Untitled

New Zealand Mail, Issue 38, 14 October 1871, Page 3

Colonial Coneeeence. There has been a three days’ conference on colonial subjects at the Westminster Palace Hotel. Mr Edward Jenkins opened the proceedings with an inaugural address. Papers were then read on the following questions :—“ Colonies and Colonial Governments,” “ Simple Methods of Land Transfer,” “ Imperial and Colonial Federalism,” “ Emigration,” “ Facilities for Emigration,” “ Colored Labor in British Colonies,” “ The Satisfactory Settlement of the Colonial Waste Land Question in 1865, and its Effects on Imperial Dominion,” “ The Colonies as Food Stores for Great Britain,” “ Emigration as seen in Canada,” and “ The Colonial Office: its Constitution.” The sittings were but poorly attended. De FEATHEBSTON IN ENG-LAND.-The “ Anglo-Australian in London,” in the “European Mail,” writes with reference to the arrival of Dr Featherston : —Amongst the most interesting events of the month to colonial circles here may be chronicled the arrival of Dr Featherston, the AgentGeneral for New Zealand. He has taken up his quarters for the present at Charing Cross Hotel, but doubtless will soon look about him for permanent offices. Everybody is delighted at his advent; for his great abilities and high character are universally recognised, while to them he joins that high courtesy, or as Macaulay expressed it, speaking of the Merry Monarch, ‘ that exquisite affability’ so useful in smoothing diplomatic labours. It must be remembered that the AgentGeneral of a great colony is constantly brought into association with high officials and courtly circles, and has frequently to negotiate very delicate matters. It is more than likely that Dr Featherston’s qualifications in this particular had almost as much to do in making the entertainment of the guarantee of last year’s New Zealand loan acceptable to the Colonial Office as his great business talents. He is looking stouter than when he was last here, and seems in excellent health. It is to be hoped he will be able to bear our rigorous winter, which must be very trying to those who have spent the greater part of their lives in New Zealand. A paragraph in the gossip column of a Liverpool newspaper (the port where Dr Featherston landed) says he is accompanied by a relative who would “make one of the best emigration agents any colony ever possessed, if the object were simply to make people in love with New Zealand and everything belonging to it.” Of this I do not know anything, and if I did, should certainly, contrary to the writer in question, say nothing. Me Waltee Montgomeey.— A Victorian paper, in noticing the reported suicide of Mr Walter Montgomery, says he was in the habit of taking doses of hydrocyanic acid on certain occasions when his nerves were unstrung. If such be true, an over-dose of this most powerful poison, taken at an unguarded moment, may account for what is presumed to have been suicide.