LATER TELEGRAMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 513, 16 February 1872, Page 2

LATER TELEGRAMS.

Feb. 15. The sailing of the Mail is postponed till Sunday. She takes a large quantity of wool ; 357 bales from Lyttleton. The City Council have accepted Mr Larnach’s offer to supply gas at 12s (id a thousand, and provided thatjthe Corporation do not erect work* for three veal’s. It repgesents an annual saving ■of 6,500 Z. on the returns of i 87 I. Mescrs. Reynolds aiH Bathgate ad dressed a crowded meeting on Tuesday last. Mr. Stout’s amendment, thanking ihe representatives, but declining to opprove of the course taken by them in the Assembly was declared carried Not n ore than thirty voted, the majority declining. The trial crushing of the Portobello ■was twenty-two pennyweights to the ton. LATEST GREYMOUTH. o In the Upper Township, the pro tective works withstood the flood, except at thv upper breakwater which

gave way, the water rushed over the wharf three feet. Of the Government township, the greater part -was washed away into the sea, or flouted up the lagoon in' a state of wreck. From Joh sou-street, seaward, the entire line of buildings fronting the river disappeared. With the buildings went the protective works. A fire broke out, which was a rare sight, the burning buildings tumbling into the water, and -floating out to sea, The fire did not speead. Nearly every storehouse in the town has been damaged. At Timarir, 50 1, has been collected in aid of the Greymouth sufferers at a public meeting.

A very smart shock of earthquake w:is felt in various parts of the district on Friday morning last, between two and three o’clock. A great many eop'e were disturbed from their sleep by the oscilating motion of the earth ; an 1 those who were up, am mg them being the employees on this paper, experienced it most plainly. The vast atnount of injury that has Ven done to the district by the wanton destruc. tion of grass by fire is how being pretty generally- felt, " the miner and th e sheep-farmersufferingalike ; and it behoves every one to use the greatest care in pre. venting the grass being fired. It may not be generally known that the law on this point is very stringent; and, from the opinion expressed by the Black’s Bench, during the pash week, in dealing with a charge for this offence, the law will in its full force he carried out on he next case brought before it. It is laid down that, whenever it is deemed necessaiy to burn giass or scrub, twenty four hours’ notice the intention must be given to the run holder or other persons liable to suffer; and j for non-compliance, a very heavy fine may be inflicted, or a term of imprisonment. The allotment of shares in the “ Elba Estate Company'’ came off on Wednesday evening last, the first prize, “Elba,” falling to A. Christophers, Esq., the Bank of New South Wales, Clyde ; the second to Mr. M. Marshall, of Clyde. The slight showers that have lately passed over the district have done but little or no good. Complaints r rom all quarters

of the scarcity of water daily reach us, cattle are dying for want of food and water, and the miner is at a perfect stand-still for want of the necessary element. It is intimated to us that the objectionable clause in the new Gold-fields Rules, whereby 9s. per annum was charged on every head of water, is again repealed, but no power is given to the Receivers of Gold Revenue as to sums already paid. This, we think is a fit matter for the Mining Associafions'to deal with. The usual monthly meeting of the Town Council on Wednesday evening last lapsed for want of a quorum. / A want that hjis long exirted, that of baths; has at length been supplied by Mr. Eames, of the Hotel where fliot, Cold, and Shower baths can be obtained on the shortest notice. We larn that rather a serious meUe took place during the past week, at Tinker’s Gully, between the Chinese and Europeans. The origin of the row was some slight difference between the Chinese and a butcher

respci ting the weight of some meat. From words, blows followed, the heat hen liberally using his bamboo, and, in fact, everything that came to hand The European, in selfdefence, took to similar weapons, and a desperate encounter was the result. John eventually had to beat a retreat, 'eaviiu? one of his number hors do c mbit. one of the Europeans, a well-known miner named Scott, having his a-m V-ok-n. D". Kevin is in constant attwi ante on the wounded, anl fears >ve expressed as to the rec very of the Chinaman. Mr. John Alio i, Chinese Interpreter, passed through Cly le yesterdy af*ernoon, en route for Tinker’s Gully, the scene of the lalee ncouuter between the Chinese and Europeans. A meeti 'g of the sharehol lers of the Garrick Range Water Supply Company was held at Cromwell yesterday, to take steps to register the Company under the “Mining

Company’s Limited Liability Act.” Cattle-owners will have an early opportunity of adding to their herds. Mr. M'Laren, of Tokomairiro, has placed in the hands of our local “kniihtsof thehammer’’ a Very large mob, which will be disposed of as per advertisements in another column, to which we draw attention. A little excitemept was caused at Grom, well on Wednesday last over a mowing match for aside between Messrs. G. W. Goodger and G. Redhead. The match was to mow one acre of oats. Fortune favored Redhead, who completed his acre in some four minutes before his weighty an tagonist On Tuesday last, Mr. George Fache sold by public auction the furniture and effects of Mr. Vincent Pyke, who is leaving the district, having been transferred to Tuapeka. The attendance was very good, and the prices realised were satisfactory.

We are requested to draw attention to the sale by auction, on the 21st insc, of the Sydney Hotel, Freehold sections, household furniture, horses, and other effects. Mr. George Faohe requests us to call especial attention ta the sale by auction, at his rooms, to-morrow (Saturday), at 2 o’clock p.m., of sections of freehold land, cottage, and household furniture, the property of Mr. Vincent Pyke. Also to the sale of a lot of splendid engravings, in maple and gilt frames which will be offered at same time and place. The Managers of Cemeteries will do well to bear in mind that a two shilling and six penny stamp must bo used on every declaration made under Section 14 of the “ Cemeteries’ Reserves Management Ordinance, 1564.” -

The following ape the .winners of the different races at the Clutha Races.—Maiden Plate.—Countess, 1 ; Salamander' Sam, 2. Clutha Handicap.—Slander, 1 ; Backbiter, 2. Hurdle Race.—Don Pedro, 1 ; Honest John, 2. Publican’s Purse.—Yatterina, 1, Backbiter, 2. The races were a great success, there being a large attendance and splendid weather.

The West Coast Quarts reefs are beginning to command high prices. A oneeighth share in a claim was lately sold for 3,800/. - An inquest was held in the Dunedin Hospital on Saturday last, on the body of Netana one of the Maori prisoners, who died there thesame morning of consumption. A verdict to that effect was returned by the jury. The deceased was but seventeen years of age This is the eighteenth Maori prisoner who has died since the arrival of the batch in November, 1869. —Dally Times. The Waitahuna correspondent of tha Tua-

peka Times says : —What may happen to a min in Waitahnna was exemplified in the case "fa hard-up digger, who was travelling down country in search of employment. In passing through Waitahuna on t!;e29th ult., he called at the residence of a friend, but finding no one at home, he resumed his journey, He had not proceeded far before be was overtaken by Constable Youngston and arrest'-d, at the instance of his friend's wife, on a char-e of havin'/ stlen a one pound note from her dwelling. The man, of course, protested he was innocent, and the lady as strongly protested he was guilty, as a neighbor of her’s bad seen him enter the house. As to the pound having been removed from where she had placed it, that was quite clear to her mind, the last time she saw it being about three o’clock in the afternoon. Under the circumstances, th-‘ constable could only do what he did—lock the man up. Between nine and ten o’clock, the lady’s husband, who had been to Waipori returned home ; and on making him acquainted ■•■ ihj he sta'e of affairs, he at once told her that it was he who had taken the pound note. No time was lost in explaining matters with the officer in charge, who at once liberated his prisoner, who will carry with him recollections far from pleasant of his short sojourn in Waitahuna. The decision recently given in Wellington in the case of Hare v. Tiffen, is one of considerable importance as regards the interpretation of the law in reference to liens on

real property. If it is upheld by the Court of Appeal, to which there is a probability of il s being referred, the principle will bo d that when a person lends money and takes the deeds of the borrower of any property he possesses as security for repayment, he cannot be compelled in any case—as, for instance, in tne case of the insolvency of the lattdV—to surrender them until his claim has been satisfied. In fact, the possession of the deeds to an estate will be equivalent as security to a mortgage over it, except as regards the power of sale and the right to recover interest.

A whale was thrown on the beach at Oamaru on Wednesday the 7th instant. It was'sold by the men who secured it for the mm of 21. Haley has been committed for trial on a charge of-ifiring Mr. Russell’s haystacks at Auckland, for an attempt to commit, murder, and for sending threatening letters. He has been remanded on ether charges of arson. Tin; Orel / River Argus says :—“ By the s.s Alhambra the first instalment of Chines for the Grey district was transhipped per p.s. Dispatch, It is understood that these are but the forerunners of a numerous body of Mongolians.” Mr. Chapp'e will sell by public auction on Tuesday n'xt at Morrissey's farm, Black’s, a large quantity of oats and farming imiJ-mients. For full particulars sec Advertisement in another column. A novel ilea of warfare recondy 1 10k place at Vervi ir-q in Belgium. The occasion was the high pric : demanded tor butter in the market. The time was six o’clock on a Saturday morning. The butter-sellers asked two francs and a quarter per pound; the intending butter buyers would g've no more than one franc and a half. No business was done ;no bargains made. Persuasion was in vain an I prices were unaltered the policy of persuasion at. last gave way to less temperate measures on the part of the eager crowd, who wanted butter at their own price. Why not settle the dispute in accordance with the advanced spirit of neighboring Gaul and Teuton, and fight over it. A few pounds of butter was as fair a subject for war in a small market as the claims of a Hohenzolle.ru Prince were sufficient lawful excuse for a general rush of French and Germans to the Rhine frontier. At last a grand charge was made upon the butter-

vendors by men, women and boys. 1 ‘Pounds of butter,” says the “Independence Belga l ,” “llew like rockets into the air ; round shot rolled about the ground, and made it gloriously greasy ; and the white cheese, known as magueies, rose gracefully into the air, and burst like shells.” It is vulgarly supposed that a dog hit with a bouo will not yelp; nor a pig struck with a potato grunt dissatisfaction We are not distinctly informed, in this case, whether the butter-eaters groaned on the mimic battle-field when hit with the greasy bullets ; but we are told that the unhappy individuals who were. floored, were “buttered also and stuck fast.” These must nave been the sellers, for the assailants got away unarrested, and. of course, without the butter they came for, which--lay about the battle-field it all directio s. One monfl they doubtlessly ruminated upon when they returned, to their homes, thatr-it is a ery foolish thing for people to “quarrel with their own bread and cheese. ” —Milk Journal. • ■ - - The Southland Times slatesthat the Bank of New Zealand was not a loser in any way by the recent transactions in spurious gold, the counterfeit nature-of the article being at once detected by the agent of the Bank in Riverton when it was presented to him 1 for sale,

- There has been a meeting s of brewers at Auckland, to take into consideration the reducing of the prices of beer, so as to enable them to compete with that imported from Nelsonjand Dunedin. The Auckland Evening Star of the 22nd ultimo says’that the men employed on the Waikato railway, on it being intimated to theto that the hours for work would be nine, struck on the ground that it was contrary to the established usages] of the Colony. A few day s afterwards one]hundred of the workmen assembled near Albert Barracks to discussTtheir grievances. The chairman was one O’Hallaran, who is thus described :—“ His countenance, demeanor and language showed unmistakeable signs of incipient insanity ; he is ever foremost in agitation, though he seems to do verlittle work.” One of the speakers possessed a rude eloquence, which, though wandering, sometimes hits hard. Glancing not very obliquely at Mr. Brogden, he asked—- “ When God sent Adam to work in the Carden of Eden, did he send with him a Nigger drivei !” The question afforded no little amusement. The strike has since ended.