OUR LONDON LETTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6501, 2 June 1899, Page 4

OUR LONDON LETTER.

; ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. ; TJFKOiI GtR OOBRESVONDEST.] LONDON, April 21, The proposal to erect a memorial to the late Sir George Grey has met with very disappointing support from a financial point of view. Six months have now elapsed since the great Pro-GonsuFs mortal remains were, laid at rest in the crypt of St Paul's, but the sum total of the moneys collected and promised -toward his -memorial is, I understand, still short of £550, inclusive of the grants of £100 each from the Governmwits of South AustralEa, New Zealand and the Mrs -Cay-ley (Miss Minnie Black, of Christchurch) is, I hear, now in Bombay. Dr Cayley's health would not -stand the English climate, so he determined to try practice in India. He Taroke down again, in Bombay, and according to the latest news he and Mrs Cayley have just returned to that city from a sea voyage- in the Persian Gulf, which had somewhat set him up. Mr and Mrs -Alexander Robinson (Canterbury) are still living in Cliifton, near Bristol. I 'hear that Mr Robinson had some thoughts of 'buying a farm in England, bu.i lias been unable to find one to Ms liking It is, therefore, -quite possible that he nay return to Ne\v 'Zealand after all. Mrs Neill, the Assistant-Inspector of Hospitals and Asylums, has just arrived and is staying with her sister, Mrs Campbell, at Knareaboro Place. Mrs Neill, win looks the picture of health, tells me that sno has six months leave, and has simply come over oh a holiday trip with her son. ' Beyond several visits" to relations and friends, she-has 'as .yet ; arranged no programme' during ker brigf jstay, but as she" 'does notleave untii ; the,beginnihg of July- she expecte to take part in the International: CoW^of Women/ and to represent New Zealand thereat in the Nursing. Section. o n^ a y^ she had a very rolling voyage m the North German Lloyd Burbarossa. In Sydney she tried hard to evade the newspaper reporters sent to run her to earth, but in vain, they would have "copy," and, being an old newspaper woman, she at last succumbed, and granted the necessary interview I prophesy that she will have to submit to that ordeal several times here, her arrival having been already announced in the Chronicle Mr W J. Galloway, M.P., 18-giving his impressions of Australasia in the^Manch ester ■ His sixth artice deals ; with old age pensions in New Zealand. « Engineering " devotes several columns to an artfele on Labour in New Zealand, in which it refers very fully to the evidence given, before the recent inquiry held by- the Labour Bills Committee of the Legislative Council. , , , i Mr W Wilkinson (Christchurch) landed last week by the Bakaia/ a good deal improved! by the voyage. He intends to go toßrighton in a few'days, tlie fresh^air of which should do much to' restore his health. Mr Pottinger, who was another of. the Gothic's passengers, has commenced work at the Christchurch Meat Company, having been transferred to its London office, and has taken rooms for the present in Gnilford Street. He intends to join the London Australasian Club. The Gothic has brought the first consignment of New Zealanders coming to the Old Country for the summer. Among those who enjoyed the pleasant; journey of this steady vessel were Mrs Wilding -arid her daughter (Christchurch), Mrsi'Edward Melland (Dunedin).and two daug-ters, Mr Charles.Pharazyn (Wellington),iiand Mr and Mrs G. G. Bridges (Christchurch). -Mrs Wading left the vessel at Plymouth, where she spent a week with her sister and the latter'a family. Mrs and Miss Wilding left last Wednesday for Cornwall, where they intend staying a few weeks. Thence they will go to" Hereford (Mrs Wilding's home) and Liverpool, coming to London on June 14.Mr and Mrs Bridges are spending a fort-i night in London, and then purpose going for a short trip to the Continent, in order to visit Mr Bridges' mother and sister, who' live in Geneva. After a few days in Paris,' Mr Bridges intends spending the rest of his time in Hampshire among his native haunts. His passage back to the colony is booked by the lonic, at the beginning of August. Mrs. Bridges has been visiting several, of. her relations in London, including the well-known lady oculist,. Miss Ellaby.. Mr " Joe " Gould, of Christchurch, duly fulfilled the predictions of the society papers when on Wednesday last, April 19, he led to the altar of St John's Episcopal Churah, Edinburgh, Miss Kathleen M'Donall Barclay, third daughter of the late Mr G. C. Barclay, of Inchdura, North Berwick. Tke Rev Canon Cowley-Brown. tied the nuptial Iknctfc. The Horn W. P. Beeves has been taken up by the " Spectator," which gives him. a ■ two-column notice many of the alumni of letters will envy for his "Long White" Cloud." The " Spectator" is still (as in R. H. Hutton's time) the Court of Literary Appeal. r ' Its reviews are often .last, -but never least. It says of New Zealand's Agent-General : ""' He is a ready writer, racy of the soil. From boyhood lie drank in his country's varied natural beauty. During early manhood he mixed largely in her affairs, and has even left Ms permanent mark upon her Statute Book. And, from being a Cabinet ' Minister, holding the portfolios of Justice, Labour and Education, Mr Reeves,;, at an. age but little over forty,' ; is Agent-General for. the. colony,' in London/ We t mea Jure b.urvw'qrds .when we say "that •the -miter lias' produced a book w lii c h is remarkable for iitg-ffeshnei's/ force and ceh'eral 'aecni-^cy;".-"- ' -. • .. . .;: »■.■■'.. ,:v;..: