THE Thames Advertiser. SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1875.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2016, 10 April 1875, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 1875.

Tnis case of Oatran and others against Porter and others, which has occupied the Warden's Court at Ohinemuri for the past three days, has been virtually brought to a conclusion by the plaintiffs acceptiug the terms which were, we believe, offered by defendants before the case commenced. The hearing of this case, although it has wasted a large amount of money and time, has been beneficial in one respect, for it has brought to light a few particulars respecting the fraud perpetrated by the issuing of miners' rights prior to the field belDg opened. Two miners' rights, signed by Captain Fraser, were displayed on the Karangahake hill on the opening morning long before any person could have reached the ground, from Mackaytown after the reading of the opening proclamation. The. possessor of one of the rights was put into the witnessbox, and admitted that he had his right in'his possession at 10 o'clock, but how or where he got it he declined to say. Now,.it is a fact that the proclaiming of the field occupied about nine minutes, and to ride from Mackaytown would' probably occupy a quarter of an hour, so that rights ought not to have been on the field before twenty-four minutes past,ten. We believe, however, that they were on the ground before eight o'clock, and what makes the matter more serious still, is the fact Jhab other men were seen with rights in their possession at an early hour in the morning. We. confess that we are not surprised at the warmth of feeling displayed by the Warden in this matter, because it is a question in which the honour and the integrity of his department are concerned. To him the

people will look for an explanation, and ou his shoulders will rest the task of clearing away all suspicion from the department under his control, and of sheeting home the fraud to the proper quarter. Ho has, we know, strongly urged upon the Government the necessity of appointing a commission to enquire into the matter, but without success so far. Why the Government do iiofc show some desire to enquire into a crime of this kind we eannot imagine. They may rest assured that the affair caonotand will not be hushed up, and they must know that they will be forced into an enquiry if they will not undertake it voluntarily. Since the above was written we have received a telegram stating that Dr Pollen has ceased to hold the delegated powers, but it does not give us any . further information. We presume that Sir George Grey has agreed to ad-, minister the affairs of the goldfields, and that thiß is the preparatory step for handing them over to his charge. The public will not be displeased at any change, and strong as our sympathies are with a central form of government, we must confess that a few months more ot such government as we have recently had, would convert us into rabid provincialists. We do not want centralism without local control over local affairs, and above all things we object to a purely personal government. Should Sir George Grey take over the charge of the goldfields we trust that one of his first official acts will be to -cause a searching enquiry to be made into the issuing of the miners' rights at Ohinemuri,

A meeting convened by his Worship the Mayor was held last evening at the Mechanics'Institute to take into consideration the beat means of raising funds for • the relief of John Windsor, who by a recent accident sustained snob injuries that one arm was amputated and the other disabled.- There' were present his Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Messrs T. Kenuan, J, Benney, E, Binney, W. Dixon, T. Hicks, J. W. Walker, E. Comer, W. J, Bagnail, S. E. Richards, and A, Griffiths. The chairman read the advertisement, and stated the facts of the case, which are already known to our readers. Captain Richards said he had inquired into the circumstances of Windsor, and he explained to, the meeting how he came to move in the nutter. Mr Kennan then explained what had been done for Windsor, and complained of the misrepresentation that had been made. Mr Benney thought they should forget all that, and see what, further assistance could be got. Those present formed themselves into a committee, and Captain Richards' was appointed secretary and treasurer. . .: , ■ . Mr Craig sold by auction yesterday, at the Herald battery, a lot of tailings from the City of London crushing. The'first lot offered was estimated to contain about 250 tons, and after some competition, was purchased by Mr Quint, of the Willoughby-street Reduction Works, for 7s per ton of 28 cubic feet measurement. The • second lot contained about 100 tons, and was also bought by Mr Quint, at 5s 9d per ton A parcel of about JO ton 3 of pyrites was bought by Mr Bawden for £2 2s 6d. We are informed that it ia premature to announce that Mr John' Sheeban has settled in Napier, and docs not intend to return to Auckland.: We are told on good authority that Mr Sheehan will be in his place during the next session of the Provincial • Council, which opens on the 10th .of next month,— Herald. The sudden Master John A. Stewart, the son of Mr James Stewart, C.E., on Wednesday afternoon, has caused much anxiety and fear in the breasts of his parents. It appears that the missing youth, who is about fifteen years of age, accompanied his father on that morning from his residence in Newmarket to town, and afterwards went through his school business at the Grammar School, but did not return to his class after the dinner recess. His brother, who also is a pupil at the Grammar School,' returned home in the evening by himself, and Mr Stewart fiuding that John made no appearance, came into town at a late hour in the evening to make inquiries as to the cause of his absence. In company with Mr Mcßae, the master of .the iirammar School, search was made'for the boy, but without success. Yesterday, the.search was renewed, and even a well behind the Choral Hall, down which it was reported by a boy that a youth, had been seen to fall, was dragged ' twice, but happily to find that the report was untrue. It is conjectured that the lad may have left town for the Waikato, though as yet no motive can.be discovered for hisdoingso, Every effort is being made to trace his where* abouts, and we. hope they will soon be successful. He was dressed in a grey suit, and wore a straw hat. The police have his photograph. We (Gross) are given to understand that on the proposal of Messrs Reed and Brett, the defendants in an action for libel, raised at the instance of Mr J. M, Shera, it has been agreed to submit the case to arbitration, and that the arbiter proposed : by the defendants,, 'and accepted by plaintiff, is his Honor the Superintendent. It itf not stated whether or not Sir George has consented to arbiter in the case. ' ' Referring to the measle plague at Fiji, the Wellington Post says'' Many years ago, the Middle Island, or southern portion of it was nearly depopulated by the same scourge. The. Maoris died literally by hundreds,. There is on the coast of Otago a small bay, known ,as Measly Beach, where tons of human bones used to lie around, the skeletons. being those of natives who died from the measles. This beach seems to have been a favourite place for those seized with the illness to come and die. It may not be very long before we have an out-' break of a similar kind in the North Island."