NAPIER.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 125, 22 January 1874, Page 2

NAPIER.

[from our own correspondent.] January 17. The appearance, during the early part of the week, of a gentleman bustling about in the street and popping in and out of every shop was sufficient to cause enquiry to be made respecting his business, and it then transpired that he was engaged in ascertaining how much gas would likely be burned, provided the town were supplied with that illuminating aeriform fluid. The results of this gentleman’s enquires were satisfactory, and a preliminary meeting was held last night by the principal merchants and traders who resolved to assist in floating a Gas Company should the investigations of the Civil Engineer, Mr. George, warrant the proceeding. Mr. George, who has been expected from Wellington for the past three weeks, is said to be due on Monday by the s.s. Murray. Preparations of a preliminary’ character have been made for the reception of the Colonial Prize Firing Representatives, a meeting having been held and a committee appointed to collect subscriptions. The cost to the town of a reception such as all hope to see given our visitors, has been variously estimated at from £2OO to £3OO. There is to be a dinner to start with, and a ball on the termination of the firing, a race meeting, and as much private hospitality as every one can afford. There is no doubt that the honor of the town will be fully maintained, for, from general conversation, it can easily be gathered that the Representatives will not be allowed to go away without taking with them a favorable and lasting impression of their visit.

Two cases were brought before the District Court on Friday that have caused some little comment. The first was an indictment against a half-witted discharged soldier for malicious injury to property. The man has seen a great deal of service in the Crimea, India, and New Zealand, and he has medals and clasps as proofs of his gallantry. He became deficient in his intellect through a sunstroke, and is subject to short periods of semi insanity which is increased whenever he is supplied with intoxicating drink. It appeared from the evidence, that he had been turned out of Peddie’s hotel, Taradale, at the closing hour at night, and then had thrown stones at the windows, smashing thirteen panes of glass : one of the stones entered a room and split the wooden covering of a sewing machine. Peddie swore the damage done was to the extent of £5. The prisoner was quite undefended, while the prosecution had the advantage of Mr. Cornford’s assistance. The jury returned a verdict of guilty with a recommendation to mercy, and the Judge sentenced the prisoner to two years hard labor.

The other case was that remitted from Poverty Bay—the assault by Thomas Scott on Patrick McHale. The Crown Prosecutor. Mr. Wilson conducted the case for the prosecution, Mr. Cornford for the defence, and so ably did the latter gentleman serve the interests of his client that the jury, after some deliberation, brought the prisoner in guilty of a common assault only, and he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment with hard labor. To an undiscerning public, whose eyes are blinded to the beauty of the law, it not unnaturally appeared that it was safer to break a man’s jaw, and otherwise injure him, by which he would suffer pain and inconvenience for twelve months, than to break a publican’s windows which could be repaired in a day at the cost of £5. Why the whole community should be put to the expense of keeping a man in gaol for two years, because he broke a publican’s windows, is more than the said undiscerning public can discover. The complaints are loud and deep at the trouble to which the public is put by the frequency of the sittings of the District Court. Forty-two men are summoned to serve on the jury every fortnight, whether there are any criminal sittings or not. And these men have to be paid by the country. Each sittings of the Court costs, probably, from £3O to £5O, without taking into consideration the J udge’s salary, and incidental expenses. The same pomps and ceremonies are observed in this minor Court as in the Supreme Court, and as the sittings are so frequent the impression they make on the vulgar is visibly on the decline. The opinion is pretty general that the appointment of District Judge will lapse, or fall through, in the course of twelve months, by reason of the House refusing to vote the salary. The Napier cricketers who proceeded to Wellington to play a match wit[i their “ brothers of the willow,” have been beaten, as I anticipated in my last letter., You will see by the scores, published in tiie local papers, that, neither side displayed very great merit, and I do not think the public will be willing to subscribe again to send their representatives out of the place to show their weakness. The Wellington team has no pretensions to being more than third rate, and it is not satisfactory to think that even that rat eis too much for our men. The truth is that our men are probably a superior team to that of Wellington, and their defeat is solely due to their careless disregard of practice.

The Athenaeum Committee held a meeting recently; and though it was not fully attended, those present took it on themselves to give their aged librarian three months notice to quit. This action on the part of the Committee has not given ilnlimited satisfaction to the subscribers, and it is reported that the absent members will insist on another meeting. Mr. Worgan is nominally librarian, but every one knows that the whole of the management was in the hands of Mrs. Worgan whose attention to the duties of the post was as unremitting as her zeal was unceasing. The body of a*quiet respectable man, of the name of Robert Draper, who has been known for many years past, was found in the Tutaikuri river, close by the Meanee bridge, on Friday morning early** The deceased had apparently been suffering from lowness of spirits, brought about, it was murmured, by being “ crossed in love.” It is strange, but nevertheless nearly always true, that in every misfortune there is a woman at the bottom of it. The Coroner’s jury returned a verdict of “ Found Drowned.”

The two locomotive engines were tried the other day, and gave every satisfaction. They are of 90 horse power, and will work up to a pressure of 2001bs. to the square inch. A temporary line was fixed on the embankment, and they were run up and down about 200 yards, several times, at the maximum rate of about 10 miles an hour.

A meeting of carpenters and joiners is taking place to-night, with the object, I understand, of muting for the purpose of extorting higher wages. There are several large con-

tracts for building now on hand, and others in prospect, and the action of the carpenters will have a depressing effect on the trade. There is some talk of importing men from Hobartown, but I believe wages are pretty nearly the same all over the Australian colonies. Carpenters wages are now from 8s to 10s a day here, which may be taken to be very good remuneration for eight hours work responsibility. The result of the meeting is that the carpenters demand 12s. a day, a month to elapse before increased rate come into force.