COUNTY NEWS.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 543, 8 July 1880, Page 2

COUNTY NEWS.

The Municipality Scheme for Hawora and Normanby has been quashed, by resolution of the Hawcra Town Board. Mr Hamerton, barrister, Patea, lias been appointed to act as coroner for the district. “Egmont Street” is the new name adopted by the Town Board for the principal street in Patea, sometimes called Taranaki road. The Storm of rain on Monday produced a freshet in the Patea river that night heavier than any known for many years. No material damage resulted, but steamers at the wharf had to slacken off fo escape the drifting timber. The Town Board of Carlyle have resolved to raise a loan for improvement purposes, including drainage, street formation, tree planting, and seeming a water right for the future supply of the town. A public meeting to confirm this project is to bo called. “ Carlyle” is to be disestablished at the name of Patea town. The Town Board have resolved to restore the ancient native name of Patea, abolishing the recent useless and confusing innovation. This is a wise move. Mr Hamlin’s statement in the House about the abandoned road and the swamp in which it ended lias practically confirmed the Native Minister’s denial of the allegations made by Mr Croumbie Brown. Mr Hamlin said the same thing in passing through Patea ; and certain silly attempts to give a different color to his report are weak and foolish perversions of a plain fact. Give us truth above all things. The warehouse near the wharves, known as Hirst’s store, has been purchased by Mr W. Dale, lessee of the wharves, for storage purposes in connection with the rives trade, and in anticipation of an early increase of shipping and warehousing business. The price is understood to have been £3OO. The building has been little used of late.

The new Premier in England receives, it is said,' an average of 100 letters a day. Some of them can bo disposed of by secretaries, some must be answered personally, most of them must be read and considered by' the Premier, and the residue will be referred to heads of different departments, Mr Gladstone was always a glutton for work, but he ought to have enough on hand at present for a septuagenarian. The Prime Minister of the British Empire is the Atlas of the nineteenth century.

We hear that the secretary of the Acclimatisation Society at Wanganui, Mr H. M. Brewer, is arranging to provide ova for stocking the Patea river and streams in this district with salmon trout. These, when matured and multiplied, will bo an acceptable delicacy in this district. Spanking eels may do for Maori epicures, but the British subject dearly loves his trout, MiBrewer is becoming an authority on pisciculture in this colony. We observe he has had a paper read before the LinnoianSociety of London on “ Salmonidoe and other fish introduced into Now Zealand waters.”

Where is Carlye? —A story comes from Otago to the effect that a young lady pupil teacher in one of the principal grammar schools found this geographical problem amongst the written queries of her examiners—“ Where is Carlyle f " All the maps at the school and at her home were diligently searched, but in vain. The enterprising if not famous town of Carlyle was not recorded, nor could she find it in that immaculate production, the New’ Zealand Postal Guide. In despair the young lady replied as follows : “ Carlisle (probably misspelt Carlyle) an important to ton in the north of England /” Lot it not be whispered to the Chelsea Sage that there is another Carlyle at the Antipodes, and—dare we say it ?—nearly as famous as the ancient original!

The Committee of Petitions appointed at the County public meeting lately held, will meet again this evening, to receive the three petitions as having been signed throughout the district, to arrange for having them presented without delay to the House of llepresentatives, and to sign a joint letter to the head of the Customs department, urging the desirability of making the Patea river a port of entry.

The Petition for a separate M.H.R. for Patea County should bo presented to the House at the earliest date practicable to the Committee which undertook the important matter of getting the petition signed in all parts of the district. We believe this has now been done, or is all but completed. The Redistribution of Scats Bill is set down for second reading to-day in the Lower House.

The Native Lands Court was to have commenced proceedings yesterday at the Court House, Patea ; but the Judge and his officers being detained at Bulls later than was expected, and the natives interested in certain laud blocks having assembled at Patea, the Government arranged that Mr Parris should preside as Judge. Mr Parris reached Patea by yesterday’s coach at noon, and was prepared to commence proceedings in the Court House* but the assessor not having arrived with clerk and interpreter, Mr Parris decided to open the Court formally on Friday. The hearing of evidence as to native claims will commence next Monday. Major Brown is here: and conspicuous among the native chiefs is Hone Pihama, the intelligent friend of Pakchas. The natives who have gathered at Patea are numerous and very noisy. They squat about the main street during the day, in picturesque disregard of civilised conventionaltics, talking as if everybody were deaf, and generally enjoying their idle holiday like the careless children of nature that they ate. Maori womanhood is exhibited by certain deplorable habits and decorations peculiar to semi-savage life. Of these more anon.