Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1693, 7 January 1874, Page 2

The public still remains in the dark as to the views on subjects political of the several aspirants; for the representation of Greymouth in the Provincial Council, none of them -having taken the opportunity of: addressing the electors last night. The time is so short before the polling day that there should, be no backwardness of this kind, unless indeed it should be that any one of the five is altogether devoid of opinions, in which, case we beseech him not only to refrain from speechifying, but also to retire from the contest. We observe, that Mr Lahman announces that he will addres'3 the electors on Monday evening next. ? Our usual file of the Hokitika morning papers did not come to hand last evening. The annual picaic of the children attending St. Patrick's school will be held to-day in Mr Masters's paddock. The children are requested to be p.etent at the school at ten a.m. . Dr Guthrie Carr is at present giving a series of phreno-mesmeric lectures in Christchurch. . i We have received the number of the Australian Sketcher, for Dec. 27, which is un-. usually good. Besides the engravings, which exhibit successive improvements in each number, the reading matter is of a very high class. We especially commend the articles under the head "Socialities," which, while having the true flavor of colonialism, afford ample proof that that chai'acteristic is not adverse to good taste, and is quite consonant with that genial Btyle of philosophising, of which.' the Essays of Elia are the greatest example extant. With the present number is distiiibuted a coloied supplement, being a copy of Mr Arthur Wills' picture "Somebody's Coming." . , . ; The Marsden Christmas sports were continued on Saturday. There was a good attendance of visitors on the ground, who thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The, following is a report of the sports, with the bal-lance-sheet, showing the amount of money received and disbursed :— l. Quoit match, first prize taken by Mr Pollock ; second do by J. Lightfoord. 2. Handicap race, 400 yards, Turner, first ; ' Pollock, second. £. Egg race, won by Kir win. 4. Cricketers' race, for members of the Cricket Club /.eight competitors ; , won by J. Young.' 5; Handicap race, of 200 yards ; first prize won by White ; second do, Linall. The day's sports wound up with several. boys' races, and ia stewards' race, won by Mr Boyd Thomson, i ; In another column will be found the influential requisition which was presented to Mr J. A.. Campbell, asking him to allow himself to be nominated as a candidate for the Paroa district in the Provincial Council. The numbers signing the various' requisitions from Maori Creek, Paroa, and MarsdeW amount to 106. Mr Campbell has since been nominated, and will stand his election, with every probability of being one of the returned. ■ The mining and other property of the late Francis Hawk, who was killed at Callaghan Creek, Ahaura, recently was sold by orcUr of the Curator of Intestate .Estates on Wed : nesday, 31st December. The shares of the deceased in a mining claim, water-rights, ' hut and contents were knocked down for L 37 10a. Mr George Cole was the purchaser, and Mr F. Guinness acted as auctioneer. ! At the Warden's Court, Ahaura, qn Friday, 2nd Jauuary, Michael Broderick and party applied for a gold-mining lease of three acres at Try- A gain Terrace, Nelson Creek. It was expeoted there would be considerable opposition made to the grautingof this lease, because the ground' applied for is in the direct course of the Lake Hochstetter artd Nelson Greek Race, and cannot be worked until that water-race is brought to TryAgain. After hearing the evidence of the applicants, the Warden said that although He had determined to refuse to recommend any application for ground along the course of tlie race, when it could be shown that the application was made with a purely speculative intention, he did not think the present application was of that nature. In thVabsence of any opposition, and in view of the conditions he intended to impose to ensure the beneficial and sufficient occupation of the ground, he would recommend the application. The conditions we: c then arranged, ' •There were only two civil cases ; heard at the Magistrate's Court, yesterday, in eacih of which judgment was : for the plaintiff 'for the amount claimed. The cases were Nancarrow v. Weenick, -..claim. LlO ,ss ; arid Young v. Fullarton, claim Lls. , j A number of New Zealand war medals were recently presented in Melbourne by the Governor to -men who had served inoAr 'colonial. force during the war. In making the presentation, Sir G. Bowen; expressed his gratification at being called upon to perform the pleasing duty of presenting the New Zealand warmedals to the 27 gentlemen he saw before him He had had ,the honor of being Governor for five years bf'the gre it., and beautiful colony of New Zealand, and he had much pleasure in beariig his testimony to the admirable' and gallant conduct of the soldiery of(th|it colony, ,. .•- especially .during <<. ithose very critical years 1868 and 1869, when the MaoVi war was still raging. Victoria and New Zealand' were connected by many ties,, ai d i he was suie the people of Victoria rejoicpd ;o hear that prosperity was now attending that great neighboring colony. ; The ■ Maoris of the North 'Island are fast - advancing in civilisation. 'It was only tho ' other day that we heard of' the' skill th<y had attained in the adulteration of rum wi >h') blue stone "to. make it hot." But astll more' startling instance of their pi ogi-ess i^. talked of inHawke'B Bay, where,- According to the local paper— which, however, carefully

guards itself against vouching for the accuracy of the report— an influential chief proposes to institute proceedings against a member of the Assembly for the alleged seduction of his adopted daughter. The damages in the forthcoming action are modestly placed at the low figure of L3OOO. _ Theßendigd Indepeiulcrit has the following account of a: sad mining accident which occurred on tbe 24th ult. :— One of the most frightful., accidents .that . has . occurred, .for some time past took place in the mine of the Imperial -Hustler's Company yesterday. The subject of the disaster was a fine healthy young tnau named Arthur William May> He was engaged to be married, and had madi every preparation necessary for the ceremony taking place on Christmas Day. Deceased was at work in the bottom of the shaft, which is about 415 ft. Two holes had been drilled; and were ready to receive the charges. Deceased had sent up the shaft for the powder necessary to fill up the holes, and his mate sent down some of Nobel's "giant powder." He had placed the powder in the holes, when suddenly the men working above heard a tremendous explosion. Immediately after this, deceased leaped, unaided, " into the bucket, arid called out to those descending, to help him to " Ring four times " When the other miners reached the bottom. May was found to be frightfully injured, the lower part of his stomach being fearfully cut, his bowels protruding through the; cuts, arid his left hand nearly blown off. He was at once hauled to the surface, and from thence coriveyed'to the hospital, but he died on the road to that institution from loss of blood, and the frightful" nature of his wounds. Comparing the action of the' Fiji Govern* ment in exacting retribution for the murder of Mr' 1 Humes arid family by. the natives, with the murder pf Sullivan by thenatives, a writerin the Awtralasuin, passing over thetotal dissimilarity of the two cases, says':— "If we compare.. the. conduct of the Fiji Government v in/ this matter with the New Zealand Government in' reference' to the, murder of Sullivan, a crime that has now, it would appear, been virtually condoned, certainly the blame ..of. ignoble passivity and feeble incompetence will not. attach .to the Ministry which has been hitherto charged: with neglect of all the. useful objects of Government." . . '