LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 671, 8 April 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

We are now beginning to become aware of the fact that the short leases, granted by owners of town sections, m the Gladstone Road, will lead to this fine main thoroughfare being built on with unsightly shanties instead of fine, business-looking, permanently-enduring buildings, of a handsome and substantial character. Between Mr. Lewis's grocery store, andbeyond Mr. Jones's fruit shop, there ia quite a rookery of small buildings springing into existence. Some morning early, or late at night, we may expect from the close contiguity of so much inflammable material to witness a fire, resulting m the destruction of the block, when the ground being held only on comparatively short leases, the same class of miserable erections will replace those destroyed. On what is known the bluck on which were erected the premises occupied by Mr. Stevenson, until destroyed by fire, we witness a number of Noah's Arks on skids of the most temporary construction. These form an eye-sore to the uninformity of this part of the town, and are likely to remain so, simply on account of the ground being held upon leasehold for so short a time as to make it undesirable for the lessee to erect anything better than we now see occupying the ground. The final brick of the brick-work of Mr. Adair's new building was laid this morning, which forms a unit of the coping. There was, as usual, a libation offered to the accomplishment of the undertaking. The libation assumed the form of malt liquors, and the liabators, if we may use the word, were the bricklayers, their laborers, and others connected with the work. The Museum of Art and Science, opened last night, and was visited by a large number, of persons who all expressed the pleasure the various curiosities exhibited afforded them. The following is from the New Zealand Times : — " The announcement m our columns the other day that £75,000 was expected by a local firm of solicitors to arrive difectly for investment m the Colony, has created a little flutter m commercial circles, and there have been very anxious inquiries as to who are to be the caretakers of the plum. A firm of financial agents write to us thus : — ' We observe from the local m your paper of Friday last that an eminent firm of solicitors m this city are about to receive £75,000 from England for investment. This sum arrives very opportunely, will immediately command high rates, and should prove therefore the best inducement for further supplies from the same source. As a proof of this we may state that we are now prepared to take up the whole amount on the best security the world can offer — viz., the broad acres of New Zealand— at 9 and 10 per cent, interest for sums under £10,000, with large margin on present valuation. — We are, &c, Blank & Co.' It is needless to say we are delighted to receive such information, and should be equally pleased to print the signature attached to the letter, only, you see, Messrs. Blank & Co., we want to 'take up' money for advertising. A case m which the claim amounted to the small sum of a shilling, but by which it would decide whether the Taieri County Council had control over the toll-gate at Green Island on the Main South road, came before the Resident Magistrate's Court lately. Before the case was commenced the magistrate on the Bench (Mr. Bathgate) jokingly said he would not object to pay the shilling himself to settle the case, but counsel for the plaintiff said that would not quite do. Another sea-elephant which was captured at Macquarrie Island, two boautiful king penguins, andalargenumbeofeggsof seabirds, have been presented to the Otago Museum. The sea-elephant is 18 feet long, and a most valuable specimen. It will probably be some weeks before it is exhibited, as it will take a long time to prepare it. The penguins are alive, but as they do not eat when m captivity, no attempt will be made to exhibit them as living specimens. A very valuable collection of implements of war, musical instruments, and other interesting objects manufactured by the natives of the South Sea Islands, have been presented to the Museum by a missionary. At the Dunedin Police Court some days back an eccentric individual showed a strongly practical turn of mind, with a leaning towards estimating all the troubles of life at there value from a financial point of view. He was charged with having committed a grevious assault upon an individual who had the reputation of being a harmless, decent sort of fellow, and having heard the evidence, gave the Bench the advice to "make the best job they could cf it." Having done so, their Worships fined him £5 and 32s costs, with an alternative of one month's imprisonment. He considered the matter for a minute or two, and then thoughtfully remarking that he believed he could hardly make that •much money m a month, was removed by a constable still apparenily working out the problem which would pay him best — work on his own account or her Majesty's.

A rather severe remark was lately made at the meeting of the New Zealand University Senate respecting lawyers. One of the members gave it as his opinion that a certain portion of the Act would not be held by a lawyer to bear the construction sought to be placed upon it, when another member replied, " Oh, yes, it would, if the client desired it." After this no one surely will doubt the competency of the Senate to ; confer degrees m law. On Monday week evening (says the Ly ttelton Times), as Mr F. Joseph, farmer, of Waianawha Valley, near Malvern, was returning with his dogs from a rabbitshooting expedition, and had reached about half a mile from his home, he suddnely came upon a lai'ge wild boar. Mr Joseph immediately raised his guv and gave the animal a shot, but did not succeed m disabling him. The two sheepdogs attacked him, but were quickly defeated, and before Mr Joseph had time to re-load his gun the boar was upon him. He tried to keep the boar off by shoving the stock of his gun into its mouth, but the brute succeeded m seizing him by the hand, shaking it after the manner of a dog, and left him with a nasty wound. Mr Joseph's hand was bitten clean through, and it is feared the injury inflicted will cause it to be permanently disabled.