THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1867.

Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 257, 5 September 1867, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1867.

We are informed that an application was i made by Mr Caples, the discoverer of the second quartz reef at Moonlight for a prospecting claim. Mr Warden ' Lightband did not, however, consider himself justified p < acceding to the application, .but granted an extended area to the applicant. The first reef is reported to be promising well — the owners having now sunk and struck a welldefined reef. • . By the Kennedy, which arrived yesterday, 'the Hon. Sec. of the-Greymoujbli Annexation Committee has received a reply from the Provincial Secretary of Nelson, apknowledging the receipt of a letter from the Committee on the subject of the Annexation of the Grey District north of the Teremakau to, the Pro.* vince of Nelson, and stating that this subject would be brought before the Executive Council without delay. • The sale of town lands at Cobden on Saturday realised a little over LSOO. This may be considered a satisfactory result under existing circumstances. Kilgour's Union Theatre will be re-opened this evening, pn which occasion a select musical and dramatic entertainment will be presented for the benefit" of Mr J. H. Clifford The dramatic portion of the programme includes ."The Jealous Husband," the farce of " The Black Domino," and the burlesque of " Aladdin,'-' in which a number of amateurs will appear.; , We have to acknowledge the receipt from W. S. Moorhousc, Esq., M.H.K., of a copy of the Westland Representation Act, 18G 7. A special meeting of the Hospital Committee was held on Tuesday evening, for the purpose of considering the proposal made by. the Canterbury Government with regard to the future management of the Institution — viz., that on the condition of the Nelson Government contributing equally to the expenses, the two governments assume the control of the Hospital, the management being placed in the hands of Messrs Revel), Kyunersley, and Kissling. Mr Kynnersley, on behalf of the Nelson Government, objected to the proposal of the Canterbury Government, being of opinion that the Hospital could Jje mjjch more efficiently and econot mieally managed by a committee of the inI habitants as at present. He submitted a proposal to the Committee as the one he considered the most satisfactory — viz. , that on condition of the two governments relieving the Committee of all pecuniary responsibility, and rnakjng advances in such manner as should always enable the Committee to pay. tho accounts as they became due, the present Committee should continue to direct the management of the Hospital. This proposition was favorably received by the Committee, and the meeting was adjourned until a reply could be received from the Canterbury Government. "We take the following from. the Nelson Examiner : — The extracts we have lately given from the Grey River Argus, show that the people of Westland, north of the Tere.makau, are thoroughly in earnest in a desire to separate from Canterbury and to be annexed to Nelson. A letter from the Secretary joi the CommitEee appointed at the public meeting held lately at Greymouth, has been received by the Provincial Secretary, which states that petitions are preparing to both Houses of the Legislature, aud to the Government of Nelson, praying that Annexation to Nelson may be acceded to. As soon as these Tuemorials are ready, two delegates are to be sent to Nelson and Wellington, to confer with our Government, and to secure the presentation of the memorials to the , Assembly. Now that the question of annexing a portion of the Canterbury territory to Nelson has been so unmistakably declared for by the residents of the district, and a dirept application made to our Governmenj; tp aid their wishes, it is necessary that the subject should receive serious attention. If the" district north of the Teremakau is to be incorporated with Nelson, we hope it may be done on some settled principle of revenue appropriation, so that no jealousy may hereafter come between the two portions of the Province. The I subject will, no doubt, receive the consideration it merits. i 3-he Wesp Coast Times publishes the list o: the voters for each candidate at the recent election, copipiled from the returns of the scrutineers. It must be rather awkward for those electors who may have promised their vote to one candidate and given_ it to the other. We hear that there has been a good dtal of this sort of thing done on this pecasipn. The nomination of a member of the Pro- ! vincial Council in the room of Mr T. L. Bright, resigned, took place on Monday, and the poll on Tuesday. The show of hands at the nomination was in favor of Mr Prosser, and Mr Bonar demanded a poll. On Tuesday the election created great excitement in Hokitika. The Returning Officer having stated that a six months' miners right would give the privilege of voting, each party sent out emissaries to the various diggings "in the neighborhood in order to enlist the support of the miners. A good many diggers were brought to town, but it was found that very many of them had not taken out their rights at Hokitika, and were therefore not eligible as voters. Great interest was manifested by the inhabitants of Hokitika, a more than usual proportion of the registered electors having voted. The poll -closed with the following result :— Bonar, 155 ; Prosser, 98 majority for Bonar, 57. Our Hokitika contemporary says that as soon as the result of the poll became known, cheer after cheer, mingled with loud cries of "Bonar! Bonar!" burst from th« assembled crowd, and wheu

the newly elected member presented himself I another burst of vociferous cheering arose, j Mr Bonar said that he thanked them most heartily for the proud position iv which they .had placed him, and he could assure them that no effect on his part should be wai ting to merit the continu n;d of that i,o ifidence which they had reposed in him. ( Cheers.) To those gentlemen who had supported him he returned his thanks, and to those who had opposed him he should say that he believed they had given their votes honestly and conscientiously. (Cheers.) He should go into the Provincial Council determined to do all in his power t,o promote tl.e interests of the whole of Westland— (cheers) — and he would accomplish as much for the benefit of the district as he possibly could. (Renewed cheers.) He did not ktend to make, a long speech on the present occasion, but would content himself with again thanking them for their confidence, which he trusted he should long merit. (Loud and' prolonged cheering.) Mr Prosser was then called for, but did not make his appearance. The new Secretary" for Westland has— we hope unwittingly-klone an act of great injustice to the Greymouth Hospitabifiommittee. In one of his recent election speeches at Hokitika, Mr Bonar said, in answer to a question regarding- the management of the Ilokitika Hospital,. "I have long been of opinion that that Institution would be better under the control of the people and the Government, if a joint Committee of Management was adopted, he trusted the people would come forward and take part in that, for he might mention that at Greymouth, where there was a similar institution, through the want of proper control, it had so fallen off that he had been compelled to take it under the management and control of the Government." Of a more complete misrepresentation of the facts Mr Bonar could not possibly have been guilty, and we can only think he spoke in ignorance of the truth. The facts are that the inattention of the Government of Canterbury to the wants of the Institution, and the delay in paying the | stipulated subsidy, compelled the Committee to threaten, and ultimately to carry out their resignation. The " want of proper control." spoken of by Mr Bonar is a creation of his own fancy, and we challenge a comparison of the management of the Grey River Hospital with that of any similar institution in the Colony ; and we are certain that for economy and efficiency it will be excelled by none. So satisfied is the representative of the Nelson Government of the excellent character of the existing management, that he makes it a condition of joining Canterbury in the maintenance of the Hospital that the affairs of the Institution be entrused to the present Committee. Our Hokitika contemporary states that a telegram has been received from Christchurch announcing that tho town lands within the triangle in Hokitika will be forthwith sold. By the Kennedy we have received news of the discovery of a human body at the Buller, under cii cum stances which leave little doubt that a murder has been committed. It appears that some prospectors in the neighborhood of the Orawaite River, a few miles north cf Westport, found the body of a man in a still-water creek known by the name of "Dead Man's»Crcek," on account of a body having some time ago been found in it. On .examination it was discovered that the deceased had been killed evidently by blows with an axe or tomahawk, the skull being cleft in two places almost down to the mouth The body was naked, with the exception of an old shirt thtown over the head, and it is conjectured that the man had been murdered whilst asleep, as marks of a camping-place were found adjacent. The process of decomposition had not fur advanced, and it is believed that the man has been killed within a period extending back only a few days. Great excitement has been caused by the horrible discovery, and it is feared there are gangs of criminals of the Burgess and Kelly" stamp still on the coast. The police are fully aware of the presence of a great number, of criminals, but without the commission of some overt offence, they cannot arrest them. It is devoutely to be hoped that the perpetrators of the horrible deed just brought to light will soon be discovered. Mr Bonar, in his speech at the nomination, is reported to have said : — He was in favor of a speedy settlement of the lands, and the promotion of agriculture, being convinced that thousands of diggers were anxious to leave off wandering and settle down comfortably. Respecting the formation of tracks, he very much regretted that the Government had beeu compelled to stop the work, as the country would never be thoroughly prospected until it was intersected by tracks in all directions. (Cheer?.) He intended to take immediate steps to push forward a few of the main lines, the most important of which was, he considered, one that would connect the extreme S.W. gold fields with Okarita, so that the diggers would not be compelled, as they were at present, to depend altogether upon the stray visit of a steamer for supplies'. To facilitate travelling, and lessen the number' of lives lost yearly by drowning, in attempts to ford the dangerous rivers of the district, he purposed to offer subsidiary grants towards the establisnment of ferries upon some of ths larger streams. Speaking of mining, Mr Bonar said he wished to see it established on a wide basis and governed by wise and liberal laws. He believed that the subject had been .fairly dealt with by the mining ennference which sat some time ago, and recommended many additions and alterations in the gold fields regulations, which he believed had not yet been carried out, but soon would be. If, however, special abuses existed, as the Gold Fields Secretary had authority to investigate them, and would, if possible, remedy them if they were brought under his notice. (Applause.) In reference to his appointment of. Secretary, Mr Bonar said it had been asserted, that having accepted the seat he ratified all the previous acts of the Executive. It was not so, and he moreover wished it. to be distinctly understood that should his presence ' 'and ' influence in the Executive produce no

benefit to Westland, he would be prepared to resign his seat and throw himself heart and soul into any movement that might be initiated as likely to bring about the desired re-form. (Cheers.) This concluded Mr Sonar's address, and the Chairman having called upon the nieetiiuy saveral questions wore put to the can'dulate and satisfactorily answered. , He was in favor of every encouragement benig given to trr-mway companies, as nothing would so tend to open up and settle the country as the construction of substantial lines of rails through it. He believed that miners had a perfect right to mine uprn private property, but considered that the occupant of the land s'lould be guaranteed from loss by ample compensation. It was clearly a question of justice between man and man. (Applause.) He was not in favor of Government grants in aid of pros"pecting. The system had been tried in Victoria and found wanting. (Applause. ) The following remarks on- the Auckland Gold Fields, by "One who has visited them, 1 ' appear in the New Zealand Advertiser, of August 19 : - " A good deal of what may be properly called 'trash' has been circulated with respect- to th,§^e. diggings, and perhaps a few wpfdfarom one who has visited them, and who has no interest in causing a rush, and would be but too glad to see payable diggings established, may not be out of place. Judging from the newspaper reports the public of Auckland must be under the impression that the place with the hard name (Kaueranga) is fast assuming the proportions of a second or third class diggings in Australia. Nothing could be further from tho truth. Kaueranga is yet pretty much in a stateof nature. Over a small area of the ground opened to the prospectors there are dispersed about 200 persons, very few of whom may be called really practical diggers. There are a good many of them that may have had some little experience on gold fields, and who make good prospectors, but the men who. can set to in a business-: like way with the pick and shovel and the ."'gad,' form but a small miuority. lam not without hope, however, that their joint exertions will before many days are of er test the true value of the Thames Gold Fields. Hardly one hundred persons, and the majority of these are prospectors, are at work. About twenty or thirty had commenced sinking in earnest. About half a-dozen of them had got down to a depth of from 15 to 20 feet, and expected to find the bottom in another 20 feet, which it will take three or four more good days' work to accomplish, even with favorable weather. The probable depth of the sinking is, however, a mere matter cf snrmise. In some cases the oj)erations of the sinkers have been much impeded by their striking upon huge boulders, which have to be removed Avith considerable labor before the pick and shovel can be freely used again. Some of them, old Australian diggers, are making the best use of their time, and are working day and night turn ab ut. In dicatioiis of gold, and gold, in tine particles, are found all over the ground, but it takes a good deal of washing to obtain a good prospect. Besides several small prospects of gold in iron sand, I have sefin specimens of gold in quartz, but the locality from which they have been taken has not been very clearly indicated, although I have no reason to doubt their genuineness. Accepting the pretty general opinion of experienced miners on the grouud, the most likely lojki g country is not yet opened to the di^er*. Great hopes are entertained of what will be done 011 the .Waiotahi creek, but it takes a good ded of world lg to obtain a good prospect. Several small prospects of gold in iron sand and quartz have been exhibited, but I am not aware of the locality from which they were taken, and cannot vouch for their genuineness. "