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Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 268, 1 October 1867, Page 2

yThe adjourned public meeting relative to the disposal of the fire-engine took place last evening in the engine-house: It was well attended, and Captain Whall was voted to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, the Chairman rcad'the opinion of MrO'Loughlin regarding the liability of Messrs Speace Bros., which was to the effect that not having complied with the letter of instructions, they were liable to refund the money. Mr Simmons proposed a resolution instructing the Committee to return the engine and sue the agents, but it ' was not seconded. Mr Kennedy suggested that it would be better to leave the matter to the discretion of the Committee.. Mr Maclean was of the same opinion, and on the motion of Mr Cohen, a resolution was carried to that effect. A discussion ensued as to whether Me sts Spence Brothers had acted as agents or as vendors, and it was elicited from several members of Committee that they had acted only as agents. Mr Martin Kennedy read a statement, showing that there was a credit balance of the Engine Fund of L 55, and there was Lls more promised, .but not paid ; to the credit of the vote from the Government, there was a balance of L 65, making a total of L 136. Mr Dale suggested that a new fire engiue should be purchased at once, and the funds in hand devoted to that purpose. Captain Whall guaranteed that the Brigade could get a good engine for less than L2OO. On the motion -of Mr Harrison, it was carried that the Committee should at once call tenders for a new engine, and submit the same to a public meeting. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Da vies, that Messrs Whall, .Hosie, and Sewell be added Ito the Engine .Conunittae. After some further discussion, the meeting separated, it being understood that .the Engine Committee would at once communicate with Spence Brothers, and make the best terms they could with regard to the rejected engine. The SotUhern Cross is responsible for the following statement : — Sir George Grey proposes to reside permanently at the Kawau, where preparations are being made to receive his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. There was no business on Saturday or yesterday at the Resident Magistrate's Court. Our Hokitika contemporary, in answer to some remarks we made in our lsst issue, on ■the County Bill,' asserts that the Government have distinctly stated that the County is to receive the same proportior of Customs duties as any of the Provinces, and the. whole of the gold duty. In our Saturday's issue we published an account of the new gold field at Collingwood, which appears by the subsequent statements in the Nelson papers to have been too highly colored. The Nelson Evening Mail of the 23rd hist, says : — Mr Thomas Morgan, whose name is well known on the West Coast, accompanied by several other miners wljo

have Very recently visited Washbourne's Flat, have .called at our office, and they- ex» press very decided doubts as to the alleged richness of the Collingwood gold field. They state that two holes have already been bottomed on the reef, one of which turned out a "duffer," no gold at all being found in it ; and in the other, which was bottomed at a depth of about 74 feet, the color of gold only was found at from 40 to 70 feet deep, and nothing whatever was discovered on the bottom. Jn $he presence of such conflicting statements, we can only counsel those who may contemplate giving these diggings a trial to postpone their departure until more decisive intelligence. The same journal of the 24th inst. contains the following paragraph . •4-The Supply arrived this morning from Collingwood, and brings information from the new gold field that several other shafts have been bottomed, and that the same seam of washdirt, about two feet deep, and giving about five grains to the dish, runs through them as in the prospecting claims. Wilson, we are told, the owner of the original claim where M'Grane lost" his life, now refuses to part with his iuterest in it, which he offered last week to sell for L7OO, and it is stated that the yield in this claim improves as the drive on the face of the hill progresses. * We learn from our Buller contemporary that the prisoner* Wilson, charged with murdering the unfortunate man Lennox, and committed for trial, was sent by the Nelson on Tuesday evening to the Nelson Gaol, to await the decision of the Supreme Court. The police have made arrangements to procure additional and very important evidence from Auckland, and there is no doubt that whether sufficient to convict or not the evidence will be greatly strengthened. A very large escort attended the prisoner down to the boat, and he seemed to be very nervous whilst pei forming the distance from the gaol to the wharf. The New Bankruptcy Bill has passed through Committee in the House of Representatives. Provision has been made for winding up proceedings in progress nnder the present Acts, in accordance with those Acts, as though they had not been repealed. . ■ The Nelson papers state that so forward is the season that green peas will be ready to gather in a few days. There is every prospect of a large production of fruit this year. The Westport Times of Saturday last states that a good many large parcels of gold are ready at Addison's Flat for conveyance to Westport. A sixth share in a claim near the n On the south side of the- river two more claims have been bottomed, in one of which four grains to the shovel was obtained from the upper gravel ; the black sand below wofld not, however, pay for washing. ) The Westport Times says that there is a probability of a daily mail service being established between Charleston and Westport. The same paper states that Cobb and Co. are about to run a. coach from Westport to Mokihinui. We take the following from the Melbourne Herald :— One Louis de Hars, "who hails from W.aikato, and who acted as interpreter when, under the auspices of Mr George Graham, William Thompson signed the dubious document which subsequently became so fanious— intends to claim coinpensa-. tion from the Duke of Edinburgh, on' account of having brought in William Thompson. He declares that the world has hitherto been, in complete delusion in thinking that George Graham had any influence over the Ngatihaua chief, and that it was he, Louis, and he alone who accomplished his pacification. There seems to have been "a storm in a tea kettle " at Charleston, in connection with | a ball recently given there in aid of the Hospital funds. There not being any room sufficiently large for the ball except the Casino, arrangements were made by the Committee for the exclusive use of the hall for that night, and the proprietor promised to exclude the danseuses attached to the Casino! But shortly after the ball had opened, the young ladies in question were admitted- by a back door, and having got into the ball-room it was deemed the wisest plan to allow them to remain— apparently greatly to the scandal of some of the dancers present. With regard to the probable successor of Sir George Grey, the 2F. Z. Times says : — lt is currently reported in well-informed circles that Lord Lyttelton will be his Excellency Sir George Grey's successor. Before Colonel Gore Brown, C.8., was 'removed- from the Governorship of New Zealand, Lord Lyttelton applied for the appointment, - and offered to take it without salary. His Lordship has ever taken a deep interest in the affairs of the colony, and is well acquainted with them, and has, we believe, invested a considerable amount of capital in the Middle Island. He has, however, intimated his intention to visit Canterbury some time during the present year on business of a private character. An article in the New Zealand Times on the financial burdens of New Zealand, shows in a very startling manner the burdens imposed on the population by the heavy Colonial and Provincial debts. The annual charge for interest and sinking fund for Colonial and Provincial loaus is L 448.000, which sum represents the interest and sinking fund of a debt amounting to L 6,271,725., 271, 725. Our contemporary gives a table showing the proportion of debt per head of population in various countries, from which we learn that the proportion stands thus :— United Kingdom, L 27 15s per head; France, Ll2 7s "; Austria, L 6 8s ; Russia, L 2; Prussia, LI 19s ; New Zealand. L2B 10s ! The pressure of the interest of the debt on population respectively is as follows :•• United Kingdom, 17s 8d per head ; France, 9s 6d ; Austria, 6s 8d; Russia, 2s 7dj Prussia, 2s 5d j NewZealand, L 2! We learn from the N. Z. Times, of Thursday last, that a very amusing scene took place in the House of Representatives early that morning. A motion for adjourning the Provincial Corporations Act . Amendment Bill was made, and opposed by Mr Yogel, who divided the House on it. When the' lists were made up Mr Bunny drew the Speaker'? attention to the fact thas the ho,n. ■

member for the Gold Fields (Mr Yogel), who Yra.3 teller for the -"noes," included in Ms list the name of the bon, jpenibe'r for Oamaru (Mr Campbell), who was fast asleep on one of the benches, and had nob voted on either side, There most certainly was Mr Campbell lying in a most pomfortable state of unconsciousness undisturbed by all the noise of the division. The Sergeant?atrArms roused him up, aud on opening his eyes, he found himself the observed of all observers, and he pre? sentcd a most ludiprous picture of astonishment, not unmixed with alarm, when Requested by the Speaker to advance to the chair. He did so,' and on being asked how ; he would vote on the question he gave it with the "noes," and was allowed to retire and continue his slumbers in peace if so disposed,