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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1415, 12 February 1873, Page 2

The English mails via Californii arrived in town last night. The mails were very heavy as they consisted of two months' accumulations. It is announced in another column that a number of blocks of suburban land are now open for sale in the Grey District, applications for which can be made on Monday next. A meeting of subscribers to the fund for the relief of those poor persons who suffered by the late fire, was held last night in Hunt's Club Hotel ; E. Masters, Esq., Mayor, in the chair. It was reported that the sum collected was L 27 0s Od, and a committee, consisting of Messrs Masters, Parkinson, aad Kerr, was appointed to make inquiries, and afford relief where most required. The District Court opeiis this morning at ten o'clock. There is only one crimiual charge, two civil cases, and the usual average number of proceedings in bankruptcy. On Monday night, a coal barge, fully i laden, belonging to Nancarrow and Co., was moored alongside tbc p. s. Charles Edward, to be discharged into that vessel in the morning, but owing to no watch beiDg kept upon it, it sank during the night. Several empty coal boats, and a large number of men went to work yesterday morning, and by two o'clock succeeded in raising the boat and ■ cargo, which was found to be very little damaged. We learn by telegraph that there is every , prospect of a coal famine iv most of the New Zealand parts, more especially in Wellington. This is compelling attention to be paid to our local coal-fields, and we may shortly expect to sec quite a small fleet of steamers and schooners here shipping coal The s.s Rani gitira is coming round from Wellington, and we notice by the Independent that Mr J. Draustield is advertising for vessels to come -•— ---— -*- t 'i-rT^-r ~: «-»•) *v occuia, still some enterprising spirits amongst us who are determined to take advantage of the opening created by the comiug dearth of coal to assist in developing the trade of the Greyniouth mine. In our present issue Mr J. Dransfield offers charters to vessels for the conveyance of cargoes of the coal to Wellington. Hitherto captains of vessels have had an objection to the L trade on account of the delay and difficulty in getting tbsir vessels loaded, but not only has ihis objection been removed, but the charge for the towage of vessels across the bar has been considerably reduced, as was announced in ourtelegrams of last week. With these inducements, and the interest which, should be manifested by all in common iv the endeavor to keep in the colony some portion of the enormous sums annually sent over the. water, and maintaininining it with something like vigor once it has been fairly started, there is every reason to expect that a lucrative and permanent trade will be opened up." The chess tournament in connection with the Literary Institute, whieli by reason of the absence of some of the competitors during Christinas and various other cause 3 has been delayed from week to week, now approaches completion. Of the ten competitors who entered for the tourney, Messrs Newton and Janion are the two remaining who have so far proved victorious ; but the struggle between these two players for premiership is, to say the least, an interesting one. Last Saturday week they met to play, and succeeded in getting through two games, winning one each. On Saturday last they commenced the conquering game (the best two out of three deciding) but after a struggle of about three hours it was agreed to adjourn it for a week. We are not iv a position to give the moves of the game from its commencement, but for the sake of those of our readers both in town and country who take an interest iv chess, we give, for their perusal, the position of the pieces on the board as the game now stands :— White— F at Q's R's 3rd, Pat Q's Xt's 4th, it at Q's Bs sth, Q's R at Q's 4th, X's R at X's sq., IC at X's Bs so., P at X's Xt's 2nd, P at X's It's 3rd • Black— P at Q's R'a 3rd, Pat Q's Xt's 4th, Q's Rat Q's Bs 3rd, K's 'R at X's 2nd, P at X's 6th, K at X's Bs 4th, P at X's Bs sth, P at X's Xt's Gth, P at X's R's sth. Mr Janion. who plays with white, has the first move. Ab a substitute for the " cat " as a punishment for garofcters, the demoralizing effects of which have been so much commented on recently, a correspondent of an evening London paper suggests the use of electricity.. What we evidently waut (he says) is a means of inflicting deterring pain, unaccompanied by physical injury, and this the cat does not afford us. It has a further defect— that its indirect consequences are adduced to mitigate or suspend the punishment entirely. Thus Cohen received only half his deserts because the precious creature had got a cold. Now the phenomena of electricity or galvauism * put into our hands the very agency required. ' Every one knows that a galvanic current of ] any force can be passed through the human 1 frame from a degree which is hardly percep- 1 tible to one which resembles the breaking of ] the bones ;or the sensation, according to the ] mode of application, may be a gentle tickling, j or one nearly simulating the touch of hot \ iron. But this is only a part of its merits; ] ifc is absolutely harmless, iiay, positively beneficial in many cases, as its frequent modi- a cal use generally testiiies. Further, it can C be used and applied exactly in the required a degree, and no more. The moment it is s judged that the criminal has suffered enough r he cau be liberated from all trace of pain that t very instant. No lacerated flesh, no livid 1

weals will bo left to make Mr Peter Taylor or any other gentleman sick ; no brutalizing of warders or officia's will take place under my system. When wife-beaters are eouuc"y thrashed for their misdeeds— as I devoutly hope they will soon be (unless, of cource, my galvanic torture be j»t once adopted, and I hardly expect that) —the cuts on the ruffians shoulders will very imperfectly resemble what they have done to their wretched wives. How can the "cat" repay the brutal blow on the eye, the savage and malignant blow on the breast, or the fieuc sh kick? It does not attempt to repay adequately. Galvanism w. r " do quite as much iv a better manner.