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Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 538, 26 June 1880, Page 2

A iurPLEMent of Tl columns is presetted with this issue of the Mail Tin Eclipse of the moon was visible at Wdlington, a little after midnight. A I’ei’ition against’* the Property Tax hj bdiig signed at Notv Plymouth. Tie Upper House has thrown out the bill proposing to recognize the serxicos of Mr Moorhvuso by giving him a gold medal to servo as a free pass on railways for himself ami heirc.

Civil Cases were heard at the B.M. Court yesterday , before Captain Wray, Messrs Craig and Handley obtained judgment against Mr M. D. Iving, stoivkeeper, Hawcra, for £9 13s, part of a claim for cartage, they being unable to prove balance of claim. Mr 11, E. P. Adams, solicitor, obtained judgment for a claim of £3 18s against Mr W. Hicks, for conveyancing.

Parliamentary Papers just received from the Government printer include: A bstract of revenue and expenditure; expenditure of Native Department charged to Civil List; Appropriation account; returns of imports and exports; Report of Commission on University and Secondary Schools; this last being a lengthy document.

Tin-: Lease of Wharves from the Hiubor Board will be disposed of today by auction. Wc believe there is a condition prohibiting the stacking of timber. It is not judicious for the Harbor Board to hamper the timber trade by unnecessary restrictions made in the interest of persons who do not intend to bid for the lease. Some stacking might be allowed, so long as no impediment to traffic results from it; but to prohibit stacking altogether seems to be a direct injury to the Harbor Board, for the lease will certainly be worth loss than if timber could be stacked within certain defined areas of ground. The Board arc throwing away at least £SO a year by decreasing the value of the lease in this way. Is it necessary ?

A Juvenile Tournament came off yesterday, at the Patea School. About 200 children mustered in the paddock at noon, armed with mugs and pannikins,with which they threatened to do immense execution in the tea-fight. And they did. First came the out-door sports and athletic games. There were running matches, skipping matches, long and short jumps, climbing the pole, catching a little piggy-wiggy by the tail (great fun for youngsters, you know), and a lot of lively romping in other ways. Prizes were to be given to the best performers, and the lads and lasses worked hard to win. Parents and visitors looked on with smiling faces, and with a touch of that sedate envy which elder folks feel when they see a younger generation going through the old familiar romps of “ lang syne.” The mill which used to grind old folks young again has stopped for repairs, else there would have been a lot of Patea candidates yesterday. The gamesome youngsters filed into the schoolroom for tea; and there the parents had been having some tun to themselves in quietly preparing a big least for the tired and hungry heroes of the day. The tables were temptingly laden with contributions of a suitable sort, and the feasting became as energetic as the play had been. It was a grand day altogether, an eventful breaking-up for the mid-winter holidays. The School Committee were gratified with the completeness of the success, and they ask us to thank the donors who helped so substantially. Mrs Dyer distributed the prizes; to the winners, in the games ; and cheers were given by the youngsters for the contributors, for the popular teachers, Mr Dyer and Mr Flood, and for the committee.

A Census is to be taken in April, next year, if the Government carry their bill now before the House.

The Land Revenue from Patea County amounted to £2,358 last year. There were expenses to be sot against revenue to the amount of £l5O. The land revenue from Wanganui last year was only £23.

Puum cans and Brewers are making, a stand against the new heavy'tax on colonial be«-r. Petitions are in course of signature in many towns, including Patea.- One petition objects to the tax because beer is an “ important article of food.” This will be a new light on the subject for those innocent politicians at Wellington who fancied beer was not someihing to eat.

“ London Assuuanck ” is to be performed by the Wellington Dramatic Club. Mr Boueic.-uilt has written nothing so clever as this early comedy from his pen. Most of his later works have sueceedcd as mere stage exhibitions of daring leaps from dizzy heights, weird scenes in dark moonlit caverns, and the comical wretchedness of Irish cabin life. il London Assurance” differs from all these. It seems to survey life from a club window, the rich lazy humour of the “ sweet shady side of Pall Mall.”

The report of a disturbance on a steamer in the Patea river requires some correction. The main difficulty met with in our inquiry is to determine which steamer had the distinction of getting up a kind of amateur theatrical drama on deck, by way of passing the time. Nautical performances of this sort are not uncommon in the colonies, and they seem to be enjoyed by all concerned.

Impeding a Thorouohi’ark. A qnestisn of Taranaki Ordinance law was argued with much solemnity at the 11.M. Court yesterday. Mr Erskine, livcrystnblo keeper, bad been summoned under tbe 62nd Ordinance, section 3, subsection 2, for allowing a cari'iage to stand in a public thoroughfare. Mr Ha merlon appeared for the defendant. The evidence of Constable O' Brien was that on the 22nd a certain carriage was standing in ft out of the livery stable in Derby-street more than three hours, that being the extreme time allowed by law for vehicles, &c., to remain in a roadway. Mr Hainerton, for the defence, objected to the summons on various grounds, particularly that the leaving a carriage in the street is no offence, as the summons did not allege that it was standing longer than the regulation three hours. *” Captain Wray, E.M., said the summons might be amended in that particular. Mr Hainerton then contended that tho place called Derby street is not a thoroughfare, it having never been gazetted, although the '(own Board professed to have taken it over from tho private owners. Captain Wray said the Town Board had taken the ground and had named it Derby-street. Their action so far was sufficient, in his opinion, to constitute it a thoroughfare. Mr Hainerton said he would like to contest that on appeal, but perhaps the case was hardly worth the trouble and expense of an appeal. Tho Magistrate lined the defendant in the lowest ponelly, 5s and coats. It appeared tho defendant had been previously warned by the police. The road is not used (or general traffic, but there are two houses beyond the stabling, and tho occupants may he inconvenienced by vehicles standing in the roadway.

Butchers make an extra display of meat about this time of year, corresponding to the Christmas fat-moat show at Home. Messrs Cowl and and Adamson are taking their turn this week with a display which is highly creditable lor a small town. Butchers have a sort of fine-art style of dressing meat for these extra shows, and the City Butchery -- ’ was arrayed last evening with carcases dressed in a style that indicated much cleverness. Two heifers were hung, one being an uncommonly fine beast, about two years old, weighing close on 800 pounds, and the other a fairly good carcase. A four-months calf was a splendid animal, weighing about IGO pounds ; and a number of sheep were hung, some of them excellent samples of Patea mutton. A bullock's head had been decorated like a grim work of art, the name “ Gowland, /.damson, and Co.” being embossed with some mysterious arrangement of confectionary, and the animal’s “ topping” combed and parted with foppish precision. He looked a great swell, that bullock. The calf’s head was a lesser triumph, yet skilfully done.

This Eclipse has caused much dissatisfaction in this district. As an outdoor entertainment it was a failure, and this only shows the necessity for establishing a Meteorological Department to regulate the weather. It was useless to send Mr Bryce to the West Coast to snpc'luteud the Eclipse, for everybody knows that when he pulls the strings he is apt to get them mixed, so that when he rings for fine weather at Parihaka he is just as likely to bring down rain. When he had this eclipse on hand he should have done it properly. No sooner had he left Wellington for Parihaka than the weather cleared up at Wellington, while it thickened rapidly all along the line of his transit. Here was distinct evidence of malefic influence. His coming here brought a train of clouds, a sort of official thick darkness, preventing West Coasters from seeing even the foil moon; while his departure from Wellington lifted the heavy mist from the harbor, and revealed the. moon in the dim glory of eclipse. Next time there is to b e a meteorological magic-lantern entertainment on this coast, we hope Mr Bryce will send some other operator to work the slides. He makes a mess of everything he touches. It would pay the colony to pension him off and appoint TV Whiti in his place. The Prophet is at least on good terms with the heavenly bodies, and would know how to charge extras in his travelling expenses.

A Fancy Dress Ball has been amusing the people of Wellington. The “ Empire ” ladies were fearfully and wonderfully dressed for this' occasion only ; and about seventy couples tripped to the music, the gay scene being like a moving kaleidoscope. The fete was promoted by the City Rifles, and about 800 spectators were present.

A buggy accident at Wanganui seems to have been a queer “ spill.” A whip-hand was giving a party of ladies an airing in the Avenue, when the pair of horses became restive, and dashing off at a fast canter the buggy was soon overturned and shattered to fragments,

the ladies lying in a comfortable heap without harm, ami the driver not much worse. The horses continued their career at accelerated speed, and have not- since been heard of. Perhaps they have stopped by this lime. It is suggested that the driver who accomplished all this was not a strong hand with the ribbons.