LONDON NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2055, 13 July 1893, Page 21

LONDON NOTES.

.* (PflOM OVB SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) 30 & 31 Fleet Street, May 26. GENERAL. There is little to record in the way of general news sinoe the despatch of my last week's letter. | The Queeu is in her beloved Scotland. Parliament is up for the Whitsuntide holidays. The slight rain that brought the continuity of drought which had attained such unprecedented duration has passed away, and been succeeded by weather almost as fine and height and warm as ever. Perhaps there is a little more cloud about— the skies are not quite so absolutely clear as they were for weeks and j weeks after the middle of March — but it is still J a glorious and most enjoyable season. The London parks and squares are lovely in their spring array. The country is even lovelier. It is wonderful. We are not yet in June, and still we seem already to have had a long and splendid summer. SIB WILLIAM JERVOIS. The most popular of all New Zealand's exGovernors, Sir William Jervois, has recently returned from South Australia, and was in town a few days back. He is looking very well and vigorous. No one would suspect him of hid 72 years, or would take him for more than 60. He says he is only' just getting free from the pain left by his unlucky buggy accident in South Australia. He expressed the opinion that Australia will very soon recover from her reverses, and remarked : "New Zealand, which when I was at Wellington was looked upon as the weakest of the colonies, is now the most prosperous. Reform of her finances began under Sir Harry Atkinson's Premiership, shortly after I became Governor. j Economy was carried out in all directions. I Ministers and members, of Parliament reduced their own salaries, and even the Governor's stipend was reduced by £2500." Sir William was interviewed by the Pall Mall Gazette and Westminster Gazette on the question of federation. He had not very much to say. To the Westminster man he remarked : "As regards the colonies, England is simply drifting. Lord Ripon has no definite policy, neither had Lord Knutsford. At present Australia has every reason to be contented with things as they are. With such a balance of advantage it is' not to ba expected that she should seek to distribute them. Australia is assured of the protection of all the forces of the empire free of cost, and can impose what taxation she pleases on the imparts of the mother country. Bub if at any time the colonies decided 'to cut the painter,' then it would not be a question merely of severance from Britain, but they must soon fall a prey to France or Germany,, or even China, notwithstanding the defences and fortifications that have been carried out, for the defence of Australia must always be a matter of naval power. . . .The colonieß would, I think, recognise the justice of their contributing to the cost of Imperial armament, but would then naturally want some share of representation in an Imperial Parliament. I have always been surprised that the question of Home Rule has not been tacked on to that of Imperial Federation. " It has always been my idea that there should be a Parliament for each of the four countries comprioiDg the United EiDgdom as part of an Imperial and Federal system. But there has been so much nonsense written and spoken about Imperial Federation ; and the first Home Rule Bill, at any rate, went too far. I remember asking Sir Gavan Duffy," he said, "in Australia what the Irish Nationalists meant by Home Rule. 'Just what we have here,' he replied. But, as I said then, that is too much. With federation the powers of the colonies fhould be restricted as regards tariffs and the ownership of land— restrictions which ought to have been imposed when responsib'e government was first granted to them. I think it is a pity the Government does not emphasise the federal aspect of the Home Rule question." | BUSINESS MATTERS. There has been a most sudden and surprising reaction in Australian and New Zealand stocks after the heavy depression induced by the numerous Australian bank failures of the previous weeks. An acute commercial crisis had seemed imminent in London, but, all in a moment, as it were, came a complete revulsion. Stocks went up even more rapidly than they had fallen. Nor was this all. In some cates they actually rose to a higher point than that at which they had stood before the fall. Ib was a notable instance of the favourable impression created by the plucky stand taken up by the three great Australian banks which do business so largely in New Zealand that their' shares roso literally "by leaps and bounds," Bank of Australasia shares went up to £16 10s in a single week, Union Bank of Australia ■ £11, and Bank of New South Wales £7. New Zealand stocks had gone up remarkably even before the despatch of my last week's letter. The World this week, referring to the Australian crisis, says : — "As tor New Zealand, we j may point out again that the colony occupies a perfectly sound position, and that it has been but slightly affected by the recent crisis." That is what I hear from all the best authorities, such as the London bank managers and leading mercantile firms. In the case of the three purely Netf Zealand banks — viz , the New Zealand, Colonial, and National — I learn on authority that their business has actually improved since the Australian troubles set in. The great fear felt by some was lest the panic should extend to English country banks, and cause a run on them, which would have involved a disastrous effect to business generally. Happily this has not occurred, but a certain dnlness in trade for some time to come is probably inevitable. Last Monday week is alleged by old members to have been " the blackest day in their experience." Next day there was a slight improvement, but then came the City of Melbourne Bank failure, and the Stock Exchange once more became plunged in depression. Thirteen failures occurred, none fortunately of any importance in character. The Bullionisfc asserts that the New Zealand land tax preßses very heavily upon the Otago and Southland Investment Company, which paid £3791 under that heading. Despite this charge, however, the company's net profit for the year was £6820, including £1558 brought forward, out of which a dividend of 4 per cent, was declared, £820 being carried forward. The Bullionist adds : " The company may congratulate itself that its property is situate in New Zealand, which appears to have largely escaped from the full effects of the recent depression." At the annual meeting, held a few days ago, of the Trust and Agency Company of Australasia, the chairman, Mr F. A. Bevan, said they had demands from New Zealand "which was recovering," for more capital, and he hoped in course of time they might see their way to invest more. JOTTINGS— MUSICAL, DRAMATIC, PERSONAL, AND MISCELLANEOUS. With reference to the commercial situation, Mr Louis A. Nathan, of Dashwood House, Old Bond street, sent a special cable, message to his

firm in Auckland, inquiring whether the Australian financial crisis had had any unfavourable effect in New Zealand. He received the following reassuring reply: — " Up to the present the report of the financial position in New Zealand is favourable." The managers of the New Zealand, National, and Colonial Banks and' of the Loan and Mercantile Agency received similar replies to like queries, and the publication of the answers had a very good effect in the city, tending to quieten the growing apprehension that New Zealand must somehow be involved in the Australian disaster. I me^ioned that Miss Buller, daughter of Sir Walter Buller, was presented to her Majesty at the Queen's last drawing room. Your lady readers will of course like to know how she was dressed on that august occasion. I can give them the information on the best authority :—: — i " Mi3s Buller wore an exceedingly pretty debutante dress of white duchesse satin, with the jupe deeply vandyked below the knee, over a full underskirt of white serpentine chiffon ; a pearl garniture putlined the Vandykes and ornamented the corsage, while a carmen bow formed the berths in front, and one of satin finished the left side. Sprays of white lilac fell from the upward point of the Vandyke round the jupe. The train was worn from between the shoulders, and it was turned back in the left corners with a bouquet of the lilac and bows. Head-dress, plumts and veil ; ornaments, pearls and diamonds ; bouquet of white lilac and lilies of the valley." The Court Journal says :— " The charming dibutante toilette worn by Miss Bailer was designed and made by Thorpe and Co"., New Bond street." I may add that Miss Buller was greatly and deservedly admired, and did credit to the reputation of New Zealand's daughters for personal charms. She was presented by the Countess Spenser. Sir Walter Buller is much pleased with the admiration excited by the New Zealand court ia the Imperial Institute, which he so hurriedly but so skilfully arranged at no little expense to himself personally. It is certainly one of the chief attractions in the iustitute. All New Zsalanders now in London agree with Mr Perceval that the expression "Australasia " is not only silly but mischievous, and ought to be drummed cut of the modern vocabulary. New Zealand ought not to be mixed up with Australia as is the case while she is deemed a portion of "Australasia." The name is too like " Australia," and so people in Eugland do nob discriminate between the colonies or understand that 1200 miles of ocean lie between New Zealand and Australia. Mr and Mra W. S. Furby, of Auckland, arrived by the Oceana en Saturday last, accompanied by Mi-s Dodson, a daughter of the late M.H.R. for Marlboreugh. They stay in London during "the season," and then leave for Paris, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Australia, and New Zealand, arriving back ia the lastnamed colony about the Ist of March next. Mr Furby is the chief of tho Telegraph department at Auckland, and is taking a well-earned twelve months* holiday. Of course I went to see the new Savoy opera. Gilbert and Sullivan have been succeeded by Messrs J. M. Barrie. and Conan Doyle as librettists and % Mr Ernest Ford as composer. The work is called "Jane Annie," a rather awkward collocation of names, which one writer, whenever he refers to the heroine, persists in treating as "Jane, &c." I cannot conscientiously praise it. One wonders what has become of the bright humour which won "The Little Minister" and " A Window in Thrums " such wide and high fame, and which Mr Doyle i has abundantly manifested elsewhere. There is none of it in " Jane, &c." .t^Ehat is a mere silly, screaming farce. I was never more disappointed with a new piece of which I had formed pleasant anticipations. Somebody says "the humour is weakly Gilbertian, the music weakly Sullivanesque." I cannot concur even in this mild opinion. I could discern no Jiumour at all in the proper sense of the term. Mere " horsecollar " fun it seemed to me. And, mind you, I was in the humour to be pleased. But I could not laugh. The fun was too artificial, too forced, too merely silly. The scene is laid wholly in and around a "young ladieß' seminary," where there is a lively girl, Bab, undecided between two lovers, and a " good girl," alias sneak, Jane' Annie. There is a military lover who is a baritone, and a journalistic lover who is a tenor. There is # a schoolmistress who is a contralto and has the best song in the work, and a proctor (with "bull dogs") who is a patter singer. There are choruses of schoolgirls, soldiers, and' students. All sorts of buffoonery goes on in the first act, and hypnotism is very mildly played with in the second. The music is dcci edly pretty — indied a love duet for soprano and tenor and a contralto song are distinctly good, — but as a whole it lacks brightness and variety. I fear "Jane Annie" is already what theatrical people call II 11I 1 a frost." The last time I saw it there was a very poor house, and* 1 should think its early withdrawal is inevitable. I don't think your colonial amateur societies will care much to do it. cannot recommend it. Of Leoncavallo's new opera " Pagliacoi," just produced at Covent Garden, I can only say now that it has scored a success almost equal to that of "Cavalleria Rusticana," but more than one hearing is requisite for its merits to be fairly judged. The brightest little piece of the present London theatrical season is certainly Mr Carton's "Liberty Hall," played a*s the St. Jame3 Theatre and just withdrawn. It is one of the most charming plays of the kind I have ever seen — the quiet, humorous, domestic typo, somewhat of the "Sweet Lavendi-r" order. It would be a great favourite in the colony if its allusions were not too local. It had the advantage of possessing " the prettiest girl on the London stage," as one authority says (Miss Maud Millett), as one of 'he two heroines, and Miss Marion Terry, another charming yonng actress, as the other. Nothing has yet been beard of birthday honours. I hear there are to be very few on the present occasion, yet I understood that our Agent-general was to be among the new knights. Mr Perceval himself does not expect this. However, you will know before you receive this, so speculation is idle. Mr and Mrs C. E. Zohrab, of Wellington, have just arrived in London. They came by way of San Francisco and New York, Liverpool, and Worcester, stajing some days at the last-named city. They are now in London for "the season." Mr Charles Izard, of Wellington, arrived in London by the Oceania. Other arrivals from New Zealand during the past few days have been Mr and Mrs J. B. Russelland daughters (Auckland)— Mr Russell's health has been somewhat improved by the voyage,— Mr Adam and Miss Hall (of Dunedin), and Dr Honeyman (of Auckland) with Mrs Honeyman and their family. Dr Honeyman is a little better in health as a result of the voyage, but still snffers from the paralytic sebure which befell him in Auckland. He has gone to Bournemouth for special massage treatment, from which very beneficial results are hoped for. Mrs Honeyman is feeling the strain caused by her anxiety during her husband's illness, but is now improving in

i health, and Bournemouth is expected quite to "set her up" again. Mr Sinclair Gillies, who is at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, has taken his fellowship of the Royal College. Mr Charles Gillies, of Dunedin, goes out to New Zealand in September. He intends practising his profession (legal) in Auckland. He goes by the new Vancouver route. There will be no Shaw-Savill steamer to New Zealand next month. The Tainui does not leave till July. Dulness of trade is said to be the reason. The departures for Chicago are disappointingly few co far. The Atlantic steamers are actually carrying over far fewer passengers than they did this time last year. People cannot Afford the expensive trip in these dull times. , *■ During the Australian crisis even New Zealand stocks, both of Government' and local bodies, were wholly unsaleable for one day. But that was all— next day they were marketable again. It is rumoured that the P. and O. Company are considering the advisableness of extending their service to New Zealand. The Hon. J. W. Fortescue, in his last paper on a colonial subject, says-thab New Zealand people are undergoing rapid alteration and are becoming "dis- Englished" in respect of their mental characteristics ; also that they are acquiring a peculiar " colonial twang." The Shields Daily News, commenting on this allegation, attributes the change to the fewness of the immigration of persons in the " upper class," and regards the change as due to the • ' large importations of the übiquitous cockney." It thinks Mr Fortescue is right in attributing the general cheerfulness of New Zealanders to their "bright skies and genial atmosphere." Mr Fortsscue says New Zealand is the " most English place out of England." As I was about to post this letter I received a copy of a new book just issued by Mr Elliot Stock, of Paternoster Row. It is " Captain Cook's Journal during the First Voyage Round the World, made in H.M. Bark Endeavour, 1763-71," transcribed verbatim et literatim from the original MSS., and edited by Captain W. J. L. Wnarton, R.N., F.R.S., Hydrographer to the Admiralty. It is beautifully printed, illustrated, and bound, and will be welcomed with special interest in New Zealand.