LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1258, 28 February 1881, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Whether it be in the elements, or in the conjunction of the planets, or in the blmxl, who is it shall pronounce? Within the last live weeks there have been no less than seven charges for assaults committed on the person, two of which, at the time of writing this, have not been heard, although the assaultors have been called upon to answer for their acts and deeds in the Resident Magistrate's Court. We had hoped that when informations for forcible entries, being illegally in possession, and other many such like cases had. by their large number exhausted themselves, that we should have a lull of business in our courts ; but such, it would appear, is not to be. An assault epidemic lias set in, and when these are to terminate must depend upou the cessation of causes which to all of us at present are so many profound mysteries. The first heavy shower of rain since the drought has shown the lower portion of the Gladstone road to have been utterly neglected. At the junction of Lowe street, on either siJe of the road, large pools of water have collected, because the channels which should have carried off the storm waters have been allowed to become choked. It does not appear that one sixpence of the £10,000 loau has been expended in filling up the hollows of the road I where there is the greatest amount of foot and vehicle traffic. During the morning it was impossible for pedestriaus to cross from one side of the street to the other without steppiug more than ankle deep in water. Surely something ought to be done that would prevent a smart shower of rain causing suspension of traffic in the principal part of the town. If the town surveyor has not hud his eyes opened before as to what could not but happen on the first break in the weather, they must .surely be opev.ed now, and he should lose no time in proving to the ratepayers t'.iat he intends doing something for their benefit in return for the ie venue they pay to the Borough funds. Expressions of indignation upon the part of the residents at the lower end of the Gladstone Road, at the neglect shown by the Borough Council, is no name for the feeling which has found vent. Heavy as the rains have been, they are no heavier than we have had during certain periods of the summer season for many years past. The Gladstone Ro>d, when there was only the ordinary revenue to draw upon, was infinitely better looked after than now when there are several thousand pounds lying to the credit of the Borough for the purpose of improving its condition. Councillors will meet to-morrow evening, wh n it is expected they will offer some reasons for their neglect or the neglect of their officers. The weather has at last broken. Rain was greatly wanted, both for the pasture lauds and to fill the many empty tanks in the town and suburbs. Saturday indicated a change. Yesterday's intermittent showers showed the change had come ; and to-day the feeling is whether we arc not getting something too much of a good thing. The down-pour lias been very heavy, and as we write those lines there is no appearance of the storm subsiding. The Tarwua was due this morning at ten o'clock ; but Ion" after noon there was no appearance of the steamer. It is presumed that owing to the heavy sea on, and the dense midst which hung over the port, that the Tararua has gone on direct for Auckland, carrying mails, passengers, and cargo. Of course the elements cannot be controlled, and although much inconvenience will be felt, there is no help for it. The hope is that the heavy rains will cease before there is time fur the rivers to overflow their banks, as if such should unfortunately prove the case, much damage will be done to the stacks, as well as the root crops. We have hnd no communication inland up to the hour of going to press but fears are entertained that if the storm does not break before midnight, the low-lying parts of the districts will suffer from floods. The periodical canards, re Sir George Grey, one of which is just now on- the tapis, is dealt with by a Southern contemporary as follows: — "The state of Sir George Grey's health becomes periodically a subject for numerous paragraphs and telegrams, and that injured leg of liis takes its annual walk round as regularly as possible. The puMic interest having thus been excited in his movements, the inevitable political tour is announced, and we are informed specifically of what his "trump card " is to be next session. Kven the most confidental communications bctweent Sir George Grey and the Governor,

during a private visit <if friendship, an; not respected, but an? published as unreservedly as the news of a testimonial bein<,' presented to the stoker <>f a ferry boat, or any other ordinary topic of conversation in tlie publie-housea. The next day they are telegraphed all over the colony, and are afterwards commented on in the newspapers as freely as if they were quite proper subjects for criticism." As Mrs. Hampson, the Revivalist, was about to proceed to the wharf at the Thames one of the local ministers volunteered to carry any small parcel she might have, whereupon the good lady — handing the gentleman a little bag containing her Biblr — said : " Here, carry my sword."' " Cannot you let me have your mantle also '''" said the minister. "That you must ask the Lord for," replied Mrs. Hampson, The Te Aroha correspondent of tlie Waikato Times says : — " The excitement concerning the murder has coaled down somewhat and work, which had been pretty well suspended in some of tlie claims, has been resumed. The natives have held a great taugi over the remains of the unfortunate native at the Ngatihoka pah, at which a great quantity of Kai was con.sumeil and tlie usual amount of talk indulged in. This appears to have acted as. a vent for their excitement, and they are now again visiting the Township in considerable numbers, always clearing out. however, before sunset, as nothing would induce them to pass the spot where tlie murder was committed after dark. They have also tapaed the creek, which runs past O'Halloran's Hotel, ou account of water from it being used to wash the body of the murdered man, and are very particular in seeing that the water they drink, even in the hotel, does not come from that source."