The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 194, 17 February 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1877.

o We are informed that the Presbyterian dcnomiviation have purchased from the Government an excellent site for a Church, near the' Town Hall, and hope lenders will shortly be called for the erection of a suitable place wherein to hold meetings, as there seems a goodly number in the district belonging to that persuasion. Mr J. Black, tiro Secretary of the Patca County Council, is expected in Patea to-day. Mr Ken worthy, late editor of The Jiutlyet, may also he expected in a few days.

hi our report of the County Council meeting, we unintentionally omitted the following resolution :—Proposed by Mr Middleiuus, and .seconded by Mr Livingstone—“ That the Council write to the Waste Lands Hoard and the Wellington Provincial District, requesting to recommend the Government to create the County of Patea a land Districtto appoint an ollicer and office at Patea for the conducting of the sale, letting or occupation of waste lands, in terms of the Waste Lands Act, and that copies of this resolution bo forwarded to the lion. Major Atkinson, and also lo (ho Commission of Crown Lauds, with an urgent letter therein from the- Chairman.”

Mr Dale will offer for sale to-day, the whole of the cargo of timber which arrived here by the Agnes. Man}' may think that the continued supply of timber would glut the market, but such is not the case, as the demand at present is greater than the supply. We arc given to understand that the Vaccination Inspector intends to take action at once against those persons who have not complied with the Act.

With the exception of one day, the weather during the last-month lias been more like winter than summer, and most of the farmers in the district have had their crops destroyed. This has been, without ‘exception, one of the worst seasons for grain that has taken place for years past. The Bov. .Mr Tony, Presbyterian minister, recently from Scotland, will preach, to-morrow, at Kakaramca at 11 a.m.; and Town Hall, Carlyle, at 7 p.m.

Mr P. Kelly’s horses (late the property of Mr Tho.s. Quinlivan, of llawora) passed through this township on Thursday morning, en route for Wanganui, where they arc to be sold by Air J. Chadwick. We hope that good prices may be realised.

A genuine hawker might have been seen during the last week soliciting custom from the inhabitants of Patea. Where are the police, that the}'' did not enforce the Hawker’s License ? Echo answers whore!

During the last three days the township has been swarmed with Natives. This wo suppose, is owing to Major Brown being hero. We have been unable to elicit the exact business that they arc om but believe it to be relative to sale of land.

A mooting of the Working Committee of the Ilawera Alcdical Society, was held in the Blockhouse, Ilawera, on Thursday last, at 2 p.m., the business before the meeting being the appointment of a Doctor for the Society. Eleven applications for the office had been received from different parts of the country, of which number, Iff - . Cole, of Dunedin, was elected.

We believe that a petition is being taken round the district with a view of retaining Dr. Walker in tin’s district. Air James Lett is at present np-country with it, and it will, on his return, be at his residenceAir Dcrrelt has undertaken the office of receiving signatures of those residents on the south side of the Patea river.

Thu Inspector of Police despatched to enquire about the boat seen on the beach at Tam O’ Shunter Point, Brisbane, reports linding some sails saturated with blood. He captured two gins, who said the blacks hail murdered three men and thrown them overboard, but nnlhiug was found by which to recognise who they were.

Kercopa, the noted Waitotara bully, was yesterday sentenced to six mouths imprisonment in the Wanganui goal, foy stealing a bottle of champagne, Die property of Mr James Durie. Wo hope that this will be a lesson to some of his dark skinned brethren who reside in that locality.

Our attention has boon drawn to the stale of the Whenuakura Bridge. There is a hole in one of tho planks about twelve inches long by six wide. We would caution the public to be careful when crossing it. Two of the members of the County Council have been informed on the subject, and have promised to have the damage repaired as soon as possible.

Tho committee of the Patca District Agricultural and Pastoral Association have determined to postpone the annual Show this year from the IGlh to the 20th March, to avoid clashing with the Wanganui Races, and Cavalry Tournament.

A festive evening was spent at the Blockhouse, Hawora, on Thursday evening last, about GO persons were present. The entertainment was given by Mrs Treweek. The entertainment was of a varied character, and was most successful, and the party did not close till tho small hours.

By onr advertising columns it will ho scon that Messrs Adamson and McCoy, of the Carlyle Combination Troupe, will perform at Wairoa this evening, and we hope they will have a bumper house. The damage done by the floods in the Mptneka district is estimated at £30,000. Many families lost homes, land, cattle; and all they had. A London telegram states that tire decision of the Pricy Council upholds the ruling of Jude Molesworth, that the Crown is entitled to the gold on private land granted by tire Crown.

Wo would draw particular attention to Messrs Ashforth and Lifliloii’s sale of live stock, to be bold at Wairoa, on the 22nd hist. The quality of the stock should be snllicientto attract the presence of the community.

The favourite steamer Clyde, arrived here yesterday evening from Wanganui, with a general cargo.

About 37 miles from Albury, on the main Sydney road, and about three miles from Cermaiitoii. is a small store kept by a man named Bounds. The house is a mei'c road side store, doing business principally with teamsters, the place being a convicnient and favorite camping ground. About half-past 10 on Saturday night, January G, two men rode up to the store on horseback, and one of them dismounted, and, gi\ing his horse into the charge of 1 1 is companion, entered the house. Producing two revolvers and presenting one ho ordered the inmates of the store—Mr Bounds and his wife, and a girl about 15 years of age—in true busbranging stylo to “ Bail up,” a command which it need hardly be said was at once obeyed. The robber then proceeded to tie up Ids three subjects, a work which he accomplished in a secure and workmanlike manner. Having made all fast he inquired what money there was in the place, and ascertaining the whereabouts of the till, helped himself to its contents, which fortunately amounted only to I*llss, 25s in silver and a halfsovereign. To make up for the insignificance of the money booty lie thou proceeded to help himself to some of the store goods, and having selected what he wanted,

ho removed the bandage from Mr Bound’s eyes, and forced him to sign a cheque on the Commercial Bank, Aibury, for T22, a document not of much nsc to the bushrangers, as the bank got notice of the robbery early on Monday. After obtaining the cheque, the robber quietly joined Ims companion, mounted his horse, and rode away.

A dispensing chemist in Melbourne named Bobert Henry Cowl, Ims been committed for trial, on a charge of manslaughter. It appears that a married woman living in Fontscray, was being attended by Mr (Abb fur rbenmatie fever’ and lie prescribed saiieine. The prescription was dispensed by Cowl, who made up four powders, and handed them to the deceased’s husband. He administered one in water as directed, and in a quarter of an hour the deceased underwent a surprising change. The perspiration which had prevailed suddenly ceased, the head and neck became red, the pupils dilated, and the patient suffered intense pains. Delirium succeeded, and in 12 hours she died. The powders which had not been taken were, by Air Cobb’s instructions, sent back'to the chemist, and ho returned them to the bottle. After an exhaustive analysis of the contents of the deceased’s stomach* Air Johnson, the Government analytical chemist, discovered evidences of atropine a deadly poison, and traces of the same poison were found in a powder subsequently obtained from Cowl, by a con" stable, as coming from the same bottle from which Thompson’s powders were taken.

An individual who rejoices in the euphonious name of Charles Lc Grande Redinayne, at present confined in the Gundagai gaol, N.S.W., is serving a sentence ol one month for stealing a ring under peculiar circumstances from James Fordo, ol Gnmlagai, in May last. From the cvidenc c given, when Hie prisoner was charged with the crime before the Police Court,'it appeared that he was arrested in Yass, on 18th December last, and remanded to Gundagai. In reply to the charge the prisoner said he was an acrobat, and earned his living by travelling from town to town giving performances, £ hicli partly consisted in swallowing any article tho audience might desire. Fordo gave him the ring, and ho had swallowed it, but could not get it, up again, and therefore, of course could not return it to the owner, lie further assorted that he could swallow a bagful if he got them. He is at present being treated by Dr McKiilop, visiting surgeon at Gumlagai gaol, with the view of making him disgorge a large steel albert chain and a common brass ring, Tho chain can bo distinctly felt at the bottom of the stomach, and he says it is now nine months since he swallowed it, and it is the only one he has had any difficulty about. He says bo has had two pounds weight of jewelry in his stomach) and that he has had watches in his stomach as long as 24 hours. Mr Benton, the gaoler, has a collection of steel and brass albert chains, pen knives, brass rings, &c„ which he said he had succeeded in making the patient vomit by means of powerful emetics. A link of one of the steel chains had been broken by tho action of the stomach. Redmaync is an intelligent young man, '!?> years of age, and he gave a graphic and amusing account of his exploits. Dr McKiilop entertains fears that it will not bo possible to remove the chain that still remains in his body, and that it will eventually cause inflarnation ami death. A sister of Spurgeon, the eminent London divine, has entered the pulpit. Rumour lias it .she is equally eloquent with her gifted brother.

Mr Reid the BeHcitor-Cnmeral (says a recent Wellington telegram), is worried to death it >r opinions on points daily arising under the Comities Act and its follows, and it is said, duds it impossible to reconcile many of the provisions of the various Acts.

The total wool clip of the United States last year was 198,000,000 pounds. 110 acres of crop, comprising 50 of wheat and GO of oats, were reaped and stacked in splendid condition on the farm of Mr Donald Donald, of Manaia, last week, by ton men, in the short space of seventy-two hours. F. D. Rich, of Bnshby Park, says the Mercury, was charged at the Palmerston Resident Magistrates Court recently with illegally limiting hares, pleaded guilty, and argued that under the circumstances he was perfectly justified in what lie had done, equally with the runhohlers in Southland in their endeavours to exterminate the rabbit. Haros were becoming so numerous that it was a serious question, from the grass they consumed, and the injury they did ; the hares on his properly would cat as much grass as would fowl a flock of long wool sheep. It was not only the grass they consumed, but the injury they did to plantations. They had destroyed his plantation last year, and wore doing the same this year. It was assuming a very grave position, and he considered lie was perfectly justified in protecting his Own property. Ilfs Wor ship inflicted a nominal penalty, but if any other person was brought up in the same way ho would not say that ho would not inflict a heavier line.

The Hood in 11 ic upper portion of the Kangilikei, in the early part of last week, was the highest, the Maoris say, that there has been for the last seven years.

A telegram from Timani etnt.es that the trade of tiio port is declining alarmingly as ganged by the Customs Revenue of the port. But this is no guide whatever, the reason of the decline of imports being that with railway steam communication on the one hand, and constant communication on the oilier, Christchurch and Dunedin are rapidly absorbing the whole trade of the East Coast of the Middle Island. It is rumoured says tin; lannynhaa Herald, that a well known and long established medical practitioner in Christchurch, has been served with notice of action for damages, consequent upon alleged negligence on his part, whereby a lady patient of his lost her lift l . Damages claimed .£2OO. Considerable sensation ‘ has been produced by the announcement of the suit, which, if brought before a jury cannot fail to disclose matters of peculiar interest. South Australia has just been celebrating (lie 4'hii anniversary of its foundation. Forty years ago, on December 20th, 1806, the population of South Australia consisted of 546 persons, and now 250.000 persons live in comfort and in the enjoyment of all the advantages of civilisation within its amide domain.