ANGLO-COLONIAL GOSSIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4578, 24 February 1893, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL GOSSIP.

.... , — «_> — [FBOK OUB: OWN COBBISPONDINT. J London, Jan. 6. PXBSONAX. iND GBKJSBAL. j The last Anglo-Colonial wedding of 1892 was solemnised at St Augustine's, Queen's Gate, ■ Kensington, on Thursday, Dec. 29. The principals . in the ceremony were Edward Geoffrey jChubb, fifth son of thej late John Chubb, of Chevender, Chislehiirat, and Charlotte Eliza, youngest daughter of the late John Bealey, of Badcliffe, Lancashire, and of New Zealand. Two cousins of the bride officiated, to wit, the Eev W. Guest-Williams, of Painswick, as principal, and the Bey S. GuestWilliams, of Durham, as assistant. I. hear that Mr Morrow, of Auckland, has left England after a period of hard but unsuccessful endeavour to persuade the "powers that be" of the great value of certain inventions of his own connected with guns and shells. He should, after failure in England, have tried the Bussian Government if he believed in his inventions. That Power is ever ready to improve its naval and military armaments. On dif , Eussia was very anxious to secure the Brennan torpedo, and would have given a price for it very considerably in advance of the terms given by the Home Government, bnt could not overcome the patriotic scruples of the inventor. Of course the Bussian Government is sometimes hard np, and at such times is apt to forget its obligations to minor creditors, but that risk it would have paid Mr Morrow to take. Lieutenant-General Sir George Greaves has, it is stated, tendered his resignation of the post of Commander of her Majesty's forces in the Bombay Presidency. The statement has caused great surprise in military circles here, for it is not often an officer voluntarily relinquishes so die- ' tinguished a position. It is understood, however, tbat General Greaves vacated tbe post as a protest against his supersession by the appointment of Sir George White to the chief command in India. 'Sir George Greaves was born in 1831, and is therefore some 'four years older than Major-General White. He entered tbe army in 1849 as an ensign in the 70th Foot, and became a Major in October, 1882, and a Lieutenant-General two years ago. He has held a large, number of staff appointments at Home and abroad, including those of Chief-of-the-Staff in .Asbanti in 1873, and also with the' Suakim force in 1885, Assistant Adjutant-General, at the Horse Guards and Adjutant- General in India. His active service record is a brilliant one, including the Ensofzye expedition in 1850; the New Zealand war, 1860-64, the Ashanti war 1873-74, and the Soudan campaign.-. He has held command in the Bombay Presidency since March, 1890. Mr David Mackie's suggestion that a silver medal should be struck to commemorate the opening of the Imperial Institute has been received with general favour and will probably be carried out, It is, however, absurd to argue that the number Bold ought to (as some enthusiasts maintain) harden the price of silver. If the medals were to be ihe size of soap .plates and every well-to-do Englishman bought one this might happen. . Bnt such medals as are likely to be struck will contain perhaps 5s worth of silver apiece, and sell not in hundreds of thousands, but possibly to the extent of 5000 altogether. Sundry Colonists resident in London, Mr A. B. M. Dallas, of Bonavista, Kensington,, and Mr P. B. Munalla, late of the T. C. S., for example, have written to the papers, hint-' ing that they are prepared to help largely if the scheme iB liberally carried out. None of them, however, say how many medals they would personally purchase and distribute. The reduced postage and parcel rates to Australia aud New Zealand have not apparently resulted in the old folks at Home sending more Christmas cards and presents to their friends at the Antipodes. Tbe PostmasterGeneral states that the Christmas mailß to your part of the world were less heavy than they have been for years, and that there was a specially notable decrease in the number of parcels despatched. I fanoy the explanation of the latter phenomenon is that the publio have discovered that, save in the cases of small packages, the parcel services of the Orient and P. and O. Companies are cheaper than, and quite as reliable, as the Post Office's. At the New Tear's meeting of the Colonial Institute, next Tuesday evening, Lord Lome will preside, and there is sure to be a large attendance. The lecturer on the occasion will be Mr F. P. de Labilliere, who has prepared an interesting paper on "British. Federation: Its Bise and Progress." . '»»_»■■•_'_. Dr Pearson assumed, on Monday last, the dutieß of Secretary at the Victoria Government office!. The Agents-General for South Australia, New Zealand and N&w South Wales called during the week, v The revised tariff of cable rateß to Tasmania and New Zealand appeared in the Gazette of Monday evening. The Glooe, in a paragraph commenting thereon, remarks that the alternative cable via Hawaii and Samoa Beems.to bang fire. It expresses the hope that when tbe money is got together the two Companies will enter into honest competition. "Should they come to the conclusion that it will Buit their . purpose better to run together, the question of a uniform rate will crop up, and unless ! opposition is offered we may have the old ! rates restored. This must not be allowed."