OUR LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5103, 10 September 1884, Page 2

OUR LONDON LETTER.

■ ♦ (From the " Star's" London Correspondent.) [Per Bkindisi Mail.] THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. PERSONAL GOSSIP. SHIPPING AND PASSENGER NOTES. Our London correspondent, writing via Brindisi, on July 25, says : — THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE. The frozen meat trade continues in a, sadly depressed state. Tae arrival of five meat ships simultaneously has swamped the market with New Zealand mutton, ia fact (as I told you last week) many salesmen will take any price to get rid of it. The nominal top-rate at present is 5d per lb. Some few of the Oamaru's carcases turned out bad. I have not heard the supposed cause. The cheese sent over per British King was first-rate, and fetched GOs per cwt., a better price than prime American. A very important meeting of New Zealand gentlemen interested in the frozen meat trade took place at the AgentGeneral's offices on Friday last, with a view to providing further facilities (such, as a thawing chamber) for regular importers. Sir F. D. Bell presided, and amongst those present were Messrs Studholme, Chambers, Peter Cunningham, Cowlishaw, Douglas M'Lean, Clifford, Rich, the Hon Mr Peters and Sir John Hall. Messrs Clifford (son of Sir Charles Clifford), Studholme aud Peters were appointed a Committee to enquire into the matter and confer with the iniporters. The meeting then adjourned till Saturday next (to-morrow), when a number of the principal importers will be present. CONFERENCE ON IMPERIAL FEDERATION. I have received an invitation to a " Conference on Imperial Federation," which is to take place at the .Westminster Palace Hotel, on Tuesday next, July 29. The Secretary (Mr Francis Labilliere), in enclosing the card, says, "Those invited have to be informed that by accepting they will be understood to pledge themselves to the principle that the unity of the Empire shall be permanently maintained. Many Colonists from all parts of the world have expressed sympathy, including Sir Henry Parkes, Sir Thomas M'lhvraith, Mr J. B. Patterson, Mr Thomas Archer, and Mr W. Gisborne. Of Englishpublic men who accept the basis, and have promised to attend the conference are the Right Honorables E. Forster, W. H. Smith, Goschen and Sir M. Hicks Beach, Mr J. Cowen, Lords Shsi'tesbury, Roselx-ry, and Dunraven, and Professor Bryce. THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA. The Spectator and Saturday Review of Saturday last Lot— contain articles on the Reeidiviste question. The Spectator says : " There are two very real dangers to which Lord Derby's indifference to Australian opinion may easily expose this country. One is the secession of a whole group of Colonies with which the future of the English race is intimately bound. Upon the question of the Recidivistes the Australian Colonies are of one mind. Lord Derby has already made Federation a certainty, it may be reserved for him to make Separation a certainty. However willing an English Colonial Secretary might be to repudiate Australia, and however ready a French Government might be to accept such repudiation in atonement for Australian sins, the English, people might not be prepared to support their Colonial Secretary in so unpatriotic a course. By that time the nations blood might be up, and resistance to French demands might be imposed upon the Cabinet for the time being, under pain of immediate loss of office. These hypotheses would, one and all of thorn, mean war with France." The Saturday Review says : — " A Frenchman can be easily identified as a Chinaman at an Australian Custom-house. The assent of the Imperial Government to reasonable measures of exclusion would not be withheld ; and, indeed, except as a formal process, it would not be required. As long as they regulate their pretensions by their resources and opportunities, the Australians may confidently reckon on the goodwill of the English people, aud, in case o£ need and in a just cause, of their active aid. A population of only three or four millions must for the present be modest and cautious." PERSONAL NOTES. Ilerr Hochstettcr, the eminent geologist and scientific traveller, whose recent discoveries in the South Island of New Zealand have been so greatly appreciated, died at Doebling, near Vienna, on July 17. Details of the circumstances attending his sudden and unexpected deceaso are not to hand

yet. It will be remembered t~at only a few weeks ago, rierr Hocftstetter was awarded the Geographical Society's gold medal in recognition of his New Zealand researches. Newscomes from Dresden of the marriage of _liss Edith Isabella Cracroft Wilson, eldest •daughter of Mr Fred- Herbert Wilson, ctf Cashmere, New Zealand, to Mr E. Ok "Woodhouse, of Lincoln's Inn. The wedding took place at the British legation. Mr W, H, Lingard has been engaged by the Alhambra management to play Captain •Crosstree in the revival of Burnand's burlesque, " Black-Eyed Susan." The Referee reminds theatre-goers that Lingard "did" •Grecian statues at the Alhambra in its old music hall days more than twenty years ago. The Royal Geographical Society have just issued a bibliography of New Guinea, which is likely to be extremely useful in jour part of the world. It is collated by Mr E. C. Rye. MrW. P. Morgan, a Queensland mineowner now in England, has patented a process for extracting gold from pyrites, which promises to supersede all present methods. There is an exhaustive articla on the subject in the Journal of Science for July. Mr Morgan, who has already entered into arrangements with the principal Indian mines, returns to Australia, next week. He hopes great things from the introduction of his process in Australia and New Zealand. Mr George Rignold sails for Melbourne to-day, taking with him the following London successes for production in Australia and New Zealand, viz., the popular Adelphi melodrama "In the Ranks " ; the Haymarket comedy, "Lords and Commons " ; the Vaudeville success " Con- ! fusion," now approaching its 600 th night ; and last, but not least, "Called Back." Mr Rignold will engineer G. A. Sala's Antipodean tour, and Has arranged with Mr Lawrence Barrett, the American tragedian, for a visit in May next. Lord Nonnanby was entertained at dinner by the Empire Club on Thursday evening last, Lord Bury presiding. In replying to the toast of his health, he said _c appreciated the connection of the Colonies with the Mother Country as strongly as anyone in the Colonies or in the Mother Country. He believed that a mutualbenefitwasderivedfromthat connection, which he trusted mightnever-be broken. The Colonies managed their own local affairs, spent their own money, and ruled their own country in the way they thought best. They were, in fact, Republics possessing more freedom than any in the world, without the disadvantages attaching to Republicanism. He believed there was no prospectof any immediate interruption of the Union. Truth does not approve of Lord Normanby being fited and complimented in the exaggerated way he has been lately. Mr Labouchere wants to know what the noble Marquis has done beyond draw a fat salary, save np money, and fulfil very ordinary offices in a very commonplace manner. Mr H. Handyside, a New Zealand settler at present visiting England, was married the other day at Perth to Miss Campbell, daughter of the late Colonel Campbell, a •well-known Peninsular veteran. Captain Colbeek has not as yet commenced active action in the business which brought him Home. He is at present staying with his brother at Alvethorpe, near Wakefield. The City of Dunedin Suburban Gas Company scrip is going oft capitally. Out of 7500 shares offered,' sooo have been applied for and allotted. The London Contract Association took up 2500. Sir John Hall does not intend to intermeddle with politics during his coming "business visit to the Colony. Mr Arthur C. Purchas, M.8., of Auckland, has successfully passed his M.R.C.S. examination. Mr Thomas Prosser, writing from Auckland to the Boot and Shoe Trades' Gazette, warns bootmakers against emigrating to New Zealand. He says there are at present in Auckland enough in the trade to supply a city half as large again, and that profits are cut down to the lowest possible rate. Mr Kerxy-Nicholls' book on the " King Country" is selling uncommonly well. The Bt James' Gazette, of Tuesday, contained a two- columns review of a very very complimentary character. SHIPPING AND PASSENGER NOTES. The cholera scare is proving of immense service to the New Zealand Shipping Company. The Aorangi, which leaves next Thursday, is already quite full in all three classes, and the Doric, which does not sail for five weeks, has all her second cabin berths booked, while the first saloon and third class are nearly full, too. The Orient Company's steamer Liguria, which left London on July 23, takes the following through passengers to New Zealand : — Por Auckland — Mr Cohen ; for Wellington — Mrs Nicholls ; for Lyttelton — Mr and Mrs Widdowson; for Nelson — Mrs O'Connor, Mrs O'Brien, and Mrs Fitzgerald. The Agent-General informs me that the Doric, which leaves, on August 28, will take about 120 nominated emigrants, chiefly single women, for all ports. Among the passengers per Aorangi is Mr Kennedy, a gentlemen of considerable means, who- intends to settle in the neighbourhood of Auckland.