OUR LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5553, 26 February 1886, Page 3

OUR LONDON LETTER.

(From the "Star's" London Correspondent.) (Per E.M.S. Aovangi.) SPECIAL ITEMS. THE #ftTCE-PuUSDEN CASE. PERSONAL As2> GENERAL GOSSIP. London, Jan. 15. THE COtOVUL E.tfjtflßlTlOX. The Queen has promised that should no unforeseen obstacles interfere she will herself open the Indian and CoJsnial Exhibition next May. The promoters of the American Exhibition, which was to have been held at Earlscourt at the same time, have, with commendable tact, postponed their ahow till 1887. A CLUB SCANDAL. Despite its swell house dinners, the new Colonial Club in Hanover square ia not acquiring a very savoury reputation. Bnmourß of a disgraceful fracas in the card room one day last week are current in Clubland, and I'm sorry to say have also got into one of tke " Society" journals. Of the merits of the quarrel I have heard little, save that a Canadian gentleman, who had lost a considerable sum at "100/' suddenly discovered, or thought he discovered, he waa being sharped, and wanted to assault some of the other players. When stories of this description become rife about a new Club, its doom is soon sealed. shbehan's confession. You will, I expect, have heard by cable that your late enterprising visitor, Mr Sheehan, has confessed to the CaetletownEoche murders. He states that he killed his brother Thomas in the haggast with a griffaun — whatever that may be, his sister in the stable, and his mother in the house, cutting their throats with a razor. He made no refeience to the presence of Brown (who was acquitted), nor to Duane, his accomplice. PEB6ONAL AND GENERAL GOSSIP. The new Doctor Baronet, Sir Crichton Browne, is the lunacy specialist, who coached Miss Lingard for her famous mad scenes in " Called Back." The Bcene of Mias Jaue Spettigue's new novel, " Jepthah's Daughter," is partially laid in New Zealand. A fraudulent bankrupt named Carl von Buren, who escaped from Sydney by the ship Loch "Vennachar, was .arrested the other day by three officers, who hired a lugger and boarded the ship off Margate. An extradition warrant was granted at the Mansion House the following morning, and Mr you Buren i 3 now on his way back to N.S.W. At the annual meeting of the Irish National League, it transpired that subscriptions to the amount of JBoOO had been received from Australia, and JBoO from New Zealand, during 1885. The Irish contributions for the same period amounted to the amazing sum of £1 12 a Gd, the American to .£3OOO. Verb sap. Through passengers per P. and 0. Konie for New Zealand, sailing to-day.— For Lyttelton: Mr and Mrs Suiter, Mr and Mrs Palmer and two girls, Miss Fisher. For Dunedin ■. Mr Cartland. For Wellington : Mi E. Alford.

A number of names familiar to New Zealand ears are to be found in the list of members of the Australasian Club at Cambridge. I asked the Secretary to kindly send me the names of any New Zealanders who distinguish themselves of late years at the 'Varsity. lie replied briefly, " New Zealanderß never distinguish themselves." But then he is a South Australian. I learn from " Society " that the Earl of Bantry has abandoned his " pastoral pursuits " in New Zealand, and means henceforward to reside amongst his own people. Amongst the passengers by the Northumberland for Auckland is Mr R. C. Drury Lowe, a brother of the famous Colonel of the same name, whose mighty achievements in South Africa, and, more recently, in the Soudan, are matters of history. Mr E. C. Drury Lowe was also in the Soudan for a time, but not, I fancy, in a military capacity. He means to settle in New Zealand, as his health is not strong. Colonel Drury Lowe came up to town to see his brother off, and was of course the cynosure of all eyes whilst on board the Northumberland. The marriage is announced of Mr Arthur Patchett-Marten the well-known Melbourne litterateur, and present London correspondent of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, &c, &c,, to Mrs Harriette Anne Bullen, widow of the late Captain Bullen, of the 37th Regiment. The ceremony took place at St Stephen's, Westbourne Park, on the 11th inst. Imperial Federation, the monthly journal of the Federation League, made its first appearance last week. It contains plenty of solid reading in the way of reprint matter, and original artioles on " the great question" by Prof . Seeley, Sir Charles Nugent, and Mr Bourn. The Hon Kobert Lawley is a passenger for Lyttelton by the E.M.S. Aorangi today. I notice, too, Mr Eobert Blackwood returns to Melbourne via Hobart in her. A CHAT WITH SIB F. D. BELL. THE BRYCfi-BUSDEN LIBEL CASE. In the course of a chat with Sir P. D. Bell, the other day, conversation turned on Bryce's libel case. I don't think he sympathises particularly with either plaintiff or defendant. Bryce has subpoenaed him and no doubt Rusden will, When Bryee called at Victoria Chambers, Sir Francis asked him whether he wasn't beginning to feel just a wee bit sorry he had brought the action. "Would you have Bat Bilent under such imputations?' 1 eaid Bryce. The Agent- (general tho^'m he phould, One coujd. soaroely, jjg opined; call a few newspaper extracts-, looselj strung together, a history of New Zealand Moreover, having once been prominently concerned in a libel case in New Zealand, he had a lively recollection of the costly nature of legal proceedings. Sir Francis does not at all approve of Mr Gisborne's " New Zealand Eulers and Statesmen." Naturally he was cautious in what he said on such a subject, but I could Bee he thought it an impertinence for Mr Gisborne to criticise, either in complimentary terms or the reverse, living public men (most of them) on a much higher platform than himself. The Agent-General has a proper opinion of the dignity of his office, and rightly, too, for he is moat certainly the leader of Australasian representatives. AN ENGLISH ELEVEN TOR THE COLONIES. I. am in a position to state that the wellknown cricketers Shaw and Shrewsbury, of Nottingham, intend taking another English eleven to Australia and New Zealand at the end of the coming summer. The players named have, as you are aware, already engineered two professional teams to the Colonies, and their third venture is to consist of a combined eleven of amateurs and professionals. George TJlyett haa already signed articles to undertake the trip, while it is expected that the celebrated Lancashire amateur, Mr Hornby, and Mr W. W. Read, the Surrey crack, will be found in the amateur ranks. This news was given me a few days ago by the sporting contributor to a Liverpool daily, and is reliable, though it has not, for certain reasons, been announced in England yet. MILLAIS' FAMOUS PICTURE. The sale of Millais' picture " The Ornithologist " — exhibited in last Academy as " The Ruling Passion " — to a wealthy Australian Colonist, is once more rumoured. It will probably find a home in the Melbourne gallery COLONIAL PICTURES. A special exhibition of the works of Australian and New Zealand artists will open this month at 27, Old Bond Street. Pictures by Nicholas Chevalier, Chas. Gregory, Wm. Strutt, C. E. Horn, H. Dicksey, E. Papa, E. W, Cook, and A, Strutt ar§ promised. OLD FBIENDS AND WEW. Mr Alfred Cellier, who is on his way out to conduct Williamson's Colonial tour of "The Mikado," is perhaps as well qualified to superintend the production of Sullivan's operas as any man living. He was for many yeara chef d' orchestre at the Savoy Theatre, and only left there to manage one of D'Oyley Carte's numerous Provincial Companies. All Gilbert and Sullivan's notions and methods of rehearsing, &c, are familiar to him, so that no doubt you will see " The Mikado " staged with the same splendour and perfection of detail as you would in London. Cellier has himself written several comic operas, notably "The Sultan of Mocha," which had a tolerably successful run about ten years ago. That Miss Lingard showed sound discretion in refusing to play the title r6le of poor Barrymore's unlucky " Nadjedza," is now abundantly evident. The play was literally howled down, and the unfortunate leading actress, a Miss Rigl, "guyed" till she fell into hysterics. Miss Lingard, no doubt, would have pulled the play through without such scenes, but finally it would anyhow have been damned. She must, consequently, have thanked her lucky Btar she was in the stalls that evening, and not on the stage. Miss Lingard's provincial tour with " Sister Mary," a new play by Clement Scott and Wilson Barret, commences on March 8. Mr Leonard Boyne will be her leading man. Hancock, who arrived the other day from New Zealand, offers to walk any man fifty miles for from .£SO to .£2OO, or he will join in a sweepstakes with other championship aspirants. Hibberd and Littlewood seem inclined to tackle him.