The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, JULY 19. Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 186, 18 July 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, JULY 19. Local and General.

U.S.S. Service—The Te Anau arrived in the bay about noon to-day from Auckland and leaves for the South at 6 p.m.

Wesleyan Church.’— The Rev. W. J. Spence will hold divine service in the Patutahi schoolroom, on Sunday next, at 3 p.m.

Political Association.—A meeting of the above will take place to-night for the purpose of finally selecting which candidate they will support in the ensuing election. R.M. Court.—The following cases were heard this morningChrisp A Muir v. E. O. Bolton : Claim, £3 13s 6d; judgment by default. Croll v. Collier: Claim, £8 7s lid ; judgment for amount. Croll v. McDougall: Claim, £4 5s 8d ; judgment for amount. Allanach v. R. A. Mackay : Claim, £3 14s; ordered to pay £2 per month. Common A Co. v. Petera Honatapu : Claim, £32 14s 4d: judgment for amount. The Tonquin Difficulty—By telegram intelligence is to hand that China has finally rejected the demands of France for an idemnity on account of the Langoon affair, thus rendering the resumption of hostilities inevitable. This intelligence will be received with much regret at a time when there was most reasonable grounds for supposing that a peaceful solution of the difficulty would most probably be arrived af without any further resort to bloodshed.

Miss Augusta L. Dargon.-- We are pleased to hear that this highly-gifted elocutionist has been induced to give a short season of three nights in Gisborne, commencing on Tuesday next, the 22nd instant. The performance consists of selections from Shakespeare, Sheridan, Mosenthal, Watson, Bracken, Whittier, Tennyson, and several others. In every town that Miss Dargon has appeared she has drawn crowded houses. The New Zealand Times in concluding a long notice of Miss Dargon’s readings, recitals, and dramatic sketches, says, “ On behalf of the people of Wellington, we beg leave to tender to Miss Dargon our thanks for the splendid intellectual treat with which she favored us yesterday evening, and we feel confident that the house will be again crowded to-morrow evening.”

The Bribery Case.—Amongst the several amusing witnesses which have appeared in this case, Mr. S. M. Wilson carries the palm. A curt reply from this gentlemen caused Mr. Rees to remark that witness was trifling. ‘‘ Trifling I” replied Mr. Wilson. “ Is it trifling to have to come here and waste all my time, and neglect my business ? There is not much trifling in that.” Again on being asked if Mr. Locke had any refreshments at his hotel on the evening of the election, he replied “ Mr. Locke is a member of the Poverty Bay Club, and that is his residence when in Gisborne. He pays his way there, and (in a very meaning manner), that is more than I can say of some others.” On being asked whether he had any account in his book against Mr. Locke, he replied “ Oh, yes, his name appears in the books, and so does yours. Do you wish to see it ?” The witness was next asked whether he had sent any cabs out on the polling day. He replied, “Yes, I sent some out free, and will send twice as many out next Tuesday if they are of any use to Mr. Locke.” On the Bench asking the witness to confine himself to direct answers, he said, “ Yes youi Worship, but Mr. Rees wants a lot of information from me, and I will give him all I can. Mr. Rees perhaps doubts my word. I have to work hard for 'my living, but some people live without work.” Another question as to whether he saw Mr. Locke on the polling day was answered as follows :—“ Oh, yes, I saw both of you, and you both looked extremely well; quite as well as you do now—Mr. Locke looks very happy.” During the whole time of this witness’ examination, the Court was convulsed with laughter, and even the Bench found it impossible to maintain its rigid solemnity. Every effort was made to restore order.

Benevolent Society—The annual meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday, the Ven, Archdeacon Williams in the chair. The Rev, J. McAra, hon secretary and treasurer, read the annual report and balance sheet, which was adopted, Votes of thanks i .e passed to the ladies of the retiring committee, to the Rev. J. McAra, and to Mr. C. P. Davis, auditor. The following ladies were elected for the ensuing year: Mesdames O’Meara, Pollen, East, Nolan, Watson, Misses Williams and Booth ; for the country, Mrs. J. Sunderland. The subsidy received from the Government was £l5 4s. Bd. ; and from subscriptions, £3 10s. There was a balance from the previous year of £72 3s. 5d.; making a total of £9O 18s Id. The amount expended for rations, medical comforts, &0., was £42 10s. Id., and there was a balance in hand of £4B Bs.

The Torpedo Boats. —Referring, to the torpedo boats which recently arrived for defence purposes, a correspondent says In any 'case the manning of the vessels for active service is likely to be a forlorn hope of the most hazardous description.. Supposing the boat to meet the hostile cruiser without being previously sunk by her guns, the chances seem about 100 to 1 that the little vessel will be involved in the ruin which it inflicts on the enemy, The explosive, it may be remembered, is attached to a telescopic arrangement projecting from the torpedo-boat, and explodes on coming in contact with the object aimed at. The only chance of escape which the attacking vessel has lies in the probability of its steering off at an angle outside the area of the disturbance. The risk is one, to say the least of it, which the Accident Insurance Company, I am afraid, will decline to have anything to do with. Curious Will.—What an extraordinary document, says a contemporary, was that will of the late Captain Johnstone ! The testator was a schoolmaster, as well as a captain. The deflection of a man’s mind from the pole star of ambition as “ leader of men,” suggested by the profession of arras, is great when he turns pedagogue—that is, when he goes backward, like the crab of Hamblet—for the word means a leader of children, not of men. The “ tented field ” and the “gully hut ” are different places in which to study theology. And theology acquired is different as the situations are different. When this will is closely examined, it gives a curious explanation of the ideas that some people form of the most solemn relations and situations. The application for probate before Mr. Justice Gillies elicited a rather ghastly form of pleasantry from one of the young lawyers present. As the will was read “ I bequeath my soul to the Creator, and my body to be burnt,” the young gentleman pointed to his learned friend who made the application, and said, “ But who appears for the Creator, that, when the corpizj of the estate is disposed of, becomes residuary devisee.” Surely that young gentleman is in a “ parlous ” condition.