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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3485, 7 September 1882, Page 2

A hatch of summonses will be taken out to-morrow morning against defaulting ratepayers. There are about fifty names on the list. The water trough, that for so long a time has been an obstruction in Edwardes-streefc, adjoining the White Swan brewery, has at last been removed to the side, so as to allow of a clear roadway for wheel traffic. We are indebted to Mr E. Lyndon, whose rain gauge is the only one in Napier that can be depended on, for the informaticn that the total rainfall as registered by him during the last month of August amounted to no less than 7|- inches. At the Licensing Court afc Hastings yesterday Mr Stevens' application was granted for the transfer of his license for the Pacific Hotel to Mr H. O. Caulton. A twelve o'clock license was granted to Mr Caulton. This was the whole of the business. A discussion on the question, " Is the introduction of the cloture into our House of Parliament desirable?" will take place in St. Paul's school-room this evening between members of the Napier and Clive Square Mutual Improvement Associations, commencine: at 8 o'clock. The meeting will be open to the public. A public meeting, convened by the chairman of the Waipawa County Council at the request of a number of settlers in that district, will be held at 8 o'clock this evening in the Oddfellows' Hall, Waipawa, to consider the qseation of harbor accomodation for Hawke's Bay. A full report of the proceedings will appear in our next issue. Tho Government have ceased to make meteorological observations at Napier on the score of expense. It might be that the information, which was at one time always at the disposal of the public, was not worth the £25 a year that one of the officers of the Customs used to receive for taking the observations; but we cannot but think that larger sums of money have been worse spent than that. Cr. Ellison has given notice to move at the next meeting of the Municipal Council, " That copies of all laws relating to Municipal Corporations be procuredfor the use of councillors." We hardly think that the ratepayers should be put to 'the expense of educating the Town Council. Councillors are not required to know the law. There is a Municipal Solicitor who can advise the Council on such matters, and there is little gained by keeping a dog and barking oneself. In reference to Cr. Monteith's motion in the Council last night, we are in a position to state that the cause of the delay in making the contemplated alterations and additions to the Napier railway station is due to the loss of the original plans of the building and ground. Fresh plans have bad to be drawn, necessitating the survey of the ground and the measurement of the buildings, &c, causing a certain loss of time, but we are glad to know that the much-needed improvements will be proceeded with, and that without further appeal to the Government. Afc the sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court, Waipawa, yesterday, before Captain >

Preece, R.M., tho following: civil cases were disposed of :—Storry v. Mortensen, claim of £3 lis lid on a previous judgment of the Court; defendant agreed to pay the amount in one month, and an order was made in those terms. Storah v. Public Trustee, claim of £7 5s in the estate of E. Sinclair, deceased; judgment for defendant. McGrathv. Ireland, claim of £14 for value of; a horse and unlawful detention of same judgment for plaintiff for £6 and costs. Mr Guy appeared for plaintiff in this case, and Mr Lascelles for defendant. Lsighton r. Towers, an adjourned case; still further adjourned, costs to be paid in the cause. Several other cases were settled out of Court. John Hammond, charged by the police with attempting to commit suicide by taking arsenic, was remanded on the application of the police. This case wag referred to in our columni last evening. Amongst the notices of motion set down in the order paper of the House of Representatives, and which is to come on for discussion to-day, is one by Mr Hutchison, which runs aa follows:—(1) That, in the •pinion of this House, the Customs duties upon tea and coffee are impolitic and unjust, as pressing unduly on the masses of the people; besides being a charge, in many cases, amounting to 100 per cent, upon commodities, the consumption of whict should be encouraged as tending to motion of sober and economic habits; (2) It is therefore desirable that those duties should be repealed, and this House recommends the Government to make arrange' ments for so doing in the next session of Parliament. (3) That a land-tax on a progressive scale be substituted therefor. This tax to be levied on all lands alienated from the State, and held, in case of agricultural land, in any quantity over 200 acres, and in the case of pastoral land, in any quantity over 2,000 acres. The concert last night in St. John's school-room in aid of St. Paul's church organ fund was largely attended. The programme opened with Hatton's " Spring Song," a chorus, which, as may be said of the other four choruses, went smoothly. In the solos, Miss Large', rendering of "It was a dieam," and the piece given as an enoore, "She Loves but Thee," were particularly good, as were also Miss Lamb's "Waiting," and her encore, "When Sparrows Build." There was more finish, as well as evidence of culture, in these four solos than are usually met with in amateur performances. Mr Lindsay showed marked improvement in the cavatina from Ernani, and also sang "The Gallant Heart" in good style. Mr Aplin's rendering of the scena "Come now for Vengeance," from Lucrezia Borgia, was rapturously applauded, and he was compelled to come forward again when he sang Arthur Sullivan's spirited air " If Doughty Deeds." The ( quartette "Convent Bells" went nicely. The other pieces on the programme call 1 for no special notice.