Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 194, 28 July 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Tologa Bay.—The Ven. Archdeacon Wil* Hams will hold Divine Service at Tologa Bay on Sunday next, at 2.30 p.m. Northern Mail.—Mails for Auckland, per Thomas Russell, will close to-morrow (Tuesday) morning, at 9 a.m. En Route.—The Hon. Mr. Mitchelson, Minister of Public Works, passed through per the Manapouri on Saturday, en route for Wellington. The Southern Cross.—The Southern Cross will leave Wellington for Napier, Gisborne and North to-morrow afternoon.

Constabulary Change.—Constable Bower arrived by the Botomahana yesterday, to take the place of Constable Pegley at Ormond, who has been removed to Tauranga.

The Thomas Russell. —The s.s. Thomas Russell arrived here from Auckland with 60 tons of Waikato coals, and is now discharging. Literary Institute.—The members of the Gisborne Institute may take heart from the fact that a similar association at Rangiora has a credit balance of £36 17s. 2d.

Madagascar.—Hostilities have again broken out between the Hovas of Madagascar and the French troops, and a pitch battle has been fought, resulting in -considerable loss to the latter. Declaration of the Poll.—The official declaration of tlie poll will take place tomorrow (Tuesday) at 2 p.m., when we expect the late candidates will address the electors.

Judge Brookfield.—Judge Brookfield was a passenger by the Botomahana from the South yesterday. He has not come up on very important business — merely for the signing of subdivisions, &c.

Congratulations.—We hear that Mr. J. D. Ormond was deluged with congratulatory telegrams from all parts of the Colony as soon as his return was assured. We sincerely congratulate Napier upon having secured such a representative.

Boiling Down.—The Wellington correspondent of the Australasian says:—“ Experienced pressmen in this colony from time to time had their hair prematurely whitened by trying to ‘ condense’ the Knight of Kawau.”

Every Bit as Much Right. — A correspondent of a Southland paper suggests that municipalities should go into fire insurance business. He contends that they have as much right to do so as the Government has to engage in life insurance. A Coming Man. — A Napier paper thus speaks of a gentleman pretty well known in Poverty Bay:—Mr. Desmond’s manner and matter are alike crude, but it needs no gift of prophesy to say that he will be heard of again although not elected on this occasion.

U.S.S. Service.—The Botomahana arrived here from Southern Ports yesterday morning. She left again for Auckland the same day at 4 o’clock, with 18 head of cattle, and 300 sheep, shipped by Mr. E. Cameron and the N. Z. L. and Mercantile Co., respectively. Mr. DeLautour. —The N.Z. Times says :— “We regret the non-success of Mr. DeLautour, a very able and promising politician, whose reputation has, however, been a little tarnished by the fact of his being prominently mixed up with the transactions of a large company for acquiring Native lands.”

Criticism.—We have heard it said that the finest critics in the world are the London costermongers, but we question if they can beat this :—“ Give it lip, old girl,” “ Jerk it out,” &c.; are recent samples of how the Melbourne “ gods ” greeted the appearance of Jeffreys Lewis on the stage. Old Friends.—We observe from exchanges that the Bev. Father Le Menant des Chesnais, who some time ago delighted large congregations at the Catholic Church, Gisborne, is lecturing in Waipawa. Mr. J. K. Scott, the well-known pianist, has settled in the Palmerston North district. - Buiding Society.—We would remind our readers that the Gisborne Building Society enters upon its eleventh year to-night. The meeting takes place at from 7 to 8 o’clock, at Mr. Piesse’s office. The secretary will provide forms of application for shares and all other information.

Reply.—A correspondent asks for a definition of the term non-political board. Here is one :—A non-political Board simply consists of men who have no interests to serve by

“ soft-soaping ” a Government, and no consequences to fear from acting in an unbiased manner, according to their convictions. Curing Scandal.—At the close of a service at Arbroath lately the minister read a’ judgment of that ancient tribunal known as the Kirk Session, to the effect that two ladies had been convicted of spreading infamous falsehoods and malicious letters, and were suspended from the communion for twelve months. If such a law were locally applied we fear that few indeed would be at liberty to partake of the Sacred Feast. The occurrence happened only a few months ago.

Tiie Pritchard Family.—The Pritchard Family have arranged to give their opening performance at Macfarlane’s Hall to-morrow evening, and will appear in their charming drawing-room entertainment, the programme for which is one of real sterling merit. They are spoken of in terms of high commendation by the Press elsewhere, Miss Pritchard being pronounced as a most accomplished actress and. vocalist, while Mr. McGuiness is said to fairly rival, if not excel, the immortal Barlow, in the number of musical instruments upon which he performs. We also notice that Miss Pritchard has earned some reputation by the rendering of her Shakesperian monologues, written and arranged by herself, and we are pleased to hear that an opportunity will be afforded tho Gisborne public of judging of her undoubted merits in this line.

R. M. Court.—At the B. M. Court this morning the following was the business:— James Matthews was fined 10s., in defr’dt twenty-four hours imprisonment for drunkenness. James Mercey, alias Robert Bruce, was charged with the larceny of a horse and saddle as a bailee. The Sergeant applied for a remand to obtain evidence. The prisoner said he had no witnesses to produce, and would plead guilty to the charge. As the Court could not deal summarily with the case it was adjourned until Thursday next.

“ Just ten Minutes too late.”—Whilst the Botomahana was at Napier a gentleman passenger went ashore, and was told the last boat would leave for the steamer at 7 p.m. On arrival at the place of embarkation he found that ho had missed his passage, and as his wife and all his belongings were on board the steamer, he chartered Mr. Light’s new steamer the Wairoa, and left Napier in her at 12 o’clock, arriving in the Bay shortly after ten yesterday morning, in good time to catch the steamer. This “ ten minutes too late ” cost him £2O, It is said that his better half did not exhibit any great signs of transport at the jeunion thus unexpectedly brought about. The Wairoa, after landing him, returned to Napier.

Holy Trinity Church.—The Rev. Mr. Fox called attention to the notice of services posted outside the Church doors. Sunday service, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. : Holy Communion every Sunday at 8. a.m., and on the first Sunday in the month, at 11 a.m. ; also baptisms on the first Sunday in the month, after the childrens service, and on Saturday’s if notice is given. Tuesday evening, at the Parsonage, a meeting of teachers connected with the Sunday school will bo held. Thursday evening, prayers at the church, at 7 p.m. and a short address ; no sermon. Arrangements are also made for a service at Ormond, at Makaraka and at Patutahi. Friday evening a meeting, at the Parsonage, open to all for Bible reading. A Literary Curio.—“ July 6 1884 Woodville :—Sir in reply to your letter you said I make several attacks on the kunieroa people it is very rong of you to say so aso you pittied our readers you say could not make out my letters well be pittied you also for you are like the dane that cannot understand english an also anything you do not like it comes pretty hard to you to understand you are just as bad as the scholar first when he goes to school he turns the rong end of the book to him to read it an it comes rathe 1 ' hard to him to read it so it is just the same with you an my letters.—Mr M Ready,” The above appeared in the Woodville Examiner, and we are ready to admit that the editor has not been kind to his correspondent. It should be a warning to those who dictate to the press. Liability of Cats.—As the people of Gisborne suffer largely from the depredations of strange cats, a decision which has just been given at Horae by Mr. Honor, Judge of the Marylebone County Court, may interest the readers of the Telephone, as it settles a question of the deepest interest to all dwellers in houses with back gardens. These persons may roughly be divided into two classes—those who keep chickens and those who keep cats. The strain on neighborly love produced by this classification has been the greater because of the vague legal position of the aggressive cat, and the owner of the chickens has never felt safe in carrying his adversary before the magistrate and so dealing the air. Encouragement should be found in the success of the action which Mr. Tedder brought against Mr. McLeod. Mr. Tedder was the owner of chickens, which he carefully protected by an enclosure of wire seven feet high from attacks of Mr. McLeod’s cat, which had more than once ravaged his hen-coop. His labor was in vain, for the enemy got in and the chickens perished. Tired of remonstrance, he brought his grievance before the County Court Judge, when it appeared that whilst the law as to all the other beasts of the field was tolerably well settled, that of cats was in doubt. The late Mr. Justice Willes, however, some twenty years ago, fortifying himself with some learning from the Year-books ventured to give cats the same legal status as dogs in regard to the liability of their owners for damage done, and Mr. Stonor accordingly awarded £2 as damages, on the ground that the defendant, knew that chickens were an irresistible temptation to his cat. The law on this subject may be expected to develop, and in process of time judicial notice may be taken of the tastes believed to be universal in the feline breast, when the reign of peace may be hoped for in suburban districts.