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Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 17, 27 June 1885, Page 2

It will be remembed that Mr. Oscar Beyer was arraigned before the fudge in the Supreme Court on a charge of mending arms without a license, and that he was liberated on recognisances entered into by Mr. Joyce. The same generous friend, thinking to give a needy and oppressed man an opportunity of earning an honest living, gave Beyers the money to obtain the necessary license; but what was his chagrin when it was found that after paying the license the man was still debarred from carrying on his livelihood, and could not even replace a nipple on an old gun, without first obtaining a direct permit from the Native Minister. The case presents such hardships to an industrious and honest man, that representations are being made in the proper quarter in the hopes of rectifying such a manifest injustice.

Messrs. Ferris and Grant have been appointed assessors for the Hawke’s Bay Property Assessment District. Glossop’s hotel at Hokitika was destroyed by fire on Monday morning, the inmates having a narrow escape. Insurance,

The latest addition to our colonial literature is The New Zealand Volunteer and Civil Service Gazette, and Naval and Military Chronicle, published monthly, at Christchurch, by Richard Cuming. The journal is well printed and is calculated to meet a requirement of the times, being specially and entirely devoted to the volunteer and civil service interests. We wish the journal every success, and recommend it to our local sons of Mars.

A store at Leesion (Canterbury) on Sunday night was destroyed by fire. It had been used partly by the Loan and Mercantile Company and partly by Mr. Spring, wine and spirit merchant. Both the building and the company’s stock were insured. The intelligence that the second reading of Sir George Grey’s Bill to abolish plural voting has been carried by a majority of seven may reasonably lead us to hope that the veteran statesman will at last succeed in sweeping away another obstacle to progress and freedom, thereby finally completing and perfecting his grand scheme of enfranchisement which will then give us manhood suffrage. Judgment has been given in the Waipiro Block case, which has so long occupied the Court at Waiomatatini, in favor of Piniamini Waipapa and his people, who have for generations occupied the land. Tuta Nihoniho, who was the counter-claimant, has not established his claim to the satisfaciion of the Court, but there is scarcely a doubt, from what can be gleaned, but what a re-hearing will be asked for. This would be a great pity as it means that the ownership will not be finally known for a considerable time to come, and hence the settlement of the land will be further delayed to the injury of the district and all concerned.

The announcement made at the Harbor Board meeting that the plans, &c., of Sir John Coode, which had been forwarded from the Marine Department had been carried on to Auckland in the Wairarapa has been proved to be incorrect. The plans arrived in the Ohau and have been delivered to the Secretary. A fire broke out on Wednesday last in premises belonging to Mr. Alfred Buckland, Queen street, Auckland,and occupied by J. Allen, wholesale warehouseman. Insurance on stock and building, £2BOO. A son of Captain McGilveray, nine years of age, met with an accident on Saturday last while playing football at Auckland, which terminated fatally. At the R.M. Court on Thursday a man named Mills was sent to the Gisborne gaol for thirty days for having no lawful means of support.

The attendance at Professor Long’s Assault-at-arms last night was not commensurate with the entertaining character of the amusement. The song of the evening “ Ain’t it awful ? ” sung by Mr. Churchman, was loudly encored and demanded a second time. The fencing and boxing of Prof. Long and Mr. Dawson, together with their gymnastic performance was much admired, and loudly applauded. Mr. W. Proffit’s game little Maccaroni has again scored another victory in the Hawke’s Bay steeplechase, winning easily by two lengths in front of W. Tatham’s Romeo. Mr. S. Morley, M.P. for Bristol, Manchester goods manufacturer, has been raised to the Peerage—More shoddy! The following passengers, per s.s. Wairarapa, left for the south last night: Messrs. Goodlad, Fale, Good, Brassey, Orphan, Fisher, Hannah, Hill ; Mr. and Mrs. Walker, and Miss Fluke ; His Honor Chief Justice Prendergast and secretary. A man named Henry White, residing near Oamaru, murdered, a girl named Ada Patterson, and afterwards committed suicide by blowing his .brams out. At an inquest held on the bodies the jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deed was committed while White was suffering from temporary insanity. A lad named Seed, son of Mr. Seed, Secretary of the Customs’ Department at Wellington, was on Wednesday accidentally shot by another lad named Vennell, death being instantaneous. At Auckland on Wednesday a native named Te Kuri accidentally shot himself while cleaning a loaded gun.