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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5535, 12 November 1879, Page 2

Country agents who may have any copies of the last issue of the Weekly ( oui'ier are requested to forward them by post to the oflice at Napier, as a number of ord(3r3 oil hahd danndfc be 1 otherwise satislied. A meeting of the committee of the Hawko's Bay Racing Club was held last evening at the Masonic Hotel After some distilssion it was resolved that the annual race meeting should be held on the 15th March next. A programme was arranged which will shortly be advertised. The principal event to be run for will be Hie Hawko's Bay Cup, valued at 500 soys., 50 soys. to the second hoi'se, and the third to save its stakes ; Hurdle Race for £100 ; a Maiden Plate, and also a District Plate. The prizes altogether will amount to about £700. Information was received last night by the Inspector of Police that on Sunday morning last an attempt was made to burn the residence of Mr Laurrig, the proprietor of tho Working Men's Club at Norscwood. Mr Laurvig states that when he rose early on Sunday morning he saw no sign of fire, but shortly afterwards he went about some six or seven yards from the building, and on his return, to his surprise saw smoke issuing from the building. When ho went into the house he found the ttoor and walls of the read-ing-room completely saturated with kerosene. A portion of the paper wes burnt off from the side of the room, and the lining scorched. Tho reading-room has a back door loading to a closet from whence the kerosene came, as the steps of the door were all sprinkled with kerosene oil. The building was insured in the South British Insurance office about a mouth ago. At the meeting of the Victoria Lodge of Freemasons, 0.E., last evening, Bro. J. M. Bathani Avas unanimously elected W.M. for the ensuing year; Bro. Raven was elected Treasurer ; and Bros. Bee and Duncan were elected auditors. Messrs. T. K.'-JNcwton and E. Lyndon, J.P.s, px-esided in thcR.M. Court yesterday. One of the immigrants by the May Queen, named Hugh Patterson, was charged with drunkenness, an offence which he admitted, but in consideration of his recent arrival after a long voyage a fine was not inflicted. There was a further charge against Patterson of assaulting an old man named Denis Cronin at the Farndon sports, but as Cronin did not appear in support of the charge, the case was dismissed.— A man named Gifford was charged on remand with unlawfully assaulting John Franklin on Saturday night last, outside the Criterion Hotel. Constables Foster and Strudwick stated that they saw-the prisoner jmsh Franklin down. Franklin deposed that he and the prisoner and others had been joking in the Criterion Hotel, which led to some high words, and on coming outside prisoner pushed witness over. The case was dismissed. — George Henry Stuart was charged on remand with forgery and uttering. Sergeant O'Malley applied for a remand until the 19th inst., as one of the [principal witnesses was at Mahia. Tke application was granted. Bail was allowed, the prisoner in £50, and two sureties of £50 each. — David Ford was brought up on remand charged with uttering counterfeit coin. As one of the principal witnesses, Captain Parker, was on board the Halcione, the case was adjourned till to-day.

A serious accident occurred to Smith, the groom to " Lord Lome," at Waipukurau on Monday evening. He was thrown from his horse and dragged a considerable distance. At first it was thought he was seriously injured, but upon examination by Dr. Reid it was found that no bones were broken, though he was very much bruised and severe!} 1 " shaken.

"When a couple of Jack-tars set then* minds upon anything it takes a good deal to turn them, but it is not often that they venture upon such a hazardous experiment as that tried by two seamen from the May Queen on Monday eveding. They determined to run away from the ship, and obtained a ladder and several empty oil-cans. They fastened the ladder to the tins, and then laid planks on the top, and on this frail raft they made their way to shore. Mr Dennen found the raft in the morning, and reported the matter to the police. Shortly afterwards

the captain came on shore and reported the escape of two of his men, named Davis and Humphries. Constables were ordered to be on the alert, and yesterday evening the two mcii were captured at Pakl Prld by Constable. Maync.

One of the witnesses against Roderick" H. M'Lennan, charge.^ with wife-inurdei', died at Dtlnedin last week. This waS Mr Pinlay, merchant, who was present at ; M'Lennan's marriage. His evidence waa "briefed" some time ago, and Was merely to the effect that M'Lenuan had represented himself as a large landowner, and had thus obtained a considerable sum of mdnoy frenihirii.

Wo understand that a tender has been accepted ) for additions to the Christian Brothers' school-room, in the Shakespeare road. A room 39ft by 21ft is to be ex* tended fr'dm the Spit side of tho present building, with a class room 10ft; by 21ft at the _ end. The front oi the now building will have a porch similar to the present building, with two doors inside opening into the school-room and the class-room. .The front of the addition will have a gable end so as to be uniform with the present building, but the T extension will start about 10ft back from the present frontage. The new building will be connected with the present one by cutting out the Wftll and having a swing partition of four half glass doors, thus making the room available for a large audience fol* entertainments. The contractor is Mr J. F. O'Hanlan. The walis, flporsj roof, and windows will be completed by 20th December, and the building, &c, by 15th January next. We congratulate our Catholic fellow-citizens on the spirit they display in furthering the cause of education, and hope their exertions will be met by increased attendance of pupils and extra comfort to teachers and pupils.

A. edrice'r'fc in j aid of. the funds of the Waipukurau Cricket Chib was given in the Waipukurau Town Hall on Monday evening, to a large and appreciative audience. A number of the test known amateur's oi Waipukurau, Waipawa and Napier assisted! The arrangements were admirable, and not tile least satisfactory feature of the affair was that it added about £1.0 to the funds of the Club. The " Old Boy " was there, was full ofclife, ana was not ten minutes too late ; do we won't wori'y him. Mi' Monteith gave some of his amusing sketches in his best manner, and all the. ladies and gentlemen who assisted contributed their 1 utmost to a most successful entertainment. George H. Stuart, who was yesterday charged at the Police Court with forgery, formerly eccupied a responsible position in couhe"ctioh with the Old Provincial Council at W^Uiigtdiii He" gave way to driiik, and for several years has been gradually sliding down-hill^ until he has comr; td scraping together" a pi'ccarlous livelihood by fishing and mending nets. Orders' have been received to send the Maori witnesses ( required in connection With Davey s petition against Mr Slitton to Wellington, their passages being prepaid Davqy also goes down to give Bviddridd UeEc/re 1 {lie Committee.We have received a copy of " The Volunteer March," composed by Mrs E. Price, and dedicated to the officers of the Nclpier Volunteers. It is very original and lrielddioite, introducing the cornet, fife, and drums. It is a p&asiiig composition, and possesses the merit that it presents no difficulties to the player. We trust that it will not be the last of this lady's compositions, and hope the Volunteer Band will be able to have it arranged for their intruments, as it will make a riios't lively and inspiriting inarch. Copies of the music can be obtained at Messrs Dinwiddio, Walker, and Co.'s. Judge Began, wo learn, has been entrusted with the duty of arranging all outstanding disputes and settlements of land claims in the Poverty Bay district. The work is to be completed by the end of the year, which, observes the Standard, is an utter impossibility. It is stated that we are shortly to have a visit from Mi* Archibald "Forbes, the well-known "special" of the London Daily News, at preseut in Sydney ; and that his first excursion will be to Parihaka. After the lamentable descriptive attempts of " Captain " Barry, Colonel llosenfeldt, and the absolute misrepresentations of Anthony Trollope, thinks the Lyttelton Times, it will be refreshing to have a man of Forbes* calibre amongst us. It will doubtless prove interesting to many of our sporting readers to learn that during the present session a bill has passed the Legislative Council forbidding gaming and lotteries. Should this measure pass the House of Representatives a stop will be put to " sweeps " and games of chance. There are at present various Provincial Ordinances in force, but they are commonly disregarded. We are requested to call attention to the extended advertisement containing fuller particulars relative to the sale of Martinborough, by Mr J. A. Wallace, at Wellington. The auctioneer states that the property is distant from Wellington by rail 45 miles to Featheston, thence by a good metalled road eight miles. The whole of the estate ( 40, 000 acres) has been occupied for upwards of 35 years, sown with English grasses, and a considerable portion of it ploughed. The difficulties that the early settlers had to encounter have been overcome, and the small farmers can now bring their eggs, butter, bacon and other farm produce into Wellington in the morning, and return to their farms at Martinborough in the evening. A saw-mill is within one mile of the centre of the estate, and there is every prospect of a branch line of railway being constructed at a very early period — provision having been made for the railway terminus injthe centre of the town of Martinborough — which is delightfully situated on the plain, and is tastefully laid out, a short distance from the bridge erected over the Ruamangha, . the main road from Featherston and Greytown passing through the centre of tho township, in which the necessary reserves for religious and educational purposes are made. The liberal terms upon which tho estate will be sold, on Monday and Tuesday, 24th and 25th November, 1879, are fully set forth in the conditions of sale.

A telegram from Sydney, dated the 6th instant, says that the Government diver, whilst diving in the river Belfast, was embraced by an octopus. It was fully twenty minutes before he could be released, and he was then in a very exhausted state.

Matters at Mr Arthur's run Tokomaru (says the Poverty Bay Standard) are by means settled. Threats were made by the Maoris to turn the sheep out on the beach yesterday. On Saturday over one hundred summonses were issued at the suit of Mr Arthur against the offenders in the late disturbance, for riot and various other misdeeds. The cases will come on for trial on December 3rd next. A copy of the Letters Patent, Instructions, and Commission of His Excellency Sir Hercules Robinson, 0.0. M.G., forwarded by Sir M. E. Hicks-Beach, Colonial Secretary, has been laid on the table of both Houses of Parliament. Amongst the instructions are the following : — «< The Governor shall not assent in our name to any bill of any of the classes hereafter specified, that is to say:— (l) Any bill for the divorce of persons joined together in holy matrimony ; (2) any bill whereby any grant of land or money, or other donation or gratuity, may be made to himself ; (3) any bill affecting the currency of the colony ; (4) any bill imposing differential duties (other than as allowed by the Australian Colonies Duties Act, 1873} j (5) any bill the provisions of

which shall appear inconsistent with obligations imposed upon us by treaty; (6) any bill interfering with theidiscipline or' control of our forces in the colony by land or sea ; (7.) atiy bill of an extraordinary nature and imporfcince, whereby our prerogative, or the rights 'and property , v of our subjects not, residing, in the colony, or" the trade and shipping of the United Kingdom and its dependencies, may be prejudiced ; (8) any bill containing provisions to which our assent has been once refused," Of which have been disallowed. by us."

A .special London telegram to a contemporary says : - It is rumored that the London Commission, presided over by Lord Carnarvon, to inquire into and report upon loans transacted by different British colonies for railways, harbors, and othci 1 improvements, disclosed the fiscal policy in several instances to be such that, if not checked, it may lead to the creation of Imperial indebtedness; which may strain the colonies to meet their liabilities. The investigation disclosed wide-spread defects in the borrowing powers of the colonies. Steps will no doubt be taken re presentation or otherwise of a report on the financial powers exercised by the colonies.

A late Cape paper says : — " Business in Natal since the war is in a very depressed condition. Merchants, who . did not anticipate so early a termination of hostilities, are over-burdened with stocks of grain and provisions, the markets for which are glutted. Mealies (maize) has been Sold as low as Is 6d per sack of 200lt)S."

The Wairarapa Standard notices the amount of land washed away from the Tauherinikau race course is about six chains long and about half a chain wide. A few energetic gentlemen hare formed themselves into, a committee, and have determined with the public assistance to reclaim it. With this end in view, they have already started canvassing for subscriptions towards defraying the expense, which, they estimate, will cost £200. They have already, at Featherston alone, collected £60 of this amount. The work is expected to be done within a month at least, m time to hold the usual annual races on the course.