THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1749, 13 March 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDA Y, MARCH 13, 1874.

In the Provincial Council on Wednesday evening, Mr Lahman brought up a report from the Petitions Committee, recommending that the survey of a track petitioned for by the miners of Cameron's Creek, New River, should be made. A letter from Mr Button, legal adviser of Mr Hungerford, was laid on the table by his Honor, apply for moneys due to hint by the Province in respect of the Arahura suspension bridge. His Honor moved that it be referred to the Public Works Committee, and called attention to the awkward position of the Province in not being able to pay moneys, and said that "creditors were becoming clamorous." Mr Lahman hinted that there was some collusion between Mr Button and his Honor in this matter — a charge which the Superintendent indignantly repudiated. A motion by Mr Hbulahan, for the appropriation of i>2oo as subsidies to Literary Societies was, after some discussion, lost on a division. Mr Woolcock's motion — " That his Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to urge on the General Government the necessity of removing the Greymouth Hospital from its present site to the reserve set aside for that purpose ; and that all the Government buildings be removed to the site now occupied by the hospital," was carried without dissent. Mr Seddon was elected Chairman of Committees in place of Mr Lahman, resigned. Mr Guinness's motion with regard to the appointment of a registrar of births, deaths, and marriages at Greenstone, was withdrawn, the Superintendent having already recommended the General Government to appoint. Sergeant Ennis to the post. Mr VVickes, by leave, withdrew his motion respecting the proposed bridge across the Grey river to Cobden, his Honor recommending that the matter be dropped until TKVxt SeaSlOT* J Toantimo, lia wnulll i-mil-municate with the Superintendent of Nelson on the subject. The Council went into Committive on the Province Administrative Bill. Clause 4 — "There shall be a Secretary for the Province who shall keep a record of and attest all official acts and proceedings of tha Superintendent" — was agreed to without dissent. Clause s—" There shall be a Solicitor for the Province who shall advise the Superintendent in all matters of law and who as Provincial Solicitor shall be the legal adviser of the Provincial Government" — after amendment, by striking out all the words after the word " law," was carried. Clauses 6, 7, and 8 were agreed to. Progress was then reported, and several items of the Estimates passed.

Mr Warden Whitefoord has received thewrit for the election of a member of the Provincial Council for the Grey Valley, in -Mt« — «!..,.». «f i>. Gumuwj, Esqrr resigneu. The nomination will probably take place on or about 20th March. A man named Allen Skeels, formerly a butcher at Noble's Creek, met with an accident at Totara Flat on Wednesiay night. He was returning homewards from Mar nhall's Hotel, and when about half-way between Marshall's and John Doolan's farm, at the bottom of Duffer Creek, he slipped and fell, breaking his right leg between the ancle and the knee. The sufferer, who is progressing favorably, was promptly attended by Dr Phillips, of Ahaura.

At a meeting of the Grey Valley Road Board, held at Ahaura on Thursday, the the tender of Mr George Willis, of Hokitika, to perform the duties of surveyor, overseer of works, and secretary to the Board at a salary of L 3 per week, was accepted conditionally. After a shake in the hat, or a drawing of lots, it was decided that Messrs Campbell, Gillen, and Alcorn were the members who are, according to the Act, to retire from the Board in the first week of April. These gentlemen are eligible for re-election. We are authorised to state that Mr W. H Lash, of Noble's Creek,, one of the members of the Grey Valley Road Board, intends to contest the seat in the Nelson Provincial Council, vacated by Mr F. Guinness, and that Mr J. D. Pinkerton retires in favor of Mr Lash. The candidates who are now positively in the field are Mr J. W. Jones, of Callaghan's Creek, the Chairman of the Orey Valley Road Board, Mr George M'Beath, of No Town, and Mr Lash. We are informed that Mr Rochfort, C.E., who is surveying the line of railway between Nelson and Greymouth, has arrived at Reefton, and is now on his way to Greymouth. It is stated that he is confident of laying out a line which will not entail great engineering difficulties.

By the courtesy of Mr Pitt, solicitor, of Reefton, who arrived in town late last evening, we are placed in possession of the Herald, of yesterday, from which we extract the following items :— Mr Sloan, of the Anderson's Creek Company, has sold out all his interests in the company. A miner named Iver Ijul let a lighted candle drop into powder, and received fearful injuries. The Victoria tributors have cleaned up after crushing 70 tons of stone at the Westland machine with a result of 490z ldwt, or a fraction under three-quarters of an ounce to the ton. The Fiery Cross Company are still driving north towards the boundary of the Alexandra and the incline shaft has been carried down six feet on a good solid body of reef. The reef has again been found in the Just-in Time, in the lower levels by means of a croßß-cut put in from the maiu drive

about eight or nine feet to the eastward, •inri shout fifty feet south of the winze where the last contract was started from. The stone was about 12in or 18in wide, evidently making as it was being opened out on, showing good gold.

Yesterday was the hottest day of the season, the thermometer having registered as high as 130deg. in the sun. We draw att3ntion to an advertisement in another column inviting tenders for the conveyance of machinery from Ross to the company's ground. The General Government Gazette contains notices that the Governor has appointed Prank Guinness, Esq., Warden of the Golden Bay Gold-fields; that "The Licensing Law Amendment Act," " The Gold-fields Local Revenues Act." and "The Supplementary Appropriation Act," passed by the Nelson Provincial Council, have been allowed ; and that the resignation of his commission as Ensign in the Greymouth Rangers Rifle Volunteers by Ensign J. W. Hall has been accepted. The Register, of yesterday, says that an extended claim was surveyed on Monday last, for a party of miners, in close proximity to the Kanieri Lake Water-race.

A passage at arms, says the Register, took place in the Council on Wednesday night, in Committee, on "The Province Administrative Bill," between Mr John White and Mr Guinness, in which the latter was decidedly worsted. Smarting under his defeat, the hon. gentleman, when the Council resumed, attacked Mr White, with youthful vehemence and, incoherency, knowing, however, perfectly well that Mr White, as Speaker, was precluded from answering him. For this he was, most properly, snubbed by his Honor, and subsided. Bill Fox, the celebrated prospector, and Yankee Brown, an old resident of Ross, have returned from the Haast this week. They report that the population of the Haast conI sists of ten miners, Sergeant Sugrue, Constable M'Kenna, one woman, and a storekeeper. They have little hope of the Haast ever turning out anything, but expect to hear of gold being struck at Jackson's Bay. A woman residing in north Revell street, Hokitika, who has for years past has been in the habit of conducting herself in a mosteccentric manner, took a fancy to lay down in the surf, and was only induced to come I ashore after strong efforts had been made to prevent her from drowning. We ( West I Coast Times) are informed that when the police visited her house afterwards, she jumped through a window in puris naturali bus, and for the time succeeded in escaping, and it is said that she snugly ensconsed her--1 self among broken bottles under an old cottage until the danger had passed away.

Cook, the billiard champion, has performed the unprecedented feat of scoring 936 off one break. He had once before scored 752, and had often said that he expected some day to score the 1000. This he was very near doing a few days ago. He was playing, against Joseph Bennett, who had scored 386, when he had to sit down and see Cook's break, 296 spot strokes, 273 of which were consecutive. It is said that as large scores have been made at the American game, but that game is played with four balls, and consists of winning hazards, cannons, and forfeits. There was extraordinary excitement and enthusiasm in the room when Cook reached the higher figures. A late telegram in the Melbourne papers says it is reported that Prince Leopold is suffering from consumption, and likely to visit Adelaide. Heenan, the prize-fighter, is said to have been worth L 20,000 at the time of his death. Gold sent from Welshman's Gully, St. Bathan'o. Ot»s"»~"*" T WclUourxie,-arjcraasayeu-at the Mint, gave a return of L 4 2s 6d per ounce The Dunstan Times says, assuming a 1 the gold obtained in Otago last year to be of the same value, the miners have lost and the banks have gained nearly L 40.000 during the year. The following paragraph from the Otago Tivies will forcibly remind old Dunedinites of the state of the streets iv that city twelve years ago :— " A waggon, loaded with about six tons of goods, got stuck in Jfrinces street south, near the Cricket Ground, on Saturday afternoon, one of the hind wheels sinking to a depth of three feet. Seven horses were tugging away at the wagson for some time, but failed to move it— even after screws to raise the wheel had been brought into requisiticn. The number of horses was then increased to 21, means were taken to make a successful move, and in little more than an hour after the waggoa had got fast, the 21, by a powerful effort, got the waggon out of the mud on the firm earth. This occurred in the city of Dunedin."

The Hon. WiKatene, M.H.R., complains, In a letter to the Press, that he and Meno Matiaha could not obtain sleeping accommodation at any of the hotels in Christchurch. He said the reason was chat people objected to take in Maoris. A leader in the Press stated that the inference he drew was entirely wrong, and that the real cause was an unusual influx of visitors, many white people having had to apply to the police to obtain lodgings. Katene and Matiaha are now stopping at the Clarendon Hotel. It may not be generally known that those who urge the principle of the Permissive Bill, follow tho example of Henry VIII. ' According to Baron Finglass's " Breviate of Ireland," that monarch commanded that " there be do more tapp-houses than needful, for it appeareth right that th re be but one maker of aquavita in every borough towne, upon paiue of six shillings and eightpence toties quoties, as many as do to the contrary." On dit (says the Thames Advertiser) that a marriage in Maori high life is shortly to take place between Nikorima Poutotari, a wellknown resident chief at Parawai, who is heir to a large portion of this gold-field, and Miss Kitty, an adopted child of Lady Martin. The young lady is highly accomplished, and has been educated under the best masters procurable, and speaks several languages fluently. Miss Kitty is th - daughter of a chief of considerable distinction, who, during his lifetime, expressed a wish that his daughter should be well educated, so as to be able to teach her relatives and friends when she grew. The wish of the aged chief has been faithfully carried out by Lady Martin. She made her debut in fashionable life at the time the Duke of Edinburgh visited Auckland, at one of the private theatrical parties in Government House, and was honored by being invited to take the first dance with the Prince. Nikorima is the owner of a cousiderable property, on which he resides in a handsome house at Parawai, and he is one of the churchwardens, and a trustee of the native church.

The Southland News, in referring to the appointment of Mr Bathgate as Resident Magistrate for Dunedin, remarks:— "lt would take us too long to trace the brief but brilliant career of the late Minister of Justice in this place, but we venture to express the hope that some public spirited bookmakerwill collect the scattered materials and throw them into readable shape for the benefit of political students. Such a work would go far to prove that certain commonlyreceived opinions are vulgar errors. It would show that strong convictions, high principles, consistency, and good faith are mere obstacles to success— that an accommodating

disposition and an imperturable self-com-placency are the only requisites." A rumor is current at Opotiki (so writes the correspondent of the Bay of Plenty Times) that a company is in course of formation for the purpose of utilising the inexhaustible resources of that natural wonder, "White Island. Mountains of sulphur exist on its surface, thousands of tons of sulphuric acid and other valuable chemicals lie dormant in its bottomless hot lake, wanting only the enterprising hand of man to render them a source of profit and general benefit to the Colony. On the 27th February, the Pacific Hotel, at Coromandel, was burned down. Miss Cuming, the barmaid, was the only occupant, and narrowly escaped in her night dress by jumping from the balcony. She aroused the neighbors, and then fell exhausted in the street. The buildings and stock were insured in the Victoria Insurance Company for L6OO. The following amusing conversation occurred at the Tichborne trial when a witness was being examined as to the man Luie having committed injury. Mr Hawkins : Does she pass as Mrs Lundgren ? Witness : I No, she goes by the name of Mrs Hawkins. (Much laughter.) Mr Hawkins : What is her maiden name ? Witness : Sarah Cockburn. (Great laughter.) The Lord Chief Justice : We must consider ourselves highly honored. Mr Hawkins bowed assent.

Mr Yogel does not appear to place much reliance upon scientific dicta with regard to gold mining. At the Thames banquet the Premier, referring to a statement made by geologists that gold would not be found below a certain depth at Sandhurst, said :— "The history of the neighboring colonies showed the blighting influence of that scientific dictum. How much capital had been expended in spite of that dictum, and by many who were almost ashamed of doing it in face of such a statement. He believed the ban placed in the way of gold mining had not been effectually removed, because it was necessary to remember how many thousands of tons of earth had to be removed to obtain even a small quantity of gold. Those engaged in gold mining should rather rely on their own judgment than upon the opinions of scientific men."

At the banquet given recently to Mr Yogel at the Thames one of the speakers, Mr Rowe, said he had been identified with mining for 45 years at all sorts of mining. Sometimes his efforts were very unsuccessful ; sometimes the opposite. He was one of the first on the Thames field. He had been connected with it from the commencement. Mr Whitaker and himself had made the first investment — L 2200 for half the Kuranui claim. The [lightest geological authority had said they must be mad I But the investment had been a great success. There were men in Auckland who were yet willing to invest their money wherever they saw a probability of a return. Auckland was not deficient in enterprise. He had made LIO.OOO in six months, and had lost L 20.000 in three, and had possibly made half of it in another six That was the experience of many. The Thames had at one time got a bad name, but it was through the indiscretion of investors. There never was a field offering better means of investment than the Thames.

In the course of a speech in reply to the toast of the Parliament of New Zealand, at the opening of the Mataura Railway, Governor Weld said:— "That he had long taken a deep interest in New Zealand affairs; that it was so long ago as 1854, when he for the first time was returned to a seat in the New Zealand Parliament— a seat which he had held with but brief intermissions till 1865, when he retired on account of illhealth. When he spoke of the pleasure he felt as an old New Zealand settler, it was not without a recollection of the compensation that attended the always arduous and liament. There were naturally many differences and some sharp passages at arms, but lie could remember no incident in which he was not well received by that Parliament, nor any in which unpleasant personalities had been brought to bear, the opposition being to the policy, not to the person. More than this : in every part of the world in which he had travelled— Great Britain or the neighboring colonies— he had found but one opinion, that the character of the New Zealand Parliament stood as high as that of any under the Imperial rule. He did not say these things to flatter— it was well known he was not in the habit of doing so, but he would say that the New Zealand Parliament would highly and honorably compare with that of any new country in the world. One thing more he desired to say. It was a good thing to keep a sharp look-out for the faults and short comings of their representatives : it was a healthy sign. But they must remember that theirs was an arduous task, and should not, even occasionally if they went astray, attribute improper motives. . They should place confidence in their public men • they had indeed done so, and that was one reason why New Zealand politicians had risen to a higher status than those of most other countries."

The capital employed, in sawmills in the Provinces of Auckland, as stated by the Herald at L 200.000. The number of men they employ directly is 1200, and the number indirectly in carriage to market and otherwise is very much larger. They produce sawn timber to the value yearly of L 300.000 and form one of the most important branches of local industry. The boat-building and ship-building in which Auckland has acquired a striking pie-eminence are largely dependent on the success of the sawmills. Numerous other trades are directly or indirectly interested in them.

Speaking of the special settlement of shetlanders at Fort William, Stewart's Island, a corespondent who recently visited it in the Luna says : — " It is a very pretty, denselywooded spot on the north-east side of the island, and much resembles Sir George Grey's island of Kawau, near Auckland, in its secluded shelter and woodland scenery. There is a large, wooden barrack here, and two or three private cottages. The immigrants, however, do not appear of the right Btamp for pioneers of a new settlement. Stewart's Island must be a paradise compared with the ' storm-swept ' Shetlands, whence these people have come. The fish— groper, blue cod, trumpeter, and cray fish— are in shoals a cable's length only from their doors, and the woods are full of kakas and pigeons; the bush contains almost every variety of I timber requisite for boat -building ; the place ' is peculiarly sheltered from the wind, and the soil is very fertile. The people say, however, that they are wasting time at Port William, while work is plentiful and wages high at Dunedin. They lose sight of the ultimate value their land will attain, and the advantage of possessing the building sites nearest to the beach, at a place that must advance with the growth of the settlements on the mainland. Special settlements as a rule do hot thrive. It is almost impossible to obtain the right sort of persons, and the fostering that these meet with at the outset disinclines them to help themselves afterwards. They are at Port Phillip somewhat discouraged in their first matter of export : they sent several cwts. of salt fish to Melbourne, an-i only received L 4 for it. There is to i much fresh fish at Invercargill and Dunedin, they say, for salt fish to be in demand. If a man, somewhat more than a boat- builder, understanding the construction of vessels, say, of 25 to 40 tons, were to be induced to settle at Port William, it would have the effect of turning their industry in a natural and profitable direction. "