Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2197, 24 August 1875, Page 2

The Hon. Mr flonar, to whdm was sent a copy of resolutions passed at the recent meeting on the subject of the completion of the Greymouth and Beef ton road, has promptly telegraphed a reply to the Mayor, stating that he' has had a conference with all the Wesbland members, who are united in endeavoring to give effect to the wishes of the meeting. Mr Harrison, he states, will move in the matter in the House of Representatives, and he (Mr Bonar) promises to endeavor to get the Superintendent of Nelson to accompany him in waiting on the Government on the subject. Besides the subject of the Beefton road, which, according to Mr Bohar's telegram, jwas referred to at a conference of Westland members, it appears from a telegram of a correspondent of the West Coast Times, that it was arranged that Mr Tribe will table a resolution, asking for a vote for the construction of the Mikonui Water Race ; and ,that : Mr WHite wilt table v a resolution in regar,d to - the construction 'of the Hokitika and I Greyinouth railway. •' 1 . ;.■',..) M'Meckan and Co.'s steamer Tararua was reported as having arrived in Hokitika roadstead at noon .yesterday, but pwipgto the very heavy ipea,' the Waipata' was unable to ivait upon her. ..There being little; prospect ,b.f'h6kßeuig tendered to-day, she was sigha'lled'to 1 proceed to Nelson, the agents at the , same, time .telegraphing to detain the Omeo at that port, to tranship mails and pass9ngers,, . , ; .. At the Resident Magistrate's Cour.fc, Ahaura, on Friday, Before C. Broad, Esq., R.M., one inebriate was fined in the usual penalty for drunkenness and disorderly conduct. .Among the civil cases that of Chas, H. Smith, Moonlight Creek, v. Robert Gray, Qreymbuth/tp recover LlO 4s 6d for board, and lodging, was postponed. The bailiff of the Resident Magistrate's Court/ Greymouth, made a return of nba-aeryice of summons.

The date of service time was delayed for a f orfcaight. Jas. Davey v. Robert Gray was a claim of L 6 93 for board, and lodging, &c; judgment was given for the plaintiff by default for the amount claimed, with coats and professional costs. Reeves v. M'Coy, Lyell, to recover L 25 due on a dishonored acceptance, was postponed by reason of non-re-turn of service. Alcorn v. Temperly, Reefton, was adjourned, because the defendant could not reach the Court owing to the ; flood in the Little Grey. A number of applications for various privileges, were disposed of in the Warden's Court, butnoneof the grants were of general'* interest. The Court' was adjourned fox two weeks. , - ; The price of coal shipped at Groymouthj has lately been raised by the Brunner Coin-: pany to LI per ton. • -•' • There was a narrow escape from fire in Hokitika on Sunday morning. At four] o'clock the premises of Mr. Gawne, grocer,: Revell street, were found to' be burning,; but the prompt use bf'sbme. buckets of water extinguished the flames. r ,", According to a supplementary report sent by Mr "Warden Revell to the so-called Uhde'r-Secretary for Gold-fields, the revenue from the Greenstone district is L 1231, exclusive of gold duty ' collected in Hokitika, estimated at L6OO. The Chinese population 1 throughout the Greymouth : and Greenstone districts is estimated at 560 allitold.^They are described as steady, quiet, ,and industrious, working the claims in a very complete and systematic manner, and many «f them appear to be doing very well. Several have left for China during the year,; taking with them sums from L6O to L2OQ each, together with other small amounts from friends to their relatives at home. Manhood suffrage, if all accounts be correct, ; is not likely to meet with general approval in our conservative House of Repre- . sentaiives . The Wellington correspondent of the Southern Cross tells iis :— "i don't think Mr Reynold's Qualification of Electors' Bill will meet with ve»y great favor. Many . do. not like the universal suffrage idea which the Bill embodies, and I can learn that some of . the Government supporters take this VieW." ; : .; ; „ : New Zealanders — not native, but to the manner of drinking born-^-evidently live luxuriously; Last year they; p"aid L 331.862 simply astdnty on imported • sjfifits, L 25 ,441 on Colonial-made spirits, pL 39, 349 on wine, L 27,496 on beer, and L 62,090 on tea. They , smoked and chewed duty to -the amount of . v L10^,257, and • cigar-smokers and. snufftakers contributed of themselves L 15.683- -. progress 1 , is r being (Jaade with the construction of the new road at Otira Gorge,: and' it is expected thatinjajjout three months an easy and -substantial road will be available at that difSoultj. poiaihofrpyerland communication; with': 'only .one drawback^* -that the magnificence of the- surrounding scenery will be not be,realised,as it now is by 4 the tri^eller, in search o^th.ejpicturesquqj a i jHajjpy v^eJson.r,-:Herej-.is''^||a't ,») local, paper, the Times/ takes the trouble to a^oni.cje w .m4the ,small n hours, : ,3S .asocial fffiarity iSrra'MJh nis * seldom:, (that,, our. ..police lofficersjha^ep the disagreeable job of ,conyay- . ing , .an inebriate^to the lock-up— >but an .occurrence of the kind happened at^the, stnall , hours ,this morning,,. and •• ap.juci^"a_Jcircuiristance is so rare here, jf is worth recording." Thoag¥ili is dniy ; vefy!Ae^fi^ Captain ' Edwin h,as been "Sblff^o^ve anything like reliable c f^recas<fs v .bf 'the i3 wea%Kel:, *his branch of the, Marine Department has r already. been" of considerable servlfeej^tid- in draen ! th'at? the necessary observations might be carried out with greater accuracy, a supply of superior meteorological instruments^ has' 'b&en lately 'ordered froi&^^lkti^Jir^^^-^^y^^ "^TfiefeTS^evTdently a Howard waited in New Zealand. Not very creditable accounts have ; been given of the condition of our asylums, and, whatever may be the state of ; ;ou.r7gaols, the police :loclfupa- are too ; often constructed on the principle of ice-houses. , This-jis I |th^ J descripljion (C given 3 by Jjnspector • Broham of one place of durance vile in Auck- ; land .Province— a place apparently more vilp' r than tl p(Sßseg§ing the attributes' of durance :--- --" The gaol at Russell consists of a single cell of r abotft-.'K)ft r .Square, and 'often contains' as many as 20 t prisoners. The sides of the cell, which' :j af e>" = of weatherboards, • are quite .rotten and tumbling to pieces, necessitating immediate repair's. • An 1 additional" cell' is, absolutely required." We should rather think it was.' ' " t■' : •_ ■, ••■.■- The Auckland police force is so little, in repute, on account of 'small pay and rib pen-, sions, that out of a force of 18 constables in y the city, fifteen resigned withnx :r tne 'past year. Inspector Broham, in a recent report, ( draws attention to 'the circumstance, and points out also^hafr, :while T the,Yote for police, in Otago is • L 25,000, ll attd i in Canterbury LIB,OOO, the vote in "Auckland for the year was only L 7500.; ■ ■ ' »■ '-'• '■•'- ; / , The discomforts of Wellington are thus dilated upon by the Parliamentary correspondent of the -Southern .Cross, who has not been unaccustomed to severer climes, but is correct enough in the description of theBtorm centre of, the Colony :—" If for their manifold sins and wickednesses some six score eiudite legislators gathered together from various genial spots on the shores and valleys of these happy isles— were condemned to suffer the pains of cold* and discomfort near the chill regions of ice and snow, then' by planting! them inn Wellington; the stern decree of cruel fate has been accomplished. Assailed by howling winds, pelted' by pitiless rains, chilled by the cold breath that passes . over the not distant ranges*, -where snows' lie shining white in the ravines and on the summits: of the hills — members oinust i acknowledge that for winter Wellington weather has been essentially seasonable: except three bright and genial days, the last of which shone yesterday. To-day we have 'the. clouds and grey chill atmosphere that portends manifold and strong outbursts of winds and wet." Mr E. Wakefield, member for Christchurch East, has been in a disgusting state for the. -last week or so, and finally the Sergeant-at-Arms, by the Speaker's directions, had to remove him from the House. The House Committee met subsequently. ( Ijp arrange for his' exclusion from BeUamy'j&aiid the library, it being literally impossible to breathe the same atmosphere with him. .This is the statement of a correspondent of T t he £yttelton Times, and it is^'rio doubt,, correct/ ther hoh. member's' sanitary 'condition 'having, in previous sessions, provoked rembnstrance'and the-retreat of others; if not his^owrirfimbyal under the Nuisance Act.. . ' We 'have much pleasure ,in cSffing'^ attention to Smith and/Barklriy's'splefibid stock of blue Venetians, blue' Victoria twills; blue diagonals, and waterproof tweeds in all the newest shades, suitable for- ladies' dresses, and costumes ; also a large stock of heavy ' bitie and black' cloths 'for 'jackets/ aricl' a' lot, of mantlings in new; colors. In addition, to r the above Messrs Smith and Berkley have, a,; magnificent' stock of', whw&ys," 'serges;' French merinos, wool plaids, and homespuns. The 'Same firm have also opened a. case of Scotch WObl Shawls. — A.DVT. j :,. Herring fishing at Picton promises .to ■ be ' more, than usually auccessfuij this . season. Immense Bhoals, with corresponding 1 takes of fish, are. reported, the. latest being a. haul of four tons' weight made in the tide of the sth inst, The steamer .Taranaki. was . then atPicton, and as she went' up the Sound xlrove : abimmense shoal of herrings. before her. j It was out of this shoal that the above-men. tioned haul was maiae. x The fishermen's nets were again full on! the night's tide—So •

full indeed that the men decided to delay hauling them . until the following morning. If Mr Warden Guinness's estimate is correct— and he has good opportunities of judging — Collingwood is likely to become some day a place of considerable importance — infinitely more so than such new places of settlement aa Karamea and Jackson's Bay. In his report to the Under-Secretary for Gold-fields, Mr Guinness writes :-" The natural resources of Collingwood are many and varied, and for one industry, i.e. the production of iron, the district possesses ex-' traordinary capabilities, having practically inexhaustible deposits of hematite, one: of the most valuable iron ores, besides coal and limestone, necessary for the reduction of the ore, close at hand— indeed, one may 'say j alongside the ore itself. : When to these re-j sources are added the geographical positiori of the place, the great facilities for shipping arrangements which the splendid harbor of Golden Bay affords, warrant the assertion: that eventually Collingwood' innst' become one of the most important places, I venture to ; say, not only in New Zealand, but even in the whole 01 the Australian Colonies."'" I am satisfied that at this time I have no rhore important duty to perform than to press on his Excellency's Ministers the -great Colonial advantages which would accrue from timely and judicious assistance in fostering the iron industry of Collingwood. So much depends on this .opening up of the ironworksihere] that it is almost superfluous to allude; even to the other mineral wealth of this district j still I may say that there are immense deposits of a kind of limestone fit for making hydraulic cement, equal, to the finest Portland cement, which could be, at.no great ex- ; pense, converted into a marketable article, likely to command a large trade, There are, too. extensive deposits of .clays suitable for making the finest kinds of pottery ware, and in many places beautiful specimens of. colored marbles have been found.", r ;' ;We have been shown very choice collec- . tions of vegetable, flower, grass, and clover ' seeds j : also seed potatoes, a very large assortment. A new kind, called Carter's White Bath, is very fine— at Duncan M-Lean's, Boundary street.— ApvT. ; :. . .