Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 442, 12 November 1868, Page 2

The Greymouth portion of the English mail via Suez arrived in Hokitika yesterday afternoon by coach, and was promptly put on board the p.s. Yarra, which was leaving the wharf, and brought ou here. We give elsewhere the summary of the mouth's even ts, from the Home News. Only one case of drunkenness was hcai d, before the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, when the usual penalty was inflicted. Mr Skelton George Eowley has been gazetted clerk to the Resident Magistrate and Warden's Courts at Cobden. Among3t the list of promotions and appointments which appear in the last Government Gazette, we notice the appointment of Captain Harvey Spiller to be Sub-luspeetor of Armed Constabulary. It is reported in the Christchurch papers that a new daily newspaper is about t > be 'published in Duuedia to, be called The Sun. Mr Yogel is to be the editor. As yet nothing whatever appears to have been done with respect to the representation of the town of Greymouth in the new County Council, which is to be elected on the 10th of December. The present Council met yesterday, for the sole purpose of putting the new County of, Westland Ace in force, and is expected to adjourn to-day. Then a new Conncil has to be elected, to which the town will be called upon to contribute two members, and the Paroa Koad District one member. Although no candidates have yet announced themselves for the honor of representing the town, and no movement has been set on foot to secure the services of able representatives, the electors in most of the other electoral districts have been very active. For the Paroa District, it is well known that Mr E. B. Fox, the present Chairman of the Koad Board, intends to offer himself ; but he will be opposed by Don Delas Carreras, a miner at the Eight-mile Terrace, New Itiver, who has announced himself as a candidate. For the town of Hokitika a large number of gentlemen are spoken of as likely to come forward, including the names of Messrs Bonar, Shaw, Prosser, Bright, and others. The proceedings of the Borough Council on Tuesday evening can only be characterised as an intermittent wrangle, anything but creditable to the parties engaged. From first to last there was manifested in some quarters a jealous feeling, which was exhibited upon every question, and which usually ended in a display of temper. It is to bo regretted tbat some of our councillors caunot speak three

sentences consecutively in public without adopting an injured and highly indignant tone, which would lead their audience to conclude that they have been hardly dealt I with upon some most vital question. But the Corporation ia.- young yet, and the experience of last meejing will lio doubt suggest improvement, so that for the future there may be no •'scenes," ami more temperate language and tones adopted by the members toward one another. Elsewhere we have attempted to give a fair report of the pro? ceedings •— a verbatim qne would have occupied ' all our available space ; but we may find room for one some of these day, Thejnext meeting of the Oouucil is to be held to-mor-row, for the purpose of amending %]\e general rate which was made on Tuesday evening. At this meeting any person can qlajin Jjo have his name inserted as the owner or occupiei of any lands or houses, or to have fyis name struck out if he ought not to hay-e been so rated, and the Council can then raise I or reduce the amounts levied on properties. Under tjhe Act all appeals against the assess-, menfc must be made to the Resident Magisr trate witMn oue niouth after the levying of the rate ; but s'ej^n. days' notice must be given to the Council by any person who feel? hin^self so aggrieved. A meeting »f the Paroa Road Board was held at the Fire Brigade Hall, Greymouth, yesterday at noon, for the purpose of putting the new County of Westland Act iuto force, in accordance with the request of the County Chairman. On the motion of Mr Hamilton, seconded by M rConnor, it was resolved, • ' That the County of Westland Act be now put in force. " It was moved by Mr Leach, seconded by Mr Fox, and agreed, "That Mr Studdard's application for leave to continue the Rutherglen Tramway to Card's lower store, ]New River, be favorably entertained, and that the secretaiy be instructed to write to him, requesting him to forward a schedule of prices before the Board can recommend it." It was also resolved, on the motion of the same parties, "That the^Eugineer be instructed to proceed to Paroa, and, in company with the sub-committee, consider Foley and Co. 's application for a tunnel," It was moved by Mr Connor, seconded by Mr Hamilton, and resolved, "That the County Engineer Le written to requesting him to examine Card Bros', track, New llivor, and report to the Board whether they have couj plied with the terms upon which protection was recommended by the Board. " The Board adjourned to Friday, the 20th inst. There seems too good reason to fear that, in spite of the glowing accounts published in the Auckland and Shortlaud papers, the Thames goldh'elds bid fair to bring about great destitution in that province. A coirebpondent of the Hawked Bay Herald says :— Share buying appears to have reached its limit — in homely terms, the length of its tether, and shareholders soon tire of paying wages and " reading glowing accounts of the Thames goldfielda, " unooooinpanied by dividends paid to the ow tiers ; now the general feeling is, that some alteration in the style of working the ground is necessary. During the share buying mania purchasers appeared to have cast aside all iitans of caution and judgment ; a claim with a hi»h sounding name, or in the neighborhood of some noted claims, was saleable, and there appeared no limit to the credulity of the speculators. There is no doubt many of them have, in vulgar terms, " burnt their fingers." Now it is difficult to sell any claim, except one yielding gold. Wages have been gradually lowered during the last fortnight, the average reduction probably 7s to 10s per week. Men out of work are plenteous, and a notice, "Men wanted," would speedily attract a swarm of ready men. The Nelson Evening Mail relates that at about three o'clock on Saturday morning, a fire broke out in an empty house at the corner of Ingestre and Cuba streets, Wellington, which resulted in the total destruction of the building', and the partial damage of the adjoining cottage. The property belonged to Mr M'llwain, tailor, and we believe the house was insured in the Liverpool and L( n* don and Globe Insurance Company for £200. The place had been unoccupied, but carpenters had been at work in it on the previous day. The cause of the lire, however, is unknown. The Wentport. Times of Monday last, thus summarises the local erents of the previous 4S hours : — Most noticeable has been an incomprehensible, and, so far as we know, altogether causeless apprehension which seems to have effected the public mind as to the occurrence of an earthquake or a huge tidal wave, which was to sweep away Wes ■ port, and many other worse places. For I some days there had been a story indu«- --| t'iously, and, we imagine, jocularly circulated, to the effect that l)r Hunter had, forsooth, "predicted" that there was to be a monster tidal wave on Saturday night or Sunday morning ; that he had telegraphed intimation of the same to the operator here, as well as to Captain Leech, the Harbor Master, and so on. Speculation oi the subject was followed by anxjety, and towards midnight on Saturday there imvy be said to have been even excitement —different in its sjource from, although perhjipj enhanced by, the ordinary excitement of a Saturday night. The Maoris betook themselves, with their pigs and their poultry, several miles up the Buller, and evan some who are riot Maoris are said to have found occasion to proceed to the Caledonian and other terraces. Women were particularly alarmed ; and there is no doubt that, had the slightest shock of earthquake happened, there would have been a scene such as practical jokers would regret having encouraged. As we have said, the whole story appears to have been utterly groundless, and it is to be hoped that, with the sources *of information which the people of Westport possess, they will not be so credulous again in rnera matters of hearsay. The other incidents have been the arrival of the Waipara, with the Suez English mail on board, and the schooner Ottawa in tow— again disabled; the arrival of the Lyttleton with sheep and stories of shipwreck ; and the arrival, for th« first time, of Mr Jones's. "Sunday coach" from the Orawaite. Among other incidents, there is the laying down of material for the erection of the Athenmnn ; the draining of some of the back streets— at last! — by the priponers; news of alluvial gold at the Waimangoroa—as yet unconfirmed ; news of the safe arriva', this time, of the prospecting party at the Lyell : and news of the rush to Hatter's Terrace turning out excellently — all of which items of news will bear being referred to again.