Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume V, Issue 354, 21 April 1868, Page 2

We understand that the lease of the Coal Mine to the Company that have been working it for the last two years hus been cancelled by the Nelson Government. This course has been occasioned by several reasons, which the Government have thought sufficient. The Company have failed to comply with the con. ditions laid down in the lease, both as regards the quantity of coal to be produced, and the construction of a railway from the Mine to the place of shipment. The Company appear to have aroused themselves at the last moment, and a few weeks ago did make a show of setting to work in earnest, evidently in the hope that the Government would withhold the penalty which they knew their previousindiffereuceandncglect had incurred. Mr Burnett, the mining-engineer appointed by the Nelson authorities to inspect the Mine and report thereon, advised the Government that the Mine was being improperly worked so much so as to render it unsafe, and this afforded an additional reason for the cancelment of the lease. When the probable determination of the Government was known, Messrs Usher and Simpson, the Managers of the Company, proceeded to Nelson, and

endeavored to convince the Government that the Company were now in earnest, that the railway would at once be laid down, and that everything would be done to develop the , Mine. The Government, however, after mature deliberation, decided to cancel the lease, and in pursuance of the Waste Lands Act, submit it to public competition. Pending the disposal of the lease, the Government will carry on the Mine, to an extent sufficient to supply the steamers calling at the Port. Rumor speaks of the probability of a new j Company being formed of Nelson capitalists I to carry on the Mine, and from the names that have been mentioned in connection with the matter, we may rest satisfied that if such a Company get the Mine into their possession the coal trade of Greymuuth will soon be in an active and prosperous state. Jt is a very satisfactory sign of the inducer meuts which Qreyinouth holrls out for permanent settlement, that many p,f its citizens who left it with the intention of residing elsewhere are returning. During the lag,t few weeks several pld Greymouth residents, who went away to. Europe or the adjojning Colonies have returned, one and all declaring that they have been nowhere where greater advantages for parrying on a profitable business exist than jn this town. The following^ telegrams from Wellington appear in the Christchurcb papers : — Mr Stafford has returned. The Duke of Edinburgh has written to the Governor, stating that he. keenly poinbated nodical men's advice tq return to England, and much regrets that he is obliged to abandon his New Zealand visit, from which he expected much gratification. — Lady Bowen's written reply to Onehnnga ladies' address, says : — : " While standing on the hill above your town, I cannot fail to recognise tlie Isthmus of Corinth., and in the Bay of Haurak; I sge qnce more the Isjes of Greece." — The brigantine Express with cattle and wool for Canterbury, was wrecked at the Chathams. The vessel was insured in the Otago Company. —The New Zealand Steam Navigation Company's report shows a profit of L 3523 on last half-year. The illusion called the Sphynx, now being nightly exhibited at the Star Theatre, is un. doubtedly one of the bost we have ever seen. As it is termed it is nothing more than an optical illusion on the principle of Pepper's Ghost, the effect being to present on a table to all appearance a living head, which carries on a conversation with the operator. The table is quite denuded of anything that can afford concealment, and those not in the secret cannot but believe that they are gazing upon a head that has been severed from the trunk and yet retains vitality. It is well worth seeing. By the Daily Times of the 14th we see that a long debate on the reply to the Superintendent's address took place in the Council. A motion for adjourning the consideration of it was carried by the casting vote of the Speaker. The evening papers speak of the defeat of the Ministry is very probable. On Saturday night, and at intervals during Sunday, exceedingly heavy falls of rain took place in Greymouth, but the weather changed for the better yesterday. On Sunday, owing to the flooded state of the Waimea Creek, the Hokitika coarh could not get through. The streams had, however, fallen considerably yesterday. Thursday being St. George's Day, will be observed as a holiday by all the Banks in Greyraouth. The Nelson Evening Mail says : — There can be no doubt that the late fracas at Westport, between Mr Kynnersley and the late editor of a local paper, will find a final issue at the next sittings of the Supreme Court in this city, Mr Kynnersley having been served with a writ in which damages to the amount of LIOOO are claimed. We understand that the defendant proposes tendering a small sum into Court, as the amount of the actual damages, such as medical bills, &c, paid by the plaintiff. Besides'the Ll5O already subscribed by residents of the district for the plaintiff, it is understood that a further sum will be raised in order to defray the expenses of the' action. The work of constructing the line of telegraph between Greymouth and the Buller is rapidly progressing, under the management of Mr Aitken. All the posts are fixed from Greymouth to Point Elizabeth. From Razorback ten miles of heavy bush cutting has had to be done, half a chain wide, and fifty men are still at work on it. The posts along that portion of the line are all erected and ready for the wire. The Brighton portion of the wire has been shipped by the Louisa, and the Charleston and Bul'er portions will be sent by the first steamer for those ports. It is expected that the line will be completed in about seven weeks. As might have been expected, the story relative to the second attempt upon the life of the Prince at Sydney turns out to be a "canard." The Sydney papers of the Ist and 2d inst. are silent on the subject. On Thursday last, the convict Swale, sentenced ty death for having caused the death of his partner by wilfully setting fire to his premises, suffered the extreme penalty of I the law at Lyttelton Gaol. The night preceding his, execution he made the following confession : — "l desire before I die to satisfy the public mind as far as possible, by stating what I can recollect of the circumstances of my crime. I believe that it was some time in the mouth of June last that I iirst made an attempt to set fire to the house in Colombo street, by leaving a candle burning in a box of paper. The candle had not burnt low enough to reach the paper when Mr Rankin and I returned. Ho was in first, and put it out before it had done any damage. 1 did not tell him that I had done it, and he never charged mo with it. The reason why 1 did it was to get the value of the place and leave it. Since June to February the 7th, I had often thought of setting fire to the place at some future opportunity. I did not medidate doing it on that day. 1 went out about six o'clock that evening, but do not know how or when I returned. I remember lighting the canvas and paper of the wall by the window in the

lean-to. I then went up stairs, and laid ; upon the bed in my clothes. I recollect ; coming clown stairs, but whether I came clown to light it, or whether I lit it before I went up, Tdo not know. I believe I was in a state of sfcupefication through drink. I was roused by feeling suffocated from smoke. I got up and opened the window. The room became clec^r and I saw Rankin in bed and asleep. 1 did not speak to him as I have stated that I had done. Why I did not I cannot say. I did not touch him ; nor did I J \vis.h his death, I then took up my bag, which was close to my bed, and threw it out of the window as I went down stairs. I never thought about Itankin. 1 rushed down stairs, and into the lean-to, which was all in a blaze, and out into the yar^. I took up my bag, and carried it to some place down the yard, find left it there. J t;hen weu t round to $ie front, and went inj,o Mrs Pope's shop, and carried two or three boxes out, I then, saw Allen, ami asked him jf he had seen lianlqn. He said "No." I said " I Was afrujd he had not got out," and I. asked him if he would assist me to look for him. He said it w<l3 tog late. I did not see anything more until I was brou,gb.t up to identify liunkin's remains. T ought to say that my carpet bag had been packed np some time prievously with a view to being in readiness when I should burn the place. I am ex? tremely sorry for the injury I caused to my near neighbors and kind friends which I caused by my wicked act, hoping that everyone will forgive me, both here and in England. — Signed, JouisT D. S-vyALES. Our Dunediu correspondent's letter arrived by the mail yesterday, but much of its news had been anticipated. The following items are, however, not without interest to many of our readers: — "Folks were notalittle taken by surprise the other day by the sudden return to Dunedin of Mr G. E. Barton, the well-known special pleader; he has since been practising iv Court as usual. Mr W. W. Wilson has also been back for some time. There is a rumor "current to the effect that Mr Murison has been appointed to the vacant Sheriffshiu.-— The river Clutha having been at a very low level for some time, a great many miners had located themselves on the banks, and taken up claims on the bars and beaches left bare by the retiring waters. But, with its proverbial uncertainty, the river suddenly rose, and in one night the beach claims, &c, were all swamped out, and the minerß sent adrift. However, the river has again fallen, and the claimholders are busy repairing damages.— The escort this week brought down 6167 ounces." We learn from the West Coast Times that a man in the employ of Mr Charles Mullins, butcher, of Hokitika, named Andrew Pollock, was drowned on Thursday, in attempting to cross the Totara River, at the punt, at half-past three o'clock that afternoon. It appears that Samuel Mullins, a son of Mr C. Mullins, and the deceased Pollock, were returning from Eoss to Hokitika on horseback, intending to cross the river at or about the spot they had previously crossed in the morning on their way to Eoss. On nearing the river, they found that the horses would have to swim over this time. They took the river below the punt, Mullins getting safely over ; on looking back, however, he found that Pollock was nearly unhorsed and strugggling to hold on, but iv vain. He was soon precipitated into the water, the horse getting away and returning to the bank of the river. Nothing further was afterwards seen of him. The police and others the same evening searched the river for the body with grapnells without success. Further search was to be made on Friday last. We have not as yet heard of the result. We observe that Mr T. L. Shephered has given notice to move the following resolution in the Otago Provincial Council : — That this Council ia of opinion that gold mining being a permanent industry, is beneficial to the Province of Otago and New Zealand generally and ought to be encouraged ; and that in order to give every facility to the investment of capital, and the working of inferior auriferous ground, the time has arrived when the duty on gold should be reduced at the rate of 6d. per ounce per annum, until the duty shall be abolished ; and that a respectful address be addressed to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to forward this resolution to the General Assembly, with the view of giving effect thereto. A correspondent of the Westport Times furnishes the particulars of the following sad accident, which occurred at Addison's Flat at the 14th inst. : — A miner, named David R&dcliffe, who had lately bought into the Taranaki claim, was in the act of drawing slabs from a shaft (the slabs had been lost during the late flood), when the ground gave way, and engulphed the poor fellow. Eis mates came immediately to his rescue, and did all that lay in their power to extricate their comrade. Great praise is due to a wages-man, named West, a native of Cornwall, who at the risk of his life was the first to descend the shaft, 25 feet, to render assistance to the poor sufferer. All exertions proved fruitless, and the poor fellow died defore ten o'clock the same night, saying, as expired, to his sympathetic mates and other persons present, "I am cljing — good-bye boys." His mates and others worked all night, but it was not till ten o'clock on the following morning that they managed to extricate his body and convey it to his tent. The venerable chief Eruera Patuone — who having when a boy seen the vessel of Captain Cook of the Bay of Islands, is believed to be about 106 years of age — has been introduced at Auckland to his Excellency the Governor, who conversed for some time with the old man through Mr G. Brown, of the Civil Commissioner's Office. Sir George Bowen referred to a book kept at Government House wherein tke names and' other particulars about the principal chiefs are kept, and asked Patuone about Heke and the war in the North, and aleo as to the Maori King ; at the Bame time expressing a wish to see peace restored, and both races living on terms of amity. " Are you going back to Wellington ?" asked Patuone. "Yes, I shall have to go back by-and-bye," was his Excellency's

answer. "Then," said Patuone, "how do you expect to do what you have been speaking about if you go down where we cannot see you ? but when tliis son boy of the Queen conies, I will snap him up and take him off to the Bay of Islands " A correspondent of one of the Hokitika papers, writing from Okarita, says : — Mining matters here are at a standstill ; there ia absolutely nothing doing here at the present time. 1 can confidently affirm that diggers on the Five-mile and Three-mile do not average twenty-five shillings per week, which is scarcely sufficient to defray the cost of living. A number of miners ha,y,e returned from Jackson's Bay, where they have been for the last three months, and give the most unsatisfactory accounts of that place. They are satisfied that an extensive gold field will never be found there. Tins looks discouragr ing for the southern boumlary of the County qt Wesfcland. Hullahun's race party are commencing to span the Five : inile Creek with theii fluniing through to the beach, and the Okarila Saw-mill and Race Company have let a portiqu of the Saw-niilla by contract. Mr Burgett is the contractor.