Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 137, 27 November 1866, Page 2

The approver Sullivan was ftipassenger from Nelson to Hokitika in the sisFAiredale, which called off this port yesterday. Sullivan, who was in charge of Sergeant Edwards, appeared to those who saw him to be anything but miserable-; under his position as a convicted murderer. He was pacing the poop smoking a pipe with the most perfect nonchalance. On 'his arrival at Hokitika the cases against Wilson and Do Lacy will be at once, gone into. . ; Our correspondent at the New River Rush writes' to inform us of a serious accident that occurred on Thursday to a man named Frank, one of the shareholders in the claim known as " Ned the German's." He was in the act of rolling timber from the top of the terrace!^ when a heavy prop by some means struck him, and inflicted a very severe scalp wound. When taken to his tent he was quite insensible. Medical aid was called in, but tlie injured man was still insensible when our correspondent wrote. Auother accident happened in one of the deep shafts' to a Mr Parkhill, whilst he was chopping the root of a tree in the shaft. The axe glanced and cut him severely in the calf of the leg. We observe bj' the new table of postage t rates from .New Zealand" to foreign ports that a postage rate of one penny is chargeable on newspapers posted for Australia. We believer the charge has already come into force. : ? The Lyelelton Times makes the following remarks on tlie proposed Commission on the West Coast:— "As a natural accompaniment to the Civil Service Commission, comes that for the West Coast affairs.; ■ If aftl||| many years of actual engagement iv official^ work, the necessity arises for a reyisHl,. and almost a reorganisation, of the several departments here, it inayfwell be expected that careful examination should precede the new Appointments which^;must ere long set aside pne-temporary offie'e^f Commissioner. It is *ii6t to be expected ' that the Executive, amidst the varied details of their own- departmental work on this side the snowy range, should find the necessary time to together all the informationessential to the formation of a just estimate of the requirements of the service on the West Coast. We think that the action of the Government in this matter was somewhet misapprehended by one or two of the members of Council' who\ referred to it on Tuesday night. Assuredly, if their ide t a were correct that the Executive proposed to abdicate its functions, and leave)£ttfj;a Conimissio^vprocoeding from the Council to decid^ what appointments are or are not to be made, we heartily join in the threatening oppo|||bn;?!ilt seems to us that the Council, and especially the more immediate supporters of., the present Executive, have a right to expec% ; that the Government should adopt a v; 'decided .luae of policy on this point— a 'pqlicjllby wlich they are prepared to stand ol^all. But, {w|p|^understand of the Government proposajfibhis is precisely what they mean to do. They purpose to obtain information in order to act upon it.' There are many facts to be gathered on that side of a very different character from those which are to be" obtained on this. oThe circumstances and requirements ofjthe population on the gold fields are as widely different from those of an agricultural a^mast&ral commiunty, as it is possible to conceive. The physical differences of the two sides of the range are not more distinct than are the differences to be.' considered in constructing a permanent system for the departments: of government. To our view the action of the Executive re. . emblea. that necessarily taken by au on- '

gineer in forming his, estimates ; iis to the; practibility and cost of sbnie' great work He instructs his subordinates to take levels, contours, measurements, borings ; he satislies himself, by. a general survey, of their substantial accuracy; and he forms his plans, works out his details, calculates his estimates £ii accordance with them. His calculations are.no doubt, based upon- the information found for him ; biit the ultimate decision and the practical efficiency of the works depend upon his own engineering skill. In precisely the same wt?y the Executive proposes to obtain • information, .to form its decisions, and, we suppo.se, to stand or fall by them." . : • The. NeUon Examine)' says :— " We , are happy to hear that the want of a Judge for Westland is likely very soon to be supplied in a most efficient manner, as we understand that the offer of the position of Judge of the Nelson and West Coast districts has been made to Mr Justice Richmond, at present at Otago. Of course the. state of this place is not even now such that we could hope to have a Judge on: our own' account entirely. There, is not work enough for a Judge in Nelson, anfl we hope it mjvy be some time before there is, unless we have a more sudden increase of population than seems at all likely. The plan proposed, as we understand it, is that the Judge who has his headquarters at. Nelson should take charge of the great gold fields districts of the West Coast. • At present,4&li& Justice Gresson goes from Christchurcl^periodically to the West Coast, but the journeyjs one of great toil and very often of not danger, to which it is hardly r fair to expose a Judge when the ends of justice can bo quite as well attained without. A Judge at Nelson -would have no difficulty in taking care of the West Coast districts, and, we should fancy, no excess of labor iii doing so. Communication is so much easier between Nelson and the West Coast than through the^ mountain passes from the Canterbury plains, that we cannot doubt the plan will meet the wishes of the profession at Hokitika and Greymouth. We only hope that no obstacle will be thrown in the way of its speedy accomplishment ; in this we believe we speak in the interests not less of the -public than of the profession. That which is for the ? |good of the profession cannot fail to prove als6' ! for the good of the public, and we shall expect to iind ■ the residence of such a Judge as Mr Justice Richmond — in the event of his accepting the post — produce the very best effect upon the tone and practice of the legal profession in this place." ,