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Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 150, 24 September 1872, Page 5

The Cromwell Spring Races take place next Friday and Saturday. There appears to be every prospect of a successful meeting.—Owners of race-horses are reminded that entries for the Cromwell Derby—to be run on 26th Decemberwill close on Tuesday, Ist October proximo. The business in the Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday was of an unimportant nature. Robert Kidd, the proprietor of the Cromwell Hotel, was fined ss. for allowing a chimney to he on fire on the night of Saturday,. -4th inst. The only civil case set down for hearing— Clode v. Moore—was adjonrned till next Court-day. The applications of Robert M'Morrau for slaughter-house licenses at Wakeheld and Logantown respectively were granted.

Mr G. Fache submitted to auction on Thursday evening, at Kidd's Hall, the various privileges connected with the forthcoming Spring Kaces. Mr John Marsh was the highest bidder for the grand stand, which was knocked down to fll m at £25. The horse paddock realised £2, »d the right to issue race-cards was purchased for 17s. We may mention that Mr Fache conducted the sale gratuitously.

At last Thursday's sitting of the General Assembly, the Post Office Bill, reducing the newspaper postage to a half-penny, was passed » Committee, and then read a third time. It conies into operation on the Ist January. The **old Duty Reductiou BUI, which was likewise passed in Committee, also comes inte operation on the Ist January. This will cause an increase of sixpence an ounce in tbe.price of gold. The Albertown Races are announced to beheld on Friday and Saturday, the 18th and Wh October. The programme is a very liberal °ne, and will no doubt attract a large number of entries.

Last week we reprinted from the' Daily Times a paragraph purporting to'give the result of Professor Black's analytical test of the metallic ore.lately found on the Carrick Ran re by Mr Thomas Hall. It now appears that the quantitive analysis was incorrectly stated in the paragraph alluded to. Mr Joseph Shield, manager of the Heart of Oak Company's mine, and a copartner of Mr Hall in the of the antimony lode, has shown us the communication received by Mr Hall from Professor Black, which is as follows :— *' This specimen is a good sample of stibnite or ter-sulphide of antimony. My analysis of it yielded—metallic antimony, 70.01% ; sulphur, 26.15% ; iron, a trace. It does not show a trace of any other metal." This is the identical ore which our Dunstan contemporary " supposed to be silver lead " (!) and a week afterwards condemned as utterly valueless. The " silver lead" fiction was extensively propagated by telegraph from Dunediu, and the erroneous statement was published in almost every newspaper in the Coloay.

In the Warden's Court, on Thursday, the undermentioned applications -were dealt with : —Barker and Strahan, thirty days'protection" for sluicing claim near Hartley's Beach; granted. Royal Standard Q.M. Co., sixty days' for quartz claim on Carrick Range: granted. T. Gorman aud others, sixty days' for sluicingclaim at Kawarau Gorge : granted—two nien to be kept at work. Applications for an extended claim and tail-race, by Ah Paug and others, were adjourned for a fortnight.

A few days ago we were shown by MiMarsh, of the Bridge Hotel, a novel specimen of local industry, namely, a house broom made of the native sword-grass so abundant in the mountainous regions of this Province. The broom is of Chinese manufacture; and the workmanship neat and substantial. The points of the grass are split up into minute fibres, so as to ensure the requisite softness and flexibility ; and we should say, judging from its appearance, that the new broom will sweep as clean, and' last longer, than the American article now in general use.

A notification in the Provincial Government Gazette of 18th instant states that Mr D. MacKellar's tender (£'1764 15s. lOd.) for forming approach to Kawarau Bridge, has been accepted. We learn that the work has been commenced, and will be pushed vigorously forward, so as to enable the Bridge Company to proceed with the erection of the piers on the north side. The main pier on the south side is finished, and the Company are now building extra retaining walls, seven feet in thickness, to serve as inner piers,—the object being to protect the main pier from any possible risk of injury through lateral pressure from the natural bank. A contract has been entered into with Mr Wilson, of the Otago Foundry, for the supply of about fourteen tons of the ironwork required for the structure, and a portion of the material is now in transitu. On the completion of the northern pier of the bridge, the stretching of the wires, &c, will be proceeded with. Should no unforeseen contingency arise, the bridge will be completed about the end of January 187.'?.

The Hon. Secretary of the Cromwell Local Committee of the Dunstan Hospital desires us to express the thanks of the Committee for the generous manner in which their call for gifts for the auction bazaar has been responded to by the ladies and gentlemen in the district.

We are informed by the Legal Manager of the Colleen Bawn Company (Mr D. MacKellar) that the scrip will in all probability be issued during the course of the ensuing week. News from Melbourne states' that the rush to Charters Towers, near Townsville, in Queensland, has been cheeked. The lead Which was reported to be so rich has run out.

A telegram from Wellington, dated the 18th inst., says :—There was a meeting of the Opposition to-day, when Mr Pox announced his resignation of the leadership. He says, however, that he will still give active support, and stick firmly to those who have long been identified with him. It was argued that Mr Fox should still lead until the Stafford Ministry were ousted from office on a want of confidence motion, which Mr Vogel proposes. It is unanimously agreed that the country wants a more specilic statement than that given by Mr Stafford, which is considered vague and unsatisfactory. The new Ministry would embrace Vogel, M'Lean, and Hall ; the Premiership would be offered to Mr Waterhouse. They would accept Mr Reynolds' resolution in favour of the Colony being divided into two Provinces, it being agreed that Mr Macandrew's amendment should be withdrawn. The mining news from Corornandel is very encouraging. The claims in the Tokatea Range are in full work, and the prospects obtained are good. The stamp duty on cbequps has been reduced by the Assembly to one penny. We are not aware when this will come into operation. It is reported that gold has been found at Kinsalc, Ireland. It will be remembered that in April last, Mr J. Y. Henry, coach proprietor, was fined £lO and costs by Mr Beetham, P.M., for ringing the fire-bell at Queenstown, contrary to a municipal bye-law. At the sitting of the Supreme Court, in Banco, on Thursday last, the conviction was t quashed, by consent, with costs.