LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume I, Issue 84, 24 December 1887, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In order to allow our staff an opportunity to participate in the festivities of the season, there will be no issue of the Standard on Tuesday next.

The members of the Garrison Band have taken a step which will be much appreciated by the public. The Band will during the summer months come down the town on Saturday evenings, and play selections. They may be expected out this evening. To-day, at eleven o’clock, Messrs Graham, Pitt and Bennett will sell by auction the privileges of the Karaka race meeting which takes place on January 2. The meeting promises to be most successful. The course this year will be at W aerenga-a-hika, and as the acceptances for the various evems are large, there is sure to be a big attendance. The privileges should be worth going in for this time.

At the B.M. Court yesterday Robert Turnbull pleaded guilty to being drunk, but not to disorderly conduct. Constable McGill deposed that he had got on Mr Thelwall’s coach and driven off. the wheels being fastened, and thus injury was caused to the coach. The prisoner said he intended going home with Mr Thelwall: he had been a long time in the Bay and . His Worship: All the worse for you ; you ought to have learnt better by this time. Sergeant Bullen gave the prisoner an excellent character, excepting that he was addicted to drink. Turnbull was fined 20s or 48 hours imprisonment. One of the chief out-door events set down for Monday (Boxing Day) is the annual picnic in connection with the- Wesleyan Church, which takes place on a very suitable spot near Mr Bell’s house, on the Kaiti. F,r those whose tastes do nut lie in the direction of horse-racing this will bo an enjoyable opportunity for spending the holiday. Every provision will be made far the success of the picnic, and, as an additional advantage, the conveyance of passengers to and fro will be provided for. The price of the tickets is two shillings, children being privileged at halfprice.

The Auckland Harbor Board, as well as the Gisborne Board, is going in for a revision of its by-laws and tariff.

Several of the storekeepers in town have decorated .their shops in honour of the season. Several windows are exceedingly well got up. By the election of Captain Tucker as Mayor a. vacancy is caused in the Borough Council. Nominations to fill the seat will be received up to noon this day week.

We cordially acknowledge the receipt of a circular from the Post and Telegraph officials, according us the compliments of the season, and have pleasure in returning as hearty a greeting,

Te Whiti is arranging for another and probably final demonstration at Parihaka in March next. His object is to agitate for the return of the confiscated land, in - which h's hapu ia interested to the extent of 20,000 acres.

Glasgow is decreasing in population. The total population, estimated from the occupied houses on June 1887, was 543,995. This, as.compared with last year, shows a retrogression in houses of 246, and in population of 1,425 souls. r George B. Wilson, a barber at Havelock (Blenheim), has been sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for placing two defaced postage stamps on letters. Curiously enough, as remarked by Mr Sinclair, who appeared for the Postmaster-General, one of the letters was addressed to Inspector Atcheson, Nelson, It is amusing to see how many teatotallers who rave at the mention of beer will drink cider with relish. By some unaccountable illusion, cider is imagined by this class of people to be quite a non-alcoholic drink. Perhaps these figures will open their eyes a little New cider, Bio 4 per cent alcohol; cider one year old, 5 to 6 per cent; larger beer, 3to 4 per cent; average English beers, 5 to 6 per cent.—Exchange. An amurins scene occurred at the railway station, Palmerston North, on Thursday morning. When the train started the waiter of one of the leading hotels came rushing up to the carriage with threepence in each hand, being the sum a noble Marquis had overpaid his account, and which he had asked the land - lord to send over to the station before the train started at 7 a.m, When the situation was explained the by standere made room for the faithful waiter amidst much laughter. The Auckland police force made their appearance this week in summer uniform, blue coat, white u mentinnables, white helmet, and white cotton gloves. With the exception of the g’oves, ihe unif.rmis neat-lo king and pleasant to the wearer ; but the Star says the gloves are simp’y ridiculous, and, wha ■ is w.res, they certainly find no fav >ur with the men. To run in dru ks and vagrants of all kinds with a pair of white gloves on is surely fo ly, and it is to be hoped the wearing of gloves will not be enforced. There can be no doubt that the son of a distinguished father is heavily handicapped in the race of life, especially if he happens to follow in the same liue of work. Mr Julian Hawthorne complains that he cannot recall a review in any magazine or newspaper of any of his works during the last fifteen years in which the critic has not suggested that his lamented father would have made a great deal more out of the same material. ‘‘ And the thorn is all the sharper,” adds Julian, “ just because of my general agreement with the critic.” An exchange says Perhaps the London backer- of sedition-mongers in Ireland are not aware of the fret quoted by Lord Henry ,™™,?9 ler . < ? a y’ at that there are 150,000 families in the Metropolis who have one loom to live in, in a grimy back street, and generally in a wretched state of repair. A reot is paid of from half-a-crown 10 four shillings a week, and no deductions are to be got from the commi sioners, t here ia far more w elehedness and de tituuonm the l-'ast of London slone than there is in the whol -of Ireland ; but hen the sufferers are unromantically law-abiding Englishmen, whose misery cannot be used as °a poll i leal weapon.

Some misguided people have already began the " festive ” season, and the other afternoon one man took possession of a coach and horsa and driving up tbe street. Another fellow who had evidently got drunk at someone else d expense—if appearances can be taken as a criterion—stood in front of Mr William’s res'a'nrant and offered to fight Mr Williams or any one else who felt inclined to have a pugilistic encounter. The right of a policeman however, aoted as a " steadier ” and he in company with a friend disappeared _ without carrying out hia expressed determination of having somebody’s chest to tramp on.

During the hearing of. a charge of pocket, picking at Sydney the prisoner's solicitor, attempted to “ fog " the prosecutrix in her identification of the money alleged to have been stolen, by substituting a bank note nt hia own for the one found on prisoner. The a 1 tempt having been discovered, the magi, si rale got very wrath and told the gentleman : ' You ve no right to attempt to falsify the witness a evidence.” The solieiior protested that he was doing nothing of the kind, but the magistrate replied, " You ars throwing dust into the witness' eyas and my eyas : you have substituted one note for another I did not know you were doing so.” The solicitor looked “ sold,” This is the sort of language used in the New South Wales Parliament:—Mr Melville: There.awi two Sunday newspapers published in Sydney. O>e of them until recently was owned by Mr Bailey | but, in consequence of kicking one John Shepherd from his office into the street,, ha found himself expelled. The ilhiatrious member for Mudgee was then installed. as editor of Bailey's Sunday News, or, as it should now be called, ‘ Haynes’ filthy ray. 1 This rag anpaared last Sunday with one of the foulest falsehoods Mr Haynes : It is not a falsehood, it is quite true I Mr Melville ; It is the foulest falsehood it is possible for human brain to conceive, and it could only be conceived in the brain of a dirty reptile similar to that which crawls amongst fifth, and is known as a maggot?’ The sooner these members are relegated to obscurity the better.

There is a peculiar row,on between Speed, an Auckland lawyer, and the Registrar. The former filed a summons calling upon the Registrar to show cause, in consequence of certain allegations, why the judge should not tax a partiouliar bill of costs made out by Mr Speed. Mr Palmer appeared for Speed, but explained that he had not understood his position. The application was dismissed with a guinea co c ts, and the following remarks from His Honor : I shall recommend this to the attention of the Law Society, to see if steps cannot be taken to protect itself from such conduct, for it is an injury done to the profession. He (Speed) calls himself a gentlejjjljLand n, solicitor, and if he will stoop to C?pa thing against an officer of the Court, fSat officer must be protected. It is perfectly scandalous.” Speed still brazens it out, and wrote, to the Press, stating that he intended applying to the Minister of Justice for an inquiry.

On Sunday evening Admiral and Mrs Fairfax attended St. Pauls’ Church, Auckland. During the service a blue-jacket, who had evidently been driving out and partaken of too much salmon, entered the church and stood for a minute amazed at the strange surroundings. At this moment Admiral Fairfax happened to catch sight of the man, and far quicker than it takes to write this, he had him by the arm and escorted him outside, delivering him into the hands of the attendant constable, who in this way got the first work he had ever had during a pretty considerable service of duty at this church. Another instance of the proverb that “ Everything comes to him who waits.” However, the constable took his prey down to that delectable abode popularly denominated “ chokey.” When we state that the man went peaceably and mistook :he attendant constable for one of his own officers in a bran new suit of clothes, onr readers may judge that he.was drunk indeed. On Monday he was sent on board his ship in custody of a corporal’s guard.—Bell.

Country services, Church of England, on Christmas Day—Makauri, 1.45 ; Makaraka, 3. —(Advt.)

Presbyterian Church services to-morrow, Christm-is St. Andrew’s 11, subject “ Wise men seeking Christ ” ; Ormond 2, Waerenga-a-hika 3.30, St. Andrews 7, "Last Sabbath and yet ”; Rev. J. Me Ara. Matawhero 2.30, Mr B. H, Scott. -(Advt.)

The Fedora! Council of Australasia will meet at Hobart on the 16th of January. The meeting will be purely formal. Mr G. G. Stead (owner of Maxim and Sextant) was a thr< ugh passenger for Christenuren by the Rotomahana yesterday. Judge Quinlan, who has just let off the Geelong swwndler, J, H. Stiurenghi, with mne months’ confinement, once sentenced a lad named Clarence to thirteen years’ imprisonment for stealing a few trifling articles from a B. G. Church.

The Legislature of Illinois has passed a law,, and Governor Oglesby has signed it, making it a punishable offeree to furni-h minors under 16 years of age with tpbacco in any of its forms. Iu thia law Illinois follows tbe example uf Germany,

The African King Jaia keeps a store, His subjeotß patronised a rival merchant. Jaja Is a practical man and believes in protecting his interests. Therefore he sent for 150 patrons. of his rivals and cut off their headsThey will not trade with hia competitor any more.

Notwithstanding counter attractions the Leitch Company had a good back audience Thursday night. The piece produced was the “ Private Secretary,” and it was accorded an enthusiastic reception. " Harbor Lights ” last night was well attended, and the Com. pany was again well received. They left at an early hour this morning for Napier.

At the County Council meeting yesterday the by-laws as revised were read and adopted by the Council, A discussion took .place as to whether it was necessary to enforce property owners to clear from off their lands the Bathurst bure, but as lhe majority of those present considered the plant was not spreading it was considered unnecessary to do 80.

When Lord Randolph dhurohill tvas at the Treasury he suddenly visited Somerset House and inquired Into the administration ot the great taxing department. He was introduced to rooms where toddlsd old gentlemen who drew big salaries and sat on ehairs from which they were almost too venerable and feeble to move. Lord Randolph went awav and wrote a " minute ” and retired these octogenarians en bloc.

It takes a smart man to let down Sir F, Whitaker. The other day he and the Hon. Mr Scotland were exchanging compliments in the Legislitive Council. The la'ter said Sir Frederick could not obtain election for constituency in ihe colony, for the reason that he knew too much. Sir F. Whitaker retorted that Mr Scotland would also fail to obtain election, for’the yery opposite reason, that ho knew too Utile.—Auckland Herald.

A n interesting case came on (but was adjourned for 8 days) at yesterday’s sitting of the K.M. Court. Messrs E. Ling, L. Steele, and K. Smith were charged with having sold alcoholic liquor—to wit, horehound beer. Mr Ling’s case was taken first. He pleaded guilty to having sold horehound beer, but denied that it was intoxicating. Sergeant Bullen said that similar proceedings were being taken throughout the colony against those persons selling horehound beer, as that was alleged to be an intoxicant. In Napier ai least it had baen sustained that a greater percentage of alcohol than was allowed to be sold without a license was contained in the drink. He said that samples of the horehound beer sold by the defendants had been sent for analysis, and asked for an adjournment until the results had been obtained. The adjournment was granted.