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Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 345, 7 August 1878, Page 2

The Financial Statement was being delivered in the House of Representatives last evening. Letter from Mr Fleming in next issue. Messrs McLean and Broadbent, auctioneers, Hawera, have found a purchaser for Mr Henry Wright’s section at Manutabi, comprising 297 acres. W. H. Oakes, Esq., was the purchaser, at £ll 14s per aero. A death occurred in the Patea Hospital yesterday —-Andrew Johnston, aged SG, from Wanganui, who entered hospital on 3rd May, with chronic bronchitis. He died about 10 a.m. Mr D. M. Hogg, of the Wavorley Store, having ordered largely of spring and summer goods, announces a clearing out sale for one month, at prices previously unheard of. Call and see him. The N.Z. Times of Saturday last says —■ In the House of Representatives yesterday Mr Sheehan announced that all but one of the difficulties in the way of proceeding with the survey of the Waimate Plains had been got rid of. That was the price to be charged the surveyors by the natives for pigs for the use of the former. Four parties were now at work on the plain. Subsequently he said a letter had been received from some natives, which would be translated, and laid on the table at the next sitting day.

Wo understand that Mr Madden, of Wellington, who lately purchased from Messrs Schultz Brothers, the Manutahi Hotel and twenty acres of land ior £2,500, intends spending about £6OO on additions and improvements to the hotel. The house will also be fitted up in good style for the convenience of travellers. Mr Madden also purchased nearly ten acres of land adjoining which had been cut up by the Messrs Schultz for sale as town sections.

The Neia JZealancler states that_ihe late Government had allowed arrears of nearly £20,000 of native land duties to accumulate without any effort to collect them. It is reported that during the heavy gale which was blowing last week, one side of the Waverley Presbyterian Church was sprung. It was feared L>3 r some people at the time the church was erected that buttresses would be required for a building so much exposed. Such fears were well grounded.

Surveyors engaged making trial lines for railway northward of Waitotara have moved ahead and are now past Waverley. Mr F, R, Jackson will hold stock sale* at Hawera on Friday next.

At the Carlyle Court yesterday a case was down for hearing, George Knowles v I). M. Hogg, claim £9 17s 6d. Plaintiff was reported drunk and the case was struck out. Plaintiff will have the satisfaction of paying for his spiee to the extent of three witnesses 10s each, mileage 10s each, and 15s for three subpoenas The New Zealander of Friday, the 2nd instant, says—Mr Brett, Mayor of Auckland, Mr Moorhouse, M.H.R., Mr Sutton, M.H.R., and Captain Standish, Mayor cf New Plymouth, having been appointed by the Municipal Conference, waited on the Hon Mr Ballance, Colonial Treasurer, on Thursday, as a deputation to protest against the deductions made by the Treasury from the subsidies granted to local bodies. This subject it may be remembered, came before the conference at a recent sitting, and it has been explained that these deductions were made for the support of hospitals and charitable institutions. The subject was gone into at considerable length at the interview, and Mr Ballance promised that careful consideration should be given to the arguments laid before him by the deputation. On Monday last there was a large muster of members of the Patea Jockey Club, at the Secretary’s office, Carlyle. A liberal programme was arranged for races to be held in February next, £l5O being set apart for the District Jockey Club Handicap, the total amount to be run for being about £450. A committee appointed by the meeting arranged on Tuesday for the enlargement of the race-course, which will now be one mile round, with a straight run-in of fully 200 yards. interest was manifested in the forthcoming meet ing.

The TwnmU ITeralil, o( tho 30th July, referring 1 to the starting of the survey of the Plains, says—Major Brown has achieved a victory—a bloodless victory—which will far more redound to his credit than if it had been gained by force of arms. Diplomacy: is the modern art of warfare, and Major Brown has an adept in it. The survey of the iland will now rapidly be pushed on. and: completed as speedily as possible. On the 31st July there was to be seen at New Plymouth, a magnificent bull calf, “Third Earl of Darlington,” purchased by Mr Courtney from Mr Breach, of Opunake, for £l9O. It may be remembered that Mr Breach bought the animal in December last for one hundred and twenty-five guineas, and at that time he attracted con-

sidorable attention. The animal has vastly improved in size and general appearance since that time, and is going (o he kept in the district for breeding purposes. Referring to Tumours circulated'in Wellington, the special correspondent of the Taianaki Herald telegraphesLon the 31st July—t“ Paragraphs have appeared id'the" local papers, to the effect that Sir Joint Coode had reported against--the practicability of building a harbour at New Plymouth, Mr Kelly has, however, denied the correctness of the report iu a letter to one of the papers.” A Mauutahi settler, who was conspicuously prominent at the last election ot members of the Patea West Road Board, and who railed at tho extravagantly high valuation which he considered had been set upon his property, namely, £8 per acre, is reported to have just parted with the same—nearly 300 acres—at £ls per acre. It is the Britisher’s privilege to

growl. Ou Saturday next, Mr W. Cowern will offer for sale, the lease for 35 years, of some most valuable, river frontages, the properties comprising reserves belonging to the Patea Harbor Board. Wo call attention to the auctioneer’s note, which fairly enough states the probabilities of the case. Presidents, of course, know the good account to which some of the Town Board reserves have, been turned, and which at first were looked upon as “white elephants.” With harbor works actually in progress, the depth of water having already increased, there are better hopes of the leases now about to bo offered turning out good investments. Other properties at Carlyle and Kakaramea will also be offered on Saturday. Lctterfrom Norfolk Island, in the August number of the Wellington Chronicle, states that the Bishop Patteson Memorial Chapel, being erected on Norfolk Island, was progressing satisfactorily. It was anticipated that the masonry would be finished by the beginning of October.

A contemporary says ; —There is now only a distance of some fifty-five miles between Wanganui and Napier not yet converted into the iron road. That distance can be easily covered on horseback in eight Lours, so that the journey from coast to coast can be. accomplished in twenty-four hours. This is progress, real and gratifying.

The Eangitikei Advocate says —Almost every week, timber merchants from Wanganui, or their representatives, travel through by rail, interviewing the owners of saw-mills, trying to obtain larger consignments of timber. All the mills in the Manawatu are as busy as they can be, and yet are still.unable to overtake orders for local consumption and supply the export trade.

A correspondent writes from Manutahi —The Debating Society met as usual on Thursday' evening, Ist instant, Mr Guthrie in the chair. An interesting debate took place on the subject of “Civilizing barbarous nations.” Mr Lee considered “ physical ” means best, and reviewed tlie history' of civilizaiion from the Roman conquest of Britain. Several speakers took the same view. Mr C. Symcs and others supported “ moral suasion,” which was carried by a considerable majority'. The usual vote of thanks concluded a very interesting discussion. Quadrille Assembly' arranged for Wednesday', 7th.

The City of New York, which arrivednn Auckland on Wednesday last, bringingthe British Mails via San Francisco, also brought a consignment of trout for New Zealand. The southern portion of the mails were despatched from Auckland at 9 a.m., on Thursday, but the sea was too rough to enable the Taranaki to cross the Manakau Bar.

A very fine sample bar of smelted copper from oi e taken from the mines at D’Urville’s Island, is on view at Wellington.

The Wellington Chronicle of Ist August says —The ketch Falcon, which left Wellington last Friday, put back late the night of the 30th ult., having lost both anchors and 80 fathoms of chain during the late gale. The Falcon was bound for the Sound.

In the House of Representatives on Wednesday last, Mr Hursthouse asked that all correspondence referring to the alleged attempt to destroy the triumphal arch at New Plymouth recently, should be laid upon the table of the House. We acknowledge receipt from the Government Printer, of a first batch of papers presented to Parliament.

Tho Hawke’s Bay Herald says —Wo learn that a large native meeting will shortly he held at Orunui, near Taupo. Great preparations are being made for feasting the visitors at the meeting, which is to be of a non-political character.