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Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 71, 15 December 1875, Page 2

We may remind those interested that a committee meeting of the Patea District Agricultural end Pastoral Association will he held on Saturday afternoon next, at 2 o’clock, for the purpose of preparing a programme for the forthcoming show. The Weal cyan tea meeting in celebration of the opening o£ their new church, came off yesterday evening, and was a complete success in all respects. We are, however, 'compelled to hold over the report till our

At the 1 1 aw.a a Resident Magistrate' Court on Monday last, Komako charged V. J. Campbell with assault. 1 his was the case to which tve recently referred, wlien the complainant stated that he and another native had been waylaid, ami assaulted in a cowardly manner by seven while men, one of them hei: g, aecoiding 0 Ids statement, the del.aidant. Hie 1 ase was adjourned lor 1 urther e\ idonee. Another assault case, J. MeKoyv. I*. IE Brett, was dismissed. Janies Campbell, Mr assault in- A. Lipman, was lined Os md costs, ill a judgment summons ease, lames Davidson v. IE C. Rowell, EES tis, he amount was ordered to be paid, oi a warrant to issue. In Furlong v. M bite, a verdict was given lor £1 Ills and costs. Edgecombe v. Ngahmia; adjourned till January Blb. (Jnite a licet were outside the. harboi veslcniay, tbero being no less than live sail, of dilfeieot classes and sizes, becalmed there. None of them, as far as we could learn, are hound to this port, hut are taking an involuntary look at ns much against (heir wills. Wo have to acknowledge the courtesy of Mr Hirst in furnishing ns with Saturday s Taranaki Herald. He eamo atonic the coast road, and yet made the trip m 21 hours, and rode the same horse throiign. The Education Board have resolved to curtail the term of lease lor section 42, and will only let it for 7 years, in lien of 14, as previously agreed on. This may very probably be a wise course, but tit the same time surely some provision will bo made as to taking buildings at a valuation, or alVording compensation to those building on it, in some shape or way. No one would think of putting up anything more than a shanty for that time, and it will remain a more paddock unless sum valuation is aiiowed. This would be a great pity, as it is one of the best pieces of ground in the township. Even if the Board have to take the erections on it, at a valuation, (hey will recover the amount, on letting it again to future tenants’ if the original ones did not retake it. Wo hop ; members will take these tilings into consideration before disposal.

The Patea East (or 2Gtb) Rond Board met on Monday afternoon last, at the Albion Hotel, all the members, including those recently appointed, being present. Mneb of the work to bo done was simply to formally go over what bad been done before the due constitution of the Board. Mr Dcrrelt was re-cleclcd chairman, the rate roll was c mfirmed, and the scheme of expenditure approved of for various works. The Chairman acted as Secretary a / interim, and as such was requested to communicate with the Provincial (Joveminent in order to ascertain what sum, out of the sale of the Confiscated Lands, would be placed at the disposal of the Board for the construction of hush roads through them. Applications for a secretary at iil per sitting were ordered to be called for, as also tenders for several public works. The Board will meet on Monday next, to consider and determine them, and ~wm adjourned till that day. There will be no examination of the pupils at the school here this Christmas, and, as a matter of course, no prizes can be distributed. This is in consequence of a resolution of the Education Board on Monday last, to postpone any examination till the Inspector comes up. It is notifiel elsewhere that Major Atkinson will not address the Carlyle electors till Wednesday, the 22nd, instead of Saturday next as originally arranged. The, change has been necessitated through illness in the lion gentleman’s family—a cause that wo sincerely hope will have disappeared before the now date fixed. The auction sale of Hawera town sections will take place to-morrow, and an opportunity will be then afforded to those desirous of securing first class sites in that rapidly rising township. Every section will be sold positively without reserve and will no doubt realise fair value.

We are glad to say that the representations of the people of Kctcrnarae have borne early and good fruit, in reference to the establishment of a Post-office at that place, and regular mail communication between it and Hawera. A telegram was received by Major Turner yesterday, stating«that Mr McGregor had been appointed Postmaster at Ketemarae, and that, in future, moils would be conveyed to and fro three times a week. This will be good news to the Ketemarae people, and will prove a great convenience to the public of both places. A new bi-weekly paper, entitled the North Canterbury News, has been started at Rangiora, a township about twenty miles from Christchurch, by Mr J. G. Niven, formerly proprietor of the Lyell Argus. It is a full sized double demy, and contains a largo quantity of reading matter, local and otherwise, besides which its advertising columns arc liberally patronised. It is well got up and will no doubt prove a valuable organ to the important district that it represents. We cordially welcome Ibis latest addition to tne ranks of New Zealand journalism, and hope it may have a long and prosperous career. The Napier Daily- Telegraph has issued a weekly paper, named the Weekhj Mercury and llgtckes Bay Advertiser. Its first appearance is most creditable and it will no doubt prove a great convenience to country settlers.

fa the K.'si l**nt M ’.gislra'e’s Court mi Monday last, there was only one small case for hearing, Ulbsoa v. 1 Kassel, in which a verdict was given for the amount claimed, to be paid within a week.

We have received the lirst number of the AVcllington Erenintj Aryan, late 'Tribune , which shows every symptom ol healthy vitality. The re-baptised paper is now the property of Mr Uiilon and others. In the opening number special care is taken to explain, that the Ary it* by no means either endorses or will be bound by the political views of its predecessor, and that it starts on a perfectly independent basis. We h-arlily wish th ■ new proprietors success.

The following polling places are gazetted in the Kgmont district ' The t.'onrt Room in the Taranaki Institute. Town of New Plymouth ; School House, Omata ; do do Oaknrn ; Court House, Carlyle, Patea ; Uiock House, Hawera ; do do Manutahi. We are heartily glad to state that Mr Meredith, Clerk of the Bench, who has recently been very seriously ill. is convalescent, and lias been able to return to bis duties. 'This gentleman lias ahvay, been most courteous ami obliging, and many friends will be glad, to bear of bis recovery. In the cricket match to take [dace on the 22nd inst., the following gentlemen have been selected to play. Patka : Messrs Fraser, (eaplain), Inman, Jacomb, Teiment, Armnlell, i'innerty, Taplin, Torrey, B. Dasent, Baggett, and MacKay. Waiiioa :—Messrs Mason, (captain), Perry, Butcher, Fookcs, Dudley, Hawes, Burrow, Langstcr, Thurston, W. Ncwland, and Howie.

Vm- have no wish to say anything that (;an bv ;iiiv possible moans revive the tender and auction debate. The hatchet is buried and there let it remain, but at the same time it is necessary to correct anv contemporary misstatement, whether arising through ignorance or intention. The Wanganui Evening Herald of Thursday last, in reference to the matter says, “ ft seems that these gentlemen (the commit tec) have not given .satisfaction to the local paper,- on the subject of leasing (lie reserves, but public opinion has not been e. rprnscd hostile, to (hen‘ except m the Mail." The italics are our own. The Herald should make itself acquainted with facts and thereby prevent itself from fulling into ridiculous nl’stakes, as in tli° present instance. For our contemporary’s information, ami for that of Ids readers, we may say lhat at all the centres of population in the Edilc itionai district, at Carlyle, Manntahi, Hawera, and Ketemarne, public meetings were duly called and held, and at all, resolutions, couched In language stronger far than that of this journal, and condemnatory of the Board’s course were carried, unanimously or by largo majorities. We regret to have to thus reopen the subject, but wore compelled in justice to ourselves to do so. Had we seen the paragraph iu time, wo should have replied to it at greater length in onr last issue. These election times ha\c much to answer for, perhaps the proprietor of the Herald has been a little in cloud-land lately, on their account. Itlrsß’air, a woman of French American descent, is one of the wanders of the Lake Pleasant camp-meeting. Her specialty is painting very natural flowers when closely blindfolded, in the glare of the sun and in presence of an audience. A committee tied up her face in no less than twentyfive thicknesses of cloth, and yet she proceeded with the utmost nonchalance to trace roses, lilies, and tulips. Themedium’s chair and garments were carefully guarded from touch during her work, “ because,” said the speaker, “if the thoughtless, rough gross, or rude man or woman should touch the medium, it would produce intense nausea and vomiting. The first bouquet was made in eleven minutes and a half ; the second in eight and a half ; the third in six and a half, and the fourth in five minutes.

South Australia is one of the few colonics in which there is no stamp duty. A Bill to introduce it was recently thrown out by a majority of one in the Upper House, and it is said the public is indignant. While that colony is still without this common and easily collected tax, Victoria, its professedly more prosperous neighbor, where a protective policy is being pursued, is about to impose a heavy income and property tax.

It is scarcely to be credited (writes the Otago Guardian ), but it is nevertheless a fact that under the Immigration scheme over nine thousand domestics alone have been absorbed in this Colony, and, notwithstanding this, the “ Wanted” columns of the newspapers testify that the demand is considerably hi advance of supply. One of the most striking features in the growth of Mew Zealand which the future historian will have to record is, that in connection with our Immigration policy 01 f 000 souls should leave been introduced by Government inside four years; and that the whole of these have found homes and a labour market far snperi a to those they have left, whilst the demand for skilled artisans, farm labourers, and especially for female domestics, continues brisk is a fact which we suppose cannot be recorded of any other country in the world of the same

The Somerset correspondent of (lie Brisbane Courier relates that sonic low weeks since, while a hunt’s crew were collecting Wood and water on the uiainlaml, round near the Janlinc river, a sudden and unseen attack was made on them hy .some natives of the Yandikcn tribe, and one of the party named Croaker —-a native of Eraser island, W ihle Buy received a volley of 1U spears through Ins hotly. The pour fellow lived nearly an hour afterwards. A thick Iringe Of send) eloss along the Itoaeh; and abuiit 10 yards from where fife murder occurred, was evidently the Cover o( these treacherous s. v .e,'es. 'J'iie spears hj ere throd if wi.h such force as to penetrate right through the hotly, and aMntilly propped the poor wretch up, preventing Inni falling to the ground. Th y were all from behind, and of a variety of kinds ; some ihrec-pronged iish spears, some iron, and others hoiie-harheti, and one was headed witli an old bayonet, it was necessary to saw them across, and draw them out from belli ml, to extricate them from the hotly. Two days Intel 1 , the scene of the outrage was visited, and the body ut poor Croaker which had been buried, was found torn out of the ground ami his head ent olf.

In connection witii the loss of the Strathmore there appears in tho Manche*te,r Guardian an extract from a letter written by Mr T. Henderson, son of Mr Henderson, of Messrs Brogden and Sons, which indicates the probable cause of the loss of that vessel. The letter is dated on hoard the Strathmore, May 21, 1875, latitude 2 degrees north. The letter says—“ We got out of the channel beautifully. Directly after we managed that a head wind came on and continued for a fortnight,.,-shaving us right across to America. After that finished we had a fair wind, but unluckily it lias been so slight the whole time that on some occasions we have not been going more than a quarter of a mile an hour. Tho vessel seems a capital one, and tlie captain and officers are very agreeable', hut the crew are a nasty ill-conditioned lot. When we had been about ten days out they broached cargo, talcing two or three cases of gin out of the hold and were consequently all drunk the next day ; and besides that the following day they were in a state of insubordination ami refused to turn to work, but it got settled in the course of time and nothing further has been said about the matter, though I should hardly expect it will be allowed to drop altogether. The last few days wo have Iren having very hot weather, and yesterday evening we had a thunderstorm which was so terrific that Maggie (M iss Henderson) was torrilied and is ill to-day. We are going only fiom two or three knots an hour, and so steadily that one can’t perceive the motion of the vessel at all.”.

One evil effect of the system of flogging for the most trivial offences or even irregularities in the Army in days gone by was that no disgrace was attached in the regiment to the punishment. Colonel W. K. Stuart, C.8., tells a story which illustrates in a remarkable degree the feeling among the men daring the groat war. Every man in the light company of the “ the Kerry” had been flogged, with one exception. This man was so stnugby the npbraidings of his comrades on the subject that he went to the captain and implored him, “ for the love of the Virgin, to got the colonel to flog' him, or he’d never have peace in the regiment.” Lately, at Lyttelton, a water-supply pipe (fin.) became stopped up, and work had to bo suspended. It was thought the pipe (which runs from the main pipe of the three tanks, and which are supplied with water from the tunnel) had got choked up with mud. The ground was excavated, and the pipes dug up ; in one of them was found the obstruction, which, after some difficulty, was ejected. It proved to be a silver eel, about twenty inches long. Where the fish could have come from is a matter far conjecture.