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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1024, 17 January 1882, Page 2

The question of direct steam communication between New Zealand and England is now being seriously taken up. Mr Mills, the Manager of the Union Steam Shipping Company, is, we understand, now in England. While Mr Mills is in London the Directors of the Company at Home, will go fully into the whole project, so that on Mr Mill’s return to the Colony, a definite scheme can be laid before the Directors here.

Over this community usually so peaceful in matters spiritual an ecclesiastical storm has broken. A “shining light” in one of our local churches and the pastor have differed, and, we are informed, the parishioner has seceded from that church in which he was so long an ornament. Thus it seems to be the same in religious as in mundane matters, where an individual has the privilege of exercising a choice he avails himself of that privilege. What he likes he takes, what displeases him he rejects, and in matters sectarian generally leaves the difference to be adjusted when the last trumpet sounds.

Some insight into the manner in which the trial of Guiteau for the murder of the late President Garfield has proceeded will be obtained from the accounts selected by us from different papers, including the San Francisco Morning Call, and published on the fourth page. The scenes that have taken place during this important trial have excited much attention throughout England and America. The London Times, in discussing the system prevailing in America of allowing prisoners to give evidence, speaking of Guiteau, says, “his boisterous vanity would have insured scenes at trial under any system whatever.” Scoville, brother-in-law of the prisoner, is making a desperate effort in his client’s defence. From the American papers we have to hand by the last mail it is considered that Attorney Scoville made a great mistake in placing Guiteau in the box to give evidence in his own case. The prisoner was then open to cross-examination by judge and counsel, and the plea of insanity set up was severely shaken. The admission made by the prisoner that he felt the pangs of remorse after committing the terrible deed, damaged in a marked degree the theory that he was suffering from homicidal mania. President Arthur, who seems anxious that the case should be proceeded with as speedily as possible, when questioning the Attorney-General of Congress as to the prolonged delay, was met with the reply that it was not his (the AttorneyGeneral’s), but the District Attorney-General’s duty to push the trial on. The evidence for the defence terminated on January 5th, when the trial was adjourned to last Saturday, doubtless to enable Counsel on both sides as well as the Judge to review the evidence.

The Jnvenile Opera Troupe left for Auckland on Sunday morning last, by the Arawata. A meeting of the Poverty Bay Cricket Club will take place to-morrow [Wednesday] evening, at the Albion Club Hotel, at 7.30 o’clock. Mr G. Prain has arrived in Gisborne from Napier, to relieve Mr D. Johnston, of H.M. Customs, who, we regret to learn, is still too ill to attend to his duties. Amongst the passengers booked in England as passengers for the colonies are Mr Johnstone, of Auckland, the manager of the South British Insurance Company who is returning from his trip to Europe, and “Mr and Mrs Ashby,” probably Capt. William and Mrs Ashby, well known here. We are requested to notify to owners of unregistered dogs that the days of grace have expired; and from to-day all dogs found straying without the proper brand on their collar will be destroyed. From an advertsment in another column it will be seen that the valuation list for the Turanganui Highway District is now open for nspection, at Mr W. W. Brown’s store, Tolago Bay. All objections must be lodged before the 15th February. The children attending the Gisborne school are requested to meet at the School-house, at 10 o’clock, to-morrow (Wednesday) morning, whence they will proceed to the Recreation Ground, to take part in the picnic. It is expected that they will each bring a pannikin or mug.

The case of William Halford came on again yesterday, in the R.M. Court. Medical evidence was called, which showed that the accused was of weak intellect. Dr. Pollen being the only medical man in the district [two being required to certify in cases of lunacy], the case was remanded to Napier.

We wonder that some effort has not been made towards procuring a rifle range on the Whataupoko side of the river. A great advantage would accrue both to the Volunteers and to the general public. We think if representations were made in the proper quarter, the concession would be readily granted. Messrs Bourke, Smith and Co., notify in our advertising columns that they have several town sections for sale. Particular mention is made of two valuable sections, one at the corner of Custom-house and Childers-streets, the other at the corner of Lowe and Childersstreets. These two sections have a special value on account of the excellent frontages they possess. There is close to the Whataupoko bridge, at the end of Peel-street, a beautiful spring of fresh water. It is a pity the Borough authorities do not take some steps to have the spring opened up. We are aware of many persons who are complaining of the scarcity of water, and are looking anxiously round to replenish their present almost exhausted store. The Borough Council will meet this evening.

The case of Percival Barker v. W. L. Rees and others, in which the plaintiff seeks to have the injunction restraining the sale of Whataupoko, removed, will come on for argument to-day, in the Supreme Court, in Wellington. It is necessaay to have the injunction formally removed by action at law, before the plaintiff, as mortgagee, can submit to public sale the mortgaged security. One more link in the interminable chain of litigation in connection with this block.

It is now definitely decided that the English cricketers will play at Auckland. After considerable negotiation a satisfactory conclusion was arrived at, on Wednesday last. The English Cricketers will play a three days* match, The dates fixed are the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of February. The Englishmen agree to give the Auckland people 10 per cent, on the gross receipts, and to pay all reasonable expenses. The names of the Auckland team have not yet transpired. We learn that a Carbine Match will shortly take place between teams to be selected from J Battery Band and the Volunteers. In connection with this subject we are informed that the Cup generously offered by Mr W. L. Rees to the Corps to be fired for, has been already, or will shortly be, presented to them for competition. The match for the Cup, it is expected, will come off in a week or so, and a keen struggle for the honor of winning may be safely anticipated. Mr Rees applied, yesterday, that the Trust Commissioner’s certificate be endorsed upon a deed of conveyance from the Natives to the East Coast Land Company [New Zealand Land and Settlement Company] as soon as Wi Pere stated that the balance of the purchase money had been paid. Mr Price, the Trust Commissioner, said that in the face of the statement made by one of the owners Hemi Waaka relative to getting a part of the land back, he declined to grant his certificate, as no covenant of that import appeared in the deed of sale to the Company. Adjourned until the 19th of January.

His Honor Mr Justice Richmond had occasion to correct a member of the legal profession for not using the word “Magistrate” in place of “Court,” when speaking of something which a witness had stated before the R.M. Court. His Honor said it put him in mind of the ignorance of legal terms displayed by some newspaper, preliminary investigations before Resident Magistrates being frequently termed trials in those papers. For instance Te Whiti’s appearance in the New Plymouth Court had been displayed in large letters as “Te Whiti’s trial,” when it was really nothing of the kind. The World contains the following paragraph, which, it is understood, refers to the Rev. Charles Meysey Thompson, who was private chaplain to Sir Hercules Robinson in New Zealand:—“ Sir Meysey Thompson has just sustained a severe domestic loss in the death of his brother, Mr Charles Meysey Thompson, who left England some months ago for his health, and died somewhat suddenly abroad last week.” It is perhaps not generally known (says the Wanganui Chronicle) that the deceased gentlemen suffered ostracism from Government-house for reproving a lady of the househould for leaving the church in the midst of administration of the sacrament.

Mr W. S. Wilson, of the Herald office, has just lost a fine little boy under most painful circumstances. The poor little fellow, while playing, fell on a broken bottle, and cut his hand between the thumb and the first finger. The gash was a deep one, but after the wound had been carefully bathed it healed up quickly, and the child ran about apparently no worse for his mishap. A little while after, however, he chmplained of pains in the arm and in the throat, which made it painful for him to swallow. Dr Haines was called in, and no one associating the healed cut with the child’s sore throat, remedies for cold were prescribed. The symptoms becoming more aggravated, however, it suddenly occurred to Mrs Wilson that the cut might have had something to do with the little fellow’s sufferings and on mentioning the matter to the doctor the mystery was immediately explained, and marked symptoms of tetanus too soon confirmed the worst fears. All that medical aid was tried, Drs Philson and Goldsbro’ being summoned to consultation, but in vain—the sufferer sank rapidly, and died yesterday. There can be little doubt that the wound had healed over some irritating substance which it was impossible to reach and remove, great sympathy will be felt for . Mr and Mrs Wilson in their bereavement.— Auckland Star.

Judge Brookfield, of the Native Land Court, will preside here at the sittings of the Native Land Court to be held on the 30th instant. Professor Fraser, the Phrenologist, arrived in Gisborne on Sunday morning last, by the Arawata, and will deliver one of his interesting lectures this evening in the Masonic Hall. He will also lecture on Thursday evening next.

A correspondent of the Hawera Star writes: “Mr Beresford, of Normanby, has in his possession a human skull, discovered by Mr H. Downey, about 200 yards from the tree from which Von Tempsky was shot, at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu. From its size and appearance, the skull is supposed by some people to be that of the late major.”