ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES,

Otago Witness, Issue 2317, 28 July 1898, Page 47

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES,

(Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.)

Loxdon, June 4.

Sad will be the memory of their trip Home to Dr A. Chalnninor Purchas and Sirs Parchaa for, as their friends will Icaro with regret, they, on the voyagp, h&d the misfortune to lose one of fcbeir children. It is uaderstood that Dr and Mrs Purchas are staying with their friends, and that they will remain in the mother country for some time, their visit having been long contemplated by Dr Purchas forprofessional reasons.

The Rev. Leonard Isitt is in the tbiok of it again, the question being whether Cluth-a baa or has not been recaptured by the Publican party. The controversy has been going on in the Leeds Mercury, and in it the reverend gentleman says: — "It is difficult to make Euplish readers understand all ihe intricacies of the position iv New Zealand." He goes on to claim that; the prohibition vote in Clutha increased, nnd clinches his argument by Bla.tii-g : — " The voting in 1896 was as follows : License, 1618; no license, 1989 ;— majority for prohibition, 371. Further comirent is unnecessary." One feels inclined to ask why does not Mr Isifct tell the whole of tbe facie.

Sir George and Lady Bowen, wiso have been for some little time in Italy, and latterly at Rome, havo now returned to their London resid< nre, 16 Lowndf s street. Explorations in the Southern A'ps have earned for Mr Thomas Mac-kerzie an honour of fellowship of tlie Royal Geographical Society, fc.be e\c cbieu being made on the motion of the Iti(;hfc Hon. Sir John Lubbock, secon<2e3 by Sir Julian Delivers. Mr Mackenzie has been abked to read p».psrs on his experiences and ex^orktioriK.

The operation whinh Mr Wales (ex-mayor of Dunedin) came to England to undergo has been successfully performed, and fcbe patient is now getting on very well. Mr Wales is at present living si Harden, in Kenb. Mr and Mrs M'LellaD, of Tapanui, have been in London for about a week. They have befcii busy sightseeing, and were fortunate in obtaining a splendid view of the funeral of Mr Gladstone. They are now le&ving for Ferlhtlvirp, and intend making a tour of tho Highlands generally. Another New Zealandcr who lias Mfc for Scotland is Mr Roderick STKfßzie, of the Octagon, Duiudiu. He has gone on to InverncHs to see bis relatives who reside there.

Fiicnds of Captain Pattison, of Tapanui, will be pka&ed to learn tbafc he has reached the old ccuutry as bright; and genial aa ever. He came as chief officer of tbe ship commanded by Captain Johu Hay ward, a native of Clutha.

Both return in the same ship in about a fortnight.

Not by any means a pleasant passage Honif was that of Mr Justice Williams. lli3 HonoC was rcry pcorly all the way, and is still far from well.

Miss F. Rattray, of Craighall, Dunedir, New Zealand, who crikc to England in August lest, was in Paria with Mr and Miss Izard, and farmed one of their party in all their various expeditions.

Mr Eugfne J. O'Conor, formerly M.H.R. for Westporf, who came to England last summer, has been spending the winter in the South oi' France. He is -an ardent cyrlisfe, and be found his Licjele of great assistance in enabling tira to visit numberltss interesting old French towrs and quaint villages lying off the regular route by rail or coach. It struck him l.tw-ta good deal of distress was to be met with just; now, due partly to the high price of bread.

During a rccont conversation with Me O'Cocor, he remarked that he had been much struck both during his present tour through France a:,d during his previous visit to the United States witb the fact that the people, generally speaking— that ib to say, the mvjorifcy oi them, or the labouring classes as they are largely called — do not appear to be nearly bo well uff in some re a pcc;s as they were under a less democratic regin.e. "Look at America, for iustauce," said Mr O'Conor. "At Ihe present time a vast number of the population are little bettar than slaves to the great capitalists and millionaires who manage to get control over fhe supplied of food and other necessaries of life, and co virtually extort from the poorer classes their money acd their labour as much as if they were in & state of ectual servitude. Now, in France, iv the old time*, if the seigneurs did in some re?pecta epprefs their seif*, at least they tcok care c'f llu 4 m, locked after tluru, and did not allow anybrdy else lo hurl: them ; but in these democratic dajs the people seem to Le quitfi at the mercy of anyone who has money enough to be able lo do a 9 ke likes."

It occurred to me to ask Mr O'Coaor whether he had any idea of re-entering New Zealand ptlilic*. He smiled. "That depends," be said, "entirely upon circumstances. When the next general election comes, if my old political friends and supporters de3ire to nave my services, I shall be happy to pace them, as formerly, at their disposal ; but I am not at all anxious to engage again in poliiical strife aud turmoil uclcrs I tee tbafc I can really bo of ufe and that a genuine dep.iro exists for me to rtturu to public life."

Mr H. W. Roll, of Oaroaru, who arrived in Engl&Hd lusi. weok, called on me ye&ten?ay. He Lad a very pleasant passage Homeward in the P. and O. s.s. Australia, and on Wednesday afternoon next he is to be made " the hippiesfc of men." On that day he will bs married in St. Wavy Abbott's Chuicb, Kensington, to Miss Violet Jay, a charming young lady of London with whom he ft 11 in kve and to wium he became engaged when he was Hcraelast ye?r as ono of the volunteer contingent Eelected to represent New Zealand on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee.

Mr Harry Vogel's novel, "A Maori Maid," Is, I hear, ju&t our, and the advance copies bav6 received same favourable press notices, but as not one of these has reached this cfSca as yr,6 I am unable to Rive any information ftWour the book or to express any opinion as to its merits.

Mi W. P. Reeves, having been requested, to write a few words on the suggested alliance between England and the United States, expr< SSB9 his opinion that although the suggested alliauce or fedtration of Anglo-Saxondom is afc present only a viaioD, it is, neveriheleep, "a very Loble vision for all that, and oii'j which, if realised, should mean a step forward in the progress of our race, perhaps of mankind." Miss W«stor>, the young Auckland lady who, under the now. it plicme of " De Thierry," has achieved such a remarkable success as a politic.*! writer in the English review?, is nbouS to pay a visit to New Zealand for the sake of a much needed vest and change. Mi6B Wcslon's articles on "Imperialism" havenofc osi'y co amanded general admiration, bub hava attracted sptcial attention and notice on the .part oi' soms of the leading thinkers of the Jay. Indeed, it is in response to a very earnest request frcm various influential naeu that thtss articles, which appeared in the " New Review," are being reprinted and issued in book form with a specie! preface by the editor of the "Review." The volume is expected to be out next week. Miss Wtston intends leaving by the s.s. Ophir on the 24th iuet. for Australia on her way to Now Za&land. She doea not ab present purpote being absent from England many mouths, as it is of course undesirable that there should be any serious break in .(ho briiliaut literary career upon which she apponrs now to h&ve fairly embarked. Unrer the beading "Our Australian Inheritance" Mr Arthur Clayden has, in the ••New Ag«," the first of -a sei ies of papers on the colonies of Australia and New Zealand. His first article is of an introductory character and general in tone. In subsequent articles be purposes taking each colony in detail and giving tolerably full information on the subject Mr John Holiness latest visit on bis commercial crußßoe in EDgland has been to Worcester, and " the faithful city" appears to have giveu him a most cordia) reception.

TLe will of the late Right Rev. John Richardson gelwyn, D.D., of The Lodge, Seiwyu College, Cambridge, formerly Bisbop of Melanesia, who died on February 13 last *fc Ptiiu, has been prov.-d, tbe value of the personal estate being £24,421 Os 9d. Ihe executors of B shop Sslwyn's will s.re his brother the Rev. William Sftlwyn, of Bremfiekl Vicaragp, Salop, and Mr Charlts Bill, M.P., o§ Farley Hall, Stafford. Tho testator biqueaiiheS to Mrs Selwyn his furniture and household effects, and he made no further provision for her pnd for the children of his second marriege, as they were already provided fo«: under his father's will. The bishop left his own property and he appointed the trust funds settled ou his fust marriage in equal shares to bis son Sfcfpht-n John and bis daughters Margaret B'lzabcth pnd Rebic- Sarah ; but in the event o: the failure rf the trus^, for bis wife aud the cbi'dseii c-f his socorsd marriage.

I regret to rcco d ihe df-s.'h of Mr JoVn Blain, 'the greatly repeated xaihf-r of & : r3 Fitcheth, wife of Dr IMohefcr. Mr BUm, who was born ia 1834-, passed away on Tuesday le-at, and was interred yesterday in the Broropton Cemetery. The news of his death iias ccma rather as a «hock to many of his fcieuda, seeinp that within a comparatively 'recent period hi appeared to be in excellent health and spirit*, He was a man whose high chsracter and fv« abilities vrere widely recognised, and his death — in his feisty -fifth year — is sincerely lampnted.

Mr J. P. ll«x\vell, fotnierly general msn&c^ of the New Zealand Govornuiont railw&yfl, ond more receiitly one of the Board o£ Railway Comtnisßioners for the colony, arrived in England a few daya ago, and is &t present staying iv the neighbourhood of Epsom.

Japanese Plums. — The latest and best sort* of thia va'u*ble class of fruit nbUiuablc from Nimmo and Blair, Dunedin,