LOCAL AND GENERAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 663, 29 March 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

# Having, week following on week, drawn attention to the necessity of all who are entitled to be placed on the electoral rolls of the Colony, as qualification to vote for a candidate for the General Assembly, we now give a final notice. Monday is the last day on which applications can be forwarded through the post to the Registration office at Tauranga. We do not care about being too melo-dramatic on the subject, or we would say with Milton's Satan, to all interested, " Awake, arise, or be for ever fallen." For " fallen" read disfranchised or not on the roll, which is about a fair interpretation. The subjoined important notices of motion were made by Councillor Villers at the last meeting of the County Council: The desirability of carrying out these motions will be at once apparent. We fear, however, that the construction of a bridge over the Waipoa River is, notwithstanding its being greatly required, out of the reach of the Council at present, as the expense would be very great. (1). " That the Council cause the road from Scott's junction to Mungatu to be declared a County road under this Council's jnrisdiction and duly advertised as such." (2.) " That tenders be called for erecting a bridge, over the Waipoa River at Mr. Scott's crossing. There was a fancy dress ball last night at the Masonic Hall. It was altogether a private affair, and although, as we understand, some of the costumes were very elegant, it does not come within our province to describe them. One, however, we hope we may mention. It has beeu sent in by a respected correspondent. A Bank manager, he states, went in the character of a Sneeze, which was presumed to represent a severe cold he had "caught by being of late subjected to so many bad draiujlds, which are likely to continue unless a check is placed upon them. If this is furnished to the columns of our journal merely to prove that our informant can perpetrate a pun, then we say he ought to be ashamed of himself. If true, there can be no disputing the character as very appropriate. The Rev. Father Reigner, of Napier, is expected by the s.s. Rotorua to-morow, and will celebrate Mass at 11 a.m. on that day, when it is expected there will be a large attendance of members of the Church, more especially those resident in the country. Vespers and Benediction in the evening, at 7. p.m. Messrs. Norris & Allen, proprietors of the " Museum of Art and Science," a remarkable exhibition of natural curiosities, v/ill arrive in Gisborne by the next trip of the Hawea, Mr A. J. Cooper, late of the firm of Cooper & Griffin, whoso stock and premises were destroyed at the late fire, has started business in the shop lately occupied by Mr. Godfrey Hogan, Lowe-street, Forgetting, for the moment, that Mr. Cooper ranks among the best of tradesmen in Gisborne, he is certainly deserving of the support of the public, if only on account of the serious losses he sustained at the last conflagration but one which occurred in Gisborne. Readers will bear in mind that this evening commences the first of the " Variety Entertainments" at the Masonic Hall. The programme is a very varied one, and will comprise, besides instrumental music, songs sentimental, songs comic, serio-comic, serio-tracric, ballads, duets, and airs and melodies, popular and enticing. It will be found an evenings amusement that will bear the morning's reflections. Strange are the vicissitudes of families. A son of the late Lord Henry Gordon, and a cousin of the Marquis of Huntly, has just died in Australia, after occupying for many years the humble position of lettercarrier. A subscription is announced in the Australian newspapers to provide the widow with funds to join her noble relatives in England. We (Truth) have heard of a curious case of successful impudence that took place a short time ago. A well-dressed man entered the Bank of England, throw down a periny, and asked for a cheque. When it was handed him, he filled it up to "self" for £100, signed it, and, receiving' the money, withdrow. As he had no account at the Bank of England, that institution lost £100 by the transaction, whilst Government gained one penny. Quite to the purpose writes Hemi Matenga.of Ngatitoa, a brother of the Hon. YVi Parata, to the Waha Maori, asking among other things, why no Maori is made a Bishop. Ho says : — " First, we were instructed in Christianitj', and, having acquired knowledge therein, some of us were made ministers, and have now officiated as ministers for more than twenty years. We were next instructed in the law, and, before we were fully able to master its intricacies, some of us were dragged forward to be made members of Parliament, Ministers of the Government, and Magistratss. Now, I ask, why are some of us raised to prominent positions in the Government and not in the Church ? In other words, why do the Church appointments with respect to us Maoris abruptly cease when we attain to the position of ordinary minister? Why is there no Maori Bishop, since the natives of these islands have for a considerable time past embraced Christianity ? Let it not be said because a man is a Maori ho is unfit to be a Bishop."