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Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 416, 12 September 1868, Page 2

There was no meeting of the Grey Road Board yesterday, for want of a quorum-Mes&v-j Barnhill and Leanh were present, but the Chairman did not put in an appearance. The nomination of candidates for the vacancies in the Road Board took place yesterday at the Court House, Greymouth, when fire candidates were proposed. A report of the proceedings will be found elsewhere. The election will take place on Tuesday next. T Councillor Prosser has been elected Mayor of Hokitika, until the annual election in December, in room of Mr Shaw. There was another crowded house at Kilgour's Theatre last evening to witness the performances of the Foley Juvenile Troupe, indeed, during the entire week every encouragement has been given in the shape of first-class houses, and abundant applause. The entertainments have beeu delightfully varied with farces, singing, and dancing, and are entered into with such spirit by the performers as torender the evening's amusement in the most enjoyable manner. This evening is announced as the last appearance of the troupe, and a very attractive programme is published. The Wellington Independent of the 3rd says : — We regret to announce that M r Harry Buxton was accidentally drowned on Thursday last, while attemptiug to cross the Warehaina river (close to the residence of the Rev. J. C. Andrews), while on his way to Castle Point in company with a Mr Barnett. Poor Buxton led the way ; but after proceeding a short way into the stream, which was much swollen by the recent rains, his horse attempted to turn, and fell, throwing Mr Buxton into the stream. Mr 3arnett, who had succeeded in crossing, seeing his friend's perilous position, immediately dismounted, and divesting himself of superfluous clothing, swam to him, and laid hold of him, but was unable to bring him out, the river being very high and the current strong. Mr Buxton wore, unfortunately, Jong boots and a heavy Inverness-cape, which was buttoned. The body will probably not be found until the flood iv the river has subsided, which may not be for a week or ten days. Mr Barnett has proceeded up the coast. A number of residents in the lower part of the town feel much aggrieved at the proposal of the Waste Lands Board to sell the remaining improved sections on the Ist October, at ss. per foot frontage. A memorial on the subject to the Board is being signed, and will shortly be forwarded to the proper quarter. It is to the following effect: — "We, the undersigned, having heard that the unsold laud in that portion of Greymouth known as the Preston-road, and a portion of Arney street, is to be sold without our being able to obtain valuation for our houses, having cleared the land and feuced it in some two years ago, consider it a great injustice that the privileges granted to our fellowtownsmen, when the land was sold in the most valuable part of the town at the upset

price of £48 per acre, or the option of having buildings and improvements taken at a valuation, should not be granted to your petitioners, more especially as most of the sections which we have unfortunately built our houses on are, during every flood, covered by from one to three feet of water. The ground was taken up under business licenses with the understanding that on its being sold we should be allowed valuation for the property when it was sold by auction, at the upset price of £48 per acre. We most respectfully request you to consider the great injustice to some of us who have not the means to purchase at £16 10s. per lot, and that we are willing to pay the same rate as our neighbours who built on the same line of street where we did, and that they had the oppo* tunity of buying their sections at the upset price of £48 per acre, with valuation ; and, should you not consider that we are entitled to the aame privileges as our neighbours, what time will be allowed us to remove our buildings and improvements to other sections on Maori land, above flood level '»" We give the following letter from the Queensland Gold Fields; which has appeared in an Adelaide paper, because we are assured by one who knows the patties that they are working men upon whose veracity every reliance can, be placed: — "Jhnna Gold Fields, August 2, 1868, Dear WilliamsWe are about to give you a true acoonnt of the gold fields here. We landed in Brisbane, and had to walk a distance of 110 miles to Jimna. This is nearly worked out. We have no doubt you have seen in the telegrams about a new rush about 15 miles from here. We. have been there, and worked on the ground, and out of 500 or 600 men, not one ounce of gold was obtained, so by this you can see the rash was a feeler, Gympie is nearly worked out, except the reefing, which is very good for those who have shares in the reefs. There are thousands of men walking all over the diggings. You can rely on this for a truth, aud if anything turns out for the better we will let you know. If you like you can get this published, as it would do a great deal of good to many men iv Adelaide, as i* would" 'be wrong to let them come here and spend what they had worked hard, for as they would be disappointed.— We remain, yours truly, Patrick Stoakes, Tiios. Mullikr, John Murray." John M 'Donald, a miner at the Greenstone, was brought to town yesterday afternoon, and conveyed to the Hospital, suffering from a. fractured leg. He was working on the face of his claim, when a large boulder became detached and rolled down on him, breaking his leg. His mates and those in the neighborhood ran to his assistance, and carried him as far as the Junction, whence he was conveyed by boat and tramway to town. The road from the Creek to the Junction is described as being in a fearful state, aud the progress of the party Avas necessarily slow, aud very painful to the snffeter. We notice that tenders have been invited for the conveyance of a daily and tri-weekly mail between Greymouth and Hokitika. What the meaning of such a proceeding is | we are not aware, but we trust it is not contemplated to cut off our daily mail aud return to the obnoxious old system of a triweekly one, as with a coach running between the two towns daily, the saving which would be effected would be iusignilicaut compared to the injury which it would inflict upon the commercial relations of both Hokitika and Greymouth. We are informed by the Charleston Herald that a preliminary meeting to take steps for a race meeting in that district in October next, was held at Rooney's Hotel (Mr Strike in the chair), when' the following motions were carried: — Proposed by Mr Neale, seconded by Mr Pell, and carried—" That Messrs Dwan, Rooney, Strike, Fenton, Brownlie, and the mover, be appointed to canvass the town for subscriptions in aid of a race fund." Proposed by Mr Pell, seconded by Mr Rooney, and carried— " That Mr M'Owen act as treasurer, aud Mr Mirfin as secretary." The following gentlemen were appointed on the committee : — Messrs MacOwen, Rooney, Dwan, Kennedy, Twohill, Fenton, Cullen, Sturt, Hennelly, Brownlie, G. Strike, iN'eale, Behau, Lichtschciudl, aud Shepherd. A subscription list was opened in the room and £40 subscribed. The Daily Times of the Ist inst. records the following interesting fact :— From Otago, on Saturday next, will conim«nce a great ocean race, literally round the world. On that day two English mails will be despatched from Dunedin, the oiie by Panama and the other by Suez. This is worth noting, not only because it is the first time such an event has occurred in Otago's history — and it will probably also be the last ■ - but as remarkable in the history of a Province that has not yet attained its majority. Those amongst us who in March 1848 founded this settlement could hardly have expected iv a little more than 20 years to see two mail steamers, connected with the most powerful steam companies in the world, leave Otago on the same day, girdling the globe, and distributing correspondence throughout both hemispheres. As a sign of progress, such an event is eminently satisfactory ; but as a matter of administrative organisation, it is entirely the reverse. We are too young a community, too poor and too small a population in New Zealand, considerable as has been the progress of the Colony, to afford such costly 'md unnecessary duplicate services. I The Adelaide Philosophical Society has passed a resolution in favor of compulsory education. This fact is interesting, as public attention in New Zealand is just now directed to the subject of popular education and the establishment of University scholarships. It is an easy thing to pass a resolution in favor of compulsory education ; but a difficult thing to devise means for enforcing it. In Prussia, a man is sent to prison if he persists in not sending his children to school. But New Zealand is not Prussia, and Mr Stafford is not,, although he would like to be, Bismarck. Compulsory education is as

knotty a point as compulsory religion : as to the latter, the London Times of a recent date gives a repoib of what was recently said in the House of Commons. A member asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether it was a fact that a prisoner in Mount] oy Prison was ordered by the Governor to select his religion as Anglioan; Roman Catholic, or Presbyterian, and that on declining to do so he was sentenced to the penal cell, with bread and water diet. Then the Minister replied that the facts of the case were these : — " The Governor of the prison enquired in the usual manner what was the religion of the convict, who stated that he was of no religion whatever, and that he never attended any plaoe of worship. He added that he was a Pagan— (A laugh)- - and refused to he instructed in religion of any kind. The Director, being a military man, ordered him to select his religion immediately. (Loud laughter.) The Governor states that he told the prisoner what wa s required of him, but he objected to go to any place of worship, as he did not believe in any religion. He was therefore put on penal diet for three days. (Much laughter.) Two days afterwards he was removed to the Hospital, and after he left the Hospital he was again placed on penal diet for three days— (Oh, oh)— at the expiration of which time he selected the Roman Catho'ic religion. (Renewed laughter.)" This remarkable way of mak-'ng a prisoner religious by placing him on a short allowance of food must have been borrowed from some edict of the Diet of Worms ! It has often been mentioned as a matter for regret that Australian wines were not moro generally imported into this country, and introduced into daily use. These wines are rapidly making their way into public favor in the other colonies, and we are glad to see by our Wellington contemporaries that the firm of Messrs F. Sidey and Co., of that city, are at present engaged in an attempt to introduce these delicious liquors to the New Zealand market. For the information of our publican friends we may mention that the firm we have named, some time ago became importers of the favorite Cawarra wine, have now extended their trade by receiving a large consignment of carefully selected Allmry wines of the most celebrated vintages. These wines are of two qualities 1 viz., red and white. The red variety is an excellent claret and only requires age to give it body and flavour ; it is a sound wive and is entirely free from artificial admixture with alcohol. The white wine, which corresponds to a good quality of continental hock, is also an excellent article, pleasant to the palate, slightly astringent, and. would make a wholesome diuner table wine for those whose tastes have been vitiated and digestions impaired by thehighly-brandied port and sherry now so extensively consumed. Were the duty now imposed on Australian wines re - cluced, a pure and wholesome article, such as the Albury claret, could be vended at Is. per champagne pint bottle, whereas the present price is Is 6d per bottle.