NEWS BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 385, 13 April 1880, Page 3

NEWS BY THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL.

[By Telegraph.]

(Per s.s. City of Sydney, via Auckland

COLONIAL ITEMS. The Auckland Star's London correspondent, writing on February 12, gives the following items: —

The question has been raised whether the Clrimbomzo accident was unavoidable. The Fall Mall Gazette plainly hints that the cause was overloading, and suggests the

inspection of out-going steamers. Vanity Fair mentions a curious little difference about precedence, arising out of the ninrrirvre of a colonial girl by the youngest sou of an parl, while on a staff in the Colonies. This lady taking precedence of .others who had been accustomed to go in before her, has, Kays Vanity Fair, caused such offem-e that her husband resolved to resign his appointment on the staff. One of the first questions discussed after the Parliamentary recess will, it is said, be the allowance to the Prince of Wales for the Australian trip. _ He sails in November next in ft troop ship, probably the Serapis, which will be specially fitted, and go via Suez. The following places will bo visited:—Adelaide, Melbourne, Ballarat, Sydney. Brisbane, Auckland, the Hot Lakes of New Zealand, Wellington, Christchtirch, and Dunedin. The Australian cricketers coming to England this summer are likely to meet with an unpleasantly warm reception. The English Press is up in arms against them, and has said some bitter things. A recent issue of BelVg Life has a scathing article headed " Commercial Cricketers," in which the public is warned against the " ill-bred curs," who led to Lord Harris being mobbed, and is urged to look on the Eleven merely as " money grubbing strollers." Figaro has published many paragraphs of much the same character. The Star correspondent had an intertiew with Mr Gladstone, and held a Jong conversation with him on New Zealand. Mr Gladstone, asked a great many questions about the Colony, and prophesied a great future for it. " The only fear is," he said, " that the country will overload itself with debt." The correspondent replied that he believed the pledges given at the inauguration of the last new loan would be kept, and that there would be no more borrowing for some years. A long conversation took place on newspapers, the correspondent remarking that in England large towns like Cheltenham were without a daily paper? while in New Zealand every little borough seemed to have two ; moreover, that the tone of the colonial Press appeared sounder than that of England. Mr GladBtone replied that that might easily be the case, as most journals in England appeared to him to be more or less serial. A letter in the Times of Feb. 25 speaks in high terms of the telegraph moneyorder system in New Zealand. For the greater part of February London was enveloped in one of the thickest fogs ever known. Locomotion was almost impossible. Prince Teck, benighted in the neighbourhood of St James , square, spent the night in a four-wheel cab. At the opening of Parliament the reception given the Queen was in marked contrast to that given the Prince and Princess of Wales. While the latter were

lustily cheered the Queen was hissed. The event of the day was the cut direct given publicly by the Queen to the heir apparent and his wife. On all previous occasions it has been the custom for the Queen to address a words to the -Prifice -oi and his Princess. TlUasme bows were alone exchanged?'' 4, '-The

has not transpired, but there is said to be a, question of etiquette at the bottom of it.\ As the Queen grows older she becomes

more strict about such matters

It is stated that after the last attempt on the life of the Czar his terror became quite childish, and he went out of his mind for some hours, no one but the Duchess of Edinburgh having an} , control over him. The frequent attempts on

his life which bafile all vigilance, have driven the unhappy monarch to drink. Vanity Fair says the Duchess of Edinburgh was sitting within thirty feet of the flooring blown up at the time of the explosion. She displayed astonishing preeence of mind ; in fact, but for her, a perfect stampede from the palace would have occurred.

Dr Kussell, of Times correspondent fame, demands an inquiry into his allegations against the British troops engaged in the Zulu war. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge express their determination to have his charges sifted to the bottom.

The British Artie Expedition sails in May next.