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Grey River Argus, Volume XXI, Issue 2316, 12 January 1876, Page 2

A very severe shock of earthquake took place this morning at 2 o'clock. We are requested to state that his Worship the Mayor has placed the Council room, in the Town Hall, at the disposal of the committees of the several candidates during the election to-morrow. We draw the attention of the general public to the advertisement in to-day'a issue notifying the opening of the new Government School. We understand that the Committee have arranged for the use of the Good Templars' Hall, as in every way fitted or conducting a large school. As this Hall will not be completed till Ist February, it has been decided by the Committee to open the school for the purpose of classification and instruction for the time being in the old Roman Catholio School building. Parents are requested to see that their children are in attendance at the hours mentioned, Oar

readers are doubtless aware that the course ' of English instruction is free to all the scholars between Jfche ages of five and fourteen yeara. ' \^ Referring to the' memorial ia course of signature praying for the retention of Mr Warden Broad in the Reefton and Grey Valley districts, the Westport Times states that a suggestion has been made which is favorably entertained by the Provincial Executive to the effect that the original boundaries of the Warden's district shall be re-established, ko as to comprise the Reefton, Lyell, and Westport districts in one— an arrangement which would conduce much to the advantage of each present district, and would materially increase the ,work of the officer exorcising supervision. The Ahaura district could be entrusted to the care of the Greymouth Warden, or, if his present duties would be too much trended on, the establishment of a separate district for the Grey Val'ey might be found practicable and convenient. About eight o'clock on Monday morning a miner named John Mathews, living at Stafford reported to Constable M'Gill, that a man named Stephen Pierce had been found lying dead in his hut by his mate, John Roberts. The deceased had complained of illness to Roberts the night before, and Roberts on going to the deceased's hut early in the morning found him lying dead. The sum of Ll4 133 was found on the deceased by the police, and it is reported that he has Ll5O in the Hokitika Savings Bank. There are 165 lunatics in the Auckland Asylum. A sporting writer in a Northern journal gives the following reasons why the Grey* mouth Midsummer Meeting induced so few horse 3to show up : —The programme at Greymouth, though tolerably attractive in the amount of money given, failed to draw thither any horses above mediocrity. The reason of this is plain. There is but one weight for age race for a small sum, and any good ho^se that entered for the Handicap got weighted preposterously so as to give the scrubbers he had to meet a chance, that owners did not care to enter, to incur the risk of sending a valuable animal on such a risky journey. Korari, who was handicapped for the Grey meeting long before he ran at Wellington, was asked to give from 21 to 571bs to every horse opposed to him out of his own stable. What wonder that Mr Redwood took the hint that his colt was not wanted at Greymouth. Guy Fawkes was handicapped 12lbs less than Korari, but did not see the force of giving Somnainbula 301bs, or Nectar, the winner of the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap 241bs, and so proceeded to Auckland, where, although the heaviest weighted in the Cup, the agony has not been piled up so unmercifully. The Buller .News thus apologises for its recent intemperate writing regardiog the Buller election : — " In the heat of the election now past hard things have been said scarce calculated to conduce to a united peace. Mr O'Conor, the late member, and defeated candidate, has had his faults painted in exbragavant colors. In true electioneering spirit, his opponents have done all that could be done to gain a victory by his defeat. As supporters of Mr O'Conor we have suffered a good deal of which we are innocent, and in our indignation at the falsity of our maligners, we were at last tempted to follow the example set by our opponents, and descend to a style of argument indigenous to Billingsgate. In respect to our opponents and ourselves we make the amende honorable, and say let by-gonea be by-gones ;cast aside all party feeling, let each bear with his neighbor charitably, always remembering that ' united we stand ; divided we fall.' " The Wflstport Times thus sums up the result of the Buller election : — " In earnest and hearty congratulation we shake hands with cur readers. The good fight has been fought and won. The political independence of the Buller district at last rests on sure foundations. Political terrorism is dead and with it all the baleful agencies of party strife. At least so we fervently pray. The struggle was severe but right prevailed, and a ! l good men and true rejoice and are satisfied. The election of a new member for the Buller district, marks a new era in its political history. Now that the fray has ended may we hope that unity will prevail, that the victors will moderate their transports, and the vanquished submit with good grace to their defeat. Let the right hand of friendship be extended. Let the wretched past be forgotten. Let the motto of the district be "One for all and all for one." Let the New Year mark this and all will profit." There is rather better news from Ohinemuri. The mining reporter of the Thames Evening Star supplies the following, under date Mackaytown, Ist January: — "The news from the late find is most encouraging, and all who have been on the ground have expressed unqualified satisfaction. In the prospectors' claim, which they have registered as the Smile of Fortune, there are four well-defined and solid reefs, the largest of which, as far as can be seen at present, is some 10ft in width. All the reefs are running to, a degree or so north and south, or parallel with the spur. The dip of the largest, or No. 1 reef, is towards the west ; but the other three dip to the east, and converge upon the main reef. In the No. 1 a little gold is to be seen in the stone, but the No. 3is admitted to be the best. The prospects obtained from it, both from crushing the stone and panning off the loose dirt, are very good. A shovelful of this dirt was washed in my presence, and yielded fully £dwt of gold. There is about 2ft of a body of stone in this reef, which will yield, on a moderate estimate, Sozs to the ton. The other two reefs are both good payable ones." • In his speeoh to the electors of Auckland City East, Mr Rees, amongst some other trifling absurdities, promised that if separation was not obtained, he would himself bring in a Bill for the localisation of the Customs duties. Mr Carleton, one of the candidates for the Mount Eden district, Auckland, and who strongly supports the consolidation of the land revenue, thus explained how it was that the land revenue became Provincial revenue : —Now, 1 have heard men Bpeak again and again of something called a " compact." As one who is intimately acquainted with the whole history of the land question from the very first session of the Assembly up to 1870, I tell you distinctly there never was a compact at all. There is nothing more ridiculous than the word. I ask you, with whom was the compact made ? I have asked that again and again, and never had an answer. Certainly it was not made with Otago. They voted against it. Certain resolutions were agreed to in the House, which were to hold good upon one condition, that they were to be confirmed by an Act of the Imperial Parliament. The Act of the Imperial Parliament fell to the ground, and with that all those resolutions together. Why, "compact !" I never heard of such a word in the House at that time. The question of a compact was introduced afterwards. But, the fact is, a great many of the Southern members at that time thought the bargain was a great deal too good for Auckland. (Mr Buckland : Hear, hear. ) The plain fact is, there were none of us ia the House who saw far enough into the future, but it was a series of resolutions which fell through the flaw that was in themselves. The matter | was done afterwards, and, with such ' unanimity that I think there was np vpte. taken upon it, It was done in 185$ by the

Act of Parliament, but all Acts of Parliament are uot "compacts," they are subject to all the incidents of Acts of Parliament, revision and repeal. By what rope is the House to be bound ? Do you mean to tell me that the House can bind itself from one session to another, much leas from one Parliament to another. There are instances of the minority of one day becoming the majority of uv xt day, possibly through the abscence of some members, and rescinding resolutions which have b«en carried by the former majority. The term "compact" should be scouted by the North. In the South they use it, but it means nothing. Call it by the right name, cull it resolutions in the House, then you speak the truth and nothing more.