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Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 399, 4 August 1868, Page 2

The new rush in and around Orwell Creek, up the Ahaura River, is progressing favorably. Five gullies have been opened, and payable gold found in all, but these are small blind gulliej running into tbe main creek, and do not contain much ground. In the five gullies one hundred men are now on payable gold. The population on the msh is variously estimated at from 500 to 1000 men, and we believe a medium figure between the two will be found pretty nearly correct. Up to Saturday last men were pouring in from Nelson Creek, Moonlight, and neighborhood. The surrounding country is what is known as "likely looking," and it is probable that other gullies may yet be opened. The prospectors have bottomed, but have not yet commenced washing up, being engaged in bringing iv a head.race. The party above them are washing 10 ozs. a-day out of their claim, Provisions were very scarce on the rush and at the Ahaura, but several boat s were oh the way up with supplies. The latest Wanganui news is to the effect that Colonel M'Donnell is having redoubts erected for the protection of the settlers. Supplies were running short at Patea, the Stnrt having been unable to enter the river with provisions and other supplies on board. The Native Contiugent, which went over to the rebels, only consisted of nine or ten mere boys, of which liatene (whose brother was killed in the attack on the redoubt) was nominally in command. It is said that the Taranaki tribes, and those adjoining, intend remaining neutral, nor will they allow the rebels to tight on their lands. A public meeting was held last evening in the Institute, Grcfson street, for the purpose of taking steps to secure a fair and equitable representation of the town in the Municipal Council when elected. There was a large attendance, and Mr James Davies waa called to the chair. He introduced the business by stating that the meeting had resulted from a private meetiug of residents in both townships, held in the Fire Brigade Hall, at which a Committee was appointed to devise ineaus to return proper persons to the Council, so that both ends of the town might be properly represented, and any political ill-feeling which might previously have existed between tho two townships might be obliterated, now that they were about to be incorporated in one Municipality. Mr De Costa addressed the meeting in favor of a division of the town into imaginary wards, each to return two members, and he moved a resolution to that effect. A long and very irregular discussion ensued, in which many suggestions were made, but nothing definite was arrived at. The motion was put, but as a few hands only were held up for and against, and there

appeared to be no inclination to vote, the Chairman declined to say whether the motion was carried or lost. Several pther gentlemen made suggestions a 3 to the best means to secure the desired object, and after a time Mr Maclean moved— "That a Committee of six be appointed to canvas the eleptgrs, iv order to ascertain tho names of the gentlemen who were willing to stand as candidates for the representation »|f the town in the Counpil — three from each side of Boundary street, and tp report to a future meeting." This was seconded by Mr Lab man, and carried. The Committee was then appointed, consisting of Messrs Whall, Wiokes, Ashton, Heron, Do Cos.ta, and Davies. A motion for 'adjournment had been moved, when Mr Whall proposed — "That the Government should immediately cause to be published the electoral roll under which the election for tbg Council will take place, q,nd that a copy of this resolution be forr warded by telegram to the County Chairman, and t]ie General Government." It wa,s pointed ouji that this was unnecessary, as the Returning Officer ponld giye the information when askc.t; hut the motion was carried, after a conversation as. to the rolls, The meeting then adjourned. The Nelson Evening Mail Bays: --'We understand that the public may shortly look i for the publication of Mr Wrigg's report of the survey qi\ the Mount Bochforc Coal Field, and the line of railway required to bring down to Westport, made by him at the desire of the Government, which is npw in the printer's hands. Apropos to this subject, we may state that Mr N. Edwards loft on Sunday last for Wellington, with a view, it is surmised, to confer with the General Government on the subject of the Brunuer ] Coal Mine, q.ad also to enlist the cooperation of capitalists in its efficient working." We desire to call public attention to the lecture which is to be given in the Institute, Qresson street, this evening, on behalf of the building fund of the Wesleyan Church, The name of the lecturer — J, R. Dutton, Esq., R. M. — is a sufficient guarantee that a very pleasant evening \\i\\ be spent. The hall in which the concerts of Saturday and Monday weregiveu, is t> large and commodious room, newly erected in rear of Hunt's Club Hotel, to which it is a very handsome addition. It is named the OddFellows' Hall, having been built expressly for the meetiugs of the Loyal Greymouth Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., and it is iutended to be formally opened by a ball giveu by the proprietor during the present week. We take the following from the Nelson Examiner: — "The Report on the Postal Service of New Zealand lias just been printed and laid before Parliament, and, as usual, contains information that is both useful and instructive. We were desirous of seeing this report to ascertain how far the opinion expressed by us two years ago, of the serious effect a penny postage would have on tha circulation of newspapers, had been verified, and wo are sorry to find that our forebodings have been more than borne out. For the year 186(i, at the termination of which newspapers ceased to circulate through the postoffices free of charge, the total number despatched was 2,413,511 ; for the year 1807, when tbe postage tax was in operation, the number of newspapers despatched was 1,390,368, shoeing a falling off to the enormous extent of 1,023,145 copies, or more than two-fifths of the circulation of the preoerting.year, although the population of the colony had iv the meantime increased. The proprietor of the United States Concert Hall has made a valuable addition to his company by the engagement of Mr and Mrs Newton, who are well known in the comedy and burlesque line of entertainment. They are announced to appear for six nights only in their popular entertainments, assisted by the members of Abe Variety Troupe usually engaged at this place of amusement. The business 1 transacted at the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday and Monday was almost nil, having consisted of the fining of a couple of drunkards in the usual penalties. The concerts given by Messrs Black, West, and Singer at the Oddfellows' Hall, on Saturday and Monday evenings, were a great success, aud quite a treat to those who were fortunate enough to be present. These gentlemen are all good vocalists, while Mr Singer adds to this accomplishment that of being a thoroughly efficient pianist. Xt Black's peculiar forte is the rendering of characteristic Scotch songs and stories, with native humor ; and this he did with so much effect, that his doric must have been a great treat to all who could appreciate it. We were quite surprised, and agreeably so, at the very excellent baritone voice possessed by Mr West, and the amount of taste desplayed by him in the selection and singing of his songs. He acquitted himself most creditably, everything he sang 'being loudly applauded or encored. The only thing to be regretted, is that the concerts were not bettt r patronised ; but perhaps the weather and the public meeting last night operated against them. Another concert will be given this evening. The Commissioners appointed by the General Government to inquire iuto the conduct of Mr Commissioner Kynnersley during the recent disturbances at Addison's Flat, commenced their investigation on Monday las', at Westport, and the proceedings are reported at length in our contemporaries. On the first day no prosecutors appeared, and no interest appeared to be taken in the matter by the public. . Mr Kynnersley made a long statement in vindication of tho course he had pursued in asking for the appointment of the Commission, adding: — "As, however, no one has come forward to-day, as yet, to proffer any evidence, I can only say that it was not for my own personal satisfaction that I applied for this inquiry. It is a matter of the utmost indifference to me personally. I merely applied for it because the people of Westport unauiinously agreed that it was essential to the peace aud prosperity of the district that an investigation should be held. If the people who attended

that meeting have reconsidered the matter, and have come to the conclusion that they can preserve the peace without any searching investigation, I have no wish to call any witnesses, or to give any evidence. lam prepared to answer any charge that may be brought •against me, and to produce all the correspondence which I had at the time Several letters which were written by Dr Giles and myself to the Colonial Secretary and the Defence Minister were written dnring the time, and one I wrote on the 18th of, April, after the disturbance. I can only state that I do not wish to withdraw or alter a single word in any of the letters I have written to the General Government or to the Superintendent, er any word 1 have spoken either at Westport or Addison's Flat."— The Commissioners resolved tp go on with the inquiry, and the attendance of Messrs Tyler and M unro was commanded . On tho following day these gentlemen appeared, and Mr Tyler, on behalf of tjhe people of Westporfc, said it was the general opinion that the inquiry should not go on. The matter had ended, and the different sections qf the coinmuuity which were at one time at enniity were now quite amicably disposed, and were the matter renewed, unpleasant feeliugswould not be conducive tp the general welfare of the district. Personally, he withdraw the expression he had previously made use of —that Mr Kynnersley wiote to the Superintendent what he knew to be. false, and he publicly apologised for having made use of it. After a conversation, it appeared that the above-named gentleman would not withdraw the charges made against Mr Kynnersley in the memorial adopted at a public meeting in Westport, and the Commissioners resolved to proceed with the inquiry, and call evidence, This they have been doing at Westport. Addison's Flat, and Charleston but the evidence given is not reported. We carefully abstain from all comment upon these proceedings until the conclusion of the inquiry. Tl^e Westland Observer says that two accidents of a painful nature occurred on Friday, on Shamrock Terrace, Left-hand Branch of the Waimea Creek. The first happened, at eleven o'clock, to a man whose name we have not been able to ascertain. He was working at the tail-race of a sluicing claim, when a large boulder fell from the face ot the terrace, knocked him down, and jammed his hand against a rock. Three ringers were completely severed, and his hand was frightfully lacerated. It is also feared that he has suffered some internal injury, as he complains of a severe pain in his chest. The other accident was not so serious. It happened at one o'clock, to a young man named Patrick Keenan, who, while engaged in a tunnel, had his forefinger cut off by a stone falling from the roof of the drive. The sufferer of the first accident was brought to the Hospital by his mates ; and Keenan was attended to by a local practitioner. A gentleman who was lately staying in Nelsou, a member of a well-known mercantile firm in Dunedin, communicates to the NeUon Mail the following amusing illustration of the mistakes which telegraph operators occasionally make: — "He left Dunedin, about a fortnight ago, by the Alhambra, in rather bleak and stormy weather. On arriving at Lyttelton, in order to allay the anxiety of his wife, whom he had left in Dunedin, he handed in at the Lyttelton Telegraph Office window, written in fair legible characters, two words—' Delightfully right,' believing that he would thus briefly convey to his better half what she desirwl fo know. Our readers may imagine his suprise (doubtless not unmingled with amusement) on receiving a letter shortly after his arrival at Nelson, enquiring what he meant by being 'delightfully tight?'. The good, lady was evidently in blissful ignorance of the slang meaning of the word 'tight,' or anxiety as to her husband's safety would hardly be allayed by this communication." Two suicides are reported by contemporaries. In Dunedin, on the 23rd ult, a man named Henry Mahen hanged himself at the Universal Hotel, Maclaggan street. Mahen was staying at the public-house, and at one o'clock yesterday niorniug he was lying on a sofa in the diningroom, where had been in the habit of sleeping, as he was not able to pay for a bed. At seven o'clock the landlord found the poor fellow hanging by a piece of thin cord, which had been knotted to the balustrade of the stairs. He was quite dead. The deceased was about fifty years of age, and a native of Jersey. He was sobjr when when he was last seen alive ; but during the last two mouths he was three times in custody for drunkenness. — In Christchurch, on Tuesday, a young man of twenty-four or twenty-five years of age, lodging at Uncle Tom's coffee-house, in High street, was discovered lying on the bed with his throat cut, and a large pocket knife, by means of which the wound had apparently been inflicted, lying on the floor by the bedside. Medical assistance was at once procured, but the wound was too severe to render it of any avail, and the man died about an hour afterwards. He was a native of Tasmania, and had been several years in the province, bu had no relations here . He was a stookdri ver, lately in the employ of Mr Grigg, to whose service he was about to return, and was much respected as a steady and industrious young man. The cause of his committing suicide is by no means clear, since, although e\ idence was brought forward at the inquest to show that he was somewhat depressed in mind just before the fatal occurrence took place, jot he does not appear to have been in embarrassed circumstances, nor suffering from any grief which would be likely to induce him tp resort to so extreme a mode of relief from his difficulties . The jury howtver at the inquest returned a verdict of " Temporary Insanity."