LOCAL AND GENERAL

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 625, 25 June 1891, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

The County Council meats to morrow afternoon.

Both the intercolonial steamers are a clay late on their next visit to Gisborne. Tbe schooner Opotiki is still in troubleci waters; Mr Wugg is taking action in Court ibis morning.

Ths rate case in which the County Council is plaintiff and Mr Barker defendant, is ex peeled to ba derided at the Court this morning.

The lecture in the Theatre Royal this evening, by the Rev. Mr Gibson, ought to attract a large au iienoe. The lecture will be novel, interesting, and amusing.

There was considerable interest taken io the Borough Council proceedings on Tuesday night, when the vacant position of Town Clerk was filled. There ought to be some batter accommodation for ratepayers who desire to be present to listen to the discussions.

The Dobson Kennedy company is doing good business in Napier. Mr Kennedy is

credited with a first rank among Irish comedians. As Conn in The Shaugbraun he is immense. Conn is “ the life of every funeral, the sowl of every wake, first fiddle at every pattern and fair at Munster,” and Mr Kennedy has a very popular conception of the part.

Yesterday Mr L. Poswillo received a telegram from Napier, announcing the death of his brother Mark (formerly of Gisborne), at Woodville on Monday. The information is meagre, but it appears that death was caused by strychnine poison, whether inadvertently taken or not is not stated. The deceased was 48 years of age, and during his travels bad visited India, where he received a sunstroke.

Mr Robinson, the successful applicant for the position of Town Clerk in the Borough of Gisborne, is a young man who entered the office as a junior clerk a couple of years ago, and since then has by diligence and courtesy and uprightness of character, succeeded in gaining the respect and confidence of all who have had business to do in connection with the Borough office. He has barely reached manhood's estate yet, but he has the advantage of the counsel of Mr Warren (Oountv Clerk). 7

Tussaud’s exhibits which were destroyed by fire the other day were part of the Royal Naval Exhibition. There was a full sized model of the Victory, and in the cockpit the scene of the death of Nelson was reproduced by means of wax figures. In another part of the exhibition are the blood-stained breeches and stockings worn by Nelson at Trafalgar. There is also a small lake in the grounds, where most interesting oombats take place between two models of battleships and a torpedo.

There was a litile joke at the Borough Council meeting on Tuesday night. Just after the disoussion about d gs, and while payments were being passed, a eollarless dog sauntered in. He seemed quite bashful when be faced the august assembly without being arrayed in a collar, but eventually the canine got fresh courage (tbe Inspector was at the other end of the room) and went gently to the feet of one Councillor, in whose face the animal affectionately looked, as much as to say that they understood each other. The fact that the absence of the collar can be satisfactorily explained does not necessarily spoil the joke, A cable message the other day stated that a new trial bad been refused in the breach of promise case against Mr Hurlbert, a so-called journalist. He is tbe author of a book of most atrocious lies about the Irish people, and had wormed himself into the good graces of prominent Unionists by publishing a lot of what are now proved to be crammers from the landlords' side. He is a married man, but under the name of Wilfred Murray had contracted a liaison with an actress, who swore she had received 150 letters from b>m, some letters and pictures bring of a moat disgusting character. Hulbert's defence was that he was the victim of a vile conspiracy, Murray being a secretary employed in his secret inyestigjtjone, and who could forge defendant's baadwrit-ng. He could not produce Murray or anybody who knew him, nor produce specimens of his writing, par deny that be (Hurlbert) had had in his pnesessjop ths pictures produced, nor why 150 letters had been forged when a dozen would suffice, nor why tbe forger bad taken care to make no actual promise in the letters when he had gone so far. The letters contained French phrases he was in tbe habit of using, and were dated from the places he had visited at ' the times given. The jury found that there ' was no evidence of a promise, but pronounced ; .no opinion on the authorship of the letters, ; Hurlbert is another of those individuals the I Timee l.oqk by the hand and introduced is a < guiding spirit jd st State. s

A report of the concert at Makaraka last night is held over until our next issue. Mr Keefer offers special inducements to persons desirous of purchasing properties. The Napier Telegraph sweetly chirps:— All the fuss and nonsense that has been made over. the baccarat scandal has been the creation of a set of seedy hypocrites, who have used the occasion to thank God that they are not as other men. Messrs Pettie and Harper have arranged tor a big clearing sale of a large consignment of new goods which they have purchased at a substantial discount. The goods were originally consigned to the firm of Graham, Pitt and Bennett, Union Literary Society This (Thursday) evening—Debate on the motion “ The male sex is entirely.responsible for th; vagaries in fashion.” This being tbe last meeting before the recess, a full attendance is requested.—Advt Mr C. Tennyson Smith, who is termed the second Gough, will probably pay Gisbarne a visit and lecture on temperance subjects. The Rev. Mark Guy Pearse, the famous preacher, will also make a trip through New Zealand, and may be induced to call in at Gisborne.

The case Searle v Tucker, which was sent to the Supreme Court oo appeal, has been decided in plaintiff's favor. This was a claim of £27 for the value of certain cattle distrained on by the defendant, the plaintiff alleging the cattle were his, and not those of the person owing the rent. The case turned on the question of whether ths sale to Searle was a bona fide one. The magistrate decided the sale was a good one, and therefore under the Distress Act defendant was not entitled to distrain on them for tbe rent due, and judgment was given for £25 and costs. This derision has now been upheld by tbe Supreme Court. In the Magistrate’s Court Messrs Ohrisp and Jones appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Day for defendant.

The Marton Mercury’s sporting contributor writes : —lt has always stuck in my throat paying 10 per cent to the to'alisator ; and. although investors will have this excessive tax to pay, yet it ought to be some consolation to them to feel that at least 2| per cent of their money goes to the exchequer of the State, and will be used for their future welfare. If I had been in Mr Ballance’s shoes I should not have stopped here, but I should have trotted on a bit, and made every bookmaker take out a license (as in France) and pay £5O for such license to carry on his calling, and anyone caught carrying on the calling of a bookmaker in any shape or form without a license should be immediately run in and fined £lOO, or in default six months’ hard labor.