LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5163, 23 January 1895, Page 4

LONDON LETTER.

[ITEOM OT7E SPBCIALCOBRKBPONMNT.] London, Deo. 14. THE AGENT-GENERAL. Sir Westby Perceval haa consented to retain the office of agent-general for a twelve-month, and it seems to be thought in the city that when the Government realise tbat their action towards their colleague haa been lacking in consideration, they will 1030 no time in doing the fight thing and confirming the appointment for the usual period. After reading beforehand the rehash of sentimental platitudes on England and the colonies, wherewith I iaffenry Wrispn entertained the Fellows '/ :lln Colonial Institute on Tuesday evening 1 , Sir Woatby. Perceval came to the conclusion tbat for once he might be "conspicuous by absence." It' he went, be could do no good, as the Wrixonian flummery (though the AgentGeneral did not, of courae, describe the paper thus) hardly admitted of intelligent and friendly criticism. The evening, in truth, proved duller than ordinarily. The new South Australian Agent-General (Mr Playford) made tlip only decent speech, douching Sir Henry** glowing periods regarding the mutual affection between the colonies and the Mother Country with the cold water of common sense, and maintaining that the strongest tie betwixt them is, and always .will be, pounds, shillings and pence. MISS MAESDEN. In accordance with expectation, Miss Kate Maraden has failed to file particulars of the libel she charges the fiev Alexander Francis with in the time (six weeks) allotted by the law. She must now, if she desires t? proceed with the case, get special, permission to do so, and satisfy the Court that the delay has been caused by circumstances over which she has no control. Mr Soatnes (Mr Francis's solicitor) will wait a reasonable time, to enable the lady to take these steps. Should nothing eventuate by then, means will be adopted to have the writ quashed. It should be clearly understood that Mr Frauds is not actuated by any personal motives or feelings in this matter. He and others would only be too glad never to have to mention Mias Marsden'q name again. If she has (as some say) entered a convent, and longs for nothing so much as to live out a life of prayer in peace, Mr Francis would, lam sure, be glad to aid her. His duty begins and ends, he considers, in making sure that the lady cannob again, anyhow or anywhere, appeal to the charitable public. She has apparently *' thrown up the sponge," so far as Siberian lepers are concerned. But people's memories are surprisingly short in such matters, and who knows but that some day Miss Marsden'a tender heart may turn pitifully and philanthropically towards sufficiently distant sufferers. THE WAIBAEAPA. . The comments of , the Home Press on the finding of the Court in the Wairarapa inquiry will be the reverse of pleasant lending to the Union Company ; indeed, I fear the disaster may altogether give their prosperity a nasty jar. If the captain alone had ' failed it would have been bad enough, but the funk and demoralisation amongst the officers seem to have been general and most disgraceful. This points to confirming a suspicion already formulated by recent tourists in Australia and New Zealand. These persons allege that partly owing to the severity of the work on these coasting fooatu, and partly for other reasons, there is a difficulty in obtaining good xnen to officer them. "It was " (says "Globetrotter") "generally remarked whilst we were on the New Zealand ' coast that our officers were overdone. All day they were tallying cargo and at night they kept watch, and this went on for the best part of a week. , I asked the chief how they managed, and he said more than I dare repeat." The Chronicle fears that Bailors generally are not what their fore-: fathers were. In the Wairarapa case it was left to the stewardesses— whom the new women have loot no time in adopting as of themselves— to Bet the men an example of heroism. These courageous ladies' conduot will henceforward point many a feminine moral and adorn many a feminine tale. PERSONAL. Having accomplished the promotion of the West Australian Lady Loch Goldmine, the indefatigable Me Harrison Davis is now turning laia attention to a New Zealand venture. This is a company for the purpose of turning a hitherto unproductive plot of land into a thriving special Settlement. It sounds xather a large order, but Mr Davis has talked much less promising prospects into current coin. Miss Fosbery, well known in your colony as the sister of Mrs James Mills and Mrs Maunsell, has decided to open a boardinghouse, with a special view to New Zealand tdutists, at 5, Penymern Boad, Earlecourt. | The house is a large one, and Miss Fosbery hop «3 to be able to accommodate about twenty visitors. Boom unquestionably exists for an undertaking of the kind, and Earlscourt is a capital position now colonists have begun to comprehend that Kensington is quite as generally convenient and twice as healthy a quarter as Bloomebury to live in. Mr Henry Stone, who was for some time ■with Mr F 4 B. Jackson, of Wanganui, haa joined the staff of the British Australasian, which journal has been given fresh financial backing. A certain wellknown New Zealander has, I understand, played a prominent parb in the rehabilitation of the paper, which trill still retain the editorial services of Mr Philip Mennell. Certainly no change in ■ this department conld be described as being " for the better " ; indeed without Mr Mennell the British Australasian would have died long ago. With the business department in as capable hands as the editorial, the paper should pay "hand over fist." There were only two New Zealand bookings by the last outward Messageries steamer La Ciotat, which left Marseilles on Dec. 3, viz. : — Mr Herbert, for Dunedin, and Mr Fink, for Auckland, There was a very smart Anglo-Colonial wedding on Dec. 6, at St Michael's, Croft, Leicester, when Mr Jameß Hector BrookesSmith, elder son of the late William Pope Smith, of Olrig, Aorangi, espoused Ellen, the youngest daughter of Mr William Brookes, of Croft. The Rev James Brookeß, rector of Croft, assisted ' by the Eev Charles Brookes, vicar of Sfc Sepulchre*, Northampton (brothera of the bride), officiated, the bride being given away by her father. Mr W. Mendelson is a credit to New Zealand football, but withal is a very foolish young 1 man. Tou will remember that only a week or sso ago I chronicled the regrettable fact that he had injured one of his knees in the course of a match, and had to get "on the shelf." Had Mendelson kept there a sensible length of time, the injury would doubtlesß have been completely healed by the time His cervices were required in 1 the inter-v arsity match. Bub he unwisely reported himaelf fit to play for the Cantabß in their laat Saturday's match with Hosalyn Park — an affair in -which the Light Bines could well have spared his Bervices-— and paid the penalty. Mendelson's knee gave way completely ere twenty minutea' play, and undoubtedly his folly will cost him his colours this term. Hiß mishap will also greatly weaken the back division of the 'Varsity team, for Paul ia nob up to the New Zeilander's form, and E. Field, who would' be quite as good as Mendelßon at full-back, seems' to have lost a good deal of his old love for "footer." The Cantob3 beat Eoslyn Park by twenty-three pointa to nil, so that Mendelson sacrificed hia Blue very unnecessarily. Mr A. W. Horsborough, who came Hbme by the Gothio in April laat, and who has since been engaged in perfecting a new ship's compass, has, after many months' hard work, succeeded iv hia endeavours. A large company i} now in course of formation to exploit the invention, which is the outcome of the joint genius of Mr Hor* borousrh and Mr Lee, late of the

,-l Royal Navy. The compass waa worked out in Auckland three yearß ago. The principle thereof ia the collection and division of all the forces afEeoting the needlo into halve*, which . gives a normal direction of the largest force, and caußea the needle to indicate the true pole. The compass will be on view shortly at one of the shipping companies' offices. The public would have been introduced to tho compasß long ago, but the dilatorinees of model-makers and others has delayed matters very considerably. I underBfcand' that Mr Horaborough tried to interest Lord Kelvin in the invention, but the great scientist poohpoohed »the invention as the result o£ ill-directed scientific research. But Lord Kelvin, great as hiß attainments are, haß thrown cold water on other people's discoveries without sufficient warrant before this, and may be he will have to '-'climb down " again. Mr Horßborough is confident his Lordship will have to perform thia, undignified act; but whoever knew an inventor to be doubtful of the perfection of the child of his brain ? Mr J. M. Marshall, of Wanganui, who is pursuing knowledge at Cambridge University, has already proved himself a " bit of a champion" with the teunis racket. A> few daya ago he had a friondly contest with Mr Hamblin Smith, the "P.'s house" — -} mean Peterhouae— captain of the 'Varisity six. The New Zealandor " tied up" the Peterhouee Champion thus :— 6-4, 6-1, 6-4, and the loser had not even the excuse of being Bhort of practice.- Scott, Triaity, was to have given Mr Marshall a tasto of his quality, but apparently deemed himself too much beloiv par to tackle the doughty Freshman. The New Zealander, I hqar, said he would be tennis champion of Cambridge University when he first came Horne r and as he isnotinthehabitof making idle boasts, I suppose he will achieve that distinction. At any rate, bar accidents, ie la certain of his Blue. Probably Mr Courtney Ned will will also find a place in the six, for with Marshall owing 15k the pair are very well matched, and the Varsity has no abundance of teunis ability bo far as can yet be ascertained.