TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR SPLCIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, October 4.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 422, 23 November 1889, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY. (FROM OUR SPLCIAL CORRESPONDENT.) London, October 4.

COLLAPSE OF THE COTTOff CORNER. The collapse of the Liverpool cotton '• corner " has nob been followed — as in the case of the notoiious ftkuris Ranger — by the ruin of the "cornerer." Air SteeiihCrand, the present operator, so far trom having lost monoy, is taid to have made close on £100,000, and would have realised double that sum could he have held on another week or so. Ho id a Get man Jew, not particulaily wealthy, nor till recently of any special'influenec on 'Change, bub a shrewd judge of the cotton market. Steenstrand based his "corner" on the probability, or rather on his personal knowledge, that last year's crop was much smaller than people generally believed it to be, and curly in March he bought September arrivals (i.e., cotton to be deli\ ereii in September) largely. His views as to the limit of the crop pro\ ing right, he was this last month the po3«er>sor of almost all the cotton on the market, and could charge r,he manufacturers what he chese. ' They, on their part, resolved to make an end of the " corner,"' and teach Liverpool a lesson by closing every mill in Lancashire tor a lorbnight. The cfieco of this, of eoiU?e, would j have been to ea&c tho market till October j arrivals came to hand and to bring dow n the price of cotton wifch a run. Stcensluind had no wish to push matteis to such an extremity, and ou Monday morning iasfc sold largely on a falling maiket. The margin j between tho prices he bargained ior in j March last and the prices he can sell ut now aie, ho« ever, sufficient to enable the shrewd German to net a large sum by his coup. \

CAUSE OF E WELDON'S DEATH. The surgeons and analysts who arc busying themselves examining the internal anangements of the late Mr Ernest Weldon (he was no 1 elation, by-the-\vay, fco the litigious Mrs TW), have not up to the pre- i sent been able to find the smallest trace of poison, oi, indeed, of foul play of any sort. In all probability, the man died, as his medical man certitied, of the combination of complaints from which he was undoubtedly suffering, and there was no justiiicabion whatever for the exhumation of the body. So soon as the inquest is o\or, Mrs Weldon means to take revenge on the New York " Hetald ' ! (London edition) for the manner in which that enterprisiug journal Jias pilloried her. She is a very determined woman, and ha\ing (as Mr Justice Denman publicly intimated) a strong case, will not improbably make Geo Gordon Bennettviish the "London Herald" had never been born.

THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND'S HOME- CODING. The Duke of Sutherland's tenantry at Dunrobin being anxious J-i is Grace should reside at the castlo part of the year, resolved to boltthenew Duchess amicably, and gave the elderly lovers a good Scotcn welcome on their arrival there last week. The Duke chose tomakea speech, and caused considerable quiec mirth by remaikin" maladroitly that he prefened his l# hone«b Highlanders' cheers to the smiiesof Royalty." Considering how persistently His f-Jiaco at one time sought the said smiles of Royalty, and the reasons which caused him to lose them, he could scarcely ha\e utteied a bigger betibe.

WILKIE COLLINS TUNER AL. Wilkie Collins funeral was very largely attended, though the arrangement* were of the simplest character, the deceased h&\ ing expressly stipulated that the o-xj-eu-es iihould not exceed twenty pounds. When he fell ill "Blind Love" was three-paits finished, but (in accordance hi;, custom) the novelist had drawn up such an elaborate scenario, or outline, ot the plot, that Walter Besant, to whom the job was entrusted, found no difficulty whatever in finishing it. Wilkie Collins had been used to draw out these scenarios ever since he fell ill in the midst of wiiting " 2s T o jSfame," and before he had resolved on the denouement. The catastrophe worried him terribly, as his popularity was then at its zenith. Fortunately he recovered just as Dickens was on the point ot taking the tale in hand. Edmund Yates say* his old triend leaves hardly any literary remain?, bub Hall Came and others seem to think sufficient can be found lo fill a couple of voiunics. Wilkie Collins death has given a spurt to the sale of " The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone," and I'm glad to notice Labby and other shrewd judges saying a good word tor " Armadale." All the Collins family \\ ere clever. Both Charles and Mortimer wrote fairish novels, and the latter had al=o some reputation for society vqrses "Sweet Anne Page,'' by Mortimer Collins, will well repay perusal. It is not in the iainlest degree liks any of Wilkie's boohs, and rather loote in principles!. Mortimer Collins was a thorough Bohemian.

EFFECTS OF THE STB IKE. During; the past fortnight upwards of j 60,000 men, tempted by fallacious notions of the results of the strike, have flowed into the metropolis in search of work, and the cry is, "Still they come." The misery, suffering and starvation this winter promises to be infinitely severer, acuter, and moie impossible to grapple with than ever before, Another cfieel of the success of the big strike has been to cause countless small one 3 (not chronicled m the papers), and | these are all going one way. I] ere La j sample which came under my personal notice. A carrier (unskilled labour) employed by a largo firm spoke to me in great trouble. He and his mates had been in the l habit of receiving (&ay) 28s a week, and i were perfectly contented. When, however, everybody else appeared to be striking they thought they might as well "go out " too, and asked for a ripe of 2s a-week and shorter hours. The principals promptly refused the demand, and notified the men that unless chey returned to work they should fill up their places within 48 hours. This was done : " thousands," my informant added, " clamoured to be taken on at the rate we had rejected." Scores of small strikes have ended like this, leaving the surprised and disconsolate strikers pimply raving.

MRS MAYBRICK'S DEFENCE, The Messrs Gleavev have found it necessary to contradict the "statement thab Mr Brierly subscribed thousands of pounds towards the expenses of Mis Maybrick'a defence. They say all they ever received from him was one colicary cheque for £100. The firm add that the precise sura paid Sir Charles Russell was £800, and that personally, so far from having made money out of the case, they are losers to the extent of £1,000.

"THE DEAD HEART.' Despite lavish mounting and careful acting, the Lyceum revival of "The Dead Heart " cannot honestly be called a succe&p. Where the precise faull lies I should not like to say— probably with the play itself— but the performance ia^ gloomy and .slow to a degree. Irving himself sati&'ios one neither as the gay, iniovciant young sculptor of the first act, nor as the released prisoner, living only for levcnge, of later scenes. His gi eat opportunity i» supposed to como when, after the felonning of the

Bastille, the dazed and half-imbecile Landry is rescued from blio coll ho has occupied for eighteen long years. The actor's appearance then was ghastly and effective- enough, but Jna moans and proans bordered on the ridiculous. Somehow the situation was lost. The duel with the Abbe Labour went better, but. that seemed to me mainly Bancroft's doing. The ex-manager of the Kaymarket, imjeed, scoies more than cither Ining or Mi&s Terry in the revival. Ho was nervous on Sa tin-day evening 1 , but yet played the wicked Abbe with great unction, especially in the latter fcenos. Mi<*s Terry has little or nothing to do till the final act, when tho counters prays L-indiy to spare her boy's lite. >Sho certainly acted this exceedingly well, hut tho character, as a whole, scarcely fruits her peculiar stylo. Half-a dozen actresses one can think of could have filled the role equally well. Risrhton, as the barber Tonpet, p-avo an occasional touch of fri\olifcy to the piece.

DRAMATIC NOTF.& 11 The Royal Oak " is very far horn being ono of the most- suecesshtl pieces which Augustus Jlairis lias produced afc Diury Lane. Ib will, indeed, requite nibbles cutting- befoic it becomes even " sit-oub-able."' On the fiisfc night most of us retreated, bored to death, after the thud act, and from all accounts we didn't mi"s much. Thero ruo. howovei, plenty ot ?mait scenes ami sfcirrintj situations in "The Royal Oak," and tho acting h so good that it will probably run bill Christmas. I should scarcely think, though, you'll over sco the piece in Anstuilii. Aithur Kobeitb comm n nce^ hh campaign ns a London iraiuprer afc the unlucky little Royalty Theatre with a burlesque called "Tiid I\ r ew Onsican Brothers," by Cecil Ralei-ih C'S-v Walter" of tho Pink 'Unj, the rau^'iC being arianged by Walter Slaughter. " The Brands " ie a complete failure at the Avenue Theatre, and " Mon« '' Marius (as everyone calls the volatile Frenchman) has already pub Tito Mattio's new oomic opera "The Piima Donna" into active rehearsal. A Madame Pal ma, fresh to London, will play the chief part in this work. The late H. B. Farnie hud been in bad health for some time. He went to l\ui> in defiance of his doctor's ad\ice, caught a bad cold vi toule, and was dead in thiee days-, Jb'arnie's most successful adaptations wc'ic "The Mascotte,"' " Olivette," "Rip I Van Winkle," " Cioches de Coine\illc," I and "' Vaul Jones." As a sta^e munutrer of this clas.-. of production, he had, ib is generally adiaittcd, no equal in the profession. The Strand ihu.rur-, aver tho bc;>no of Gilbeit and Sullivan's new opera ib laid in tnedi.evul Venice. I fancy Is-hall be nearer the mark when I predict ( Uiina as the \ euue. Anyhow, Mrs (-Junn, who usually designs the dresoe& for the Savoy, has a Lxrc;e number of celestial costumes in preparation. The author? of " The Irish Cousin," which I recently commended to you as the beefc story of Paddy liro and character (wi&houl politic-) I'd reid for 3 car?, ase two girl?, a tistor and a contain of Mr Itobert composer of those immortal lyrics, " Ballyhouley "' and " Kellaloe." Tb can at nrccenb on : y be obtained in libraiy form (two volumes octavo), bub I'l l let you know when it comes down in pi ice, Ufa the novel id not one to be missed. Major Cockle, the compos-ei* of the operatic \et?ion ot the "Lady of Lyons.' produced at the Opera Comique la-t ni^ht, ia a nephew of the compounder of the famous liver pills and the picsenb possessor of bhe patent. He baa ot" coorse lots oi money, and lives at Hastings, where he takes the lead in matters musical. Sara Pernhar.lfc's last eccentricity has j OiO^ttd tiie piofwundest f»iu[>ri'e in Paris. j She — wiiO never paid hor own bills— has settled all D\mala f. •ure lord /.iayor. The new Lord Mayoi, bir Henry I^aac^, is an extraoidinaiy contract to his courtly iA\d poliched predecessor, Alderman Whilehead. Alderman Whiteheads teim of oiiicc, which has been a mosfc successful one, will end with a great ball at the Mansion House early next month. Ho has been offeied a baronetcy, but, in the interests of his eldest son (who thinks he murht in tho lutuie imd the title a nuisance), refused it.

MR GORDON CRAIG. Mr Gordon Craig, who made his <hbul in the "Dead Heart "on Saturday, is a son of Ellen Terry by her first husband, Mr Watts, the Royal Academician. He inherits his mother's beauty, with hi 3 father's erratic artistic ternpeiament, and promises to de\elop inco a, distinctly remarkable character. Mi-s Teiry's daughters by her second husband, John Kelly, are strikingly plain giil=B an( l w ' l^ never set the Thames on fire a^ actresses. One or them, Miss '• Ailsa Craijj," recently went on tour with JMir c? Fortescuc, but declined to allow herself to be advertised as Ellen Terry's daughter.

'•THE PROFLIGATE." Prcnincial, like colonial audiences, avo often pro\okingly captions and inexplicably hard to please. At Liveipoo), lor example, the Gavrick Theatre Company scored an immense success with "The Profligate," tinning away money ever-y night. At Manchester, on the contrary, the piece (apparently without rhyme or leason) failed to draw. Everything wai the same as at Liverpool and in London, but the ?Janchester folk wouldn't ha\e it at any price.

JOURNALISTIC ITEMS. C!eo, Gordon Bennett has found himself ignoruiniouply compelled to re-engage the entiie staff of the London " Herald whom he so loftily dismissed on .Friday week. Joe Hatton irf now editor, but does nob seem to be putting much " go '' into the paper, and the general impression is that publication will ."hoi tly cease. On dit the speculation has already co&t Bennett close on £20,000, and in the course of the next thiee months he will have to defend upwards of a score of libel ca&cs. Some of these actions (notably Mis Ernest Weldon'-s) are serious, and likety to prove very expensive. En the " New Review " for October " Tay Pay " O'Connor defends with a good deal of toico and common-sense what is contemptuously styled "the new journalism." "All pressmen should read and mark his views. The reporting staff of the "'Star" are, 'tis whispered, about to strike. They were promised increased salaries directly the paper paid, and the pledge has not been redeemed. "Tay Pay" himself is at loggerheads with the directors, who find him an expensive and not specially hard-working editor. The real backbone of the ollice is Mr Parke, the news editor, a journali&t of almost phenomenal energy and ability, and a born administrator. It was his consummate judgment during the Whitechapel murder scare that gave the •'Star" its reputation and circulation at the East End. Whilst the other evening paper announced all sorbs of " bogus " captures and fresh crime?, the "Star" never once fell into a serious error. Its facts always were facts.

LITERAKY NOTES. With characteristic eccentricity, Ccorg 6 Meredith has at the last moment resolved tp hold over his completed novel, " The ■Journalist," until he has iirriohecl and published another a Lory called " One of the ('onqucror^," upon which he m now on-

gaged. Mr Meredith is very pleased with this new work, and tolls everyone it will be his masterpiece. "The Journalist" he pronounces a mere ordinary novel. It> was, T learn, whilst completing "The Moonstone " (and not " Poor MUs Finch ") that. Wilkie Cohine fell a prey to the opium fiend, Ho began by ta'ang comparatively small doses, but latterly seldom imbibed le>ss than 6 or 8 ounces of laudanum per diem. Curiously enough, the one of his books of which fcho veteiiui nov elisfc thought most was " Tho Fallen Leaves," which proved an almost complete failure. His biography may alter oil be undertaken by Hall Caino, ac Dr. Carr Beard scorns to think he could not (beint> a very biic-y man) spate tima to do the subject full justice. A " Life of Bishop Eraser,'" known in the Nor In /is " tho good Bishop of Manchester," will be published forthwith by Sampson Low. The author is the Tlev. John Diggle, a popular Liverpool cleric and a brother of the ex-Chairman of the London School Board. The Counters of Pufierin's " Indian llominisconccs," which will in all probability be 'he book oi the present publishing season, is promised lor next month. It is a voluminous and carefully compiled woik in two substantial octavo volumes. " The Scenes from a Silent World " by a "Prison Visitor," which attracted so much attention and were .so widely quoted Avhilst appearing in " Blackwood," are. about to be rcpublibbcd in a neat volume at sk shillings. In the cuireut number of " Maga,'" a coi respondent signing hitnselt " F '" calls the " Puson Visitor " to account for her story of the dream murder which she allege-, was committed in his sleep by James Wheel-ir. "F" says he heard Wheeler's Lrial Irom end, to end and is quite con \ meed justice was done. The man had a \ery \iolent temper, and only a week before he murdered hi=* wile, had thrown a knife at her (the very knile with which he subsequently stabbed her) with such force that it pi.net! atod nearly an inch and a-hali into their cottage door. The new volume of that mobt popular and generally readable of all girls' mag.i/ltios, "Atalantd," which commences with tho October number, contains seiial stoiies bv George Macdonald ("A Rough Shaking ")> Joan Ingelow (" Very Young "), and Giant Allen (" Wednefeday tho Tenth "), as well as numctous new ieaturco in the way of competition', etc. Edna Lyall's (Miss Baylys) new tluee volume no\el, "A Hardy N"oisenian," is published to-day by Movers Huist and Blncketl, who are also lesponsible for a i very pcor piece of woi k by Henry Cress- ' wol'l, called "Mv Lord Othelo." "A Hauly Norseman " is the t-tory of the unmeiited sufferings and misfortunes in London of a young Is or uegian named Fiithiof : Falciv and his two sisters. Miss Bayly certainly docs pile up poor Falck's agonies. Hit, father goes bankj rupt, his sweatheait shamelessly jilts | him, and his health breaks down all at the same time. When the poor follow roccners he becomes counter-jumper in a music shop, wheic mis foi tune .'-till pvr.-ucs him. Firstly one of hi.- no« r masters takes a stiong dislike to him, and secondly he falls victim to an accusation of theft, the circumstances ot which are so inexplicable thai e\en his best fiu-nds doubt him. Fortunately, when tilings are at thuii wor-t, I Falck makes an inlluential fiicnd m Donati (the heio of " Ktii^hi-Enant " you lemom- [ ber) who plays den <> cv machmci, and put-s i everything right. j Eh/^a Cook, the poetess, who died in comparative poverty and obscuiity at Hampstead la-^t week, had entirely outlived her reputation. Once upon a time "The Old Arm Chair," "To the West," "The Old Mill Stream," and similar sentimental lyrics were known and admired in e\oiy 'appj' 'mi)". rfomehow, nowaday.-* thoy don't fjo down at all. Tho one song Eli/a. Cook wrote whic h seoms likely to live i-5 " Cheur, Boys, Cheer," and its popuLnity is due rather to Henry Ku^sell's stiuing music than to tho poetess' worth. On di f that Tennyson received X'so, or nearly i! 3 per line, for hid watory versicles on " The Throstle," published in tho Youths' Depaitmcnt of tho Auckland Stvk. Tlie announcement that Catullc Mcndcs and Amclie Rives aic about to collaborate in a leal'stic romance is enough to mako every hair on Mrs Uiundy'o poll stand elect with horror. Fortunately, the stoiy will be in French.