NO TOWN.

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 3046, 21 May 1878, Page 2

NO TOWN.

[prom our own correspondent]. The rainfall during the past eight or ten days has been so considerable and so constant as to lead some to imagine that we were under some sort of atmospheric influence, caused by Mercury crossing the sun, and that we were in for [a, wet winter. The wind at times, and especially during the night, was exceedingly boisterous, sweeping through the bush with hurricane force, tearing up the largest trees, and sending the strongest boughs in all directions. At one time on Wednesday it was dangerous to be about, or in the neighborhood of the bush. In consequence we have had no mail from Greymonth for over eight days. The weather, however, is now showing symptoms of improvement. Mr Harrison, who had addressed a large meeting of the electors at Maori Gully on Tuesday night, arrived here on Wednesday, and in the evening held his meeting in M'Oarthy's Union Hotel, where he mefc a numerous body of the electors. Mr Harrison, who, of' course, is well known all over the district, and whose claims on the electorate for past services rendered are, it i 3 to be hoped, duly recognised, enlarged at considerable length upon the various important topics contained in his address, giving especial satisfaction in hia remarks upon the sub-

ject of education, so far as relates to the State support of Catholic schools in populous places. Afc the close of his speech, which was frequently applauded, numerous questions were pufc to the candidate and satisfactorily answered, and in the matter of a reduction of the present annul charge for a miner's right, Mr Harrison gave a pledge that he would, if re--turned, endeavor to have the same reduced to 23 6d or ss. The usual vote of confidence in Mr Harrison as a fit and proper person to represent the Grey district in Parliament, was carried unanimously. . i No sooner had Mr Harrison taken his departure for Nelson Greekand elsewhere than Mr John Barrowman, a " Glaskie laddie,"- and the "Working-man's Candidate, as he calls himself, entered appearance, ' freely delivering, as he rode along, copies of hia speech to the electors of Greymouth on 7th May. Mr Barrowman, who is indeed a very superior working man, and full of intelligence and shrewdness, addressed a very fair meeting pf electors in M'Oarthy's. His speech, which was delivered with considerable fluency, was as near as may be a repetition of that delivered by him in Greymouth, and hfc. was attentively listened to throughout. At the close of his address the candidate was subjected to a number of questions relating to gold duty, establishment of a mint, immigration, the doing away with the Agent-Generalship in London, the establishment of a Waste Lands Board for thr Grey district, support of hospitals, &c, and- last, but hot least, Tom Cooper's phantasmagoria! queries as to the ballot paper and the way ifc can can be managed afc elections. Mr Barrowman gave satisfactory replies, and was duly proposed and seconded as a fit and proper person, &c, &c. Tn the Magistrate's Court on Wednesday .last; there was only: {one case of any interest,- thst - of. the Police ..v. : M'Gregor. Ifc appeared that the defendant,' in his capacity as secretary to the sub- committee ofthe Grey River Hospital* had (in the ahsence of a permit) sold spirituous liquors in an unlicensed house on the evening of the recent concert and ball in behalf of the Hospital: Now it may be noticed that for , many years past a free permit has invariably been granted for such a , charity, ... and on the present occasion Mr Shaw, R.M., the Chairman of the Ahaura Disfcriefc Licensing Bench, had been twice written to, and in the most polite manner requested^ to grant the usual permit. His Worship, for reasons best known to himself, did not evidently see his Way to granting a permit, for he did not reply to either of the letters, and as the entertainment would haye beeu next door to a total failure in the absence of something stronger than Templar stuff to warm the inner man, and draw forth a few extra pounds for the charity, the Committee held a meeting, and resolved to dispose of John Barleycorn on : the usual terms— sixpence a nobbier. De- i fendant admitted the sale of the liquor ; on the evening in question, and was • fined Is and 6_j 6d costs, which as a| matter of course will be deducted from I the amount raised for. the hospital. j A protest is being extensively signed; here and in Red Jack's against the pay-; ment of Lls to S. Haisty for the No] Town Free Library, and this will be fol-i lowed up by a petition to Sir Georgej Grey, detailing the facts of the case.