ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (For the Frisco Mail of October 7th.) (FROM STAR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.] London, October 7.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 179, 20 November 1886, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (For the Frisco Mail of October 7th.) (FROM STAR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.] London, October 7.

Tne Deatb of Mr W. J. Hurst. It is with sincere regret I find myself constrained to announce the death of Mr W. J. Hurst, of Auckland, who, after a manful struggle with dropsy and weakness of the heart, finally succumbed at Folkestone on tne 29th ult. Mr Hurst was in a shocking state when he arrived in England, and I had from the first serious doubts as to his pulling through. He seemed, however, full of pluck and confidence himself, and though very weak, said he suffered no pain. At first Folkestone benefited Mr Hurst materially. The worst symptoms were giving way to treatment, and till about a fortnight ago Mrs Hurst had every reason to hope her husband would slowly recover. Then an ominous change set in. Writing to u friend, Mrs Hurat aaya :— "The last illness came on suddenly, and with no actual pain, but terrible restlessness and violent coughing. To alleviate the latter, the doctors administered morphia, which led to his brain wandering a little at times. My husband bore hia long and tedious illness with the greatest fortitude and submissive patience. He had • ©very confidence in his medical men, and fully believed that in time they would cure him. The possibility of a fatal issue never seemed to enter his mind. During the last two days the breathing was so oppressive he •could only speak at intervals to be under stood ; yet we never heard a word of complaint or a murmur. After a cousin of his had been reading some hymns which he •could evidently enjoy, he whispered, 'I shall have rest poon." Our friends were all so far off, but few could attend the funeral— which had to take place almost at once— yet quantities of lovely flowers were sent down, and covered the coffin, some lavender from "our New Zealand home being mixed with them." Mrs Hurst, who is natural! v a good deal broken down with nursing and long night vigils, ac well as in deep grief, returned to town with her brother after the funeral. She will not go out again to Now Zealand unle?s business matters require her to do so. Mr Hurst's estate at Takapuna is to be sold.

A Party of Personally Conducted M P.'s. Some of the society journals are making merry over the report that the irrepressible 'Enniker 'Eaton is about to personally conduct a batch of Conservative M.P.'s round the Australasian colonies this winter. '• If," says one weekly, "Mr Heaton wishes to add to the boon he will confer upon us by taking these loquacious nobodies to the antipodes, he will leave them there. °Enniker 'imself we couldn't spare. He is unique." Meanwhile Mr Heaton is pounding away at his Universal Penny Postage echeme with an enthusiasm and determination which defies obstacles, and will ultimately, I believe, be crowned with success. To the <( ,Times" tbe other day he aent a two-column letter- giving some 16 or 17 arguments in favour of the plan, and the "Fortnightly ' also contains an exhaustive article from his pen on the same subject. Depend upon it, in a year or two Henniker will be bracketed with Rowland Bill and Fawcett «b one of our great postal benefactors. The post-card eyetem is to be extended to the Australasian colonies at an early date. Mr Raikes and his coadjutors are busy considering the difficulties in the way, and have every hope of being able to surmount them. Personal Notes.

Messrs W. K. Graham and Son (Owen and Graham, of Auckland) have moved their London offices from 23, Great St. Helens, to Blomfield House, 85, London Wall, E.C. Mies Isabella Aldis, daughter of Professor Aldie, of Auckland, was married on the 27th ult. to Mr Wm. Tiego Webb, M.A , of the Bengal Educational Department. Mies Emily Nichols, daughter of the late Chas. Nichols, of Dunedin, was married on September 25 to Mr R. H. White, of Heavitree, near Exeter. The Lord Mayor of London elect (Sir Reginald Hanson) lived for some little time in Australia as a young man, and has many friends at the antipodes. The New Zealand Court at Kensington. From files* of the colonial papers just to hand, I notice that some enthusiastic admirers of Sir Julius Yon Haast are trying to obßcare the real point at iesue with regard to the New Zealand Court at the 41 Colindies," by quoting the many complimentary speeches made by English savants, etc., with reference to its arrangement. Surely these gentlemen must be aware that, save as regards the banishment of the pictures, the arrangement of the section baa never been called in question. Even the severest critics of the work of the New Zealand Commission frankly admit that Sir Julius Yon Haast is an admirable museum curator. What the so-called detractors so allege, and I incline to think correctly, is that the New Zealand Commission has failed to provide a Court giving a correct or adequate impression of the wealth, Teeourcee, scenery, cities, and natural wonders of the colony. I mean a workingman entering the Court with the arerage working-man impression that Now Zealand was a *• potty little place " would probably leave it under the same delusion. This couldn't happen in the Victorian, N.S.W., or even Queensland sections. I have myself frequently heard working folk crushing round the score or so of big ecreons of photos of up-country towns ia Victoria. Public buildings in Melbourne and ballarat sxpreee surprise at the bigness and importance of things in the new world. The L-ape Court more particularly seems full of surprises to the lower claes visitor*, very few of whom appear to have the faintest knowledge of the vastness of our colonial possessions.

New Zealand Pictures at Albert Hall. I suppose^l know the geography of the South Kensington Exhibition as well as most people who have visited the shows there continually for the past four years. Jtfeverthelees, it was not without considerable difficulty I found my way to the Albert Hall Picture Gallery lift the day before yesterday. This conveyance Paves one the weary ascent of a lighthouse-like staircase, and I gladly paid a penny for the privilege of using it. Many hundreds who find their way to the lift do not, howevor, care about turning up the necessary coin in order to see the New Zealand pictures, and expreps -r em «!i yea a KK"e v ed at being asked for it. Drat the picture," said a stoufc and peppermint perfumed elderly lady who went up with me, "they bean't worth mooch or the Prince wouldn't have Btuck em up here,"— a proposition that seemed

to meet with general acceptance. Nevertheless, ,niany of the pictures so cruelly skied are very fine, and w6uld*uncl6ul>tedly' have attracted a lot of attention down below. I have only to mention, Mr W. G. Wrights splendid portrait of " Tawhaio " (far finer than the one cm Dr. Buller's collection), Mr John Gully's landscapes of 11 Kaikoura," " Wairoa Valley," and " Wakatipu " (lent by the Bishop of NelBon) and Mr Blorafield'e twelve realistic views of the Rotomahana wonderland, to show what the average visitor to the Exhibition misses through the collection being "hidden away in a loft." Then there are the numerous frames of photos— not, by the -way amongst the New Zealand pictures at all, but further on opposite the Maltese collection. Incomparably the fineat of these is (as rumour averred) the handsome case of Ghrißtchurch notables Bent over by George and Walton, The executive would, if questioned, probably say that its great size prevented the removal of this frame to the New Zealand Court proper when the pictures of Burton Bros, and Bartlett were transferred below. No doubt, too, the. fact ofjßurton's and Bartlett'a photos being mainly views of scenery had much to do with their being primarily selected for transfer. Other photographic exhibits scattered about the Albert Hall gallery are bv Hart and Campbell, of Invercargill ; Geo. D. Valentine, Auckland ; Burton, of Dunedin, and Wriggleaworth and Binns, of Welling, ton. Two or three large screens are devoted t osolectionsof drawings, etc. , by the students of ChriBtchurch School of Art. The avetage work is creditable, and some " life studies in colour" by W. M. Gibb and W. E, Chart distinctly promising. Nor must I forget to speak a word of praiso for the eeries of architectural designs by Laweon, of Dunedin, and Burwell, of liavercargill, which would have been most useful in giving visitors a notion of your public buildings, etc., had they been hung downstairs. Lord Braseey announces that the main object with which he and her ladyship are going to Australia is to promote the cause of Imperial Federation. Sir Graham Berry will initiate the forthcoming session of the Colonial Institute on November the 9th with a paper on "The Colonies in Relation to the Empire.