Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 337, 12 March 1868, Page 2

The sale of the booths, &c , at the forthcoming races took place at Sweeney's Hotel on Tuesday, at noon, with the following result :— Booth No. 1, L 25, Davis; No. 2, L3O, do j No. 3, L 42 10s, Paul ; No. 4, L 35, Crawford ; No. 5, L 37 10s, Quinlan ; No. 6, L 32 10s, Coutanche. Fruit stalls— No. 1, L 5, Davies ; No. 2, 1,5 10s, Johnston. Right of attending horses, L 7. Copyright of racing card, Ll3, Hunt. We are requested to announce, that in consequence of the non-arrival of their pianist Mr Singer, the dramatic company who were to have commenced their performances last night, wjll not be able to perform until after the arrival of the Waipara from the north. We yesterday had the opportunity of witnessing the effects of a new solution manufactured by Mr H. Williams, chemist of this town, in its application to copper plates, used in saving gqld by mercury. The advantages possessed by this solution are that the quicksilver is made to adhere readily in a uniform coating on the copper plates, and that it effects a great saving hi not allowing the mercury to waste. The copper plate is first well rubbed with the sohition, and the quicksilver is then applied. Within a few seconds the mercury is reduced to the fluidity of water, and can be spread evenly over the face of the plate. The process is more effective after the copper has been once treated. We are informed that this solution has been tried very extensively at Charleston with the greatest success, and is now generally used there in the amalgamating process. Mr Williams will be gla.d to show and explain the process to any person desirous of information. We are surprised to find that the Committee (consisting of Messrs Whall and Wickes) appointed by the Road Board to make the necessary arrangements for carrying on the protective works have given no further publicity to the invitation for tenders for the work than pasting a few written notices about town. We can only say, that it is very desirable in the expenditure of the public money that the utmost publicity should be given wheu tenders are required. Probably not half-a-dozen per ons will have the opportunity of knowing what tenders are required, and the inevitable result will be that through slack competition more money will have to be paid than need have been had the usual course been' adopted. The new Wcsleyan Church will be opened for divine service on Sunday next, when special services will be preached morning and evening by the Rev. Mr Shaw. On Monday evening a public tea meeting will be held in the church — tea to be on the table at halfpast six o'clock. After tea several addresses wi'l be delivered, and several anthems, &c, sung by the choir, which will be considerably strengthened on the occasion. Collections in aid of the building fund will be made at the close of each service. We are given to understand that the Fenian demonstration which it has been rumored was to take place in Greymouth on St. Patrick's Day will not be held on that day. We are not aware if it is intended to take place on a future day, or whether the idea of having a procession here has been abandoned. We observe that a meeting has been convened at Hokitika for the purpose of taking steps to form a Volunteer Rifle Corps in that city. Our Hokitika contemporary says that there are a very large number of persons in the town who have served in Volunteer Forces iv the neighboring Colonies, and who cr.uld very quickly recover their drill efficiency by a little renewed practice. On Saturday last at Christchurch, Swale's trial was concluded and a verdict of Guilty was returned, in which the Judge concurred. The Judge held out no hope of mercy, and the prisoner was sentenced, to death. On the Friday evening a man named Frisbee was stabbed in a brothel in Christchurch by a man named Monaghan. Frisbee was. not expected to recover. The Hokitika Evening Star says tijat the number of persons who were actually sn the late procession as it entered the town after the several contingents had joined it were : — Men on foot, 700 (exactly) ; horsemen, 20 ; women, 57 ; children, 45 ; in all 822 souls. The numbers were a few less as the procession returned up Revell street from the wharf a few ladies and some children having been compelled to fallout from fatigue, caused by the heat of the day and the dust raised on the line of march. We learn from the W. C. Times that the memorial cross erected in the Hokitika Cemetery on Sunday, was mysteriously removed in the course of the night, and that during the day it was found in the adjoining bush and re-erected. Mr Clarke, M.0.C., has written to the W<ist Coast Times accepting the responsibility of having lifted tke gates of the Hokitika Cc netery from their hinges on Sunday last on the occasion of the Fenian demonstration. A correspondeni of one of the Auckland papers writing from the Thames gold diggings says : — Some men, in the course of last week, brought in some blue stone (granitic quartz) ! from a claim situate about a mile beyond Mundic Reef, on the Waiotahi. There was no sign of gold in the stone, but it was carefully roasted and tested, and the testing gave 20oz to the ton, or a certain yield, according to the gentleman who tried the stone, of lOoz as an average. Of this stone many thousands of tous have already been thrown away .

A meeting of the inhabitants of the lower township was held at the Royal Hotel on Tuesday evening, for the purpose of taking into consideration the steps necessary to be taken to continue the protective works on the bank of the river. The meeting was well attended, and Mr De Costa was called to. the cLair. Mr Wickes said that the meeting could not doubt as to the necessity of continuing the protection of the river bank without auy delay 5 and he thought that in order to place both ends of the town on the same footing with regard to the expenditure of the money that might be placed ot the disposal of the Road Board for town purposes, the inhabitants of the lower township ought to contribute on the same scale ap the residents of the Maori Reserve had done. If they did this, the work could be proceeded wi(h at ouce, and. there would be an amount sufficient not only to go on with the piling, but to complete the planking of the piles already driven. He thought it was their duty to subscribe as the people of the other end of the town had done. Mr Whall sup, ported the opinion expressed by Mr Wickes, and moved that a Committee be formed for the purpose oi canvassing the township for subscriptions, according to a certain rate per foot. Mr King seconded the resolution, which was carried, Mr Whall stated that a telegram had been received by the Secretary of the Road Board from Mr Bonar, stating that the amount of surplus revenue available for the last month for the Road Board was L6oo— being according to the arrangement sanctioned by the County Council — L3OO for the town of Greymouth and a like sum for country district, If the residents in the lower townsiip subscribed L2OO or L3GO, the protection works cculd be carried on at once. A general feeling of unanimity existed in the meeting, and we are informed that the Committee set to work yesterday and are confident in being able to raise L2QO or L3OQ. A resolution passed by the Road Board at its last sitting authorised Messrs Whall and Wickes to take such steps as they might think to be necessary to carry on the protective works, providing there were funds available ; and this condition having been complied with, those gentlemen have lost no time in making the necessary arrangements. They calculate that the funds available for carrying on the work up to the end of the present month will be about L7f>o, viz., L3OO from the Government for the month of February, now ready to be paid, L 250 from the same source for the current month, and say L2OO from the subscriptions of the residents in the lower township. Yesterday tenders were invited for 24, 000 ft of planking to face the piling already done, 100 piles, which are expected to complete the work to the end of the town, 1 ton of spike nails, and a quantity of capping. It is supposed that about L3OO will be left over for labor. The work of driving the remaining piles and the sheathing of those already driven will be carried on contemporaneously, so that it may be anticipated that the whole or the greater part of the work will be entirely finished in a month or so. The piles are to be strengthened every 40 feet, so that it is reasonably hoped that the work will stand the highest flood that may occur. We may congratulate the inhabitants of the Government Township on the spirited manner in which they have acted, and the public will no doubt approve the promptitude with which the Works Committee appointed by the Road Board have arranged to carry on the protective works, which are to be placed under the direction of Mr Johnston, the present clerk of works. We understand that the highest score yet made by any competitor for participation in the firing for the Colonial Prizes at Wellington, has been that, made by Private Macfarlane, of the Dunedin Artillery, who scored 27 at 400 yards, 24 at 500, and 21 at 600, making a total of 72. We learn that Mr Robert Heir, the actor, who, in company with his wife, was on his way to this colony to fulfil a professional engagement, died on board the s.s. Auckland, and was buried at the Bluff, We take the following mining items from the Brighton Times of Saturday last :— The abundant supply of water is very generally beneficial, but on the Dublin Terace it retards the progress of the work. The owners of the differ eut stands granted for the purpose of washing tailings are now doing well. Some of our miners have been smitten with the Queensland fever, and have made a start, but we have had a considerable addition to our population lately from Addison's Flat. Most of them are hard up, but it is to be hoped that they will soon bo amongst our producers which, there is every reason to believe they will, as the lead lost at the end of the Daylesford,hast>een picked up, aud I have no doubt but a great many hands will soon be employed north of that Terrace, Upon the result will greatly depend.our future prosperity and progress. All claim holders on the Belfast Terrace are busily engaged at work, and nearly the whole of them can keep two boxes going. A new rush has taken place to a Terrace about a quarter of a mile north of the Daylesford, which promises well, A share has changed hands in a claim -with an unbroken surface at ten pounds. Good prospects have been obtained at a depth from three to five feet. This terrace is called Kelly's Terrace, aftei the prospector, and is a most important discovery, inasmuch as another of the lost links in the chain extending from the Dublin to the Red Jacket is picked up, and it is a strong proof that this district is as yet only in its infancy. Mr @. E. Haughton, M,H,R., one of the Royal Penal Commissioners, at present on a I visit to Hokitika has written the following letter to the West Coast Times, relative to the presence of certain Roman Catholic Clergymen at the Fenian demonstration on Sunday last :— Sir— ln your report of the Fenian demonstration you state that the vanguard of the procession, consisting of the Rev. Mr M'Donough ; Mr Clarke, M.C.C. ; and Mr Melody, arrived in the Cemetery on horseback. Will you allow me, as a careful observer of what took place upon the occasion, to state that the Rev. Mr M'Donough

took no part in the proceedings, but was present, I believe, simply from a sense of duty, in case reasons for exerting his influence to calm excitement should unfortunately have arisen ; your reporter might have noticed that the rev. gentleman referred to was in ! his ordinary dress, and wore no party emblems whatever. The report also stated I that "the Ross contingent, headed by the Rev. Mr Golding, Curate of Ross, arrived on the ground." Mr Golding has^ to my own knowledge, no ecclesiastical status in this diocese, and cannot, therefore, be "Curate of Ross.— l am, &c, C. E. Hauqhton." It is with great satisfaction that we learn that the attempt to establish a choral society in Greymouth is likely to be successful. On I Tuesday evening a numerously attended meeting wa.s held in the Mechanic's Institute, Mr Harrison in the chair, when it was resolved to form a musical society, and the following gentlemen were appointed a Committee to take the necessary steps for estab. liahing the society : — Messrs Harrison, Parkinson, G. King, Rae, Edwards, Greenwood, Lyell, Card no (honorary secretary), Fowler, and Kenrick, The committee will prepare a set of rules and regulations, which will be submitted for the confirmation of the members at the next meeting, due notice of which will be given. We are glad to find that already the nucleus of an effective band and chorus has been formed. The instruments at present available are first and second violins, violincello, double bass, cornet, flute, and harmonium — which are a great deal more than many amateur societies can boast of. A number of ladies have joined the society, and we trust their example will be followed by others- a strong fqroe of trebles being an indispensible necessity. It i 3 to be hoped that the society will be. extensively supported, for nothing affords more enjoyment than periodical music; meetings for mutual pleasure and instruction. The committee we believe contemplate also forming a musical class in connection with the society. We are requested to state that the committee will be glad to receive the names of those who are wishful to join the society. A list for that purpose lies at Mr Parkinson's shep, I MawheraQuay. It is our painful duty to chronicl e another fatal accident by drowning. Yesterday afternoon Mr Butler, a storekeeper at the Ahaura, with his wife and child, a little girl about ten years of age, left Greymouth to return home. On arriving at the Arnold Fall, Mr Butler took his daughter on the saddle before him in fording the stream, but before getting across the horse lost its footing aud stumbled, causing the child to fall from the saddle. The father at once plunged in to rescue his daughter, but the stream swept both away to destruction. The horse was recovered, but the bodies of the father and daughter were not found. This awful accident has caused great gloom amongst the inhabitants of the Ahaura, by whom Mr Butler was greatly respected. The Nelson Gazette contains notices of bankruptcy concerning the following persons : — Fredk. Jones, publican, Westport; Hugh Robertson, baker, Mokihinui; James Hayes, storekeeper, Addison's Flat ; Leonard Whittington, trading in co-partnership with T. W. Scanlan, publicans, Addison's Flat ; H. E. Campbell, solicitor, Westport ; George Blair, publican, Westport; T. W. Melville, publican, Westport. A telegram from Christchurch. states that Darby Maher, who was arraigned at the Supreme Court six months ago for arson and murder in Colombo-street, died at Read's Station, Ashburton. He confessed to the arson, but did not know that his victim Smith was, inside at the time. He also confessed to having thrown Stubbs in the river, on whose body a verdict of accidentally drowned was returned. The Isyttelton Times of the 3rd inst gives the following account, of an escape from the Lyttelton gaol : — Frederick Reed, a awaiting trial on a charge of larceny as a bailee, at Raugiora, effected an escape from Lyttelton Gaol on the afternoon of Saturday last. It appears that the prisoner was at work in the garden at the rear of the prison, and that from there he managed to escape unobserved. As soon as he was missed, every precaution was taken to prevent his reaching the shipping, as it was considered probable that he would endeavor to get on board the Glenmark and stow himself away until the ship had left the coast. The escape was at once communicated to the Heathcote Valley and to Christchurch, and a careful watch was kept along the hills, so that he might not gain access to the plains, and so render his capture a matter of greater difficulty. Throughout the remainder of Saturday and Sunday forenoon all search for Read proved unavailing. On the afternoon of the latter day, information was sent to Christchurch that a man answering Reed's description had been arrested by Mr Holman,who is a public house keeper aud special constable at the Heathcote Valley. This man was at once taken over the hill, but on reaching the gaol, he was found not to be the person wanted, and was immediately released. Reed is therefore still at large, and is likely to remain so for some time, as most of the police force, even those from the outlying districts, are at present in attendance at the Supreme Court. The Wanganui Times directs the attention of the Government to the following laconio but peremptory orders despatched by his Majesty Tawbiro to all the leading Chiefs in this island who acknowledge his authority. Tbe official document from which we copy is addressed to Tohana Turoa, son to the noto. rious Pehi Turoa, who for his bloodshed and other acts at Pipiriki, two or thre.e years ago, any other Go\ernor but Sir G. Grey would have hung up to dry when he had the opportunity of doing so. The following is a free 1 translation of the document ;— Te Kuiti, January, 1868 . From Tawhiro to To Tahana Turoa. (We command)— l. That all weapons of war are to be buried. 2^ That no land ' hall be leased to the pakeha. 3.. All trades is to cease. 4 No intercourse between the two races. 5. No road making to be allowed. 6. No gold digging to be allowed. 7. No surveying of Native lands to be allowed. 8. All schools to he abolished. 9. No more

people allowed to come in (to talk of peace), 10. The Native Magistrates that we would not have the first time, but sent back, we will not have now. This is the second time, greater than the first. Our contemporary adds :— How his Majesty's commands are to be obeyed after burying the hatchet is beyond our comprehension, but really it is time that the Government would put a stop to this mischievous sprig of royalty, Only a lew weeks ago he mustered some three or fforu r thousand of what we style "her Majesty's, subjects" at Tokanganiutu to decide upon "peace or war," having in his retinue the notorious Kereopa, the red-handed murderer, of the Rev. Mr Vaulkner. Commenting on the hostile attitude of the natives in the Tauranga district, the Press says : — " Wq all know that Algeria has been a constant expense to France ; and we have now two or three Algeiias on a small scale h\ New Zealand. But the worst of it is that the existence of these military settlements, outside of our frontier, keeps up an incessant irritation and panic amongst the natives, and prevents them settling down into a/ I quiescent state. It contradicts that which we are ever setting before them as the object of our rule— a state of law. Foir all these little raids, in which one or two men are, killed on either side, are subversive of, and contradictory to, the whole idea of law, which we pretend, and which it is our highest interest, to inculcate. Men are killed— there ia no coroner's inquest to discover how they came by their death — no trial— no enquiry — no civil proceeding of any kind whatsoever, The assault may have been cruel, wanton, unprovoked —who knows ? All the careful provisions of law foi the pro« tection of human life are in abeyance ; and ft reign of brute fo»ce is in existence. Let ua not be misunderstood. We are not arguing that all this will not be the case in a time of. revolt, insurrection, and rebellion. Inter anna silent leges, is a maxim, of old, which arises out of the instinct of self-preservation on the part of a state. But what we object to is, definitely, the maintenance of military bodies in parts of the colony where theiy very presence involves a state of lawlessness, provokes a petty conflict, constitutes a serious, peril of reiuducing a, general war, and does, not present any countervailing advantages — does not, for example^ protect a frontier j does npt open up any country for cojloniza-. tion whose productive powers might be made the means of recouping the vast expenditure, inenrred in its occupation and defence. Once again, we solemnly warn the Middle Mantf, that if this state of military lawless* ness be not shortly and peremptorily put an. end to, a new warvffl break Wt"