LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 844, 25 July 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

The telegraph wives being m contact all work south of Napier is suspended. Our report of the No Confidence debate m the House of Representatives was stopped m transmission, as also the meeting of the Liberal Association. Should the division have taken place last night our correspondent will forward it as soon as the wires are working. [At 4.30 this afternoon, we received a telegram from our correspondent, at Napier! saying that the wires between there and Wellington, were still m contact-] About 7.30 yesterday evening a dense volume of smoke, which, shortly after burst forth into flames, was observed to rise at the further end of the Borough. ( )n proceeding to the spot, it was found that a haystack was being consumed. The stack was the property of Mr. A. Graham, and estimated to contain from six to seven tons. It is uot known how the fire originated, but is supposed to be otherwise than accidental. The cable which was interrupted somewhere m the vicinity of Port Darwin, has been repaired, and communication with Europe restored. We have been requested to remind the members of the local Volunteer Companies that the usual weekly drill takes place this evening, at half-past seven o'clock, iv McFarlaae's Hall. As the Monthly Inspection will "take place next week, the Instructors are desirous of a good attendance, m order to advance the members m proficiency. Tenders are required by the acting County Engineer requires tenders for the erection of a dam at Ormond. Tenders are to be deposited m the tender-box not later than 3 p.m. on Friday, Ist August. Bourke and Smith will sell by auction, at 11 o'clock to-morrow, the balance of Henry Evans' stock of Makaraka store, consisting of milliuery, dress stuffs, men's clothing, priuts, calicoes, &c. ; also, a quantity of prime oats, furniture, cigars, and a lot of valuable books, and a gun, saddle, aud clothing of a young gentleman, lately deceased. The attention of the trade is particularly directed to the sale of Evans' stock as there is a large assortment of millinery and seasonable goods of every dascription. Ferris and Pitt will sell by aution, at 12 noon, at Makaraka, a mob of fat cattle, cows and young stock ; and at the Bridge Hotel, Matawhero, at 2.30 p.m., 2 sledge houses, 3 tanks, and a lot of live stock and poultry.The Christchurch Star of Saturday night B ays :— " We are m a position to Bay that the Governor will grant a dissolution, aud that Sir George Grey's Government will appeal to the Liberal . electors of the country m the event of a defeat, which is now certain."

The French Post Offices now collect bills for persons) they do more, they receive, as m Germany, subscriptions for newspapers and periodicals m France. Another facility is the cheap telegram card, sent like lightening through tubes across the city, and delivered within 'an hour. A telegram is dearer, and apparently takes twice the time to be delivered.

Mr. Newman, of Oaya Onga, has forwarded to the Waipawa Mail a bird of peculiar plumage. It lias been examined by a number of sportsmen aud orniohologists, and the majority are iuclined to the opinion that the bird is a cross between a wild and a tame pigeon. One geutleuiau, however, not unversed m such matters, thiuks that it is a cross between the game fowl and the domestic pigeon, aud another says between the latter aud the ka-ka. At any rate, the bird appears to be an entire strauger to all who nave exainiued it.

An instance of Maori honesty is reported by the Auckland Star. Last week, the sum of £3000 was paid to several Ngatihinera chiefs for some land, aud sixteen were over-paid to the extent of £13 10a each. Next day they made another trip to town to refund the money.

Mr. John Woods, Berryite aud member of the " People's Ministry" of Victoria, was recently interviewed by 250 unemployed laborers and artisans. He advised them to dig potatoes, saying " You know you can live on spuds." The one.- time demagogic agitator did not tell them where to find the spuds."

In the case of Cummrock, charged before the Supreme Court m Duuedin with embezzlement of the funds of the Athenseum, and arson, His Honor Mr. Justice Williams found himself m a peculiar position. Hie Honor said : I happen to be a life-member of the Athenaeum. lam not aware of the exact constitution of the Dunedin Athenaeum, and whether the fact of my being a life member does not give me such an interest m the monies alleged to have been stolen as to render me incapable of trying the case. The Crown jfrosecutor : The Dunedin Athenaeum is a corportion under a Provincial Ordinance, and your Honor a member of the Corporation. His Honor : Then that settles it. I cannot try the case, nor could I pass sentence on him if a true bill was found and he placed guilty. After some further discussion, H(s Honor expressed a doubt whether the prisoner could even be arraigned befor him, or whether he could take his plea' He went on to say that he had no objection to sending the bills before the Grand Jury, but he thought it desirable that, should a true bill be found, the whole proceedings should stand- over until some other Judge could try them.

The Wairoa Free Preaa says that the Government have ordered m all the arms and ammunition from the East Coast outlying districts to Napier. The rapidity with which a steamer can be despatched to any part of the colony with war supplies, renders it unnecessary to keep a large stock m the out district.

An Aberdeen bailie, named Ross, has besn distinguishing himself by punishing a dumb man for using "profane and abusive language." A vagrant was brought before him charged with this offence, and by signs pleaded guilty. The Procurator Fiscal said that the man was deaf and dumb, and that though he "did not actually utter the language described, his gestures and incoherent cries had amounted to as much." As the accured had also been guilty of disorderly conduct, and 15 previous convictions were recorded against him, the magistrate found him 20s, with the alternative of 15 days' imprisonment.

Two herdsmen quarrelled on a Nebraska pr«irie, and' each threatened to kill the other. Neither was armed, but their was a gun m their hut a mile away. Both started for the weapon, and it was a race for life, for the man who got it was certain to shoot his companion. They had several fights on the way, and were bruised and exhausted when they neared the goal, bub they ran with desperation, and kept abreast until close to the house. Then one tripped and fell, giving the other the lead. The victor dashed into the building, pulled the gun down from the its hooks, and mercilessly murdered his fallen foe.

The Waikato Times was the other day shown a bullock's kidney weighing 861bs. The fellow kidney was of the ordinary weight — about lOllis. The animal appeared to be perfectly sound.

Says the Fielding Guardian : — Of course everyone has his ideas of how the native difficulty should be settled. Jones, a captain of a cutter out trading to the Wellington heads for rock cod, and Robinson, the bum bailiff, were m the Queen's Hotel (Wellington) the other night laying out plans for the guidance of the Government on this head. Says Jones, after taking a snip of Staples, "Look here, it's no use sugaring and flouring the natives ; there is only one way to settle with him, just tap him on the nose first and talk to him afterwards." "Oh no," says Robinson, "do as I do. 1 taps him on the shoulder first, and then talks to him afterwards," and suiting the action to the word, he slipped a sheet of blue foolscap lieaded with V.R. and the Crown into Jones' hand. Jones quite understands now how the thing should be done, but refrains from further expressing his opinion m public. .

It has been ascertained that a* fire that occurred on Friday night m a lean-to of the Baptist church, Oxford-terrace, Christchurch, was the work of an incendiary. It has been discovered that a can of tar was removed from the temporary workshops erected m the church enclosure aud the contents poured o«rer the ifoor of the lean-to, to which there was no door, as the building was not finished. Tne tar having been set on fire- the in*cendiary made his escape over the pailinqs surrounding the enclosure, leaving marks of nis foot-prints on the lower rail and of his fingers on the top of the pailings when he took hold to jump over. The building was insured iv the Northern • office "for £300. The police are investigating the matter.