NEWS AND NOTES.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1686, 27 July 1887, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES.

A meeting of the Manaia Athletic Club is to be held at Mr. Allsworth's rooms on Saturday evening. Major Atkinson's Whakamara meeting has been postponed at the reqxiest of residents in that part of the district. The meeting of Major Atkinson's committee, convened for Friday, has been called for to-morrow afternoon, at three o'clock, in Messrs Kobbins and Pierard's rooms. The Salvation Army meeting last niglit was frequently interrupted by the anticß of three or four country boys, who evideutly are strangers to the customs of civilised towns. They eventually met with a severe reprirnnnd at the hands of the lieutenant, which must have made them feel small. It is hard tlint people engaged in a good work cnnnot be let alone in their own house. An inspection pnrade of the Hawera Rifla Volunteers was held on Tuesday evening. Tliex - e were between 30 and 40 members present, who were inspected and drilled by Captain Trimble. The corps is at present hardly up to the maximum strength, and it is desirable that recruits should be enrolled if any can be found willing to join. Some are to be struck off, and the number will then be so low that the corps will be in danger of beiog disbanded. This is a matter iv which permanent residents who have the interests of the place at heart might just now lend a helping hand with advantage to the town, and we hope that some will add their names to the roll at once. Talking of Mr. Gilbert, reminds me (says the London correspondent of a contemporary) of something which he said when coming out of church. A very modest curate had been preaching about Jonah, and had said, " Jonah, my brethrcu — n-fl). Jonah — spent three days and three nights in the whale's — in the whale's - society." A French lady, who had been present, asked those who .surrounded her what was the meaning of this phrase " society," which the preacher had used. The company was embarrassed by the query, but Mr. Gilbert solved the difficulty by saying, quietly, " It's a sort of corporation, Madame." A significant incident occurred at the last sitting of the House of Commons Committeee on Fraudulent Merchandise Marks. A practical watch-case mnker having stated in evidence that cases were frequently stamped with the English hall mark, tilled abroad with foreign works, and then sold in this country as Englishmade watches : Baron Henry de Worms, the chairman, produced his own gold watch, which he understood was of English manufacture, and for which he paid a large sum, and asked the witness to explain the difference between an English and a foreign watch. Considerable amusement was caused when the witness told the owner that his watch was not an English onp, and the Baron remarked that the incident showed the necessity for the Bills at present under the consideration of the Committee. The Taranaki County Council was on Monday sued in the District Court, at New Plymouth, by Mr. Robert Bishop, who claimed from the council i; 200, as damages for injuries received through the negligence of council in leaving a certain heap of stones, over which plaintiff fell when on horseback on the night of May 24, on the South road, uear its junction with the Barrett road, at Omata. It seemed from the evidence that tha heap of stones was a shade under two fept in height. Mr. 0. Carrington said the heap was 1G liuks off the extreme ri»ht of the road. About 10ft more ground belonged to the road, between a bank and a feuce. The breadth of the heap was eight feet. The heap was a little on the metal road, which was twelve feet in breadth. He had been hi charge of the roads m the district at one time. He would never have directed the heap of metal to be put where it was. Judgment has been given by Chief Justice Stone and Justice Storrer, who sat as a jury in the libel action brought by the Ilev. J. B. Gnbble against the West Australian Newspaper Company ; damages claimed at ±10,000. The 'libel complained of whs contained in the words " lying, canting, humbug," as applied to the plaintiff in connection with his n ctures delivered in Victoria and New South Wulcs, his statements appearing in the M-lbourne Daily Telegraph and other news papers and his statements contain* d and published in pamphlets, in all of which he made eha>g<-s against the settlers of enslaving the aboiigiual natives, cruelly treating ihem, assigning the native girls to immoral purpos-es, selling the natives, ordering hilf-eaMe childreu to be murdered by their mothers, etc., al«so charges against the Government for conniving at these misdeeds. The defendants pleaded justification and t he judges agreed in giving a verdict for the defendants on that plea. The Chief Justice >aid in all his experience lie had never, seen a witness who so prevaricated, who .so suppressed truth, and who was so disingeuuou.s a.s the plaintiff. Both judges s]hilcc .strongly regarding the plaintiff's statements made in the eastern colonies, and said that in the circumstances the defendants, as public journalists, were justified in using the words complained of. The ( lectors of Gladstone had some fun with a candidate (Mr. Twoiney by name) the other evening. Thus :— Question — If you were to meet the editor of the Timaru Evening Mail some dark night in a lonely place, whut would you do with bim ? (Knars of laughter.) Mr. Twoiney —He would ask him, " What will you have to drink?" (Laughter.) A Voice— Will you make that request to the meting ? (Renewed laughter). Mr. Gondev asked — Would you be in favor of placing a poll tax on Kaffirs? Mr. Twomcy — Yes. Queptiou — If elected, would you i consent to part your hair on one side instead of in the' middle ? (Shouts of lmighter.) Mr. Twoiney said— lf there was a bill brought in he would still part his hair ia the middle. No further questions were forthcoming. Mr. Scaouelf c»trne forward aud said ha proposed a vote of thanks and confidence iv Mr. Twoiney as a fjt and proper man to represent the constituency of Gladstone in Parliament. 32r. Hart seconded the uiotiou. Mr. Ash well said as they were without Mr. Twomey's ideas of protection and fi eetrade he wished to move an amendment (Cries of Oh I ob ! cat-calla, and other unearthy crie3. The chairman asked for a hearing for Mr. Ashwelf. Mr. twomey said lie was ready to address them on protection nnd freetrade. If they would wait nn hour or so he was their Moses. (Laughter and applause.) He would cot conceal anything. He had written fourteen columns ot solid reading. If that wai Dot enough he would write more. Mr. Twoiney obtiined his vote of confidence.

Prince Ferdinand, of Saxe-Coburg, whose name is so frequently mentioned in the telegrams in connection with the Bulgarian throne, is a second cousin of the late Prince Consort. "We understand that official arrangements have been made for securing a polling place at Kaponga, and that Mr. Davy's store will be used.' There will also lip a polling place at Pibnma, on this occasion, for the first time, at the schoolhouse. The polling place formerly situated at Mangawhero will be fixed at Eltham this lime. The Melbourne Argus in an interesting . article on English consols states that at the end of last May the three per cent, consols reached 103^, the highest price ever recorded, and observes that " some idea of the terms on which Xre may hope to be able to borrow some day may be found from the fact that at the end of May not only were 3 per cent, consols worth 103J, but the United States 4 per cents, were quoted at £130 to £132, the London Metropolitan Board of Works 3^ per cents, at £110, while the London and rforth-Western 4 per cent, debentures were selling at £126." New Zealand 4 per cent, debentures, which practicallj* are as safe as any of the foregoing bring 97 or 98. Could there be more complete evidence of the results of capitalists' want of confidence? The Hawke's Bay Herald, of Monday, ' the 18th, says : — Mr. John Ne.il, who for 15 years bad been in the employ of Mr. G. H. Swan, died yesterday from tetanus, the result of a peculiar accident. A fortnight ago he went out in a flat-bottomed boat, on the inner lagoon, to drive home a number of ducks. On returning he jumped from the boit to the shore, and alighted with one foot on the bottom of a broken bottle lyins in the ooze that fringes the )a«oon. He sustained a nasty cut on the sole ot the foot, but after washing it and binding it up he did not trouble much about tbe matter, goiog to work as usual. After working for some days he found the wound so painful that he had to liy up, siud shortly afterwards lockjaw set in. Under medical treatment he appenred to rally at first, but ultimately suffered a relnpse, and died yesterday as stated. Some mysterious circumstances have trnuspired in connection with the recent murder of Mr. Edward Hawkins, the manager of the Tieryboo Station, Queensland, who was found dead in bis bed. The wife of a settler on the Condainine declares that she saw the murder ot Mr. Hawkins enacted in a dream several times, and that all the circumstances and the faces of the persons present were vividly fix«tl on hpr mind. She communic&ted with the police, and was taken to Biiftbaoe gaol, where a number of prisoners were drawn up. She selected one prisoner, and declared him to be the mau whom she paw in her dream. The prisoner selected was William Clayton, who was arrested on suspicion of the murder of Hawkins, and is now awaiting trial. On Claytou being asked, he declared that he bad never seen the woman before, and she was equally confident that she had never seen liim except in the dream. There is very general anxiety expressed for the health of the Crown Prince of Germsiny, who is immensely respected and liked in English society, because (siys the London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus) of his noble conduct as a husband to our Princess Royal, and from a general feeling that, it he were Emperor, things would go better for England and for Europe. He has been suffering from a growth on one of his vocal chords, and Dr. Morel Mackenzie, the London throat " specialist," has been summoned to Berlin, and has cut out a piece of the growth for Professor Virchow to examine. Virchow is, perhaps, the greatest pnthologist in the world ; and he has pronounced the growth to be 'non-malignant' — that is, non-cancerous — 'and w* must hope it is, ns he says; but no pathologist can be certain on such a subject. If Professor Virehow's diagnosis is light, then the throat can be cured gradually by cauterisation and occcasional excisions ; for the tumors, though small, are numerous. But if the diagnosis is not right, the Prince must die, without even attaining, or at least enjoying, the throne for which he has so long waited. His son and heir is a violent partisan of Russia. It is a curious thing that Dr. Morel Mackenzie should have been summoned iv such a case to Berlin, for last year a Berlin surgeon had to be summoned to London to perform a desperate operation on the throat of Montagu Williams, whosecase Morel Mackenzie had failed to master. Movql Maekouzie is ft man of enormous popularity, especially in the musical and theatrical world — whose throats are in chronic Deed of attention — and his practice is immense, but he is not regarded as in the first flight of medicine by liis bretluen, who considers that he owes his practice luore to the attractions of his wife's music room than to his learning. His summons to Berlin is doubtless due the " little Englishwoman," who is very opinionated on oiediciue, as well hs art, theology, aud the Eastern question. The following story ig going the rounds in connpction with a distinguished visitor to Australia : — " In early life Lord Brassey'a father was a young man with lots of energy, a good character, and no money. He was iv the employ of Mr. Wardell, the Chester banker. Being of a pushing turo of mind he saw his way to enter on small contracts, so he started as a contractor, with some a«sistance from Mr. Wardell's bank. At last he aspired to large undertakings, and he put in tor and got a very large railway con? trncf, but far beyond his means. In hts despair he bethought himself of Mr. Wardell's bank, nnd, waiting on the old banker, laid before him his requirements, and a*-kfd for a large advance to enable him to buy the necessary plant. ' But, sir, I have no security to offt-r yon.' ' Yes you have, the best, a good character; you shall have the money.' Young Urasspy got the contract, aud carried it out with great profit. He became a leviathan contractor, and prodigiously rich. Years after, a rumor went abroad that Wardell's bank was shaky. Mr. Brassey, as soon soon as he heard it, went speeding to Chester, and to his old master, the old banker, whom he found in despair, his banker tottering, and said, * Mr. Wardell, I have just heard the bad Dews, and have come to your relief at once. What sum do you require ? ' ' Ob, an awful sum,' he uttered, hnplensiy. ' What sum ') Nain n it.' It w»s several hundreds of thousands. ' You shall have it.' • But I have no security to offer.' ' Yes. you have, the best, a good character.' Wardell was startled at heating his own words re-echoed after so many years. The two men rose and clasped hands, but spoke not. In the presence of that power which makes all great hearts kjn theirs were (op full to speak. The bunk was saved. J heard this frpm a connection of my own, Sir William Jackson, once a partner of Mr. Bmssey's, the firm being Brnssey', Bet,te, Ptto, and Jackson. 1 '

Sfassvs. Sfoftuv, Toufca, and Oq. scH stock at KakavauK'a to-morrow. Deficiency and Eetuenchment. — New Tariff. — Qwin<£ tq the depreciation of New Zealand securities, especially in tlje harbor districts qt Patea and New Plymouth, a reduction qf loan became imperative, beuce the new tariff of prices at (jibson's Cash Warehouse, Princes-street, Hawera. See new advertisement of sale prices. — [Adyt.] Wells' Hair Balsam. — If grey, restores to original color. An elegant dressing, oftens and beautifies. No oil nor grease. A Tonic Rostorative. Stops hair coming out j strengthens, cleinses, heals scalp — 2

£Mr. Merchant has teen- havinjhveiy successful meetings' at Midhirst analWiu?' pakn, votes of confidence having been, carried^at both .places by large majorities/ v Mr. J.V. Miilsja well-known auctioneer, applied in the Sydney Snpreme Court lately for an order for the sale or attachment of a number of shares held by Lord Augustus Loftns f late governor of New South Wales, in tlie New South Wales Pyrites Patent Company, and the Parnell Pyrites Patent Company. It appears that Lord Augustus Loftus gave three promissory notes to Mr. Mills for £1684 in November. 1885, and tbat thess bills weredishonoured. An order was made for the attachment of the shares to secure Mr. Mills, who stated that Lord Augustus Loftus was a consenting party to the disposal of tbe shares. Lord Loftus was once British Ambassador at the Russian Court. A private letter received from Melbourne by a Dunedin resident says : — " Yon have □o idea of the difficulty of getting anything to do in Melbourne. Tbere is an immense amount ot work going on it is true, but the crowds of people who have rushed in from all the other colonies have quite swamped the "place with labor. Some of tbe buildings going np are of a splendid character. You may form some idea of this when I tell you that the scaffolding alone for the additions to the post office has cost over £6000 and that for tbe addition to Parliament house over £4000. The new coffee palace will be a most magnificent place, and there are numbers ot large hotels in course ot erection. I have tried a good deal to get into something, bnt it has been no use. The papers are laid hold of as soon as published, and it anything is advertised tbere is a crowd waiting at the appointed time. Those who can lorm an opinion say there are over 16,000 carpenters out of work, and every other occupation seems as bad in proportion."