THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1878.

Grey River Argus, Volume 21, Issue 3101, 24 July 1878, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1878.

The nexfc sibbing of bhe Warden's and Residenb Magisbrabe's Conrbs at Ahaura will be held on Thursday nexfc, the 25th inst. A correspondent {informs us fchab considerable dissatisfaction has been occasioned in bhe Ahaura disbricb by bhe fact tbab bhe conbracbor for bbc bridges over the Ahaura and the Grey rivers has arranged bo construct the latber bridge firsfc. No doubb tbe conbracbor has good and sufficienb reasons for his decision, and as he is under a heavy penalby for noncompletion of his contract within fche specified fcime, he has certainly nothing bo gain by unnecessary delay. Frost fish have been unusually abundanb in Otago this year. One Dunedin fisherman sold 109 in a forbnighb. Our correspondent at Ahaura writes : — " Every sitting of bhe Residenb Magisbrabe's Court proves the necessity of Justices of the Peace being appointed for the Grey Valley. It was only the obher day when bhab remarkable case of John William Day against the County Council was heard that tbe Residenfc Magistrate expressed his regret tbab ho was unable fco avail hims If of fche assistance of a justice, as throughout his very extensive district, he was very sorry bo say, he was bhe only Justice ot the Peace. Again, in the criminal case againsb James Carroll, for ass.ulb with inbenb, fche prosecutrix bad to walk all the way from Nelson Creek ln the pouring rain, and then learnt that nothing could be done to effecb the arrest of tho offender, the police declining fco acfc wifchoufc a warrant, which could not do issued owing to there being no J.P., and the unfortunate woman had then, ab considerable personal inconvenience and expense, to proceed to Greymouth to swear au information." A very numerously abtended meeting of the residenbs of the Saddle and other parts of bhe disbricb, was held on Saturday evening last at Marsden, Mr Geo. Simmons in the chair. The business of the meeting was to adopt steps fco c_ua . fche County Council at once to proceed with the completion of the road from Paroa to Marsden, as the old tramway was now- in a very dangerous condition, The following resolutions were carried : — " 1. That in the opinion of thia meebing ib is desirable bhe (Jounby Council of Grey be again informed, with regard to bhe decayed and dangerous sbate of bhe unfinished portions of the road bebween Rutherglen and Marsden ; also of the collapse cf the Saddle bridge. 2. Thab bhis meeting requesb bhe Counby Council of Grey to instruct tneir Engineer bo inspecb said road; and call benders for e.mpleting said road immediately, 3. Thafc, considering tbe said road is made afc the Saddle, and for a disbance of one and a quarber miles tow* rds Rubberglen, bhis m etiog request thab thab portion from bhe Saddle to bhe Marsden road, a disbauce . f aboub 20 chains, be firsb consbrucbed. 4 Thab & deputation, consisting of bhe Chairman, Messrs Wm. Bell, J. Howe, and Mr Lalor, waib upon and lay bhe mafcber before bhe Chairman of the Counby Council, on his refcurn from Weliingbon." The Counby Chairman is a passenger from Wellington to Greymouth per the Tararua, expected here to-day. Dr James has been chosen as surgeon of the Hokitika Hospital on the terms proposed by himself. Mr W. B. Moss will sell on fche premises, Tainui sfcreefc, at 11 o'clock to-day, Mr Woodward's stock of furniture and house furnishing goods. The annual general meeting of fche subscribers of the Grey River Hospital will take place at Gilmer's Hotel, afc 8 o'clock fchis evening. Attention is drawn fco an advertisement in another column by bhe Tasmanian Tin Mining Company. This tin company is one of the largesb ventures yeb made in Tasmania, and requires a first-class man— one who is used to turning the course of rivers, and such heavy work as mining on the Wesb Coasb districb enb-ils, The following telegram appears in fche West Coasb Times of yasterday :— " Weliingbon, July 22. — To-day a depubabion consisting of Mr Seymour George, Hon. MrGUborne, and Mr Woolcock, M. H. R.s, waited upon the Government to urge the consbruction of a railway from Wesb to Wasb Coasts, also from Greymoufch bo Hokibika. The main reason urged for the consbruction of bbc line was bhe lar-.e amount of coal and timber which would be senb to the Easb Coasb for the supply of Canterbury and transporb bo all New Zealand ports. The Hon. Mr Macandrew concurred with the importance of the work, but said funds were wanting. He suggested the better way would be to set apart; land for the purpose, bub could say nobning detinibely until bhe surveyors employed for bhe purpose | e^ orbed, as to what land would be openei up. If money were available he could fa-or ibs construction ab once, bub whab money there was was wanted for works of more pressing necessiby. He spoke very confidenbly of bhe fubure of bhe Coasb if bhe railway waß carried across the island. — The same depubation asked Govern-" menb to subsidise a steam-bug for Hokitika, but the requesb was declined on the grounds bhab such matters should be dealfc wifch by the Harbor Board, and if Governmenb subsidised one steam-tug fchere woud be no end of similar applications. — Mr George will probably move the address in reply wnen the House meets. George Koulathos (but better known as Goorge Nicholas) of whose accidental drowning iv the Mokihinui a report appeared in our columns on Monday, was a native of a village inland from Athens. He had a very narrow escape from drowning in the Arnold River, about; eleven years ago, when a boat capsized on the Falls, and three ofcher men were drowned. Nicholas would have shared the same fate bub for bhe inbrepidity displayed by his mabe, Alex. Constantine, who stripping and then passing those who could swim, hastened to aave his fellow countryman, who "could nob swim a sbroke." On the same occasion also Consbanbine saved bhe life of a woman, who, bhough said bo be worbh LSOO ab bhe time, never rewarded her rescuer with a cenfc. Ifc is alleged that proof-sheets of Beveral importanb documenbs have lately disappeared from bhe Government Printing Office, Wellington, and have been improperly used. A searching investigation will be insbitubed, wibh bhe view of discovering and punishing the thief.

On the return trip of fche steamer Anne Millbank, from Mahurangi, on Wednesday (says the New Zealand Herald), ono of the passengers on board was forbunabe enough to observe a boat, apparently adrift, between Rangitofco and Tiritiri, and. fche captain's attention was called to the faefc. The steamer was at once steered oufc of her course, and on reaching the boat ib was found tbat she contained a man who was apparently in a helpless condition. He was at; once brought on board, aud the boat taken in tow. Tbe occupant of bhe boab proved to be Mr Marsha.l, J. P., foimerly resident in Auckland, bub ab presenb residing ab Wangapoa, He lefb his own place in an open boab, under sail, afc ten o'clock on Wednesday morning, to come to Auckland, but owing fco the roughness of the weather he had to lower his sail to avoid the .quails, and his boab drifted to the position in which she was found at aboufc half-pasb three o'clock in the afbernoon. He was bhen almosb benumbed with cold. Had he nob been observed he would in all probability have perished, or been drowned before morning. A circular despafceh from Sir M. HicksBeach bo bhe officer administering bhe 'governmenb of the colony points out more i precisely than had been previously done, bhe exfcenb to which Her Majesty's ships are subject bo local quarantine regulations. The Imperial Governmenb are of opiuion thab Her Majesby'B ships in colonial waters should be subjecb to local quarantine regu'abions in bhe same manner as merchanb ships, bub fchab bhe local authorities should nob iv any way inberfere wibh bhe internal management of Her Majesty's ships, or with their freedom to proceed bo sea whenever the officer in command may deem such a course requisite. In his speech to his constituents fche ofcher day Mr Vincent Pyke indulged in strong denunciations of the fiscal sysbem of bhe colony, and amongsb ofcher things he said :—Gentlemen, Cusboms duties are a delusion and a snare. Never should we forgeb bhe mode in which Customs duties were firsfc imposed upon the English people. Ifc was in th. bad old times of Charles 11., when during the reaction occasioned by the restoration of monarchy affcer fche revolutionary period, the landholders of England met in Parliament assembled, and this is what they did. All the lands in England were granted by various monarchs to certain favorite knighbs and squires of high and low degree, upon condition thab they provided the funds for maintaining bhe Army, bhe JMavy, the King's household, and all bhe exbraordinary expenses which now rest on the people ; and in the time of Charles 11. a Parliamenb of swindlers meb. and by a majoriby of bwo relieved the lands of England from bhese dues, and g _ye permission to Charles to levy duties upon' his loving people instead; and from that firsb step grew up the accursed system now denominated Customs duties. I say accursed, not wifchout reason. Well, gentlemen, my proposition is thafc bhese things should be as soon as possible removed. There is nob one word bo be said in bheb favor excepb bhab ifc is expedient. Well, it is time the doctrine of expediency was somewhat modified, to speak moderately. I hold, and always have held, that casfcomhouses are the invention of the Evil One. I | b-lieve that the Almighty planted in differ- j enb parbs of bhe world various necessary products, in order that all peop'e should be broughb together wibh these products bill all mankind became a universal brotherhood, and bhab bhe Evil One crapfc in and instituted custom-houses. This is neither free trade nor protection. If you put a tax on boots, why tax the raw leather ? You may say it is desirable to tax clothing, to give an opportunity to people to make ifc; bhen why tax bbc cloth of which clothing is made ? The inbenbion ia simply to screw as much oub of bhe people as bhey know how by indirecb means, so bhab the people may nofc know how bhey are screwed. ' The squabbers in the mountainous parts of Otago will be heavy sufferers from the severity of the winter. • One station-holder afc Moa Flafc estimates his loss afc 10,000 sheep There has been a curious sequel to the recent meeting of Sir George Grey and the Maori King afc Waitara. On the 15th insfc aboufc 30 Waikato natives attempted to pull down and burn bhe Waitara Hobel, The consbable called upon bhe Europeans bo assist him in arresting the ringleaders, when a serious fighb book place. Though no one was seriously hurb, blood flowed freely. The ringleaders were eventu .liy lodged in gaol, bub owing bo bhe threats of the natives and an attempfcod rescue, of tbe prisoners, they were released by order of Mr Thomas B*ytor, J. P., The affair has caused greab excitement, and fche blame of ib has been laid ab bhe door of the police departmenb for nob having a proper sbaff of constables. A telegram from Queenstown to the Dunedin Morning Herald relates bha. Mr H. Manders, M.H. R., invited bhe elecbors of the Wakabip disbricb bo meeb him ab bhe Town Hall, Queenstown. The services cf tbe bellman were called into requ sition, when five hoys responded. After waiting some time bhe lights were pub oub, and the boys dispersed.