POVERTY BAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1190, 19 September 1874, Page 5

POVERTY BAY.

(FROM OUll OWN COHKESPOXDENT.) August 27th. " How frightfully dull business is," has been the universal exclamation here for the last month ; bub now that fine weather has set in we may expect a change for the better. Europrans aud Natives are all very busy preparing the land for crop ; and, judging from appearances, the latter will have a goodly quantity under potatoes this season; at present, that useful vegetable is £10 a ton, by the bag, in Gisborne. It has been proposed to the Government that the right to get rye grass seed from the Patutahi T3lock should be let foi the season, and to this proposition the Government have agreed. Tf our local llo.ul lioaH. are permitted to appropiiate tho lents deiivable from this source, it would only be an act of justice, and would be of great service towards repairing some of the already impassable roads in the district. It may perhaps be intuie&tingto sonic of your renders who have any idea of taking up sheep runs iv this part of New Zealand, that steps are being taken to eradicate scab from the sheep owned by Natives along the East Coast. Till lately the owncis have refused either to adopt tho proper cleansing pi ocess or to sell the sheep. Now, however, i believe they begin to see matters in their true light, as they find the Pakcha will not rent their lands in consequence of the scab, and they ure willing to sell, and a | gentleman here is in treaty with the Government to thoroughly eiadicate the disease by boiling down, provided he receives a sum equal to the bonus voted to the Maoris for dipping the sheep. I have heard that some Natives think scab a good thing to have, as it saves them the trouble of shearing, for they can gather the wool off the bushes.

Tlie first annual meeting of "The Poverty Buy Petroleum and Keioseue Company, Limited," was held a few days ago, for the purpose of receiving the directoi.s' report and the balancesheet for the year, and to elect fresh diicctors. A further (being the fifth) call of five .shillings a share was made. The shareholders seemed nil well satisfied, and everything passed off harmoniously ; and, as I have before stated, nothing is now required but the prtsenee of the manager, who has been on his way from America for the last six months : he is to arrive in Dunedin by the Splendid (I think that is the name), which had to put into St. Thomas for repairs. Now, as he is sure to lie a '" Captain, or a Colonel, or a X 0.8.," don't lionise him, but pack him off by first steair.er to where duty calls him. The Clnuchof England has made good progress lately, through the energy and perseverance of tint grand old Bishop of Waiapu, who has been amongst us for the last four or live weeks. Although far advanced in years hia activity aud pluck me astonishing. He hos visired every house in the town of all denominations, and has collected over i'.'JOO towards the building fund. He is the kind of b'shop who would delight " S. G. 0." of Timeß and Standard eelebiity, who used tv write that he should like to see what he would call "gig bishops," that is, bishops who would drive about in their gigs and visit their clergy, staying n night or so at the rectory or vicarage, so that pai sous' wives and daughters might know that bishops were very much liko the lestof mankind. It is now iutended to oroixed with the erection of the Cliurch forthwith, a tender having been accepted for the sum of LBBO. The huildiiiK is expected to be ready for consecration about the end of the year.

MrVogel's scheme for tho abolition of Provinces iv the North Island is universally up» proved of here. A public iiieeting was held two days *go, which was numerously attended, and resolutions passed pledging mpport to those candidates—iv the event of an appeal to the country — who would votts with the Pienucr. I believe there is a great future iov Poverty Bay — but so long as ivt) remain a poition of the Province of Auckland, that future will remain iv futurity.

Another cuiious Maori case was lieurd the other day by the Kesideut Magistrate. Kipernta and some other Natives lately laid claim to all the drift- wooil cast upon the beaoh iv the Buy. Tho settlors havo alway.s been in the habit of collecting this ivool between heie and high- water mark, but were stopped the other clay by tho Natives, and one person was summoned to test the validity of the clnhn. It turned out at the heuiing that tlie ))lauitiffs had no title beyond .Native custom (the land atljnhuug the hhoie not having gone thiough the Native Ltiiidu Court), and the defendant set up the right of the Crown. J udgment was given iv favour of tlie defendant. J may mention as a niern matter of fact that shortly after the healing the iMagistiate, who had liven running his horses on tsome laud of the plaintiff's, received notice to take them ofr. I would not for a moment attribute this act to his adveiae decision, or that it was in any way iutended a3 a future waruing. We art: indebted here for a large portion of European and general Colonial politics and information to the Waiapu correspondent of the .Standard. The other day Lo contributed ueai ly a column on the subject of Sir George Ainty's successor as Chief Justice, strongly upholding Judge Jolmstone's claim to the appointment as against that of the Attorney • General, Mr Prendevgast. It is to be hoped that tlie Government will not fail to respect the opinions of that correspondent. His last contribution informed the world that "the Land Laws of Otago having bi-en framed with au tsptcial viow to tho encouiagemunt aud beueiit of capitalists and ruuholdurs, small settlers expeuunco no biuall difficulty iv locating themselves in that Province, and at much inconvenience and sacii» fiee; and they would therefore gladly avail themselves of an opening elsewhere which would offer greater inducements to them than Ofago does " I hope you will appreciate this as the very " latest iu'ornmtiou."

The North Ofcage Times says :—" Tho Bea rolling into tho hay on Monday and Tuesday last was something terrific, but at the same time grand. Sea, after sea hurled it* elf against and over the breakwater, at times submerging the entire structure, and appa« rently threatening it with utter anniliiliiiion, We have subsequently seen tho contractors, and are truly glad to hear that not th» fih'ghfceßt injury ha§ be#B sustained,"