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Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 485, 17 December 1879, Page 2

The Patea Steam Shipping Company intend, during the Christmas Holidays, to run the s.s. Patea on Excursion Trips to Nelson and Wellington, at reduced fares. Intending excursionists will find this an excellent opportunity for visiting these Pods.— Ad VT. Mr G. H. Armstrong, of Hawera, having secured the services of a first class tailor, is now in x position to supply settlers with any class of clothing they may require. We understand that the Patea Boiling Down Co. intend to commence operations again about tire beginning of next month, and will be in a position daring the season to boil down sheep for the general public at per head. Mr W. Dale will sell to-day, at Hawera (under bill of sale), the stock-in-trade of Mrs R. Basch, tobacconist and fancy goods dealer. Sale at 12 o’clock, Hawera Town Board rates must be paid by to-day, oiherwise “ judgment for plaintiff with costs ” will be given.

Mr F. R. Jackson’s next Hawera stock sale will be held on Saturday next. In accordance with the new postal arrangements, mails will be closed the Carlyle Post Office, as follows -For New Plymouth and intermediate offices, at 10.45 a.m. ; for Wanganui and intermediate offices, at 2.15 p.m. ; commencing this day. It is notified by (Jc.zdle that a special rate of £1 per mile will be charged for a special train to convey Ghiarini’s circus troupe on a tour which is to bo made through the Middle Island.” At the R.M. Couit yesterday (before C. A; Wray, Esq., K.M.), evidence was taken in a case—proprietors New Zealand 'Times v. W. Odgers. The = defendant was summoned to appear in Vellington, but decided to ’give his evidence in Carlyle. It appears that some time ago the plaintiffs drew on defendant through the Bank _of New Zealand for two year’s supscription to the Times , which draft was honored by Mr Odgers, who is now summoned to pay the money again. Judgment will be given in We I ling! on. The Marton-Rangitikei race privileges realised £6OO. In Committee of Supply on Saturday last, £223,000 was voted by the House for the Carlyle-Waitara Railway. Mr Foy, Government Engineer, is now in Carlyle, and we understand that works are to be commenced at once. We are not certain whether the above includes the branch line. The following returns of runs or farms in the Patea County on which there wore infected sheep during the quarter ending 30th September, 1879, have been gazetted in accordance with Section 19 of “ The Sheep Act, 1878” :—Bremer Bras.,Whenuakura, 1,500 sheep; H. Deane, Carlyle, 120 ; J. Fairweatber, Carlyle, 540 ; R. Horner, Whenuakura, 244 ; J. Hawken, Kakaramea, 2,250 ; James Livingstone, Waingongoro, 2,850; R. E. Mcßae, Cadyle, 280 ; T. Mason, Hawera, 230 ; A.Schult/.e, Carlyle, 524 ; D. Smith, Carlyle, 25 ; C, & E. Symes, Manntabi, 3,800; Williams and Lyon, Hawera, 400. Dr Rawson, an old and much respected resident in New Plymouth, died on Friday last.

By reference to onr advertising columns, it will be noticed that the Carlyle Harmonic Society intend bolding a concert on Christmas evening, to consist of sacred music. Although the idea is somewhat novel, still wo feel sure the concert will be appreciated.—A special c'-ncert will also be given on New Year’s evening, in order to raise a fund for building purposes. It will be recollected that the Society recently purchased a section of land in the town on which to build a hall, and active steps are now being taken to attain that end. The first part of this entertainment will consist of miscellaneous music ; and for the soeond, the world-renowned, cantata, “ Trial by Jury,” lias been selected. We understand that the Society are practising heavily for both concerts, which we hope will be successful. To-day, the railway lino from New Plymouth to Stratford will be publicly opened ; and in connection with this, Cobb and Co. intend running coaches daily from Kai Iwi to Stratford, and vice versa, in order that passengers may reach Wanganui and New Plymouth in one day. Messrs Hall and Go. deserve every encouragement, for the manner in which they endeavor to meet the wants of the public, and we have no doubt that this undertaking will prove very successful. What a lew years ago could with difficulty be done in two or three days, can now be accomplished easily in one; and what is done easily in one day now, in a few more years will be accomplished in a few hours. Such is the advantage of the iron horse. The New Zealand Times says : —“ Excursionists will be able to see the fertile country about Patea on easy terms during the holidays, as the steamer Patea will convoy passengers to and from Carlyle at single fares, from the 2Uth inst to the loth of January. The Wiamate Plains are only a day’s journey from Carlyle.” If the distance to the Plains is an obstacle to excursionists, we might inform our contempory that Hawera (the city of the Plains) is quite handy, and that plenty of accommodation can be found for any number that choose to come.

At the Resident Magistrate’s Court Christchurch, on the 15th instant, R. Davis, Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Com t, was charged on five informations with filing unstamped declarations under the Debtors and Creditors Act. Mr Cowlistan prosecuted on behalf of the AuditorGeneral, and stated that during the month of November the attention of the AuditorGeneral was drawn to the fact that there was a number of documents unstamped. An investigation led to the discovery that there was a deficiency of over £SO worth stamps. An opportunity bad been offered defendant of recouping the money, but lie had not availed himself of it. The Crown Prosecutor had been consulted, and he had given it as his opinion that on technical grounds an information of larceny or embezzlement would not lie, and therefore the only course that remained was to lay an information under the Stamp Act for the recovery of the penalties inenred. For the first offence a fine of £5 was imposed; for the second, £lO ; for the third £ls ; for the fourth, fifth, and sixth, £2O pounds each ; making a total of £93, with Court fees and expenses of witnesses. The Bench expressed an opinion that defendant had been dealt with very leniently.

The Taranaki News of the 13th instant says :—The usual monthly meeting of Maoris who are followers of Te Motu took place at Punehu on Sunday last. About 200 natives were present, and about a dozen Europeans. Te Motu addressed his followers in his usual style. In imitation of the chief of Parabaki, Te Motu has commenced to prophesy. His friends regret this, as he has not tlie mental power which Te Whiti posesses. At the conclusion of the meeting Te Motu had a private interview with two of the most influential Europeans present, and desired them to request the Government to release as many of the prisoners as would forsake Te Whiti and become his deciples. He was sure that if they promised to do sp they would keep their word, and that if they put themselves under bis care he could keep and protect them as he was protecting and keeping their wives. He hinted also that a little utu to aid in the maintenance of the grass widows would be an acceptable present fiom the Government.

John Hill (brother of the late steward of the New Plymouth Hospital, who was recently committed for trial on a charge of indecent assault on one of the female patients), has been committed for trial on a similar charge, the would-be victim being an Italian girl between 16 and 17 years of age. The accused is over 60 years of age.

Mr Adolphus Kyngdon writes as follows to the Taranaki News of Saturday last ; In your issue of Saturday week I was pleased to see a letter from the Rev. H. H. Brown, calling public attention to the injur} done to the maize crops by pheasants. Very few bush farmers, 1 believe, now attempt to grow this grain, which was once so generally cultivated ; but this is by no means the only crop which these bird's much destroy—l have found that they very greatly attack the late planted potatoes. I have had the yield reduced to less than one-half what it probably otherwise would have been. They also commit sad havoc in the garden, amongst the gooseberries, strawberries, grapes, &c. Would it not be well to adopt the plan in vogue in, I think, France, namely, to allow every man to shoot over his own land at all seasons of the year, but none to carry a gun on the public roads without a license. There need be no fear that the birds would be extirminated, as they have already extended far back into the standing forest, ami besides they would be preserved by those who do not grow crops, as they certainly consume large quantities of grasshoppers and other insects. The system existing here has a most demoralizing effect on the community ; children see their fathers, and servants their masters, deliberately and continually breaking the law by shooting pheasants out of season. If the law is not altered, I fear we shall suffer morally more than w-e have materially.”

The following (says the N.Z. Times) is the opinion given by the 'Solicitor-General to Dr. Lemon as to the right of the Government to look through the telegrams sent by their predecessors in office “The General Manager*—l think it is clear that the Telegraph Commissioner would have a right to look through all Government telegrams, although the same may have been sent by a former Ministry. Such telegrams are really the property of the country, and an incoming Ministry would have the right to inspect them. Care should of course be taken that none but Government telegrams are seen. This opinion only has reference to the legal rigid, not to its mode of exercise.—W. S. Reid.” Dr. Lemon, however, in forwarding the opinion to Mr A. T. Maginnity, assistant secretary, made the following minute thereon: —“I entirely disagree with it,”

A correspondent of a Southern paper’ who has evidently been “ let in ” some throws out the following suggestion re bankrupts ■—As bankrupt shops or cilice promises look the same as any body else : s —yon will see ‘Auctioneer,’ ‘LandTransfer Office,’ in bold characters. ‘Tent and sail maker,’ ‘ Boot and Shoo Shop,’ ‘Tailor,, and ‘Confectioner,’ &c., &e., all in more or less prominent styles—would it not be well for the Government to compel them to have over their names, in regulated size, the Lion and the Unicorn reversed, say, standing on their heads ; and according to the number of times they have burst, assigned) or what not) then give the Unicorn another tail ; and if proved a fraudulent bankrupt, then give the Lion an extra tail with a knot on it

The Taranaki Herald of Monday last says—A serious case of poisoning occured yesterday afternoon. Mr Stottcr (tailor of Brougham street) and his family, partook of a poisonous weed at dinner under the belief that they were eating spillage. The effects of the weed were soon apparent, producing all the alarming symptoms of poisoning. Mr Stotter his wife, and little hoy became very ill after dinner, and Mr Stotter was insensible for three hours. Dr. O’Uarroll was sent for. and he at once pronounced it to be a case of poisoning, and without loss of time administered the usual remedies. Strange to say, two little gilrs of Mr Stutter’s family, who partook of the weed, did not suffer any ill effects from it. The weed was sown by Mr Stotter, who had bought tire seed as spinage seed, and the plant bears a close resemblance to spinage. We are glad to state that both Mr and Mrs Stotter have nearly recovered from the baneful effects, but the little boy is still oonlined to his bed. Ho is, howeVer, much better, all the dangerous symptoms having left him. His caso was very crictical, and had it not been for the timely medical aid might have proved fatal. We (Rangitikei Advocate) understand that steps have been taken against a solicitor practicing in the Rangitikei district, in connection with moneys received from the client for special purposes, and which, it is alleged, have been misappropriated. The proceedings will, we understand, take the form of a criminal charge,