LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 831, 10 July 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Yesterday afternoon negotiations were completed between Mr. S. M. Wilson, of the Argyll Hotel, and ATeisrs Vnnul'an and Chrisp, by which Mr. Wilson becomes proprietor of the Albion Hotel and Club Kooms, the erection of which is to commence forthwith. Tiie hotel will he a. large one; handsome m architectural adornment ; convenient and commodious, having sleeping accommodation for fifty persons, while nothing will be omitted m the every detail essential for a first-class hotel. Mr. S. M. Wilson has now been an hotel-keeper m Gisborne, extending over a period of five years. The annual meeting of-tlie ratepayers of the Ormond Highway Board will be held at Orinond at 2 p.m., on Wednesday, 23rd inst. Messrs Ferris & Pitt will sell by auction on Saturday at 2 p.m., a quantity of furniture and sundries ; and on Tuesday the 22nd, at Makaraka, a lot of cattle. Messrs / Bourke &. Smith will sell by order of the mortgagees, on Saturday, 19th inst., sections, town of Gisborne, nos. 232 and 233 m -the Palmerston-road, together with the buildings erected thereon.^

The annual meeting of the Waikohu Highway Board will be held m Mr. Skillicorn's wonlshed, on Tuesday 22nd insfc., at 12 noon.

Mr Adair, agent for the New Zealand Insnrance Company, advertises for the return of a ladder belonging to that company. The penalty for removing such a thing without permission, is imprisonment without the option of a fine. He is always most obliging and willing to lend it when asked ; but he feels very indignant at persons removing it without his authority. The Insurance Companies provide these things for fire purposes, and it is the agent's duty to see that they are always to be found when wanted.

There was a good attendance at the Debating Club last night. The subject under discussion was really a very important one, and on the whole so ably argued out pro and eon, that we propose m our issue of to-morrow to give a digest of the discussion into which so much ability was thrown, and so much of earnest interest felt. If, however, the Club is to become popular, and it is desirable that ladies should be present, and the desirability of this cannot be doubted, then must the members subscribe among themselves to make the hall m whioh the discussions take place more lively and oheerful. Last night the room was very poorly lighted, and the candles stuck m beer«bottles gave the place a kind of dissipated look. The Club must proVide a few lamps, for illuminating purposes, and some chairs for the ladies. These will not cost much. We must not againpermit such a comfortless room with so dreary an appearance as it presented last night. A defendant, at Fielding, the other day, being fined £1 and 7s. costs, and anxious to play a joke on the clerk of the court, handed that functionary twenty-seven shilling stamps m payment thereof. The clerk, however, took the matter very quietly, and proceeded to wet the gum, not, as was expected with his tongue, but with a brush. Then he turned the tables by informing the defendant that he would have to initial the whole of the stamps ; and the gentleman m question set himself down to his laborious task with an expression of countenance which can be better imagined than described, he haviug an important appoiutmeut to meet about that time. . This is how a constable was "had" m a West Coast town lately. The man m blue found it necessary to summon three or four publicans for various breaches of the Licensing Act, one of the defendants was fined L 3 9s m all. He swallowed his wrath, made friends with the constable, and borrowed L 4 from him. Thereupon he filed his schedule, and the confiding policeman has discovered, there bting no assets m the estate, that he has had the pleasure of paying the fine inflicted on boxiiface besides a slight margin for drinks. Many such convictions would be ruinous.