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Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 498, 25 March 1869, Page 2

We hear that a contract has been taken by Mr C. Holder to erect a handsome twostorey building for Mr J. Taylor at the corner of Albert-street and Mawhera Quay, on the site of his present store. The building will be a fine addition toTthat portion of town, and shows the faith which our oldest residents have in the stability of the town. The. usual fortnightly meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was held last night. Mr D, Maclean was in the chair, and all thp members were present except Mr Dutton. It was resolved to increase the salary of Mr King, the Chief Warder of the Hospitalj The Visiting Committee reported that during the month there were twenty -

seven patients in the building, ten havin been admitted, five discharged, and one died. The Hon. Secretary stated that the drugs ordered from Sydney had arrived. The Hon. Treasurer reported that all the funds subscribed by the public for the Hospital had been expended, and suggesting the propriety of taking some steps to obtain additional contributions. A conversation took place as to the necessity which existed for the erection of a public morgue, as it was highly injurious to the patients to have dead bodies conveyed to the Hospital building. It was agreed to urge the matter upon the attention of the Borough Council. To-morrow being Good Friday will most probably be strictly observed in town, as usual. Monday^ being Easter Monday, it is announced that it will be observed as a holiday by the Banks of Australasia, New Zealand, and Union Bank. It is stated that nearly 200 applications have been made at Charleston and Brighton by residents to be placed on the electoral roll. This has been effected principally through the individual exertions of Mr Donne, M.P.C. A temperance meeting in connection with the Greymouth Teetotal Society was held in the Fire Brigade Hall last evening. Mr A. Robinson was in the chair, and there was a fair attendance. Mr Dixon sung a temperance song, "The Dying Son." The Chairman then delivered an address upon the benefits arising from teetotalism, and the evil effects of the drinking customs. The next speaker was Mr W. Boase, of Cobden, who delivered a long and able speech upon the duty of every professing Christian and good citizen to join the cause of temperance. A vote of thanks to the chair was proposed by Mr W. Dale and carried, and the meeting adjourned. In our fourth page to-day will be found a full report of the grand banquet which was given at M'Grath's Hotel, Greenstone, on St. Patrick's Day, in honor of the memory, of the Patron Saint of Ireland. Cobb's coach did not leave town for Hokitika yesterday, in consequence of the rivers and creeks having been greatly swollen by the rain which fell during the previous day and night. It is very much to be regretted that one of our successful" shots in the competition for the WestLmd District Prizes will be unable to proceed to Dunedin, as intended, to compete for the Colonial prizes, which are to be fired for on the 2nd April. Mr Smith intended to go, but proceeded to Charleston on business* thinking he would he back in time to catch the coach to Christchurch to-day. In this he has been disappointed, in consequence of the change in the weather, which has prevented the steamer from calling at Charleston, and flooded the creeks, so that communication by land has also been interrupted. Mr G. W. Moss will consequently be the only represen. tative at the competition from Greymouth> and this is to be regretted as Mr Smith is a good steady shot. One of the Hokitika men will go in his stead. The Thames race meeting promises to be a very attractive one. The Nelson Examiner states that Mr Redwood has entered Manuka and Peeress for the Galatea Cup (handicap) of 500 soys., and Blackboy for the Shortland Purse of 150 soys. For the second day, Peeress and Misfortune are entered for the Thames Plate (handicap) of 200 soys. Mr Stafford has also entered some of his horses for thesft races. Two prisoners who deserted from the Armed Constabulary force were recently captured, and tried by general court-martial. The sentence was fifty lashes each, and eighteen months' imprisonment with 1 a"d labor. Colonel Whitmore at once remitted the flogging. After about a fortnight's imprisonment the men managed to effect their escape, and have not since been recaptured. Another deserter who was recently caught was tried last week for a charge of desertion and theft of Government property. He was sentenced to fifty lashes and two years' imprisonment with hard labor. As in the former cases, the Colouel remitted the flogging, but every effort will be used to prevent the convict from escaping the rest of the sentence. An immense amount of interest was excited amongthe members of Court Concordj A. 0. F. , on Tuesday, by the case Hope v. Ashton, 'which was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court. Both parties were Foresters, and the 1 oue brother sued the other for £20 as damages sustained for detaining a double ticket for the Foresters' Ball, which lately took place in Gilmer's Hall. A nice point was raised during the hearing of the case, wliich was tantamount to this, that communications or transactions which take place within societies established under the Friendly Societies' Act were privileged, and could not be repeated in Court. Two of the witnesses refused to answer questions of this nature, and were told by the plaintiffs solicitor, himself a Forester, to decline to answer, but they were\ very sharply told by the Magistrate to answer, or he would take other means to compel them. The questions were then quietly answered. In the case judgment was given for the defendant with costs, as the Magistrate considered that as both parties were bound by the rules of the Society, and as the defendant detained the ticket by order of a Committee of the Society, he was quite justified in doing so. A very painful occurrence is reported by the C'Jiarlenton Herald, as having taken place at Sardine Terrace, in M'Kay and party's claim, about- five o'clock last Wednesday morning, resulting in the instantaneous death of a miner employed in the claim, named Samuel Finlay. It appears that deceased's mate had just returned into the drive with the empty truck, and observed to Finlay that it was about time to knock off as day was breaking. Deceased remarked that it wanted nearly halfan-hour to changing their shift, and thought they had better go on working, and after a few minutes his mate heard a fall of cement and looked round to see what it was, and saw a block containing about eight or ten tons lying on his companion ; finding he could not help him, his mate rushed to. the engine and got assistance. * The parties then dug the lo< se -white sand from under

him and liberated him, but life was extinct. The body, which was. frightfully mutilated, was removed to the dead-house at the Hospital, and an inquest held, at which a verdict of accidental death was recorded. It is a strange circumstance that Finlay was a sohool-mate of Henry Bloomtield, who was killed on the Greymouth race-course with,in a | few hour 3 after the above event. The following arl*the entries, as originally I made, for the forthcoming race meeting at Hokitika, but we believe that since then additional entries have been made, Nebula having been entered for three of the events: — First Day— Trial Stakes : Mr Barnard's b g Flying Jib. Mr Shirley's g g Vandal, Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack, Mr Garforth's bk g Backbiter. Hurdle .Race : Mr Haworth's b m Blink Bonny, Mr Barnard's g g Don Pedro. Trotting Race : Mr Jones's b m •Rosebud, Mr Garforth's b m Gentle Annie. Town Plate : Mr Barnard's b g ?lying Jib, Mr Garforth's bk g Backbiter. Selling Race : Dr Ryley's c g Contractor, Mr Shirley's g g Vandal, Mr Ashton's b g Native, Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack. Second DayButchers' Purse : Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack. Westland Jockey Club Handicap : Mr Barnard's b g Flying Jib, Mr Garforth's bk g Backbiter. Handicap Hurdle Race : Mr Howarth's b m Blink Bonny, Mr Barnard's g g Don Pedro, Mr Mitchell's c m janet, Mr Ashton's b-g- Native. Ladies' Purse : Dr Ryley's c g Contractor, Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack, Mr Garforth's bk g Backbiter, Mr Ashton's b g Native.