Personal Notes.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 114, 18 May 1904, Page 2

Personal Notes.

King Edward visits the Kaiser at Kiel about the middle of June. Dr. Gabities, resident surgeon at the Tiinaru Hospital, yesterday resigned his position. Lady Campbell Clark has given £IO,OOO to the Newspaper I'ress Fund, to establish pensions.

News has been received from Perth of the death of Mr F. Scott, headmaster of the East Christchurch (Gloucester Street) School.

Detective Benjamin, of Palmerston North, has been transferred to New Plymouth. Acting-Detective Quirke of the latter pluce, goes to Palmerston.

At Eltbam on Monday evening Rev. E. W. J. McConnel, Anglican minister, who lias left on a visit to England for the good of his health, was presented by the Mayor, on behalf of the townspeople, with a purse of sovereigns. Mr James Mills, managing director of the Union Steam Ship Company, lias been nominated as consular agent for Italy at Dunedin, and his patent of oflice has been forwarded by the Italian Consul-Gen-eral at Melbourne for the required exequatur from tho Foreign Oflice.

Captain Hector Bethune, whose death during tho attack by the Thibetans on the British expedition when at Gyang-tse, was reported by cable, was a cousin ol' Messrs H. K. Bethune and W. Bethune, of Wellington. He was about 35 years of age. The Rev. Murdoch Macqueen, mod-erator-elect of the Free Church ol Scotland, belongs to the small body of Free Church ministers, mostly resident in the Highlands, who refused to join the union with the U.P. Church, and who still hold an annual assembly, and claim tho name of the Free Church of Scotland.

London "Society" circles have been afforded a new sensation by the action of the Dowager Countess of Ravensworth, who has contracted a marriage with her coachman. The nuptials were celebrated at St. George's Church, Hanover Square. This is the Countess' third matrimonial venture, as she was a widow when in 1892 she married the late Earl of Ravensworth. Her first husband was Major Owen Cresswell, 3rd Hussars. General Grenfell, who succeeded the Duke of Connaught in command of the forces in Ireland, has seen a great deal of active service. He served in Griqualand in 1875, the. Kaffir war, 1878, the Zulu war, 1879 (mentioned in despatches), the Transvaal war 1881, the Egyptian war, 1882 (mentioned in despatches), the Nile expedition, 1884-5 (mentioned in despatches), and the Soudan war, 1885-9 (mentioned in despatches), lie commanded the forces in Egypt, in 1897-8, and was Governor and Commander-in-Chief in Malta, 18991903. From 1894 to 1897 he was adjutant-General of the auxiliary forces in England.

The Commissioner of Police advises the Hon. J. Carroll that he lias received a cable from Melbourne that no trace has been found of Mr A. L. Itellerby, an erstwhile Gisborne resident. The missing man was formerly a New Zealand barrister, who recently purchased a grazing property at Pronin, and has mysteriously disappeared. He left for Melbourne l on the 3rd to purchajse stock. Bellerby sold his station in Poverty Hay a little over a year ago. He left Gisborivo with the intention of proceeding to JOngland. At Sydney an alteration in his plans took place, and subsequently he decided to settle in Australia, purchasing a fine farm in the Gippsland district.

Chief Detective Grace, of Auckland, is retiring from the service in consequence of having reached the age limit, 65 years. He has been granted three months' holiday leave, and is retiring on a liberal superannuation allowance. Mr Grace has been associated with the New Zealand police force for the past 34 years, and has held the position of chief detective in the Auckland district for a period of 12 years. Prior to coming to New Zealand Mr Grace was for four years each connvcled with the Royal Irish Constabulary, and the NewSouth Wales |H)lice. He joined the New Zealand service in August, 1870, and his first station was the Thames and afterwards Napier, and from there to the position he is now vacating.

The Rev. R. Gordon Halfour, D.D., moderator-elect of the United Free Church, was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland prior to the union with the U.l\ Church and the formation of the United Free Church, of which he has now been appointed Moderator. lie began his ministry at Kilbride, where he laboured tor six years. Ho removed to Rothesay, where he spent eight years, and then he was called to the pastorate of thy New North Church, Kdinburgh, as

colleague to Dr. Charles Brown. i»r. Balfour, who is still minister of 'he New North Church, is one of the leaders of the United Free Church. Me took an active part in the negotiations for union, and in the subsequent consolidation of the government af the united church. He gave tho fifth series of Chalmers lectures in connection with the Free Church Theological Halls on the subject "Presbyterianism in the Colonies," with special reference t.o the principles and influence of the United Free Church of Scotland.