MISCELLANEOUS. [PER S.S. AORANGI.] [FROM THE AUCKLAND " STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT. ] London, December 19.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 88, 7 February 1885, Page 6

MISCELLANEOUS. [PER S.S. AORANGI.] [FROM THE AUCKLAND " STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT. ] London, December 19.

The Direct Service The departure of the first direct mail steamer for New Zealand this afternoon inaugurates a service which will, we Anglocolonists earnestly hope, prove the deathblow of the old and complicated route via Brindisi. Of course, nothing can be absolutely certain till the regularity of the N.Z.S. Co.'s boats has been thoroughly tested and proved. Sundry pessimist " know-alls" declare that the phenomenal passages of the Tongariro, the Aorangi, and the Ruapehu were made solely with a view to securing the mail contract, and that now the necessary end has been obtained the company will not try over hard to improve upon them. No doubt there is just a grain of truth in this statement ; I imagine that so long as their boats keep well within the contract dates, the directors will not countenance any extravagant expenditure of coal. To suppose the N.Z S. people either can or will " rest on their oars " is, however, absurd. The competition betwixt themselves and Shaw - Saville must necessarily keep things pretty lively. The latter talk big of knocking the rival company's records into "tits" •when they have the Tainui and the Arawa running regularly. 1 doubt it myself, for though their boats are unquestionably speedy and superbly fitted, their method of working won't compare with that of the older line. The ghastly history of crime and suffering initiated by the foundering of the Sydney - bound yacht Mignonette, has closed with the committal of Dudley and Stevens to prison for six months without hard labour. An account of the men's appearance at the new Law Courts before the Lord Chief Justice of England and four other Judges, and ot the legal farce enacted tf.ere, will be found under a special heading. I need only add that both prisoners fully expected a free pardon, and that the announcement of their imprisonment caused themselves and their friends intense surprise. Public opinion, however, on the whole, approves the sentence. Brook's, the sailor, who was pardoned, has been taking advantage of his notoriety to make money, and appears nightly in a scene descriptive of the sufferings of the servivors of the Mignonette at a transpontine music hall. Whilo't out on bail I'udley and Stevens received numerous tempting offers to make exhibitions of themselves, but very properly refused. The friends of the unfortunate boy Parker talk about him as a martyr, and have already raised a considerable sum towards the erection of a monument in the churchyard of his native village. As an instance of inconceivably bad ta;-te I don't think it could, can, or ever will be equalled. The revival of the Tich bourne craze on the release of the Claimant was the last dying splutter prior to extinction. The newspapers some six weeks ago unanimously resolved to ignore him, and since then Sir Roger has, in so far as notoriety is concerned, been as dead as Queen Anne. His sole chance now lies in going upon the stage and appearing in a romantic drama foundpd on his own adventures. Even this will only keep the pot boiling for a limited time.

Departure of the Northumberland. The clipper ship Northumberland, having on board| M> Ve?ey Stewarts No 5 special settlement party, sailed for Auckland direct on the 10th December. She takes out 15 saloon, 30 second cabin, and 60 steerage passengers. Mr Stewarts lot were ior pometime designated as " our party," but at the last moment Shaw, Savill informed me it consisted of six steerage passengers. This, I think, shows pretty conclusively that poor Mr Stewarts day is past and the special settlement bubble burst. The following are the saloon passengers by the Northumberland : — Mr and Mrs Walkinshaw, Mr and Miss Hunter, Mr Pratt and family, Mi?s Ball, Miss Carroll, Miss Finucane, Miss Erson and child, Messrs Archer, Howard, Peppin, P. Collins, H. Burls, and Dr. Erson. sureeon.

Shipping and Passenger Notes. The Orient Company's steamer Liguria, which left Gravesend for Auckland on the 20th December, has on board the following passengers for New Zealand :— Rev. T. Spurgeon, Key. M. Driver, Mr W. Todd for Auckland ; Mr H. T. Leefe for Port Chalmers. The new steamer Tainui, which Messrs Dennis and Company are building for Shaw, Savill's, is rapidly approaching completion. T'>e owners expect her in London early in January. The New Zealand Shipping Company's gteamer Rimutaka, is also very nearly finished. She will leave Messrs Elder's yard in the first week of January. She is announced to leave on January 15th, a fortnight before the Tainui. The New Zealand Shipping Company's RM. S. Aorangi left Gravesend for Otaeo and Wellington on December 18th. She i takes the following passengers : — For Auckland — First saloon : Mr J. F. Cartwright, Mr and Mrs D. R. Galbraith, Mrs W. A. Turpin, Mrs Aubrey Wallis. Second saloon : Mrs E. Baker, Mr and Mrs E. C. Bisney and family, Mr S. Blumer, Mi3S C. Brown, Mr W. J. Y. Hasluck, Miss J. Henderson, Mr H. S. Jackson, Mr T. D. Jackson, Mr H. Packman, Mr H. W. Pennington, Mr E. Sandman, Mi&3 A. M. Starling, Mr and Mrs S Thompson. Third Cabin : J. H. Abbot, J. Adcock, T. R. Atkinson, T. Bird, wife and family, W. Crosby, A. Durbin, wife and family, W. Greaves, wife and family, H. Hawkens, J. Hibbs and wife, F. Marshall, J. Marshall, W. Mason and wife, W. Moxon, wife, and family, W. Norman. M. Ross, A. Shorney, wife and child, Mrs P. Stevens, daughters, and son, D. Stewart, A. Thcmas, J. Thomas, W. Thompson, T. Tichbon, wife, and family, andF. WalW

Personal and General, •• A Lover of Rabbit Pie " writes to the "Globe" pointing out that if the rabbits which super-abound in New Zealand, could only be sent over here frozen, and sold at a reasonable price an immense demand would at once arise, and a very great benefit be conferred on the poorer classes, to whom such a change of food would be extremely welcome. Whilst on this subject, it may be worth while letting you know that vast quantities of frozen ducks are now being imported from the River Plate. The accident which Mr George Darrell met with whilst playing in "The Sunny South" ha« turned out far more seriously than was at first anticipated. He has already undergone two operations to save amputation, and his arm is still far from being out of danger. One of the prettiest and liveliest of the new gift books for boys is u A Summer Xmas," by Mr Douglas Sladen, 8.A., LL.B., of Melbourne, who at present resides at Torquay. Mr Thomas Spurgeon will be a passenger for Auckland^ via Melbourne, by the Orient steamer Liguria early on Dec, 17,

In the "Nineteenth Century" for December Mr John Douglas (late Prime Minister of Queensland) gives "an Australian view" of Imperial federation. Substantially, he believes in the ultimate independence of Australia and Canada, and rather hopes for d great alliance of the English- speaking states in the future than for their federation. For out-and-out bad taste I don't think 1 ever heard of anything to equal the proposal to erect a memorial in Poar-tree Churchyard, Itchon Ferry, to the boy Parker who was killed and eaten by the survivors of the Mignonette. " H.M.," a resident of Bristol, at present in New Zealand, contributed to the "Western Daily Press" of December 2 a long and tolerably faithful description of tho city of Auckland and its inhabitants. Altogether, he seems favourably impressed with colonial life, but " a friend of Mr uharles Gray, of Northampton," who wrote to the Northampton "Guardian" from Aucklani about the same time, assumes a most dolorous tone. According to this worthy, " the climate is moist, enervating, and weakening." The water 1 produces worms," and persons " born in Auckland invariably have bad teeth." Then as to trade the people "are careless and light-hearted, and do not care to pay their debts if they can avoid it. Bankruptcies " are as frequent as at Home," and the only chance to make money " is by speculation." For the benefit of Aucklanders who may wish to give this veracious person a hammering, I may state that he is in the boot and shoe trade. A meeting of tho shareholders of the Trust and Agency Company of Australasia is announced for the 22nd December, to authorise the increase of the capital of the Company by the is&ue of 12,500 further ordinary shares. In a review of Mr J. H. Hope's (of Wellington) " Health for the Maori," the "Saturday Review" remarks: "It is a little book which will be chiefly interesting to English reader?, because it indirectly throws a good deal of light on the condition of the native population of New Zealand. Theauthor'saiin,however,wasnottoinotruct us, but them. He wishes to make the Maori understand that, if they donot wish to perish off the earth before the pakeha, they must improve their habits of life. We may doubt whether the strictest attention to cleanliness would .save a perishing race, but Mr Hope's advice is none the less good in itself. If the Maori must disappear, they may save themselves from much suffering by giving up practices which produce or aggravate vaiious forms of disease. " Major H. D. A. Cutbill, of the Royal Irish Rifles, who served with distinction through the New Zealand campaign of lSb'3, has been appointed Brigade- Major on the staff of Lord A. Russell, commanding the troops in Canada. George Augustus Sala, who is soon to be amongst you, has just issued a volume of very readable short stories entitled " Dead Men Tell no Tales, but Live Ones Do," as a shilling annual. Those who desire to make acquaintance with his style should buy the book, it briens over with tit-bits of odd information. New South Wales has already formally guaranteed its proportion of responsibility in the great exhibition of the year after next. The Prince of Wales is said to be much pleased with the promptness of this colony's reply to his letter. Mr George Vesey Stewarts latest venture is "The Year Book of New Zealand," a descriptive, statistical, and commercial volume, edited by himself. The first number will appear on tho Ist of January, 18S5, and will be dedicated to the A?entGeneral. Mr W. Pritchard Morgan, a well known colonist, whose process for extracting gold from the ore has attracted so much attention lately, has started business in London, at No. 1, Queen V ictoria-fctreet, as a general and mining agent. Mr Horatio Kemble a colonial broker, t trading in London as H. Kemble and Co., I has iailed for £50,000. Messrs W. Ash by and Co., the New Zealand passenger agents, have just issued a very neat little handbook showing the various routes for travelling to the colonies, and giving fares, time tables, &c. The " Methodist," totting uptheimmber of bona fide penitents converted at special services and other "times of refreshing" during th.3 past quarter, announces that no less than sixty six came from Wellington, New Zealand. The "Family Churchman" gloats over the success of local option in Auckland, and "looks forward to the time when the enlightened citizens of this colonial township show the world a prosperous community which has shut up its grog shops and banished intoxicating liquors." Mr John J. H. White, of Grimsby, who says he has a party of special emigrants going out to New Zealand per Aorangi, writes to the "Nonconformist" pointing out that tourists and others wishing to see the colony have now special facilities offered them in the shape of an £8 ticket, which allows a passenger to travel all over the colony's railways for six weeks from date of issue. N.B. —How would it do to issue distance tickets on the New Zealand railways as they do in America, say 100 miles at a time, the ticket-collector tearing off as many miles as the passenger had travelled at the conclusion of the journey ? ] Lord McDonald, of the Isles, who U suffering trom consumption, has just left England for a lengthened tour in Australasia. Lady McDonald and her children remain in Skye. The Agent General has not yet selected the English master for the Dunedin High School. On Saturday next he will interview four of the most likely candidates, and then, with the help of Dr. Macdonald, make the appointment. The following New Zealand gentlemen have been elected Fellows of the Colonial Institute : — Mr James Goldsmith, Mr David Hean, and Mr W. A. Willes. Mrs W. A. Turpin, the newly-married wife of the commander of R.M.S.S. Aorangi, will accompany her husband to Auckland in the Aorangi. The third part of the New Zealand Handbook was published yesterday. I have not seen it yet, but it deals principally with the various settlements throughout the colony, describing the special features of each.

Tbe Frozen Meat Trade. The near approach of the Christmas season and the colder weather have caused rather a firm tone in the market for homegrown mutton. Frozen meat would doubtless have participated in the firmness had it not been for the large quantity which has been distributed through the metropolitan market this week. The sheep which are causing the weakness are part of a cargo which arrived at tho latter end of September, and which the consignees refused to part with when prices were much higher than at present. Notwithbtan ling the present low level of piices, the country trade in frozen meat is not as brisk as might have been expected. Messrs Ward and Simpson quote tbe following as present prices : — New Zealand mutton, 3a 2d to 3s 6d per 81bs ; Melbourne, 3s 2d to 3s 6d per 81ba j Sydney and River Plate, none offering} Dutch, 2b 8d to 3s 4d per Slfos ; English, 3s 8d to 4s 4d. The Doric's cargo is in first-rate condition, though none of it has as yet been sold. '

From "Printer's Devil" to Legislator. "From 'Printer's devil' to legislator," sa}B one of the Loo don dailies, "is the record of a Dublin man who has recently been elected a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives. Mr George Fisher was born in Dublin in 1843, and went to Victoria with his father in 1854. He was employed for a short time in the "Age" as a reading-boy, but went to Forguaon and Moore's office shortly after, where he served his apprenticeship as a compositor. He left Melbourne for New Zealand at the time of the exodus to Otago in 1863, worked at his trade in various parts of that colony, and lastly at the Government Printing Office, Wellington, in 1870. Mr Fisher took to newspaper writing, mastered shorthand, became a newspaper reporter, and is now on the "Hansard" staff. He was elected to the City Council in 1877. In 1881 he was elected Mayor of Wellington by the citizeiiß. He was re-elected in 1882 and 1883, the poll on tbe last occasion being the largest ever recorded for any Mayor of that city. Mr Fisher's election to Parliament is one further incident in a most remarkable career."

The London Chamber of Commerce and Colonial Trade. The London Chamber of Commerce is now beginning to interest itself in colonial trade matters. A special trade section is now being organised to c*eal exclusively with colonial trade interests. Amongst those who have recently become members are Sir F. D. Bell, the High Commissioner for Canada, and the Agent-General for St. Aust, N.S.W., Queensland, and the Cape of Good Hope.

Royal Colonial Institute. The second meeting this session of the Colonial Institute took place at the West minster Palace Hotel on the 9th inst., and afforded an opportunity for Mr Baden Powell, M.A., C.M.G., to read an interesting paper on "Notional Unity." Lord Dun raven, V.P., occupied the chair, and amongst a large number of Anglo-antipo-deans present I noticed Sir William and Lady Jb'ox, Sir Saul Samuol, Mr G. W. Rusden, Mr F. Labillere, Mr and Mrs John Stuart, Mr Gilbert Purves, Mr A. Chetham Strode, Mr Alexander Sclanders, and ISir Richard Temple.

Emigration of Highland Crofters. Mr Arthur Clayden, who has been sowing letters about New Zeuland broadcast through the metropolitan and provincial press during the past six weeks, now writes to the " Times " to point out that the new Catlins Kiver and Waitara homestead settlement in Otago, New Zealand, which Mr Macandrew is at piesent legalising in your Parliament, forms a grand refuge for the destitute Highland crofters suff' ring so in Skye, etc. 1 should havo thought those penniless, broken-spirited Highland folk anything but eligible immigrants. It's very well to talk of landing them free at Port Chalmers, but without; money, household furniture, tools, &c, how are they (mostly married iolk with children, aged parents, &c.) to erect a homestead and begin life generally? The experiment of exporting destitute families from Ireland to the States has notoriously failed. Those who by hook or crook could do so trickled Home again after a time ; those who couldn't died starving in unspeakable misei'y.

Arrival of the Doric. On Saturday, December 13th, the Doric arrived in Plymouth Sound, after a smart ! passage of 42 days from New Zealand, I bho left Port Lyttelton on November Ist, ! and reached Rio on the 23rd, leaving again |on the 24th. Madeira was passed on I December Bth, on the 13th the vessel reach Plymouth, and docked at Woolwich on the following day. She had on board 10,000 carcases of mutton, which are now being landed in good condition, a general cargo, 21 sacks of mails, and 113 passengers. The Doric's charter with the New Zealand Shipping Company has now expired. As soon as she has discharged her cargo, she j will go to Shaw, Savill's, who will despatch \ her to Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury on January sth.

l Merino Sheep for London Market. It having been suggested that the mutton from the merino sheep in Australia and New Zealand could, under certain circumstances, cumpete successfully with that of the ordinary domestic animals, two carcases from the flock of Mr J. L. Curric, of Lara, were sent Home by the Liguria and consigned to Messrs V\ arcl and tStiinpson. The latter report that there can bo no question of competition between tho two muttons. Taking the Lara sheep as a fair average specimen, we find its weight is 721bs.— the leg weighing 71bs. and the loin lO^lbs. ; while for comparison, in a fair average i specimen of a Scotch crossbred sheep weighing 801bs. the leg weighs 121bs. and the loin 7£lbs. This extra weight of the Scotch animal means muscle, meat, against superfluous fat in the Victorian. More especially is this noticeable in the leg, which in the former weighs 121bs and yet permits of very little kitchen waste, while in that of the Lara animal, weighing only 7£lbs, nearly 31 bs are fat. Again, if we compare the loins, that of the merino weighs 31bs heavier than the loin of the Scotch sheep, but this is more than overbalanced by the fact that it is threefourths fat. "W hat is wanted is more muscle and less adipose tissue, more meat and less waste. What is required for the English market is something that will compare with our own crossbred mutton, and there are crossbreds in Victoria and in New Zealand which will fulfil these conditions.

New Zealand and the Colonial Exhibition. The prompt reply of the New Zealand Government to the Prince of Wales's letter re the Indian and Colonial Exhibition of 1886 has given great satisfaction in AngloColonial circles, I hear that the AgentGeneral has been instructed to apply for more space than the 7,100 feet allotted by the Executive in New Zealand. I think there is every chance of your securing more room, as it is the desire of the Prince to make every exhibit as representative as it possibly can be of the colony from which it comes, and the space already allotted allotted seems rather inadequate for an important colony like New Zealand.

Another Special Party for New Zealand. The indefatigable Mr Arthur Clayden has located himself in Bristol, and is now busy organising a special party for Australia and New Zealand early next year. He has issued a prospectus holding out special inducements to small capitalists, tourists with light purses, young men who wish to learn farming, teachers, lady helps, and small families looking for openings for their sons and daughters. Some of the special advantages offered by Mr Clayden are as follow : — A second saloon passage to New Zealand via Naples, Suez Canal, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney for £40 j information as to where to settle, and how to invest money, and last, but not least, " introduction to Chairman and Secretary of the Wellington and Manawata railway, now in courseof construction, and help in securing some of the fine openings which that important enterprise will certainly develop,"

Major To Wheoro and the Colonial Office. Before Major Te Wheoro deoided to return to New Zealand, he was anxious to

learn whether his premature departure from this country would injuriously affeot the decision ot the Government on the questions raised in tho Maori memorial. Before Te Wheoro sailed, Mr Branston, acting on behalf of Lord Derby, addressed a reansuring letter to the chief. Mr Branston wrote :— " His Lordship desirea me to express his regret at the cause which is understood to have' obliged you to leave England, and his hope that no lasting ill effects will remain from your sojourn in this country. lam further to state that should a reply from the New Zealand Government be received previous to your departure to Lord Derby's despatch transmitting the memorial, a copy will be du]y communicated to you, but that your absence from England at the time of the receipt of the reply will not prevent due consideration on the part of Her Majesty's Government to any statements that may be advanced by the Government of New Zealand." At the meeting of the Anthropological Society on December 9th, Sir John Lubbock read an interesting paper on the aborigines of Australia. Your old friend Jem Mace, " champion pugilist of the world," is announced to appear at the Royal Aquarium next week, when he will exhibit his various cups, belts, and trophies.

Departure of Mr Thomas Spurgeon. On the 12th December, Mr Thomas Spurgeon left Plymouth in the Orient liner Liguria, on his way back to New Zealand, via Tasmania. He is accompanied byMr H. Driver, a young Anglo-New Zealander, who camo over to England to be trained in Spurgeon'a Pastors' College. His course of study being now completed, he returns to Now Zealand to take up the ministry. On the 9th of December tho annual meeting of the Pastors' College was held, and the opportunity was taken of giving Pastor Thomas Spurgeon a farewell. The meeting took place in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, and the enormous building was crowded. Mr C. H. Spurgeon opened the proceedings, and after speeches from tho principal of the college and others, Mr Driver rose, and expressed his thankfulness at having come under Mr Spurgeon's influence in the college. He had been drawn across the sea by the world- renowned name of the i greatest preacher of the nineteenth ••entury (hear, hear), and, like the Q leen of Sheba, he could say, "The half was not told mo" (hear, hear, and laughter). Mr Thomas Spurgeon was? then introduced by his uncle, Mr James Spurgeon, and was received with cheers again and again renewed. After the cheering had subsided, Pastor Thomas found his voice, and began with a story of how, twenty years ago, a number of colonial celebrities on board a little steamship at a New Zealand port were discussing the influence of Mr Spurgeon. One described him as a mountebank, another as course and vulgar, another as unlearned and illiterate. One man at the end of the chorus of condemnation simply quoted from memory a passage Irom one of the early New Parkstreet pulpit sermons, and the passengers one by one owned that they were in the wrong in the epithets that they had applied. What took place on board that vessel — a complete revolution and reversal of feeling — had taken place in the whole of the colonies, more gradually, but not loss successfully, on the subject of Mr Spurgeon. (Hear, hear.) He himself had received moro kindness than he could tell of, and most enthusiastic welcomes, because he bore his father's name. There had been at first a suspicious feeling as to the men sent out from the College to the colonies, and certainly the first cargoes were not as good as the last (laughter), but that was wearing off or had worn off. The feeling about both Mr Spurgeon and his students was now something like that expressed to the speaker by the gardener of a New Zealand friend with whom he had been staying. " I've brought Mr Spurgeon to see you," said his friend to the old gardener. " Ah," said the latter, " I know the real Spurgeon ; there's no humbugging about him." (Loud laughter.) That was not very complimentary to me, but it expressed the general idea. Pastor Thomas then proceeded to say that he had been instrumental in the erection of five tabernacles in New Zealand (hear, hear), and that for his new tabernacle just about to be opened he had obtained £2,500 during his present visit. (Hear, hear). But it had made him a terrible money-grubber, all that begging He had not got all he wanted yet — but did they ever know a Spurgeon who had ? In thanking all his friends for gifta and kindnesses, he mentioned that from his father he he had received a gift that he specially cherished— the Bible from which his father used to preach in the New Park-street Chapel. It had been re-gilded and titivated up, and looked as good as new, except at those passages which his father used to thump so vehemently. He had that night got his text for his opening sermon in his new tabernacle: "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." The address was concluded by a pathetic farewell, the final prayer of " God bless you " being echoed by many voices from the area of the tabernacle. Another short speech from Mr C. H. Spurgeon, and the proceedings terminated.

Departure of Mr Horton. Mr A. G. Horton, of the "New Zealand Herald " and " Anglo-New Zealander," and Master C. Horton, were through passengers for Auckland per Orient steamer Liguria. I fear the ** Anglo-New Zealander " is proving an expensive experiment for Mr Horton and Mr Eeed, but as a thoroughly well compiled summary of Anglo-Colonial intelligence, it reflects great credit upon them, and should finally settle the question as whether euch a journal will ever pay.