PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, AUGUST, 7, 1880.

Patea Mail, 7 August 1880, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. SATURDAY, AUGUST, 7, 1880.

Noemanby Subscribers will receive their papers earlier than hitherto, by applying at Mr Gibson’s store.

Pressure of News on the telegraphic wires last night prevented our full supply of late intelligence from being got through before going to press. Mr Olliver made his statement in Parliament last night on the public works for the year. The Minister’s speech had to be telegraphed at length to many papers, and the consequence was that the wires became blocked against other important news, and neither the speech nor other news could be transmitted in complete form within reasonable time.

Six New Members are added to the Lower House, by the Redistribution of Seats Bill. Auckland gets one new member, Christchurch one, and Dunedin one. Ashburton gets a separate member, Reefton one, and another district gets one. Wanganui remains as at present ; and Taranaki district is untouched. Patea County remains unrecognised in the Bill. The colony is to comprise 89 separate electoral districts, and there arc to be 90 members, besides Maori representatives. A new electoral roll is to be prepared within thirty da3 r s after the Bill passes. Election writs are to be issued as soon as possible after the electoral roll is prepared. This provision secures another year’s lease to the present Parliament, for members will not pass the Bill this session, to cut short their present tenure. No doubt the Ministry consider this an adroit manoeuvre. Coal Seams have been discovered in the Malvern Hills, not far from Christchurch. Father Grogan will celebrate mass tomorrow at Patea Catholic Church.

“ Waimate Jottings,” from a correspondent, are excellently done, and shall appear on Tuesday. Unemployed. — A letter in repty to complaints of some men at the camp near Chapman’s road is hold over till Tuesday. The Whenuakura River was in high flood yesterday, the rain having been very heavy in the interior. Boating Club. —The adjourned meeting of persons favorable to the formation of a boating club in Patea will be hold this evening, at the Albion hotel. The project has already assumed an encouragingshape. Tenders for Hospital steward and stewardess opened at the meeting of the County Council on Wednesday. There wore ton applications, the condition being that the steward and stewardess should be a married couple :—D. Donley, Patea, with three children, 2 and 4 years, £B4 ; J. Richards, three children, £7O ; H. W. Crowe, Wunganui, £BO ; K. Baldwin, without wife, £55 ; J. Kinnear, £7O ; J. Klink, three children, £SO ; A, Mullar, £7O ; J. Shiel, £B4; E. Delaney, £65; A. Brodie, £75. The Chairman, Mr Dale, stated that Mr Donley had been in charge of the Hospital temporarily during the past month, and had given complete satisfaction. A saving of £1 a week had been effected in the expenditure on meat, bread, and ordinary necessaries during that period, as compared with the same number of patients at any previous time. Mr Horner said a marked improvement had been effected in the appearance of the rooms since Mr Donley took charge ; and it was not always the cheapest servants who were best in the long-run. Several Councillors thought that as MrDonley’smanagement had been so satisfactory, it was the safest kind of testimonial to trust. Written testimonials were not to be relied on implicitly. Mr Gano proposed the acceptance of the lowest tender, that of Mr and Mrs Klink (Scandinavians), with three children, £SO. It was pointed out that three large children would require more accommodation than the place affords as now fitted up. The motion was lost. Mr and Mrs Donle}- wore then appointed without dissenp

Patients in Hospital. —Dr Keating reports that five patients have been admitted from 7th to end of July, and three discharged, The in-patients now are : W. Brown, ulcer ; P. Grace, and dyspepsia ; A. Broadribb, fever ; S. Lloyd, bronchitis and asthma. Out-door patient: W. Hudson, blindness.

The Awaroa Schooner made a remarkably smart run from Wellington, with a cargo of over 80 tons. She started about 1.30 on Thursday afternoon, two hours after the Patea steamer, and was off the bar at Patea yesterday morning soon after the steamer arrived. Half a gale was blowing from the south-east

Native Lands Court. —The Court will close its sittings at Wanganui about the end of nest week. The natives who are interested in the Kaitangiwhcnua block) up the Watiotara river, are led to expect that that the Lands Court will adjourn from Wanganui to Waitotara, and proceed immediately with the inquiry as to native titles in that large block. The blocks disposed of at Wanganui arc eight up to yesterday, and they are situate between the Waitotara and Wanganui rivers. The Hounds expected in this district from Wanganui will bo here probably next Thursday. The subscription for a a couple of runs near Patea is not quite complete, but it is now certain that the district will cover the necessary outlay, and arrangements have been made on that basis. The first Patea hunt with the Otago pack will be fixed probably for Saturdaj r next. The pack will then go on to Hawerai as arranged, and thence to Now Plymouth. A second run in Patea district will be made on the return journcj". If the public subscription be liberal, the owners of the Otago hounds will be encouraged to bring to this district a better ‘pack for next winter. The present experiment appears to justify their expectation.

Land Sales. —The Chairman of the County Council estimates, after enquiry, that the probable amount of land to be offered for sale in this County during the next twelve months will be 250,000 acres. It is known, as already stated in the Mail, that a large block of the W&imate Plains is scheduled for immediate sale; and wo may add, from later information, that the survey department is under pressure to complete the lots by laying other work aside until this land is “ put through,” A Road Board [for Ngaire District is to be formed, the County Council having resolved to call a meeting of settlers, to be held at Norraauby, for electing seven members to constitute the new board.

Mr Harden has resigned the office of inspector of slaughter-houses ; and the County Council is thus relieved, by this voluntary and discreet action, from the grievous difficulty as to exaction of fees for sheep and stock boiled down. Public Trustees. —Mr W. Dale has forwarded to us two telegrams, showing that in his interview at Wellington with Major Atkinson, “ no conversation passed as to the mode of appointing trustees ” for the Recreation Ground at Patea. One telegram was received late last evening, and a letter from Mr Dale, based on the telegrams, in defence of his action, reached us too lute last night for publication. The Baroness Burdett Coutts, daughter of the deceased wealthy banker of Charing Choss—that famous Coutts’s bank where “ everybody who is anybody” keeps an account, or would like to have it believed he does—has been spoken of as the fiancee of a certain M.P. The baroness, aged 66, denies the soft impeachment ; and the London gossips are once more put the blush for the unconscionable liberties they take with private affairs of great people.