MAIL NEWS. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 49, 10 May 1884, Page 3

MAIL NEWS. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [BY OU R OWN CORRES PONDENT.]

Tawhiao's Visit. London, March 27. Tin: cablegram announcing that Tawhiaj and a suite of Maoris will positively leave for England by the 'Frisco mail steamer of April Ist has been received with somo surprise and not a little incredulity. Turning to the New Zealand newspapers which came to hand ten days ago, I find no reference to the intended visit, and yet it seems scarcely likely that such an important matter Mould have been hurriedly iixed up in a few weeks. Well, I can only hope if the Maori chiefs tour is about to become an accomplished fact that the general arrangements nave been made with some regard for the good name of the colony. Nothing could be worse than that these warrior chiefs, of whose prowess during the New Zealand war Englishmen have heard so much, should be belittled by being shown about the country under the ausp:ces of a common charity like the Aborigines I'rotection Society. Of course the latter will make a dead set at Tawhiao just as they did at Cetewayo. I only hope the result may be the same. Dignified independence is the tone for the Maori mission to take. They are not converted cannibals to be made use of at Church of England tea meetings, and treated as but a small remove above beasts of the field, but the representatives of a great and wonderful race who come over here to see the sights, study English ways, and possibly carry out a political mission, and who demand nothing from us save cordial hospitality and a kindly welcome. Depend upon it, the success of the tour hangs in toto on the position which the Maoris themselves assume. They are pretty sure to be taken at their own valuation. If they claim the position of distinguished strangers they v ill be treated as such. But if the Aborigines Protection Society secure the poor fellows and use them for their own purposes they v ill simply be set down as "some more of Ch^sson's (the secretary's) begging niggers."

Lord Walter Lennox on New Zealand. Lord Walter (iordon- Lennox, the youngest son of the Duke of Richmond, who has recently returned from a trip to New Zealand, lectured upon his tour through that colony at the Village Club, Boxgrove, on Friday last (March 14). After dealing with the voyage out in the Orient steamer John Elder, Lord Walter devoted some time to a description of Dunedin, where he stayed several weeks, and the West Coast sounds. A capital sketch of Maori life and manners was then given, followed by an account of all his Lordship saw on New Zealand sheep farms, and of the troubles which the Southern settler has to face in the shape of rabbit pests, &c. Going ISorth, the Hot Lakes and Rotomahana were of course visited ; in fact, it may be at once said, the young nobleman saw everything there was to see in the colony. His lecture was illustrated with photos, (shown by limelight) purchased in Dunedin and Auckland, and interested a large and closelypacked audience intensely. Lord Walter cordially recommended emigration to New Zealand to certain classes of agriculturists, instancing amongst others the case of a Mr McDonald, son of one of the gillies at Gordon Castle, who, " beginning as a small sheepfarmer in New Zealand, had grown to wealth and position, and is now a magistrate, a member of Parliament, an owner of racehorses, and one of the great men of the colony." There were, he added, plenty of such cases to stimulate a man's ambition out there.

Blackmailing New Zealand Enterprises. It is about time some steps were taken to curb the rapacity of a section of citj'men (most of them Anglo-Colonials) who make large sums of money by levying "blackmail " on the promoters of New Zealand enterprises. Chief of these worthies is a well-known man who himself floated an undertaking of the first magnitude several years ago. In all land speculations this person's good word has become a matter of absolute necessity, for, though his assistance by no means ensures success, his opposition is unquestionably fatal. This has been proved again and again. Some years ago the chairman of a most powerful land syndicate, backed up by a great bank, resolved to defy the champion mailer. The latter is a strictly religious and highprincipled person, who would scorn to take advantage of anyone; therefore, when asked about the new land company, he (apparently) confined his opposition to shaking his head and looking volumes. The effect of these processes was, however, marvellous. With the brightest prospects conceivable ; the speculation fell quite flat. Neither the public, the press, nor the Stock Exchange took kindly to it The promoters were aghast. They went to Mr X (as I will call him), and threatened exposure. He smiled blandly, and asked why they should expect him to give a favourable opinion about land of which he knew nothing and in which he had no interest. "But," quoth the angry promoter, "our lots absolutely adjoin those you made so much out of two years ago." "Justf-o," replied X; " that is why I think you would have done well to consult me about the matter befoi'ehand. I should then have been able to advise speculators conscientiously, whereas now I find myself obliged to tell allcomers I can give no opinion on the matter." The promoters went away sadder but wiser men. Nothing could be done in that particular matter, for X is not a man who can be openly bribed, but the next land " spec " they were mixed up in they ensured his co-operation. On another occasion the founder of a special settlement recognised the value of X's assistance and offered him a lump sum of £500 for it. When he found this was the outside amount for which the Company could be drawn, X refused the terms and quietly damned the whole concern. "It was not," he told a friend subsequently, "-worth my while to mix myself up in such a scheme for three times five hundred pounds. Had they offerred five thousand 1 might have thought about it." At the present moment X is negotiating a heavy " black mail" with the representative of a North New Zealand Land Company. The latter had completed ■ a capital bargain with a London bank, and was on the point of receiving a deposit, when X interfered, and whilst admitting the excellence of the vendors land, and acknowledging that the price per acre was most moderate, threatened to overthrow the whole arrangement unless handsomely "squared." In addition to X, there are a number of lesser "sharks" (bank managers, financial agents, and brokers), who fasten on to colonialpromoters and bleed them assiduously. The influence of all such is, lam told, purely negative. They may (probably do) injure, but they can't materially assist you. The best way to put an end to the system would be for some promoter, having floated a company, to relate his "black-mailing" experiences, and give X and Co. the publicity their good works deserve.

Sir Samuel Wilson. The wealthy Australian, Sir Samuol Wilson, will stand ior Slough in tho Conservative interest at the coming- general election, with young Viscount Curzon for a colleague.

The Australian Cricketers. Little or no interest seems to be i'olt in the coming visit of the Australian Eleven, many of whom are now as well-known to the frequenters of Lords and the Oval as our All England team. One of their first matches will be played in London on Whit Monday.

The Voyage ol the Aorangi. Notwithstanding: that the Aorangi met with many aggravating detentions on her passage home, m the shape of head winds and quarantine at Teneiifte, it is worth noting that her letters were delivered on the same morning as the 'Frisco mail. Tho passengers per Aorangi say they enjoyed the voyage amazingly. Not only did tho weather down to Cape Horn prove >\ ondcrfully fine, but they had a good view of that bleak and barren headland, uhich -was barely a mile oft" when the steamer doubled it on St. Valentine'? Day. At IUo, on 22nd February, the whole party went ashore. Tho ship sailed again tho following day, ha\ ing picked up three additional passengers and a little cargo, and reached Tcncrifie on the 7th March. There an aggravating delay of forty - eight hours had to be endured, as coaling could only be permitted in the daytime However, the Aorangi Mas off again on the 9th, and made good time to Plymouth Sound, which she entered on the 14th 1 } Tho voyage fiom port to port occupied 43 days, or 30 days (5 hours 10 minutes, exact steaming time. The 11,659 carcases of frozen mutton per Aorangi are in capital condition ; in fact, it is the best meat we have had for some time. This I attribute to the temperature of the freezing chambers having been kept specially low. The engineer returns the average as 3 degrees Fah., the highest temperature reached during the passage being only 7 degrees Fah., and the lowest below zero.

New Zealand Frozen Meat. The first of the meat per Aorangi was placed on the London market on Tuesday, March 18th, and realised o'/d per lb. -wholesale, but owing to a temporary glut subsequent lots only fetched 5d to o\d. This cannot be called a good price, and shows how sensitive the market is. Messrs Shaw, Savill's chartered steamer Victory arrived at Gravesend on March 20th, after a long passage of Gl dajs from "Wellington. She brings 6.000 carcases of mutton, which have- been landed in good condition. Captain Elcoate accounts for the preposterously long passage by averring that the refrigerators used up all his steam. The Victory was to have sailed again on the 2-ith, but had not gone yesterday. Meanwhile, Shaw, Savill are paying the expenses of 200 emigrants at L'lymouth, as well as a fine of £25 a day to the Government.

Shipping. Shaw-SaviU's chartered tteamcr Bombay, homeward bound from New Zealand, passed Rio on March 16, only 21 days out. She will, therefore, make a much better passage than the Victory. The Orient liner Iberia, which .sailed from Plymouth on the 21st March, haa on board the following through saloon passengers for New Zealand, viz. : — Mr and Mrs K. C. Haldane, family, and servant, for Auckland; Mr N. Sinclair, for (iisborne; and Mr and Mrs C. M. C. Whatman and the Misses Whatman, for Wellington.

General Notes, Mr Ritso, the promoter of the New Zealand railways companies I mentioned to you in u recent letter, expects to leave for the colony directly after Easter. Messrs W. Ashby and Co. moved into their new offices at 22, Leadenhall-street, the day before yesterday (March '23). The steamer Aorangi sails from London for Tort Chalmers via the Cape to-day, and should reach her destination almost as soon as this letter. The complete list of first saloon passengers is as follows :— For Dunedin : Mr and Mrs Askin and family (7), Mr S. Edny and Mr fl E. Nicholson. For Lyttelton : Me&ses J. T. Carmichael, (.'. H. Laecelles and L. C. P. Mitchell. For Auckland : Mr B. Bingham and Miss E. Bingham, Mr Y. If. (Joode and Mr F. W. Maclean. For Wellington : Mr W. G. Jackson. Ship's Surgeon.s : Drs. T. McGrath and Wasse. In addition to tho above, the Aorangi takes 70 second cabin passengers, 70 third cabin, and 200 emigrants. Amongst the second saloon passengers per Aorangi are a large family of brothers (with their wives, &c. ), named Brook (six in all), who mean to settle in the Auckland district and try fruit-growing A Miss S. S. Hawthorne is booked to Lyttelton per Doric on tho 23rd of next month. The P. and 0. s.s. Paramatta, sailing for Australian ports this afternoon, takes two through passengers for New Zealand — namely, Mr Charles Smith, for Auckland, and Mr E. Daw«on, for Wellington. Dr. Fisher, formerly of the Grampian Hills, near Timaiu (New Zealand), was married on the 6tb inst. at St. Mary's, Kensington, to Arabella, daughter of the late Rev. J. W. Buckley, of St. Mary's, Paddington. Mr Walter Graves, of Wanganui, has also entered the bonds of matrimony this month, espousing, on the sth inst,, Fanny, eldest daughter of Mr S. W. Francis, of Huntingdon House, Hornsey. The deaths of three persons, all fairly well known as old New Zeaianders, are announced— viz., Mrs Soulby, widow of the late R. W. Soulby, Mrs Noble, relict of John Noble, T.E.T.S., and Mr James Alexander.

The Otago Trades and Labour Council's Circular. The circular of the Otago Trades and Labour Council, warning intending emigrants that the labour market in New Zealand is largely overstocked, and in a very depressed state, has been published in a number of provincial papers, and is being very freely commented upon. Several of them advise their readers to accept the warning with gratitude, but the majority evidently suspect the Otago Council of being animated by a selfish and exclusive policy. I cannot myself say I think the proceeding was aa\ ise one. You see, warning circulars may do a great deal of harm, and can't do much good. As a matter of fact, such cautions do not influence a jot the poorer class of labourers, whose advent the Otago Council desire to prevent. The feeling of these men is that any change will be a change for the better, and if they get a chance of emigrating they jump at it. On the other hand, small capitalists who may think of emigrating (i.e. , farmers, tradesmen, and artisans with a few hundred pounds saved up) are at once scared off by hearing of warning circulars. They can't afford to make any mistake, and they naturally think that awarningcircularindicates "something very rotten in the state of Denmark." Altogether I doubt the policy of " fouling your own nest " as the Otago Council have done. It is (to use yet another proverb) a "cutting off your nose to spoil your face " arrangement, and will almost certainly injure rather than benefit the colony,

Mr Moncurc Conway. lias completed his trip round tho world, and is bade again at the old chapel in Finsbury Place. Tho other day he was interviewed by a roportor of the*" Pall Mall Gazette," and pretty freely cross-examined as to his impressions of the countries and colonies he visited. Very little seems to have been said about Australia and New Zealand. "I am glad to bo back in London," said Mr Conway, " London, with its free atmosphere and broad catholicity of soul ; London, with its learned societies, its free interchange of human thought, its theatres, its picture galleries, and all the apparatus of culture. London, I confess, seemed to me more atattractive when T was at tho antipodes than it ovor seemed boforc. In America they keep fairly abreast of the intellectual movement. In Australia and New Zealand you have material civilisation in suporlluity, but of culture, of art, of broadminded toleration for all forms of human .speculation, thei-e is much less than here. Bigotry and sectarianism have mado the antipodes their field of future operations apparently, but they will hardly maintain it against the increasing colony of broadminded thinkers there." Mr Conway was greatly struck with the colonial papers, which ho considers arc often of a vory superior class to English provincial prints. "I do not, " ho says, '•think there is a better paper in the whole world than tho Melbourne ' Argus."' Antipodean politics Mr Conway found too parochial to bo interesting. Some of tho Cabinet Ministers ho met seemed shrew d, self-reliant, and intelligent, but the Legislative Assemblies did not appear to be drawn from, or indeed to nave much interest for, tho best people. "In the Australias," ho continues, "thero is a curious mixture of democracy and snobbery as distinct from plutocracy. To a republican like myself the latter was vory distasteful. There is one good thing about Australian and New Zealand capitalists, and that is that they have no great magnet like London to draw oil* all their best men; hence there is in each city a circle of well-informed, intelligent people, such as you will not find in English provincial towns. That is an clement of strength which should not be lost sight of in considering colonial society. It promises a fine literature."

Marriage of Mr Beotham, M.H.R. Mr Cieorge Beetham, M.U.R., was married at Cnristchurch', Lancaster Gate, on Maroh 12th, to Miss Frances Levin, a daughter of Mr N. W. Levin, of 44, Cleveland Square, Hyde Park. The wedding was a quiet affair, a few friends of the bride being the only onlookers. After partaking of breakfast at Cleveland Square, the happy couple left for Leamington, where they spent a short honeymoon of about ten days. According to present arrangements, Mr and Mrs Beetham will sail for N.Z. on tho 2nd of April,^o that Mr B. will be in his seat in the Legislative Assembly when Parliament opens.

General Notes. Tho Prince of Wales held a levee at St. James's Palace on March 17th, at Mhich Sir John Hall, X.C.M.({., and Mr MurraySmith, C.M.(J., were presented, and the various Agents General, including Sir Jb\ 1). Bell, made their bow s. A handsome stained glass medal has just been placed in tho east window of ilooton Roberts Parish Church, as a memorial to tho late Colonel Pickard, of the Royal Artillery, who had the Victoria Cross given to him for bravery in the New Zealand war. Mr YV. 11. Lingard, the hushand of Alice Lingard, and himself a well-known actor in tho colonies, lias taken the Strand Theatre for a season, and means to produce a highly successful American comedy called " The Rajah " theic. This piece had a long run at the Madison Square Theatre in New York and is very popular all over the States. Mr P. M. Gilchrist, who mode the passage from Lyttleton to London in a sailing ship last July, contributed to " Land and Water" of March 15th a capital article on " Sport in Mid-Ocean," which vividly describes the catching of albatross, molly -mawks, and other sea-birds. The Salisbury folk are the latest converts to the virtues of New Zealand frozen mutton. A depot has been opened there, and a large quantity sold during the past fortnight. Lord Pembroke continues to make good progress towards recovery. He has been recommended a long sea voyage. A Blue Book containing the " Correspondence respecting Now Guinea and othGr islands and the Convention at Sydney of tho Representatives of the Australasian Colonies " has been laid before Parliament.

Sir John Kail. Since writing last week I have received a note from Sir .John Hall, who avers that the stories rclativo to his immediate- return to the colony and resolve to re-enter public life there are pure canard-. Sir John has no intention of going back to New Zealand for a permanence until the latter part of ISSS. It is, however, probable that he may, in the coming autumn, pay a visit to the colony in connection w ith his own private affairs, returning to England in the spring. The route he travels by has not at present been determined on, but he thinks it will ! probably be via America. I gather from this that Sir John means, if possible, to be in New Zealand at the time of the general election.

The Redmond Brothers. The "World "of March 26th contained tho following paragraph : — "The young Hiberian Gracchi — the Messieurs Redmond — are being lionised since their return to their native sod, and it is hard to say whether it is the heavy bag of Australian sovereigns, or the fair young Australian '■ wife that, in the suggestive language of Mr Davit, Mr J. E. Redmond ' captured on his recent lecturing tour,' that excites the most admiration. Naturally such enthusiasm is contagious, and when tho blushing gatriot bridegroom forgot himself so far at brk as to call Mr Archibald Forbes 'a Munchausen,' that gentleman, who very properly exposed the Land Leaguers' tactics in adapting their utterances to tho prevailing loyalty of the colonists in order to loosen their purse-strings, must charitably forgive him ; but when at the National League meeting in Sackvillestreet, Dublin, this same Redmond major, i whilo admitting that the Australian press j was, as a rule, hostile to his mission, referred to the support he had received from 'that influential journal,' the 'Sydney Bulletin,' it sounded to those who know anything of politics and journalism at tho antipodes much as if an English public man were to boast the ' support \ of ' Tit Bits' or ' Modern Society.' " Mr R. Laishley, of Auckland, has been very busy this last fortnight interviewing Professor Huxley, Mr Matthew Arnold, and Mr Mundella on educational matters. At the instigation of Mr Furnivall, of the New Shakespeare Society, the Blackheath Work- j men's Club have asked Mr Laishley to give them a lecture on the home of his adoption. It is probable he will accept the invitation. Mr and Mrs Laishley are at present out of town on a visit to some friends at Southhampton. j

New Zealand Commercial Company. Tho Judicial Committee of the Privy Council have reserved judgment in an importent New W 2ealaml appeal, The re-

spondent, Mr W. R. Williams, a ooal merchant, presented a potition of right against tho Grown under the Crown Redress Act, 1881, in forco in Now Zealand, stating that in February, 1882, his steamship, the Westport, entered the Government harbour of We&tport, New Zealand, and, under the direction of Her Majesty's harbour-master, was moored at tho wharf oroctod by tho Government for tho accommodation of vessels frequenting the port, and that, whilo being laden with coal and a genoral cargo, the vessel settled with the fall of the tido on a vertical "snag " lying at the bottom of the water, and was so greatly damaged that sho sank. Ho asserted that the Government officials were well aware of the oxistenco of tho snag and of the danger incurred by vessels in consequence of it, but had improperly suffered it to romain without any mark of warning or indication of its position to the masters of ships. Ho claimed £1,500 damages. Tho Crown, in answer, pleaded a general traverse and contributory negligence. Tho jury before whom tho questions of tho fact came found that the Government were not aware of tho existenco of the snag which caused tho damage, but that they would have been aware if proper stops had been taken by them after a communication from the harbour-mastor ; that they negligently allowed the snag to remain, and that there A\as no negligence on the part of tho master in moving his vessel as he had done. A verdict was thoreforo entered for the rospondent. The Crown then obtained a rulo fora now trial, on tho ground that the verdict was against the weight of evidence and of mis-direction, and improper rejection of evidence The Supremo Court discharged the rule, and from that judgment tho present appeal was brought.

Mercantile Companies. To-morrow (March 28th) the first general meeting of the New Zealand Land Mortgage Company will bo held. The report to be presented at the meeting states that the shares applied for wero much in excess of the required number, and the directors took considerable trouble to make the best possiblo distribution of them among the numerous applicant 5 ?. Tho preliminary expenses colonial and English arc under £2,000. They would have been much less but for the extra cost of ad vei Using in the colony as well as in this country. No time has been lost in commencing the Company's business in New Zealand, and advices have been received showing that great care is being used by the colonial board in making investments of the money at the Company's disposal, and that they are obtaining good rates of interest. The applications for the Company's debentures are upon a satisfactory heale, and the directors find that debenture money is being received as fast as the Company requires it for use in the colony. The directors look forward to the future of the Company with great confidence ; they feel sure that by judicious and economical management a prosperous career is before the Company, which they will do their utmost to ensure. The second annual meeting of the shareholders in the Bi\tish and New Zealand Mortgage Company was held at their oilices on Tuesday, March 25th, Mr James Barclay in the chair. The report of the directors showed a net profit for the year of £11,378, from which a dividend of 7-V per cent, per annum was recommended, absorbing £4,557. In moving the adoption of the report, the Chairman stated that if several extra charges which had to bo paid out of the revenue were taken into account, the profits would appear considerably larger than those of the previous year. The profit this year as compared Avith last year showed an increase of 50 per cent. That additional profit had been earned with an additional expense of only £400. The trade in the export of frozen mutton was rapidly developing in New Zealand. The quality of the New Zealand mutton was equal to the average of English mutton ; the ordinary observer would not be able to see any difference The pi ice in the market here was from skl to (j\d per lb., but the New Zealand producer only got l-kl to 2^d for it. He had no doubt that the charges attending the transport of itwould be considerably economised. Last year 125,000 sheep were exported from New Zealand, and if the price wero reduced the quantity might increase three or four times. The motion -was seconded by Mr N. W. Levin and unanimously adopted.

Now Land and Loan Company. The prospectus of The Land and Loan Company ot New Zealand, a new "spec" promoted by Mr F. C. Fulton, oi J Fa\\ kes Bay, and assisted by Mr James Alexander, of Red fern, Alexander & Co., was issued yesterday. The capital asked for is a modest million in 200,000 .shares of £5 each, the iirst issue being 100,000 shares, upon which £1 will be called up as follows, viz. : 2s Gd per share on application, 2s Gd on allotment, 5s on the Ist of May, ISB4, the remainder in calls of os as required. The prospectusisonihe usual linesof such companies, promising remunerative mortgage and investment business, and pointing to the big dividends paid by the New Zealand Trust and Loan, the New Zealand Loan and MerJJ cantile, etc. The only paragraphs exciting special attention are the following : — Mr F. C. Fulton (who has had more than twenty years' experience in tho management of properties in New Zealand) is to act as managing director in the colonies, and will make a substantial investment in the Company's funds. The settlement at Hawke's Bay has been selected as the opening field for operations, on account of its salubrious climate, the fertility of its soil, and its suitability for the raising of the most profitable kinds of sheep and cattle. After careful investigation as to value by the directors, a contract has been made to take over a property in this district, recently acquired by Mr Fulton, for the sbum of £34,895. It consists of 7,970 acres of freehold land, fenced, and subdivided, and about half laid dow n in English grasses, which will form a starting-point, and the Company propose to buy other properties in the same district as opportunities occur. There are about 9,000 fheep on the property, which will (after inspection) be taken over by the Company at a valuation. Similar investments which may be proposed in future and receive the approval of the Colonial Board will be referred to tho London Board, and will require their confirmation.

A Good Word for Now Zealand. Mr Henry Keynolds, of Calbtock, writes to the "Western Daily Mercury" (a Ply-j mouth paper) a long letter exalting New Zealand as a field for the emigration of agriculturists, and as an instance of success quotes the case of his brother, Mr W. Reynolds, of Trecorne, Cambridge, Waikato, who left Cornwall fifteen yoars ago, and has since realised an amplo fortune.