Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 146, 2 June 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Memovrx-b Cur.—The entries 'for the Melbourne Cup close to-day.

Baku or Hora.—The second meeting of the Band of Hope will take place on Friday night next, when readings and recitations will be delivered to the members.

New Polling Place.—By a recent Gazette we find that Mr. Orr’s wool-shed, Bangatira, has been proclaimed an additional polling place for the East Coast Electoral District, under the Regulation of Elections Act, 1881. The ’Fbisoo Mail.—The City of Sydney, with the San Francisco mail on board, arrived in Auckland yesterday, having left San Francisco on May 16. She experienced fine weather, except during the last two days, when she encountered a heavy gale, Coon County Council.—The County Engineer calls for tenders for the formation of a bridle track over the Makiore and Tatapouri Points, which works will be pointed out by the engineer on Friday next. U.S.S. Service.—The Manapouri arrived in port yesterday morning from Melbourne and South. The sea being so high the Noko was unable to tender her, and she carried the whole of her cargo on to Auckland, which will be transhipped at that place into the Southern Cross, and will return here about Thursday.

Borough Auditors.—The polling for the election of two Borough auditors has been going on all day, the result of which will be declared to-night at (> o’clock. There are six candidates up for election, viz. —E H Pavitt, W. A. O’Meara, J. C. Davis, 0. Dunlop. J. Cresswell, and W. Quigley.

Supreme Court.—The following is a list of the civil eases at present set down for hearing at the next sittings of the Supreme Court— B. McLindon v. Common A Co.; Himiona Riki v. Rees and Wi Pure; Cooperand Stubbs v. E. Clarke; W. H. Tucker v. Wi Paraone; G. R. Wyllie v. Gannon and others; Harries v. Tutehen; Kenny and Finn v. Mullooly; Kenny and Finn v. Mullooly; 11. Fraser v. J. R. Hurrey; Hurrey v. Fraser (cross-action) P. Parkhouse v. P. Nevin : W. H. Tucker v. J. Ponsford; Tucker and Te Awahuka v Barker and McDonald; N.Z.N.L.S. Co. v. Gannon, DeLautour, and others; W. 11. Tucker v. Ponsford; J. James v. Mary Ann Williams, alias Jones; McFarlane v. Graham and Kinross. There are also about six criminal cases to be heard.

R.M. Coup.t. —A native named Poneke and a European Frederick Beckwith, were charged at the B.M Court this morning with being drunk in a public place on the 31st and Ist. instants respectively, and were each fined 10s in default 48 hours imprisonment. The former elected to go to prison as he had no money to satisfy the fine. Mr. Kenny, J.P., was on the bench.

Bankruptcy.—A meeting of creditors in the estate of D. Page, cordial manufacturer and hotelkeeper, was held this afternoon at the assignee’s office. Tina Gisborne.—At high-tide to-day, the schooner Gisborne was towed out of the river into the Bay, where she now is awaiting a favorable opportunity for sailing up the Coast, and to Auckland. Football.—The Secretary of the Gisborne Football Club, informs us that a team will be sent from here on Friday the 27th, in order to play against a local team at Napier on the 28th. As that is the case we would strongly advise “Our Boys” to roll up rather more regularly than they have been doing of late, or else the result of the coming match might prove contrary to what they expect. Another thing we would recommend them to follow out, that is to prevent the Natives joining in with them in their scratch matches, as they do no good, and to a certain extent only impede the players from improving themselves. Gas Co.—The contractor commenced laying the pipes on this side of the road this morning, having got down as far as the new Loan and Mercantile Company’s Buildings on the other side. A large quantity of the company’s plant, which was to arrive by the Manapouri yesterday, was carried on by that boat to Auckland.

Land Sale. —The sale of land advertised to take place this morning was held at eleven o’clock in the Court-room. Seven sections in the Waimata, three in the Whangara, and one in the Patutahi Survey Districts were offered, but only two were sold, viz.—ln the Patutahi Survey District, section 99, area 300 acres 2 roods, for £3OO 10s, to Mr H. H. Wall, Patutahi., and in the Waimata Survey District, on deferred payment, block 4, section 13, for £316 to Mr V. S. Sardilli, Gisborne. The latter brought £1 over the reserve put upon it. We are informed that the land that was offered is very fertile and valuable, but will not sell on account of there being no roads to it, which is a great drawback.

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.—Last evening the Rev. J. M'Ara delivered the fifth of the series of monthly sermons on the “ Young Men of the Bible,” to a crowded congregation, the subject being “ Samson; or the Strong Man’s Weakness.” He prefaced his discourse by describing the condition of the Israelites at the time of Samson’s advent, how, after the death of Joshua the people had morally degenerated and were oppressed by the Philistines especially the tribe of Dan to which Sampson belonged. Apparently the people were not disposed to cast off the yoke and not only did not assist Sampson, who was in advance of his age, but gave him the cold shoulder and personally captured him at the rock Etam and delivered him into the hands of the Philistines. In spite of all these adverse circumstances Samson at this time stood alone and single handed refused to bow down a slave or truckle to these foreign invaders and accept the inevitable. But gradually in spite of warnings he allowed his lower passions to overcome him until at last Delilah got him into her power and delivered him into the hands of his enemies. Mr. McAra said that we might learn three lessons from the history of Samson. First, the necessity of rising to a nobler standard of morality and religion than is commonly in vogue, and in this respect to imitate the example of Samson in the earlier portion of his career. Second, to cherish the convictions that are in our hearts. Although we might have occasion during our Uves to alter our opinions never to change our convictions on any fundimental point of doctrine but to cling tenaciously to them as Wilberforce did to his for twenty long years and at last was successful in accomplishing the emancipation of the slave. Third, That temptation in sin is a gradual thing like the Vampire Bat which is said, whilst quietly sucking the life blood of its victim, to gently fan it with its wings until it falls asleep never to waken. Mr. McAra related an incident where an architect having occasion to inspect a fracture on the top of a very high chimney was, through the tackle, by which he had been drawn up unexpectedly falling to the ground, left standing on the top, with no means of descending, till his wife remembering that he was wearing a new pair of stockings she had knitted, called to him to unravel the thread and lower it down, which he did till it reached the ground. Then some small twine was fastened to the thread, which lie drew up, succeeded by a stronger line, which in turn was followed by a cable, and ultimately a rope ladder, by means of which he reached the ground in safety. This, Mr M‘Ara said, was an illustration of the gradation of sinful habits by which the thread in time becomes the strong cable, in the case of the drunkard, the gambler, and the man of impure habits, who forgot they are only strong when the Lord is with them, and not when he has “ departed from them.”