THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1879.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 3277, 17 February 1879, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1879.

We are glad to find that the people of Canterbury have again taken up the question of the West Coast Railway. On Saturday we quoted some remarks made at a meeting of the Cheviot electors on this snbjeot, and we have now before us a report of what transpired at an interview between the Minister of Public Works and a deputation at Christchurch. The deputation consisted of Messrs J. Studholme, M.H.R., Captain Wills, Mr Lance (Chairman of the County Council of Ashley), M. 0. F. Barker, and Mr Buchanan. The deputation was introduced to Mr Macandrew by Mr J. E. Brown, M.H.R. for Ashley, who explained that the object of the deputation in waiting upon the Minister of Public Works was— lst, To see how far the Government was prepared to go on with the proposed West Coast; Railway before the next meeting of Parliament ; and 2nd, to ascertain, if possible, from the Government what route it was proposed to take. Mr Brown said it was of great importance, not only to the districts north of Christchurch, but to the whole provincial district, that the construction of the railway to the West Coast should be commenced as soon as possible, and anything short of an asßurance from the Minister of Public Works to this effect would no* satisfy the deputation. It was a matter of vast importance, and the sooner some definite and satisfactory steps were taken the better. Captain Wills, who acted as spokesman, stated that the deputation was very anxious for the Government to contract for a longer line of railway than was intended at present to advertise for. He might say that the people of the district whioh the deputation represented had a certain amount of suspicion that there was certain undue influence being brought to bear upon the Government by owners of certain sections 6f land to carry the railway in their direction, and therefore the deputation wouldilike an assurance from the Minister of Public Works that he was not under this influence, and that the north railway would be carried to the West Coast immediately by way of Weka Pass. Mr Studholme said that as far as he was concerned he was quite willing to leave it to the Government to decide which was the best route. The Minister of Public Works assured the deputation as far as he was concerned that no back stairs influence whatever had been brought to bear upon him by any person to influence his opinion one way or the other, and if there had been such influence he knew nothing whatever of it. Tenders had' already been called for beyond the Waipara River, which included'the bridge, and that was a line in common to both routes. Mr Blair, the engineer, was going to make another visit in the month of March, when he would come over from' the' West Coast to Amberley, and would then report which was the best line in his opinion. The Government intended to spend the L 30,000 Voted last session, and next session they would apply for another vote to be placed on the Estimates to carry on the work. He might state that this was in substance what he communicated to Mr Brown some little time ago in Otago. This information is very satisfactory as far as it goes, and we are ranch obliged to our Canterbury neighbors for getting an explicit answer from Mr Macandrew. The chance of the early commencement of this line is like . a pleasant rift of blue sky in the sombre cloud.

The new harmonium, one of Alexandra's best, was played for the first time yesterday in the Trinity Church by the organist, Mr Clements. The special anthems were, in the morning, "1 will lift up mine eyes," and, in the erening, "Incline Thine ear unto my prayer," the solo portions being ' well sung by Miss Moller. The harmonium is a very fine one, and the various stops were well brought out by the organist in the voluntones, a* At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday, before Justices Nancarrow and Lahman, a seaman belonging to the schoo or Elibauk Caßtle was charged with committing an assault upon the cookof the vessel, a Chinaman. The charge was proved, and the defendant fined 20s and costs. ' There was a rumor current; in town last evening that Mr John Bulstrode, the well known publican, late of Greymouth and Kumara, but now of Melbourne, was dead. We give the rumor for what it is worth. Tickets in Tonka' sweep on the Dnnedin Cap will be raffled at the premises, British and American Hotel, this evening. \

This evening a treat of no ordinary character is in store for the people of Greymonth, in the shape of a lecture on " The National Songs of England, Ireland, and Scotland," by the Rev W. Heavingham Root, in the Public Hall. The lecture will be illustrated with songs by local amateurs. The programme, which appears in another column, includes some of the best known airs of each nation, including Braham's soulstirring 'Death of Nelson' and 'Rule Britannia,' the lively 'British Grenadiers,' and the lugubrious ' Mistletoe Bough,' represents the English selection, though why the essentially English ' Home, Sweet Home ' is omitted must be an oversight. The Irish selection comprises two of Moore's beautiful melodies, ' The Last Rose of Summer ' and . ' The Harp that once through Tara's Hall.' The Scotch songs include 'Ye banks and braes,' 'Roy's wife,' 'Coming through the rye,' Afton Water,' • Bonnie Dundee,' and ' Auld Lang Syne.' Yet, for a similar reason to that mentioned above, we suppose Scotia's essentially national patriotic song, ' Scots wha' hae,' and the pathetic ' Auld Robin Grey ' are missed ; while last, though not least, the grand old Principality is represented by ' The march of the Men of Harlech' on the Welsh harp, which in itself is a feature, especially in the hand of Mr Morgan. From the success which attended the lecture in Kumara, and from the well known ability of the lecturer, a crowded house may be expected. Mark Sprot and Co will sell by auction this day, at their sale yards, Omotomutu, cattle and sheep. Messrs Nanoarrow and Co will offer for sale this day on the wharf, alongside the Cleopatra, produce, fruit, salt, wine, &c. The Wellington Evening Post completed its fourteenth year of publication on the Bth iost. At first its circulation was hardly 250 copies daily, now it publishes 30,000 weekly, or an arerage of 5000 daily. Persona who ride or drive on the "' wroug side " of the road should remember that under sub-section 13, section 99 of the Public Works Act, any person who "does not keep any vehicle driven by him on the left or near side of the road when meeting, and on the left or off Bide of the road when passing another vehicle, or does not leave a reasonable portion of the road for any vehicle passing him," is liable to a penalty not exceeding L 5. The solicitors of New Plymouth have resolved to form a law society, so as to enable them to take proceedings against a person improperly claiming professional privileges. Mr Justice Richmond has recovered from his late illness, and re-appeared in Court. It appears that a person competent to act as judge at a Waterloo Coursing Meeting is a rara aim in this part of the world. We hear that an Otago coursing club recently wrote to a gentleman in {Australia who has the reputation of being the best judge of this description of sport on this aids of the line, with a view to securing his services at a Waterlo meeting. The gentlemen in question consented to come for L4OO. He was not engaged. Here is a curious and yet terrible contrast — Telegram by Suez mail:— "At Sheffield the distress is Baid to be without parallel in the previous history of the town." Another item— "The young Earl of Norfolk will shortly attain his majority ; he will derive an income of L4O '.000 per annum from his Sheffield property alone. " Can people wonder at Socialism and Communistic ideas spreading? The rumor of the discovery of gold by a man named Cooper, near Wainui-omata, is discredited in Wellington. Cooper is described as a "well-known prospector from the Middle Island," but he is not "wellknown " on the West Coast at all events. Mr Jno. Ollivier, of Christchuroh, has beep appointed Auditor of the New Zealand University. Mr Conyers, Commissioner of Railways for the Middle Island, has returned to Christchurch, and is recovering rapidly. The Wellington Coal Company, established to work a lease at Westport, has a debt balance on the year's operations of L 982, and is/to be wound up. Mr Carlyle, although now past 83, is so well and strong that he has been making a recent visit to Scotland. His pleasant but simple house in Cheyne Row, Chelsea— a house nearly 200 years old —is presided over by his niece, Miss Aiken, an amiable lady of middle age. In the bright garden the sage comfortably smokes, and twice every day he walks abroad among the quaint and narrow street of Chelsea, one of the oldest and most interesting parts of London. Arrangements are afoot for a Volunteer demonstration of all the forces of the Middle Island, as far north as the railway system extends, on Easter Monday. A considerable sum of money is already in hand for expenses. Mr Genever, manager of the Dunedin Gas Works, has been dismissed owing to the inferior quality of gas he has been producing. Applications are invited for the office, salary L4OO per annum. In the discussion on the subject in the City Council, Cr. Gore went on to say that Brunner coal was used at Invercargiil. where it was delivered in the yard at 34s 6d per ton, and from it the gas engineer there was able to get 10,000 feet of 18-candle gas. In Dunedin they paid 38s for Newcastle coal, from which only 8000 or 9000 feet of 16-candle gas could be made, which showed a >cry marked difference in cost of production. Again, at Invercargill the coke was able to be sold in larger quantities than it could be produced at 30s per ton, while here only 25s per ton, with 5 per cent, discount, could be obtained. There 123 6d was the price charged, while here it was only 10s. He had to add, also, that always previously he had been of opinion the improved quality of gas secured at Invercargill was due to the better character of tbe works, but he had learnt the works there recently had to be entirely remodelled. In one building into which he and others had gone in Invercargill— the Working Men's Club— there was a light from 14 jets which could not have been secured from less than 28 jets in Dunedin, A story is Bent to me (writes " Atlas," in , the World) about the late Mr M'Nab, Curator of the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. , When Dubufe's celebrated paintings of Adam . and Eve were on exhibition, Mr M'Nab was taken to see them, and was asked for his ' opinion. "I think no great things of the ( painter," said the great gardener. "Why, 1 man. Eve's temptin' Adam wi' a pippin of a 1 variety that wasna known until aboot i twenty years ago 1" As genuiae a bit of < criticism as that of. the farmer who told 1 George Morland that he had never seen j eight little pigs feeding without one of them j having his feet in the trough. Morland t altered the picture, ( A farmer named Reynolds, living at t Borin, Tallyhaw, County Cavan, was i visited on the night of the 4th inst. by 1 about twenty men, armed with sticks, who j broke into the house about half-past s eleven, and beat and abused him violently. I They afterwards carried him out of the s house on a door, again ill-treated him > and left him in a very exhausted con- v dition. They took away his gun, and I before departing warned him to take care p or they would give him the death of Lord n Lei trim. He says he does not know any o of his assailants, s<