The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1075, 20 August 1883, Page 2

The Patea Mail. Established 1875. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1883. NEWS OF THE DAY.

We hear (hat Mr Mace was “ run in” nt Nelson, in connection with Dale’s affair. Bail was at once forthcoming, and our extownsman was released. A very successful meeting of the Directors of tlic Meat Freezing Company was held on Saturday afternoon, when the prospectus, which will be found in another column in this issue, was finally adopted. It was also decided to increase the capital from £6,000 to £IO,OOO, but it is not expected it will be necessary to call up so much per share as was at first intended. Nearly 600 shares have already been applied for. A case, brought by the Sheep Inspector, and which will most likely' prove of interest to settlers and others, will be heard at the R.M. Court to-morrow. Mr W Cowern advertises a large sale of choice plants of all descriptions to take place at his rooms to-morrow, at 2 p.m. Mr R. Pettit gave another exhibition of horse-training this morning in the presence of about a dozen gentlemen. The animal operated upon belonged to the proprietor of the Mail and was a stubborn and spiteful subject. However, Mr Pettit so far obtained the mastery that after throwing the mare down he was able to take off the halter, and, standing upon her side, crack his whip all round without the animal making a move. The “ lesson ” certainly made a wonderful change in the mare. A meeting of those interested in the formation of a Bowling Club in Patea is announced to take place at the Central Hotel to-morrow evening.

Nominations for the office of Mayor close on Wednesday next, at the Borough Council Offices. The Trustees in the Estate of Duncan McGregor, give notice that the Report, Balance-sheet, and Statement in Detail have been filed.

Mr Matson (H. Matson & Co., Christchurch). has imported from Australia two ostriches, with the intention of introducing ostrich farming. One bird died on the voyage. The monthly Masonic Lodge meeting is to be held to-night at Black’s Hall. Business important, as an announcement elsewhere indicates. A Lodge of Instructs held at 6.45.

Cr Adams has been unanimously chosen by the Council to hold office as Mayor until the election.

At Friday’s of the Borough Council, Cr Barton intimated that private business *6und necessitate his yetireraent from the Council. The Mr Dixon defendant in a civil case, heard at Court on Friday, was not Mr W Dixon, painter. The official returns of the New Zealand revenue and expenditure for the June quarter anj now complete. The total receipts of the consolidated fund were £797,781, and the total expenditure £733,960. The revenue from land sales was £35,791, of which £26,850 was cash, the balance being on deferred payments. George Cooper, a well-known cordial manufacturer, died rather suddenly at Wellington on Friday night. We learn from Wellington that operations in connection with the Wellington Meat Freezing Company were commenced on Friday, the carcases of 300 sheep being placed in the chambers. The Doric, which is expected next month, will take 3000 carcases of sheep and 10 bullocks. In the House Mr Levcstam has given notice to ask the Government if any steps had been taken to secure the arrest of Dale, the levanter from Patoa.

The diamond bubble baa burst. The Canterbury Diamond Company have resolved to refund to the shareholders the money paid by them, less a small sum devoted to preliminary expenses. Two hundred and eighty-one shareholders who have paid £l"per share will get back about 175.,

Another death by drowning is reported from the North. John Beaton is supposed to have been drowned in crossing the Whangaroa harbour. His boat was found bottom upwards. It is rumored that some of the prominent members of the Opposition seriously contemplate sending Home a letter by cable to Mr Gladstone, Mr Bright, or some other great member of tho Liberal party at Home, with a view to inducing one or more of tho political chieftains on that side of the House of Com•mons, to visit these Colonies, and see for themselves what onr aims, aspirations and necessities nre ; in fact, to use a rather shoppy phrase, ‘ to take stock of us,’ and j-oj what sort of countries we arc. The object of sending the invitation by cable is that it may roach. England before (ho prorogation of Parliament, so that the visit might be made during the roecs-'.

Truth says:—The total acreage of Scotland is 18,916,698 One single nobleman owns 1,323,000 'acres, and his wife 149,176 acres. Another has 431,000, a third 624,000, a fourth 398,000. Twelve proprietors own one quarter of the whole acreage of the country, 70 proprietors own one-half. Nino^tenths of Scotland belongs to 1700 persons. Does the Duke Argyle assert that a system of which this is the outcome is a right and proper one ? Whilst on the one hand we have these mammoth proprietors, on the other h?nd we arc told of crofters who are starving, and who are evicted from their poor holdings because they cannot live and pay the rent •which is exacted from them. Assuredly there is something wrong in all this. '1 he mistake-of the Duke of Agyle and his friends is that they regard legal right and moral right as indentical.

It may not be generally known that in the new Hoad Boards Act, the seal of OnBoard must contain the words “Common seal of the inhabitants of the Road District.” County Councils are also required, under the Counties Act, to have the works “ Common seal of the Chairman. Councillors, and inhabitants of the county of ” on the die, in order to render documents under seal valid in a Court of Law.

We did not think that there was in this colony a man so mean and despicable as to be guilty of the conduct thus described by the Hokitika Guardian : “A patient died in the Westland Hospital on Friday morning, and ere his remains had become cold a distress warrant was served on the body at the suit of a soulless and relentless creditor to whom tho deceased bad unfortunately while in life owed a sum of money. Finding the effects of the departed had been taken possession of by the Hospital authorities, and that there was no plunder forthcoming, it is given out that the implacable creditor applied to the Resident Magistrate for a warrant to seize the body, but to his credit bo it said that the request was peremptorily and firmly refused.” We clip the following amusing definition of a cant term from the Sydney Bulletin :—“ The ‘ Masher ’ has been analysed. Result: —‘Bicarbonate of cheek, 990-230; essence of gall, 2 500 ; nitrate of stare, 2-500 ; tincture of conceit, 3-500 ; oxalate of cuffs, -270 ; protoxide of collar *230 ; acetate of toothpick shoes, •267 ; sulphide of smirk, *SOO ; chloride of coat-tail, *OO2 ; cyanide of brain (doubtful) •001 ; total, 1000.’ ” At Auckland the other day, the police made a raid upon the premises of Miss Amy Swanboro, tobacconist, capturing three cases of champagne and one of bottled ale. Suspicion of sly grog selling had been entertained for some time. A terrible accident occurred recently in Sydney. Rebecca Anderson, a young woman employed at the Red Cross preserving works, whilst supplying a large cauldron of boiling jam with fruit slipped into the vat, and was extricated with great difficulty. She was taken to the hospital in a dying condition.