ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 54

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(Fbom Oue. Own Cokeespondent.) London, February 12. FKLifcONAL.

The R;v. Leonard M. Isitt called on me a few days ago, looking as well and fit and vigorous and combatant as ever. He told me he had already done a good deal of temperance crusading ia the provinces, and that he wa3 just about to start again on another provincial toar, which, in this instance will occupy three months, so itu-l I was not to expect to see him in Eugla&d again until the early summer. Mrs Isitt accompanies him.

Dr de Lautour haß lately returned from a visit to Dublin, and has also been in the West o? Eaglsi'id. At present he has gone into bachelor quarters in Thanet place, that wond&rfuliy i-nag little old-world nook jusst off the Strand. Xiiia be has done in order to secure uninterrupted qmet for bis studies in I the latest deve3opmentsof bacteriology. Mrs | and Miss de Laniour are still living at Ken- | sington, where they see many friends. A : gratifying compliment was recently paid to Dr de Lautour, and, through him, to colonial ! officers generally; by .his being requested to I act as one of the board of -examiners at the ambulance competition of the West London Bifle Brigade. The other examiner was one : holding high rank in the Guards. I may explain that this compliment was due to Dr de Lautour's haviDg. as I mentioned some time ftgo, been one of the exceedingly small and select number of colonial officers who passed the, War Office general proficiency, examination. The idea ia to show colonial officers that when they really do their work and become efficient, -they will receive due recognition from the-Imperial War Office. s>Ga&e-ral Robley has been suffering severely -from iGflaenzar, -and- has been obliged tol.^fake himsslf to sunnier climes to recruit, lie is at present staying at Florence.

Madame Goldenstedt, the .charming mezzosoprano singer, formerly of Auckland, arrived in London last week from the Continent. She has been studying for some time in Paris under Madame Marchesi, the greatest of all living teachers, who has formed a very high opinion of her voice, although finding it necessary to inculcate a change of method in certain respects. The result of Madame Marchesi's process has been to infuse a greatly • increased beauty of tone, with enhanced flexibility ancl extended compass, while altering its scope to more of the mezz3-9oprano range and less of the contralto. The great. teacher anticipates a very High position in operatic mezzo-soprano work for Madame Goldenstedt,- who has already studied roles of that character in several favourite operas — such .as "Carmen," " Favorita," " Delilah,'' &c— and . I believe she had some tempting offere to appear in Freucb opera, but she preferred to cere* at once to London. In addition to her cotitse or study with Madame Marcheei, Madams Goldenstedt has been cultivating German opera at Hamburg, tinder Herr Spengel. She sang at several musical " at homes " given by leading Hamburg residents, iEcluding one at the house of the burgomaster. She also sang to Herr Otto GoklfchmiOt, who otca eojoyad the distinction of being Jeany Linda husband, but who was also a very eminent musician. He paid the New Zsaland singer some gratifying compliments.

Mr John Holmes has, I am sorry to say, been prostrated for a time with iiluess, which he attributes mainly to overwork, but which I suspect to have been also "a touch of the prevailing epidemic — influenza. I am not surprised that he should have broken down temporarily, for no man can possibly go on for an indefinite period in the way he was doing— rushing about morning, noon, evening, and night, hunting up everybody everywhere, writing letters by the thousand, and being interviewed by newspaper representatives about twice a day. However, I am glad to learn to-day that he is very much better— in fact, virtually convalescent, — and I hope that now he will take things a little more easily.

Mr D G. M-icßae, the managing director of the Financial Times, is about to pay a visit to New Zealand, and will leave England shortly.

Mr A. H. Johnson has been selected by the Agent-general to go out to New Zealand in charge of the signalling department of the Government railways of the colony. Mr Johneon has very high recommendations, and possesses large knowledge and experience of the braach he is going out to manage. I may add ' that he married Miss Sykes, a daughter of ons of the partners in the famous firm of manufacturers of railway signalling apparatus ; so he is doubly connected with that phase of railway work. Mr sn.d Mrs Johnson will leave England on the 26th inst. for New Zealand, going by way of the United States.

Lady yon Haast has been in London for a few days, after a lengthened residence in Austria with Madams yon Hochstetter, widow of the celebrated explcrer and author. Lady yon Haast, who is in excellent health just noiv, has just left London again for Sclavenia, where she purposes residing for some considerable tims.

Mr W. P. Reeves was at Oxford again last Sunday, as the guest o£ the Political Economy Club of the university, and took an active part iv a debate on the much-vexed question Freetrade v. Protection. Sir Robert Giffen was there as the advccate of Free*.raOs?, and I strongly suspect that Mr Reeves vis.s specially invited in order that he might cfc-jmpion the other side on the basis of his New Zealand experience. IE this were the ?dea, the result was a brilliant success. Sir Robert GifEen delivered a powerful speech against Protection, which he declared had in no caee thoroughly succeeded in attaining its avowed objects. It had not resulted in establishing a variety of profitable industries. What beneficial results it might have saemiagly accomplished were little more than apparent, and in any cass were very small. Mr Reeves, of course, made a vigorous reply, sotting forth the experience of New Zealand as seen from his viewpoint. He contended that such a measure of Protection as had been in force in Nsw Zealand had proved successful, cvsn to the seemingiy paradoxical extent &f benefiting revenue at the same time that it festered local industries. Ho

factures, but also adduced o,ther cases in point.

Among the other speakers Sir William j Hunter expressed much sympathy with Mr Reeves so far as concerned the question of fostering local industries, but be contended that New Zealand had gone the wrong way to work in imposing protective duties, the preferable course, in his opinion, being that pursued in regard to certain industries — namely, concession of bounties and the establishment of special departments to watch over and assist the interests of those industries. Sir F. Pollock, the eminent jurist, on the other hand, went in baldheaded — if I may be pardoned the vulgarism — for Freetrade, and utterly refused to rtc^g' nise the possibility of any instance existing j in which Freetrade would be other thtn the j right and the wisest po'icy. Mr Reeves, I may observe, had pointed c-p' that 'be conditions of life and f^ 5 chrv.m'-incas r f trade ] in tha m.>ihe r country nci Wo coJovy differed so widely that no argument could logically be based on any parallelism "eiween the two. Professor Dicey, who presided, remarked ' that the- discussion had, in 'bis opinion, been the' most interesting one that the club had ever held. Miss Swanhilde Bulan, formerly of New Zealand, who has been settled for some time in London, is'now one of the regular members of the staff of the Daily Mail, 'one of L:ndon's newest and most successful " dailies." She is also one of the London correspondents of the New York Journal, and appears altogether to have entered upon a very successful journalistic career. Just after the closing of the last Suez mail the sad news arrived in town that Mr. J. M'Cosh Clark had. passed rather suddenly at St. Leonards, where he bad been residing for some time. .-, It will be remembered that .Mr Clark was attacked . with severe illness jast* a year ago, from which his recovery was very slow. >It now • appears that his medical attendant,-while - examining him for 'the complaint from-which he then suffered, made the unwelcome discovery that his heart was in a seriously weak state. To all appearance, however, Mr Clark recovered, alsbough slowly, his, usual health, and resumed bis attendance at business, which, in fact, he continued to do up to last November, travelling backward and forward between London and. St. Leonards. He got very well through tha fir3t part of the winter, and appeared to be as well as usual, so that it came on bis family with a shock of surprise when on the 23 rd ulf. he was taken ill. No serious cou?equsnces were anticipated, nevertheless, and h*» .s^ernr «? to be goir.g on a;.' lig'n' , wLen Fiicd^AJv v fiJ;.M)ge for the wovie took ph-xe, and shortly affcprwards be passed to his r«rt, ».be catssci cf death bei»g failure of 'be heart's *cteon. Ie had al way 3 been Mr -Clark's wish that after his death his remains should be crerasfftd, j and in compliance with that wish the body j was brought from St. L?cn«rds in a special I tbtough carriage to WokJng, wh^re tbe c."*- j matiori duly took pi&c?. The fan*ral ser- '• vica was conducted by ths Rjv. Bf.'ok Ht-re- j ford, of Hauapstead, and amoDg those pressnt j were Sir G. Williams, Messw R. Pierce .T. i Manceno Jackson, C. C. Mann, A. Fraeer, i atid S Mii Jar. j

M v N. W Wevvj, ffbo hnn been arising fc» some tiroe in tha Isl» of Wight., is at p;e~ gees fa L?Jiclcu, where, I hear, he is likely to secure shortly a good appointment.

Miss Therese Sievwright's vocal services have been secured for a large musical " at home " which is about to be given by Lady de la Warr. Her sister has received a commmitiß to paiafc a portrait cf Lady de la Wart's daughter. . On the 30th ulfc. the Hsv. Edward Shears, formerly incumbent of , Havelock, Marlborough, New Zealand, passed to. his ten at the age of 53. His. death occurred at Rotherfield, near Peppard, Oxfordshire.

Mr John Holmea has been interviewed by Commerce, whose representative opens with a few personal and decidedly complimentary remarks. " I like Mr Holmes," he says, " because his well-trained beard and flowing moustache, the expression of his face, and the carriage of his head conveyed the impression of energy and ever such great possibilities." Mr Holmes must indeed be gratified to learn what enormous potentialities lie latent in his " vrell-trained beard and flowicg moustache."

The interview makes distinctly entertaining reading. It is illustrated ,by pictures of a timber schooner in the Auckland Harbour, of the Queen's whari at Auckland, and of a settler's cottage in New ZnOsnt*. The article concludes as follows -.—"Mr Holeies has not been long in England, but during the short. period he has been here ha Itas accomplished much in'leading commercial centres. Already he has influenced orders for -New Zealand hemp, which I calculate will be an encouragement to the New Zealand hemp industry. He is a gentleman cf many parts, and there is no industry ie NfeW Z^alacciwith which he is no!; more or 'ess familiar. &pa»'< from his own personality and business knowledge Hook to Mr Holmes accomplishing in this country able service for bis own colony. It was -with these kindly sentiments that I reluctantly parted from Mr Holme?, a-nd with the feeling in my own mind tbafe he h&d actually been pleased to meet with • Hermes.' "

According to current gossip in the West End clubs, Lord Ranfurly, Governor of New Zealand, is likely to receive the vacant ribbon of the Order of St. Patrick.

A new book on the flora of New Zealand has just come our.. It is by Mrs Ellis Rowan, and is entitled "A Flower Hunter in Queensland and New Zealand."

A coming b^ok which will possa*s much interest to New Zealand ers is the " Life of the Late Sir William Jervois," by General Stokes, whose name will psrhaps ■ bo best known in New Zealand as that of the chairman of the Blue Spur Gold Mining Company. Have all the Agents-general of New Zsaland, I wonder, enjoyed so curious an experience in the way o£ variegated and astonishing titles as has fallen to the lot of the present holder of that post ? Mr Reeves's tenure of office has, at any rate, afforded him such a remarkable collection of specimens in this way that he has set up a special book in which they are carefully pasted, and they form very pleasant reading. Glancing through the book to-day, I observed that one letter arrived addressed to "His Lordship the Eight Hon. Agent-general for New Zea-

land";- another bora the superscription " His Excellency the Agent-general for New Zealand " ; several official documents of the Imperial Government are addressed " The Hon. W. Pember-Rseves, Q.O." — a distinction to which Mr Reeves assures mo he has never yet aspired. Another is addressed " Sir W. P. Reeves " ; as * variety to thss cne appears tha supsrsciiplioa " The Rev. W. P. Reeves " ; oue in directed to " The Right Hon. W. P. R3eves, care of Agent-general for New Zsaland." "The Hon. Percy Rseves" wfcs another flight of epistolary imagination. An Italian letter comes addressed to >: Son Excellenza W. P. Reeves." In brutal contrast to all these descriptive superscriptions the rear is b;ou£hb up by an envelope addressed with Hi-publican simplicity "Mr Reeves, New Zealand Office," and by another directed toul tret " Th« A G. of N Z."

'/Ms wert'i bk'ytch £\ve« a portrait and hU.gi ij.by »->f Mr Acgu* M'Donald, the Ob'h;d>urch cente.;3;s«n.

Mr Thoroas Russell is again wintering in the Riviera. I last heard of him as being at -San Eemo.

Mrs J. B. Euasell, who hag been somewhat unwell, is staying for a while on the Continent tor the benefit of "her health, which needs a milder climate than that of this country. The Misses Russell are at' their London residency Gordon Mansions.

! Mr Richard- Reynolds, of Waikato, arrived in London last Thursday we*k, and left on Monday for San Rerno on a. business Tisifc. Travellicg from New Zealand by vray of San Fianoisoo, on resting America he proceeded to M«x:c;o, wfcr.xs L« gpsat sorce little time travelling about in cawpauy with Mr Hugh Craig, formerly cf th<> N-w Zealand Insurance Oorcpaay. Mr Reynolds was much pleased with Mextoo, which he con-•siders-a very fine- OHoi-ty, possessing great promise and poteatiality of future ui'agresa. From Mexioo^lie went to New Ycrk -and voyaged fcheoceHo Liverpool 6y tbe White Star steamer Majestic, subsequently coming on to London as already mentioned.

Mr Henry Reynolds -was expected to arrive in London before now, but I understand he is still in South America, and was last beard of from Beunos Ayres, bat he ia expected to reach England at an early date.