ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4763, 2 October 1893, Page 2

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FROM OUE LONDON CORRESPONDENT.. 1 London, August 5. 1 PRINCE AND PROMOTER. Mr J. E. Cracknell, who, if I remember aright, was a good deal mixed up* with Mr Reas' abortive colonisation scheme during that eminent statesman's visit to England a few years ago, haa been getting into trouble for taking H.R.H. the Duke of York's name in vain. It seems Mr Cracknell a.ked the Duke's permission to nam. hia new Colony in Canada " Prince George's Town," and H.R.H., naturally supposing the said Colony was in existence, graciously grantedit.LaterthePrincelearnt that hiß letter was attached to a begging circular, asking for funds to start a special settlement in Canada in honour of the Royal marriage. Hiß Royal Highness thereupon indignantly repudiated any connection with the enterprise, and denied that it was "to be carried out under his supervision and subject to his approval." He instructed his comptroller, Sir George Lawis, to write to the papers withdrawing the permission to nse his same for the Colony ir. nubibus, and to add that he strongly disapproved of the issue of the begging circular. COLONIAL-* AND HOME BULB. The newspaper quarrel between Mr Mennell and Mr J. F. Hogan as to which Colonial statesmen are sympathisers with Home Rule, and, more particularly, believers in the G.O.M/b present Bill, will have small interest for Antipodean readers. In the main, I believe, Mr Mennell to be right. Whilst admitting that in New Zealand,' "owing to Sir George Grey's puissant and peouliar influence," many are enthusiastic followers of the G.0.M., he denies tbat Australians generally care much about Irish Homo Bale. To cay i__t thoy are unanimously favourable to it is certainly false, for, as Mr Mennell points out, even in New Zealand, a leading morning jonrnal, the Auckland Herald, strongly advocates anti-Home Rule views. On Friday Professor Tyndall " chipped " into the discussion with Eome extracts from Colonial letters, showing that when folks at your end of the world do take Gladstone-phobia, they take it badly. One Antipodean, writing with what good Mr Tyndall calls "refreshing freedom," talks of " the criminal lunatic, at the moment of writing the head of the British Government}" and proceeds— "lt is surely a most pernicious doctrine that ; * one may run the whole gamut of baseness and treachery— that one may herd and traffic with abettors of assassination— and yet that it should be regarded as no shame to talk effusive rubbish at Mayoral dinners abont 'the moßt distinguished figure in the public life of the country, &c.' " If the language of Professor Tyndall'a correspondent iB a bit mixed, hia sentiments are certainly strong. Evil thinkerß, indeed, insinuate the Professor was his own correspondent. * COLONIAL STOCKS. The London brokers draw attention to : the fact that the list of Colonial stocks authorised for trust purposes by the Scottish Courts :has been revised, Lord Low, in the oasa Of the estate .of one Shand (Smith's Marriage Contract Trustees) having struck out New South • Wales, Queensland, a-d South Australian stoeka from the list -übmitted. New Zealand Government securities were apparently passed all right. After this there is not much use the Australians agitating for further liberty to be given 3 trustees to invest in their stocks. The a less said on the subject indeed the better, , until people begin to forget your lately 1 firancial troubles. COLONISTS* LAND AND LOAN CORPORATION. ? General the Hon William .Fielding had ' a pleasant task in presiding at theordi- * nary general meeting of the Colonists' Land and Loan Corporation held at.Dashc wood House last Thursday. In moving . the adoption of the report, which showed a dividend of 6 per cent for the year, tho gallant officer said he considered the outcome of the Company's transactions was ; eminently satisfactory, considering the times of great depression through which they had passed. New Zealand had to a very large extent been exempted from the terrible Bank smashes that had crippled the other Colonies, and although the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile had gone to the wall temporarily, it was not on account - of dealings in New Zealand. The cause of the suspension was lack of liquid money - to meet the Budden necessities arising out of the Bank failures. So far as their own Corporation was concerned, the past had been a heavy year in the ; matter of repayment of debentures, , .amounting to .£33,000 mainly in respect of those issued in satisfaction of the loan made to the Company by the late Lord Denbigh. Testamentary demands required 1 this step. The Board had experienced no difficulty in getting the money, but in order to meet the possibility of a similar occurrence in the future, tho Directors had withdrawn .£9OOO from certain investments in the Colony, and had re-invested the sum in London in consols and other easily realisable securities. Out of the profits the Directors were not only able to keep up the usual dividend, but were able to carry forward a large sum and to place JBIOOO to the reserve. Mr Edward Pearce, of Wellington, a Director in New Zealand, seconded the motion, and assured shareholders that the Company was in an exceedingly sound position. The report was adopted nem con, and. a very hearty vote of thanks to the Board terminated the proceedings.