LIVELY MEETINGS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2197, 18 January 1886, Page 2

LIVELY MEETINGS.

. It may not be generally known that ■Midhurat-is famous for more things than for being the scene of the late fire. Some years ago a public meeting was held to decide whether a sixpenny or a shilling 'rate should be' levied', but the question wasjiot decided the first night, and two of the ratepayers casually fell into an argument as to whether the word " therefore" was a conjunction or a preposition. The disputants agreed to bring their dictionaries with them to the next meeting. In tlm course of the week another large gathering of the settlers took place to decide how much they should rate themselves, and the two disputants on the point of grammar also came, each with a ponderous dictionary. It was found that the man who held the preposition theory produced a dictionary making out that he was right, while the conjuc'tion supporter produced a dictionary which proved his contention. The dispute then waxed bo earnest that the attention of the meeting was attracted to it. Instead of discussing the rate 'question, all present became warm and excited over the grammatical point, and when the meeting broke up at an unusually late hour the point was still unsettled, and the rating question had been entirely lost sight of. Something very similar to that is said to have happened in New Plymouth once. An indignation meetinsj of Justices of the Peace was called to express their dissatisfaction with the conduct of a gentleman well up in social ranks. Before commencing the business of the meeting, the Justices, as is their wont on these occasions, entered into little discussions and narratives of a light and diverting character, so that their minds would come fresh and strong to tho moro serious business, Among other discussions which arose was'one as to which liquor was the better for nightcaps—brandy or whisky. Unfortunately, each spirit had about an equal number of fanciers, total abstainers not being so common in the ranks of •justices in those days, and the minds of their worships became so perturbed that tho matter which. had brought them together was overlooked, and to this day the question of nightcaps is said to excite interest and animation amongst them when it is broached.—Taranaki Herald.