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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2065, 17 December 1869, Page 2

An Impoverished Treasury.— The Greymouth Emninq 6W_has the follnving ; “The impoverished condition of the County Treasury is sueh, that the County Chairman has not been able to pay over to the Education Board the money which was voted to it at the last session.”

The Alexandra Rages. — The Alexandra races, says the local paper, which are to be held on the 27th and 28th instant, promise to be a great success. The programme is an excellently arranged one, and covers in a round sum L2OO. A fresh course has been marked out, superior in every respect to the old one. The Taipo Reefs. A Hokitika paper of December 10th says ; —Yesterday, several of the next party to the prospectors on the Taipo reef called at this office, stating that payable stone had been taken out of Blake and Co. ’s claim, and a sample forwarded to the County Chairman on Saturday last by coach. They state that a piece weighing about twenty pounds was bagged, and. 3 sent away from Kelly’s Creek, in which gold was visible. Greymouth. —The Grey River Argus of the Bth instant says “ Better news was brought to town yesterday than has ever reached us from the Moonlight Quartz Mining Company’s ground. We recently mentioned that the manager had struck splendid stone in what is known as Taff’s reef. Since then the reef has been pros-pccted and found to improve, the stone becoming richer as the men drive. The machinery is in such a forward state that a crushing of over 100 tons is expected to take place before Christmas. A good authority informs us that the stone now'being got out will run at least 3 ozs. to the ton.

Supreme Court.—The Court was opened this morning. His Honor took his seat at ten o’clock. The case of Henningham v. Driver was called. Mr William Carr Young desired, before the jury was sworn, to seek exemption from serving on the jury, on the ground that he was popcerned both as witness and principal in other yet to he tried, in which the defendant in this case and the counsel were concerned. His Honor felt some difficulty in granting this class of applications, but in a small community, where a party feeling existed, it was perhaps best to allow them. Mr MacasSey, counsel for the defendant, applied for an adjournment of the case, on the ground that Mr Driver, being a member of the Provincial Council, which was now sitting, could »ot attend without neglecting his legislative duties, The application was granted, and the hearing fixed for Monday, the 20th inst.

Cricket. —A match will take place on the Citizens’ ground on Saturday, between sides chosen by the President and Treasurer of the Club. The following are the players : President’s side—Fish, Swire, Whetham, Aris, Miller, Cole, Stephens, F. A. Coxhead, Mills, Blakely, Hastie, Larking, Winter, Leary and Seward. Treasurer’s side—Watson, Peake, Pledger, Scott, A. Josling, Dupning, Hogg, L'g’is, Hardy, Anderson. Eiddeil, Marsden, Dale, Elam and Murphy. A match will also be played on the Dunedin ground, between the secopd eleven of that Club and an eleven of the Citizens’ G, C. The following are the respective teams : —D,C, C. —Towsey, Brown, Beal, J. Muiison, J. Macfarland, Scrimgeour, Young, Pinnock, A. Creagh, Bedborough and Eowlatt; Heap, 12th man. Citizens’—Bell, Clark, F. M. Coxhead, Ferguson, Gardner, Morrison, Smith, Thompson, Wills, G. West, and Woodineld 5 G. W. Geddes 12 th man. Conference of Goldfields Wardens. - The Wakatip Mail, 9th ijist., in commenting on the business tp be considered at the Warden’s Conference now being held at the Clyde, says :—“What a nice little thing it would he if this hoard were to condemn the Goldfields Leasing Eegulations as to taking up land. We are perfectly well aware that the Government of to-day and the Superintendent do not approve of this system. They argue that the 2s 6d rent is only interest on the money, and that the survey fees do not cover staff expenses or compensation paid to the squatter. They also declare that ground by it is monopolised. It is not our intention while in the dark to argue about the actual position or powers of the hoard. All we desire to show is this—That if the Eegulations are to be altered as advised by suddenly convened boards, irresponsible to all but their paymasters, past legislation is ignored, and no definite policy actuates the management of the goldfields. Again, if opinions are desired as to the Land Leasing Regulations, the voice of the people should be consulted, and if any result arising from this conference is to have any effect upon Goldfields legislation, whether in the amending of the Goldfields Act, the regulations, or provincial management of them, the conference should he open to the public press representatives. Let it be borne in mind we are not condemning anything, hut simply guarding against’ any future difficulties that may arise. We believe that the wardens, up to last night’s post, were ignorant of the real duties required of them.’'