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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1249, 17 January 1883, Page 2

An immense amount of work is entailed upon the officers of the R. M.’s Court and the public force when a maori commits a petty theft. It would take less time to try and sentence a man to be hanged than it does to hear a case of larceny against a maori for stealing three or four shillings from the person of a drunken European. The partnership of Messrs Kenny and Finn, Solicitor, practising in Gisborne, has this day, according to an advertisement in our advertising columns, been dissolved by mutual consent. There is a very fine specimen of the hop-pole now in view at Mr D. Pagfi’s Masonic Hotel. The hops in question have been exhibited at the hotel and are really worth seeing. We have had a specimen forwarded to our office for inspection, and we can safely say that it is a good one, and we trust that the efforts of Mr Gillice to promote local culture will be successful. It is astonishing how anxious lawyers are to enforce laws and how readily they vi ill gratuitously point out to a Magistrate that an offence of some sort has been committed. It came out in evidence to-day that a drunk had been supplied to a man who already had had enough, but whether that liquor came under the heading of wine, beer or spirits the learned gentleman employed in the case knew not, and yet he immediately jumped up and said that the publican should be punished. Possibly he saw a retainer in the distance, but before flying so eagerly to conclusions it would have been well for him to have discovered if the drink was not gingerale, or a straight soda. Writing of a ball at Cowes, a lady says in a private letter :—The Prince and Princess of Wales came early (about eleven) and stayed late—that is to say, the Prince did, letting his wife go home alone (not an unusual thing with his Royal Highness). It is curious how fond he still is of dancing. He never by any possible chance misses a valse, that being his favourite dance; for which reason does itjalways predominate on the London ball programmes in the ratio of at least three to one of all the other dances combined. With all the practice he has had—for he has been out since he was seventeen—it is strange that he should be a bad dancer. Yet he is. And a little short hoppity-skippity step he has that sends him spinning round like a badly balanced teetotum, with a velocity that would make one’s head swim merely to look at. He likewise gets very hot and out of breath, and his collars grow limp early in the evening. As to his “ steering ” powers it is quite impossible to judge, for when he dances everybody gets carefully out of his way, and lets him have the floor to himself. One mustn’t jostle royalty, you know, even in a dance. Among the long list of recommendations for decorations and promotions given in Sir Garnet Wolseley’s despatch of the 24th of October we miss, says “ Land and Water,” one name. Sir Archibald Alison receives high praise, most richly deserved, for the gallantry with which he led the Highland Brigade at Tel-el-Kebir, but the equally distinguished conduct of Private Juno has been overlooked. And who is Private Juno? An old Irish setter bel<aging to that splendid regiment the Ist Battalion Gordon Highlanders. And what did Private Juno do, that her name deserves public record ? This; she bravely “ rushed ” the entrenchments at the head of the Highlanders, and displayed a coolness inside and a courage which elicited universal applause, no more minding the rain of bullets than if she was out snipe shooting. Whether she tackled the enemy we do not know ; the rest we can vouch for.