Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. MONDAY, 14th JANUARY, 1867.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 446, 14 January 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. MONDAY, 14th JANUARY, 1867.

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THE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS. A Correspondent, whose letter we give in another column, directs our attention to the fact that the month of January, one of the three daring which only claims to appear on the list of voters can be made or received, is already considerably advanced, and that as yet no notice has appeared in the local papers respecting this highly important matter. We are not able to say who is to blame for this apparent neglect, but we imagine, that as in other cases, the public are supposed to know what is the law concerning the matter. We presume that Captain Curling is still Registration officer for the two general electoral districts into which the Province is divided, Napier and Clive, and that, as usual, he is ready to receive all claims that may le forwarded to him during this and the two succeding months of February and March, It must be understood, however, that wo have no authority for making this statement, and we acknowlege that an official intimation ox the fact is due to the public at large.

This is a matter of considerable importance, for it is quite probable that

if attention were not specially directed

to if, many persons possessing the necessary qualification might permit the three registration months to slip away without giving a thought to the subject until too late, and in consequence remain off the roll for another twelvemonths.

Closely connected with the above is the publication by the government, of the revised list of voters for the current year, 1866-7 which, we believe, has not yet been done, although the year is now pretty well advanced. The importance of this neglect will be apparent when we consider that the general elections for the Provincial Council must very shortly come off. THE PUBLIC HEALTH. Now that the advancing summer has given us unmistakeable proof of its presence in the form of several of the hottest days we remember having experienced during a lengthened residence in the colony, we feel bound to make an allusion to what threatens to prove a prolific source of disease amongst us. We mean those patches of stagnant water and decaying organic matter, which lie exposed to all the full influence of the blazing sun, at each extremity of the town—Carlyle-street, and the Spit. Dunng the recent excessively sultry weather the effluvium arising from fl)6aC auarses has. to persons residing in the vicinity cf the nuisances, and indeed to the mere casual passer by, been almost intolerable, and at a time when virulent choleraic disorders are raging in many places, the primary source of which is in the great majority of instances, mere or less distinctly traceable to the inhalation of poisonous vapope and gases from impure at-

Biospheres, in the breath ; we think that there is reason for fear that the

inhabitants of Napier may be sufferers in common with others if predisposing causes are permitted to exist. Is fact one or two cases of diarrhoea seem to

have occured already, and these indi-

cate the necessity that exists for filling in the offensive places for the sake of the public health. theatre royal. We were very sorry to see such a poor hones on Thursday night for Mr Newiou’a benefit, as we think his endeavours to amuse since his residence in Napier merit a better acknowledgment at the hands of the drama-loving public. The bill of fare was an excellent selection, and well played, and the costumes equal to any theatre in the old country. Both Mr and Mrs Newton and Mr Kemp are too well known as theatrical artistes to need our praise, and we ought not to forget that it is to them we are indebted for the first Christmas Pantomime in our rising town, at no small trouble or expense, without any return to themselves for their exertions. There can be no doubt that theatrical amusements, conducted in an orderly aud select manner, are always a welcome recreation after the labor of the day, and especially when the artistes who produce them are residents amongst us; and it does not speak well of those whose incessant cry is, when asked why they spend their evenings in the public-house, that they have no place to go to of an evening, that so few are found within the walls of the Theatre. As will be seen by our advertising columns, Mr Kemp’s benefit is fixed for to-morrow (Tuesday) evening. The pieces are judiciously chosen, and we sincerely hope he will have a good house to repay him for his losses in the Pantomime production; and as it is well known that, whether as the scenic artist or the low comedian, his talent is undoubted, we may expect to chronicle in our next issue a successful performance and a profitable benefit. As an additional chance of visiting the Theatre, the cars will take passengers who have purchased tickets for the front seats to the Theatre free of charge.