THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 1879.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXIII, Issue 3382, 20 June 1879, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 1879.

: A special telegram received at an early hour this morning informs us that Mr peeves, M.H. R., on his return to Wellington waited upon the Minister of Public Works, who assured him that tenders would be called within ten days for the construction of the Brnnnerton and Amberley Railway ; also for the extension of the Poxhill to Brnnnerton Railway. At the meeting of the County Council yesterday, a rather arousing d scussion re subsidies to public libraries came on. Cr Poley, in most forcible terms, denounced the grants on the ground that wives of miners and storekeepers collected their husbands' dinners, their household duties, and remained as they tumbled out of bed, absorbed in the contents of the last novel obtained at the subsidised County Council library. The Councillor appeared to speak from a thorough knowledge of his subject. Cr Boase also descanted most sagely and wisely on the evil of novel-reading and light literature in genera). He would go in for a few good 'newspapers and sound, substantial literature. The Chairman was also against "trashy" literature, and Cr Madden fully agreed with all that had been said about the ill effects of book-reading. It appeared from the tenor of the conversation that none •f the members had ever read works by Thackeray, Shakespeare, Dickens, Moore, Carleton, Burns, Milton, or any of the other great writers of poetry or fiction, but had confined the whole of their attention to the practice of County Councils and the study of such worka as Lindley Murray or Morel's Grammar and Dean Alford's Qaren's English—very good no doubt in their way, but rather heavy study for a miner in a hut aftar a hard day's work in a wet drive. Cr Boase mentioned, to show the ill-effects of these "libraries, that they incited people to acts of dishonesty, as copies of books belong • ing to the Cobden Library had been sold at auction by that renowned kuight of the hammer Mr Moss. The only man in the Council who ventured to raise his voice in defence of relaxing literature was the member for Nelson Creek, Councillor Ellis, who thought a little light literature was useful in its way. The mail advised to close at Bluff yesterday has been extended till to-day (Friday), at 12 noon. Telegrams for transmission to Bluff will he received at the Telegraph Office, Grey mouth, till 11am. The Hokitika Harbor Board have written to the Secretary of the Ma r ine Department to the effect that tender for L27,593had been accepted for a training wall ; that only LI 5,000" was at the disposal of the Board to defray the amount of tbe contract, and asking for a farther grant of L 17.000. Unexpected light has been thrown upon the Bravo case by Dr Raymond, of Torquay, who lately left for the Cape. He states that he had information respecting the Brtvo case, which for private reasons he did not make known at the trial, although he wrote to Mrs Bravo on the subject, but received no answer. For some years past he had been engaged in preparing a chemical compound, of which he was the inventor, for the cure of dipsomania. The chief ingredient was tartar emetic, the principle of cure to keep up a constant nausea He supplied his preparation to Mr Bravo, to whom he sent threo packet*. He frequently procured tartar em tc from Torquay chemists, to whom b» made this statement. He helieved that Mr Bravo administer ed this medicine to his. wife without her knowledge, and probably

his own death was caused by accidentally taking a large quantity of it. He probably kept it in his own room. Thus the presence of tartarised antimony or tartar emetic in his house is explained. , In order to allow Wallsend, Brunnerton, and up-country residents to attend the funeral of the Rev G. T. N. Watkins on Saturday afternoon, the train from Brunnerton wi.l arrive at G rey mouth at 1.45 p. m sharp, and the 4 15 p m train from Greymouth will be detained till 5 p.m. The 5.15 p.m train from Brunnerton will not leave till 5 45 on Saturday evening. The Couuty Council finished its sitting last evening at 11 o'clock. The tender of Cochraneand Sods for the making of the Pike Plains rttad was accepted. ; In- the course of the sitting a telegram was received from the Undersecretary 0? Public Workß to the effect that the money voted for the Pike Plains road jinft the' No Town Bridge was held as belonging; to the County, but should there be a surplus after those works had been exeouteri, the balance would revert to the Minister of Public Works. The sum of L 1303 15s was received from the Rate Collector, and it was resolved, that no fresh works be survey < d. arid undertaken for a period of six months. It was resolved to reduce the amount of rent of the Omotumotu toll-gate by L6O. No report was sent up from the Committee' on the reduction Of departmental expenses and salaries. The Council agreed to join with the Borough Council m the expense of erecting a pyramid to be sent to the Sydney Exhibition. A rather warm discussion arose as to whether the Surveyor had acted rightly in allowing ?saj contractors to charge L 2 per 100 feet for certain work in connection with the Stillwater Bridge, and a motion was carried expressive of confidence in the Surveyor. It being resolved to strike a County rate for the ensuing year, the Chairman was directed to prepare an estimate of expenditure, and the Council adjourned till Tuesday, the Ist July.