NOTES FROM NAPIER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1106, 12 May 1893, Page 26

NOTES FROM NAPIER.

(from our own correspondent.)

The death of Mr Ballance cast a sad gloom over this community, and it was a great testimony here as elsewhere t) his worth that he was mourued by all parties ; and for the time every sound and whisper of political strife was hushed. I need not enlarge further on a subject with which we are all too painfully familiar, but I may add just this, that the proposal to ereafc a monument to the memory of the departed in your city is warmly welcomed here, and I am sure the fund for this purpose will be liberally eubsoribod to by all parties irrespective of creed or political bias. .Napier takes a good deal of interest in the Wanganui election, and wishes Mr A. J. Parsons success in his candidature. Any candidate must be terribly handicapped by the shadow of him who has gone, but the vacancy muat be fillod, and Mr Parsons has leisure, means and ability to fill it worthily, and I know he has some ambition for political usefulness. The Catholic Bazaar here haa be6n an immense success, some £650 having been realised, and now in a very short time we may expect to see the church erected on an accessible position on the splendid section near the Railway Station. A man was brought up the other day at the Resident Magistrate's Court on a charge of being unlawfully in possession of an overcoat that looked much too good for him, considering bis general appearance, which was somewhat faded, not to say rusty. A constable had seen him with it, and as he was not unknown in police circles, the officer immediately entertained doubts and saw a probable conviction, and promptly arrested the coat bearer on suspicion. In the dook, the man indignantly repudiated the suggestion, and I must confess that studying him rather ciosely I was instantly impressed with the idea, notwithstanding his alleged antecedents, that he was telling the truth, It turned out that he was telling the truth. The settler, who he said had given him the coat, on being applied to, admitted that he had given it to him, Result—Discharge of the accused.

i ' It seems to me that in their very com- ) ' mendable and useful zeal to protect society, , i the police are sometimes in danger of making a , mistake ; and it further occurs to me that it ': might be made very awkward for the 1 authorities by Borne person thus detained, A bree«3 from Timaru. There met me yesterday an old South Canterbury friettdi Dr Hogg t on his travels to Sydney and 1 Melbourne, returning by the Bluff—grown greyer and atoutei, but otherwise pretty milch the same as when he was hottse srlh : geon in the hospital. I was very pleased . indeed to bear him speak iu terras as , nearly enthusiastic as a phlegmatic and practical dootor ever allows himself to use, of this place as a resort for invalids. Nothing like medical testimony ! I ah»U look to see some rioh old Timaru wheez rs tottering up here next summer, and Canterbury oripplos enjoying the ozone, in bath chairs. I mean to lay this community under an obligation to myself and your widely-read journal by booming the plaoe, and to that end I shall begin by giving birth to a brilliant idea, viz, that a medical congress should meet in this Colony, and sit, say a fortnight, and that Napier be the plaoe of meeting, the Borough Counoil boarding the members in slap-up style. The effect #oujd be tremendous, every medico would go back to his locality satisfied that Napier really I was (what 1 claim that it is) an earthly paradise, and would send up all hid brokendowns and worn-oats. VVe .BbuulcU.,t»ke them iu, gladly. Wo love ' the'hafl;, th'e maiued, and the blind'—if they have money. I wa* personally grieved and us a citiz:n

delighted to meet another old friend the other day from your city, with asefiou/a' affectum of the throat, and learn from him that Dr Maokerzie had ordered bim to spend a few weeks herp. Dr Maokenziohas my bltsing, and I offer bim the respectful homage of the Mayor and Councillor*. He is sure to prosper; ho is mar Istd out for greatness ; he is a man of more than ordinary intelligence. It is a mark of higher intelligence to admire us and our beautiful city. ' See Napier and die ;' but don't die till you have put in a month or two and dropped a guinea or two among up. t might offer another suggestion -to tho intending invalid-visitor. Do not, my tfear friend, trouble yourself about your will kill you arrive here. We have a little regi ment of lawyers, all practitioners pf conspicuous ability but somewhat attenuated circumstances, to whom the drawing up of wills and the taking charge of property it a bagatelle; undertakers who have long battled agaLst discouraging circatmtauoos and general longevity ; and all other pur* veyors. In fact, every luxury can be had here on the shortest notice. The Cathedral has a new ~Mr Manghah Barnett, just arrived from Hobsrt, and from all I hear he is likely to exercise some influence upon the attendance at divine service there. The attendance is already good, but when, equiaite music is added to the truly eloquent preaching of the Dean, the church is likely to fceooiae still more popular. - V Two of the moat respected persons in Napier tho other day involuntarily assisted at an act of forgery by giving blank cheques to a wayfarer who asked the favour at their hands. ' flow oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill dee-Is done,' said a great poet long ago. I commend this wise observation to the attention of the two gentlemen.