NEWS AND NOTES.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 40, 10 May 1879, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

— ♦ ::. T l .;. ",.; .«V.ii The T4QKTII Block. — We. undenstanjJ,, tlie Be.ve.ral ''contractors f or the wbiis iirithe deferred paym^iat'blobk'are pro'secUtrrig their labors with commendable vigpr, . ?P, as,* to be pushed ahead bef ote" ' the. . )ypath«|i . breaks, or the winter fairly sets m. A NABbqw Escabe. — On Tuesday nighfc last the. town watchman employed m Feild-v---ing discovered flames issuing from a chimney attaotipd'tb a billard room at I;hfi x Peil3jp^ Hotel. 'Assistance.. haying .•beefl promptly., "secured, the fire was sppn svibdped w-iyjojits any'seirious dainagj* hoing.«done, bufc'.thre incident is only! another proof of the necessity'winch exists m towns for having Boine /watch over propei'ty.:- •;■; ' "." • ' v ". ■;'Thb ■Vsolb, Jbkp Thottpe. — As wUI be seen by announcement ejse.wb.ere, aVariety Troupe of Minstrels are to m,ake them apr pearance on Monday night m the Terrace End Public Hall. The company, which s inpludes two professionals welliknow^. to^ fame, have beeh , performing jri. the.uppe^ portion of the .County with great success. It is also anno'unf-fld that fche.entertainineht will conclude with a select quadrille party. ,Thb 801 l of. Honor. — We: have to acknowledge the .receipt of; the following^ book's as do^a,tions to the Beading Room —From Mr., Mrs;,^ihlßßss 'Vann — "The; New Madgalen," "Two Littla Wooden 9hoes,* ''.Iftee Baxtow'a l?eath.'* I>om Mr. Jorgensep-r-'.'^Tlje Cross of Honor," and " Elizabeth Fry." Further donajtioni will be. tbankiuUy received apd acknow? ladgea. ..-., . • ;■...■■■• ■ H Thb PALMBKBucer ■ 9iJß6;xsr— The '■ <ft angiti of position? belwo^n.^Messrs'. an«l Mwiamer LocTi and Wafcspsi, t^ioJitww sanctioned by hoard and commftt'eet, has taken place, and the latter, lady and gentleman are now m charge of the Palmer^ton School. Both the Master, and Mistress come to the district with a high reputation for teaching* cauacitv,j bo that we mayexpepC'itie, ecffodl^iirnlatH-; taftj that' high chftra'fefeer'fbr isffioimifey under., the ne v ijegime, vrhich it certainly Sid -under the/qld.r ; .' v ." '"'!"".".' "..'' ' '""

Bbosb POWN.— The charge of en}b?zzle» ment preferred against John Jones at Fox. ton, on Wednesday, failed lamentably to be. sustained, Before the prosecutor- had. been two minutes, "under examination — and before counsel for the defence had an op* portunity of cross-examining— the police abandoned the charge, and the accused was liberated. If, as certainly it was stated m .evidence, the prosecutor had. condoned the offetico, it was d-monßt*oWß shame that the accused should have been arrested and kept for. nearly three weeks m confinement. Tpß jpAIMBBSTON DfSTBIOT OO.UBT. — Matters appear to have moved on another stage, and we now find the District Judge identifying [himself with his new charge, Mr. Foster, the Clerk of thp District Court on Thursday peceived a telegram from the newly-appointed Judge, Mr. Shaw, to the following effect : — " What would he convenient dates, for sitting at Palmeustonp Please wire suggestions, giving time m first instance for formation : of-.jjury list." This certainly should serve to dispel some- of the doubt which hjq&irtLitounded the institution of the new court; though certainly it would be' more satisfactory to have obtained. the information m the f}r3t instance through the Gazette, . ' '. ■- . : ■ .• 1. The Taontji School DiffFJCTPJTY^The charges of assault bid by the t)haiymaij of the. r Tabnui School Celbniifcteef against two'Cff the ; -Committee and the teacher, were heard at th,e Palmerston Ppjice. Court and dismissed. The Bench an "unusually full, one, for., m addition to' the "R.M., every J.P. m the district, with thje 7 exceptiQH...of Mr* Moflrad, was m attendance. .'..The court was crowded during the i 'hearing, and the proceedings appeared to be; listened £0 with considerable interest, particularly the various skirmishes indulged by the opposing counsel, Messrs.Staite^.and -Maclean; 'At the conclusion rof the proceeding*,- upon judgment, 'being delivered, the latter, ori' behalf of the defendants, asl^ed the Bdnch 'for a certificate of dismissal for his "clients, which was granted.. I . ' A Pn-t! fob Amatueb Lawtebs. — We h^ve noticed that ,Ar certain journal . outside , the county, which apparently pets itself •up as, an authority; upon- legal matters, has of late been coiis^d&fttbljf • etercised over the the affairs of No' 1 % ward of the Manawatu Highways Bpsr4^and/ hats indulged m all kinds of Caj3s^tjs»'%-lilf 6 .. prophesies, . We, presume it wjlf jja simply disgusted to read "the following announcement from Mr. Hugh Pollen, for the.; Tinder-Secretary :--" Elec- ; ton of member bf Board may be proceeded with. The G-avernmeat. will he prepared to validate, and a'nfend' the Highways Act, next Session." Verily a little knowledge is a dangerous thing ;-and it is . to be hp.ped the gratiutious legatQpinion will m future be offered to those who can appreciate it. j THB STJIW A ! NOi«SAW CiEBGhTMAN; — We -have atffoß&to po^gratulat'e the. jriejtibers of the Church'of England m Palmerstou .upon . the permanent y loc^tion ..of & 'clergyman m the'itQwn. /The new pastor, the. Eev. Mr. "siTewth"j arrived early this week, and has taken uphtt 1^ GCem--'per&nbe:Hoters pending' thd erection, of $0.9 i parsonage. ' ?We v »nders^a,tid that; although ■the A rererend] igeritlemarf will' reside m Palmerston, he will visit Foxton and officiate there every alterhate' Sunday^ * „ * "~ ■ „,r . P.ALMBB^Tpif Readin^ Room.— We have...been x requested.itci dijaw the attenr.iion of sii^sopib,e?»s ta ; the-.-Readin'g Room ; to the fact that the general meeting will takp place on next Wednesday, when, as Ujpipt important has to be' transactedj^we trust Weire will be a full attendatxce. In. connection with jthe institution CWare happj to an^pjiin^e' that the Finance Committee, of the Bo.fo,ugh Council recommended thp grant; of Ji&Q:. towards : itgi funds. This and thp very.i^beral donations bf both boqks and mqnay alieady given, will {Be ; affairs ' of the institution m a most "flourishing condition? ''■* r ; ''^ Pbbb^thbiak' Otftf BOH.-— A meeting of the PresbyteriaitsJ.Vi^'t'aigierston was hejd on the evening 1 q£ TTupsdayj. the 6|th instant. The meeting was opened with prayer by^ -^he Bey. A.:M. Wright', -M. A., and after the minutes of. the, formec meeting had been, read and confirme'd'i* Mx. Ferguson stated Hhat iKe husiness was purely congregational. He referred to ; th^ state of- the congregation a lew Months back as anything huta-hope-ful on^a, co^itrastiqg^^ with-Jts-'pnasent CQnr* di'tion and prospects', which decidedly Hncouijaging. The number had so increased Uiider the mi^istKy of Mk. Wright, that m hia opinion. it ifWHfgh'tiine tfjj- ordained' clpfgy^Bign settled m theie njidst. As #' was mainly owipg..'|tb!':ifB l "V^raght'S endaaYors that .thsy"^!^]^^^^©^//'!!^. been drawn together,* '■ h^ t, gpeakiqg' for hiipaseli. fq? ; otlrei&' whSfii He hid ; 'cbtf•sslted i^'vthe taatter, it Be . well fo ■>. Offer Mii; Weight 'l^S^fe^f Wi^&b) "discussionj mi the' colnt^i^'ofiVwnibli Mr." all, it w&s 'tbbved, BecQnded,aria ( ;O»rried unanimpusly- : — " That the Palmerston Presbyterian Congregation .present & call to the Rev. Alexander, M'l^eap Wright, M.A., and request the Welh'ngto^Breshytery to ordain him as their pastor m tha ( usual .way." A .ooprmittee of managemant -was- then elected, consisting of the following ge ( n < t4emen : — Messrs. Stewart, Kingj W a liep» Manson, Beale, Jillet,-Beattie ; Fergu.soni convener ;. Biiuoe, treasurer ; and" Mason, secretary. It was respired that a Sunday-school be formed 1 ,; and Itf r.JilletV kindly undertook .the management of it, the teachers to be appointed afterwards. When sgrne other niGior business had been transacted, Mr. Weight closed the meeting with prayer. Pbaishwobthy Condttct.— Jduring the hearing of a prosecution for aly-grog-selKng; hetmi atlFoxton, oh! Wednesday,; it appeared m fe-nden^that ■ the cas£" was" brought' a,t *h« instance "of a Maori Ohief, named Ren»^a Ropiha, who Jjommanded his people ■$p \ an/d jgiyjß e?Wfnc* against a Native^ ■vnfli ;jkha ofißa^c^, '"I9bn».;i^«^ yearn agoitfie tribe of whicliJßenata i» GMefv deierminect to pufc-cfown Htm e«fle>6f tiitoaa;*; eating drinks, and the defendant who- was alap a Native, having taken advantage of a Maori race meeting to vend gin and been information was given to the police, acd no* ::only. the Mftori'w^bm'an ; who bought the -liqpbr, 4>ut the. barman who seiVed it <K)mp.6ll^d'%j^th : e, ©htef to tesfcify in,,.Cburt

mum penalty of £5 aitd cost* j intimating that the defendant had made himself liable to a fine of £50. The example, set by K<?nata Ropiha, is ope well worthy of imitation by other Chiefs, and if followed would not only contribute to the happiness of the Natives, but; m a great measure stay thai rapid decline of the Maori race which! is every day so visible,