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Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 479, 26 November 1879, Page 2

Mr F. R. Jackson will hold Ids monthly stock sale at WaverLy, on Friday next.

No. 1 Co. Patea Rifles will parade for drill on Friday next, at 8 p.m., at the Barracks.

Tenders, addressed to the Minister of Public Works, will be received up To noon on Saturday nexl, for the erection of Police Buildings at Normanby and Manmahi. The animal meeting of the Patea County Council will he held to-day, the business of which is tiie election of a Chairman for the ensuing year. We do not know who is likely to bo selected for that important position, but we believe it lies between Messrs W. Dale and R. Horner. The ordinary monthly meeting will be held after the election.

At the K.M. Court yesterday (before G A. Wray Esq.), the following cases were heard :—H. E. Adams v. F. Brice, Waverley, claim £1 12s 2d judgment for plaintiff for amount claimed and costs.— J. Gibson v. T. Eyton, claim ,£l2 IDs fid. In this case the defendant put in a set-off. of £2O, half of which was actually due for a mouth’s salary, and the other half was charged owing to plaintiff having discharged defendant from his employ as book-keeper without giving one month’s notice. The plaintiff admitted owing the £lO for wages, but refuscd|to pay the balance as defendant had given the usual month’s notice himself, winch be (plaintiff) considered sufficient, although the termination of the agreement had not been reduced to writing. After hearing the evidence, the Court reserved judgment till Friday next. Manj' people are inclined to set Waverley down as a slow going place, with nothing to attract the attention of persons living outside the pale of that district, but we do not bold such a poor opinion of our neighbors. No doubt, a few years ago, Waverley might have been voted slow, but the settlers there, as elsewhere, have braced themselves up, and emerged from their shells. New and substantial buildings have been erected in and around the town, and the Wairoa of a few years ago is very different from the Waverley of the present day. To-day and to-morrow, doubtless, a large gathering will take place at Waverley, on the occasion of the Baton District Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s Show, and the WavcrloyWaitotara Face meeting, when visitors cun judge for themselves as to whether or not that town is gaining in importance. The Show, which is to be held in Mr Ballam’s paddock to-day, has the appearance of a successful issue, and although there are many little omissions on the part of the Committee, still, on the whole, We think they have done their best, and any errors this year can be rectified next. The Waverley-Waitotara Paces take place tomorrow (Thursday), when the handsome sum of £275, as advertised, will be run for. For the first races field in the district by a local club, the stakes are exceedingly good, and we congratulate our neighbors of Waverley am! Waitotara for having got up such a creditable programme. We hope that each year their funds will increase, so that in time the Waverley - Waitotara Race Meeting will be looked forward to by the outside world as svcll as those immediately concerned. During the hearing of a perjury case at Wanganui.on Monda}'(says the Chronicle, ), a Chinaman, before being sworn, was examined as follows as to his knowledge of the nature of an oath :—“Question — Whatai'eyou? Answer-**-! am a Christian. Question —Who was Christ? Answer— He lives in Nelson, but I don’t know his other name.” And so on.

The Taranaki Neios of Sal onlay last says : —A curious talc has reached us from Parihaka, to the effect that a European went there on the 17th of this mouth, and stated that his father’s name was .Monroe, and that lie was killed at the engagement at Te Ngntu o te Manu, his sword being taken possession of by some of the natives, who subsequently handed it to Titoko Warn, who afterwards gave it to Te Whiti. As it was a family, sword the young man expressed a wish to obtain possession of it, and ho therefore asked Te Whiti to return it to him. Te Whiti replied that the young man was very foolish to come to Parihaka on such an errand ; that Europeans had frequently met Maoris in battle and had taken spears, taihas, merepounamus, and other Maori weapons as spoils, and a number of them had been sent to England to the Queen, but he had never heard of any Maoris going to England to get them returned. He stated that he therefore could not see why he should give up the sword ; he had it, and intended to keep it. When Maoris and Europeans met in battle they did their best to kill each other, but after the fighting was over they-did not bear towards each other any ill-feeling. Still they did not give up the weapons they had taken, and which had become trophies. Our informant states that the applicant seemed to be quite dumfounded and could not reply. Possibly his silence arose from his not understandin the language in which he was addressed.

A Press Agency telegram, dated Now Plymouth, November 24, says Hill, the Hospital Steward, has been committed for trial on a charge of indecent assault on a female patient. The hearing of the case occupied three days. The accused reserved his defence, and was admitted to bail, himself in £SOO, and two sureties of £250 each. The accused was formely Hospital Sergeantin the 57th Regiment ; he Was in the Crimean war, was in good circumstances, and was respected. The prosecutrix is a German immigrant, and was taken to the hospital in a state of exhaustion consequent on giving birth to a child, and on want of care in her confinement.

At the inquest on the bodies of the Miller family, held at Wellington on Thursday last, the jury, without hesitation, found a virdict to the effect that the deaths of Fdward and Fanny Miller were occasioned by the acts of Clarence Miller, their son, but that he at the time was of unsound mind, and that, therefore, he did not commit the acts feloniously. Also, that he destroyed himself whilst insane.

Sir George Grey lies assumed many characters, and has made not a few mistakes in his various efforts, but there are two parts (remarks the Press) which is exceedingly difficult to play to the satisfation of any but the player. The one is the man with the grievance, the other the man with the claim. At the present moment Sir George seems bent upon the assumption of both, and the House is getting intolerably weary of the representation. We do not mean that be is playing the part badly. These are parts that suit him. He has ail the stock dresses and traditional gestures at his command. If anything, we should be inclined to say that he plays this only too well. Tie not only identifies himself with part, but he identifies the part with himself. And this is a great nuisance. The House is always delighted to hear good speeches ; but then the speeches must bo, or affect to be, about public business. They must not be long rigamaroles, tending only to the glorification of the speaker. This is a thing that the House feels to be insufferable, and this is what Sir George is now for ever doing. He is getting to be a confirmed bore.