Untitled

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 789, 23 May 1870, Page 2

Bank Holtday,—The Banks will be closed to-morrow, being the Queen's birthday. Alfred Newman, Esq., of Waipukuiau, has resigned the Commission of the Peace, The Premier returned to Wellington from a Southern tour by the s.s. Taranaki on Friday last.

The Native and Defence Minister, we are informed, is likely to arrive in Napier in a few. days by the p,s. Luna.

| Telegraphic communication between Dune in and places south of Christchurch was interrupted on Saturday last, owing to the line being down. Porangahau.—We have been requested by the Rev. R. Taylor to announce that be w ill conduct Divine Service at Poraugah.au on Sunday the 29th inst., at 11 a.m. Napier Garrick: Club. —We would remind the public of the performance announced for to-morrow eveniug by the Napier Garrick Club. An attractive programme appears in our advertising columns

Committed for Trial. —A man named John Boyle, (lately discharged from the Armed Constabulary) was, on Friday last charged at the Resident Magistrates Court with having stolen a ,£lO note from the person of Mr John Hudson, and committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court in November. The Financial Statement.—The annual report oi the financial position of the Province was made in the Council on Thursday last, by Mr Ormond, and was a very clear and interesting statement. It wilij be found pretty fully reported in another column. W e think, however. that this important speech,—inclßiding, as it does, nearly all the noticeable' poinis in the voluminous accounts laid on the iab'e, to which it is in fact, a kind of key, —should be made a Council paper and incorporated with the other records of the Province. It would certain])' be of more value for future reference than the -speeches on the opening and prorogation of Council, which are always carefully preserved in this form. Native Intelligence.—Mr Samuel Locke, who returned from Waiioa on Thursday last in the St Kilda, confirms the report, mentioned in our las>t, of Ropata having taken a number of Hauhau prisoners. The total number is. said to be about 50, one-half of whom are women, children, and "old crawlers,"—no doubt left behind on purpose to be taken—and the remainder fighting men. The Wairoa natives are at Waikaiimoana, hunting the rebels, who are hidden in the district, and Ropata, considering that they do not require, his assistance further this winter, has returned with his force to his own place. Very inclement weather has now set in in the interior, and we shall probably hear next of the return of the Wairoa natives. Ropata intends next spring—to, scour the TJriwera country, and sweep it completely free from the Hauhau bands. Mr Locke, we believe, left Napier yesterday to attend a great native meeting to be held .Tapueharavu in a few days, at, which some of the principal Waikato. chiefs are likely tobep^esent^

The Provincial Council.—Tomorrow is the next regular sitting day of the Provincial Council, and there are a few itfins on the order paper ; but .being the Queen's birthday, it is very likely there will be no sitting, Wairoa.-—Capt. Fox, of the s.s. St. Kilda, reports that on Thursday last the entrance to the Wairoa river hnd shifted some 500 yards, to the northwards, the channel running parallel with the beach for that dis tance. There appeared but little water on the bar. Napier Jail.—The annual report of the Napier Jailer, Mr W. Miller, hart been laid on the +able of the Council. From it we learn that the

daily average of pii->oners during the year has been 35f, a daily average of 5 more than last year. The amount of labor done by the prisoners during they year has been very considerable. In addition to the town roads the have completed the new building for the lunatic asylum, en closed one of the yards with 250 feet of close board fmicing, about 10 feet high, and performed many other necessary and useful works. From the accounts for the year, enclosed in the Report, it appeared that the establishment had been nearly self-supporting. Three prisoners escaped on the night of the 6th Feb., two of whom have since been recaptured. The Visiting Justices, after an investigation of the circumstances, decided that no blame attached to the officers of the Jail. The Jailer, who has also charge of the Lunatic Asylum, recommends that the latter should be made a separate department. The daily average of patients during the last year has been 4. Provincial Hospital.—The Provincial Surgeon, in his annual report to his Honor the Superintendent, laid on the table of the Council states

that during the year there have been 59 admissions into the Provincial 'Hospital ; 17 of them being members of the Annuel Constabulary.. Two deaths had taken place, " one, James Mackie, a hopeless and longstanding case of diseased liver, with dropsy;, the other, Jane M'Leod, who was an inmate for only three day*, being brought in in a moribund state." He highly approves of the appointment by the late. Superintendent of a Board of Management, the working ot which has been in every respect satisfactory. "During the year the Hospital has been supplied with a complete set of surgical instruments, having hitherto been in the habit of borrowing them, when required, from the Imperial force. Dy Hitchings concludes his report in these terms " I have to regret that in consequence of a severe accident, I have" for two months been, '.mable to attend personally to the duties of the Provincial Hospital. I feel sure that my absence was more than supplied by my friend Dv Spencer, who most willingly gave his time and skill, for which kindness both I and che province generally are his debtors."

Mails for Europe, America, &c., via SanFtancisco, will be despatched from ISapiep to Auckland by the s.s. Lord Ashley on Friday next, 27th inst. The mail will leave Auckland per s.s. Wonga Wonga on the 6th June. I The Weather, which has been remarkably tine for the last day or two, suddenly changed early this morning, when a strong southerly wind sprung up, accompanied with rain. Tlie latter soon passed off, but a high wind still prevails.