LOCAL AND CENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume 6, Issue 596, 10 January 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND CENERAL.

It will be seen by our telegraphic columns that Mr. J. S. M 'Farlane .u^h"" f to enter an actiocua^jJjjr^L. Rees, M-H'i&faileged libellous words spoken 'at a public meeting. Mr. M 'Farlane considers that the estate of the late Captain Read has been greatly injured by the words spoken, and that an appeal is necessary to a jury m one of the Supreme Courts of the colony, m order to obtain redress for injuries sustained. At 10 minutes to 2 this afternoon the Thermometer stood 91 degrees m the shade and 130 degrees suspended from a post, m the sun. The barometer, since last night, had fallen from 30 to 27 -tenths, a sure indication of bad weather at hand. Thuuder clouds rose from the southern horizen about mid-day, but dispersed shortly afterwards. Weather something like what was experienced last Sunday, may be looked for. Messrs. Ferris and Pitt's unreserved sale of drapery, boots and shoes, groceries, &c, is to take place at 2 p.m. to-morrow, and not at 3 o'clock, as announced yesterday. Mr. Johu Dick, proprietor of the Gisborne Hotel, among the many comforts and conveniences of his establishment, may be mentioned a newly-erected commodious bath-house, witb an abundant supply of water always at command. There cannot be too many conveniences of this kind at the present seas >n, and wo have no doubt Mr. Dick will tiud his bath quite as much patronised as liis bar. T.ieTurangauui M isouic Lo Ige will hold a meeting on Monday evening, iv the Masonic Hall, at 8 o'clock. The Star of Gisborne, Loyal Orange Lodge, will hold its usual mouthly meeting m the Lod^e-room, to-morrow evening. The Legislative Assembly of Vancouver's Island has passed a bill imp >aiug a tax upon every Chinaman m the province. The rate, however, wis fixai at 40dol. instead of 50dol. per head, a3 originall y proposed. The Colonist, an anti-Chinese newspaper, declares that the bill will make the province the laughing-stock of Christendom. 3267 persons booked the Dunedin Bailway Station on January 2ud. Of these 1920 travelled upon the Ocean Beach line, and 1847 upon other lines. The Bay of Plenty Times, referring to a native sent to the Auckland Lunatic Asylum, says ; — " It is strange that more cases of lunacy among natives are reported from the Rotorua district than from any other part of New Zealand. The residents argue that the waters of the lake or the vaporous rising from the hot springs m some way account for this, but how is not stated." ( ,

A very interesting and valuable collectiou of naturalised grasses, that is to say Lu^lish grasses now becoming Wild cbroughout New Zealand, has been made by Mr M. Murphy, Secretary to the Canterbury Agricultural aud Pastoral Association. Tuey number iv all about sv>, aud are arranged according, to their : valued from an agricultural poiuc of view, it id intruded to aid Co this collection j c.ie iiidigeuous grasses and wdd plants of x^ew Zddiaud oo oa duly uamed, with their peculiarities aud characteristics, ad mdi- j oative ot tne uj.oui\> ot tue aoild upon j ivmun they gro.v iudy rootei. Wheu the tvttole is completed iv the excellent uianuer m wniuu tne tirdt part has beeu, the collection is expected to be of very great use to our agriculturists Aud o raziera. A correspondent writes to the London Times on October 11 :— " The opening debate of the session of the Deaf and Dumb Debating Society took place on Wednesday evening m tne lecture hall of the lioyal Association m aid of the deaf and dumb, St. Saviour's Oxford street, Mr. Thomas Davidson (President) m the chair. The question discussed was, •Is the Indian Government justified m going to war with Afghanistan ?' After a spirited discussion by means of the finger and sign language, the following result was obtained : — Ayes, 33 ; noes, 5 ; neutral, 2." The Customs revenue for the four principal ports of the colony for the year is as follows : For 1878— Dunedin, 371,876 ; Lyttelton, £240,363 ; Auckland, £224,987 ; Wellington, £201,100. The increase as compared with 1877 is, for Dunedin, £19,653 ; Lyttelton, £39,506 ; Auckland, £28,765; Wellington, £24,161. The Customs revenue for the December quarter is Dunedin, £84,863 ; Lyttelton, £56,249 ; Auckland, £53, 746; Wellington, £48,165. Terrible as is the disaster of the Scotch Bank failure (remarks a contemporary) there was one characteristic incident with a gleam of humour m it. Au old maiden lady, who was post-mistress and telegraph agent at Wick, had all her savings m the local branch of the City of Glasgow Bank. A message came through early addressed to the manager, instructing him not to open the doors, as the bauk had suspended payment. The old lady presented herself at the branch at the opening hour, and drew out all her cash. She then proceeded to the bank parlour and informed the mauua^er that as an importmt telegraphic message had arrived she bad just brought it along herself I