LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 835, 15 July 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

« The business of the R.M.s Court to-day-was represented by 110 fewer than 6 members of the legal profession— to wit, Messrs Rogan, Br-imfield, Taylor, Brassey, Cuff, and Nolan— and they all looked well, hearty, and as if they were prospering, which is no doubt a fact. It need hardly be said that with so many of the brethren m Court, there was a very long sitting although the actual business was trifling. Every resident m Gisborne and the districts of the Bay, should opportunity permit, will be present at the Masonic Hotel, to a dinner to be .given to Mr. Allan McDonald, and a good-bye to him at the close. A more genial, kindly or finer-hearted man then "Mac" it would be difficult to find. An old settler, a clever sheep-farmer, quick-witted and far-seeing, Mr. McDonald is not a man we can well spare from the community. We only wish for the progress and prosperity of. the place we had many more like him. An amusing episode occurred during the business proceedings, m the R.M.s Court this morning. When the case of Lewis v. Burns was called on, the plaintiff, who is of the Hebrew faith, previous to being sworn, placed his hat on his head m accordance with the custom of his people. Now, the constable placed m charge of the Courtjto preserve proper order and decorum, told the witness to take ott his hat. Witness declined. Therefore "Robert" was becoming angry, when he was informed by Mr. Keurick that Mr. Lewis was committing no impropriety. It was the first time " Robert" had seen a Jew sworn upon the Bible. Among *the judgment summonses, which came before the Court this morning, there was one which the Resident Magisstrate thought it right to deal severely with. This was the case of Steveusou v. Helps. The claim was for £3 Us. lOd, and had been owiug several "months. The defendant was a single man j had beeu m constant employment at a salary of £2 10s. per week ; had no other judgments oui against him, and, as stated by the plaintiff, he owned a horse. Wnen asked wny he had not paid the 103. per week, as agreed, defendant could offer no excuse. Wlien asked if he owned a horse, defendant admitted that such had been the case, but that he had made a present of it to a friend " Then, " said his worship, "if you are m regular accept of £2 lUs. per week, and are single, aud can afford to make a friend a present of a horse when you are m debt, you can afford to pay this claim. You will therefore pay it within one week or go to jail for onu month." We must tender our thanks to Mr. A. Ashman, operator, for the very legible and careful caligraphy of the Governor's speech m pur issue this evening. The whole message was sent through m less than one hour and a half, and shows him to be an expert. The Rangiora Standard designates Sir George Grey as "a semi-lunatic," aud demands that the Governor shall dismiss him as one of his Ministers. Mr. J. Bradley's very fine livery and bait stables are now all but completed, and will be the finest and best constructed building for the stabling of horses m Poverty Bay. The stalls are very numerous, admirably arranged above and below, and what is a great desideratum, well ventilated. These stables are a credit to Gisborne and we wish our old host of the Albion Club Hotel all success. " We are emphatically of opinion," says the Wellington Chronicle, " that one of the best conceivable means of preventing the aggregation of great landed estates would be to enact that upon the death of any owner of landed property the estate should be divided equally amongst all the children. In this way there would be a constant re-distribution of the land, counteracting the constant aggregation which goes on m every country. With such • a law, m addition to a progressive land tax, the aggregation of large landed estates would be next to impossible. If ever there was a case m which the end justified the means, assuredly tins is one. The benefit to be gained by the people of New Zealand would bo beyond calculation. Of course, such a proposal will be branded by interested parties as being "revolutionary." But such has ever been the fate of any measure designed for the common good, as distinguished from the advantage of the fortunate few." The Biblical knowledge of some solicitors is more startling than accurate while that of other is startlingly accurate, considering the character of professional work. In the Supreme Court, Timaru, on Wednesday, according to a local paper, Mr. Macassey asked a witness, •' When you were coming away, did you like Lot look behind you at all ?" Mr. Joynt, the opposing counsel, objected to the question being put m that form, on the ground that it was Lot's wife who looked behind, and not Lot himself. Mr. Macassey consented to put the question m the altered form, notwithstanding that His Honor did not think that the matter affected the case. It must, however, have been somewhat affecting to see one gentleman plucking the mote loveingly out of his professional brother's eye.

The following interesting item ia extracted from the "Glasgow Weekly Herald" of May 3 : — " An ingenious detector compass for the use of masters of vessels has recently been patented by Mr. H. A. Severn (from Auckland, New Zsaland). The compass is primarily intended to be located m the Captain's cabin, and is so constructed that it acts as a detective on the man at the wheel. Having ordered the vessel to be kept on a certain course, the captain sets his tell-tale compass, and is warned of any alteration from prescribed course by the ringing of a bell, which continues till the proper course has been resumed. By the aid of this contrivance, a captain can retire to his cabin with the certainly that any failure to carry out his orders or any neglect on the part of the man at the wheel will be constantly detectod, while those left m charge will naturally be more careful when they know that a detector is at the captain's ear. Amongst the detailed estimates is an item of some thousands for the decoration of the ball-room at Buckingham Palace, and the addition of a conservatory thereto. At the present time this expenditure seems rather unseasonable, considering that the room is only used twice m the year. It somewhat reminds one of the story of George IV., who insisted on having a bath constructed m the Pavilion with pipes to conduct water from the sea, although he had not taken a sea-bath for sixteen years, and when the work had been finished at a cost of £603, he never once used it. -. ■ - " It is not often (" says Atticus") m the Leader that people complain of the generosity of those with whom they transact business. I see, however, that one John Freer, of Newcastle, m New South Wales, gives the following reason why he was forced to become insolvent : — " I am and have become insolvent owing to tradespeople giving me too much credit, whereby I have contracted more than I can now pay," The Melbourne Weekly Times publishes the following : — " We understand that a gentleman has recently arrived m this city who intends to claim one acre and a quarter m the vicinity of Swanson and Little Collins streets. He has with him papers with him which it is asserted are sufficient to prove his claim. The value of the property is about £200,000. If the terms which the claimant offers are not acceded to by the present holders of the land m dispute a very protracted lawsuit may be anticipated." We must call our readers Special Attention to Leonard & Co.'s advertisement, and also to the fact that their Stock must be disposed of at once. — [Advt.] Hollatoay's Ointment and Pills. — Colds, Coughs, Shortness of Breath — These corrective remedies are infallible for these pectorial complaints, which, neglected, often end m asthma, bronchitis, or consuption. The Ointment, well rubbed upon the chest and back, penetrating the skin, is carried directly to the lungs, whence it expels all impurities. All the blood m the body constantly passes through the lungs, and there all noxious particles tending to produce disease, can be quickly,, thoroughly, and permanently neutralised, rendered harmless, or ejected from the system. Halloway's Ointment and tills perfectly accomplish this purification ; and through the blood, thus cleansed, the influence of these wonderful medicaments reaches the remotest part of the human body ; and thus cure 3 all diseased action, whether internal or external-