MAIL NEWS. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [FROM THE AUCKLAND "STAR'S" LONDON CORRESPONDENT.] London, July 17.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 65, 30 August 1884, Page 6

MAIL NEWS. ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. [FROM THE AUCKLAND " STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT.] London, July 17.

The application list for allotment of shares ia the City of Dunedin Suburban Gas Company closed on Monday last The Secretary states a large number have been taken up. Personal Notes. The late Mr Samuel Edger's "The Problem of Life Considered," recently published by Isbister and Co., was reviewed at length in the " Scotsman " of July 4. The writer, after detailing the various features of the work at length, fays that, though the essay - discourses " are not recommended by any striking originality of thought or unusual brilliancy of style, and throw but little new light on the problem of life, they will be a pleasing memorial of their author to those who knew him, and can hardly fail to do good to whoever m ill read them." Mr and Mrs C. Rous Marten, of Wellington, are very busy visiting old friends, and seeing the sights of London. They go frequently to the opera, and seldom miss any of the more notable concerts. Mrs Marten, I regret to say, has been suffering from the hot -weather. Mr and Mrs B. Laishloy have returned to town from the Continent. Mr Laishley leaves for the colony shortly. He has collected a mass of most useful material on educational subjects -whilst abroad, which fee will utilise on hie return eithei in the form of lectures or letters to the press. Miss Ada Ward, an actress whom, 1 believe, is tolerably well-known in New Zealand, gave a matinee performance of the 11 Lady of Lyons " at the Princes Theatre the other day. The house was empty, and Miss Ward's impersonation of Pauline commonplace. According to the " World," Mr Archibald Forbes has had some experience in New Zealand gold-mining stock. " Atlas " says he will narrate a practical white elephant experience in Doughlinen scrip in a coming number of one of the sixpenny magazines. At the Prince of Wales'.* levee on the 14th inst., the following gentlemen, u ellknown in the colonies, were presented : — Mr F. Le Patonrel, by the Marquis of Nor manby ; Mr E. Woodhou.-e, of Sydney, N.S. \\\, by Lord Derby ; and Sir F. WVH, K.C.M.G., by the Secretary of Slate. Amongst the gentlemen attending the general circle were Sir Edmund Antrobu*-, Sir Wm. McArthur, Mr C'a-hel Hocy, Mr Constantine Phipps, Mr Thomas llu&sell, C.M.U., and MrCritehley Martin. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company have published a slip which give^ a list of twenty-seven butchers in the metropolis who sell New Zealand frozen mutton. /■ The Chairman of the Central Meat Markets announces that the supply of dead meat from Australia and New Zealand during the first six months of the pi es-ent year was 5,200 tons, as against 800 tons during the first six months of 1882. Sir John Hall will positively leave for Kew Zealand via America in the course of the next three weeks, and may be expected at Auckland by the San Francisco mail due September 20. He leaves Lady Hall and his family in England, and means to return in a few months. It is uncertain w nether he will or will not interfere with politics. Mr Thomas Spurgeon informs me that on Sunday, July 27, he means to preach a special sermon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle in aid of the Auckland Tabernacle Building Fund. I shall take caru to let you know the sum realised. On Monday, 14th July, Sir W. McArthur asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether Her Majesty's Government would lay upon the table the reports concerning the state of affairs in the Western Pacific, which they had received from DeputyCommissioner Romilly during the last twelve months. Mr Ashley said that the reports which had been received from Mr Romilly during the last twelve months were veiy few, but Buch as they were he would lay them on the table of the House. A lew days ago the Maori chiefs Topia, Turoa, Te Wheoro, and Hori Ropiha, paid a visit to Mrs Grace (wife ot the late missionary of that name), at her residence, Waimaiino, Rickmansworth. The Rev. F, H. Spencer took the chief* down by train, and in the afternoon they went for a drive through Lord Ebury's park. Captain Colbeck arrived in England by the steamer Aorangi, and is busy looking up old acquaintances. I hope to be able to send you particulars of his doings next week. The Rev. W. Flcyd, of Fiji, has been elected a Fellow of the Colonial Institute. Mr G. M. Reed's new venture, "The Anglo-New Zealander and Australian Times," will make its first appearance in about a fortnight. The Lady Jocelyn,with 10,000 carcases of frozen mutton from Wellington, arrived yesterday. This makes the fifth meat ship that has come in during the past fortnight. Miss Strudwicke, the new mistress of the Normal School at Dunedin, goes out in the Aorangi. Mr J. H. Kerry Nicholls's new book, "The King Country, or Explorations in New Zealand," is published this afternoon by Messrs Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington. It purports to be a narrative of COO miles of travel through Maori land, is numerously illustrated, and handsomely bound in cloth, demy octavo. Price, one guinea. Cholera and New Zealand Steamers. The Mediterranean cholera panic has so frightened intending passengers to Australia and New Zealand that they are all deserting the Orient and Pacific and Orient lines, and going out in the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers. The coneequence of this is that the Aorangi, which does not leave fora fortnight \et,is already quite full, and the Company are obliged to turn people away tvery day. Thomas Spurgeon's Welcome Home. Mr Thomas Spurgeon, who arrived home on the 10th inst. by the Orient liner Iberia, was yesterday the recipient of a highlygratifying public welcome. The ceremony took place at the Stockwell Orphanageone of Mr Charles Spurgeon's most successful good works— and was combined with the annual festival of that flourishing institution. Lord Cairns took the chair, and amongst a crowd of notables present at the evening meeting, I noticed Mr W. E. Came, M.P., Mr Arthur Pease, M.P., Rev. Canon Fleming, 8.D., Rev. Owen Davies, Rev. Colmer Symes, and Messrs C. H. Spurgeon, J. A. Spurgeon, and Charles Spurgeon. I arrived on the scene about 5 o'clock, and found Mr Thos. Spurgeon behind a counter covered with photographs of New Zealand Bcenery (amongst which several of the raajrterpieces of Hemua and Hanna and Mr Josiah Martin were conjjpicuous), kauri gum and greenstone ornaments, which he was disposing of in aid of the Auckland Tabernacle fund. The young minister was surrounded by a massive crowd of female friends, all anxious to

shake hands with him and stiy, "God bless you," Aftov doing hilly twenty minutes' pushing and squeezing', 1 found myself planted fairly opposite him, and began a spasmodic conversation. We had, how over, barely shaken hands before somebody announced the public meeting was about, to commence, and oil" Mr Spurgoon whisked, leaving me with no more valuable information than that ho had enjoyed the passage home and wis in exceilout health. Tho proceedings at tho onsuing public meeting referred principally to the Orphanago, whinh Vather puy/led me till I learnt \\\t\, tho services, otc., in connection with Mr Thos. Spurgeon's welcome ha'u taken place during the earlier {?aVfc of the day. In t/i« cour.se of those proceedings Mr Thomas Spurgeon thanked his frionds for their kind welcome on his return, after fiva years in Auckland, lie was gkul to see old faces again, but naturally should not be sorry to got back to $ew Zealand to his flock. He hoped they would all heartily as>ist him both with prayers and funds towavds the building of the Tabernacle, Auckland. Frozen Meat Ships. The British King arrived at tho Docks from Wellington on J uly S, after a passage of 45 days. Her dates wore Wellington, May 24; Rio, Juno 1G ; Madeira, July 1 ; and Plymouth, July 0. She brings 9,000 carcases of mutton, the majority of which were shipped by the Gear Meat Freezing Company. They are very fine sheep, were landed in prime condition, and would have realised fair prices if only they had been judiciously manipulated. The truth is, tlio consignees of this shipment seem to have blundered somewhat Experience proved long ago that the best way to obtain tho top market price for fro/en mutton is to place your lot of carcases-, in the hands ot one iirm of salesmen "who thoroughly understand the trade. It doon't do to employ a number. They simply undersell each other and lower the market rate. This is what happened with tho British King's meat Lots were placed in the hands oi a number of small men. They damaged one another's sale, and the weather being extremely hot, had eventually to accept shockingly bad pi ices to clear out their stock. Some of the British King's mutton fetched 5d and o\d, but in many places it could bo obtained for 4d, oUI, and even *2\d a lb. The woi.st featuro of the whole business is that such //Vwov a" this have a permanently injurious elfect on the market. tiou.>ekeepeih who can obtain choice meat for 2\d a lb. one day naturally growl at having to give <">d tor it tho next. The N./.S. Co.V Aoi.mgi auivod a Plymouth on July Nth, after a pa^ngt* of .">7 day's, i.e., just a feu minutes slouet than the Tongarho's ia^-tot on ivcoid. I lei date- were: Wellington, May 20 ; Uio, June '20 ; Madeira, J uly A ; and Plymouth, -Inly 8. Shi' biings 13,000 caica-os- ot mutton, which were landed in good order, and aiu being disposed of in a much deprived market at s\d per lb. The Oamaru, which left Lyttelton on April 4. anhed at the Doekh on July ti, with a cargo of 10,000 eaiciw^ of fro/en mutton, in good condition. Her meat is fetching ."id to ~)\<\, like the A u.-mgi'*. In addition to the ioicgomg, the Opawa, from Wellington, and the TuiuLiu.i, horn Napiei, each with ."),000 carcases of ho/en mutton on buaul, ha\e anived. None of their meat has been sold yet. I need scarcely point out That the present i^ a Miigulail) unfoitunate moment for a Hoot, of meat --hips to airivo. Apart trom the facts that we ;vre in the midst of an un usually hot summer, nnd that \ery few people eat much meat at this time of the yen, tho maiket s-eem<s -eem<- in adepie-sed state. 1 fear the glut may make matter-- woi-c. Besides lla.slam'b rcfiigcuitor, two otheis are now at work in 'he Health Exhibition. One i> Siebe, Hoi man, arid Co 's patent, and cont lins a number ot carca^ob of Vow Zca land fro/en mutton from Fitter's depot in Leadenhall Market. The oilier beam the name of the Cold Dry-air Kohigorator, and is patented by Me=si ? J. and E. Kail, who exhibit theiein milk, cheese, fowls, meat, and tis>h which have made two vo_\age- to India in a P. and 0. boat, and are nevertheless in Al condition. Return of the Australian Cricketers. The Australian cricketer* are still uncertain whether they will return via Ameiica or through the Sue/ Canal. Almost w ithout exception they are in favour of taking the United States on their homewaid journey, for those who were foitunato enough to pass through the Western Continent cluiing former tours have many plea-ant memoiics of their visits, Philadelphia is a city they are anxious to see again, and ellorts are being made to arrange a match, or perhaps several, with the gentlemen of Philadelphia. Agninbt their taking the tiansAmerican route its the consideration of expense. The Menageries Maiitimes Steamship Company, who hotly compete with the Peninuila and Oriental and the Orient lines for trailic between Europe and Australia, have made an offer to cany the party at a very low rate. But they may be tempted by profit to be made in Ameiica to decline the Mes.sageries contract. Murdoch is very anxious to arrange a series of matches on the way between Kew York and San Francisco, and it the mattei were left in his hands it would be speedily settled that way. As it is, how e\ er, the team is managed by a committee for the joint-stock company running the speculation. Those who have seen tho Philadelphians play declare that since an Australian team was in America in ISS2, the States representatives have gieatly improved.