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Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 269, 3 October 1867, Page 2

At a special meeting "of the Hospital Committee, held last evening, it was resolved that in consequence of the continued refusal of tiie Canterbury Government to pay its stipulated share of the expenses of the Hospital, the Committee should at once resign the management of the Institution into the liauds of the Nelson and Canterbury Governments. A public notice to this effect appears in our advertising columns. >J j It will be satisfactory to the members of the Order of Oddfellows to learn that a letter has been received from the C.S. of the Hokitika Lodge, announcing that a warrant has been received from Christehurck to open the Loyal Greymouth Lodge on the Sth-inst. We believe that there will be a good inai y candidates on the occasion.. At the Resident Magistrates- Court yesterI day, before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M., Richard Ryan, a miner on the South Beach, was charged by the police with keeping an unregistered dog. He pleaded that the dog 1 was not his, that he was only keeping it till his mate came back from the Buller, and that, since the service of the summons, he had shot it. He was fined 20s and costs. A' similar charge was brought against William Duugan, also a miner on the South Beach. His excuse was that the animal was "only a puppy," 'scarcely three months old* but it was proved by the police that this "puppy's had worried several sheep, and frequent complaiuts had been made about it at. the station. The case was settled by the defendant registering the dog on the spot. Randal M 'Carthy was charged under . the Licensing Ordinance with having deserted his licenced house, the Globe Hotel, on the 13tli September. Mr Perkins (from Mr Tyler'soffice) took a preliminary, objection to the ♦•ase proceeding, that the Magistrate had no jurisdiction, it not being within, the power of

the Magistrate, under the Act, to inflict either a penalty or order a forfeiture of the license for such an offence as that charged against the defendant. The Magistrate said he was aware he could not inflict a fine in a case of $his nature, but he could take certain steps with rogard to the license, which he meant to do in cases of this kind,. He would allow the case Jo proceed. The evidence of the police was to the effect that the defendant had not been seen in his licensed house for six weeks, and his wife had iufonned them , that she had abandoned the house. Re. cently the bar had been kept by a b,«?y named : Munro, who, when asked who the hpuse belonged to now, replied that it. belonged to his mother. • For the defence Marion M 'Carthy, wife of the defendant, stated that she was keeping thf Gktbe Hotel for .her husband, who had been absent from it for two months. She had told the police that she intended to . abandon the house, but she had since changed her mind, and had only been absent from the bouse for two days, wlijle she was unwell, and during that tims the boy Munro had kept the bar for her. The Magistrate said lie. would dismiss this case, but he wished to stale in future licensees must reside on their: premises according to the Act. In the present case M 'Carthy had been away from his house for two. mpnths, without giving notice of Li 3 intention to do so, and if he did not put in an appearance soon lie (the Magisi 'ate) would recommend the Superintendent to cancel his license. There was no other business. .The Financial Reform League recently established jn Nelson city is busy pushing its branches throughout the Province. Meetings have, been held, and committees appointed at Wakefield and Wakapuaka to co-operate with the parent society. The object of these committees will be explained from the following resolution which was carred at a recent meeting :— " That in the opinion of this meeting the taxation of the Colony has become so excessive that it behoves all classes of society to take every legitimate means of getting such a reduction of the same as shall not impair the efficiency of the Government." The re- working of the tailings in several parts of the Saltwatea Diggings i 3, we are informed, being now carried on profitably by various parties. It should act as an inducement •to others to learn that one party, working the tailings of a once celebrated claim on the Cement Lead are making .front L 8 to LID per week per man. Probably all the refuse from the old rich leads would pay well, and we are surprised that more of this re-working on a systematic plan is not done. We learn from the kelson papers that his Lordship Bishop Suter arrived, in the ship Cissy, on the 26th, after a very pleasant voyage. Besides a large number of passengers — immigrants specially selected under the eye of Bishop Suter— there are accompanying his Lordship four clergyman, the Rev. Mr Ewald, Chaplain to the Bishop ; the Rev. Mr Harvey, the Rev. Mr Thorpe, and the Rev. Mr Monies. To-morrow night Miss Harriet G. r.lon takes her farewell benefit at tho Union Theatre, and we may surely hope that on this occasion at least there will be a good audience. . We regret exceeding!}' that the proprietor's efforts to provide a good class of entertainment for the public have been so ill requited. If the .public continue to withhold their patronage for really good and l<^i-' timate performances they must expect to be deprived of any means of amusement except of the lowest standard. Mr Kilgour has at great pains collected a clover little company together, but when performers have to appear night after night to "a miserable array of empty benches," as has been the case at the Union Theatre lately, it cannot be expected that future efforts will be made to contribute to the public amusement. However, we hope to see some amends to-morrow nigh*, and that the public will rally round an old ! favorite, and give her a bumper house. The playbills will inform our readers of the pro. gramme. Most unexpectedly the sed; yesterday made aim ost unpreceden ted. encroachments 0:1 tuo beach ; so much ao as to wash away a cor» siderablo portion of the traufr/ay at the head of the lagoon, besides also destroying detached portions further down the beach. So complete has been the work of destruction, that the damaged parts of the line cannot be replaced under an outlay of probably LSOO, nearly a mile of the line being utterly destroyed. It is exceedingly disheartening that an undertaking which promised to be very successful, and which has hitherto proved itself to be a thoroughly good specu_ lation so far as its intrinsic merits are con. cerned, should have encountered &o"many disasters. The line per se has paid well — more than well— and but for the unforseen expenses to which the Company have been subjected through the accidents that have occurred, would have been one of the mostremunerative speculations in the colony. It is a pity that the first idea of taking the line clear of the beach was not adopted ; but a'; ' the time this was mooted, the Company had -not the necessary capital to enable them to incur the extra expenses that would have | been occasioned by takiug the line through tho bush on the east side of the lagoon. The^ route was chosen from reasons of expediency, aud although the result has proved disastrous, still the directors are entirely free from blame. As the matter stands, it is a misfortune for the shareholders ; but we earnestly hope that they will be able to stem the difficulties which beset them, and make the undertaking an ultimate success. We are glad to notice that an attempt is to be made to work the valuable coal seam on the scuth side of the river by a local company. A preliminary meeting of -'persons interested in the subject was held yesterday afternoon at the Union Hotel, and it was resolved to take steps for forming a Company under the Limited Liability Act, for the purpose of opening and constructing a tramway from the mine to the port. We understand that it is the intention of the promoters of the company to raise a capital of Lgp.OOO, in 4000 ' shares of L 5 each. The.

seam . of coal proposed to be worked is most conyenjently situated, and capable of being wprked from the surface for a lengthened J period. The spam ayerages fourteen feet in thickness, and the coal is of the same exeelr lent cjuality aa that obtained from the mine on tlie other side, the river. The Company ! js to construct a tramway which will .enable it to supply coal at a much lower price than is now charged ; and it is reasonably expected that when the price of coal can be brought down to a proper level there will be j practically no limit to the demand. The edit ' of tlie proposed tramway is roughly estimated at about LIO, OOO, including plant, &c, leaving an equal sum to be devoted .to the working of the mine. - It is exceedingly gratifying to see" this evidence Gf 10.ea.1 .commercial enterprise, and we trust that the efforts of the promoters of the Company will meet .with the hearty support of the public. It must nqt be forgotten that the future prosperity of this port largely depends upon the development of the coal fields ; and ib is quite certain that if energetically carried oat the proposed undertaking will not only be a profitable one for the shareholders, but will tend greatly to the general advancement of the district. We are not at liberty at present to announce the names of the Provisional Directors, but we may state that the initiation of the Company is under the management of gantlemen whose connection with it is a guarantee of its bona fide character. We understand that the prospectus of the Com- ' pany will be published iv a day or two. Tuesdaj'. last .was the day appointed for the usual silting of the District Court at Greymontb. His Honor Judge Clark took his seat en the Bench at the usual hour, but there being no .business whatever on the list, the Court was formally adjourned. Mr James Mackay, Native Commissioner of the Province of Auckland, supplies some "information, which must be deemed authentic, relative to the Te Karaka gold field. He writes: — "Mining operations may be said to have commenced at Te Karaka on Ist August. The ground prospected w#not of a highly auriferous character ; but the miners were able to procure small grains of tine gold almost anywhere in it. This in my opiuion would have paid for ground sluicing in some places, and not in others. The general desire, however, appeared to. be to get to the bed rock (bottom) in kope3.of finding something heavier. Owing to bad weather and the want of timber for slabbing, this has not yet been attained, and many parties after sinking to considerable depth (varying from twenty to forty feet) abandoned the undertaking. I believe, in nearly all cases, more or less of fine gold was found from the surface downwards. . About six parties are now sluicing at the Karaka, and there is also a company of twenty-four men formed to carry on deep sinking. .On the 10th August, Messrs Hunt, White, and Clarkson discovered a very valuable reef or leader from a reef, at Karanui. A rush took place to the spot, and several claims have been taken up there. I may mention that, on the 30 tli, Mr M. Barry and party, holding a claim above Hunt, struck " what I believe to be the main reef there. .The quartz is solid, and -the gold apparently of a better quality than that found in Hunt's claim.. Mr Tookey has struck a payable reef above the Moauataiau stream, and Mr Boyd, who holds an adjacent claim, has also succeeded in finding a continuation of the reef. All the specimens are satisfactory. Mr Boyle and party have found a reef at Te Karaka ; but I am not in a position to report on its value, not having had time to inspect it. Mr Murphy, an old quartz miner, well known at the Coroinandel," lias also discovered a reef above the Hope Stream. He appears sanguine about its being remunerative; but I l cannot state any particulars about 'it, not. having yet visited the ground, or seen sped, mens from it. The condition of affairs generally is, I think, Hopeful." "