Local and General.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 402, 19 July 1876, Page 2

Local and General.

. -' Our Auckland Letter," some very amusing "Notes on Things in Genoral," by " An In. tolligent Vagrant," arid several letters are urn avoidably held over. The Honorable Gh McLean is gazetted Commissioner of Customs. John Turnbull Thomson, Esq., has been appointed Surveyor Q-encral for the Colony of New Zealand. We draw attention to the advertisement of Messrs florne and Reid announcing that they have just received, direct from Canterbury, a cargo of seed potatoes, oats, bran, sharps, cheese; &c., &o. The Immigration officer, Captain TunTrs> advertises that immigrants per ship Bebmg'' ton have arrived in Auckland, and that order 8 for labor of all kinds will be received by him» or the Immigration offioer at Auckland. Dr Marks, recently of fcbe Kaipara, advertises that he intends commencing practice as a medioal naan in Tauranga. His qualifications will appear in the next Government Gazette. We feel sure that the decision of Dr Marks to settle in Tauranga will be hailed wrh unqualified satisfaction by the settlers in the district, and from the daily increasing settle' ment both in town and country, we have every reasoq to predict that Dr Marks will find his duties sufficient to occupy him. On Friday evening last a treat was given to the Native school children at Whareroa, the idea having been started by Mr Quinlain, the schoolmaster, who collected subscriptions from the townspeople to. supply the necessary refreshments, A very pleasant evening's amusement was enjoyed by the Native children and their parents ; some of the residents in Tauvanga also being among .the visitors. , Dancing and singing, interspersed with cake and lolly eating, were indulged in uotil a late hour, A full meeting, of the Town Board was held on Saturday morning, when the electing of Mr Norrie, as chairman, nnd .Captain Tunks, as treasurer, was confirmed. Mr B. 0 Jordan was re-appointed engineer to the Board, and Mr J- T. Bradley, secretary. The ' days of meeting were fixed to :be on every alternate Thursday, at 11 o'clock ia the morning, and the secretary was directed to advertise one notice of the fact in the Bay of Plenty Times. Some general business was transacted, and the Board adjourned until the 27th instant. The Kingitea have just had an important meeting; but instead of discussing the late visit of Sir D. McLean, they have been debating the question whether or not Tawhiao is Jehovah. That may appear to be a poin*t in which we have very little interest, but, in reality, it is of considerable importance. The very fact of their discussing such a matter shews' that there is amongst them a great deal of fanaticism, which ia a very dangerous element with men of any race, but especially with Maoris. Tawhiao modestly disclaims the position of being Jehovah.' We have heard from a reliable source that efforts are being made to erect and open a public'house in the Stewart Settlement at Katikati. Unless a hotel is required for the uccomruodation of travellers, we would advise the settlers to seriously consider the matter before offeriug any indueemant to anyone to open euoh a.place. We do not go the length of the Good Templars in their opinions about publichouses, but. probably the settlers at Kaf.ifcafci, of whose progress we hear such' good accounts, will find that,, to Bay the least of it, their progress will be as steady without a hotel. — New- Zealand Herald. It is a popular idea that lodgingihouae keepers have a lien on the goods of their lodgers for money due by them for board and residence. That this is an erroneous notion- ib well known to lawyers,. but his Honor Mr District Judge Dowling pointed ifc out again in the case of Kelly v. Sfcerrett, tried before. him in Sydney recently. Hotelkeepers have this lien, so have artificers on goods made up by them, bankers have a general lien on the moneys an 3 securities of their customers, and solicitors on fche papers, deeds, and money of their clients, in their hands j and a similar rule applies in other cases by custom, by Act of Parliament, or by special agreement. But neither regular lodginghouse keepers nor persons who may give occasional board or resideneo to lodgers, not being mere wayfarers, have any olaim to the property which may bo brought on the premises by those persons ; nor enn they sell suoh property to pay themselves the amount due by thejr lodgers. The rule is worth ni&king a noio of.