ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [From our London Correspondent.]

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 141, 13 February 1886, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [From our London Correspondent.]

London, December 31. Owing to the Christinas holidays, which are still in progress, there is not very much news to be picked up just now. I have, however, been lucky enough to collect a few items of rather unusual interest in time for the mail. The news of the retirement of Mr Murray Smith, the Agent General for Victoria.^and the appointment of Mr Graham Berry in in hia place, has been received here with universal regret— not to use a stronger term. Graham Berry is about the very last man who ought to represent a great colony like Victoria during such a year a3 the coming one promises to be. 1 saw Sir Dillon Bell, who has not been out of town for Christmas, yesterday, and had a little talk with him about this and kindred subjects. As he nearly always takes the chair at joint meetings of the AgentGenerals, is in iact looked up to as the " doyen " of the lot, his views should carry considerable weight. Sir Francis thinks that it will be very difficult to adequately replace Mr Murray Smith, and looks on the retirement of Mr Service as fraught with disastrous consequences to the luture of Inter-Colonial federation, the Rccidivisit agitation, and the !New Guinea embroglio. Sir Francis regards a federation which gives to Crown colonies like Fiji, Tasmania, and Western Australia, an equal voting force with Victoria and Queensland, and which excludes New Zealand and New South Wales, as the most pitiful of shams, and as so miserable a feature as to be quite sufficient in itself to account for Mr Service's throwing up the reine. Sir Francis is very bitter over the New Guinea business. The withdrawal of South Australia and the limitation by Victoria and Kew South Wales of their respective contributions to one year only seem to him to stamp the whole business with failure and futility. When in ISS3 Sir Francis took so vigorous a part in pressing on the Colonial Office the adoption of what he believed to be the South Sea policy of hia own Government as well as of the leading Australian colonies, he was assured that Australasia was prepared to follow up words by deeds, and would not shrink from defraying the cost of the annexation policy by which she seemed at that time to set so much store. He now recalls with bitterness the cynical remark of Lord Derby, who, when prsssed by him on the matter on behalf of the colonies, characteristically inquired, " But will they pay ?" Sir Francis then believed that practical action would follow on fervid declamation, but now re morsefully admits his mistake, and the euperior foresight of Lord Derby.

Personal and General. A very fashionable Anglo-Colonial marriage took place on the 21st inst at the Chapel-Royal, Savoy, when Mr Frank Ernest Metealfe, sou of the late Chas. James Metcalfe, of Claremont, Auckland, New Zealand, was married to Miss Mary Houghton Jackson, daughter of the late Joseph Jackson, of Warrington, and niece of Henry M. Crouchley, Esq., of Victoria Park, Manchester, The ceremony was celebrated by Rev, Thos. Turner, M.A., Vicar of St. Saviour's, Fitzroy Square, and Rev. Henry White, Chaplain of the ChapelRoyal, Savoy. The Admiralty have selected the Emerald 12 guns, unarrnoured screw corvette, 2171, tons, 2,170 h.p., for the relief of the Opal, Captain Chas. Brook, at present serving on the Australian Station. I regret to notice the death of the baby boy, 12 months old, of Mr Alfred Nathan; of Auckland, New Zealand, which occurred. on the 19th inst ,at 47, Kensington Gardens Square. ** -j" It seems Sir John Gorst really was offerVcf the vacant Judgeship.but declined it. x^Sir' John says he likes Parliamentary life^t^d means to stick to ir. Heisnota wealthy taX, his wife's relations have the wherewiffial to back him up in his ambition, and, it is said, have undertaken to do so. The.exWaikato Commisioner may therjppre presently become one of the shining lights of the House of Commons. Mr and Mrs Russell and their family will return to Auckland via Melbourne and Sydney in the P. and O.s es. Kaisar-I-Rind, embarking from Venice in February. The Rev. T. Cullevick goes out as a saloon passenger per R..M.S. Aorangi to join the Melanesian Mission. An Australian merchant answering to the name ot Christopher Charles has been getting into trouble in a house of ill fame near Westminster. According to his own statement at the Police Court, he went there with good intentions as a Samaritan, in fact. Quite so ! I mentioned in my last letter that on the Government abandoning their demand for retrospective payments the Anglo-Colonial banks had agreed for the future to deduct the income tax on the interest payable to their permanent depositors. The new state of things dates from the first of April next. Sir Francis Bell is taking a lot of trouble in promoting the shipment of salmon ova, which w ill bo ready even earlier than 1 told you. Samples of both Swiss and Scotch will probably be sent per Aorangi. The death is announced of Captain Sir ! Fredk. J.O. Evans, R.N., X.C.8., F.R.S., late hydrographer to the Admiralty, who , bo long ago as 1847, when master of H.M.S. Acheron, was engaged for more than four years in surveying the colony of New Zealand The work gained for him a very high reputation ; may be said, indeed, to have been the real foundation stone of his subsequent good fortune. Captain Ashby only came back from Glasgow just before Christmas. He has been very busy superintending the building of a steamer for Mr Hay, of Auckland, which will be launched by Messrs Seatb & Co. on the 4th of February, and christened Mrs Aehby. Messrs Bow, McLachan, & C0., 0f Paisley, are building two new ferry boats for the Auckland Worth Shore Co., which will be shipped out in sections early next month by Messrs Aebby. They are paddle wheel steamers 130ftlong, their total weight being 235 tone.

Shipping and Passenger Notes. Mr T. Parker and Mrs C. C. Hocking are through passengers for Auckland, and Mr W. A. D. Hocking for Otago, per R.M.S. John Elder, which Bailed on December 23rd.

Frozen Meat. Christmas, aa usual, has slightly improved the prices of frozen mutton ; in fact choice

carcases are 4d per stone higher than they were. There have been no arrivals since the beginning of the month ; consequently there has been a substantial reduction in the stock, which is now down to 43,000 carcases, 18,000 of which are River Plate meat. New Zealand beef moves off rather slowly, but this can hardly be otherwise at ! Chrhtinas time, with so much fresh beef offering at low prices. There are still about 2,000 pieces to be disposed of. Current rates :— New Zealand mutton, Ss to 3s 4d ; New Zealand beef, 3s 4d to 4s ; Scotch mutton, 4s 3d to 5a ; English, 3s to 4s lOd ; Dutch, 3s 4d to4s4d ; River Plate, 2s 9d.