ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 248, 21 March 1888, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

The Coptio brings two days' later news than the 'Frisco mail. Our London correspon. dent, writing on January 27th, says :—: — I "Mr Kaikes (the Postmaster - General), speaking at the annual dinner of the Wolverhampton Chamber of Commerce lust night, referred to the numerous projected improvements in tho Australian mail service One way and anothor, he ex- | plained, the Government hud olfected economies to tho extent of £107,000 a year on tho Indian and China mail service, and this sum, or a portion of it, would bo used in perfecting tho Australian sorvicos. They were going to have a weekly mail as hitherto, but it was to be independent of the Indian mail. It was to go to Adelaide, and to be carried by the Peninsular and Oriental Company and the Orient Company alternately in thirty-live days to Adelaide, and thirty-live days from Adelaide ; Adelaide being made the centre for the Australian mails in the great group of colonies. Moreover, the Government hoped to be able to reduce the cost of postage from thi3 country to tho Australian colonies. (Cheers.) They believed that when that had been done there would still bo a saving of from £50,000 to £60,000 a year on tho entire service, and all these letters would go by sea from Plymouth to Adolaide, instead of going via Brindisi. They might be longer going than by the overland route, but greater facilities would be given for correspondence between this country and rhe colonies. A i eduction had also been effected of £20,000 in the branch rates between Calais and Brindisi. Mr Douglas Sladon's " Australian Ballads and Rhymes," in the " Canterbury Poets " series, was published yesterday. Specimens of the work of several New Zealand rhymsters, such as Alexander Bathgate, Alfred Domett, E. S. Hay and Mrs J. G. Wilson, of Wellington, John Liddell Kelly, of Auckland, are given ; but I miss the names of John Blackmail, "Paddy Murphy" (I forget his real name), the Waikato poet who has published so much, and others. Mr Sladen has, howover, in hand a much larger selection, which will bo published in octavo by Griffith and Farran. New Zealand poets who wish specimens of their work included should communicate direct with Mr Sladen, care of Messrs G. and F., St. Paul's Churchyard. Australasian playwrights have not so far achieved conspicuous success on the London stage. Tho last to try his hand on the metropolitan public was Mrs Haddon Chambers with "Daron." Now, however, a much more ambitious attempt is to be made. Mrs Campbell Praed, tho successful novelist, lias (with some professional help) adapted her novel, "The Bond of Wedlock," for Mrs Bernard Beero, who will produce it at the Opera Comique next week.

GENERAL NEWS. The Conservatives are thunderstruck at the success of the new Radical halfpennypaper, the " Star," which has, in little over a week, achieved the unexampled circulation of 200,000 per diem. The third anniversary of Gordon's death was celebrated all over tho country yesterday. The weights for tho Spring Handicaps were declared yesterday. We learn from them that Major Egerton (the Jockey Club handicapper) considers Minting a stone and 21bs better than any other animal in training. The most favoured animal in the City aiSdSuburban seems to be the Oaks winner, Revo d Or, who should make a great bid for success with only 7st 121bs to carry. For the Lincolnshire Handicap last year's surprise, Oberon (5 years, Bsb lib), looks well ; whilo for the Grand National, St. Galmier (6yrs, list Bibs) is sure to be an immense favourite. Kompton Park Champion Coursing Meeting has been in progress this week, and concludes to-day. The last four dogs left in the Champion Stakes of £1,000, for 64 dogs, were Redvale, Holmby, Mullinger, and Mr R. F. Gladstone's famous greyhound Greater Scott, who ran up for this event last year, and subsequently divided the Waterloo Cup with Herschel. The final will lie between Mullinger and Greater Scott ; most people think Mullinger is slightly tho better favoured. Mr Heneage intends to bring forward the Deceased Wife's Sister Marriage Bill directly Parliament meets. If energy and determination can ensure success it will be pushed tlnough at last this session. I fear, though the loss of poor Lord Dalhousie.who had charge of the Bill in the Lords, will be seriously felt. Lord Brassey addressed the London Chamber of Commerce on the subject of "Our Coaling Stations and Their Defences," at Cannon-street Hotel on Wednesday afternoon. After describing the elaborate Government scheme now in progress for the defence of our coaling stations, His Lordship proceeded to sum up what he considered the most important omissions. Amongst other things, he recommends the establishment of armaments of sufficient force to deny the harbour and coal supply to light cruisers at King George's Sound, Port Durion, and Thursday Island. The Duke of Cambridge and Lord Charles Berosford approved of His LGrdship's suggestions. Lord Augustus Loftus passed hi 3 final public examination at the Bankruptcy Court yesterday. The old man attended in person, and with considerable dignity (everything considered) explained how his difficulties came about. He said, in reply to Mr Howell, that he had been in the service of the Crown for fifty years, and he attributed his failure entirely to the excess of his expenditure over the salary allowed him. While he was at] St. Petersburg, and again wlvilo he was Governor of New South Wales, there were circumstances of an exceptional character which necessitated the expenditure of large sums of monoy in entertaining, etc. The salary both as Ambassador at St. Petersburg and Sydney was £7,000 a year, which was never sufficient to meet all the expenses that he had to bear. As regards his personal expenses they were very small, and he had no expensive tastes to gratify. He had no assets, but felt justified in incurring the debts he did incur because he had expectations which still existed w hich would have enabled him to have paid nil i his creditors in full. He left the service of the Crown at the ond of 1885, when he retired on a pension of £1,700 a year, and since his retirement ho had lived well within his income. He did not realise the fact that he vas insolvent until he was forcod to the Court by the action of one creditor. By Mr Baker : He had never speculated on the Stock Exchange, neither had he ever indulged in horse racing or any kind of gambling. He had proposed a scheme of arrangement with his creditors, which they had accepted. There was no opposition, and the learned Regist/ar ordered the examination to be concluded.

Lover (passionately) : "My sweet ! My darling ! I love you with all my heart ! Be mine 1" Fair Maiden : " Oh, William, this ig bo sudden ; I must have time—" Lover : 11 No, no ! I must have my answer now, for \ have my eye on another girl."