Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 160, 18 June 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

U.S.S. ’.Service.—The Manapourl will not arrive here before Saturday from Auckland. The Election.—The Returning Officer has not yet received any further returns from the other outlying districts. They are not expected to come in until the weather improves. Dkuids.—All who wish to join under the reduced scale should attend the meeting to be held to-morrow night, as this will be the last chance of joining as charter members. Turanganui Bridge.—We are requested to call attc > to Mr. Gannon’s letter in another colt un where he particularly disclaims having any interest whatever in the Turanganui Bridge question or to have exerted himself with respect to it either one way or the other.

R.M. Court.—Solomon Black was fined IQs. this morning for being drunk at the Supreme Court yesterday. This afternoon three native boys named Ruku Mirimiri, Haarera Tewha, and Tuni Pirihi Sweani, were brought up, the two first being charged with the larceny of a horse at Waiupu valued at £l5, and for breaking into a store at the same place, and taking some money out of the till. The latter was also charged with the last offence, and with the larcency of a horse, valued at £lO. A False Amarm. —At ten minutes to nine last night some consternation was caused by the sound of fire - arms. We were, of course, engaged at our usual occupation of providing for the mental craving of our readers, hut notwithstanding this, and the fact that the night was pitch dark and a heavy rain falling into the bargain, we, with that unflinching bravery and self-denial which shines through all the actions of the caterer for the public weal, rushed out, quill in hand, resolved to do or die. Taking off our spectacles as a useless encumberance in the darkness we perceived the smoke of battle and the clang of arms on the Kaiti side. We (being minus our spectacles) thought we could perceive thousands of dark forms creeping down the hill side. Reminiscences of old times crowded upon our minds as flashbang ! flash, bang I resounded from the opposite bank. Tightening our grip of the quill, wherein was all our trust, we made our way down Gladstone road, passing in our eagerness to reach the front number of citizens, who with anxious faces, and with lanterns and umbrellas in hand, were hurrying along, bent on the same errand as ourselves. The absence of bugle-call and military command added to our trepidation, we, with the penetration which only an editor can possess, seeing therein that some fearful duty was on hand, and that the assailants were to be met silently and with cold steel. At length we reached the ferry, where a large body of men whose countenances bore that look of determination which betoken the intention to fight for dear life, were assembled. Scorning Mark’s invitation to come behind his house or we might get a stray bullet through us we volunteered to take over a flag of truce and try if an amicable arrangement could be come to. On reaching the other side we found that a native had just died and that his friends were helping his spirit on its way to glory. Then did we, still grasping our quill, very carefully make our way homewards before it was noised abroad that we, along with others, had been made the victims of misplaced confidence. Somebody sarcastically remarked that our previous knowledge of the matter accounted for our ostentatious display of bravery, but this is afoul calumny.[