Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5690, 10 February 1890, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING

GISBORNE, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1800. SIR HENRY PARKES ON FEDERA- . TION. Although. Sir Henry Pavkes is not Chairman of the Federation Conference he is evidently regarded as the leading spirit, of the movement. The cable informs us that on rising to speak the whole company stood up and cheered him for several minutes, and that similar demonstrations were accorded him during the course of his address. A summary of the speech was published in last Saturday's issue. The address must have suffered, considerably in the condensation, else it is difficult to understand the enthusiastic applause with which it was greeted. The speech contained nothing which had not been said over and over again by other speakers and writers on the subject. The fact is, that the friends of Federation were so glad to have tfie Premier of New South Wales on their side that they were quite prepared to go into raptures over everything he said. It was not overlooked that i it was owing to the non-co-operation of the mother colony that the Federal Council had turned out a comparative failure. Mr Service, who is a far more solid and trustworthy man than Sir Henry Parkes, gave utterance to that opinion in a speech which preceded that delivered by Sir Henry Parkes. The big lisli has at last been caught in the Federation net, and safely landed. This circumstance is a matter for deep congratulation to Federalists, and they were naturally quite prepared to applaud to the top of their bent. The most striking feature of Sir Henry's speech was its thoroughness. He expressed not only full belief in Federation, but insisted that the happy union should take placo without the slightest delay. The proposal, according to him, had passed out of the realms of argument. There was no room for further discussion. The immense gain to be derived from union was already as clearly demonstrated as the laws of gravitation. If the four million of people, or thereabouts, who inhabited Australasia mado up their minds nothing could keep them asunder. But the difficulty will be in getting them to make up their minds. The question has never yefc been submitted to the constituencies in any. one of the colonies. The ballot-box is the most effective means of obtaining the opinion of the people concerned, and that most important preliminary has yet to be observed. The public of New Zealand, at least, regard the question of Federation in an embryo state. If put to them, they would certainly vote for delay, for once amalgamation took place there would be no retreat for a colony dissatisfied with the new regime, Mr Service, with Scotch clearheadedness and directness of purpose, went right to the core of the question. He ridiculed any suggestion of calling into existence a Federal Parliament which should be told that it must withhold its hands from interfering with the Customs tariff for years. The moment that body was created, he said, it must exercise the full power of a Dominion Parliament for a federated nation. The meaning of the above is plain enough. It means that the various colonial Legislatures shall sink into the position of Provincial Councils. In that case, Melbourne and Sydney, if in accord, could make laws for the whole of Australasia. At any rate, Victoria and New South Wales would each be solid on any question that affected their interests. There would be no such assurance with regard to New Zealand. Under Federation of the kind shadowed forth by Mr Service, Dunedin might be more closely connected with Melbourne than with Auckland. Provincial jealousies arc not dead yet in this colony, and Federation would not bring the different parta of New Zealand geographically nearer to each other. The fact of the Wellington Parliament? being aupromo in all mafcfccra is gradually bringing about a colonial feeling, but the merging of our national life in tbatof a united Australasia would most probably tend to perpetuate provincial jealousies. The poople of New Zealand will make deep pause before binding themselves to a'Union, the Parliament of which would exorcise powers over the several parts | equal to those wielded by the Legislature of the United States. What New Zeaj land wants is intercolonial freotrade, but it is quite possible to pay too dear a price for that boon.

A man named D. Hanlon was arrested for drunkenness this morning by Const. Brook ing. Mr Booth, R.M., started for Wairoa this morning. He is not to bo envied his journey in this weather. At Auckland on Saturday the Poverty Bay crew won a gig race (Maiden evenfc),and in the senior champion gij? race rowed second to the Waitemata crew. The two crews of rowing representatives who huve been on a visit to Napier returned yesterday morning by the Manapouri,having had a pleasant week's holiday. They speak highly of the treatment they received at the hands of the Napier people. The ball in their honor on Friday evening was a great success. Albert Hurd, alias Thomas Scott, was charged at the Police Court this morning with disturbing a congregation assembled for public worship. Accused attended the Roman Catholic Church, and when Father Kehoe commenced his exhortation, sang out " Speak up man, I'm deaf," and made other interrupfciona. He was removed. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and said he had taken too much drink. He " could see the evil of it now." Messrs Matthewson and Lewis inflicted a fine of LI, in default of payment of which prisoner retired from public gaze for seven flaya,

Messrs Brown and Smaill, of Gisborne, have received a first prize at the Exhibition for a lifting jack. The second instalment of the Property Tax was due on the sth insfc. The time of grace expires 011 the 19th, after which the usual 10 per cent, additional will be charged. The Whataupoko supplementary loan of £230 has been granted, and the money will be received next week. The s.a. Jubilee leaves Auckland to-night, and will sail from Gisborne for Southern ports to-morrow night at 8 o'clock. The s.s. Australia was detained here from Friday night until yesterday morning, being unable to discharge her cargo owing to a swell prevailing in the bay. Last evening a steidy downpour of raiu commenced, and it has continued all to-day. The weather throughout the colony this morning was fine, though in some places the sky was overcast. At the R. M. Court this morning a case was called on in which a mau applied for a prohibition order against his wife, but there being no appearance of either of the parties, the case was struck out Mr and Mrs E. H. Featon, who have been residing in Dunedin for the last three months, left for Gisborne last Wednesday by the Te Anau, but only came as far as Wellington, where they intend staying for a few days. A man named Henry Hull was discovered yesterday morning by Constable Brooking drunk outside the Masonic Hotel propping up the building. Such a sight was not a proper one for a .Sunday morning, and the constable took Hull in charge Hull resisted, and assistance had to be obtained to remove him to the look-up. It being his first offence he was discharged for drunkenness, but his obstinacy in refusing to go to gaol cost him 48 hours' imprisonment. The adjourned inquest on the death of the native infant Tenrn Mairangi was held this morning by Mr Kenny, Acting-Coroner, -and the jury — Messrs Bright (foreman), McLernon, Dunlop, Harper, Stewart, and Harding. A letter was read from Mr Skey, Government Analyst, slating that he had analysed the contents of the stomach aud bottle of medicine (giyen by Palmer, herbalist, for the child) and found no trace of any poison. The Coroner then addressed the jury, summing up the evidence, and a verdict was returned that the cause of death was unknown. Some people give funny answers to questions put them when in the witness box. At the Court this morning a witness was asked did prisoner Topping " occupy " a certain outhouse. " No, he kept rubbish in it," was the reply "Did he occupy it to keep rubbish in it." "Yes." " What was the rubbish?" " Oh, potatoes, onions, and other combustibles.' Being asked what he meant by " combustibles," witness replied, " Oh, ironwork and such like " Witness then said that Topping had no straw in the shed. At Holy Trinity Church last evening the attention of the congregation was somewhat distracted during the sermon by a little puppy. A dog in a neighboring backyard commenced his vigils, and this diminutive canine which was wandering about the church doglike chimed in too. He baffled all attempts to put him out, and for a few minutes created a nuisance?. Some misbehaved children also caused annoyance during the service. At the Roman Catholic Church an obnoxious individual, Albert Hurd alias Thomas Scott, who is more familiar with the walls of the Government boarding house than those of a church, found his way into a front seat. He was in his usual drunken state, and made several interruptions, till at last Constable Hansen removed him. At Masterton last Wednesday a youug native named Kemara, of Wairoa, was arrested on a charge of horse-st. aling at Gisborne. Prisoner came up yesterday by the Manapouri, and was before the Police Court this morning. He ia a young man of about 22, aud iias a decidedly masher appearance, with stand-up collar, nice tie, and good clothes He was charged on the information of Eruera Rangiwhatiri, of Te Arai, that he did feloniously take, steal, and carry away, one chestnut marc, of the value of L 35, the property of the informant. There being witnesses required from Napier and the country, Sergeant Bullen applied for a remand till Friday, which was granted. Of the cases before the Police Court this morning two were the result of over-tippling on Sunday. Aud yet it seems useless to endeavor to put a stop to hotel traffic during prohibited hours. At Dunedin the police have lately been taking very stringent measures, and though publicans are more wary drink is readily dispensed sifter hours and on Sundays. At Oamaru last week efforts were made to secure a conviction against a publican, but the police witness would not distinctly swear to having seen the sale of drink after hours, and evidence was called by the hotelkeeper that, no such sale took place. Dice is freely used at most hotels, and in these Oamaru actions a charge of dice throwing fell through in the same manner. For several years past the holders of private boxes at the post office have beeD indebted to the officials for a delivery on Sundays of the Southern mail. The officials, we understand, are not compelled to sort the mail till the Monday morning, but the mail clerks have made it a practice of doing so on receipt of the mail on the Sunday. This was an advantage much appreciated by business people, who acquired the habit of looking j forward regularly to the receipt of their letters aud papers on Sunday morning, j Lately there has been a disposition on the part of some of the officers when their turns as mail clerks came round to leave the sorting until Monday, and for some time past the mail has been irregularly sorted, sometimes only the letters, aud other times none at all. The officials who are so courteous and obliging as to put in a few minutes extra time in making the delivery deserve thanks for so doing. The recent passage South in the s.s. Aravvata is described as being very unpleasant by some of those who left by her last Saturday week. The steamer's accommodation was insufficient for demands, and people were sleeping all over the saloon and also on deck. The heat below decks was stifling. A little party camped out on the hatchway abatt the engine room A great big medico entwined himself up amidst the winch, and being a good sailor,slept there in comfort. The others were far less comfortable. They were sick, and too helpless to drag themselves out of the water, which sometimes flooded the decks. Now and then when the steamer rolled, somebody would go rolling off the hatch and flying to the lee scuppers. Some passengers were unable to obtain berths until the steamer reached Wellington. In the cabin a stroke of a rowing crew and a Catholic priest shared a couch, which did not allow them much room to move about. One had to have his legs straight out, while the other's were bent up. The priest, who had been lying oufc straight, would double up with sickness, when down would go stroke's legs. Then how the cramped up priest would wait patiently to stretch him self. Presently stroke would forget and shift, aqd down would go the priest's legs, and stroke had to double himself up to stick on the sofa. This continued shifting all night was very comical.