ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES BY THE AUCKLAND "STAR'S" LONDON CORRESPONDENT. London, May 30

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 111, 18 July 1885, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES BY THE AUCKLAND " STAR'S " LONDON CORRESPONDENT. London, May 30

Business has been at a standstill since Saturday last, and will practically continue so till Parliament opens on Thursday next. At Whitsuntide most people allow themselves a far more prolonged holiday than at any other period of the year. In the North many of the factories absolutely close for a week on end, and the Lancashire lads and lasses disport themselves blithely at Blackpool and Southport, Here, of course, offices open as usual on the morning after the " Feast of St. Lubbock," but most of the principals are away, so that very little can be done during Whitsun' week. On Wednesday afternoon, SirF. D. Bellaocompanied the other Agents-General to the Admiralty, where they met the authorities to discuss the defensive measures taken by the various colonies, and to consider the arrangements advisable with the Home Government for furthering Australasian defence. The interview was, of course, private, but I understand the question of obtaining an ample supply of W hitehead torpedoes came up, and was carefully gone into, and that the Admiralty offered valuable assistance. Justice Lord Derby and the Liberal party generally are doing their utmost to propitiate the Agents-General of the various colonies and attach them to the Government as allies. There has never been a season when so much social attention has been paid to colonial representatives. On June 12th, par example, they will be the guests of the Devonshire Club at a special banquet, Lord Derby presiding.

THE CASTLETOWNROCHE MURDERS. Amongst tho distinguished passengers per KM.S. Kuapehu which arrived at Plymouth on the 22nd ulto., was William Sheeban (the alleged perpetrator of the Castletownroche murders), in charge of Sergeant, Denny of the Cork Constabulary, and a stalwart Auckland detective, by name Walker. Sheehan was not permitted to stay an hour longer than necessary in London, but conveyed promptly across to Cork, which the party reached on the Monday evening. On Tuesday morning Sheehan was brought before Mr Eaton, stipendiary Magictrate, and duly charged. On application of the Solicitor-General, he was remanded till the following morning, when it was strongly hinted that he would noli, be alone in the dock. The police averred important witnesses had been under that surveillance for nine months. The person most mentioned in connection with the case was Duane, but whether he would be brought up as witness or accomplice did not seem to be clear. His antecedents are bad. He was in gaol undergoing a sentence of penal servitude when the discovery was first made, and it is alleged by the Crown Solicitor that when he was asked to make deposition he did not know the bodies had been found in the well. He deposes that about the time the members of the Sheehan family disappeared he saw Wm. Sheehan one night with some other men remove three bodies in a cart from a stable near their residence, and convey them to a well— the very well where the police say they found them. All wiU, however be known on Monday next.

, Later. Just as lam closing this letter, I learn that Brown, the brother-in-law of Sheehan, has been arrested for alleged complicity in the crime.

It is said that an Indian, and the reputed son of Nana Sahib, is at present an officer in the Russian army, and that he is treated with princely honours.