ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 410, 12 October 1889, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES. (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)

London, August 16. The .through passengers to New. Zealand by the R.M.s. Orizaba, which sailed yesterday, included the Bishop of Dunedin, Dr. Moran, and six Roman Catholic clergymen, for Fort Chalmers ; Mrs J..W. Addley, T. W. Lonargan, and M. Sandstein for Lyttelton ; and Dr. C. H. Haines for Auckland. Mr C, H. M. Haughton went down to Devonshire on Tuesday, mainly in order to see the Bishop off to-day. He goes on to Dublin for a few days. Mr Henry Brett, of Auckland, who (with his family) has been stopping at St. Leonards during the week, was expected to return to town yesterday. The Agents-General are all out of town, and the few Secretaries and clerks left in Victoria-street will talk of nothing but that eternal (I was going to write infernal) Maybrick case. There has, by-the-way, been a good deal of conversation about the Hall trial in connection with the affair. Various New Zealanders have lucubrated anonymously in the papers on the subject — generally to the effect that no colonial jury would have convicted Mrs Maybrick on the evidence. That, of course, is nonsense. I was in Court from first to last, and I say unhesitatingly that no sane being who heard the evidence or observed the demeanour of the witnossss can doubt that the verdict was justified. The Marquis of Downshire has been ordered by his doctors to spend the winter in the Australian colonies, and sails for your part of the world early in October. He is a delicate lad of eighteen, very clever (his friends say) intellectually, but with a tendency to consumption. His title?, in addition to the Marquisate (an Irish creation), are Earl of Hillsborough (by which title he sits in the Lords), Viscount. Hillsborough, Viscount Kilwarlin, Baron Hill, Viscount Fairford, and Baron Harwich. The family seat is Hillsborough Castle, 1 Comity 'Down, but the Marquis also owns East Hanipstead Pai-k, near Bracknell in Hants, and has a palabial-resi-dence in Belgrave Square. He is an only son; and has hitherto been tied * pretty tightly to the maternal • apron-strings. Lord Downshire's guardian, and the heirpresumptive to the title, is Lord Arthur Hill, P.C., M.P., who married Miss Fortescue Harrison, the clever composer of "In the Gloaming," "In the Moonlight," and other popular songs. Since the late Lord Downshire died in 1874, the property has been very 'carefully nursed, and the present holder 'will be fairly rich (for an Irish peer) when becomes of age. Mr Maurice De Verney, a valuable member of the Kendals Sc: James's Company, has shown symptoms of consumption, and been ordered a long sea voyage to Australia. He sails next month. Mr A. Bogan Barton, one of the members of the London Rowing Club's Henley Grand Challenge Eight this year, and for some time a- prominent sculler at Cambridge, sails to-day for his home in Australia, having cojcnpteted the term of residence at the University for which he came over. He carries with him numerous "pots" and " trophies," not to mention the good wishes of numerous friends at Putney and Pembroke College. The report of H.M.s. Egeria, which has been surveying the route for the new cable between Vancouver and New Zealand, has been handed in. 'It states she has found good soundings between New Zealand and Tonga, and that the line between Fiji and New Zealand ' ha 3 been re-examined. La Ranee Vigia has also been examined. • The report, on the whole, is highly favourable to Mr Hea ton's pet project. It may or may not be news to you that Mrs Roberts, who recently came into an immense fortune through the death of your Australian millionaire, Wni. T. Blythe, has presented £100,000 to the Foreign Missionary Society, and £20,000 to the Welsh College at'Bala. The remainder (£l,BOO each) she has given to three Welsh chapels in Liverpool. The munificent lady is at presentrin your part of the world, and her motives for thus divesting herself of Mr Blythe's money remain a mystery. In the interests of Mrs Proctor and the large family which the deceased R. A. Proctor left behind, it is proposed to reissue in a cheap form many of tbe practical common-sense works (such as "Strength: How to Get Strong and How to Keep Strong ")• which he contributed to " Knowledge." Proctor was so well known both personally and by name in Australia and New Zealand, it is thought these little books would sell well there, and a special colonial edition, at a rather lower price than the English one, has been resolved on. The "Athenaeum," totally forgetful of the fact that it some weeks ago pronounced a glowing panegyric on Canon Curteis' " Life of Bishop Selwyn," came out last Saturday with a short paragraph review, in which it discontenredly declares that there was really jno necessity for another biography of the deceased prelate, and hints that the worthy Canon would have done better to have left his wife's brief but admirable monograph alone. London, August 23. The Hon. N. S. Grace has been created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire by the Pope. The title holds good of course only at Roman Catholic Courts, and cannot be recognised in England and the colonies. Why it has been conferred no one seems to know. Mr Grace is a " true believer " certainly and has -plenty of money, but he has not shown any special munificence in church matters. Mr C. H. Haughton returned to town yesterday from Bristal after rather more than a week's tour in Devon and Somersetshire. He takes his boy to Southsea next week and thence via Newhaven and Dieppe to Paris. I understand Sir Julius Vogel means holding forth at one of the coming meetings of the Colonial Institute oh the relations between England and her colonies. He declares it is pure fudge to pretend that' If in the future Australia desires to cut adrift from the Old Country she will be permitted to do so. England would hold on like grim death to her Antipodean possessions, and only part with them, or permit them to become independent, if forced to at the point of the sword. The sooner (he says) both parties comprehend and realise this the better it will be. Mr W. G. Cavendish-Bentinck has leased Clandon, Lord Onslow's beautiful place, at Guilford, for a term of years. Mr W. L. Bright, M.P.,' is to be interviewed on New Zealand directly he arrives, which will be on the 4th proximo. Sir A. Blyth and Sir Francis and Lady Bell are at Scarborough. So is Mr Youl, •C.M.G. Mr Brett, of Auckland, whose family are ■still at Hastings, came up for the inside of the week, and is staying at the National Liberal Club. As usual he seems full (overfull for a pleasure trip) of work. Mr Brett returns in October by P. and O. steamer Victoria. He would like to stay longer, and so would the Misses Brett, but Mrs Brett wants to be back with her children. Captain Thomas, erstwhile of the Kapanga mine, has gone to fill a similar berth .at Salt Lake Cifcy.

Mr and Mrs Peacock are still in Glasgow. Upon the requisition of a number of London shareholders, Mr P. has consented to offer himself for election as a director of the Auckland Board of the Bank of New Zealand. t Mr John Merry will airive in Auckland by the next San Francisco steamer. Thjs P. and O. Company have had such a rush 'of through freight for New Zealand at 25s that they have been compelled to put on an additional ss. Even now, however, the through rate via Sydney is 10s cheaper than by the direct steamers ot the New Zealand Shipping Company and Shaw, Savill. This seems a strange , anomaly, doesn't it ? A story to the effect that during the naval manoeuvres the New Zealand Shipping Company's Kaikoura on her way up channel was captured by H. M. s. Arethusa, appears to have greatly distressed Captain Crutchley, who writes to the " Time 1 ?" as follows : — " On Monday the 19bh inst., off Ushant a vessel was sighted at 11.30 a m. steering a north west course.' Knowing the naval manceuvrosworein courseof proceeding, when thQ vessel crossed our bow and bore about north from the Kaikoura I starboarded my helm and ran down to see what rnah-o'-war it was, so disguised. This vessel, which afterwards proved to be the Arethusa, stood to the westward, declining cloce communication ; she afterwards turned to the north-east arid hoisted the signal 'You are captured,' and endeavoured apparently to come alongside. For the space of about half-an-hour she maintained the same distance from us and finally sheering off to tho westward, fired a gun. I wish to point out that this socalled capture was not really so ; the Kaikoura ran down to the Arethusa, which she would not have done had it been war time, and the Arethusa was unable to conic alongside the Kaikoura without a greater ex"penditure of coal than she apparently cared for. She did not gain one yard in the chase." Mr G. W. Rusden, ,of vhom I have not heard much latterly, appears to be alive and loquacious as ever. He had a letter in the " Times " on Monday anent the touching affection of the colonies tor the Mother Country.