ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London , July 27. SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S BOOK. ANGL0-C0L0NIAL NOTES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 297, 8 September 1888, Page 4

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. London , July 27. SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S BOOK.

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Sir JuliusJ ulius Vogkl's literary venture has now taken definite form. After interviewing publishers innumerable, and considering various offers (all more or less impracticable), Sir Julius has very nearly resolved to entrust the production of " Picturesque New Zealand " to Messrs Judd and (Jo. , the chromo-lithographers who are turning out Sir Walter Buller's " New Zealand Birds " so perfectly. The idea is, instead of following slavishly in the footsteps of ''Picturesque Australia," to issue a chromo-lithogiaph of a suitable scene in New Zealand on the Pacific, painted by Chevalier (or some other colonial artist of repute) with each part of "Picturesque New Zealand," or whatever it is finally resolved to christen the work. These chi-omos being in the highest degree artistic and undistinguishttble, save by experts, from the original water-colour drawings, would give novelty and add attraction to the work. One of Sir Julius's arguments in favour of the success of the venture is, I think, fallacious. He points to the triumphant canvass for " L'icturesqueAustralia,' andurges thatif 100,000 could be found to put down their uaraes tor that book, he is justified in counting on 50,000 for " Picturesque New Zealand."' I think precisely the opposite mj'self. People who have spent lOgs. on the one book won't look at the other, unless, indeed, it is something quite different in conception and execution. The chromos are its great chance. How the requisite funds are going to be raised seems still doubtful. Even if they believed in the success of the venture, men of financial stauding, whose names would inspire confidence, could not go to the public for a small sum like £20,000. Such a proceeding ■would excite suspicion at once. "It is very odd," people would say, " this forming a company to carry out such a trivial undertaking. We should have thought an ex-Premier of New Zealand like Sir Julius Vogel, with Mr A., Mr B. and Mr C, would have been able to raise £20,000 in half an hour. Asking the public for the money looks as if they didn't half believe in the scheme." Nevertheless, Sir Julius is pushing the business forward with indomitable courage and energy. Lesseps, I think I told you, has accepted the dedication, and numerous distinguished colonists have offered to contribute. Sir Julius cannot move about much, being a sad cripple, but he cauieson a voluminous correspondence. When the book business is fairly floated, he talks of returning to New Zealand, and once again entering public life. At piesent he may be seen daily at Victoria Chambers, wheie the Agent-General has placed a room at his disposal. PROFESSObt LONG'S VISIT. 1 have it on Profesaoi Long's own authority that, though a proposal has been made to him to visit New Zealand anent the dairy farm business, it has not yet been accepted.

N.Z. ANTIMONY COMPANY. The telegrams announcing important £uld dibcovciie^ in the Now Zealand Antimony Co.'d mine afc Jackson's Head have drh en up the Company's shares. Practically, howevei, there aie none to be had at any price. ♦ Holder.- don't care bo sell till they know how things stand. Curiously enough^ a sample consignment of some tons of ore fioin vaiious parts of the mine arrived the other day by the Doric, and i^ at present being crushed and analysed. Sir "Walter Buller sent for it in consequence of a smaller sample haAing unexpected!/ yielded 6 ounces to the ton. He feaied ib might be an accident, and wished Lo test the ore moie fully befoie confiding their good luck to the chareholder*. Now the Company are what sportting folkb call "on velvet.'' Even should the ore only yield i ounce to the ton, they can at any moment get £80,000 for the mine.

NEW ZEALAND AT THE PARIS EXHIBITION. Though your Government has, with mistaken economy, declined to vote any money towaids a New Zealand Court at next year's? gi eat Exhibition in Paris, Sir Francis Btll ami Sir Walter Buller are not without hope of forming one. The Buller collection would, of course, form the central exhibit, and a very respectable collection of pictuies and curios could, it is thought, be got together from private persons at Home and in the colony. Why your Government persistently refu&es (notwithstanding the depression in the colony) to do anything towards attracting emigrants with money and tourists, I can'b think. That is, of course, the good of these colonial courts at foreign exhibitions. They excite the interest 01 the curiosity of people who travel. Since the "Colindies" la o t year the number of tourists visiting Australia and New Zealand has increased quite a hundred per cent.

AUCKLAND VISITORS TO ENGLAND. Messrs H. R. and E. R. Blora field, of Auckland, have arrived in England from Auckland. Mr Laßoche is amongst the pa:>sengers for Auckland to day by the IJ.1 J . and 0. boat. Mind your interviewer is well on the spot on his arrival. You'll find him bubbling o\'6r with the latent possible ■« rinkles on all kinds of interesting subjects

BISHOP COWIE'S BOOK. I have been favoured with a glimpse of au early and unbound copy of Bishop Cowie's new book, '• Our Last Year in New Zealand." The work i>s very much what the title implies, vi/,., a plain chionicle of a colonial prelate's life and labours during a sample twelvemonth. Hits object is explained in a shoit preface, which iiinb as follows: — "In anticipation of a vis-it to England in 1888, when the Anglican bi&hop.s will be invited to attend the Lambeth Conference, we have res-olved to keep a journal during the year 1837 in order that we may be able, as far as possible, to .supply in. quiring friends, if our expected visit is realised, with the information they ask for concerning the Church and the State ot New Zealand. The title of our book is not meant to imply that we do not intend to return to New Zealand, but that the general information contained therein concerning the colony is up to date, and may, therefoie, be of use to those who are contemplating a visit to the land ot our adoption." The work is dedicated " to the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Auckland, o£ whom many are mentioned in the following pages, and many more are deserving of honourable mention, as faithful coadjutors with their Bishop in the work of the Church. ' The book will undoubtedly be of immense use to gentle-folks intending to emigrate and settle in Auckland. In a kindly informal way the Bishop gives you a regular social chart of his diocese. We learn the houses at which he visits and the status in the community of the residents. Anecdotes are interjected occasionally to relieve the often rather monotonous record of daily duties, and the general information seems accurate and up to date. By intending emigrants

and Aucklanders Ihe Bishop's book should certainly be read. Ifc will be in one volume, prico 7s 6d.

COMMITTAL OF THE FROSTS — A SUMMONS FROM NEW ZEALAND. Mr and Mrs Frost (alias Mrs CordonBaillie) and the unlucky butler Crigner wore finally committed for trial on Monday, bail being refuged. The Walbhamstow charges were, on the advice of the magistrate, withdrawn, but several other cheque cases were duly proved, and added to the general indictment of false pretonces. Mr Julian Thomas ("The Vagabond"), of the Melbourne " Age," was then called, apparently with the object of proving that the female prisoner was Mrs Knight Aston, and not Mrs Frost. Beyond, however, admitting that he was acquainted with Knight Aston and had met him with Mrs G.B. in Australia. Mr Thomas did not seem able to give much information. Perhaps he didn't wish to. lam told h« was on very friendly terms with Knight Aston in Melbourne. Mrs Baillie's counsel, at any rate, appeared to welcome him as a friend. " Are you not aware,' 1 he asked, insinuatingly, " that Mrs Baillie obtained a divoice in Australia from Mr Aston ?"' But "The Vagabond" was not aware of the fact. Mr Wontnor, who appeared for the Crown, asked for a committal. To show Mrs Baillie s> financial portion he might say that he had a score of county Court summonses and judgments against her. One wab issued from a Resident Magistrate's Court in New Zealand, and in it the female prisoner was described as Annie YVhyte, wife of Knight Aston. Mrs Baillie heie volunteered the information that she was married to Frost in a schoolroom at Brussels by a Roman Catholic priest. Frobt corroborated the statement. The piisoners weie being iemo\ed w hen an old gentleman, who has attended all the hearings of the case, and who was generally believed to be a fiiendof Mrs Baillie's, rose up excitedly, and said lie wibhed to prefer a charge against Mrs B. of defrauding him of £160. He was advised to communicate with the I'ublic Pro&ecutoi.

PERSONAL NOTES. Sir Donald Lainach has gone to Homburg to drink the waters. Sir Francis Bell's re-appointment caused immense surprise, firstly because it was common talk heie that Sir H. Atkinson meant to appoint himself to the billet, and secondly because Sir Francis Bell has continuously pretended that he wished to resign, and was only stopping on (to oblige the Government) till someone else was ap- j pointed. On the whole, we are disappointed. A little fresh blood at Victoria Chambers would do no harm at all. The New Zealand friends of Mr David George, of the Bank of New South Wales, will be glad to learn that he has been appointed manager of the London branch. The Hon. J. Coutrs-Crawford is in London, on a mission paitly of business and partly pleasure. The business portion is to float companies to work the Richmond Hill Silver Mine and the Culedon Extended Gold Mine. The first notion was to bring both out at once, but the time is not considered favourable, nor are the ventures themselves of the kind to be snapped up very eagerly. The fact that both mines have been worked already without having satisfied their owners tells against them. Next yeai fchcie may be a mining- " boom " again, Mr Crawford will have to watch his chance. Meanwhile he is enjoying himself and seeing the sights. Mr Mackie, ol the National Bank of New | Zealand in Dunedin, is in London doing the sights. The Hon. Robeit Campbell and Mr AJacHardie are still bu&y endeavoiuing to solve the mysteries ot the fro/en meat trade. Mr and Mrs Howaid are through passengers for Auckland by the Orizaba next week, and Mr .7. S. McLaren goes through to Dunedin per Valstta on August 3id. The Kendals have again undei consideration a "\ery tempting otter for a tour in Australia. Mdme. Sarah Bernhardt's Australian tarns' definitely arranged tor the spring of 1890. During the Exhibition season she will not perfoim out of Paris, but directly that is over the great actress starts for the Antipodes, taking with her much the tame company who went with her to the Brazils. The torpedo for which the Home Government gave the joung Australian Brennon sucha\ust sum ot money is already well nigh obsolete, having been superseded by Noidenfelts, every wheie admitted to be the torpedo of the future. The Nordenfelt can travel for two mile*, is both propelled and steered by electricity, and cau be fired with equal facility from the shore or from a vessel. Sir Chailes Tuppsi called specially upon Sir F. I) Bell to congratulate him "on his leappointment as Agent-General. ABOUT NEW ZEALAND BISHOPS, &<_. Youi New Zealand Bishops were very much to the fore last Sunday. Bishop Stunit occupied the pulpit in the evening at St. Paul*. Catheilial, Bishop Covvie was special preacher at St. Mary's, Newington, at morning sei\ice, whilst Bishop Suter addiessed a fashionable congregation at the Chapel Royal, \\ hitehall. The previous afternoon, their loidship<- vvere the guests of the Pi imate at Lambeth Palace. Mrs and Miss Cowie accompanied the Bishop of Auckland. Mr Hugh Seth Smith has been elected a fellow of the Colonial Institute. Some wiseacre has discovered that, in proportion, ten times as many person? use the telephone in New Zealand as in London. Sir Charles Dilke is busy with a work on colonial statistics. He and Lady Dilke will not start on their tour of Greater Britain till later in the year. Frozen meat has lemained linn during the week, with a slight rise on imported mutton. On (lit tihdb one of the two big syndicates which lendeicd for the last New Zealand loa?i has done a \ery good thing out ot it, but that the other lost money. That sounds contradictory, but I am told it is quite possible.