OUR LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5554, 27 February 1886, Page 3

OUR LONDON LETTER.

* (From the " Star's" London Correspondent.) (Per E.M.S. Aorangi.) PACIFIC QUESTIONS. THE CASTLETOWN EOCHE MURDERS. PERSONAL AND GENERAL GOSSIP. LATEST NEWS ITEMS. London, Jan. 15. Immediately Sir Francis Dillon Bell received from New Zealand, the cablegram announcing the supposed contretemps at Samoa, he placed himself in communication with the Colonial Office, with the result that Lord Salisbury at once telegraphed to Berlin for explanations. There the surprise at the news seemed to bo as great and as genuine aB here. Prince Bismarck replied that no message confirming the annexation had been received, and that there was no intention on the part of the Imperial Government to infringe or permit the infringement of the terma of their engagement with America and England for the neutralisation of Samoa under native rule. Sir Francis himself places full reliance on the good faith of Germany in the matter, though he looks on the situation as full of difficulties, and not without elements of danger. Rear-Admiral Knorr, who has been ordered t3 Samoa with a couple of frigates to settle the differences between Germany and King Malietoa, is a person of both tact and energy, who may be relied upon to fulfil hia mission pacifically, but effectively. As soon as that is achieved, tho German flag will bo hauled down. According to the Beriin papers it was never hoisted with any idea of annexation, but solely to show that Germany does not allow her subjects to be molested. Count Hatzfeldt, thc German Ambassador, acting under instructions from Prince Bismarck, called at the Foreign Office on Monday afternoon to convey assurances of good faith, &c, to Lord Salisbury on the part of the Imperial Government, and to explain that the action of tho commander of the Albatross was taken without the previous knowledge or sanction of the home authorities. QVARTZ-CRUHHIN'O EXHIBITS FOR THK COLONIAL EXHIBITION. It will be most disappointing and aggravating if — as seems only too probable— th, capital echeme for the display of quartzI crushing machinery at the coming Exhibition is after all to fall through. Depond upon it, too late, there will be a cry raised that the dull sameness of the exhibits hns

ruined the Australasian portions of the show. One by one, features tliat would have i stamped your sections with novelty, and attracted sightseers oven from the Oriental and tropical splendours of the East and Wost Indian exhibits, have been dropped as oither too expensive or too troublesome. I quite expect to hoar the Maori village has been given up as too much bother next. i Well, if your representatives are really fools enough to suppose sightseers will find any interest in. a waste of purely industrial I and trade exhibits, unrelieved by novelty ■or curios, they are much mistaken. The Australasian sections will simply miss fire — t that is, bo as empty and deserted as some ! of the specialist machinery sections were at ' the Invasions. The quartz - crushing ] j scheme ought to have been adhered to at • all costs. It seems the Agents-General i were appealed to by the projector of the i j notion, Mr Cornish, and they decided to refer I the question to their respective Govern- | ments. The latter have since practically | shelved the idea — why, I can't discover. Mr I Cornish says he does not despair of carryi ing the scheme privately, and is trying to ' get a sufficient amount guaranteed to ! enable him to proceed to Australia to ! make the necessary arrangements for | obtaining the machinery and inducing I mine-owners to contribute the needful ' supply of quartz. That appears to me unnecessary, as tho machinery could be bought as easily here as in Australia, and agents appointed in each mining locality to arrange about the quartz. An idea prevails at the Whitehall Club that the scheme has miscarried so far, either because Mr Cornish appeared somewhat inclined to make abusinesß job of it, or because he was not influential enough to carry through Buch a formidable enterprise alone. The notion now is to try to get the Indian Gold Mines to join the Australian, and to jointly form a syndicate to pull the affair through. I shall know more about that part of 'the business next week. At present, the Agents-General decline to countenance Mr Cornish's fresh proposition (viz., working the scheme privately) either officially or otherwise. SALMON OVA. The Scotch salmon ova obtained from the waters of Sir Gibson Maitland, and numbering 200,000, will positively be despatched (the Agent-General tells me) per lonic on the 28th inst. TRE FEDERAL MAIL SERVICE. The Hon E. C. Baker is getting through his mission with regard to the Federal Mail Service most satisfactorily. The form of tender has not only been approved by the Treasury, but submitted to the respective Agents-General, who consulted . thereon and passed it. All he now waits to know is whether Tasmania and Western Australia mean to keep their promise and join. If they do, Mr Baker hopes to organise a mail service faster than anything yet attempted. SEPARATION OF QUEENSLAND. Dr Ahearne, the delegate sent Home from Queensland to arrange the separation question, arrived last week, and immediately had a long confab with Mr FinchHatton, who acts in Mr Eawson's absence. Nothing definite can be settled till after the meeting of Parliament on Jan. 19. Meanwhile, the separationists have strengthened their London Committee, and are endeavouring to dissipate tho very general j impression that a desire to continue the " black labour " (of which there has been so much talk) is at the bottom of the movement. To this end the Aborigines' Protection Society — through Secretary Chesson — have been interviewed and squared. Mr Chesson promises that his Society will remain neutral. THE CASTLETOWN EOCHB MURDERS. TRIAL OF DAVID BROWNE — HIS ACQUITTAL. The trial of David Browne for complicity in the Castletown Eoche murders was held at Cork on New Year's Day, and somewhat to the surprise of the local prophets, resulted in an acquittal. For the defence it was contended that no motive had been proved, and that the story told by Duane was inconsistent and improbable. He asked the jury not to convict the prisoner upon the testimony of a man who had forsworn himself on several occasions. At the instance of Sergeant O'Brien, William Webb, a warder in the Cork prison, was examined to prove that the date of David Duane's committal for burglary was July 25, 188-_. He was transmitted to Mountjoy prison on August 7, 1884. The purport of this evidence was to ahow that he could havo no communication with any person outside, and that he could not have known what was going on after the remains had been found in the well. Sergeant O'Brien, in reply for the Crown, commented on the fact that neither Mrs Sheehan nor Mrs Browne were examined for the defence, in order to throw light upon tho statement that they were at Sheehan's house that night playing the concertina. William Sheehan was yet a living man, and he was not examined to prove whether the Misses Browne were in his houae on the night ehe bodies were removed. Hi 3 Lordship, in charging the jury, said he could not avoid alluding to the comment made by the couusel for the Crown upon the absence of any evidence given by Mrs Sheehan or Margaret Browne. It was certain they were present when the empty house of Margaret Deehan waa made tho scene of a festivity, which now appeared revolting and ghastly in the face of the details with which they were acquainted. The case depended, as they had been told, upon the opinion that they formed of tho two witnesses Duane, and upon what credit they attached to tiiem. The jury retired to consider their verdict at half-past one, and returned at a quarter after two with a verdict of " Not Gnilty." The Crown entered a nolle prosequi in the other charges against Browne, and he was discharged. PERSONAL AND aENEBAL GOSSIP. " Oceania ; or, England and her Colonies," the literary fruit of Mr J. A. Froude's visit to your part of tho world, will be published immediately by Messrs Longmans. For the benefit of Australian and other visitors to the Indian and Colonial Exhibition, next summer, Messrs Mitchell are preparing a new " Tourists' Guide to London, which will take the form of a newspaper, to be published monthly, and contain such itineraries as will enable strangers to " do " the Metropolis in as short a time as may be. The New Zealand papers are requested — for some reason or another not apparent on the surface — to announce the marriage of Mr Louis Kennedy, of Whitchurch, Salop, to Mi..r_ Louisa Stidolph, daughter of "Robert Stidolph, of Stoke Newington. Following close on the demise of Mr Stephen Guion, projector of the Atlantic line of ?teamers of that name, comes news of the death of Mr Charles M' lver, founder of the Cunard line. Miss Sarah O'Connell Wilson, niece of the late Mrs O'Connell, of Mount Grey, Canterbury, New Zealand, was married at Keswick, on Dec. 29, to Mr Hector M'Lean Wilson, M.8., CM., of Penrith. The sudden and, of sourse, altogether unexpected news of the sad death cf Mrs Sala, cast a gloom over the New Year in a largo number of households where she was both known and esteemed. The Daily Telegraph says : — " All who knew the lamented lady will immediately understand the terrible nature of the trouble which has fallen on the accomplished author and journalist. Completely devoted to him, to hia work, and to his interests, she possessed an unfailing sweetness of disposition, and a natural tact and vivacity which endeared her to all who possessed the privilege of her friendship. The death of Sir George Hamilton has provided Ml- Childers with a safe scat at Edinburgh. The ex-Secretary for the Admiralty has turned his back for ever on ungrateful Pontefract. To b* rejected by that insignificant little Borough after twenty-six years' hard service was, he thinks, a little too bad. Steps are being taken to persuade both Australia and New Zealand to send Volunteer., to Wimbledon next summer, to shoot for the Kolapore Cup, which is open to the Colonial Auxiliary Forces only. INTERNATIONAL fRKKET. Xessrs Shaw and Shrewsbury entirely deny tlie rumour that the leading proj fessionals mean to charge tall prices for J playing against the Australian team this summer. "" On the contrary," writes

Shaw, " the knowledge that the Melbourne Club are the promoters of the team is sufficient to warrant them a hearty reception from all classeß of cricketers, whether amateurs or professionals. Speaking for myself, Shrewsbury, and James Lilly white, we shall only be too glad to have the opportunity, it only in a very small way, to repay them for the very kind and generous treatment we received at their handa in Australia." THE FRAUDS ON INTENDING EMIGRANTS, Frederick Jones, accused of swindling a number of people in the character of a New Zealand Emigration Agent, was tried at Middlesex Sessions the other day and found " Guilty." The assistant Judge ordered him to be imprisoned for nine months, and remarked that it was of grave importance that the police authorities bhould take notice of misleading advertisements, as it would prevent much fraud. The police had behaved well in bringing the prisoner to justice. CHUECH EMIGRATION MOVRMKNT. The Church Emigration Society held a meeting on Monday, the Bishop of Bedford in the chair, at which it was resolved to send a circular to the Colonial clergy, requesting them to furnish information as to the opening for emigrants in their respective districts ; also, to prepare a pamphlet containing general information useful to emigrants. TEUST AND LOAN DIEECTOEATE. Mr Herbert Brooks succeeds his late father, E. A. Brooks, as a director of the New Zealand Trust and Loan Company.

POSTSCEIPT. London, Friday, Jan. 15 (5.30 p.m.). NOTABLB NAMES — «OMINQ VISITOR**. Mr Spencer Lyttelton, who has acted as Private Secretary to Mr Gladstone since the change of Government, will start almost immediately, in company with Mr Henry Gladstone, on a tour of India, Australia, and New Zealand. The pair, who intend remaining away from England some considerable time, will make a stay of several months in New Zealand, where Mr Lyttelton has friends. THE JEDEEAIi MAIL SERVICE. Western Australia and Tasmania hava , cabled their willingness to join the new Federal Mail Service, so that there is nothing now to prevent the Hon E. C. Baker issuing the advertisements for tenders. They may appear in the papers any day. Mr Garrick is trying to perBuade the German Lloyds to include Brisbane in the new German Australasian steam service, but is not likely to succeed. The ports fixed aro Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, and (possibly), Samoa. THE SALMON OVA. The salmon ova going out by the lonic are in capital condition, Sir G. Maitland telegraphs, but he finds he can only provide 160,000, instead of 200,000 as he at first hoped. CABLE RATES. Germany has declined to make any reduction in the rates (over her lines) for Australasian press messages. The Imperial Government doesn't like either newspapers or the Australias, and doesn't care a dump about facilitating communication with the Antipodes. Sir James Anderson, however, swears the promised reductions shall be made, Germany notwithstanding. NEW ZEALAND EXHIBITS. Mobt of the New Zealand exhibits for the coming Exhibition which have arrived, will not be unpacked till Dr von Haast gets here in March. MEETING OF FROZEN MEAT AGENTB. Tallerman's meeting of frozen meat agents, &c, at the City and Colonial Club on Jan. 11 was, I hear this afternoon, a foolish affair, upon which no stress need be placed. None of the influential gentlemen nominated on the Committee are in the least likely to act. The name of Mr Paull, of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile, was proposed at the meeting, but a representative of the Company who was present (not to join in the business, but just to see what vas being done), requested it might be taken off. If Tallerman had not been profoundly ignorant of the whole frozen meat question, he would have known that the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile have for months back been in the habit of sending railway vans of frozen mutton straight from the ship's side to great Provincial cities. All that possibly could be done now would be to increase the number of vans despatched, and get the Eailway Companies to make some reduction of their rates for carriage. Country retailers are already allowed the two per cent commission. DISHONEST BUTCHERS. Last night's Pall Mall Gasette, in commenting on the winding up of the Australian Frozen Meat Export Company in Melbourne, suggests that butchers who dishonestly sell frozen mutton as English or Scotch, should be prosecuted by importers of Colonial meat nnder the Adulteration Acts. It thinks that would give the frozen meat a better chance. 2.__TW ZEALAND LOAN AND MBBCANTIIIE AGENCY COMPANT. The report of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, to be read at the meeting on the sth proximo, segrets that owing to the bad times the commissions realised by the Company during 1885 have not been so large as usual. The nett profit for 1885, inclusive of £7,256. brought forward from the preceding year, wa3 £65,879 9s, which, with £15,000, the proportion of premium on tho fifth issue of shares payable during 1885, makes a total of £80,729 ossd. The Directors advise a dividend of 10 per cent, which will absorb £33,876, a bonus of 5 per cent which takes £16,887, cany £15,000 to the reserve fund, and £l-_, 960 forward to next year's account. The reserve fund _3 now £265,000. The report regrets the final retirement of Mr E. Porter from the Board, and records the appointment of Sir Jamtr-3 Fergusson in his place. The retiring Directors who offer themselves for re-election are Mr Thomas Eussell, Sir E. Stafford, and Sir J. Fergusson.