Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 287, 17 November 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Protection.—A society lor the protection of children is being formed in Melbourne. Pastime.—Wifebeating is a common pastime in Melbourne. Water.—Geelong has a system of water supply which has cost the State .6350,000. Thanks.—Mr. W. K. Chambers thanks the electors of Waikohu riding for returning him. Mails.—Mails for Auckland per Thomas Russell, will close at 1 p.m. to-morrow afternoon. The Session. — A Wellington contemporary says the session of Parliament just concluded was a very drunken one. Lithography.—Arrangements have been made by which all descriptions of lithographic work can be obtained from the Telephone office. C. O. Fisher.—Attention is directed to some alterations in Mr. C. O. Fisher’s advertisement on page four relating to the Settler's Hotel accommodation. Meeting—The Rev. Mr. Fox announced last night that there would a meeting of the Ladies Committee on Thursday evening next, at the Parsonage. A good attendance is requested. A Difference,—When an Englishman or Scotchman is convicted of murder, his countrymen, as a rule, leave him to his fate with great equanimity. When an Irishman is found guilty, the whole nationality seems to be stirred to its depths. Borough Licensing District.—The next quarterly meeting of the Gisborne Borough Liscensing District will be held at noon on the first of December next in the Court House. All applications for transfers Ac. must be made in duplicate on or before the 16th day of November, 1884. Anthem. —We have received the New Zealand National Anthem written by Mr. Thomas Bracken and composed by Mr. John Woods. The publisher of the present edition, which is printed in Maori and English is, Mr. George Jeffery, of Lawrence, and the lithographic work is by Mr. Thos. George, of the Octagon, Dunedin. Copies can be otained at the Telephone Office. Drunkenness.—At the R.M. Court this morning Wharaki Hopara was fined 405., in default fourteen days imprisonment with hard labor for being drunk whilst in charge of a horse on the 15th instant, thereby endangering his own life and that of others. John Begley for the same offence was fined 10s., in default three day’s imprisonment with hard labor. The fine was doubled owing to the accused being drunk on Sunday. Passengers.—Sir George Grey and Mr. J. M. Dargaville, M.H.R’s., were passengers for Auckland by the Tarawera, which called here this morning. Sir George would have come ashore had it not been for a misunderstanding with regard to the starting of the second boat from the wharf. Had it been officially known that Sir George was on board His Worship the Mayor and others would have gone off to thank him for his efforts in pushing the measure!-, relating to the district.

Excursion.—The U.S.S. Co.’s magnificent steamer “ Tarawera ” will make two excursions to the West Coast Sounds of the Middle Island, the first leaving Port Chamers on Saturday 17th January, 1885, and the second on Monday, 26th January. Each trip will occupy eight days from Port Chalmers during which the most beautiful parts of the Sounds will be visited, and special facilities will be given for fishing, shooting, sketching, and exploring these wonderful Fiords, where nature is seen in her grandest aspect. The social enjoyment of passengers is made a special feature of these excursions, the whole trip taking the form of an extended pic-nic. In order to prevent over crowding only a limited number of passengerswill be taken. A carefully - arranged programme has been drawn up for each day’s proceedings during the excursions, all information regarding which can be obtained at the Union Steam Ship Co.’s offices.

In DeManis—Owing to an unusual rush on Saturday, on account of the great demand for our illustrated supplements, a number of applications had to bp refused. Intending subscribers will do well to send in tlieir names at once.

Cheese and BB+ter Factory.—A prelimi. nary meeting of the directors of the Cheese and Butter Factory was held to day at the Masonic Hotel, for the purpose of arranging matters for a meeting to be held at Makaraka to-night. We are unable to give full particulars of what took place on the above occasion as the secretary refused to offer us any information regarding it. A. O, F,—One of the members of the Wairoa Court of Foresters made a most audacious proposal to the secretary at last meeting, namely: That he should make arrangements " to hang the founders of the lodge,” Possibly the gentleman (who is himself one of the worthy founders) meant to hang in a conspicuous place the photograph of those who planted the banner of Forestry in this district. At all events we hope the secretary will not accept his instructions in their literal sense and communicate with the Sheriff,

American. — The New York Graphic is responsible for this “ Alligators are known to swallow their meals at a gulp instead of dsoently chewing their food. The other day Captain James Anderson, of Pensacola, Fa., killed a monster alligator, and on cutting it open was surprised to find in its stomach a live hen sitting on a dozen eggs. The hen was carefully taken out, and in due time hatched her chickens. The only peculiar circumstance about the thing is that the little chickens have all scales instead of feathers, and fiat bills with very sharp teeth. The skin of the alligator has been preserved as a curiosity in the State Museum.”

Cook County Concil.—The annual meeting of this Council will be held at noon on Wednesday, the 26th instant, for the despatch of the following general business Fix days and hours of meeting; appoint Finance and Public Works Committees; fix price and method of registering dogs, 1885; define duties and fix salaries of officers; receive tenders for printing and advertising : receive tenders for dog collars, 1885 ; receive tenders for works, Waimata and Ormond Roads; application for Pound, Tologa Bay; appoint custodian for bridges; application from Library Committee for grant in aid ; and the usual routine business, Synopsis of business already before the Council: —Repair of tramway and supply of gravel for three years on line of main road; construction of Mangatu road; expenditure of roads and bridges grants —Pipiwhaka road, LI 300; Matawhero road, L 3200; Patutahi road, 3100; East Coast road, L 250; and continuance of Pakirikiri Ferry. It is probable that by the above date the answer of the Government will bo received to applications under the Roads and Bridges Act for Arai and Turanganui bridges, and completion of Matawhero and Patutahi roads.

The Premier.—The Melbourne Age says:— “ As a leader, Mr. Stout plays the role neither with tact nor dignity. With all his cleverness, natural and acquired, he lacks many of the qualities that should shine conspicuously in a Premier. Were he robed in a wig and a gown, the impression would be perfect that he was talking to a jury, and not to the representatives of the people in Parliament assembled. Head-strong and crotchety, and with no consideration for those whose intelligence is smaller than his own, he offends right and left, and fails to be conciliatory when he could be so to the advantage of the Government. Lawyerlike, he is altogether too contentious, and darts arrows at his enemies that it would be wiser to with-hold. He speaks too much and too often, and brings down upon his head retaliatory utterances that are damaging, not only to himself personally, but to his administration. It is Mr. Stout’s misfortune that in parliamentary matters discretion is not one of his characteristics, and so it is that on occasions when it would be discreet to remain silent he says something or other that is unnecessarily offensive, and helps to bring himself and his government into disfavor.”