LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 892, 17 September 1879, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

» The members of the Debating Society are reminded that the postponed, meeting of the Society will take place this evening, at hall-past seven o'clock, m the usuai place. Ttie su bject for debate will be, ' ' Is it more desirable that the district should have a road and a railway to Ormoud, or harbor works constructed ?" The Officer m Charge at the Telegraph Office informs us that couiuiuuiuatiou between iiatavia and. tiiugapore is interrupted. ' The case of P. Boud v. Mateae Kaipau and others, be tore Captain Gudgeon, K.iVl., and 2 .Native Assessors, lias Occupied tut; Court throughout the day. Up to goiiiy to press this evening we have not heard oi any decision being arrived at. Tenders are required for the erection ol police buildings at Toio^a Bay. Particulars will be found m the advertisement. The Maori Uaka Troupe, previous to their departure lor the Sydney J^xliilntion, have at the expressed wish ol a number ot residents, consented to give one of their characteristic performances to-morrow evening at iVieFarlane's Hall. The novelty of the entertainment will we are sure be a source of attraction, and We venture to predict that there will be a bumper house by way of encouragement to the enterprising promoters oi this expedition. On Jb'riday morning they will embark on the schooner T«legr*ph, and proceed ou their voyage. The case of Ratcliffe, trustee m the bankruptcy of A. Walker against Graham and others, is not likely to be beard at the sitting which opens to-morrow, for what reason we have not been able to learn. Major Scully was m Poverty Bay on Sunday. The object of his visit is to make enquiries relative to the alleged sale of arms to the natives by Captain Skinner, of the schooner Minne Hare. He left Gisborne early on Sunday morning for Tologa Bay,' from whence he goes to Awanui and the East Cape, finally proceeding to Auck. land. He is not expected to return for a fortnight at least. The Napier Telegraph says the Maoris regarded the Clive election proceedings as great fun. After recording their votes they entered the public-houses and called out, "me vote Heehan ; gib me pint beer." and actually thought they were going to get their drinks gratis. Finding this was not the case, the necessary hikapennies made their appearance, and the Maoris consoled themselves by saying, "Kahore me vote Heehan. Alia the humbug. Me gibbe my vote Ormon ; he te fellow." A laughable incident (3ays the evening Post) took place on Saturday afternoon at the reception of the Wellington football representatives. A large number of gentlemen anxious to get a good position for seeing the footballers laud, and at the same time to escape the pressure of the crowd, coolly walked on the s.s. Albion, and soon completely occupied the after deck. Whether any instructions were given by the Captain or officers to clear the decks or not we have not heard, but a most effectual means to that end was, at any rate, adopted. A stolid old tar walked aft with a hose, and, without a word of warning or remonstance, began sluicing the deck planks, and splash, went the. water over extremities clothed with Huxley's neatest trousers and Hannah's smartest boots. No need for word of admonition. The exodus was prompt and unanimous. Like the famous Six Hundred, the crowd tarried not "to reason why," but, like the frightened guests at Macbeth's banquet, they stood not on the order of their going, but went at once. In a few minutes the Albion was a <learship, and that "ancient mariner " pursued his task of washing decks with the same stolid* expression ; though the sly twinkle m his eye betrayed his appreciation of the joke. A tall, broad-shouldered man, with an enormous swag on his back, and a rather ferocious set of features, approached the overseer of the road gang m Ashburton district the other morning, and enquired the rate of wages for able-bodied labourers. — " Six and six a day," said the overseer. "Then," said the swaggerer, glaring fiercely at the other, "Tim Kinty says that any man who'll work for six and six a day, he'll knock him down;" "And who's Tim Kinty ?" enquired the foreman of the works. "I am Tim Kinty " replied the able-bodied giant, m tones, of the utmost severity and turned upon hia heel.

A great gathering took place at Dunediu on Saturday to witness the funeral of the late Mr. and Mrs. Kobert Wilson, their four children, and some of the persons remaining unclaimed by relations or friends, which were interred m the Southern cemetery. The whole of the shops along the line of route were closed while the procession passed, and the fire-bell was tolled at intervals of a minute. Tho procession was headed by the members of the Naval Brigade and cadets and Good Templars (with which bodies Frederick Wilson was associated) ; theu came several schoolmates of young Lawrence Wilson, four bearers, Messrs. H. J. Walter, Jno. Pattieson, and Gv Fenwick (employees of Daily Times, who were connected with the late Mr. Wilson at the time o.f the fire), and the general public. The procession was nearly half-a-mile m length. Archdeacon Edwards and the Rev. Dr. Roseby officiated at the grave. Margaret McCarthy was buried m the Catholic Cemetry, : The elections m Wellington have been expensive. The defeated candidate Greenfield spent over 20s per head for all who polled for him. It is 3tated that Hunter's candidature cost him £1000. Money Was spent very freely m insuring the return of Mason and Brandon for the Hutt and the Wellington country districts, and pressure, it is said, was put on a bank and the ring to secure their return. At the risk of injuring the "great Liberal cause," (says the Napier Telegraph) truth compels us to state that when the launch left the wharf on Saturday, with, the outward passengers for the Rotoruaamongst whom were the Gisborne footballers, a farewell cheer was given to the latter. Somebody on shore then sung out " Three cheers for Sir George Grey." The launch was then out m the stream, and floating o'er the water came m response to the Greyite's invitation three unmistakable groans It seems inevitable now-a-days that, when half-a-dozen youths part compauy, the farewell scene concludes by some misguided individual calling for " three cheers for Sir George Grey," but we are glad to think that m this independent minded district the call is resented as an inßult, and groans, that otherwise would not have been given, testify to the political • sympathies of the people.