NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVI, Issue 4, 25 January 1911, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD.

LONDON, December 16. Dr. W. A. Chapple, the New Zealander, who sat for Stirlingshire in the last Parliament, has been re-elected by the same constituency, as everyone expected. His majority is not so huge as in January last, when it reached the record (for the constituency) of 3,705. Nevertheless it is a great one, Dr. Ohapple beating his Unlionist opponent by 2,696 votes. The reduction in the Liberal majority does not mean much. Dr. Chapple was out of the country at the dissolution, and only got into the field a few days before the election, while the Tory candidate, an Edinburgh advocate, Mr. R. 8. Horne, had been wooing it assiduously for months. In the speeches after the declaration of the Stlirliugshire poll some bitterness was expressed, both by victor and vanquished, Dr. Chapple complain ing of allegations about him circulated in Tory pamphlets, which he had denied last January. Air. A. Fell, who has been returned again as Unionists Member Parliament for Grcfit Yarmouth, is a New Zealander, a traveller, a statistician and the author of several anti-Free Trade works. Mr. Fell was born at Nelson, N.Z., in 1850, being the son of Mr. Alfred Fell, who went out with the first 'batch of settlers. He was elected M.P. for Great Yarmouth in 1906, and re-elected in January, 1910. Mr. Irvine Raymond, of Invercargtill, who contested Carlisle in the Unionist interest, was unsuccessful, the Hon. R. D. Denman retaining the seat for the Liberals.

At the Stirling-! ire cie-t’on in January last an attack was made on Dr. Chapple, the Liberal candidate, in connection with the medical work of which he was the author. Copious extracts were given from the book, but instead of damaging his candidature, the attempt recoded on the head of the Tories. The some sort of tactics, lit is stated, were started tin the present election, but Mr. Horne, the Tory candidate, hastened to dissociate himself from them. Last January, it was understood, Dr. Chapple had put the matter in the hands of his law agents, and at Kilsyth a few days ago ho explained what had been done. He said he put the matter in the hands of the I.ord Advocate and Mr. Duncan Miller, advocate, but they informed him that the “Stirling Journal,” by a judicious use of inverted commas, had saved themselves from the law. With regard to the Kilsyth clergyman, they said the law of Scotland did not allow them to prosecute the pulpit, because they could not prove malice against it. He did not think he suffered much damage through the statements; he thought it increased hlis majority. The good sense of the people of the constituency saw it was an underhand attempt to injure him without any basis whatever. Mr. A. St. G. Hamersley, the Unionist M.P. for Woodstock (Oxfordshire), who has just been re-elected by a majority of 392, practised as a barrister in New Zealand, and afterwards in’Canada. He married a Welllington girl, Miss Isabella Maud Snow, daughter of Mr. Hastings Snow. Rugby football in Canterbury, New Zealand, owes its start to Mr. Hamersley, who had a distinguished record as a footballer. He captained the English Rugby team in 1874, and represented England four times on the football field. In New Zealand Mr. Han :ersley also took a keen interest in ■volunteering. He was captain of the C. Battery, New Zealand, Artillery, comcommanded a contingent at Parihaka, and attained the rank of Colonel in the New Zealand Militia. Mr. Hamersley’s majority at this election showed a decrease of 328 compared with the figures of the last election. Mr. E. G. Jellieoe, who is still in the South of France for the sake of his health, is booked as a passenger tp New Zealand by tile P. and 0. steamer Morea, sailing thence from Marseilles early in March. He has been altogether out of the present election campaign, though it is well known he was invited to contest more than one large constituency, but was obliged to decline on account of the present condition of his health. When he was over in England last month, he was looking far from well. By the way, the Liberals of the Walton Division of Liverpool were not fortunate in their decision to run a local man as candidate at the last election, as the latter polled 200 votes fewer than Mr. Jellieoe* polled in 1906, when, in spite of absence from this country until the eve of the poll, Mr. Jellieoe ran close up to Mt. F. E. Smith, K.C., who has held the seat ever since. Messrs. Powell and Sons, the wellknown window designers, are just now at work upon a beautiful stained-glass window, which is to be erected to the memory of Mrs. E. G. Jellieoe, in Wrexham Panish Church, where Mr. and Mrs. Jellicoe were married some thirty years ago. The Rev. W. 8. Lucas, vicar of All Saints, Nelson, and Dr. S. A. Lucas were passengers for England by the Corinthic this week. I’he former has come to this country for medical advice. Mr. Catheart Wason, erstwhile of New Zealand, who is a giant Radical, and finds consolation in knitting, has been returned unopposed for the most isolated constituency in the United Kingdom— Orkney and Shetland. These islands are sometimes inaccessible for weeks together, owing to stormy weather. They always poll last, if there is a contest, the election occupying two days, and on at least one occasion Parliament has assembled without waiting for the result from this outpost. Sir Writ. Hall Jones presided at tho (banquet given to Mr. Grahame White, the airman, by the Aerial League of tho Bril -h Empire on Tuesday night, when Lord Roberts presented Mr. White with the gold medal of League, in recognition of his having won the Gordon BeuBett international aviation trophy.