ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 25.

Otago Witness, Issue 2652, 11 January 1905, Page 34

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, November 25.

Dr-H. Williams, medical officer of health for. the Port of London, in a report to the City Corporation stated that when the Antarctic ship Discovery returned to London he was informed that it was proposed to offer for sale the balance of the ship's i stores remaining on board. In view of the j fact that ;a certain proportion of those | would unquestionably be unsound and unfit for food he decided-ro deal -with the whole as an importation of foodstuffs. They wer© therefore carefully , examined, with the result that a total of 86 eases and 342 loose tins were found to be unsound, and were destroyed, with the consent of the owners. Acting on behalf of the officers of the Discovery, Mr F. Challoner has arranged for the sale at Christie's auction, rooms to-day of the suroius stock of wines and spirits "brought back from the South Seas after a 30,000-mile voyage of three years. The stock comprises some fine old brandy, Perrier's unique ■■ champagne; (1889), Braganza port," Easfc India - madeira,! -and ' Discbverjr malt whisky — all .in fine condition', and much mellowed," probably, ~by the constant gentle movement , of .the ,vessel. As a sequel io. the Rhodes Scholarships; »n offer has" been" made by Mr -Alfred Beit l& found, at Oxford, a professorship of -colonial" history, and this offer- has" been' accepted by the authorities. -The terms of, !he endowment 7 are contained in the following letter, addressed by Mr Beit to. the vice-chancellor: "I am somewhat surprised to learn that no definite provision exists in the University of Oxford for teaching the ■history of our dominions- over the sea, and that - the subject is not even specifically included as an alternative special subject in the curriculum of the modern « history school. -As I am anxious to promote a greater interest in, and a more accurate knowledge of, this particular branch- jof | British history among the students of tne ~ university, more especially samorig those* who, under the provisions of Mr Rhoies's^ will, come to Oxford from all parts of the" ■Empire, I now you to submit to the university authorities the following pro-, posal :— To, contribute the sum of £1310 per annum for seven years "(1) for the maintenance of a resident professor of colonial" history ; (2) for assistant lecturers; (3) for a prize of. £50 'for an annual essay on the advantages of Imperial citizenship, and for ibe payment of examiners fees; (+) for the j purchase of books on the subject, the amount of' such purchase not to exceed 850 per annum. At the expiration of seven j fears, if it is decided by a majority'' of the j Hebdomadal Council that the -professorship j and assistant- lecturers have, been justified, t undertake to make' a permanent' endowment "whicE wilL- annually yield- the' sum above mentioned. -The conditions attached" to my offer are as follow :J1) Tbat4he_professor be resident, and that accommodation be provided at the university for the lectures. (2) That he deliver' annually .a public lecture on the history -of 'BritishDominions Over the Seas.'-- (3) That the history Df 'British Dominions Over the Seas ' be included as a separate and alternative special subject in the examination papers of the modern history school. (4) That it shall not include the- history of India or its dependencies, but shall include the following subjects:— (a)- The history ot Imperial' policy toward British possessions ; (b) the detailed history of the separate selfgoverning colonies, , including the American colonies before ,the Declaration of Independence; (c) the detailed history of all other British possessions past^and present, exclusive of India and its dependencies. In anticipation of this offer being accepted •I have given £350 to the Bodleian Library for the^ purchase of such books and documents as are required in the study ot Imperial history as defined above. . On December 12 the first show of colonial--grown fruits and of Home, colonial, and ] foreign jams and preserved frmts will be held in the Royal Horticultural HaU, Vincent 'square, London. A second show, ot colonial fruit is announced to take place on March 30 and 31 next. I understan&that , New Zealand will not be represented— at ! the earlier exhibition, at anyrate. j Trom a colonial report, just issued, on the trade of Fiji for 1903, Mr Consul Chas. j Major states that the revenue for that year j was the highest , on .record, and totalled £138,166, being £13,228 in excess of the expenditure. The total trade of^the colony -was valued *t -£l'MZ,§pZ, the largest item' in the export trade being sugar (£406,318). Now that v the Colonial Sugar Refining Com- j pany has begun crushing operations at its, | new mill at Lautoka,i and is putting additional areas under, cane at its other centres, the export df sugar is likely^ to be much larger in -future years, and it is noteworthy -that the company ' has acquired refining irorks at Vancouver; to which port sugar is now being shipped from Fiji. A very delirable class of European planter is now settling in the colony and turning attention fco -tie cultivation of cocoa, spices, and other products, which have hitherto figured in the export list as very minor exports, if they h»*& appeared dt all. The Consul re- - ports that every assistance is being given to encourage such settlement" and to the introduction of coiton-planring, which is likely to be -taken up again in .Fiji. A representative of the British Cottop-growing 'Association is at present on a visit to Fiji, and, as the outcome of negotiations between the Government and the association, it is probable that some 6000 acres of land will be immediately planted, and that ginning machinery will be sent out to the colony by ih& association. The cultivation of tobacco and the establishment of a factory trt Suva have, unfortunately, not been successful, and all operations have been (topped. -At the West Ham Police Court last Saturday a labourer named William Olark, Df Canning Town, was charged with stealing" a hairorush and case, valued at ss, the property of Benjamin West, .a steward on board" the New Zealand Shipping Company's s.s. Papanui/- now lying at , the Victoria "Docks. On < Thursday a number of dock ".labourers were, on board the" steamer unloading her. cargo, and prosecutor's cabin was broken into by someone, the^ place being turned topsy-turvy, and a hairbrush^ in »ase was stolen. As prisoner was leaving the docks at night he was searched, and found to have the articles in his possession. He said they had been given to him by a man he had worked with on the Papanui, but as he could not give the name of the man he was charged with the theft. The prisoner, wko still protested

that a man gave him the brush and case, T was told that he should have brought the | man as a witness. He was fined 10s. !

Now that the British Antarctic Mission is an achievement of the past, interest attaches to the French mission of Dr Charcot in the Southern Seas, where he has now been engaged for some months. News has just reached Paris £h« the Argentine Government will next month despatch the corvette Uruguay to search for ( the expedition in the waters about Belgua Strait. It will probably be March or April before any tidings are received of the mission.

Some London papers quote an extract from a letter written by the Prime Minister of New Zealand to Colonel Loveday, commanding the -Public School Cadets of New Zealand, as showing the value placed on cadet training by the Government of that colony. It is noted with satisfaction that the number of cadets in New Zealand has increased from 4126 in July, 1902, to 12,000 at the present time.

A venerable New Zealand chestnut is resurrected by a leading London paper. It will be remembered that during the Land League agitation in Ireland Mr Gladstone, in the- course of a speech, referred to Mr Parnell and his followers as " marcning through rapine to the disni&mberment of the Umpire." On the same day, that Mr "Gladstone spoke there was -a big horee race, . in 1 which the winners were respectively, Veracity, Tyrone,' and Lobster;- These items 4of news-were sent- to New Zealand in the ,customary - compressed style. - On the^ next day^some- of the New Zealand papers contained the following extraordinary announcement:—:" r Mr /xladstone, in* a speech yesfcer- , day in London, denounced Mr Parnell as marching through rapine to the dismemberment of the Empire, and said that the. Irish leader had the veracity cf a Tyrone lobster." As this comical blunder may be new to some readers I quote it for their benefit. The directors of the P. and O. Steam Navigtaion Company recommend a dividend on .ihe - deferred stock of &4 per cent, for the six months and a bonus of 3 per cent., making, with the interim dividend of 3i per cent, paid in June, a total distribution on the deferred stock of 13 per cent, for the year. ,1 hear that Mr W. yS. Allen, of. Piako. has recently purchased from the Rev. C Bolden, of Preston Bissett, - Buckhineham, the "yearling Aberdeen Angus bull Pope Boniface for exportation to New Zealand.

* .The shipment- of valuable stock recently purchased by Mr. J. E. Davenport will be 'conveyed to New Zealand by th© New Zealand Shipping. Company's steamer Papanui, leaving England next Thursday. The shipment includes 22 sheet) of various bri eds and j some cattle of tne Red Poll breed. They will be found a valuable acquisition to the flocks and herds of New Zealand. Mr Davenport is also sending out to Mr T. E. Upton,'; of Ashburfcon. Canterbury, a specially . trained shepherd, who has been for s6me, r time in., the employ of Mr - Charles Coxon, the well-known ebeer>breeder. This shepherd is being despatched to New Zealand as" a man of special skill ana experience in. the management of flocks.