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Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 274, 15 October 1867, Page 2

A number of valuable communications have been unavoidably held over till our next. There was a report yesterday morning of a new rush at Rutherglen. On enquiry" M r e found that a shaft had been bottomed on the terrace on the right- hand side of Rutherglen^ about fifty yards from Hamilton's store. The prospects are variously stated from three grains to three dwts to , the dish, and yestei - day morning the glen presented a scene of excitement^-" tapeing off" beiug proceeded with to a considerable extent. The new ground, even should it turn out well, is not of any great extent. We "have to acknowledge the receipt of the first number of the third yearly volume of the "Australian Magazine," which is rapidly acquiring a wide colonial fame. Recently there is noticeable a great improvement in this journal both in the quality of the matter produced and the manner of its production. It is now able to compete with similar journals imported from the home country, and will, no doubt, in a few years supply the place of these journals at least in the colonies. The result of the scrutiny as to the voting in the recent Municipal election at Hokitika has been the return of Mr Higgin over Mr | James Browne by a majority of three votes. The relative positions of the other winners was not altered by the scrutiny. Shareholders in the Greymouth and Saltwater Tramway Company are notified *hat a meeting of the Company is to be held this afternoon, at the shed, for the purpose of taking into consideration the present condition of the line. The Loyal Greymouth Lodge, M. U. 1 .0. 0. F. is to be opened this evening at the United States HoteK After* the opening ceremony a grand supper is to be given at which all who are so inclined, whether members of the Orderor otherwise, may attend. It is with pleasure we notice the formation of a club for establishing a gymnasium in Greymouth. The preliminary steps for this purpose were taken at a meeting held on Friday evening last at the Albion Hotel, when the proposition was enthusiastically received, and heartily entered into. Upwards of thirty members were enrolled, and a committee of management appointed. We understand the matter is now fairly under" weigh, and we trust ere long to see the gymnasium in full working order. In the evidence taken before a Select Committee of the Legislative Council, speaking of the resources and extent of the Grey coal fields, Dr Hector said :—" It is of the greatest importance to the colony that the coal mine in that district should be worked, because of the superior character of the coal, and the ease with which, access may be obtained to it. 1 estimate the coal area on the Canterbury side of the river at at least four square miles." The opening ceremony of the Rutherglen and Saltwater Tramway took place on Friday last; In the evening the event was celebrated by a ball and supper on a gigantic scale, given by Messrs Hamilton and Co, the proprietors, at their stores Rutherglen. There was a numerous attendance of friends from Greymouth and Rutherglen, and at the supper the usual loyal toasts were drank with enthusiasm. These were followed . by the toasts, " Sucoess to the Rutherglen Tramway, 1 ' " The Miners," &c, each of which were duly honored and'responded to amidst much apU plause. Now that this tramway has been completed and opened for regular traffic, we heartily congratulate the spirited projectors upon the successful termination of their enterprise. It has been, carried out against great difficulties and much discouragement, and we trust that, they will-be richly rewarded for their great perseverance in opening up a track of country to the miners, and, at the same time, rendering it much easier to prospect the country by cheapening the cost of the necessaries of life. A Bill containing one hundred and ninetytwo clauses and twenty schedules has been introduced into the Assembly for the purpose of making provision for the better treatmei t of persons suffering from insanity. Sir Stafford, in moving the second reading, eaid that he did not think it" would require auy very strong arguments to convince the House of the absolute propriety of not neglecting to provide for the proper treatment of lunatics, and of making efforts to prevent persons suffering from temporary insanity becoming permanently insane. No more pleasing contrast could be recognised than that afforded by the different treatment now bestowed on lunatics in the present age when compared with, that which, unfortunately, prevailed a , very few years back. Nothing could be more satisfactory than to visit some of the institutions for the insane now in full operation in the United Kingdom. It was proved that permanent insanity was the exception, and recovery from temporary- insanity, under proper treatment, was the 'rule, ' He thought colony would not willingly wish the 'Btig-na to. attach to it oi taking n.o care

with respect to the treatment of- those who, Unfortunately! for a time were in tiic positionof being unable to take care of themselves. He did not mean to say that the Bill was altogether perfect, or went as far as the law might go after further experience, but it would at all events be-recognised as a step in the right direction f One of the novel fea* tiires of the Bill, in so far a 8 this colony was concerned, was that it -provided for the establishment of what were called private mad-houses. -It enabled persons to make arrangements for the private custody and j care of patients either temporary or more I permanently insane— fco make provision for having that care extented to patients under more favorable circumstances than, he was sorry to say, New Zealand in its public institutions for that purpose had as yet afforded. He thought a perusal of the Bill would indicate that every care had been taken for the proper inspection and for reporting as to the condition of the patients, and in no case was there any possibility that a person who had ceased to be insane would be retained in custody for one- hour longer than it was essential that that patient should be. so retained, The Bill has since been passed. Fortune has in a moderate degree attended the efforts of the promoters of the .Wesleyan Church Bazaar, for notwithstanding the very J bad weather which prevailed on Saturday the Bazaar was in the evening visited by quite ] a crowd, and the takings" for that day amounted to close on LI 15. This makes a total for the four days of within a fraction of L3OO, and there can be no doubt that had the weather been favorable throughout the takings within the same period would have reached over LSOO. On Saturday night a large quantity of goods still remained on hand, and it was determined to continue* the Bazaar for one night more to endeavor to "effect a clearance." Accordingly the Bazaar was continued last evening, when the sum of L 57 4s was added to the funds. Although our Wesleyan friends: have been moderately successful, yet their success must not be reckoned by the of the takings at the Bazaar, for a large proportion has to be paid as the first cost of a quantity of the articles shown. It was not to be expected that such a magnificent display of goods as that shown, could be contributed solely by the people of Greymouth and Cobden,! and therefore it was found necessary to supplement those contribution by a shipment of fancy goods from Melbourue. That has to be paid for out of the takings, and will amount to over LIOO, so that the sum at the disposal of the promoters is really more limited than was at first supposed. But even then the amount remaining is creditable alike' to the good will of the people of Greymouth, and the energetic labors of the Wesleyans. The Bazaar will be open again to-morrow evening. In our last we announced the calling together of the Nelson Provincial Council. We see by a Nelson contemporary that it is understood this step has been found necessary in consequence of the fact that a large expendi* ture has been made on the West Coast aa yet unauthorised by the Council, and in excess of the vote for the West Coast service passed last session, and it will therefore be requisite to obtain the authority of the Coun : cil in order to legalise it. The Council will also probably be called upon to consider the course which it will be expedient to adopt in order to bring the West Coast Railway under the notice of capitalists at home. In the absence of the Parliamentary Hansard containing the adjourned debate on the second reading of the County of Westland Bill, we give the following summary of it, taken from a correspondent's letter in the Canterbury Press :— The debate : on the second reading of the County of Westland Bill was resumed by Mr Moorhouse, who spoke mainly for the purpose of calling atten. tion to a telegram which had been received by the Speaker from Greymouth, stating that a numerously -signed petition from -the population there was on its way, objecting to being associated with Hokitika in the formation of a new province or county, and desiring to be annexed to Nelson. He was followed by one or two members who spoke shortly rather in favor of postponing the question till next session, and Mr Macandrew moved an amendment in favor of the opinion of the Provincial Council being taken prior to any interference by the Assembly. Mr Stevens then spoke in favor of the principle of the Bill, as removing from that section of the countef the evils of double-government, and placing all the administration directly under the control of the Colonial Gtvernment, and urging that the charges on the loans should be regelated by the revenue contributed by each side. Mr Carleton shortly supported the Bill. Mr Moorhouse also urged that the loans shouldjjbe paid according to revenue, as in the case of the Three Million Loan Act. Mr Yogel spoke against, and Mr Cracroft Wilson for, the Bill. _ Mr Brandon objected to it, principally on leg<q grounds. Mr Hall protested against the idea of leaving it te await the expression of opinion from the Provincial Council of Can- j terbury, stating in answer, particularly to Mr Moorhouse, that it was perfectly well known that there was a majority of two to one in favor of parting with Westland, both in the Provincial Council and in the province. In reply to one among several interruptions by Mr Moorhouse, Mir Hall said, "Well, the hon. gentleman has met me a good many times, and he has never beaten me yet. He did his best at. the Heathcote election, and couldn't succeed," Mr Moorhouse replied, " Yes, but my dog wouldn't fight." This may probably be a delicate way of describing the unsuccessful candidate. Messrs G. Graham and Paterson then-' spoke shortly, and Mr Stafford closed the debate by declaring that he had reliable imformation that the Bill was acceptable to both sides. He also said that Ministers had made an offer to Mr Moorhouse to leave the debts for one year unapportioned, and the charges to be paid according to revenue contributed, with a view to reconsideration of the best method of arranging the appointment ; and that the offer was still open. " I understood MrMoorhouse to reply that he. wanted them arranged at once, according to 'the principle of the Three Million Loan Act. A division was taken, resulting in a majority for the Bill of 2? to 20, J --y e