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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 91, 1 September 1877, Page 2

Mr H. Fisher is contributing m no mean way to improve the appearance of the Palmerston Square. Tlie stately edifice that he is now erecting compares well with the best buildings m the place. This is one of several buildings that are now being erected m the township. If the wealth of the townsfolk keeps pace with the rapid growth of the town, the Palmerston Borough Council may soon lay on the gas. - The following is a summary of the report of Mr R. W. Woon, Native Magistrate, on the late meeting of natives at Putiki: — " Formal business of meeting over. Certain blocks m the interior are described as tabooed from'Jsale, lease, or surrey, except by consent of tribe, and are set apart as an inheritance for Maori Any interference by individual member of tribe or by a minority to be resisted, by every legal means. Strong objections raised to roads, road board .rates, railways,- surveys, Land Courts, grants, &c, being extended to' interdictory territory. Harbour" Board regulations at Wanganui much animadverted upon as affecting ancient rights. Selling of further land at Tahua interdicted. Question of old purchases discussed, and decision come to, to petition Government on subject of compensation. Meeting also discussed the liquor traffic, 'and decided to put a stop to drunkenness. " To-morrow Kemp addresses the meeting/ when proceedings will terminate." .. One would not -imagine that much fun could be "knocked "out of_a debate on the Local- Option Bill, but on Thursday evening m the House there were several amusing little incidents m connection' with the discussion.' Mr Pyke was m a funny humor, and when it came to his turn to speak, he rose with the solemnity of- a Lord Mayor and remarked that some members had. said the House was getting weary of the Local Option Bill, but' when he looked round the House and saw the number of present (there -were about twenty-five) he was' sure the Bill found favpr with all hon. gentleman, but some of them must be very thirsty. The house laughed heartily at this little bit of irony, and when Mr Pyke adjusted his spectacles, placed his notes m order, and; then' m stentorian : tones exclaimed " Messenger, bring me. a glass of water," members actually "roared. - with .laughter. The .member for Dunstanin the" course of his remarks observed that policemen were bound , to " run " so many persons a week, or their superiors would not think they were doing their duty. Here there were cries of "No! No!" "Well," said Mr Pyke, ,"hon. members may say ' No,' but I speak from experience, (roars of laughter) of course I ' mean as a magistrate." Mr Travers, when speaking to the second reading said : " There is no greater evil than the bar."' "What bar?" innocently inquired Mr Macantlrew." "The bar of an hotel, sir,' replied the barrister." — " Argus." The sale of Kilbirnie, Wellington, last Thursday, realised a sum of something like <£H,QOO. The land was purchased by Mr J. C. Crawford fSr 10s. an acre twenty years ago, and he has had no cause to repent of his bargain." The most of the ground is poor enough, viewed m an agricultural point of views but it will afford a large number of magnificent and picturesque sites for villas -and houses." Captain Williams, who is a large purchaser of. the portion abutting on the sea, proposes to take ballast for his ships from the hill side, and hopes before a couple of years are over 'to have a small passenger steadier carrying they residents and their friends to and from Evans' Bay, where l^e will run out a handy . little jetty. — Argus. Our (" N.Z. Times ") readers may remember that some time ago the bank of New South Wales at Kumara was robbed of a quantity of notes, cheques, - and coin. The bank agent, Mr. .Hogg, stated that he had fired at' a man, supposed to be the robber, as he was ''making his escape by the -back door of the premises. The bank was kepti open on the evening previous until after eight o'clock, when it was suggested that the supposed offender concealed himself un- * der a bed m the outer office .while the agent and teller were engaged .inside.; tit «now turns out that the whole story about therobber was a fabrication, Hogg, the bank agent, having since confessed to having committed the robbery, for which offence he has been arrested, and is now m custody. The following respecting the last will and testament of a famous Maori chief who died a few weeks ago, is from a correspondent .of the Bay of Plenty. "Times":— Your Ohinemutu correspondent, when relating an account 'of Temuera Te Amohau's. last moments, omitted to state one of his dying .requests, which, was that his headshould.be preserved, and placed m Tama Te Kapua, the carved house at Ohinemutu, that his body should be divided m three parts, one leg. toxbe given to Ngatipikiao, the other to Tuhourangi, and the trunk to Ngatirangiwewehi, "he kai ma ratou." to be eaten by tbetd ; that as he had been their ito (object of dislike) when alive, they might partake of his remains wli___ dead ; or if this was not done, to bury his body by the side of the Ngawa tukunga Ida (boiling ,spring used..for cooking), with a post over it, that they might hang on their baskets containing, the food to be cooked m the -ngawa." One of the large Jones family, says the Wanganui " Chronicle," has -been and gone and done it. He is really and truly an unfortunate man, haying been foolish enough to write of a member of Parliament according to his own convictions. How silly this was,'' Jones ! You deserve being brought to the Bar of the House? The " Post " comforts him by telling him that they can't hang him. . But while his ultimate fate is being deliberated, he suffers an agony of suspense equivalent to the bitterness' of death. From the 'Guardian' we learn that he brought his violin with him, wherewith to cheer himself, m .his hour of misfortune. We sympathise with poor Jones, especially as he appears to have jumped out of the fryingpan into the fire, by the attempt at justification. The feathers of the House are up, and goodness knows whether Jones will ever be seen again m the flesh.