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Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 411, 1 September 1868, Page 2

The endeavors of our Hokitika neighbors to improve the present condition of the entrance to their port, l>y cutting a channel through the South Spit, and thus diverting the course of the river from the back of Revell street, promise to be crowned with success. Our contemporaries inform us that the fresh in the river on Sunday caused the water to flow through the new channel, and whenever this fact became known in town hundreds of citizens flocked to the Spit, and representatives of every class of the community could be seen digging at the new channel with a will. What was wanted to complete the work was a heavy fresh, which, we suppose, the continued rains of yesterday, must have supplied. A correspondent in Nelson Creek sends us the following communication :— During last week our Warden, Mr Dutton, paid us a visit here accompanied by the Rev. Mr Thorps, who delivered a very impressive sermon to-' a large congregation, considering the short notice given. The spiritual wants of the Protestant members of the district have been sadly neglected ; and it is t" be hoped now •, that a commencement has been made, .we ■ shall hereafter have more frequent attendance of aminißter. — M r Dutton, after entering into a lengthy account of what had been done in the matter of roads, removing the Police-camp, post-offices, and so forth, stated to the meeting (publicly convened) that he had come up to listen and attend to all or any charges which some few persons seemed to be armed with against himself and another public officer j and after waiting patiently for a long time, amid silence, one of the company, by way of an opening, stated that during his stay of twelve months on the terrace he never yet knew or heard of any matter to complain of so far as our officials are concerned. Then came cries for "Miner," "Storekeeper," and "Veracity," who have lately been representing and misrepresenting matters which have occurred. There was, however, no appearance of any complainant, and the meeting broke up, every man convinced and satisfied that the complaints lately

appearing in your columns were base falser hoods, emanating from malicious motives.— Some time back I referred to the general prosperity of this, important district, which, I am happy to say, still continues. Some few of the miners left for a rush at the Ahaura, in some small, blind gully near Noble's or Duffer's, Most likely it was the latter, as they have all returned, bringing some fresh faces with them for the Try Again. — Fully alive to the vast benefits which the liberal and far-sighted policy of our late esteemed Warden, Mr Lightband, had conferred upon the Upper Grey district, the residents are bestirring themselves to bestow upon him some substantial token of their esteem And approbation ; and I am pleased in being able to inform you that the Committee appointed to carry it out are getting on swimmingly, Information wanted at the Colonial Secretary's office of the following individuals : — Benjamin Hughes, seaman, of London, who was last heard of in Lyttelton, in 1864 ; supposed to have gone to Shanghai. Gustav Albert Soronsen, of Germany, who was in Otago in 1866. Emilius Thowald Brill, alias Tjesti Brown ; when last heard of, was engaged in the Otago gold fields, 1864, . Considerable difference of opinion has been expressed within the, last few days as to the reading of the clause in the Municipal Corporations Act, to which we referred in our last, which provides that the first meeting of the Council, shall take place on the second Wednesday after its election. Some persons maintain that the latter portion of the clause which mentions the third Wednesday applies to the case of Greymonth, and that, consequently, there can be no retirement of Councillors until the second Thursday in September, 1869. The clause can be read either way, just as it sui^s the interest or in* olination of the reader, and with regard to it we do not presume to give a legal opinion. It is important that the matter shall be settled, as upon it hinges the retirement of three of the newly-elected Councillors, either on the I day following their first meeting, or on the second Thursday in September, 1869. We understand that the opinion of the Attorney? General on the point has been telegraphed for, and maybe expected to arrive before the date of thu first meeting of the Council. The Wellington Independent, of the 25th ult, says i— The papers laid on the table of the House of Representatives relative to the escape from the Chathams, contains some curious facts. The plans were laid with such skill that Captain Thomas, according to the report, could hardly have offered anything like effectual resistance. Instead of thirty-one stand of arms, there were fortynine stand of arms taken away, and LSOO in cash, and as much flour, sugar, raid tobacco as they chose to remove from the Rifleman. Besides these we learn that they robbed all the houses on the beach with the exception of that of one lady who hid a bag of sove? reigns (L 300) in a tea kettle, while boiling over the fire. The number of prisoners escaped were 163 men, 64 women, and 71 children, being 29S souls. The. quantity of ammunition taken was 4584 rounds. Three pounds of powder were taken from private stores. The wet weather has interfered with the arrangements for opening the Menagerie, which recently arrived from Hokitika and was to have been opened to the public on Saturday. It was not opened yesterda} 7 , and, we understand, will not be so until the weather clears up. The affect of the recent visit of tidal waves have been most disastrous at the Chatham Islands. By the arrival of the Eifleman at Port Chalmers, we learn that on August 15, I these islands were visited by three earthf quake waves. The settlement of Tupauga is entirely destroyed, and is covered with sand and seaweed. The inhabitants, who were awoke by the first wave coming into their houses, fled to higher ground, and escaped before the second wave came. Captain Anderson's house was washed away. A Maori was swept out to sea and drowned. Mr Thomas Hay, sheep farmer, lost his house and all he had. At the Waitangi settlement, Beamish's accommodation house was wrenched off the piles. The Government stores, fencing, and boats were carried away. At Tupanga, a stone weighing seven cwt. was carried a considerable distance. The exact time of the visitation was not noted. The Tuapeka Press of Saturday, the loth ult., gives the following account of the inquest held at Tapanui, on Monday, the 10th instant, on the body of Horace George Michael, son of Sir fohn Michael, late Com-mander-in-Chief of the Forces in Canada. Mr Michael was out shooting in Tapanui bush with a friend, a Mr C. C. Eawlius, and it is supposed that, H while drawing his gun after him up a tree, the trigger caught a knot in the trunk, and thus discharged the gun. The shot entered his head, under the right ear, and passed out through the top of the skull. Deceased was only twenty-two years of age, and his father had recently bought him a station at Napier, in the North Island. H. A. Stratford, Esq., held the inquest, and a verdict of accidental death was returned. At the conclusion of the inquest, the body was placed in a spring waggou, to be conveyed to Lawrence, from whence it was afterwards taken to Dunedin foi interment in the cemetery there. The Christchurcb papers report that a meeting of the directors of the Grey River Coal Company was: held at Messrs Wilaik and Alport's Rooms, Christchurch, on the 21st inst. There were present Messrs Murray Aynsley (ohairman), Richardson, Ollivier, Inglis, and W. Wilson. The Secretary reported no reply had been received from Mr Lord in referenoe to his tender for the survey of the line from the mines to the port, and it was resolved that the Seoretary should ascertain the qualifications of the other candidates, so that no delay might occur in tae event of Mr Lord not agreeing to the terms fixed by the directors. The Seoretary read a telegram which had been received from the Chairman of the Local Committee nt Grey mouth, stating that

a deputation had left that place to consult with the directors on important business matters ; and it was resolved that a meeting of the directors should, be held on Monday next, at eleven o'clock, to receive the depir tation. Mr R. M. Morton was elected a director in the room of Mr Moorhouse, le&igned. Messrs Vermeil aiid Mills, of Wellington, were appointed agents of the Company. It was deoided that MrWylde, the Secretary, should proceed to Greymouth at an early opportunity to take measures for opening up the mines and forming a railway as expeditiously as possible. The deputation from the Grej'inouth Local Committee returned to town yesterday, and report that everything has been satisfactorily arranged. Mr Wylde has been appointed general manager and engineer to the Company, and is now on the coagfj. He is empowered to survey the line of railway, and then tenders will be immediately called for laying down the line. The Wellington Evening Post, of Wednesday last, says it is authorised to state that the meeting of Mr Fox's supporters was held at the Odd Fellows' Hall this afternoon, when the following members of the Lower House wore present, viz.: Messrs Burns, Heaphy, Borlase, Collins, Wood, Tancred, Brandon, Harrison (Wanganui) Studholme, W. Taylor, Reynolds, Graham, Baigent, M'Farlane, Travers, Williamson, Cargill, Rolleston, Stevens, Macandrew, Yogel, Macfarlan, Main, Fox, and Bell, when the following resolution was unanimously agreed to: — " That this meeting having heard the enunciation of Mr Fox's views, is of opinion that there are such grounds of common agreement amongst those present on the fundamental points of the constitutional relations between the General and Provincial Governments, the, state of the public finance, and the questions of native policy, as to justify the formation of an organized Opposition under the leadership of Mr Fox, and this meeting, therefore, hereby constitutes itself into a political party, and have unanimously requested Mr Fox to accept the' position and responsibility of being its chief." The following gentlemen who were prevented by indisposition from being present, but who voted for Mr Fox on the recent division, have been asked to signify their concurrence in that resolution : Dr Featherston, Messrs, Diguan, O'Rorke, and Parker.