AUCKLAND GOSSIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1166, 16 December 1879, Page 2

AUCKLAND GOSSIP.

(Compiled for the ' Waikato Times'.) Auckland, Friday Evening. AN IRATE BANKRUPT. 1 Creditors' meetings are not as a rule of a very lively or even particularly interesting nature, but some slight entertainment was afforded those present at one on Monday last. The debtor was William Kirby, formerly a firewood merchant in Queenstreet, and who was the subject of public interest by a criminal prosecution some five years ago. The monotony of the business, or probably the heat of the weather exercised a strong influence over

Mr Kirby, and during the progress of the meeting, he was seized with a strong desire to show his abilities as a pugilist. He challenged the best man amongst the council of creditors to a free fighc, but the offer was not accepted. The commands of those in authority were set at defiance by the irate debtor, but his wrath subsided with remarkably rapidity when the " man in blue" put in an appearance. The unseemly ebullition of temper was likely to form the subject of magisterial enquiry, but no further steps have been taken in the matter. THE HOWAKD-SHEBA ASSAULT CASE.

The public has been cheated of a morsel of scandal -which was eagerly anticipated by the settlement of the cross actions for assault between Mr J. M. Shera and Mr J. Howard, two of our leading citizens. The particulars of the assaults are well known, and are certainly riot creditable to either of the gentlemen concerned At the second meeting of Lewis Brothers creditors, Mr Howard'opposed the appointment of Mr Shera as chairman 'on the ground that he, being in the same business as the debtors, was biassed against them. Mr Shera, to use a common expression, " cuffed his ear," and a scuffle ensued, when other gentlemen interfered. At a subsequent meeting, Mr Howard struck Mr Shera, and they were again separated before many blows were passed. The best legal assistance was retained on -both sides, but the case, which was to have been heard on Thursday last, was settled before coming into court. Considerable amusement was caused by the affair, and some disappointment felt at its settlement, but there can be no doubt that the course in coming to an amicable arrangement was the wisest that could have been adopted.

POLEMICAL DISPUTATIONS. Mrs Hardinge Britten was amongst the passengers who left for San Francisco by the City of New York on Tuesday last. The small amount of excitement caused by her opening lectures here rapidly intensified itself, and at the conclusion of her three week's stay, she has, metaphorically speaking, "left the pot boiling." The challenge of the Rev. S. Kdger to defend the assertions made by her in the seven lectures she delivered, brought forth the Rev. Allan W. Webb into the arena, but the discussion which was anticipated did not take place. The latter gentleman, after interviewing his " reverend brother' •' finds that the latter has drawn in his horns, and will not- adhere to the strict, letter of his challenge. The precise vords of the Rev. Allan Webb's letter to one of the Auckland papers is:—" With respect to Mr Edger, I decline to have anything further td say to a gentleman who has from hia first 'challenge' to his 'last words' shown an ability for word-twisting unparallelled in my experience." Really, this is a very poor illustration of Christian charity, but it is not by any means an uncommon one.

Several very amusing incidents are related in reference to the good feeling- of the " orthodox" in Auckland towards Mrs Britten. I will only record two of these, Shortly. after the arrival of the lady here, a deputation from the Total Abstinence Society waited npon her, and desired her to deliver a lecture on behalf of the funds of that deserving body. Mrs Britten readily complied, and the Result was a lecture delivered in the Temperance Hall on the evening- of last Monday week on "The amusements of the people." A moderately large sum was raised thereby, and everyone concerned seemed satisfied. .But since then the Rev. A. W. Webb and several others of the same stiict stamp have been seized with horror at the unholy manner, probably, in which the money was Raised. The consequence was that the gentleman named forwarded immediately his resignation of the position of VicePresident of the Total Abstinence Society held by him. All interest therefore in a society existing for the accomplishment of a noble object was removed by the knowledge that funds for the work were obtained from a leoture under the auspices of the society by a heterodox lecturess. The other instance was of a rather different nature, but not less amusing.. The spiritualists of Auckland arranged to entertain Mrs Britten at a valedictory tea meeting, and there present her with a book of ferns, Several qf them waited upon a

Queen-street draper, and applied for the use of the lecture room of the Young Men's Christian Association, which is generally used for political and electioneering meetings, entertainments, &c. The good old gentleman enquired for what purpose it was to bo used, and on being informed, he lifted. up his hands, 'and vehemently exclaimed: " For Mrs Britten ; no, not if you give me five hundred pounds for it."