ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) London, December 14.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 338, 30 January 1889, Page 5

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) London, December 14.

"Mr Glsp.orne's nfghb 1 ' ab the Royal Colonial Institute will long be remembered as one of the most successful and important in the history of that now flourishing corporation. Lord Lome occupied the chair. Upwards of 150 Fellows put in an appear- 1 ance to support the hero of the evening at dinner, and when the too-well-dined party adjourned to the lecture hall, they' were gratified by bhe sight oi a capital house, upwards of 300 latlies and gentlemen, mostly Anglo-New Zealanders, being present. Mr Gisborne was in the best of health and. spirits, 'in fact (so his friends say), has never, been seen in finer " form." Opinions as to the value of his paper on " Colonisation " differ. Sir Walter Buller considered it an able resume of the situation, full of platitudes possibly, but then it is difficult to see how a speaker on such a subject could avoid bhetn. Sir Saul Samuel, on the other hand, thought so littie of the ■ paper that he declined even to join in the discussion which followed. I send you a verbatim reporb in case you should care to publish it. The Earl ot Meath opened the discussion, and was followed by Sir Julius Vogel, who appeared in public for the firsb time since he came home this time. He was well received and made a very pertinent speech. Lord Meath preached Imperial Federation. Without it the Empire would go to pieces. As for the present state of things, it couldn't possibly last. Vogel only partially assented to~ these propositions. Imperial Federation ? Why, certainly, if it could be managed on a practical basis, but he should like the colonies to have certain privileges such as electing their own Governors, etc., etc. Then came that admirable after - dinner orator, Sir Charles Tupper, with the speech of bhe evening. Sir Charles was fairly satisfied with the existing relations between the colonies and the mother country, and altogether failed to see why the mutually friendly feeling of to-day should nob last. Mr Giaborne in the course of his paper had remarked that the terms "colonist" and '• colonial " were too often unjustly used in a Tory sense. Why was it, why should ib be, uncomplimentary to call Brown or Jones " colonial " or ''a bit colonial ?" Sir Charles appeared to have misapprehended the drift of these remarks, for he went off into ati enthusiastic panegyric of the British colonist. "1 have," he concluded, "gained little distinction in life, and I am proud of the fact, bub I am prouder, infinitely prouder, of being able to call myself a British colonist" (loud cheeis). Sir Wm. Armstrong having said his "say about State-aided emigration, the impressible Mr Rees sent up word from the body of the hall that he would like to orate. Lord Lome rather reluctantly (as it was growing late) assenting, Mr Rees ascended the' platform and commenced to pour out a perfecb hurricane of elaborate phrases and finely - turned periods. A more voluble and thoroughly theatrical speaker 1 don't think I ever heard, and for uttering the vaguest generalises in an effective manner he can't have many equ3ls. Thus when with a royal wave towards the map, Mr Rees informed us that in one corner of that vast continent the teeming millions of the East End could be comfortably provided for and rendered self-sup-porting, we cheered lustily. Lord Lome let him go on for a reasonable time and then wound up the evening himself with general compliments. Mr Williamson declares that £30,0C0 shares were applied for in the Champion mine, and that ib was because of a private misundersbanding bebween himself and the directors that the latter declined bo proceed to allotment. Mr Williamson still hopes to pull the matter through. He has been very anxious to get Sir W. Buller to help him in the matter, but that gentleman openly disapproves the whole business. The capital of bhe Companyhas been raised from £100,000 to £105,000, as the directors, with an eye to their own pockets, should the attempt to float fail, have insisted on Mr Williamsons paying all advertising charges, etc., etc If the Company goes through, Mr W. will be reimbursed out of the additional £5,000. At present he has expended upwards of £2,000 in advertising, with (as he says) no more apparent result than if he had chucked the money into the sea. 'Twas ever thus, I fancy, with public companies. The leading New Zealand colonists, who visited Lord Onslow at Richmond Terrace last week, seem to have como away with excellent opinions of your new Governor. He naturally, they think, feels a little diffident at succeeding such a first-race allround man as Sir Wm. Jervois, but means to strain every nerve to secure respect and popularity. Lord Onslow will not be able to reach New Zealand before Sir Wm. Jervois leaves, but the two will meet in Sydney. In the interim your Chief Justice will, as usual, be Acbing-Governox*. The Earl asked his New Zealand visitors a great number of questions about Sir William, and appeared anxious to ascertain the secret of his being so well liked. Though Vogel'b name appeared amongst the list of colonists who were present on this occasion, he was not really there. Lord Onslow expressing a special wish to see him, however, ho called the following day and stayed with His Excellency more than an hour and a-half. An edition of 3,000 of "Vogel's book has already been placed, 2,000 here and 1,000 in the colonies. Iv is hoped, of course, that many such editions will be sold. Mr A. W. Stirling (author of the " Never, Never Land ") tries in the current number of the "Fortnightly Review" to open English eyes to the possibility of the colonies separating themselves from the old country. " Colonial opinion has,'* he says, " undergone a great change on this subject. A few years ago it was dangerous to speak of ' separation' in a mixed assembly, whereas now it was one of the acknowledged planks of the present Queensland' M inistry . " I gather from a question , put in the House of Commons anenb Sir Henry Norman's appointment, that as Sir Thomas Mcllwraith was not asked whether this gentleman would suit the colony, the Queenslariders mean to object to him, too. Entirely as the Home Government and the leading New Zealanders in London discountonance Mr W. L. Reess mammoth ' colonisation scheme, he is not without influential allies (Lord Lome and Lord Aberdeen towit), and if only he w^uld be content to raise a, moderate suni -for the pur-, pose of trying, the experiment of a small crofter settlement I believe the money could and would be found. Of course, one, doesn't know whether Lord Lome's andAberdeen's' assistance means more, than' verbal support on public platforms. (N.B. — There is, to be a big meeting* at Exeter Hall on *December 21st. ) Undoubb- , »edly\they 'would make 1 good financial figureliieadV for 'a/ semi-philanthropisb under-, taking, and sooner or later I expect "^The 1 "Crofter NeV'Zealand ' Se'ttlem'eHt Funclsj" is , what ' the whole affair will

come to.' 1 -Since the bnder-^ecreJfar^for. the Colonies gave the enterprising New Zealander's undertaking such,, a snub in the House, Mr ' Rees has' baen*' " loud ' in t v explaining " ;that; Lord /'Knutsfor&'s opposition is the outcome, of aj, V, deep-laid < conspiracy" by' European land-owners in" New Zealand,who desire to .wreck Mr Reess Company. - The active agent -in the •* conspiracy" is the brother of .a^well-known New Zealand landowner, and he, acting on suggestions from the otherfside.Jias written to several Cabinet Ministers impugning^Mr Rees. As for Sir F. D. ,Bell and tFe "New Zealand Govermhent's hostility,* thaVaris'e*s from fche fact that I^Lr Rees is thehvpolifcical opponent, and a very dangerous,^and^influehtial one, whom they would naturally , do their utmost to " kerush." ' ' '' ' > One thing I clearly 'foresee. Mr jßeea's scheme must either fizzle ou'b or' crystalline into something definite (such as I suggested) soon. You can't go on holding meetings and. passing resolution? tor evei. Moreover, now- the Government 1 has definitely | discountenanced the #hole affair, the necesi sary funds ran only be raised privately. . The University of Leipsic has, I see' it ' stated, conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy on Dr. Laishley, of Auckland. Of the £1,537 alleged to have been stolen from a passenger's cabin -on board the Orizaba, on her la&t trip home, £I,ooo' was in the form of a draft, and £500 a letter of credit, so that only £37 in gold was really lost. >\." The Duke of Portland has agreed to match oue of his now 'two-year-olds (Melanionor Donovan) any time next-year against any Australasian-bred colt (of 3 years or upwards for £500 , over three-quarters of a mile, each to carry Bst 71b) which Lord William Beresford can produce. As even the best walers are not/gooi at short sprint races of three-quarters of a mile, I should think it was long odds on the Duke pocketing the £500. P.S. — I learn since writing the foregoing about Mr Rees, that he has, as a matter of fact, much modified his original scheme, which will probably crystallise into an experimental crofter settlement. He seems to be perfectly confident about raising the necessary coin, and talks much of his "dear friends," Lord Lome and Lord Aberdeen. I gather, however, from a few words let drop by the former nobleman,. in the course of his speech at the Colonial Institute on Tuesday, that his enthusiasm anent the whole business is not very intense. "It remains," he said, "to be seen whether our friend Mr Rees will be able to persuade people of the advantages of his scheme of colonisation," or words to that effect.