LOCAL AND GENERAL

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 685, 26 April 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Miss Jennie Nye, the popular favorite, will take a complimentary benefit at the Masonic Hall to-night, and, as m addition to her own pleasing performances, Madam Stewart, as well as a number of leading amateurs will appear, there should be a large attendance. An excellent programme has been provided for the occasion, consisting of comedy, concert, and farce. We are happy to state that two gentlemen residents m the Bay have ottered to the Rowing Club live silver tankards to be rowed for by the members. The captain requests us to call the attention of all members wisiting to compete for them, to a notice of a meeting convened by him for Wednesday next, at the Masonic Hotel, when he will receive the names of all desiring to compete and cast the crews. Gisborne, from a barometerical view, is a phenomenon of an unexplainable character. During the late heavy rains, wind, squalls, and thunder and lightening, the barometer kept rising until it could hardly rise any higher. To-day the finest of the season, the barometer has been lowering itself to an extent that if it only foretells what is to come, we should look for a hurricane at the very least, witli earthquake accompaniment. As tine a piece of road, as any m Auckland province, is that between Waereug-a--hika and Ormond, which has been formed and laid by Mr. 0. D. Berry. The portions completed are as hard and sound as metal can make them, and as smooth and as easy to run on as a bowling alley. The quarry metal is splendid. We hope to hear of Mr. Berry being the fortunate tenderer for the whole line, if he undertakes to make it as good as that which he is now completing under his present contract. Messrs. Leonard & Co. announce by advertisement, that m a few days, they will show the largest and cheapest stock of winter goods ever offered on the East Coast. For further and full particulars we must refer readers to our advertising columns. It is with much pleasure we learn that Mr, F. ff. Ward, jun., has become so far convalescent that his medical adviser has given his consent to Mr. Ward resuming his professional duties early next week. Mr. Ward has suffered from a severe and exhausting illness, which at one time caused serious alarm to his family and frieuda. Happily the crisis passed over, and it is now only a question of time, beef tea, jelly, and good Dublin bottled stout to ensure this gentleman's normal condition of health. Those of our countrymen who speak Maori, and Maories who speak English will, we trust, explain to those Maories who only understand their own language, that when cattle, or sheep, or horses are being taken to the pound, that any attempt to rescue the same will subject them to a penalty of £50, or m default six months' imprisonment. It was only the leniency of the Resident Magistrate, at the intercession of Mr. Woodbine Johnson, that the Maori Poukawa yesterday escaped with so small a penalty as^ 10s. with the costs added. A young lady lately riding m a railway carriage on the Lyttelton and Christchurch line, was observed to have a piece of court plaster on her lips. When the train had emerged from the tunnel into the light it was observed to have disappeared ; it was, however, detected clinging to the lip of a young man on the same seat with her. They both looked as innocent as if they "hadn't been doing nothing." Teetotal poetry is generally of a very flatulent character, but about the poorest specimen is the metrical pledge taken by a certain Band of Hope Society at Addington, Canterbury. As given m a local paper it runs as follows : — " Tobacco I'll not chew or puff, Nor ever dirt my nose with snuff ; Alcohol I'll never drink ; All this ia very wise, I think." Band of escaped lunatics, Aye should rather call them. The Lord Chamberlain has refused to license the new American play, " Mother and Son." It is hoped that with some modifications the play may yet be rendered acceptable. It is said on good authority that the ripours of the censorship have been intensified of late, at the direct intervention of Queen Victoria. The Chamberlain's office is a Court appointment, and Her Majesty is determined that the duties shall be stringently fulfilled.

Speaking of gubernatorial housekeeping and so forth, a Southern contemporary relates how .Sir George Grey, when Governor, had a personal attendant, a footman, or servant of some kind, named Blower — Captain Blower, lie used to call himself m circles where he was not known — whose discretion was so little to be depended upon by Ministers, that he used to communicate the most offensive slanders against them to the Opposition newspapers. On one occasion he procured the publication m a Wellington paper of a statement that Mr. Stafford was m the habit of abstracting poultry and dairy produce from the Governor's estate at Lowry Bay ; and the authorship of the statement being brought home to him, he only escaped punishment through the good-natured contempt of the Premier, who declined to put the law m operation against the Governor's lacquey. The Times, discussing the question of the policy of the Mother Country towards South Africa, says that at present there is a general agreement that our existing relations are intolerable. The Zulu power may be overthrown, but, unless our relations with the South African Colonies are radically changed, it is certain that we shall be called upon again and again to tight m native wars on behalf of settlers who, at the most, make only spasmodic and unorganised efforts for their own protection. In the presence of the task that is now to be accomplished, the Mother Country is justified m telling the South African colonists that, however they may compose their differences, they must, without further delay, adopt common measures for defence, which will provide a sufficient security for one and all. There is no reason why the Colony should not do at all times and upon system what it is doing now m an incunvenient and disorganised way. A lady, newly-arrived m Auckland from England, seeing a boy m her employ loafing, said to him, " Why do you not set yourself to work ? you never do a thing you are not really obliged to ;" and he replied, "Oh, you will find that all over the colony, nobody does."