Poverty Bay Herald

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5569, 14 September 1889, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald

PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING CISUOKNE, SATUUDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 18^0. VALIDATION OR REPUDIATION. Sik Gkokgb Grey may be compared to the Donny brook Irishman. He is always ready to hit a head when ho sees one. A telegram from Wellington states that yesterday afternoon Sir George made a tierce attack on the Native Land Courts Bill, He is commonly supposed to be a friend of the Maori, but that is a popular idea by no means in accordance with his career ;is Governor of this colony. Supposed friendship for the Native race may be left altogether out of consideration as influencing Sir George ou the present occasion. His hate is very much stronger than his love, and it may be truly said that he has a strong dislike to almost every leading public man in Ncv Zealand. All the time he has been in Parliament, when not in office he has been in Opposition. He has not particularly exerted himself this session to oust Sir Harry Atkinson from otKce, because although ho is bitterly ojj- \ opposed to the Premier, he with all his soul dislikes Mr Ballance, aud he knows that thu defeat of tho Ministry would result in bringing that gentleman into power. Tjie humiliation of ajl Governments appears in hn the principal aim of Sir (Je< .rye's political existence. . The Native Land Court Bill afforded a liiiu opportunity for uloi|tit!iice of the hkdi-fulutiny kind, There is an inherent

dislike amongst British people to measures of a retrospective nature, mul this feeling is particularly strong where a elaah of interest is supposed to be involved. Thosu who have only a superficial knowledge of the question would be apt to imagine that the Land Court Bill has been introduced solely for the benefit of European speculators in Native lands. Nothing could bo more wide of the truth. The provision of the Bill which has been railed against has met with the approval of the staunchest and most intelligent friends of the Maoris. Defective titles have been a curse to people of both races directly concerned, and an injury to the public by retarding the settlement of some of the best districts in the colony. The Maoris themselves have almost invariably been losers by attempts at repudiation. The lawyers are the only persons who have gained by the unworkable and contradictory nature of the law. Sir George Grey is not a friend of the profession, but he would have done the lawyers good service if ho had succeeded in preventing provision being made for conferring finality upon disputed land transactions. All these transactions do not stand upon the same footing either as regards equity or law. There have been dealings in Native land that it woidd be positively immoral to validate, but, speaking of this district, fortunately such transactions are very few in number. The man who wilfully acted in defiance of the spirit of the law is entitled to little consideration, and he has no right to expect relief from the Legislature. There is no intention to validate transactions which are morally objectionable. But it would be highly improper to allow any person, no matter what may be the color of his skin, to repudiate on a mere technicality a fair and honest bargain. There is infinitely more evil to be! apprehended from repudiation than from validation. A telegram, published in another column, from Mr A. C. Arthur states that the Land Court Bill has passed tho House with many amendments, but that the measure as it now stands will meet the circumstances of this district. That is excellent news, and it is earnestly hoped that in the passage through the Legislative Council the usefulness of the measure will not be impaired.

The attention of intending passengers per s.s Taraweia, which leaves for Auckland and Sydney on Monday, k directed to the a'tcration in the time of departure of the last launch from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. On Sunday last the barque Wave Queen Captain Kelly, arrived at Bluff from London aftor a passage of 108 days. The Wave Queen lias cargo for Gisborne, and will come here to load wool for London. Mr J. R. Redstone, manager of the Napier Omnibus Company, left this morning for Hawke's Bay with a mob of horses for the Napier market. Mr Redstone selected a lot of fine upstanding young horses, which atv a credit to Poverty Bay, and should prove very remunerative to the purchaser. Mr Hare proposes dealing with the story of the Witch of Endor at the Theatre lecture on Sunday night. Did Samuel come from th>i spirit world? la it possible now to hold nmnmunion with the dead ? Where 's the spirit world, aud by whom is it inhabited? are some of the points to receive attention. About twenty persons attended the meeting at I'ututahi hist evening for the purpose of forming either a country rifle corps or a country contingent of tho East Coast Hussars. The meeting resolved to leave the lists open for a month, when another meeting will be held, in the meantime to have aii active canvass made. The advertised subject of Rev. J. Ward's discourse to-morrow evening is "Free ! Free! Free !" The Sunday evening congregation in the Wesleyan Church has largely increased lately. The special sermons of the minister, improved choir, now numbering thirty, with which is incorporated a capital little orclies tra, and the preparatory open air service have no doubt all contributed to this. From sheepfarmers in town to-day we hear on all sides favorable accounts of the lambing, but few are sufficiently tli rough to give with any aonnru.o.y thn probable Deroontage. In one case we hear of two ewes with four lambs each. On the same station out of a small flock of pure bred sheep imported last season twenty-nine ewes have forty-six lambs. The whole of the young ones, including the quartets, are considered sufficiently advanced to survive any rough weather that may now be experienced. Altogether the lambing season is expected to be the best ever known in the district. A meeting of the Band of Hope ana Temperance Society was held in the Presbyterian Church last evening. There was a good attendance. r The programme was a lengthy one, but the items were well rendered, and the meeting closed about nine o'clock. The following took part : -Readings and recitations were given by Misses A. Evans, Kate Moore, and G. Turnbull ; solos, duets, and quartettes by Misses Adair, Sutherland, Stecle, Doran, and Messrs Turnbull, Johnstone, and Mitchell. The President (Rev. J. McAra) delivered a temperance address. These meetings are held monthly, and are very enjoyable, the young people turning up in large numbers, and the behaviour and attention arc noticeable. To-day Miss Doran inserts a new advertisement. A short time ago we drew attention to the enlargement of Miss Doran's business premises. This enables the dressmaking department to be carried on under the same roof as the other business, a great advantage. Ladies will find a nice fitting room elaborately furnished in the new shop. In her advertisement Miss Doran announces the arrival of a new dressmaker, Miss Ross, who comes from a leading house in Australia ; and alro the receipt of a great many beautiful lines of finery, so dear to the ladies' hearts. With the addition of the Manchester department, Miss Doran's soft goods business has now obtained considerable dimensions, and she will no doubt reap the increased custom thai she deserves for her enterprise. Samuel and the Witch of Endor. By whom is the spirit world inhabited ? Theatre, Sunday, 7 p m. — Advt. Presbyterian Church services on .Sunday — Waimata 11, Matawhero 2.30, St. Andrew's 7, Rev. J. MoAra;St. Andrews 11, Patutahi 7, Mr Scott. .Special collections. — Advt. Wesleyan services to-morrow — (Jisborne 11 and 7, open air 6.30 (Rev. ■). Ward), evening subject "Free ! Free ! Free !" Te Arai 3 o'clock. — Advt.