LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 846, 28 July 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

It is with great pleasure that we refer our readers to the advertisement m our columns announcing au amateur dramatic and musical entertainment, m aid of the Poverty Bay Hospital. As will be seen, the bill of fare is abundant, and we should imagine that purchasers of tickets can justify to themselves, or to their bank manager, the outlay even m m these hard times, on the plea that whilst obtaining an excellent evening's amusement, they are aiding the funds of one of the most useful lacal institutions m the district. As before stated, the performance will be of no ordinary merit, tickets may be obtained everywhere from everybody, and we confidently predict an overflowing house. We are glad to hear that the Committee of Management have so arranged matters that the entire proceeds, save and except a nominal amount for expenses, will be handed over to the Hospital Committee. Mr. Macfarlahe, m the most liberal spirit, has placed bis spacious, handsome and commodious hall, with all the new scenery and effects, at the disposal of the Committee entirely free of cost. We are requested to remind the Volunteers of the district that the usual monthly inspection parades will be held as follows : At Makaraka, at the Hall, on Wednesday, at 7 p.m., and Gisborne, at Macfarlane's Hall, at 7 p.m. on Thursday. It is very i necessary to have a good muster, and it will be hoped that members will make an effort to attenfl. A public meeting, having for its object the petitioning of the Minister of Justice to have a periodical sitting of the Supreme : Court held m this town, will take place at the Masonic Hall this evening. His Worship the Mayor, will preside. Samuel Pepys (whose diary was written m the reign of Charles the second) must have been a wonderful man, for, had he been a resident of this great and important district at this time, the following entry made by him on the 3rd September, 1864, , could not have been more apropos : " 3rd. — I have had a bad night's rest tonight, not sleeping well, as my wife observed } and I thought myself to be mightily bit with fleas, and m the morning she chid her maids for not looking the fleas a' days. But when I rose I found that it is only the change of the weather 1 from hot to cold, which as I was two winters ago, do-stop my pores and so my blood tingles and itches all day, all over my body." It, perhaps, may be consoling to know that similar affections to ours were borne by Samuel Pepys more than 200 years ago. At evening service yesterday, m the Presbyterian Church, the Rev. J. McAra appeared for the first time m gown and bands. We are informed a few of his friends kindly subscribed the neoessary funds, and presented him with them. By the way, it is pleasing to hear that since the new Minister took charge of St. Andrew's, the congregation, morning and evening, is steadily increasing, and although the church is nearly double the size that it was during •' the late pastor's ■ time, it is apparent that ere long there will not be any spare room. Messrs. Bourke and Smith will continue the sale of Henry Evans' stock, consisting of drapery, millinery, &c, to-morrow afternoon, at 2 p.m. ; together with 30 bags oats, saddles, sewing machines, and a sausage machine ; at the same time, will be sold, 2 cases specimens from the Hot Lakes. Further particulars will be found m the advertisement. Says the Thames Evening Star, the cause of Temperance advances slowly but surely on the Thames ; not only amongst the lowly poor, but also amougst the champagne drinking upper ten. At an inaugura- ' tion of a new Good Templar Lodge recently a goodly array from the ranks of the elite were initiated into the cold water army. Amougst them were Col. Fraser, R.M., W. Wilkinson, editor of the Advertiser, R. A. R. Owen Mus. Doc, A. Brodie,- County Chairman (he did not want to join), and other gentlemen who will be jewels m the Crown of Temperance. It is expected that after the news of this sad defection from the worship of Bacchus is known about 50 per cent, of the hotels will close, and their proprietors seek fresh fields and pastures . new. No doubt the best resource. A blooming Priestess of Bacchus, who was wont to officiate daily and nightly at a shrine m one of the temples of the rosy god, situated not a hundred miles from the New Zealand Times office Wellington became enamoured of one of the Armed Constabulary, and left a few days ago for the front. The object of her affection left a fortnight ago, and it is said from that time. she knew no peace. She mixed the most curious decoctions for her customers till at length they dropped off their usual calls, not believing m the style of " mixed drinks." Miss -eagerly perused the telegrams m the papers referring to native affairs, and at length she thought war was imminent. Her pent-up feelings could stand the awful suspense no longer, and she made up her mind "to go and join the army, a soldier for to be." It may convey hope and comfort to some '* maid, whom there is none to praise and very few to love," to know that 70, 103 bachelors of fifteen years and upwards are wandering about the colony, with only 28,071 maidens of the same mature years to fill up the cup of their happiness. But taking what are shown to be the beginning of the marriageable ages —fifteen with the girls and twenty with the men — there are 191 bachelors to every 100 spinsters. The girls ought, therefore, to have "a good time." The following is from the Auckland Free Lance: — "There is a characteristic ancedote about the great pro-consul, being told just now. At the Kopua meeting the member for, Waipa, eager to be useful, called Grace's attention to the fact that the Epsom murderer, Winiata, was standing a few paces m front of them, staring at the Premier. Sir George, m a passion, said, 1 Mr. McMinn you will make me ill, and i Mr. Grace you ought to know better sir, j than to permit anyone to allude to such a very disagreeable subject m my presence. Then picking up his chair, the great . benefactor of the entire inhuman race, retired to an obscure spot and squeezed out ] a few crocodile tears." 1

The Wellington Chronicle warns the Liberal party throughout the Colony that land monopolists and great capitalist classes, preceiviug clearly that Sir W. Fox, even if he succeeded m ousting the Grey Ministry, cannot hold together a sufficient majority to carry out his policy, aud that a dissolution will be inevitable with the ultimate triumph of a liberal policy, are endeavoring to bring about a Coalition Ministry, m which the auti-liberal party would exercise paramount influence, and liberalism would either be smothered of postponed for years. This view coincides with the rumors which have been whispered about the lobbies, that a certain member of the present Ministry, credited with conservative sympathies, is coquetting with the .Opposition, with the object of throwng Sir George overboard and saving their own official liver by au act of political treachery.