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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3055, 11 April 1881, Page 2

We understand that the secretary of th c Liberal Association is about to call a meeting of members, in order to give them an opportunity of discussing the claims of the probable candidates at tho coming election.

Although the driving has been exceptionally hard, the contractors for the erection of the Redclyffe bridge have got on well with their wow, and probably the last piles will be driven to-day. The upper " truss " work has also been well advanced.

Some casks of tar were left by the Corporation workmen in Emerson-street on Saturday, the material being wanted for the footpath. At night somebody knocked the bung out of one of the casks, and then turned it over, by which the tar ran out and was wasted in the gutter.

The Municipal Engineer is engaged, and has been for some little time past, in taking the levels of the whole island with a view to reporting to the Council upon the extension of the water supply. The engineer expects to be able to furnish the Council with a report upon this important subject afc its next sitting.

Reports from the country state that pheasants are abundant, more especially round about Hastings. Ducks are also plentiful, but quail are not so numerous as last year. It is thought that last autumn's floods drowned the quail. There is every prospect of the coming shooting season being a good one for sportsmen.

We are glad to learn that Messrs A. E. Dewes, J. M. Fraßer, and P. S. McLean have been notified that they have passed the final examination for admission to the New Zealand Bar.

A complimentary entertainment will be given at the Theatre Royal to-morrow evening by the Napier Amateur Gaiety Club. The pieces selected for performance are Mr H. J. Byron's comedy " The Old Story," and a farce called " The Steeplechase." All the characters are to be taken by local talent, and tbe performance promises to be of an interesting character.

The passenger traffic by the Pacific mail route between the Australasian Colonies and San Francisco is so greatly increasing that, to secure cabins, they must be engaged fully a fortnight or three weeks before the departure of the steamer from Auckland. The City of Sydney, the next steamer from Auckland to San Francisco, that leaves on the 26th, has now no cabin accommodation for ladies disengaged.

Confidence in the stability of brick buildings is gradually increasing as time rolls on since the last earthquake shook down every chimney in Napier. The Temperance Hotel, recently completed, is the largest brick structure in town, and next in size comes the new offices for the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency; but there are four or five smaller brick buildings occupied as residences, and now we learn that Mr J. Liddle is about to have a large brick house built for him on the hill.

At half-past four o'clock yesterday morning the grain stacks on Mr Peter Ramsay's leasehold farm at Omahu were discovered to be on fire. There were ten stacks in all, five of wheat and five of barley, and four of the former and the wholo of latter were destroyed. Mr Ramsay was absent at Woodville, whether he had gone on Friday last, and much sympathy is felt for his loss, as it is strongly suspected that the conflagration was tho act of an incendiary, or of an accident by a " tramp." Tho five stacks of wheat were estimated to contain 2000 bushels of grain, which were insured in the National office for .£300; the five stacks of bailey contained 3000 bushels of grain, and were insured for £2.j0 in the New Zealand, and for the same sum in the Colonial office.

From all appearance the railway has developed the timber trade of the Seventymile Bush beyond the means employed by the railway to overtake the traffic. We hear that at Makatoko and at Kopua the stations are crowded with posts, logs, and sawn stuff. The morning train to-day included fifteen trucks of timber, to pick up which on the line the arrival of the passengers was delayed fully half an hour We believe in economy of management, but the convenience of passengers must not altogether be made subservient to profitable working. An occasional goods train is imperatively needed. Travellers by the Napier railway are a long suffering people, but they cannot be expected to put up with everything that pinching economy may suggest.

There' are loud enquiries for the water cart. Stoiekeepers are complaining that their goods are being destroyed, and pedestrians that their comfort is being interfered with. There has been no appearance of the cart for some days past, and it would be well if those whose duty it ia would attend to the matter promptly. The practice of throwing stones is a , dangerous nuisance, and a growing one in Napier. Within the last few days a lady and gentleman have both been struck by stones flung by boys, who, presumably, had no intention oi doing mischief. The lady had a very narrow escape from serious injury ; tho gentleman was struck on the head by a stone one morning, and a day or two afterwards caught another on tho Bide of the knee. No one wishes to interfere with, boys' amusements, but the careless throwing of stones is rather too much of a joke. It will be seen from our telegrams that Mr Bradlaugh has again been returned for Northampton. It will be remembered that Mr Bradlaugh was forced to accept the Chiltern Hundreds in consequence of tho result of an action at law for taking his seat, and taking part in the debates end divisions of the House without taking the usual oath. An old Act was appealed to for the purpose of embarrassing Mr Bradlaugh and his constituents, but the difficulty was overcome by a vote of the House, and Mr Bradlaugh is again member for Northampton. A cricket match was arranged to be played at Petane on Saturday last between elevens of the Port Ahuriri and Petane clubs. This was to be the return matoh between these clubs, and as the Port team \ was beaten on the occasion of the first % match the challange for the return came T from thorn. The members of the Petane Club are widely scattered, and it is consequently difficult to get a good team together. An effort was, howover, made for Saturday last, and several members were brought down from the neighbourhoods of Mohaka and AraDawanui, one rode over from Hastings, and four or five from town. When the coach which had been sent to town for the Port team arrived at Petane it was found that only four members of that club had put in an appearance, and consequently the matoh could not be played. Thip so-called premier olub appears to be premier only in discourtesy, and in a want of that consideration and love of fair play which characterize all true oricketers. An incident of this kind shows the want of a Cricket Association. If there had been such an Association, and such conduct had been represented to it, the club indulging in suo_ practices would have teen, struck out of all matches for the season, and all olubs belonging to the Association wauld simply have declined to arrange any matoh with them until their executive waa ohanged, and there was some probability o£ their keeping the engagements they made. The Sydney Mail tells the following tala of a publican who kept an hotel in the lower town, where tbe peculiar aroma of the Elowerylanders is strong and ever present. He had small dealings with the almond-eyes, finding them close, remarkably olose, but honest. But on a certain Vs day his confidence was rudely shaken. John faced the bar, and blandly, as usual requested " two shilling blandy." Ifc waa given him in a bottle, and the bottle went up his capacious sleeve. But as he sought for the money amongst the mysterious folds of his nether gear his face grew blank. "No catchee money ; by by catchee money, than catchee blandy." He put the bottle—rather, a bottle—upon the bar and retired. An hour elapsed, and he did not return. Then Boniface took up the bottle, intending to replace tha liquor in the original flask ; but ere doing bo he applied it to his nose, and then, with sundry strange murmurings, cast it out to the street. Had a miracle been wrought, or was John's sleeve as a conjuror's box P The contents of the bottle were not even one-star brandy, but very mild tea. A somewhat extraordinary " meeting " of creditors (saya the Post of Maroh 25th) was held to-day at the Supreme Court House. Richard Leman was the debtor, and his statement of liabilities and assets showed that he only had two creditors in the world, to whom he owed collectively £12 10s B£d, while his assets were valued at £15. The largest creditor resides at Dunedin and had a claim of £9 against the debtor; the other creditor is a Wellington resident, who was admitted to be entitled to the receipt of £3 10s B|d. At the hour fixed for the meeting the debtor and this solitary creditor were the only persons present, and they at once sat down, one at eaoh end of the table, and silently eyed each other while they awaited the arrival of the principal creditor from Dunedin, probably by telegraph. In this position the Deputy-Registrar still found thera sitting nearly one hour later, the Dunedin man not yet having been " wired " up. Words were few, but the eyes of both parties were eloquent to the last degree. At length the creditor gave up in despair, and left the debtor for the time being the victor. The latter then triumphantly remarked that he had " sat that creditor out," and went away re- '"* joicing. Mr E. Lyndon will sell to-morrow a number of town sections, at 2 p.m. Meeting of the Taradale Ploughing Match Society to-night at 8. The totalisator will be open on the Great Autuni Handicap at Mr H. P. Cohen's from to-morrow to the 18th instant. Time for tenders for the gymnasium afc Te Aute is extended to the 20fch instant. _ A tea meeting and soiree in connection with the Wesleyan Church, Hastings, will be held on the 14fch inst. The monthly inspection of Volunteers will take place on Wednesday and Thursday next. Declarations of inability to meet their engagements with their creditors have been ■filed by E. W. C. Sturm and W. Adair. All accounts against the estate of J. B. Yernon must be sent in by Saturday next. A number of new advertisements will bo found in our " Wanted " column.