Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 71, 20 February 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Lucas v. Keating.—During the hearing of this case, Mr. Brassey passed some very strong animadversions upon the conduct of the defendant in having deliberately mutilated a deed of mortgage. This, it appears, is a felony, and should the plaintiff elect to take action the defendant can undoubtedly be prosecuted for the same. Floating Breakwater. — The AgentGeneral has been requested by the Marine Department, Wellingten, to procure information regarding the practical utility of the floating breakwater, a model of which was shown at the recent Fisheries Exhibition in London;

Election of Native Assessor.—The nomination of a Native Assessor for the Tologa Native Licensing District for the year 1884 will take place on the 27th instant, and the polling, if necessary, on the 29th, Harbor Board Irregularity. — At the meeting of the Board last night, Member Kenny rose to a point of order with a view of calling attention to the irregular manner in which the busings of the Board was conducted. Instead of addressing the chair, members addressed each other, and the discussions had assumed the form of argument instead of debate. He must strongly condemn such action.

Mr. Wilson’s Complaint.—At the conclusion of the Harbor Board business last night Member Tucker expressed a very strong opinion against the answer sent by the Board about Mr. Wilson’s complaint re ferrying his child to school. Member Tucker’s opinion, that everything possible should be done to foster education, will be largely shared by all intelligent people, no matter what tho? law may be upon the vexed question in point.

Tenders.—Mr. W. P. Finneran, architect, has received six tenders for of a dwelling-house in Grey Street. Messrs. Reid and File’s tender for £260 was accepted.

Carlaw Smith and Co.’s Sale.—The attendance at Messrs. Cawlaw Smith and Co.’s sale at Makaraka was good, and the bidding very brisk. The prices realised were most satisfactory, as the following will show: —Steers, 425. 6d. to 725. 6d.; dry cows, £2 to £3; draft horses, £l6 7s. 6d., £l7, £2l 10s., £2O, £23 10a.; drays, £l3 5». and £l4 7s. fid. New Faith.—“ Not so very long ago (say the Pall Mall Gazette) a witness caused some confusion by declining to take the oath o n the ground that he was a ‘ Gnostic ’—arefinement of conscience the exact nature of which one could hardly expect a Magis trate to appreciate unless he happened to be still burdened by the memory of Greek Testament lectures. Hardly less difficulty was caused in the Clerkenwell Police Court when the prosecutor in a case o theft declined to give his evidence on oath because he was a ‘ Cosmist,’ which he subse- ■ quently explained meant ‘ much the same as a Secularist or an Agnostic.’ Of a Secularist the chief clerk (who must clearly be a man o the world) had often heard, but not of a Cosmist. Magistrates and their chief clerks must almost be wishing they could go to school again, in order to learn the meaning of some of these new faiths, an acquaintance with which is one of the pieces of ‘ general intelligence ’ which every schoolboy is expected to know in these days.”

Meeting of Public Works Committee.— From the N. Z. Times we learn that “an extraordinary meeting of the Public Works Committee was held on the 4th inst., at which it was decided to recommend that Mr. Bayliss, the contractor for the Wainui omata dam (last contract) should be held responsible for all damage occasioned. As a matter of fact, it may be mentioned that Mr. Bayliss has already been warned by the Council that he will be held responsible for the necessary repairs following on the recent disaster, and should the contractor decline to proceed with the repairs when called upon so to do, it was decided that the Corporation should undertake the work at the contractor’s risk. Mr. Blackett’s report was received relative to the Wainuiomata scheme. In speaking of the cause of the damage, Mr. Blackett states in his report —a copy of which it was impossible to obtain last night—that the cutting of the channel behind the front wall, and which the acting city engineer says was cut by the contractor unkown to him and without his authority, was the cause of the most serious and what will prove to be the most costly portion of the work which must be renewed. Mr. Blackett, however, and very fortunately for the ratepayers, estimates the damage occasioned at less than many of the Councillors who visited diately after the flood anticipated, The Government Engineer the necessary repairs can be effected for about £2,000. Should this prove to be correct, the ratepayers may congratulate themselves.”