THE ENGLISH MAIL VIA SAN FRANCISCO. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (Per R.M.S. Mariposa.) (From Star London Correspondent.)

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 195, 19 March 1887, Page 2

THE ENGLISH MAIL VIA SAN FRANCISCO. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (Per R.M.S. Mariposa.) (From Star London Correspondent.)

London, January 27. Accelerating the Direct Mail. The opening of the new overland route to Lisbon, which brings that hitherto almost inaccessible port within 36 hours of London, •will enable the N.Z.S. Company and Messrs Shaw, Savill and Co. (if so inclined) to accelerate by some days the direct mail service to the colony. An express train now leaves Calais daily on tho arrival of a special mail boat from Dover, and goes right through to Lisbon (no change of carriages being required) in 30 hours. Passengers' luggage can be booked through either from Victoria or Charing Cross through to Lisbon, and is only examined by the Customs at the journey's end, instead of (as heretofore) at Calais and on the frontiers of Spain and Portugal. The South African and South American Steamship Companies quickly realised the advantages of this new route, both as a means of accelerating their mail servi ica and of enabling timid or eeasick passengers to cut off nearly a week of the voyage and shirk the legendary dangers of the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay. Henceforward nearly all their outward steamers will call at Lisbon to pick up mails and passengers, and it is to be hoped the New Zealand companies will soon profit likewise by the new overland route. Unquestionably the direct mail service would well bear acceleration. I don't know whether you are satisfied with it. Commercial men here profess not to be They say the San Francisco mail is etill the only one that is of much practical use. Letters sent by it (mind, I don't know if this ia true ; I'm merely telling you what has been told to me) are, they declare, often delivered in Auckland, and even Wellington, before thof*e despatched by the direct steamer a fortnight previously.

Some More Salmon Ova per Doric The second consignment of salmon ova goes by the Doric to-day, and the balance by the next New Zealand Steamship Company's eteamer a fortnight hence. The Doric's parcel was packed and embarked with the same care and foreihoiight that attended the first shipment, both Sir Francis Bell and Sir J. Maitland superintending the process personally. The appointment of Sir F, D Bell to the Institute Committee gives genuine satisfaction to the Anglo- Colonial community, and will doubtless encourage subscriptions amongat the latter. Sir Saul Samuel is a very worthy old gentleman, and as a representative of the senior colony was very properly nominated in the first instance, but he has not the personal prestige of Sir Francis. The annexation of the Kermadec Islands to the colony of New Zealand was formally ga?etted laet Saturday. Mr Kerry Nicholls'a lecture before the Society of Arts on the late " Volcanic Disturbances in New Zealand " last evening, fell rather flat after Mr Burton's (the photographer's) admirable illustrated discourse on the same subject. Mr Nicholls had (naturally, perhaps) nothing new to say about the Hot Lakes catastrophe, which has, indeed, been thoroughly threshed out both in newspapers and magazines He went over a good deal of old ground and quoted Dr. Hector's report freely. Sir F D. Bell occupied the chair and introduced the lecturer in a few appropriate eentencee. The attendance was limited. I understand that Sir Walter Buller will be invited to lecture, either by the An thropological Society or the Society of Arts, on the Maoris, in the couree of the current season.

The Imperial Institute. The feverish attempts of the Prince of Wales to secure provincial support for the Imperial Inetitute scheme have so far failed utterly. In accordance with H.R.H.'a request, most of the Lords Lieutenants and Mayors who met him at St. James's Palace summoned meetingß to consider *he Jubilee question. Tho result (from the Prince's point of view) was lamentable One ofter another the meetings passed resolutions favouring local memorials of the Jubilee. Some agreed to eubscribo a small sum to the Institute in addition to promoting a local memorial, others shirked the question of the Institute altogether, and others again (Sheffield, for instance) flatly refused to subscribe to the scheme, if the project were in ordinary hands it would now go to pieces, but the Prince has staked his vanity on getting the money, and g6t it he will, probably from millionaires, who are his personal acquaintances.

An Old Friend to the Front. Geo. "Vesey Stewart, the irrepreesible and indomitable, is once again to the front. He has for tho time being abandoned the calling of emigration agent, and appears in the novel and attractive role of vendor of a mine at Coromandel. The property is appropriately christened "The Conquering Hero," and will, if the British public only nibble properly, be worked by a Company. The prospectus of the undertaking haR been freely advertised. The capital of the Company is a modest £75,000 in 75,000 shares of £1 each (2s 6d on application, 7a 6d on allotment, and the balance one month after allotment). £25,000 is reserved, and £50,000 offered for subscription. Mr Moles--psrorth, St. Aubyn (of the Kapanga and Coromandel Companies), accepts the Chairmanship of the Board, which also includes Mr Borlase (not apparently Ihe M.P.), Mr 8. Kent (of the Devonshire Club), and Mr G. Y. Stewart (who joins the Board after the completion of the purchase).

Import Duties to be Levied in Franco-Oceania. The colonial debate in the French Chamber on Saturday will not, as the "St. James Gazette" points out, do much to allay the suspicion with which Australia, and more especially New Zealand, regard French pretensions in Oceania, M. Waddington's demand for clapping import duties in all French colonies should rouse the New Zealand Government to action. Sir Julius Vogel is not an annexation-at-all-coats man, but he will, I imagine, ccc the advantage of securing free markets under the British flag before they are closed by foreign Powers.

Congregational Union in Australia. Dr. R. W. Dale, of Birmingham, and Mr Albert Spicer, of London, have accepted the invitation of the Congregational Unions of Australia to be present at the jubilee of Congregationalism at Adelaide this summer. They leave England in July, and besides attending meetings of the great Congregational Union in South Australia, New South Wales* Victoria and New Zealand, will

preach and address meeting in each colony. Mrs Dale, Mrs Spicer and Mr Henry Lee, the late member for Southampton, will be of the party. A capital description of the work done by the new Emigration Bureau is given in "Cassell'e Family Magazine " for February.

Air Gladstone as Colonial Secretary. A n old Liberal reminds ua that the late Lord IddeBleigh's first literary achievement of note was a pamphlet vindicating Mr Gladstone (as Colonial Secretary} from several charges in connection with the recall of Sir Bardley Wilmot (Governor of Tasmania, or rather Van Diemen'e hand). It bo pulverised the assailants that very little was afterwards heard of the case, i which from the way it had been urged had greatly annoyed Mr Gladstone.

New Colonial Viceroys. It is au open secret that there will Jbe a complete revolution amongst colonial governors in the course of the next eighteen months. The authorities have come to the conclusion that new blood is required, and advantage will be taken of the retirement of sonic of the older hands to infuse it, Lord Carrington's appointment, resolved on a? an experiment, has proved such a complete success that other peers possessing administrative experiences are pretty sure to be asked to join the viceregal ranks. Lord Hardwicke, everybody knows, has for years been wanting a colonial Governorship, but only a very bold Secretary of State would care to trust him in an important colony. Lords Dalhoueie and Charles Beresford are, however, men of a very different kidney, and both (according to report) willing to accept Australian posts.

Personal and General. Mr H. R. Glegg, of the Wellington branch of the Bank of New Zealand, returns to the colony by the Arawa to-mor-row Mrs W, J. Hurst, of Auckland, spent Christmas and the New Year very quietly in the country with an elderly relative, but is now in town again, and residing with her brother, Dr. Grant She does not seem to have any present intention of returniug to New Zealand. Sir Walter Buller is about to take his wonderful collection of Maori curios to Paria for exhibition at the Trocadero. Ib is an almost inconceivable fact, and one that reflects but little credit on the London agents of the coming colonial exhibitions, that the " Old London Street " at South Kensington, which is made of durable material, and can be easily taken to pieces and put together agaiu anywhere (having besn constructed with that view), was knocked down to a contractor the other day for £160. It cost fijleen thousand pounds.

Postscript. London, January 27. The now Governor of Tasmania (Sir R, Hamilton), with his who and family, sailed by the Doric to-day, Parliament was opened by commission this afternoon. To-daj'a "British Australasian" has the following re the frozen meat market : — " The meat trade continues dull, and there is little demand even for the best qualities. The market is still overstocked v>ith middling and inferior descriptions, for which low prices have to be taken to effect a clearance. A dragging trade was done at the cattle markets on Monday laßt, in consequence of large supplies and the dulness in dead meat. Cattle receded 2d per stone, and sheep were also lower, fat coarse descriptions having to compete against the recent arrivals from the colonize. Now Zealand mutton ia quoted at 3s, but lower rates are said to have been accepted yos-ter day. The large arrivals curing tho past week naturally tends to k<«cp prices down H although the present stocks are nofc exces sive. The following are the present quotations :— New Zealand mutton, 2s lOd to 3d ; Melbourne, 2a Sd to 2s lOd ; Sydney, 2s 5d to 2e 7d ; River Plate, 292 9 sd ; Scotch, 4* 8 J to 4s 10d ; English (wethers) mutton 4s to 4s 6d ; English (ewes), 3s to 3a 6d ; Continental (wethers), 3d 8d to 4s; Continental (ewes), 3s to 3s 6J.