LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 316, 25 June 1889, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The Borough Council meets this evening. This is tha last week of Messrs Graham Pitt and Be inett’s clearing sale, The price list appears in another column, At 11 o'clock this morning Messrs Graham Pitt and Bennett will offer for sale several sections on the Kaiti. The Maori footballers played the return match with the New South Wales team on Saturday last. The visitors won the match by 16 points to 12. A Mutual Improvement Society (un-seo-tarian) has been initiated at Thorndon (Wellington), the Rev. C. H. Laws, formerly of Gisb.rne, being unanimously elected President.

At the Police C mrt on Saturday J. Clements, with several aliases, was charged with ohta'nng board and lodging by falsa prote in s Ho was sentenced to 14 days' imprisonment. Yesterday Catherine Moylan was sentenced to throe days' imprisonment for being drunk and using obscene language.

Major Stewart is again to the fore with his Educational Franchise Bill, the main provisions of which are prior nominations, abolition of the cumulative vote, and definite term householder. A new clause has been inserted making a prohibitory for teachers to be elected members of the School Committees. The Hon. Mr McLean takes charge of the measure in tha CouncilThe Rev. Josiah Ward delivered a lecture last evening (Wednesday) in Trinity Church, on “ Reminiscences of Taranaki War." There was a good attendance, Ths lecturer, who is An easy and facile speaker, succeeded in thoroughly Interesting his audience, instruction being mingled with amusement, and sad facts being contrasted with the humorous events which camp life gives rise to, even fa the moat serious times. As Mr Ward eloquently unfolded his story he quits carried his hearers with him, and at tha conclusion of the lecture the general verdict was that an exceedingly pleasant evening had been spent,—H. B. Herald.

At the Licensing meeting on Saturday, several hotelkeepers applied for leave to extinguish their street lamps at midnight. Sergeant Bullen said he had no objection to make to the application provided the time was made 1 a.m., but the Chairman said the committee had no jurisdiction to entertain the application except at a quarterly meeting. The request will therefore be considered in due course at the meeting in September next.

At the Mutual Improvement Society last night. Rev. T. J. Wallis read an essay on " Self-culture," which dealt with the possi bilities and .advantages of culturing one’s self. The paper contained some vary good advice, and was well rooeivod, Tha election of officers took place, resulting as follows Vice-President, Mr James Robb; Secretary, Treasurer and Librarian, Mr B. N. Jones ; Committee, Misses Jones and Spence, and Messrs Oatridge and Ford, Tho Committee for the Borough Licensing District met on Saturday. Present i Messrs Lewis (Chairman), Humphreys, Maynard, Tucker, and Greenwood (Clerk). The meeting was an adjourned one for the consideration of James Robert Scott’s application for renewal of the Masonic license. Mrs Scott appeared on behalf of her husband (under power of attorney). Sergeant Bullen said that he was willing to withdraw his objections to the renewal of the license if Mrs Scott would undertake to be answerable for tho well conducting of the hotel, and conditionally on Mr Scott returning before the next quarterly meeting. Mrs Scott gave the required undertaking and intimated that Mr Scott would be back in August at the latest. After perusing the power of attorney tha renewal was granted, and Mr Scott’s leave of absence was extended till tho 7iji of September.

A trial representative fifteen will play a Maori team on Saturday next, 29th fast., fa Captain Tucker’s paddock. The trial fifteen will be published in a future issue. Through misunderstanding the Maoris did not muster in full force on Saturday, and a scratch match was played.

Tho Avoca Mail records a remarkable curiosity in the shape of a potato, weighing 31b. 20z., which has grown so as to resemble a perfect native bear. The face and head (having two large ears) are perfect, as are also the back and legs.

The question whether marriage is a failure having been asked ad nauseam, and very frequently quite satisfactorily answered, it is a change from this monotony to find that celibacy may sometimes also lead to disappointment. There is a case on record where failure in getting married prevented an experienced engineer in Chicago from securing a position as chief engineer of a central electric light station, for although his references were of the best, single blessedness condemned him, as the manager would not engage him on that account. The Manchester Guardian mentions a wonderful new departure by a provincial surgeon, A small tumour was removed from an important nerve in a patient’s arm, and in the course of the operation some of the nerve itself was taken away. This was naturally followed by loss of sensation in the part of skin to which the nerve was distributed. After 48 hours the surgeon, having obtained a piece of healthy nerve from a leg which had just boon amputated, proceeded to restore the continuity of his patient’s nerve with the borrowed piece of tissue. The result was that sensation returned in 36 hours, and there was every prospect of a complete recovery.

Mr R. J. Loughnan, aged 81, father Mr R. A. Loughnan, editor of the Lyttelton Times, and of other well-known colonists, died at Christchurch on Friday morning. He was born in London, and was 30 years in the judicial service under the East India Company, from whioh he retired just a year before the mutiny. He then took up his abode in New South Wales. He arrived In New Zea'acd in 1868, and lived quietly since, but always took part in the educational and musical advancement of Christchurch.

Mr John Dix n, proprietor of the Murewai Coach, met with a painful accident on Saturday afternoon. Ho was sitting on the manger, in the Albion Stables, putting the bridle on one of the horses, when the animal suddenly pulled back, and by some unexplainable means Dixon got the halter twisted round his leg, and had it not been for timely assistance of the stableman, who quickly extracted him from his dangerous position, the accident might have proved fatal, Mr Dixon is severely braised about the leg, but it is thought that he will be able to attend to his work fa a few days.

In Mr Parnell’S examination before the Commission the following occurs:—l ask you generally, in regard to the whole of this movement since the time you instituted it in 1879 up to the present day, have you to the utmost of your ability honestly endeavoured to conduct it within constitutional linos and within the limits of tho law ?—I can honestly say that I have endeavoured to conduct both the Land League and the National League within the limits of the law and to keep the people free from crime. When I say that, I make an exception with regard to the technical offence with which wo were charged at tha State trials, the offence of inciting the people not to pay their rent. If that be an offence against the law we admit it, and if the circumstances should occur we should repeat it.

Iu regird to the new harbor recently opened at Calais, it appears that it was com, menced in 1875, but little progress was made till about six years since. The works comprise a tidal harbor 15 acres in extent, with 890 yd of quay wall. A depth of 30ft at high water neap tides, and 13ft at low water, is to be maintained here and throughtout the whole of the entrance channel, which was being widened to 140 yd. Two looks each 426 ft long and divided into sections lead to the larger dock of 27 acres, which has a depth of 25ft, and is surrounded by 2000 yd of quay wall; then there comes a graving dock 340 ft by 70ft. On the northern side ia a second and larger sluice basin of 250 acres, dug out chiefly from laud reclaimed from the sea.

In “ notes ” of his wanderings in the Anti podes, a Mr E. W. Payton has some rough things to say of New Zealand. Of the natives he says the vices and diseases of civilisation are destroying them, and the greatest curse of all is whiskey. That, too, is the moat deadly enemy of the Colonists, of whom the author has some pitiful stories to tell: — Drinking seems to be the one amusement of a section of the lower classes, and they are at it day and night when not in actual employment. Many men who earn £3 per week, and keep themselves on £l, will drink the remaining two regularly, and run into debt, The amount of hard drinking one sees everywhere ia a reproach to the colonies.” The passion for racing, too, is excessive, and brings plentiful evils in its train. Mr Pay ton complains, and the error is not peculiar to New Zealand, that thousands of emigrants hang about the large towns instead of going up-country. “There is land enough," he writes, “and wealth enough in the land to support many millions of people, if they will only rattle down on it and improve it; but if the country is always kept to itself aa it is at present, and all the population flock to the towns, the colony must always be poor, because the real wealth of the country— i.e., the laud—is neglected.’'