ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, April 5.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 370, 22 May 1889, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, April 5.

THE AFFAIRS OF MR W. L. REES. Mr Reks's Colonisation Company is, I fear, completely "up a tree." 1 called ac the offices of the Company, in Victoria-street, on Tuesday morning, and found the Secretary, Mr Cracknell, in a most dolorous frame of mind. At first he would give no information whatever, but I sottened his heart by my solicitude for his obvious anxiety, and presently out came the whole story. Throughout his mission it appears Mr Rees has never really achieved any practical success. All sorts and conditions of men from the Marquis of Lome downwards listened respectfully to the New Zealander, and were " very much interested " in his schemes, but he has never been able to "enthuso" people sufficiently to induce them to put their hands in their pockets. Had he begun with a small settlement scheme requiring a moderate amount of money, it is possible (more particularly at first) ho might have got it, but his proposals were so vast, so vague, and so expensive they scared practical men. A few weeks ago Mr Rees went north, jubilantly confident (said Mr Cracknell) that he would be able to persuade the canny Scotch co-operative societies to invest at least £25,000 in his company. Well, he has failed. " These societies," Rees writes to Mr Cracknell, "received me most hospitably, and my meetings were crowded. All the speakers expressed themf-elves very much interested in my proposals. I fear though it will be impossible to persuade them to take any practical .step.'' The failure of this tour Mr Ciacknell seemed to regard as giving the final couj) de grace to VV. L. Reess projects.

THE KEW ZEALAND COURT AT PARIS EXHIBITION. The decoration of the Kew Zealand Courl at the Paris Exhibition is complete, and a clerk has gone to Marseilles to take charge of the 180 cases of exhibits expected from Melbourne Exhibition. Sir F. D. Bell leaves for Paris to-day and will spend some time there arrarging the Court. Everything is in a very forward state, and the decorations by Mr Purdon Clarke are much admired.

DUNE DIN EXHIBITION. The Agent-General and Mr Kennaway complain that they are continually being badgered by idle querists and would-be exhibitors auent Dunedin Exhibition about which they know little and have received no instructions. Surely it would be well to appoint some one to look after the interests of the show in this country?

THE MAORI FOOTBALLERS. Some most unjust and untrue aspersions have been cast on the Maori footballers since they sailed last Friday. The " Fall Mall Gazette " and certain provincial journals, ignoring the assertions of the Rugby Union to the contrary, aver that at the last the team was " boycotted " in the South of England, and that a decent fifteen could with difficulty be raised to play the h"nal match againot them. It adds that the scandalous conduct of the New Zealanders at the All England match was no doubt responsible for this, and opines that though they are smart players they leave an unpleasant impression behind them. I don't suppose these sort of statements will carry any weight or do the team any real harm at your end of the world. The plain truth is there was amongst Londoners a prejudice against the New Zealanders from the first. Absolutely before they ever arrived in England paragraphs (sent from Melbourne) appeared in the papers accusing them of rough play. The consequence was when the team debuted at Richmond evei'yone was on the gui vive for it, and ready to hurl the accusation at their heads upon the faintest opportunity. As a matter of fact, had the New Zealanders been less successful, we should have heard precious little about their rough play. It was members of beaten teams who desired to discount their defeats who gave currency to these ill-natured stories.

PERSONAL AND GENERAL. I hear that the subscribers' copies cr " The Birds of New Zealand" (voX 1 and 2> have been shipped by the Ruapehu, those for each of the principal being packed separately in tin-lined cases. The whole edition of 1,000 copies is accounted for in the list published with the second volume ; and '• The Ibis " of the present month commenting on this extraordinary fact says: — " Few bird-books, we believe, have ever met with a similar success." Sir Francis Bell starts this week for Paris, where he will remain, in connection with Exhibition matters, till the middle of May. His son the Rev. C. Bell, is ju^t now interesting himself in a small exhibition of curios for the entertainment and instruction of the poor people in his parish at Wimble1 don. Mr Douglas McLean, of Hawke's Bay (son of the late Sir Donald McLean) has arrived in London, and is interesting himself in the New Zealand frozen meat trade. Mr Coubts Crawford (for many years Resident Magistrate of Wellington) is seriously ill, and much anxiety is felt by his friends as to his recovery. Mr Randal Johnson proposes returning to New Zealand next month, as it is his intention to be present at the next meeting 'of the Legislative Council in Wellington. Captain Birch also proposes returning to the colony, leaving his family here for the ; present. Major-General Brett, formerly serving on the staff in JSfew Zealand, has joined the Board of the Queen Charlotte Sound Gold Mining Company. The colonial Governorship which Sir Geo. Baden Powell covets, and may not improbably obtain, is, I am told on good authority, Western Australia. Does your good friend, Lady Colin Campbell, still contribute to the Sydney papers ? 1 know Mr Heaton remains one of her most ardent admirers. By-the way, Lady Colin is writing a novel of the clever, intellectual sort. She was inspired thereto by the example of her friend and neighbour, Mrs Humphrey Ward, who has just closed with an offer of £8000 for the copyright of the successor to " Robert Elsmere." The second concert of the Liverpool Philharmonic Society this season was notable for the enthusiastic welcome accorded to the conductor, Mr Cowen, who made his first appearance there since his return from Australia. The Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill was read a second time on Wednesday. A supreme effort is to be made to get the Bill through both Houses this session. Hence its introduction at what is, judging by precedent, an unusually early date.

Housemaid (to Irish labourer) : *• Here is some beer, Pat, if you care to have it ; but I'm afraid it's quite dead." Vat: "Oh, dead, is it? Shure thin, darlint, it's I'm the boy to bury it !" The "Pall Mall Budget " :r-" It is our allegiance to law which makes us savage with coercion,; our reverence for the British ideal of legal justice which makes the Irish so impatient for Home Rule."