PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1880.

Patea Mail, 22 July 1880, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1880.

The arrival of important telegrams late last night has crushed out several matters of loss pressing interest, The News of Maori ammunition being discovered is not seriously alarming, The Maoris on this coast are known to have guns and ammunition in considerable quantity, and the Government ought to be well-informed on that point. All depends on To Whiti’s influence. He inclines to peace, and to getting largo grants of land for himself and people. His main difficulty is to keep his followers quiet, while maintaining his personal influence. Ho knows war would be destruction.

A Revelation has been made in a brewery case heard at the Christchurch police court. Two labels were produced as samples of those put on bottles sent out from a certain brewery. One was, “ Bass’s India Pale Ale. First quality! M. B. Foster and Sons, 27, Brook-street, Bond-street, London. Trade mark—A hunting horn, green.” The other label was for “ Dublin Extra Stout.” The public in Courtlaughed at the discovery that their famous “ Bass’s pale ale” and their “ Dublin extra stout” are brewed and bottled within the Cathedral city. The “ pilgrims” have been supporting local industry without knowing it, Mr Sheehan, the wandering M.H.R. who couldn’t bo found when wanted, is preparing a big speech for Thursday, a speech that will wither up and consume all and sundry of them that did assail his fair fame in his absence. It is considered doubtful whether Sir William Fox will survive this tremendous onslaught of the brilliant Sheehan, She an’ Sir William are very much at loggerheads, which is a pityThe Entertainment on Saturday evening, to supplement the Catholic bazaar, ought to be an interesting event, an attractive mixture of lively music and dramatic fun. The local musical contributors will be assisted by Miss Coakely, of Wanganui, Miss Hull, of Hawera, and Mrs Rice, of Napier. We do not hear of anybody coming to the assistance of the local dram what do you call them ? drammarians ! Perhaps they are such a “ powerful company ” that assistance would be like gilding refined gold. At any rate, the public should go to see for themselves.

During the hearing of a case at the Native Lands Court on Tuesday a rather amusing incident occurred. An old chief, said to have reached ten years beyond life’s span as measured by the Psalmist, had given his whakapapa—his ancestral line, —which ran back several generations; ...1 m > came forward and asked the Court to allow him to point out a mistake which he had noticed in the old chief’s statement. Said he : “ Not only has the old chief shown himself to be a relative of mine, having named one of my ancestors, but his whakapapa shows him to be descended from his own grandchild. He has made it appear that his grandchild is his mother. He would prove himself his own grandmother, if } r ou would only listen to him. The old gentleman’s brain is turning.” This curious disclosure of mixed ancestry caused not a little merriment. The knowing ones around the table seemed surprised, and even the severe gravity of the Judge was touched.

“ Parties 11 are criticised with sense and point by a Taranaki correspondent, signing himself “Agricola, 11 thus :—“ We are told of the different parties in the House, ‘ parties 1 being a misnomer for a contemptible “faction.” There is the Opposition faction, which is said to be forcing retrenchment on the Ministry with the amiable view of making them unpopular, so that they may the.raore readily supplant them next session, and make a show by restoring matters to a condition of ‘ as you were. 1 Then there is the rise and progress of the County faction under Mr. Ormond, which aims at selling to the runholders the pastoral land of the' colony, which belongs (if anything docs belong to them) to its creditors. Then there is another faction, which proposes to put the Civil Service on half-pay ; and still another, which is called the “ Corner” party, but I have not been able to gather in what ; way it designs to bring further discredit upon Parliamentary Government.” “"The Railway Traffic Receipts on the Wanganui section showed a decrease of one-sixth during May, as compared with the previous year.

The Rotomahana left Melbourne for the Bluff on Tuesday. Government are considering the propriety of remitting the duty on chaff. Mr Cook, a lawyer from England, is settling at Wanganui.

The Mayor of Wanganui says cases of destitution have seriously increased in that town.

The Harmonic Society’s meeting, convened for Wednesday, is adjourned till Friday. • A Bank Clerk named Jones committed suicide at Arrowtown, by shooting himself in his bedroom. His accounts at the bank are found correct. Government Insurance is increasing. Over 3000 proposals were received last year, for more than a million sterling. Upwards of 2200 policies were granted, for a total sum exceeding £720,000.

Messrs Gowland and Adamson are to bo commended for closing at seven o’clock after Monday next. Patea shopkeepers would lose nothing by agreeing to close earlier, and abolish late shopping. A Learned J.P. near Melbourne delivered judgment thus : —“We find that he throwed water over she, and she throwed water over he, and we dismisses the cases, and we give no costs to nobody.”

Lawyers. —A block of 91,200 acres was passed through the Patea Court this week in the short space of half-an-hour. The only explanation of this phenomenal speed is so very doubtful that we print it to invite correction from the “ profession.” The reason assigned is that no lawyers were engaged! W haling has been dying out along these shores ; but those monsters of the deep arc increasing in these latitudes. Whales are reported at to be numerous at present along the cast coast. On the last trip of the schooner Medora from Whangaroa, the captain sighted no fewer than eight whales off that port. Some of them swam alongside the vessel, and kept it company, coming so close that they could have been struck with an oar.

The Ship .Knowsley Hall is given up as another of those mysterious disappearances at sea which have been sadly numerous on the Australian outward voyage. The Board of Trade report that she left London seaworthy, but the surveyor does not know where her load-line was. Did she run too far south, among the drifting icc, and strike an iceberg in the night, reeling and filling before the sleeping passengers were conscious of what had happened ?

Football. —ln compliance with the unanimous wish of members of the several clubs, a team of 18 have been selected to play a friendly match against the County team. We understand the captain of the 15 is willing to accept a challenge as soon as sent. The following arc the names of the 18 : Backs, R. Baddeloy, Dyke, jun. ; quarter-backs, Wolner and Barr. Wings, C. Dasent, Byrne. Forwards, Willey, Cavanagh, W. Adamson, Sinclair, J. Adamson, W. Williams, A. Gower, A. Howie, J. Howie, and A. Symes. This team has been selected by three gentlemen acting on behalf of the three clubs, and though the odds are in favour of the 15, a really good game may be looked for. A meeting of players will be held on the Patea Recreation Ground next Saturday, after the Hawera v. Waverley match, to fix the date and place_for the game.

Good Tempalary.-— The Star of Patea Lodge, 3097, was inaugurated with due ceremony on Tuesday evening at the Town Hall. Bro. E. G. Alsworth, G.W.P. Templar, was the installing officer, assisted by Bros. J. A. Smith, G,Marshall, and Miller. G.W.S. the Eev. R. J. Alsworth, and officers of the Waverley Lodge, were also present, and the Patea new lodge had a start of 10 members. Many sympathisers had indicated their willingness to join after the Lodge had been opened. The following brothers and sisters were duly installed in the various offices :—Brothers T. Purnell, W.C.T.; J, Patterson, W.P.T.; J. Graham, W.S. ; M. Carey, W.F.S.; G, Spence, W.T.; D. Smith, W.C.; Hi Bayless, W.M. ; JR. Stroud, W.J.G.; G. Carman, W.0.G.; C. Bayliss, P.W.C.T. ; Brother S. Tinker, A.S ; Sisters Elizabeth W.R.H.S.; Stroud, W.L.S,; Eliza Carey, W.D.M. The Honor Lodge Deputy was conferred by the G. Lodge officer, on Brother D. Smith. Brief addresses were given by the installing officer and the Rev R. J. Alsworth. Brothers Miller, Bridge, Riseley, and Smith, suggested hints for the further benefit of the Lodge, such as open Lodge meetings, and the promotion of harmony, congratulating their Patea brothers on the flourishing start and wishing them success.

Telegrams are to bo increased in price at the smaller stations throughout the colony. It is found that these are being worked at a loss on the actual business done; and an extra charge of sixpence on each message is to be made at small offices after this month.

The “spurious vouchers” which the West Coast Commissioners have brought into Parliamentary notice, are. to be fully investigated. Sir William Fox has obtained a promise to this effect, and he intends to make a motion on the subject.

We believe To Whiti’s son is not among the prisoners taken for fencing. The chief’s son and daughter are both young. Probably a nephew of To Whiti is among the fencers.

The Bazaar in aid of the Patea Catholic Church will be opened to-day, at 2 o’clock. Father: Grogan arrived at Patea yesterday, and will superintend the inauguration of the fancy fair in the Town Hall. Ladies who are to preside at the stalls are reported to have been immersed this week in those numerous odds-and-ends which have always to be done at the last moment. The stalls were built up last evening, and some zealous workers were fixing decorating, and and contriving up to a late hour last night. The stalls promise to look' pretty and attractive. The design is artistic, and as to the decoration, we think the public ought to go in a body and form their own opinion. Once inside, they must take cave of them, selves. They will bo decoyed and coaxed and cozened and wheedled by those lady shopkeepers, until those visitors find themselves in what arc called embarrassed circumstances. We regret to hoar that several articles have been broken or damaged in transit from Wanganui, intended as presents for the bazaar.

A Detachment of unemployed laborers, sent by Government, arrived at Patea on Tuesday evening, per the Clyde steamer, which brought them on from Wanganui. It is curious that the Government could not send 25 men by direct steamer to Patea. Only 23 arrived here, two having missed their passage at Wanganui, or eloped. Major Noake received the men, gave them a substantial feed in a shed near the Court House, and lodged them there for the night. They were taken up the river yesterday, and pitched thentents at a place near the Junction Station. Spades and other implements have been supplied by Mr S. Taplin, and the men will commence the formation of the permanent way. Another batch of men is expected within a few days. The present detachment includes various trades, and the men appear cheerful at present. As soon as work is offered under the new con tract of Messrs Proctor and Downes, some of these men arc likely to engage ; and it is natural that other working men already in the district, who have been waiting for this expected work on the Patea section, should be anything but pleased at the Government poU'>s- floodo i>Lo lor.nl market with cheap labor imported at the public expense. The problem is a hard one either way. A Country newspaper out West, thus heads its report of afire; “Feast of the Fire-Fiend— Forkcd-Tongucd Demon Licks with its Lurid Breath a Lumber Pile I—Arc the Scenes of Boston to be repeated I —Loss 150 dolls.”