THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, 1st MAY, 1874.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1572, 1 May 1874, Page 202

THE Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. FRIDAY, Ist MAY, 1874.

The subject of water-supply to this town lias now become of such pressing importance that it can no longer be put aside. The rapid growth of the town, the erection of many fine and extensive wooden buildings, the filling up of every vacant section in the suburbs with rows of small cottages—are all so many new elements of danger in the not improbable contingency of a fire. From such visitations Napier has long enjoyed an immunity; but with our increased population we cannot expect much longer to escape the peril. As far as we know, only two schemes have been mentioned to supply this town with water. One is to obtain a supply from artesian wells sunk within the town; the other to bring the water from a natural reservoir at a high level some ten miles away. Wc have already expressed our preference for the former project. The work could be carried out more quickly, and at a fourth or less than a fourth the cost of the highlevel scheme. The pressure of the artesian flow will raise the water to a height of upwards of thirty feet above the ordinary level of the lower portions of the town. The precise height has never been tested, but thirty feet is within the mark. The supply is pure, abundant, and easily accessible. We are glad to state that a company to carry out the scheme is in process of formation, and that shares in the concern to a large extent are likely to be taken up. Apart from the utility of the object, there is 110 doubt that the undertaking will be found an exceedingly profitable one. Mails close for the United'Kingdom and Continent of Europe, via Suez, on Wednesday the 6th instant. lor India and China on Wednesday, the 6th instant, per s.s. Raagatira. Correspondence intended fpr transmission by Suez should be specially so addressed, or'i-fc will be detained for the next San Francisco mail.

The Rev. J. S. Smalley, Wesley an minister, will (D.V.), conduct Divine Service in the Council Chamber on Sunday next, 3rd instant, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.; and will also conduct an open-air service at Port Ahuriri, opposite Messrs Watt Brothers' store, at 3 p.m. We would call attention to the meeting this evening in the Council Chamber for the purpose of establishing an Association of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The object of the meeting is one which requires no recommendation. The attendance of ladies is particularly requested. Our Tauranga correspondent, under date 28th April, telegraphs as follows: —" Governors Fergusson and DuCane have just arrived from Rotorua in. the mail coach. After a short stay on the wharf, they went on board the yacht. They leave this evening for Auckland." Our Tauranga correspondent telegraphs as follows : —" DOth April.— An inquest was held to-day on the fire at the late Mr Farrell's farm, Wairoa. The jury returned a verdict that they were unable to ascertain the cause. The value of. the property destroyed is estimated at £30." During the hearing of a case in the Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, it transpired that Mr Kraeft, the pilot, never having been gazetted harbor-master, the real holder of the office was Mr Scaly, R.M. His Worship, on making this startling discovery, did not seem to appreciate the honor he has thus unconsciously borne for a number of years; but expressed his intention of relieving himself of its duties and responsibilities without delay. The first quarterly change of officers in the Napier Pioneer Lodge, 1.0.G.T., took place last Friday evening, and the newly-elected officers are to be installed to-night. The following are the names of the officers for the new term:— P.W.C.T.,8r0. R. C. Harding; W.C.T., Bro. M. Troy; W.R.H.S., Sister M. Sproule; W.L.H.S., Sister A. Coveney, W.V.T., Bro. W. Hood ; W.S.', Sister M. Berry ; W.A.S., Sister E. Berry ; W.C., Brother T. Redward : W.D.M., Sister DeGrouchy ; W.0.G., Bro. L. Redward. The following officers were re-elected : W.F.S., Bro. D. E. Lindsay ; W.T., Bro. Berry; W.M., Bro. Woods; W.1.G., Bro. D. Simon. The regular change of officers in the Vanguard Lodge, 1.0.G.T., Clive, took place on Saturday evening last, and the installation of the new officers is appointed to take place to-morrow evening. -The following is a list of the newlyelected officers :—P.W.C.T., Bro. F. E. Saunders; W.C.T., Sister Ballantyne (re-elected); W.V.T., Bro. Algar; W.C., Sister E. T. Merritt; W.S., Brother Allanach; W.F.S., Brother Brown; W.T., Sister Devenport; W. M., Brother Graham (re-elected); W. D.M., Sister Pilcher; W.A.S., Sister Dyett; W.1.G., Bro. Hunt; W.0.G., Brother Devenport; W.R.H.S., Sister Hawken; W.L.H.S., Bro. Lorigan. A Good Templar Lodge has been opened at Gisborne, by the Rev. W. H. Root. We take the following list of its officers from the Poverty Bay Standard.: —Mr Tutchen, W.C.T,; M. Hartnett, W.V.T.; Mr East, W.S.; Mr Jennings, W.S. .F; Mr Ross, W.M.; Mr Haraes, W.T.; Miss A Morgan, W.A.S; Mr Siddons, W.G.; Mrs Shirley, W.C.; Rev. W. H. Root, Lodge Deputy. The Lodge has been named the " Pioneer." Our own correspondent writes thus enthusiastically on the subject. "We are getting on gloriously here with our Good Templar Lodge: we muster about twenty, and have as yet had only two meetings. We are about to purchase a section and erect a lodge room, for which purpose the cash is forthcoming. The Order is doing its share of good in the community ; and we number many among us who have made great sacrifices to be able to join us." "We are not quite dead here in religious matters," writes our Poverty Bay correspondent; " for in the absence of Mr Root, who is at present in Auckland, we have had services held in the Court-house by a young man from Napier, a Wesleyan; which have been well attended, and will probably be continued. There is evidently room for another minister of religion. I believe that both the Wesleyan and Roman Catholic bodies will have chapels here before the Church of England people, who seem quite asleep," We quote the following from the Herald, 23rd April; —" It is rumored that the Wesleyans are about to establish a church shortly in Gisborne. We hear that there are about forty members of that body residing in the township, who have expressed their willingness to contribute towards the support of a pastor, and the erection of a place of worship." Our Poverty Bay correspondent, under date 27th April,, writes thus concerning the progress of settlement in that district:--" Gisborne going a-head still, but unfortunately it is the sound limb of a decaying body. If we had but belonged to Hawke's Bay, or better still, had formed a separate Province, our roads would now have been in a different state. We live in hope l of separation 5 but while we belong to Auckland we shall always be iIL-used, What can we expect from a Superintendent who holds a meeting with the Executive in a public-house? But this state of things cannot last, even hero. Dunedin men are arriving, who are perfectly astonished at the extent and quality of the land lying completely idle. So far as I have seen, after twelve years' residence in Hawke's Bay, it is not to be compared at all with Poverty Bay. I feel convinced that there is more really good laud here then there. Almost' all the good flat land near Napier is subject to floods, which may some clay ruin the settlers; hero it is not so, the land is sound and good, and above the reach of floods. In fact, it js too good and strong; and promises in future to be one of the greatest graingrowing districts in the Colony."

Our evening contemporary.on S'atur J day last contained some humorous verses headed " The Domicile erected by John, translated from the Vulgate." They are nothing more than an expansion of a piece which appeared in this paper in 1867, contributed by a literary gentleman who has long since left the Province. The original piece consisted of twenty-three lines, of which nearly the whole' are contained .unaltered in the production published on Saturday. The New Zealand Gazette, of the 23rd instant, contains a second notice, appointing licensing commissioners, the names of several gentlemen being substituted for those originally appointed. It also contains a notification of the appointment of Mr Charles Masterman Henning to the office of Examiner of Titles for this Province under the Land Transfer Act, vacated by Mr E. Bamford. The table of particulars of estates of deceased persons placed under the j charge of the Public Trustee during the month of March, contains two names belonging to this Province —Michael Short, and Benjamin Greenwood. In each case the estate was under £SO. In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, before H. B. Sealy, Esq., P.M., and J. A. Smith, Esq,, J.P, James M'Dermott, a man who made a desperate and ail-but successful attempt at suicide at Poverty Bay, by cutting his throat, was charged with being of unsound mind, and was remanded for a week. Knieft v. Romeril.—Charge of using abusive and provoking language. No appearance of defendant. As it was shown that he had not been served with the summons, but merely with a copy, the case was adjourned till 2 p.m., and a fresh summons issued. The Comt sat again at 2 p.m., when the parties appeared. Mr Cornford appeared for complainant ; Mr Lee for defendant. H. Kraeft, sworn, deposed that he lived at Port Ahuriri, and held the position of pilot and acting harbor-master. About 8 or 9 o'clock on the previous morning he saw ballast being taken in on board the Aurora, some of which fell into the water. He went and directed the carter to keep further from the edge of the wharf. Defendant, who is master of the Aurora, came up and abused him, calling him a wretch, and saying, " If it was not for the laws of the country I would swim with you." In cross-examination, complainant added : I only saw one stone fall into the water. Captain Romeril picked it out. I had some words with him on the previous day, and called him a liar. Mr Lascelles called in defence, John Walden, John Stuart, and John Quinlan, seamen, who had seen the quarrel. None of these had heard the offensive term " wretch ;" but all deposed that Romeril complained of Kraeft's having " humbugged "5 him, and made the singular statement —" The law of the land protects you, or I would swim with you,"—The Court did not consider the offence proved. The Avords which had been proved were certainly somewhat offensive ; but their meaning, whatever it might be, was greatly qualified by the words, " If it were not that the law of the country protects you. Complainant had also admitted using strong and provoking language to defendant on the preceding day. Case dismissed without costs, 9s. Romeril v. Kraeft. —Defendant was charged that he did on the previous day without sufficient cause, refuse to take charge of the Aurora. George Romeril, the master of the Aurora, deposed that on the 27th he gave verbal notice to the defendant that he wished to go to sea. On the 28th he again asked to be taken out by the afternoon tide, to which defendant replied, " I won't take you out." Witness again applied, taking some of his hands with him. The pilot then answered, " I won't take you out; if you'd have kept a civil tongue in your head, I would have taken you." The vessel was then cleared and ready for sea, and witness had been delayed and put to expense and inconvenience by defendant's refusal. When last appealed to, the defendant had just taken out the Aspasia, which draws within about six inches, the same as the Aurora. The tide was nearly high, it had not fallen more than six inches. The pilot did not say the vessel could not be taken out; the only reason he assigned was that complainant had not kept a civil tongue in his head. By Mr Cornford : I had served upon him no written notice of my intention to leave ; I had not shown him my clearance ; I did not know that such was required by the harbor regulations; I have never seen a copy of them. Alfred Forsall, a seaman,' gave evidence corroborating that ofthe complainant. He believed that when the Aspasia went out, the Aurora could go too. She was of greater tonnage ; but the Aspasia was heavily laden.—For the defence Mr Cornford called M. J. Pearsey, master of the Bella, who had fourteen years' experience of the port, He tugged out the Aspasia on the 24th inst, ; had a good deal of trouble, the channel being blocked by the coal vessel J. G. Coulson, which was lying aground. The Aspasia ran aground in going out, and had to be got off by means of warps and the winch. She drew five inches loss than the Aurora, and by the time the Aspasia was out, the tide had fallen over six inches. The tides were now very poor —neap tides. Before the Aspasia was taken.' out the flood-tide was too strong to allow of its being tlqne with safety. —The Court dismissed the case. The pilot, under the circumstances, would not have been justified in taking the vessel out. They would not censure the pilot for the expression complained of, as they considered it open to this construction:—" If you had kept a civil tongue in your head, I would have dispensed with the written notice to which I am entitled."—Dismissed with costs, 10s for witness, £1 Is for counsel, and lGs costs of Court. A party of four miners near the Nevis, Otago, are said to have been realizing about £3O per week per man for twelve months past.