LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1069, 15 July 1880, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Mr. James Scott, the popular lessee of the Masonic Hotel billiard, saloon, has instituted one of the Cannon Tournaments lately so popular in Hawke's Bay. The saloon on Tuesday presented an appearance that reminded us strongly of some years ago. All the, elite of the town were evidently endeavouring to secure the very valuable prize so liberally given by Mr. Scott to grace their sideboards ; in fact the handsome tea and coffee service on view in the bar was the subject of comment by both young and old. The game is very simple. Five balls being placed on the table .winning hazards and cannons counting/ but it is unnecessary to particularise, as the rules are posted in the room. —On Tuesday there was upwards of 100 breaks, the highest score being 21. No doubt this tournament will be a great success and we hope that the public generally will appreciate the energy displayed by the lessee of the above popular saloon. The third of a series of dances in connection with the " Pates des Confitures" will be held this evening in the Masonic Hall. Since this quadrille class has been started, it has been well attended, and many enjoyable winter evenings have been spent in the invigorating, rational, and agreeable amusement provided thereat. We understand it is proposed to conclude this series on Thursday fortnight by a ball and supper, when it is expected that there will be a numerous gathering. - ' The attention of parents and guardians of children is directed to the advertisement of Dr. H. Pollen, Public Vaccinator, which appears in our columns. The important sale of land at the Ormond Military Settlement, advertised for auction by Messrs. Bourke & Smith will be held at their mart on Saturday, July 17th, at 12 o'clock. A sale of fruit trees, shrubs, &0., by Messrs. Pitt & Bennett, will be held tomorrow, at 2 p.m. The following advertisement appears in the Lyttelton Times : — " Wanted, all true Irishmen and Catholics to assemble on 12th July at Cathedral Square. The peace of the city must be preserved." The Timaru Herald remarks that either its infention is to appeal to all Roman Catholic Irishmen possessing an ordinary amount of common sense' 'to use their influence in preventing their more ignorant countrymen from interfering with the celebration of the Battle of the Boyne by the Orangemen,, or else it is to stop the celebration altogether ; and expresses its surprise at.. a paper like the Lyttelton Times — a paper which is continually flaunting its respectability in the eyes of people — allowing a notification like the one in question to appear in its columns at all. ■ . There was only one charge- brought before the Police Court this morning. The defendant had used insulting lauguage to the plaintiff. Friends interfered, when an apology, was tendered and accepted. Defendant paid the- costs o£j Court," and all became peace and good-will. " - r A sad pictureof . juvenile depravity was presented in the Wellington Supreme Court lately, in the person of a little girl 11 years old, who is residing in a House of ill-fame, kept by her mother, and who is the constant associate of two disreputable characters who are inmates of the house. This little girl deposed that she had not been to school for two years past, prior to which she used to attend aprivate school. Her dense ignorance may be judged from the fact that when interrogated by the Court she confessed that she did not know which was her right hand and which was her left 1 His Honor remarked that he was afraid the public are paying ' a great deal of money for the education of children whose parents can well aSord to-pay for it themselves, while the vast mass of children whose parents cannot afford it are not compelled to go to school. This is au utterance which will, ■no doubt/: be endorsed by many our readers. . : 'i. '•'■■■■ Information comes from Wellington that the institution of Native Interpreter is shortly to be abolished. All the Cadets in the Civil Service, in departments where the knowledge of Maori is found to be useful, will be required to learn the language, and having passed an examination for proficiency, their interpretations will be taken as legally correct. The contractor for the road, now forming between Makaraka and Waerenga-a-hika has expressed his determination to prosecute all -persona riding or driving between the two termini, and the Magistrate will, on conviction, inflict something more ihan a mere nominal fine. A Wellington paper says :— "A man, named George Grey was brought up on a charge of lunacy." As the lunatic Grey is still at large, we presume that the authorities got hold of the wrong party,