MAIL NEWS. London, January 29.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 93, 14 March 1885, Page 6

MAIL NEWS. London, January 29.

Public interest in antipodean affairs, which, when I last wrote was genuine enough, has, since last Thursday, been swept away by the exciting war news from the Soudan. At the present moment nobody talks of anything else. It was vain when, on going my rounds, I attempted to divert the con versation to Anglo colonial topics. I found that the fact of my having on one— now ever-tobe-remembered — occasion lain on the next, couch to the late Colonel Burnaby at the Hummums Turkish Baths invested me with a temporary interest and import ance, gratifying no doubt in itself, but scarcely calculated to forward the business purpose of the calls. Although one of the most übiquitous of livit.g travellers, the late Colonel Burnab> never visited the Australias His " Ridtto Khiva" and world-wide reputation as a soldier must, however, have made his name well known to you. so that I am sure the announcement of his death has at the antipodes as in London, temporarily ever shadowed in importance all other news. Amongst the killed at Abu Ivlea the only Other officer who*e name will be recognised in Australia and New Zealand is Lieut. Alfred Pigott, of tf.M.S. Alexandra, who, 1 see, served en a gunboat on the Australian st-iti in und«r Commodore Hoskins. Amongst the wounded aie several non-commissione.i officers who served in the New Zealand war.

The Highland Crofters and Otago. It is understood that the Home Govern ment will consent to bear part of the ex pense of sending out the Highland crofteis to Otago. At fir»t the authoritie.> weie not very favourable to granting funds for the purpose They averred that the crofters were such a frugal and hardworking peoplo that they would make specially eligible immigrants, and that therefoie the colony ought to bear the whole expense of importing them. The Agent Geneial naturally protested, and his argumentswhatever they were — seem to have been successful.

New Flagship for the Pacific. H M S. Triumph was inspected at Portsmouth on Saturday last by Admiral Loid Alcester. She tails in a few days for the Pacilic Station, where she will relieve the S wiftsure a* fl lgship. At the Empue Club the other evening, Sir Saul Samuel, who was replying to the toast of '* Britain, our Empire "' said tha r till he came to England he never heard such words as ''separation' 1 and "disintegration." None of ths colonies', he felt sure, had given a single serious thought to there dreadful possibilities. They were all lo3*al to the core. He looked upon Impeiial Federation as a delusion. All the colonies wanted the Home Government to do was to supply them with sufficient naval defences 1 . It was a mistake to allow the have their own little fleets The Imperial Government should take charge ot all necessary defences, and allow the colonies to pay for them. By doing this they «ould bind the colonies firmly to the mother country, and teach them to rely oa her for help. Shops for the sale of New Zealand mutton have recently been opened in all the principal towns of North York^hiie. At Redcar last week, 45 carcases were dis posed of in 24 hums. Under the signature of "Attercliffe," a New Zealand colonist, now in England, contributes a most sensible letter to the Sheffield " Independent." " New Zealand," he ?ays, " is a country where capital, energy, and common -sense succeed easiest. The well meaning men who fail out there are usually persons with a small amount ot brains, who, instead ot making the best of the n>st favourable billet that comes in their way, insist on tryiug to run in precisely the same gruove that they have done at Home. Clerks, shopmen, etc., are peculiar y tenacious in this respect. Many of them would rather return Home to p »verty and grinding labour rather than relinquish the pen or » ard measure for the axe or drover's whip." The weekly "Eche" i* doing the colony " yeoman's service " just now in a series of article-j headed " Hints to Emi grants.." It undertakes to answer the queries of intending cettlers in New Zealand, and mu-t have already been the means of inducing sundry eligible farmers to throw in their fortunes with you. Mr Ve«ey rftewau'a enterprises were reviewed in lasfc issue. Mr Larmor, the young Australian who pas-ed as Senior Wrangler at Cambridge last summer, is now announced to be amongst the students declared by special examiners to be masters of the highest branches of mathematics and other abat ruse subjects. Mr Thomas Duckham, M.P., will contribute an article on our "Meat Supply" to the February number of the " Fortnightly Kevie-v," in which, it is understood, cettam evils in connection with the importation of Mew Zealand mutton will be dealt, with Mr Duckham is a Herefordshire farmer, and consequently by no means trietidly to im portero of dead meat. Mrs R. Francis Lean (better known to the reading public as Florence Marryat, the novelist) is about to visit the colonies shortly, with a drawing-room entertainment similar to the one she gave in England a few years ago, in company with George Grossmith Miss Marryat is not exactly a chicken, but she possesses considerable ability as an actress, and for some time was a member of Biuce's Company at the Pi i ices' Theatre. Mr Thomas M. Macdonald, of New Zealand, has been elected a fellow of the Colonial Institute. Mr and Mrs Lewis Rye, late of the Kaipara, Auckland, arrived home last Sunday in the P and O. eteamer Kosetta. Mr H R. Rath bone, who has been touring in the colonies, also returned in the same steamer. Sir William Me Arthur has somewhat surprised the .Nonconformists by announcing his intention of supporting the Affirmation Bill in the Imperial Parliament. Sub-Lieutenant Aston E. McMurdo. R.N., brother of Messrs Charles and Harvey McMurdo, so well-known in the Auckland diwtrict, has been promoted to be Lieutenant on FT M.S. Victor Emanuel. The announcement that the New Zealand Government have prohibited the importation gf all dogs into the colony from Europe has caused great surprise and some discontent, as many intending farmer emigrants h»ve valuable collie-dogs trained specially for sheep, which it is very annoying to have to leave behind. The Hon William Montgomery returns to Canterbury in the Tainui. Lieutenant • Colonel D R. Cameron, C. vj.U., R. A., has been selected to commmd tne local forces in South Australia.

Shipping and Passenger Notes. Shaw Savill's steamer Victory arrived in the Docks on the 21st November, after a passage of just 60 days. She left Otago on the 22nd November, reached Rio on the 23rd December, St. Vincent on January 6th, and Plymouth on the 19th. The Victory brings about 10,000 carcases of

mutton, all of which have been landed in excellent condition, Shaw-Savill'e Tainui, which leaves for New Zealand on her maiden voyage to day, is a sister ship to the Arawa. The oniy difference in the new steamer is that the sleeping 1 accommodation has been made more roomy. Mr William Courtney, of Taramiki, will return to New Zealand with several new settlers in the New Zealand Shipping Company's Kaikoura, which is advertised to I leave London on March 12. The shipping trade both for goods and passengers is very slack just now. The T.iinui, which loaves today, has hardly a hundred passengers on board, and the Ruapehu, which is to start on Febi vary 13th, has only a very few berths booked yet. The • »rient Company have so much difficulty in getting: cargo for their bteamers that they have reduced their tates 20s per ton. The following is the full list of the passengers per Tainui from London to-day :—: — i For Auckland— first saloon ; Mr and Mrs John Duwson and family Second saloon ; Mr and Mrs Ernest Phair, Miss Anderson, Messrs H. Sankey, 11. Williams, and F. W. j At tree Mr Davis goes out to Auckland in the Garonne next month. Miss t'hitty goes out to Auckland in the Pekin to-day. Mr and Mrs Studholme, and Mr J. Studholme, join the Pekin at Suez. They are booked to Wellington. The Ruapehu leaves on the 12th of next month. The following passengers have already been booked for Auckland : — Mr and MrsJ A Bimnester, Miss G. Walker, Messrs A. J. Sk.iife and C. J. Pratt.