PATEA MAIL Established 1875. CIRCULATION nearly 600 COPIES. Average circulation last year, 510. Monday Evening, June 12, 1883.

Patea Mail, 12 June 1882, Page 2

PATEA MAIL Established 1875. CIRCULA TION nearly 600 COPIES. Average circulation last year, 510.

Monday Evening, June 12, 1883.

Delivered on Mondav, Wednesday, and Friday Evenings by mounted messengers —at Hawera by 7-30 o’clock, at Normanby by 8-15, at Manaia and Waimate Plains by 8-30, and Southward at -Waverley (for train) by 6 o’clock

The quarterly concert of the Harmonic Society will be given about a month hence. The leading feature is to be an interesting novelty, about which some of us may feel a pleased anxiety. The Society are striking out of the beaten track of sitting in rows on the stage to sing parts in a lively opera. “Trial by Jury ” is a piece that needs acting, with dramatic paraphernalia more or less complete; and the members have been rehearsing the parts in character costumes. Rumor says this experiment promises to “ go ” with success. Who will take-this part and who will take that—whether hero and heroine, lover and maid, judge and forensic pleaders, will be known and identified in spite of theatrical millinery and deceptive wigs, are mysteries to the profane. The probability is that an extra supply of bouquets will be taken by those who like to express admiration with a hurricane of posies.

The New Steamer for the Patea B.S. Company is to be 96 feet long, feet breadth of beam, being broader than the Wakatu, a little , shorter, but having more cargo -space. It will carry 18 saloon passengers, also 10 in a handsome cabin for ladies to be built on deck, and 12 steerage passengers; 40 in all. Two models for this new steamer were submitted, one by a Wellington firm, the other by Captain Gibbons, (of the Wakatu). The former model was complete in all parts and fittings, and looked very pretty and inviting. The captain’s model showed only the hull to indicate the lines desired for sailing qualities and cargo space. The directors preferred the captain’s model as better suited for breasting rough water in the Strait, and adopted specifications for building a steamer on this model, with passenger accommodation as above stated, and the cargo space to be equal to 80 tons. Tenders for construction will be advertised in all the chief ports of the colony. W. Williams’s Affairs. —At the Supreme Court, Auckland, last Tuesday, before Judge Gillies, re the Land. Transfer Act and in the matter of William Williams, Daniel Williams, and the Bank of New South Wales, Mr Hesketh moved for an order under section 89, extending the operation of the caveat by fourteen .days. The land in respect of which the caveat was lodged is situated at Patea, and the bank and the Messrs Williams have given notice to : register certain transactions in connection with it. The fourteen days currency of the caveat had almost expired, and the above application was now made on behalf of Thomas North, a creditor, for the purpose of affording him time to take proceedings for the establishment of his title. , The application was granted.

An orchestral concerts is to be given in: Patea next week by the strong orchestral baiid of the New Plymouth HarmonicrSociety. The band numbers 17; performers, and having just given a successful concert on behalf of their society, they will ’repeat the experiment here. Orchestral music has been a minor feature with the Patea Society, their band not being Wong enough to get up a separate programme. The Patea i band has increased in numbers and efficiency during the last twelvemonths, and. now gives effective aid, color, and variety to the vocal music. The visit of the full-band from NewPlymouth should be a pleasing novelty, a string band being the proper one for in-door .music. Variety will be interspersed in the shape of a few vocal solos and duets, but no choruses. How did Adam go out of Eden ? He He was snaked out.

At a meeting of the Waverley Mutual Improvement Society, held last Tuesday evening, the reading of Mr Thompson’s essay was postponed until next meeting. Some members in turn read the life of Archibald Forbes, the English war correspondent. Missing. —Mr Marchant, of Waverley, who has been ailing some time, disappeared suddenly on Saturday morning, and has not since been heard of. Search parties have been diligently scouring the district, but without success. Mr Mitchison, of the Waverley hotel, has been effecting considerable improvements since he took the house. Fresh paint gives the building a neat appearance. The post office at Waverley is now a couple of feet above the level of the street, , and a few steps in front are j much needed for the public to hok J themselves up and down. This will “ perhaps be seen to by the Town Board. Mr Powdrell has a child seriously ill with inflammation of the brain.

Insurances on the loss of the s.s. Patea are now being paid. The statement of averages as between the several interested parties has just been issued, and oil this the insurance companies will pay their proportions. The Colonial office sent £SOO on Saturday, being the amount of its insurance.

The services at St George’s Church, Patea,. were well attended yesterday, the new curate, Rev. Lloyd Keating, officiating at both services. The changed appearance of the chancel since last Sunday was striking and pretty. The whole chancel has ; been tinted blue, and a screen dotted with small fieur de Its, and surmounted with a neat gold beading, covers the lower part of the large window. The upper third of , the window presents the appearance of stained glass, and represents a number of scriptural scenes: the crucifixion, the adoration of the magi, the last supper (after Raphael), marriage of St Joseph &c. The church-like character of the building has been much enhanced by these decorative changes, and we believe the curate has generously undertaken to defray the expense of these improvements. He proposes to add a bell and vessels for the eucharist, subscriptions being invited for these. Mr George Bayly, who returned from Sydney on Friday, was presented by the Wellington Cricket Association with a bat for his excellent all-round play in the match at Wellington against the English team this year. The bat was to be purchased where he pleased, and he selected it from Mr Taplin’s stock. A proposal to sell the lease and goodwill of the Central Hotel has fallen through, Mr C. Lewis, lately of Timam and Ricarton, agreed to a price, through Mr 0. F. Barker as agent, but when they met on Friday to sign the deed, a difference arose as to who should pay the quarter’s rent of hotel falling due next day. This broke the bargain. Messrs Bremer Bros, have had about a dozen sheep destroyed by Maori dogs on their Whenuakura farm. The dogs are now killed. Mr Bremer reports having seen dogs chasing sheep on the north side of the river, Mr R. H. Nolan of Hawefa was married at Wanganui on Saturday to .Miss O. J. Durie, daughter of the late Mr D. S. Durie, formerly R. M. of Wanganui.

The only one ofrMr Baggett’s sections sold on Saturday at Mr Cowern’s warehouse was 6 acres at Otakeho, bought by Mr G. H. Norman, of Patea. The partnership between Messrs McKenna and Gullinan, grocers, has to-day been dissolved by mutual consent. Mr Cullman will carry on the business. Mr W. Cpwern, estate agent for the Taranaki Education Board, has estimated the loss sustained by the Board on account of land taken by the, Government for railway purposes at Kakaramea at £487 10s. The Secretary has been instructed to send in a claim against the Government for land taken, as, estimated.

Ministers of the Crown have certain travelling allowances and expenses. A return of the amounts is ordered to be laid before Parliament.

Mr Rolleston declines to aid gold prospectors with grants of money, for ho says the grants given hitherto have only promoted pleasant picnic parties, who enjoyed an outing at Government expense, without any responsibility as to the result of their prospecting. Work of that kind could be done better under Government control by sending survey parties to explore new districts.

To show how dangerous was Te Whiti’s fanaticism before his power was broken, Mr Stevens told the House that it was well known Te Whiti had great belief in dreams. Imagining himself endowed with supernatural power, Te •Whiti might dream something to the effect that he had been ordered by the Supreme Being to sweep the Europeans from the land, as some of the Bible fancied they were ordered to sweep their enemies. Te Whiti might command his people, on the of that dream and of his supposed supernatural powers, to give effect to that divine command by slaying the white population. If Te Whiti had given such an order, the natives would have obeyed it implicitly. The proper safeguard against this dangerous folly is to keep Te Whiti and Tohu away from this island, till their' minds are impressed with the power and benefits of European civilisation. Mr Stevens, the new member for Rongitikei, told an interesting story to the House in illustration of Te Whiti’s fanaticism, and his unlimited power over the natives. N To show how thoroughly the natives believed in this power, Mr Stevens said he had agreed with a native about the price and sale of a piece of land, but had to talk to him six long hours before he could persuade the native to take the money from the table. The native’s fear was that if he touched the money without Te Whiti’s consent, the chief’s supernatural power would strike him down on the spot. After arguing with him six hours, the native ventured to touch the money, and was surprised to find himself not stricken down.

The new member for Wanganui, Mr Watt,’ made a speech on the second reading of the bill for keeping Te Whiti and Tohn away from Parihaka. He suggested that these exiled chiefs should be allowed to have their wives and native servants, and that this mild concession would meet the justice of the case. If these fanatical chiefs are to be kept away several years, as they ought to be in the interest of peaceful settlement, then .Mr.Watt’s suggestion is one that Mr Bryce should try to carry out.

Bankruptcy law reform is being inquired into hy a Committee of the Upper House, who are to report within a month as to what amendments are desirable. The Lower House has also ordered a return to be presented showing the number of bankruptcies, the dividends paid, and the number of cases where no returns are made by trustees as to the administration of estates.

Major Atkinson promises to deal with hospitals and charitable institutions by some provision in his Financial Statement. He declines to say at present whether these institutions will be endowed with waste lands of the Crown, or in what .way .they shall be subsidised. The public debt stands at present at £27,680,000; and the Colonial Treasurer says this is equal to £SO 8s 4d per head of population, including 44,000 Maoris. On this we may remark that a large part ot the debt was spent in war, which ,may be regretted but cannot now be helped ; but, on the other hand, that portion of the debt which has gone to make railways is now paying 4 per cent, almost equal to the best railways at Home, and the revenue is improving each year. That part of the loan is in no sense a burden, but a remunerative investment. The money spent on roads and bridges is also highly remunerative, for without these the land would be a wilderness, and the colony would bo reduced to a few whaling stations and a pathless wilderness. When persons talk of the public debt as a burthen of £SO per head, they should try to realise the plain fact that the debt is no more a burden than is the bank overdraft of a tradesman who offers abundant security for the use of cash.

Wanganui Harbor Board is not a happy family just now. Mr D. Peat resigned the chairmanship, and Mr Ballance was proposed, but declined. Then Mr Carson was proposed, and declined, but eventually consented to act.

An interesting volume—the volume of currency. The interest varies in proportion to the size of the volume.