ANGLO COLONIAL NOTES {BY OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 115, 15 August 1885, Page 5

ANGLO COLONIAL NOTES {BY OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.)

London, June 26. Personal and General. The society papers chaff Mr James Aslibury about his purchases of land in New Zealand. It is indeed a little hard to understand such an incurable traveller and searcher after fresh sensations as the late member for Brighton settling down to the quiet, nob to say monotonous, life of a colonial grazier. It is averrsd that " The Ruling Passion,' Millais's largest picture in this year's Academy, has been purchased for the Sydney National Gallery. I regret to announce the death of Captain James Steward, R.N.A., who was for &> years in the seivice of the P. and 0. Company. He commanded, amongst other vessels of the line, the China and the Khedive. MrFredk. Young, of theColoniallnstitute, goes to Cambridge" next week to instruct jthe undergraduates on "Imperial Federation." Poor old William Creswick, who, since his return from Australia, has, like many another veteran, " lagged superfluous on the stage," now means to retire altogether. He wiill take a farewell bonefit at Drury Lane in October. A company of distinguished amateurs, including Mrs Cecil Clay {nee Rosina Vokeß), Sir Charles Young, and Lady Monckton, supported by Mr and Mrs Beerbohm Tree and other professionals, are talking of making a theatrical tour through the principal towns of the United states, and thence back home via New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, and taking ship direct from Melbourne to Brindisi, and not playing at Colombo or Suez. Vessy Stewarts "Year Book of New Zealand for 1885-6 " has just made its appearance. The compiler is aMr T. S. Jones, who, according to report, was once a journalist in Auckland. The volume costs 7s 6d, and does not seem to be badly put together, though most of the matter has appeared in some form or other before. I hear "The Echo," which is great | on everything connected with New Zealand, gave the book a capital review. At the tenth annual meeting of the Tonic Sol-Fa College on Tuesday evening, the growing popularity of the Sol-Fa system in AastraUa and New Zealand was remarked on. The P. and 0. Company have declared an interim dividend at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum for the six mouths ending March 31st. A " home for educated but needy ladies desiring to emigrate" has lately been started in Portman Square, by Lady Strangford and some friends. The idea is to ship off a lot of the "genus" governess to Australia and New Zealand, where, it seems to be imagined they are in great request. I expect you will hear of some of these deluded females soon. When they find they don't drop into " £60 a year and a comfortable home " directly they reach the colonies there will be a rumpus. Meanwhile swell amateur performances for the benefit of the " home for educated ladies, i &c," are the order of the day. There was one the other afternoon at the Court Theatre in which Mrs Labouchere, Lady Monckton, Sir Charles Young, and Mr Clayton took part. Shaw's eleven made their first appearance in England since their return from Australia at Sheffield Park against a picked eleven consisting of W. G-. Grace, F. Hearne, Painter, M. W. Newham, G. G. Hearne, Hall, J. Hide, Emmett, Gumshaw, H. Phillips, and Peate. Unfortunately,, the weather was wet both days, so that even the first innings of both elevens could n®t be brought to an end. Lord Sheffield's team went in first and made 134, the chief scorers being F. Hearne, 62; J. Hide, 40 ; G. G.Hearne, 19 ; and Painter, 18. Then Shaw's team went in, and when time was called had scored 80 for three wickets, ,viz., Scotton, 0 ; Shrewsbury, not out, 18 ; Ulyett, 51 ; Burnes, 0; Bates, not out, 11.

Liquidation of Now Zealand Grain Agency and Mercantile Company (Limited). At the fourth annual meeting of the, shareholders cf this Company a very doleful report was presented by the directors. For the year 1884 the Profit and Loss Account showed a balance to the bad of £48,889 7s 9d ! The Company's shipments of grain to this country, last year resulted in a loss of £38,024,, owing to the damaged and heated condition in which the wheat arrived ; indeed, not a, single cargo has been sound, and all had to be sold at ruinous prices. ' This exceptional j loss, aggravated by the abnormally low prices ruling for even good wheat, had been further increased by bad debts in , New Zealand resulting from, three j bad harvests in succession. , The directors, therefore, recommended that the Company should at least discontinue the mercantile part of their business, and .either continue only the mortgage part, or altogether wind up. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report, added th,at they had lost more than Half their paid-up capital—a loss, however, which wap very evenly distributed among, all persons connected with the Company. He recommended a voluntary windipg-.up; and this, after a short \ discusaJLon, appearing to^.be 'the " sense " of tine meeting^ ne announced that a,meeting 'would be called, for Friday week „.-:,

v , I^rozGn Meat, &o. i . The 17,000 frozen caroasea brought by > ( the K^ikoUfa'haV^ already beeii put in ( pa?fc I on the market! i Thus farj <the Seoi?etary of • the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile in- ,

form's me. they VaYtftaraed out in excellent 'oon'dition— ft point°about which' there was some v ahbdety* before' unshipmeht, because of the way'in Whi'dH the- cargo'of the Rtiapehu'disappointed hopes. iv The top 'price tbiiched'in'thVtfrst day's sale was 6£d, whidh ; is' n'dt * a'flgttre'td be 1 jubilant about, fiut the fatot it, <&U drodtfde in the'Lbnabn markets <J is' tinufitfafly'cheap-'aborainably, cheap; so faraa'the 'ptoduceria'conderned. J American cbees"e of .excellent Quality, which not Y s6 vety long 'ago 'Was fetching 60a to 70s, is at present getting only 42s. 1 Since this is kind of cheese with' whioh the ca'aeine produce of ' New Zealand competes, the New Zealand' producer- will see how little hope there is at present of a profitable exportation ,df cheese, especially when" he has learned that the ' consignments, with one or two (exceptions, have not turned out

! satisfactorily u|> till now. • ' ■ ■ ; I ' Personal 1 and* General. ' ' ' i Sir Arthur Sullivan 'sailed for New York i an route for San Francisco and Sydney by the Cunard steamer Etruria last Saturday! It is uncertain whether his colonial relations — who are, I believe, Queensland girls — will meet him at 'Frisco, or whether he will have to go and fetoh them. If, as is not improbable, the Americans, are too importunate in their hospitalities, Sir Arthur may jump at the rest and quiet offered by a long voyage over summer soas, and of course in that case you will see him. ' The English temperance prints are boasting loudly of the wonderful' success they say has greeted the crusade of Mr Michael Burnett in New Zealand. ! The colonies will have but little cause to rejoice over the advent of the Conservative^ to power, if there be' any truth in the report that Mr Chaplin, the new Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster, means to try and remedy the existing agricultural depression by introducing a bill imposing a tax on all dead meat imported into the country. There has been very little doing since the departure of the San Francisco mail, everything being at a standstill, owing to the protracted nature and seemingly doubtful issue of the late political crisis. Now the Conservatives have definitively accepted office, a reaction should take place, and things be pretty brisk during the remainder of the session.

Shipping and Passenger Notes. Messrs S. Lovienskield and R. Bsh are through passengers to Auckland by the s s. Orient, which sailed from Plymouth on the 24th inst. Mr Bramwell will be a through passenger to Auckland per P. and 0. steamer Valette, sailing from London on July 2nd. Ifc is worth noting in connection with the extraordipary homeward run of the J&.M.S. Kaikoura (of which you will have heard by cable), that but for experiencing dirty weather just before arrival, she would have absolutely made the voyage in thirty-live days.

The Cholera in Spain.— Shocking Scenes in Murcia. The Madrid correspondent of the "Standard" states that the abandonment of King Alphonso's visit to Murcia has caused deep disappointment to the inhabitants : — "From this cholera- stricken city of 86,000 inhabitants", where 1,400 deaths out of 3,000 cases ot cholera have occurred in 20 days, almost all the wealthier inhabitants fled at the first outbreak. They were soon followed by about 30,000 persons of all ranks, who spread the epidemic to many villages in the beautiful Huerta, a very garden of tropical vegetation. Among this unhappy population so terrible is the epidemic that during the last three days 510 oases and 230 deaths have occurred. Some rain fell on Sunday, which .increased the torrid heat, and created a strange bluish mist at nightfall over this interesting and afflicted country. Awful tales ara told of whole families having been swept off before the devoted village doctors and the priests could bring relief. Yet still the sturdy, wiry peasants are at work in the fields. The aspect of the town of Murcia is very dull. Many of the shops are closed, and many houses untenanted. A few people gather in the cafe's or casinos. Processions from the churches pass along the streets with unwonted frequency, the priest carrying the host to the dying ; and as the acolytes tinkle their silver bell the people kneel in the streets, uncover their heads, and cross themselves. Other processions twice a day parade the infected streets, and carry about the relics and images of saints. . The Bishop has instituted solemn services in the cathedral and the churches to implore the Divine assist J ance. The Bishop and the Governor are also incveasingin their visits to persons attacked, and in the distribution of rations and medicines to the poor. A picturesque camp of sheds and tents has been formed on El Malecon Esplanade, commanding a view of the river and Huerta, and close to tho gipsy quarter, where splendid types of the Gitano race abound, living in filthy dens. Day and night the dreaded 'dead cars' pass to and fro along the streets, and often take bodies away without coffins within an hour after the decease. In the city of Murcia and the Huerta, during tho last 24 hours, there were 260 cases and 150 deaths, which is a heavier proportion than that in Naples, in 1884."