THE STANDARD. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1873.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 112, 10 December 1873, Page 2

THE STANDARD.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1873.

“We shall sell to no man justice or right: We shall deny to no man justice or right: We shall defer to no man justice or right.”

Ormond Sports. — The programme of the •sports to take place at Ormond on the 26th December instant is published in this morning’s issue.

Stripping Machine.—Mr. Parnell’s new Stripping Machine will commence operations in Mr. Skillicom’s paddock to day, under the superintendence of Mr. Dunne.

Engineers Corps.—An Engineer and Artillery Corps is about to be formed by the residents in and about Ormond. A meeting for that purpose is called for Friday evening next at the Music Hall in that township. Excursion Trips-Tlic usual annual announcement appears in our columns to the effect that the N.Z.s.s.Co., will issue return tickets at singlefares by any of its boats to any port in the colony at which they call between the 15th inst., and the 31st January, 1874.

Gisborne Rifle Volunteers.—The firing for 4 he Cross presented to this Company by Lieutenant Daly has been again altered to’ suit the convenience of members, from the 31st December as previously announced, to Tuesday the 23rd inst. Competitors at the short ranges will commence firing at 6 a.m.

Strawberries. —We were presented, the other day with a sample dish of splendid strawberries, from Captain Richardson's garden at Camp Ormond. They were of excellent flavor and rare size and gave evidence of the high culture of the ground in t hat locality.

The 41b-loaf is being sold for 8d in Wellington . aud 5i in Dunedin. Destruction of Sheep.—We learn that the destruction of sheep aud lambs from various causes, has been very great during the past few months. The latter can, of course, be traced to the severity of the weather, which from August to November was very cold and wet, the "per eentagc of saved increase varying from 1 to 85 per cent.; but the losses sustained by many flockowners in the district, of old sheep, is a matter of serious importance, the muster for shearing showing in many cases some hundreds as missing.

Newspaper Company.—The present seems to be the age for Companies. The proprietors of the Wellington Evening Post are, we learn, now selling out for £lO,OOO, (rather fabulous figures) with a view to the formation of a new Company.

The N.Z.B. Shipping Company is endeavoring by all means in its power to make itself as popular as possible. A circular has been handed to us by which it is proposed to lay on one of their favorite boats for the purpose of making a special excursion trip round the middle island. It is proposed to start about the end of January next; tickets for the through voyage will be £l5, and the time to be occupied is set down at 14 days. Libel.—ln the Resident Magistrate’s Court at Napier, on Friday, the sth of December, Robert Price, Edward Henderson Grigg, Thomas Kennedy Newton, Edward William Knowles, Alexander Kennedy, and George Edmund Lee were fully committed for trial to answer to the charge of having written and published a defamatory libel in the Daily Telegraph against Henry Bowman Sealy, the Commissioner of Crown Lands at Napier. On Monday last the Grand Jury found a true bill against the defendants, and the case will be tried before a special jury on Saturday next. School Holiday.—We have been requested to state that the school treat to be given to the scholars on the breaking up of the Gisborne School for the Christmas Holidays, will take place in the Music Hall on Thursday next instead of Friday. It is particularly desired by the Committee of ladies who have undertaken the supervision of this matter, that the children of all parents who have subscribed to the promotion of the festivities, should attend, as it is intended to make the celebration as general as possible.

Town Improvements.—Captain Read is determined to make his mark in the perishable town of Gisborne if not on the imperishable pages of history. On the triangular piece of ground fronting his store and abutting on Gladstone road and the road way known as Read’s quay, another building is rearing its head, or roof. The lower part is to be occupied as a butcher’s shop on the one side, and a private residence on the other, by Mr. R. Thelwall. A lobby on the South side will communicate from the street with a staircase leading to a suite of appartments above, which the members of the Masonic Craft are to occupy, we believe as club and lodge rooms. The whole building will stand upon long piles, as a depth of some 6 or 8 feet has been excavated for the purpose of making a cellar for storing goods. It is also Captain Read’s intention to further improve the road leading from the upper to the lower store, which is much wanted.

Constabulary Regulations.—We learn that the Regulations recently published for the conduct of the Armed Constabulary Force are likely to cause some few alterations being made, and not a few of its members to leave the service altogether. The term for which members are to swear allegiance in the future, will be three years, instead of one as at present; and, although the alteration will possibly put a different complexion on the personnel of the Force, it is one essentially necessary to the purposes of the Government in being able to rely on a standing force in times of emergency. Still we cannot wonder that men, strong, young and active, will refuse to tie themselves down for any length of time to a comparatively idle, and unremunerative service, while the colony is overloaded with money, and labor is both scarce and dear. We understand sonic few will leave the Ormond detachment on the expiry of their present term, and that Mr. Bedford Sherriff, holding the rank of probationary Sergeant, retires from the Store keeper’s department in a few days. Mr. Sherriff has held this appointment for some years with great credit to himself and satisfaction to the public and we wish him success in his new occupation.

Education.—We perceive, by a recent telegram, that His Honor the (new) Superintendent has accepted the resignation of the old Executive, whose political death few will be found to mourn over. Thank the gods for large mercies, for, undeniably, this is a deliverance 1 As chairman, ex officio, of the Central Board of Education, we trust Mr. Williamson will see to the proper carrying out of the provisions of the Education Act, at any rate that portion of them that relate to the payment of salaries to teachers. We understand that the teacher of the Gisborne School has had no salary paid to him since July last, although the returns have been regularly forwarded. “ Five months in arrear, and not remembered yet.” This is too bad. Auckland is proverbial for long windedness in the payment of salaries ; and the present breach of faith will go far to sustain its reputation in that respect, as well as conduce to the unpopularity of the Education Act.

Volunteer Medals.—Mr. Nasmith has a very handsome medal just completed, presented by the Poverty Bay Mounted Rille Volunteers to be fired for by members of that corps, some time during the week set apart for their field exercise. The medal is in the shape of a star made of solid silver, the inner portion of which forms a circlet of bine enamel as a ground for the figure of a fully accoutred Mounted Volunteer in basso relievo, made of 18 carat gold. The whole is attached by a blue ribbon to a silver clasp on which the name of the winner of the first prize will be inscribed. It is indeed a very handsome and intrinsically valuable trophy. Mr. Nasmith has also a medal on view which is to be given by himself to his own corps, the Gisborne Rifle Volunteers, for good attendance. The Volunteer whose aggregate Muster Roll for the past year, exceeds all others, on the 31st of March next, will have the medal presented to him, and on the condition that he retains it for the next. 12 months by similar good conduct, it will become his own property. District Court.—Notice has been received by the authorities in Gisborne that the blessings of a District Court adjudication are to be re-exten-ded to Poverty Bay and that its sittings will take place in the Court House, Gisborne as follow during the year 1874: — Namely on the 4th February; 13th May; 19th August; and 24th November. With the R.M.’s jurisdiction up to £lOO, there is no necessity for a branch of the District Court in Poverty Bay; and if the Government had been at all desirous of providing for the actual wants of the district there are, at least, a dozen other ways in which it could have granted boons of far more pressing necessity than the appointment of an itinerating District Judge at a salary far beyond the amount of benefit likely to accrue from his presence. Anglo-Australian writes .-—" The lovers of cricket—and their name is legion—w ill be glad to hear that there is some probability of Mr. W.G. Grace, the champion cricketer, settling in Australia. To which colony of the ‘ group ’he intends to proceed, however, I have no meafls of judging.” Mr. Grace’s prowess will go a long way to make the cricketers of the colony in which he settles the champions of Australia.