy which resulted in dissenters being accorded the right to buvy their deatl with thur own funeral sevvico in parish churchyards. The name of Mr Philip Woodhousc, cousin of E;ut Kiri\«M!ey, was at first associated with this post; and' he would have been a very good man-, for. although ho Lias not spoken much iv the House. Mr Woodhouse is an excellent debater and a man of high intellectual calibre. The reason

/which led to thi., genoloni.™ Ijciu^ feet o.\ one Bide is not known. _ Previous to giving up the v-jiu.-. o! the I olomai jttfice, Colonel Stanley. U»- l:t<- ftecr.-t.if>,. - «ww,-ed a tarewell visit I-'-'"' '!>" A.,mi. --;;o. i. tl *$», Chailes Tapper, Hi <h C ihmiiviioucr lor •T-aaada, acted as opola-vn.ui for in. coH<\igi.»"> [in .txpiessing the grateful .- 'l.se winch the Hi ier entertained ot Colonel Stanley's invariable .comtesy. To <'lirmy Mmw.'i made a speech tin which he \ukd to ,* jocul in.\u\ ol the (Occurrences which had marked his briet li-nuro of office Ilio principal observations icl.tt oil to New Guinea and the proposed Enujr.ition .Bureau. lie considered that tha admimVi.r;dioti ,of the former territory should be entrusted to ,oue of the Colonial Governments in conjunction i with the Imperial authorities but that, aitei all, in the main the New Guinea difiicu'ty wns .purely a question ot pouncio, shillings, and pence ' — an opinion which 1 mysolt have frequently expressed in the course of this correspondence Unfortunately, the. Australasians, in their nutation at tsie Imperial Government fot .having allowed Germany to get a footing tin the island, appear inclined to adopt 'the suicidal policy of biting off the nose ■to spite the lace. Their proper course would be to let bygoues be bygones, and have 'their new Colony of New Guinea put into proper administrative order without delay Colonel Stanley also indicated his approval of the establishment of an emigration bureau iwhich should be in indirect communication with rthe Colonial Office and be responsible for the dissemination of accurate information concerning our Colonies. The right hon. gentleman's views upon this subject, however, meet with little support from the Agents-general, who feel themselves quite competent to circulate all the information concerning their Colonies that they consider desirable, and to obtain all the emi•grants whom their Governments are prepared to receive.

On Tuesday last the Agents-general attended at the Colonial Office to welcome the i:.~ :" ig Secretary of State, Earl Granville. Sir Charlnj, Tupper was again employed as the spokesman on the occasion, and offered the congratulations ■of himself and his colleagues to the noble Earl. -Lord Granville made a short speech in reply, saying a few complimentary thiDgs about the Agents-general, and observing that he had already been brought into either personal or official relations with four of their number. His Lordship also referred to the fact that several years ago he had had connections with Sir P. D. Bell, of whose abilities he entertained a high ■•pinion in regard to the withdrawal of British ,1 roops from New Zealand. He declared that he attached much importance to the maintenance of cordial relations between them and the ,-Colonial Office, as it was necessary for the [Secretary of State for the Colonies to keejj !in touch with the representatives of our distant .dependencies.

BORROWING.

The extraordinary success of the Victorian ,loan which was floated last week has aroused l the expectation that the market will shortly be flooded by similar applications from the sister 'Colonies. It has just been announced that New iSouth Wales, not content with having borrowed .about 11 millions in 12 months, will come upon the market again this year at a later period for a further supply of cash. South Australia is 'expected to apply for her little loan soon after April. Queensland and Tasmania, too, will certainly be early borrowers ; while New Zealand .will ask for a million either in May or June, or 'for a much larger sum a little later.

The Victorian loan scored the unique advantage of realising the highest price that any lOolonial loan has yet attained. The Now South iWales loan of 1882 has hitherto held that distinguished position, having been disposed of at £ld2 2s lid nominal; but the Victorian loan averaged £106 9s nominal — an advantage of £.1 6s Id in favour of the latter Colony. For clays foefore tenders were received this loan greatly affected the Colonial stock market. Tho conditions under which the loan was offered were regarded as favourable for investors, and the candour of the Victorian Government in declaring that they would not borrow again this .year was a material point in their favour. The loan was in reality subscribed seven times over. A. noticeable feature in the transactions was the strength of the syndicates who interested themselves m the loan. There were actually two tenders for the whole amount at £106 8s 6d. There was a tender for a million, and two for (three-quarters of a million at the same price, a tender for the whole sum at £106 6s sd. and numerous tenders for £100,000 and £50,000 at a high figure.

On the same day as the Victorian loan, tenders were opened at the National Bank of New •Zealand for the Wellington Harbour Board 4£jper cent, loan of £50,000. The sum tendered for was £357,500, at prices ranging from the .-•r.nimum of £97 10s to £105. The average «.:ice was £103 Is 2d. Tenders at £102 16s will irrceive 56 per cent., and those above that price in *ull.

, ft has been announced in this country that the outstanding New Zealand Government 4£ per ,cent. 5-30 debentures issued under the Acts of 1870, 1873, and 1874 will be paid off at par on .August 1, at the office of the Agent-general. (Holders of these debentures, however, are to 'have the option of converting their bonds iruto New Zealand Government 4 per cent, stock inscribed at the Bank of England, with dividends ipayable half-yearly in May and November. The conditions are : for every £100 in debentures surrendered, together with the coupon for the ■half -year's interest due on August 1, £101 of 4 .•per cent, inscribed stock, bearing interest from 'February 1, 1886, and inscribable on or aftc* April 2, 1886.

The Colonial Bank of New Zealand have also signified that they have been authorised to in,vite debenture-holders in the Otago Harbour 'Board loans to convert their stock into the (bonds of the 5 per cent, consolidation loan, '•£549,000 of which have been lodged with the Bank and set aside for the purposes of such conversion. The terms offered are the granting of £100 of the consolidated loan for every £97 of ,the 1874 sinking fund loan (balance), for £91 ,55s of the 1881 5 per cent, loan (due 1921), and for £100 of the 1882-83 5 per cent, loan {(due 1921).

MISCELLANEOUS.

Colonel Stanley, late Secretary of State for .the Colonies, has received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. Tlig Standard, commenting upon tin's distinction, says that no dignity has ever been better earned, although it admits that Colonel Stanley's administration of the duties of his o£Sce has not alloßother the public estimate of the npce^ities of the position — a sentiment which general opinion jm the Colonies will pvobably endorse. Sir .Charles Tupper, the High Commissioner for Canada, has had the G.C.M.G. conferred upon Jum. im Charles is the first Colonial representative who has ever received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. The eyes of Sir Saul fiatnuel,the Agent-general for New South Wales, are believed to be fixed upon a like honour, but ■m is not considered probable that Sir Saul ■mil obtain the same. An authoritative denial

C I. 111. n'.''li '.<- UKI Kir.'.OUf (■ -' i.t> . ! 1.l "'. ' >.t / ,|, ;1 it Mi J.Heu'i Ice: H.-iti.' ". i- .ooir t< ii' K.njjVr-.l (or hi-, ".'d! ii .'>' iii '.n.-' \ , •! .-Cob'.i'-d-. in Lnmloi. ha\e been asking v, „:', fi it- service' were. A ivi.iieatP '* being formed in London for th. -j.i: i'lisL. ot colnniMi.'i |iait I V- )r >\. Neu (;.- w',/ A capital ot Jsot.t'J m- ' <'.■> ■>u:i-crib-rt. to D& m.ueased to &IO(I,"CO il ('»< vpid.cnto - , c-i-d Hi getting a c!i,ut< i frjn the. l:np-'riai (r<>V">-nment for the orcnpiiwOi. fl t'-avjt. ot rountry lying botv-i'pii *\a Fl\ River and the western boundary ot the piutectoiau. Cl.tn also pvopo-.e to occupy Yule I-Hn I, t'< vr\>. m [,-,.n ,mi mm. and some ot the hn;hl i" X known .i, in iv.LL.Adi country. The application of this •/iihdiie h-\i been referred to the Hoii John Douglas, the present Governor of the dependency A i upon Has ueen current that Baron Nortixnskjold, Hi.- famous Arctif pxploret, .vivsorganisms ai. pxpcililion lo cue South Pole. Che uunoui, howevei, appears lo have no foil.ldiltlOll rile Economist has been strongly _ urging sonio of the more powerful Australasian life asiundice companies to open competing offices :ii th's country It expresses strong approval ot the libiu.'l character of the Australas-an regulations, and considers that the Home offices might be stimulated to reforms in the same direction undec the competition of a strong Australian company. A correspondent to the Standard calls attention to what, if his representations are correct, is a very gross injustice placed upon English shippers by the shipping companies,. He declares that the shipping companies charge for the shipment of English pianos from London to New Zealand £3 per piano, wherea* they are iv tho habit of carrying German pianos from Hamburg to New Zealand for a little ovei £2 per instrument, and, in addition, pay the transit charges from Hamburg to London. Naturally, Kiijjlibh pianos when they reach New Zealand are pb'.ced at a very great disadvantage as compared with those of German make. |

Tin London papers by this mail will give you full accounts of the terrible week we have passed in London through the action of the Social Democrats and their effort-, in inciting London artisans to violence. One cnunot ha surpiisoil at the mischief which has been \s rought when we find leaders of the Social Democratic movement like Mr John Burns ad-dre-iing a meeting of working men at the FlolVu'ii Town Hall in the following fashion: — " They tell you there is a Garden ot Eden in America and a Garden of Eden iv Australia. Kut meetings like this are held there too, and only the otiiiu* d-iy the unemployed workmen of Sydneyv — braver men than you cowards are — wen;, hi a body lo the Mayor and told him that it any more labourers were brought from England while they starved they would throw a bottle of dynamite into the Assembly Hall." Afier hearing language like this it is no wonder that tb<) mob on Monday last smashed the windows of the clubs and noblemen's residences and looted the West End shops of their valuables.

London, February 25. THE NEW HEBRIDES. The question which Mr Baden Powell, M.P., put in Parliament last Monday night with reference to the recent Franco-German agreement and the New Hebrides did not elicit much in formation that, was novel. I am, however, able to say a little more about -this point than was contained in the reply given to Mr Baden Powell. Eiirl Granville has, after a considerable delay, overcome his reluctance to discuss the New Hebrid.es question with the representatives of the Colonies-, and on Tuesday last he accorded the Agents-general an interview on this subject. Ad bhe Litter were present, and were accompuiii. d b.v Bir Charles Tupper, the High Commissioiidi loi Canada. This is the. first occasion on which Kir Charles has associated himself with the Australasian Agents-general in the discushion of Pacific problems. But he assures me t'i<it the Canadian Government will in future take fi much keener iuterest in questions affectin" lint portion of their territory than they lij-.vo hitherto done, and that they are keenly alive to the importance of strengthening not only the political but the commercial relations between Canaxla and Ausbalasia. As usual, Sir F. Dillon Bell was the chief spokesman at the interview, and he described the situation to Earl Granville in very on^poken language, not only with respect to the New Hebrides but to other portions of tha Pacific in which Australasian interests are involved. Of course the interview was secret, but Mi' Diliou's views with respect to the New Hebrides are so well known that it may be safely conjectured he did not evince very much sympathy with the alarm which has been expre j-od by the Australian Colonies at the action of France and Germany Your Agent-general takes too wide a view of the situation to believe for a moment that the interests of France in tiie Pacific can be ignored, and he sees clearly that any settlement favourable to Australasian claims can only be obtained by concessions to the Republic. He is known to hold the opinion that the New Hebrides are practically lost to Australia, and that Australia had better resign herself to the loss and look about for compensation in other parts of the Pacific. The action, however, of some of the Australian Governments has momentarily thwarted this policy, with which, by the way, Earl Granville not long since evinced his active sympathy, The Colonial Secretary was very guarded in his replies to the Agents-general, but gave assurances which were, iv tho main, cuii-in.r-d satisfactory, inasmuch as inter aha he indicated his full recognition of the fact that no change in the status quo with regard to the New Hebrides could be effected without previous consultation with the Australian Colonies. This language may be regarded as an assurance couched in diplomatic phraseology that France will not be allowed, to occupy the New Hebrides group un til Australasian prejudices have been removed either by argument — or what is mare to the purpose — compensation. Earl Granville requested the Agents-general to transmit to their respective Governments a confidential communication on the subject of the New Hebrides. Respecting the character of this dispatch, the Agents-general preserve a degree of reticence which would do credit to an Egyptian mummy, the Secretary of State having pledged them to adopt this course. But probably the substantial terms of this communication will have been divulged in the Colonies ere this reaches you.

CONVERSION. You are aware of tho main outlines upon which the new conversion scheme of your Government is to prncepd. The announcement by the Jl an k of England of the conversion of New Zpn'nml debt to the extent of upwards of 10 millions sterling has been favourably received by the market, as is evidenced by the sharp rise which has taken place in some of the loans. Th^ve are seven loans t~> he converted, and bondholders are largely taking advantage of the opportunity to come in. The present project is a continuance of the conversion scheme which was begun in 1883, when loans amounting to about seven millions were dealt with. Those

v tv, u-.ti no; tin-!, come in w.ll be paid otl on A..'"ii.t 1 it before that time- Ui"y have not tikci! ,uh\tntn h 'f- ol tho op,iorlunUy afforded them 'Die terms are regarded a 1 - favourable to bondholders, owing to the conversion operations hfiviiu- >>u->i undertaken ;it a time when the in.ukt t for inscubed --took is higher than it has e\er been before. It is estimated that the presini! Nchcn.t 1 will jiekl .in annual saving of something hkc £100,000 a year to your Government, n. ailditioi. to the £200,000 which was saved by the previous Operation, nnd will thus afloid a substantial relief tc the finance? of your Colony. The :;oi»version scheme ot last year, so tar as it related to New Zealand consols, applied to about seven millions Out of this holders to the extern ot four millions applied to take advantage ol the term* ottered b\ your Government. Sine* that nenod -tbout one million has rxiei; paid off by the ponds being drawn, so that thu present iperation, as far as relates to consols, oulj applies to about two millions altogether When the scheme was first announced, it was for the moment supposed that any operatior. which would bring in 10 millions inscribed stock lr iddition to about 17 millions already inscribed at the Bank of England might cause » sharp drop in the market, but the very opposite nas bpen tho result The stock has gone np since the announcement was made, and considerable eagerness is shown an the part of brokers, bankers, and bondholders to take advantage of the proposals made. The New Zealand consols, which have generally been quoted at about 105 to 107, have been dealt in up to 110; and the 5 per cents., which have been hung up for a long time at 110, have since risen to 116. It is anticipated that only a very small amount will be left outstanding on April 30, when the operations on the part of the public will in every case close. In two cases — those of consols and the 5-30's, the closing will be on March 30.

PRODUCE AND FROZEN MEAT,

Upwards of 129,856 bales of wool have up to the present arrived in this country for the second series of wool sales. This total is made up as follows:— New South Wales, 26,401; Queenland, 12,264; Victoria, 40,081; South Australia, 14,134; Western Australia, 1601, Tasmania, 328; New Zealand, 13,757; aad Cape of Good Hope, 21,290. The frozen mutton trade has been a little Brmor during the past few days, owing mainly to the limited supply in the market. Prices were advancing about $d per rb when the arrival of the Ruapehu with some 13,000 sheep and 1000 lambs checked the ti.se. The Arawa (from Port Chalmers) and the lonic (from Napier) have entirely cleared their cargoes of sheep, lambs, and beef at 4d to s£d for tbe Arawa sheep, and 5d to 5Jd for the same vessel's mutton; and ihA to s±d for the lonic mutton, and s|d to 7d for the beef. Both cargoes were reported good. The Rimutaka, from Wellington, with 14,088 sheep, 242 lambs, and 148 pieces of beef, all in good condition, has disposed of 11,800 sheep at 4|il to s£d, and has cleared the lambs and beef at 6^d to 7Jd and 3d to 4d respectively. The Coptic's Napier cargo of 19,074 sheep, 532 lambs, and 2235 pieces of beef is described as "part unsatisfactory." Nine thousand sheep have been sold at 41d to (3d, the lambs have been cleared 6£d to 7d, and 500 pieces of beef have been disposed of at 4d to s£d. The Runpehu, from Lyttelton, with 12,960 sheep, 1090 lambs, and 116 pieces of beef, all in good condition, has disposed of 1500 Bheep at s^d to s|d, but the lambs and beef have not been touched.

The Australian and New Zealand tallow trade is showing a slight improvement.

BISMARCK AT IT AGAIN.

The grasping policy of the German Chancellor in connection with his colonial schemes is still in full activity Not content with extending the German possessions in Africa with extraordinary rapidity, he has, it is anthoritatively announced, taken under the protection of the German flag the Marshall, Browne, and Provide- Islands, all of which are contiguous to the Caroline archipelago, from which Prince Bismarck has just been shut out by the decision of the Pope. It is believed that the next revelation of German colouial enterprise will include at least half the Solomon group. But there is a sort of understanding that in that event the southern part shall be allowed to come under the influence of the British flag.

The Timaru Harbour Board have invited applications for a £100,000 loan at 5 per cent., the minimum price being £102. It will be remembered that about three years ago the same Board borrowed £100,000, and the interest on that occasion was also 5 per cent. Loans of this description are beginning to be regarded with some little suspicion in the money market ; and the writer of the money article in the Standard, who rarely loses an opportunity of carping at any Colonial investment, has been suggesting that many of these harbour loans are only a means of recouping bank overdrafts or disguised outdoor relief, and he calls upon the promoters of this particular loan to tell the whole truth frankly regarding the present position of the Board. Warnings of this description are not to be wondered at when the amount of the Colonial borrowings of last vcar is taken into account. Though somewhat less than in the previous year — when they amounted to close upon £25,000,000— they nevertheless reached the sum of £22,750,000. This sum does not include about £1,500,000 obtained by municipal and other bodies, or some £7,000,000 borrowed by joint stock companies. Out of this total of £22,750,000 the Australasian Colonies secured £16,585,000, which was distributed as follows:— New South Wales 3£ per cent., £5,500,000; New Zealand 4 per cent., £1,000,000; New Zealand (conversion) 4 per cent., £5,572,500 ; do, £1,500,000 ; Queensland 4 per cent , £2,500,000. Out of the. balance, Canada obtained £3,000,000 ; India, £3,000,000; whilst the Bahamas and Ceylon divided £135,000 between them.

In connection with the above, it may be well to cite a few statistics relating to trade with the Colonies during the past year. The aggregate imports from Colonial possessions amounted in 1885 to £87,877,000, as compared with £96,075,00U in 1884. The exports amounted to £77,010,000 last year, as compared with £60,870,000 in 1884. Tho imports, it will be seen, declined to the extent of £8,197,000, or about 8£ per cent., the bulk of the decrease being due to India and the Australia?, the latter declining from £28,379,000 in 1884 to £20,116,000 last year. In the case of the Australian the reduction it. accounted for by the decline in wool, tallow, nnd hides. The falling off in British exports to tho Colonies is not so marked, but still it amounts to about £2,066,000, or close upon 3§ per cent. It is, however, noticeable that this loss is, practically speaking, due to all tho Colonies except Hongkong and the Australias; indeed, in regard to tho iattcp there was an expansion of £1,251,000, or 5$ per cent., chiefly duo to the increased exports of the leading staples, especially iron and steel ; so that, after all, there is something to justify the exceptional freedom with which the Australasian Colonies have continued to borrow in the Home market.

Amongst pisciculturists a great dual of interest is felt in th? ret-ult of the shipment of salmon ova by the steamer lun:c. Your Agent -general expected to have received t>uihcient ova from the Rhine li&ht-iiuo to make another shipment, but in consequence of tho season having been .so bad no egy.-, could be obtained. Detailed arrangements,"' havt , however, been made to sr-eiue a large shipment next year, inasmuch as the ova horn this river is preferred by t-xpen'ts for purposes of incubation. The experiments made in connection with the lonic ova prior to shipment were oF much interest. One- of the questions to be decided was the possibility of sending the ova fish to New Zealand iv d ship's refrigerator It had been previouMy held to bo impossible fot the eggs of any fish to remain alive undui conditions oS such extreme cold As it was not cieeemetf prudent to risk the ionic ova in deciding this point, Sii James Mailland, of the Howietoun Fishery, placed a case of ova in a refrigerator at the docks, and after having kept it there for nearly 40 days, wa = delighted at the end of that period t 3 had that a large proportion of the ogga v ye alive, though they had been subjected throughout thfc whole of that tune to xi\ unvaried pressure of 18 degrees Fahrenheit or 14 degrees of frost. As a rule the normal temperature of the freezing -chamber is considerably higher than this. The result of the experiment has interested all the leading pisciculturists, and is understood to practically solve the problem of the transport of ova to great distances.

Your Agent-general is also at the present time conducting a series of novel experiments intended to throw light upon the acclimatisation of tbe herring in the Southern Seas. Professor Cossor Ewart, the Regius Professor of Natural History at Edinburgh Universitj, is giving his assistance, and as he is considered the greatest living authority on the question ol the herring (!;, his aid is very valuable. Professor Ewart is about to proceed in her Majesty's ship Jackal to a famous bank on the west coast of Scotland much frequented by the herring, wherehe hopes to find a supply of ova for experimental treatment. The eggs will be placed in specially-designed ice-houses for the purpose of seeing how long the process of incubation can be retarded. If it can be kept back for something like 40 days — the time occupied by a voyage from England to New Zealand — a great success will have been achieved, as hitherto it has not been found possible to do this. The first shipment of herring ova will be sent out in the Ruapehu in March. A chamber for the reception of the same is being carefully prepared under the direction of Professor Ewarb.

CABLI2 TARIFFS.

The news has reached this country from San Francisco that Sir Alexander Stuart and MiRandolph Want are about to proceed to Washington to make proposals in tho interests of a powerful English syndicate for laying a cable across the Pacific from San Francisco to Australia via Honolulu, New Caledonia, and Fiji, It is stated that this syndicate is prepared to subscribe 10,000,000d0l for the purpose of laying this cable, and that when it has been completed the cable rates from San Francisco to Australia will be reduced from 2dol 50c to 50c. For reasons given in a previous letter, this scheme is not regarded as very feasible by telegraphic experts here'; but as these latter have everything to lose and nothing to gain by the speculation, possibly their views may be to a certain extent somewhat prejudiced. At all events the Colonies would benefit if the line could be laid.

THE GREAT DIVORCE CASE.

The case of Crawford v. Dilke, in which Sir Charles Dilke, president of the Local Government Board in the previous Gladstone Administration and author of the well-known work " Greater Britain," cut such a very poor figure, still remains the principal topic of conversation in all the London clubs and places of public resort. The conduct of the co-respondent iv refusing to go into the witness-box and clear himself upon oath of the allegations made by Mrs Crawford against him finds scarcely a single defender. Sir Charles Dilke denies Mrs Crawford's allegations, and states that they were the outcome of an hysterical imagination ; but the question which everyone is asking is, Was it consistent with the conduct of a gentleman to allow a hysterical woman to ruin herself for life when by the simple process of going into the witness-box and submitting to examination he might have saved her from this terrible fate? one fact which weighs with the British public is not that Mrs Crawford made revolting accusations against Sir Charles Dilke, but that when the opportunity was afforded him of denying them on oath he failed to take advantage of it. The co-respondent shelters himself behind the advice ot his counsel, but it is absurd for an experienced man of the world like Sit Charles Dilke to pretend that he did not know what was his proper course under such circumstances.

MISCELLANEOUS,

Mr Richard Nicholson has just had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him. Mr Nicholson may be forgotten by the present generation of New Zealanders, but, as a matter of fact, he began life as a cadet on the surveying staff of the New Zealand Company, and was employed to lay out the town of Dunedin on the land constituting the settlement which the Company formed there. It is, however, more than 34 years since Mr Nicholson returned to England. He has since practised as a solicitor in this country, and has at times figured as an unsuccessful Conservative candidate. He was engaged in the famous case in which Earl Talbot successfully prosecuted his claim to the earldom of Shrewsbury, together with estates ®f the value of £40,000 a yetvv. Messrs Nelson Bros (Limited) have forwarded to the Lord Mayor 50 carcasses of New Zealand frozen mutton for distribution amongst the unemployed and destitute poor of the metropolis. This should certainly help to overcome the prejudice of the London poor to frozen mutton.

Mr Henry Russell, of Hawke's Bay, is longing for the appearance of the spring, as he has been a close prisoner in his London house for many weeks, being afraid to face the chilly damp of our London winter climate.

Sir Henry Barkly has given some 20 volumes relating to explorations in Australia to the library of tha Royal Colonial Institute.

I mentioned some time ago that your Agentgeneral had purchased 80 copies of Mr Kerry Nichr .lls' " King Country" and had forwarded the same to the mayors of some of tho chief towns and cities throughout the Kingdom for presentation to public libraries and mechanics' institutes. The friends of Mr Kerry Nicholls are of opinion that if your Government decided to circulate the work at all they should have done so on a larger scale than was involved in the expenditure of £50. The book has been read with a good deal of interest in England, and has bad an effect in opening the eyes of capitalists to the value of the. King Country should the same ever be made available for British capital and British colonisation.

An absurd rnmour obtained currency in the earlier part of the week to the effect that the

British Go< - eiument wr« in negotiation with the authorities of !ii- IJ;i»iie for the cession of tenitoiy in Now Guinea to the westward of the Fly ltiver. btqnhy hn* revealed the fact that iioth.i.g is known of the matter in official cire'es oither here or at the Hague, so that th» whole tiir.i,j muit be put down as a canard. !» E-oun.ir. .limw-t like a joke to talk about Hi* BriH.sh Government desiring to extend its poi Mssii-is in New Guinea; it is far more likely to wish to gut rid of them.

At a meeting of the shareholders of the old Kapanga Gold-mining Company held last week, a resolution was adopted authorising the liquidators to sell the property of the old concern to a new company which is to be formed under tlie litie of the Kapanga Gold-mining Company (Limited). It is proposed to form the ueiv company on the basis of the old one — namely, with a nominal capiLal of £185,UOO; the shares to be treated as 17s paid up; ]s to be paid on application, Is on allotment, and l.s hi three months' tiinu. It is estimated that this will furnish the company with £23,000 to further prospect the ground and perhaps sink the shaft to the depth ot another 100 ft. The engineer on the spot is said to report favourably concerning the further development of the mine.

Mr Kerry Nichollh has just written a letter to Mr Stout pointing out probable localities where gold ;nay be expected to be found in the King Country. He has also sent to your Government * number of his maps of tha King Country — published by the Royal Geographical Society — upon which are indicated the spots where the precious metal is likely to exist. This informatiou is intended as a guide to the miners and prospecting parties who are about to start for the interior.

The wife of the wi-dhant Captain Macdonald, of the Kaikoura, alias James Malcolm, the bigamous meat-salesman, has just obtained a divorce from her husband on the ground of his adultery with Miss Emma Dash, of Brighton, with whom it will be remembered Malcolm went through tha ceremony of marriage last spring. Malcolm is now undergoing a sentence of penal servitude for bigamy.

The Indian and Colonial Exhibition guarantee fund now amounts to over £200,000. There is a prospect of a good time coming for distinguished Colonial visitors, inasmuch as the Corporation of London, vho have just subscribed £10,000 to the Exhibition Fund, with customary hospitality is preparing to feast them liberally, unless perchance in the meantime the London Municipal Bill should become law, and thus put an end to civic gaieties for ever. The report of the Assets Company (Limited) for the year ending December 31 states that after deducting the sum required to meet the interim dividend of 3s por sbfuv paid in June last. (£15.000) and making all other necessary provisions, the profit and loss account shows a balance of £4113. There cannot, therefore, be any further dividend for the past year. This shortcoming has, it is asserted, arisen from the failure of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company to pay any dividend on their stocks. The report and accounts of that Company, sent in November last to each shareholder 6f the Assets Company, showed that this unfortunate state of affairs is due to the great drought in Australia.

The first annual meeting of the Imperial Federation League, which took place a week last Monday, was not an imposing demonstration. All the big guns who had promised to take part in the proceedings were absent, and the smaller fry who turned up failed to distinguish theraselvps. The only Australian who spoke was Chief Justice Dobson; of Tasmania. Sir Alexander Gait, of Canada, made the principal speech of the evening ; hut it cannot be said that his discourse contained anything of particular note, except a few statistics to show that while our trade with Europe was diminishing our trade with our own Colonies was increasing. Mr Lawrence, M.P. for Liverpool, made the interesting personal statement that his family had possessed estates in the Colonies — he did not say which Colonies — for upwards of 200 years, so that he spoke upon the subject of Imperial federation both as a colonist and as an Englishman. In both capacities, however, he said he viewed with very great pain Earl Granville's appointment to the important post of Secretary of State for the Colonies. But although the annual meeting was not up to much, the report of the League is a very encouraging document. In its narration of the progress of the Imperial federal idea in the Colonies the report states : "In New Zealand the House of Representatives debated the subject of Imperial federation, and a number of resolutions, framed in the precise words adopted as the constitution of the League, were voted without a division." The statement of accounts also shows that the League possesses a balance at the bankers of over £1000.

Some Canadian statesmen who now pose as ardent advocates of Imperial federation have not always been consistent in these opinions. For instance, Sir John Macdonald was preaching at Toronto four years ago that Imperial federation was utterly impracticable, and that on this question he was a Home Ruler to the hilt. Utterances such as these are in strange contrast to the speech Sir John delivered at the St. George's Club in January last.