Local and General.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 305, 9 December 1884, Page 2

Local and General.

Mr. Locke will address the electors at Ormond on Friday. The favorite game of ehess was invented in India 5,000 years ago, The County Council meets on Thursday next. The taking up of the rails in Gladstone Road was started to-day. The Waimata Road Board and the Harbor Board meet to-night, The school concert is announced to be held on Wednesday, 17th inst.

The Horiticultura! and Florlcultural Society’s Show will be held to-morrow. Steps are being taken to provide a library for Holy Trinity Sunday School. The County Council are about to proclaim a main road through the Whataupoko block. , ... . Williri’m Harker,.auctioneer, of Napier/ has filed-a petition to -be-*'adjudicated a bankrupt. Payments under the Property Tax Act due on the 22nd instant, may be made at the counter of the money order office. There are one hundred thousand lepers in India. The disease has prevailed in Brazil for 200 years in a virulent form. Mr. Devery in our advertising columns announces a new line of coaches which -.-'-o-id b e a convenience to settlers and Others, -y;

According to. Dr.. GraHßaim there are 144 male and 105 females in the lunatic asylums of the colony who might be handed over to their friends, being quite harmless.

The claim of Mr. Sidey against the Dunedin Corporation, referred to lately bv telegram, is for land taken for the Silver S ream water works, and the amount /4,000.

In the McKay case this morning some evidence cortcerning:fioot.V[got so " mixed hat Mr. Turton remarked [lie house was ike a rabbit warren for doors. One room had five doors in it.

The Wellington District Masonic Benevolent Fund will hold an examina tion in January among candidates for two scholarships. The competition is open to boys or girls who have completed thei> thirteenth year by the 31st inst. A rowing match will take place or, Saturday viz., the Bank v. the Club, j The club to the latter are’now being picked,’ ah j if good ju'dgnent is used a splendid contest may be anticipated.

The steamship Coptic arrived at Napier yesterday morning, and immediately commenced loading wool and frozen sheep of which she takes from there about 10,000 carcases. She expects to get away on Thursday.

A native rode up to the Court yesterday with a message for Sergeant Bu’len, to the effect that be (the native) was on the Maori jury. The Sergeant seemed inclined to charge his informant with lunacy. Tiie ladies belonging to the Wesleyan Church intend holding a sale of work in Madarlaneis Hall- on the 23rd inst. "Further attractions Tn the shape of a monster Christmas tree and a museum will be provided. The proceeds are to be devoted to the fund for building and furnishing a parsonage. A Vermont schoolmaster says he never felt unequal to any demand in the line of his profession except, on one occasion,, a fiy:tncf:.:srtiught his ; boqncing. fi&'een-yeat-ofdsdaii|hter tp .’ihe'- sefiqbr, aiiCTwalking up' to the'master's "desk, said, “ That’s my youngest gal, and if ever you catch her slidin’ down hill with the boys I just want you to trounce her.” Some amusement was caused in Court yesterday, when after the Clerk had waded through a long indictment charging a ; ' Nativeivithnh-nise'Stßali’rtg; afM 'Mr.' Brooking had negotiated a still longer interpretation, the prisoner, with a bland 'sfijlle,' replied jh' vcrj' go.od Stiglish," “ I plead guilty.” More fun was created by the way in which another Maori objected to several jurymen he.ha<tn'ever seen and approved of others with a friendly That’s all right.” On Monday evening next, Mr. W. Edwards will accept from the Gisborne community, some little acknowledgement of the many and varied kindly efforts he has at .all times liberally afforded toward?assisting Or promoting any local amusements. ' Mr, Edwards talent is too well known to require any exhaustive flattery and really the very ready manner in which he has at all times stepped to the front, when called upon, to assist in any local chari,table effort certainly demands the fullest appreciation. . We have not the slightest doubt he will get a bumper house, and as Sam would say “ Sarve hitn right.” ' .'Blondin gave another successful per-, formance last evening before a numerous concourse of people, with a very large sprinkling pt the : small fry who gaVe vent to their extreme appreciation- of the wonderful feats by shouts and yells Of delight. The p-ogramme was slightly different from that of Saturday evening, .and the two feats which appeared to attract the admiration of the spectators more than anything else, was. the walking across and back, in baskets placed on each foot, and that of wheeling a wheelbarrow with what he terpted his only son, viz : —a dummy, in it. The performance on the trapeze also seemed to take immensely and we certainly endorse . the many opinions expressed that he is exceptionally good all round. During the evening several-members of the band rendered some very sweet music on the Masonic balcony. The Auckland Herald is rough on the American evangelists who are causing a religious excitement at Port Albert. It says : —“ It is high time that the parties who produce such scenes as those named should be made to feel that they are of the worst stamp of impostors. It is their way of securing a living, and is as discreditable as any of the low devices by which those -who prowl upon society impose on their victims. Their practice is to quarter themselves on the wellinclined and hospitable, though weak, people, and to change'’their Habitat only when their imposture has been detected, or the resources of their misguided benefactors have been exhausted.” Additional particulars of the religious excesses are to hand :—To-day several sisters formed a ring round one of the unconverted around whom at conimand. of the Lord they danced seven times when it: was pro-phesi’ed-the walls ofjericho, i:e.,' sinners’ obduracy would give way. One evangelist pronounced the level of belief of another as “ a lie,” and there has been a split in the camp in consequence.

The Russell was unable to get the piles for the bridge, which it was intended she should bring up yesterday from Napier. A Napier correspondent asks whether P. Maher ever won an advertised race in Poverty Bay. We cannot find any record of his having done so. At a Queen’s Birthday meeting he got away first and won a Maiden, but it was voted a false start, and when run off Maher was beaten by Weston. We believe he won a race in Auckland some years ago. The sheep killed on the 26th of Novem - ber, and subjected to Bennett’s process of preservation, is still banging at the Masonic Hotel. To all appearance the meat is as fresh apd sound as the day the animal was killed. Tha weather dur-' ing the past fortnight has been quite sufficiently sultry to fairly test the pr O e ess . Mr. Scottintends in a tew days time to have the meat cooked, when those who are sceptical as to the value of the new discovery, shall have an opportunity of judging for themselves. At a meeting of creditors in the estate of T. E. R. Bloomfield this morning, the following resolution was come to: “ That, looking to the explanation made by Mr, Whitaker (representing Read’s trustees), the creditors are of opinion that, provided the debtor is willing not to apply 10 the Supreme Court at its present sittings, and the assignee can adjourn the presentation of his report to the June sittings, no proceedings be adopted, until further notice.

At the R.M. Court this morning before. Messrs. Graham and Tucker, J. P’s., M. J. Donnelly was charged by Ann McKay with assaulting her, by pushing her on one side. Mr. lurton appeared for complainant, and Mr. Finn defended. Mrs. McKay and Mrs. Nash gave evidence as to seeing Donnelly push Mfs. McKay away in order to remove his box from the house. Defendant admitted taking his box, but denied committing any assault. Arthur Sawyer gave corroborative evidence. Mr. Finn said if their Worships were satisfied an assault had been committed, he thought a very small penal'y would suffice. Mr. Turton said the case was only brought on to show young men like the defendant that they must not take the law into their own hands. The Bench were of opinion that although the assault may have been of a very trivial nature, there had been an assault committed, and further that defendant had no business in the house at all. They would therefore inflict a fine of 10s. and Costs, in default 24 hour’s imprisonment. The following civil cases came before the Court this morning:—Aislabie v. Rees adjourned till next week, being beyond the jurisdiction of the court. Trustees in Page’s estate v. Morgan Morris. Adjourned till next Friday. Common, Shelton and Co. v. Twohey. Adjourned till 23th instant. Hirini Haraone v. W. C. Morris. Mr. Brassey for plaintiff. Adjourned till 23th mst. as J.P's. had no power to hear me case. Cross (clerk 0 me Poverty Bay Road Board) v. W. H. fucker, adjourned by the Court to the 16th inst. Ward v. Otene Pomare. Mr. Vlacdougall for defendant. Adjourned till the 23th inst. McKay v. Donnelly, clain. $5 ss. on a judgment summons. Mr. Finn l‘*r defendant. M. J. Donnelly was called >pon to show cause why he had not paid he amount for which judgment had been given on October 3. Mr. Finn pointed out that defendant was an infant and that .herefore the judgment was ultra vires. Defendant gave evidence that.he.had been out of employment since lasf’Christmas. Mr. Finn submitted that the Court could not make an order. The Court ordered that the amount be paid by instalments of/jl per month, the first payment this day month; in default five days’ imprisonment.

The following letter having reference to the No. 3 bore, has been ■ received Inini Dr. Hector by the Directors of the Southern Cross Petroleum Company, and •viil, no doubt, be read with interest:— '■ -Well ; ngton.-A-The .samples .forwarded with your letter of Nov. 16, are from the No. 16 bed, which is the lowest upper cretaceous, and overlies the Awanui formation. Nos. 17 to 23, which are the beds supposed to carry the oil.” The following are extracts from report referred to:— No. 16, green marly sandstone with plant remains:" Lower cretaceous, A.wanui series : This formation is important from beirig the oldest group of rocks that is found in. the district, and from the fact that the occurience of oil .<ir gas springs is invariably associated with its appearance at the- surface. It-comprises the following strata: —No. 17, black shale with flakes of gypsum ; No. 18, calcareous shales, with brown-coloured concretions of large size ; No. 19, bitumii nous limestone ; No. 20, bright green sandstone, with layers of dark shale ; No--22, course concretionary sandstones, weathering into large boulders ; No. 23, dark green ferrugeinous sandstones. In the sandstones, masses of carbonised wood occur, but no : distinct coal seams have been found. Stratum No. 5 is in general a flaggy limestone, but in some placesis charged with bituminous matter, so as to acquire a dark color, and is the only bed yet found in the district which affords any indication of the presence of oil. It is not, however, to be considered as the source of the oil, but merely as a reservoir in which it has locally accumulated under favorable circumstances.