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Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 497, 4 February 1880, Page 2

Mr V/. Coworn -will hold Ids monthly Rakaramea stock sale to-day. Wc understand that Mr D. Hughes, of Carlyle, is the successful tenderer for the gravelling contracts on tire Wainuito Plains. Mr F.iG Jackson will hold a sale of stock Ac., at Ids Haw era yards, on Friday next. Tim following school committee wa s elected at the molding held at Kakani'uea on the ‘_’Gth January : —Messrs Glover, {telamorc, Hawken. John Paterson, Payne, Liiseley, and Salmon. Wc understand that tho cattle sent to Nelson in the Patau on Frn.ay last, brought very satisfactory prices. The s.s. Pate a leaves for Wellington to-day at 1 p.ni., letnrning on Friday—not on Saturday, as stated in last issue. The Wanganui Herald, in Monday's issue, wishes to know what is the matter with the Patla Mail, that it should turn i;s divine wrath on the heads of its correspondents. The last time we said anything about the Hernia's sensationalists was on ihe filth January, and it certainly, does not sneak well for the brains of (bat very corrc-.i journal—the Wanganui Herald—i(,> take so long to think, about a reply. Tlr; ra:>h iimlsr coii-itiCTallOil IS ii fiuo ; l»*:l crnui:,~: from where it does, wc da tot ioel in any way hurt.

A meeting of those intorostccl in the formation of a band for Carlyle, was heir) at the .Albion on Saturday evening. There was a vciy good attendance, and about eight persons put down their names as willing to join. 3t was stilted that several vety lib'tral donations iiad already been promised, and it was determined to further

canvass the town to raise funds. Mr A. King w ;s olecLed band-master in the event of the affair proving a success, which, considering that all who put. down their n.mrw as willing to join are old hands, we .see no reason to doubt. Wo believe, although times are a little hard, the money for the instruments will bo shberibed without a murmur.

At the Town Board meeting on ,Monday, a resolution was ’passed protesting against the railway terminus being put on the other side of the river, which the Chairman was requested to forward to the Minlsterof Public Works; besides which,a numerously signed petition is to be .sent to Government, selling forth in full the disadvantages to tho town of not Slaving the terminus on this aide.

At tiio 11.Af. Court yesterday (before C. A. Wray., ißq., 11.M.), ■ tim following cases were dealt with :—J. Whelan v. T. Remplvcr, judgment summons £d 18s 7d ; no order.—T. North v. il. Yeoman, claim JM’isbd ; judgment for plaintiff by default for amount claimed and bs costs. —Same v. Tims. fclcown, claim ;iM la lid ; judgment for plaintiff by confession, to be paid by Vi!i February. —Same v. F. (Joweni, claim AlB Ms Id; judgment fur plain till; by delimit for amount claimed and costs. — Same v. J. MeEvov, claim hi 17s (id ; judgment for plain!iif for amount and b.s costs :—Same v 11. Mercer, claim £o Us 7d; judgment for plamtiii for amount and Os costs. —-The man W. Higgins, for the larceny of a coat at Waitotura was brought upon remand on Saturday, and sentenced to ‘MB days imprisonment with hard labor in Wanganui gaol.

On Monday evening a bright streak, about thirty degrees in length, was to be seen in the western sky. it was inclined to south, making an angle of about seventy degree.': with the homou. It was not a terrestriai phenomenon, for it appeared fixed among the stars and set with them, it could scarcely be other than the tail of a comet, the nucleus of which was below the bmi.mn. The only din'ieuity is that, as far as wo mo aware, it was not. seen before .Monday evening, a little after eight o’cluck. That such a splendid comet should appear thus suddenly is a utile eurimi.-’, but may be explained on two hypotheses. First, that it approached the sun either from oust or west, without a util, or with a very insignilieant one, and tii.’ii .suddenly, say on Sunday night and on Monday, shot forth the splendid appendage ivierred to. This is not in the least improbable, for comets, like Hamlet s G host, can a tail unfold of wondrous length in a very short space of time, a tail too that has made ’’inch particular hair” on manv a head “ stand an end like quills upon the. fretful porcupine.” Sir Isaac Newton’s com.!, tiiat appeared 20U years ago, shot out a tail MO million.' of miles in length, in l ,vo days. The second hypothesis on ■.’. inch we may explain its sudden appearance in such imposing proportions is, that it a; ;g ■ ached the sun from the west, with a Vi as mabD tail, and that having stolon

;;p to (Pat luminary under to- cover of vlayiigb:, it swept, around him with porihNi'in rapidity ami presented nseH on the eastern side of him, where it was seen as described. Should this latter be (be. correct solution of the problem, the comet mnv be eapeeieil to present a splendid appearance in tile evening sky for .some weeks to come.

The \v:U' correspondent of the Lyttelton Tiuies (Mr Croumbie-br.iwn), telegraphed from Normanby on the ‘27th January, as follows : — k ‘ To-day Homo Pibama, the well-known ami irdluential chief, who fought against General Clinic, but has since been friendly to the Government, caked upon me. The primary object of Ills visit was an anonymous ami scurrilous letter directed against your correspondent, in the Patka Mail, about which lie seemed much troubled. After disposing' of tins purely personal matter, we entered into a conversation on the Native question, Hone Pihania being particularly communicative. He told me that a number of Natives on hearing that the Armed Constabulary were going on the Plains, went to Parihaki to seek Te Whiti’s advice. To Whiti sai lto them, Do not be a!raid. I want the roads made, and if they (the Constabulary) wish you to help them, do so.'’ Afterwards Hone Pihama explained to me that lie was not one but two men—a European and a Maori ; and if the European did wrong", he would go back to the Maori. His body might not go, but ho would advise the Maoris what to do. Speaking of the effect upon the Natives of taking- possession of the Plains, Hone said, Yon will do well to go away now. Yon must wait and see what will happen,” adding, after a pause, “but you may in the meantime go anywhere on the Plains, but do not carry arms.” Deferring to the Commission, Hone said he could not understand it at all. “If the Commission was to softie the <iispntc-, wtiy did tin- soldiers go on the Plains ? If the Commission failed to settle the dispute, then it was time enough to send the soldiers.” The interview was u very interesting one, and quite confirms my view that the issue is wholly uncertain. Mr Dalton interpreted between us.”