THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 525, 29 May 1869, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1869.

Information was brought to tow n yesterday which leads to the belief that another man has met his death by drowning. The supposed victim in this case is known as Professor Sampson, lately Master of Ceremonies at the Casino, Charleston, aud formerly of the Alliance Hotel, Greymouth . The circumstances are these : — Mr Sampson hired a horse from Simmer and Forder on Tuesday 1 ist to proceed to Westpoi i. Ou that day there was a fresh in the Totara Eivcr. On the following day, when the Westport and Charleston coaches met, mutual enquiries were made as to what had become yf Sampson, as he had not arrived at his destination. The boatmen were applied to, and they had not seen him, but they pointed out a horse which had been found drowned that morning on the Westport side of the stream. This animal was identified as the one on which Sampson set out from Charleston, and as he had not arrived at Westport the natural inference was that he had been drowned. It is just possible there may be some mistake, for no notice is taken of Ijhe, circumstance in the Westport paper of Thursday. In connection with the fete given on Monday last by the Oddfellows, Foresters, and Volunteers, in aid of the funds of the Grey River Hospital, an auction sale of contributed goods took place in the Volunteer Hall, on Thursday evening. The same weather which spiiiled the games on Monday, also waited upon the sale, and consequently the attenclauce was not what it otherwise would have been, and the bidding for tho goods was anything but spirited, the majority </f the articles being sold much under their value. As instances, a large quantity of No. 2 was sold at 2s. Cd. a bottle ; a whole sheep hi first-class

condition, went for 10s.; and a lady's mantle, worth £2 T>s. in the shop, was knocked down for ss. The evening's takings amounted to only £.35 15s. Mr D. Maclean— as ho always does on such occasions -• gave his services gratuitously ; nndatthcconclusionhe thanked the public, on behalf of the Hospital Committee, for their attendance. The hall was, with his usual liberality, given free by Mr James Johnston. In mentioning tlie result of these praiseworthy efforts made by these Friendly Societies to assist the Hospital, it must be remembered that they were entirely spoiled by the inclement weather. Had the weather been fine, there is no doubt that a very handsome sum would havo been available for the Hospital, but as it is, the total sum, clear of all expenses, to be handed . over is £30, which, considering the attendant contributions from the Governments, mny be considered as £90. There was taken on Monday, at the gates, for admission, £19 11s. 6d.; received as entries for game?, £9 os. Cd. ; paid for clearing the ground, £G 10s. ; for prizes, £23 ; and there were incidental receipts and expenses. The total receipts from all sources were, £70 75. , and expenses, £46 75., leaving a balance for the Hospital of £30. Great praise is due to the committee appointed for the manner in which they earned out their arrangements, for they worked with a spirit deserving of a better result. We only trusi that their next effort in the same direction will be more successful. On Thursday evening a company was formed in town for the purpose of taking up a large block of land, about ten acres, on the South Beach, through which the Stoney Lead is supposed to run. The capital was proposed to bo LI OOO in 100 shares of LlO each, and all the shares were taken up on the spot. The ground was surveyed yesterday, and the usual applications v '11 be lodged with the Warden to-day. In noticing the late case of drowning in Pox's River, the Westport Times states that the unfortunate man's name was Robert Kyme. The name published by us was Robert Grimes. A new church has been erected at the Maori settlement at Baupaki, Canterbury, The resolutions which we recently published as baviug been moved in the Nelson Provincial Council by Dr Irvine, as a substitute for Separation, were shelved by the carrying of a motion that they be read that day six mouths. The polling of the electors of Hokitika for thepurpose of filling up the seat in the County Council, vacated by the Hon. J. A. Bonar, took place on Thursday, and resulted in the election of Mr C. E. Button, Mayor of Hokitika, by a majority of eighty-seven votes over Mr White. Mr Breeze and Mr Dick faring alike, neither having a single vote recorded in his favor. In the Nelson Provincial Council, the other day, Mr Donne moved, and Mr Burn seconded— "That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to place upon the Supplementary Estimates the sum of LSO, as a gratuity to Mr Dent, Road Overseer in the Grey district." The motion, on a division, was rejected— Ayes, 8 ; Noes, 9. A fire broke out at Waikouaiti, Ofcago, on Wednesday, 19th inst., in a store. The property destroyed is valued at L 2500. The following is the list of casualties in the recent engagement at Ruatahina : — Killed : Sub-Inspector H. B. Travers, Lieut. David White, Constables Kelly, David, Jas. Parkinson, and two native guides. Wounded, severely : Constables Pearson, Wasley, Leydon, James Hull, Thomas Ryan. Slightly : Matthew Roberts, Curl Hanson. The latest accounts from Patea state that Titokowaru and about 300 followers are occupying his old place of Ngutn-o-te-Mami. He has been deserted by some of his late allies, who are said to wish to make their peace with the Government. MrM'Neill, late member of the House of Representatives for Wallace, Southland, has been supplanted by Mr Cowan. The Westport Times says that seven separate tenders have been accepted for the repair of the track along the Buller river. Number 1 tender is that of Mr D. M'Leod ; number 2is that of Mr G. S. Atkinson ; the other five are the tenders of Mr Garvin. The work has, in each case, to be finished within two months. The tender of Messrs Bull aud Bond, for additions to Westport gaol, has been accepted. The amount of the tender is L 356 15s. The Auckland Weekly Nays, of May 15th, says : — " We learn that an accident recently occurred at Whakatane to a sergeant named Edwards. He was in company with Major St. John, the latter being in the act of examining a revolver. In handing the revolver to Sergeant Edwards it accidentally went off, the ball entering Sergeant Edward's right leg and passing upwards into the thigh, where it lodged. The wounded man was conveyed at once to Opotiki." The Hatoke's Bay Herald mentions, as a striking sign of the times, that the chief Tareha is fortifying his pa at Waioiti, by putting in heavy posts to strengthen the palisading, and sinking rifle pits. This pa is in the very heart of a district peaceable at present, and surrounded by European settlers, .and this action shows the utter want of faith in the Government which exists in that locality. Tareha has had great experience no doubt of his countrymen in the Waikato, and evidently does not believe in their protestations of peace. A meeting of the Westland Board of Education was held at the Supreme Court, Hokitika, on Wednesday evening last. Present — The Chairman (Mr South), and Messrs Hyde, Crerar, Gibson, Collier, Comisky, Alcorn, and Moss. Deputations were present from the Committees of the Presbyterian, St. Mary's, aud All Saint's schools, Hokitika, each of whom presented a petition for a porI tion of the vote passed for educational purposes at the last session of the County Council. It was resolved — "That further consideration of the memorials be deferred until next meeting of the Board, such meeting to be called immediately after the returns weic received from tho local school coin-

niittee." It was resolved to advertise for a Secretary to the Board. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Comisky, seconded by Mr Moss— "That the Chairman be directed to communicate with Mr Hudson. Inspector of Schools at Nelson, for the purpose of ascertaining the terms under which he would un» dertake the inspection of National Schools in Westland." Mr Moss moved— "That the local committees appointed by the County Chairman bo requested to send in a report immediately to the Board, containing the number of children residing in each district, and also the number attending the present schools." Tho motion was seconded by Mr Gibson, and carried. The General Assembly meets for business on Tuesday. If any steps are to be taken this session to induce the General Government to make some arrangement by which the Upper Township can be purchased from the natives and sold freehold, the sooner the matter is set on foot the better. The refusal given to a similar request last session should not be taken as a final answer, but the matter should be dragged before the House session j after session until the Government is forced to look more to the welfare and prosperity of this rising port, than to the pampering of their Maori pets, and paying the salaries of officials in the Native Department. The following sensible letter has appeared in the Wanymui Chronicle: — "So you wouldn't subscribe to the flanuel veskits," i said Sam. — "Certainly not," replied Mr Weller. "What's the good of flannel veskits to the young niggers abroad ? But I'll tell you what it is, (Sammy," said Mr Weller, lowering his voice, "I'd come down handsome towards strait/M veskits for some people [at home." Are there no heathen in New Zealand — in Wanganui itself? that we are asked to give an effertory next Sunday to the Melanesian ? Are the friendly natives up the river ever looked after by their energetic pastor of the Church Missionary Society? Is there a Church of England service at every redoubt every Sunday? Is the English Church here over LIOO in debt to its ministers and others ? ' ' Charity begins at home. " It ought not to end there ; but when we of the Church of England pay our debts, and contribute sufficient to pay our ministers, and provide for the bodily and spiritual wants of our neighbors, brown and white, then it will be time to think of Melanesian Missions and such like distant and doubtful doings. The Daily Southern Cross of the 17th inst. states that his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh went on board the Galatea on Saturday morning, the 15th inst., and sat as President of a court-martial which was held on board for the trial of an engineer of the Blanche. Captain Ponsonby officiated as Judge Advocate. The accused was charged with disorderly conduct and breach of duty, and was assisted in his defence by Mr J. B. Russell, under whose advice he pleaded guilty, urging extenuating circumstances, and putting in first-class certificates of ten years' service. The accused was senten ced to be dismissed his ship, and placed at the bottom of the list. Mr Fox, M.H.E., stated in a lecture at Wanganui, a few days ago, that in this colony " about LSO a year was spent in intoxicating drinks for every adult man. In Eugland the amount spent in strong drink was about L 2 per head. In this colony men were not satislied with drinking their wages, but he had known men drink horses, cows, drays, ploughs, and every other kind of animal and implement, and then swallow the land which they had at one time tilled. " On May 16th, the Rev. Mr Backland (who was known in Nelson and on the West Coast) and a Mrs Feist were drowned while crossing the Wainghawa River, Wellington. The Independent, of the 18th, says : — "lt appears that the Rev. Mr Backland, who had been in poor health for some time back, had been staying with Mr Feist ; but feeling somewhat better, and being anxious to attend to his ministrations at Carterton, he started on Sunday morning, in company with Mr Feist and his wife. The day was fine, but on arriving at the river they found it flooded. Being a little apprehensive about the advisability of crossing the river, they hesitated about a quarter of an hour, but at length ventured in. After getting midway the trap got into a hole, upon which the Re\ . Mr Backland became very nervous and caught hold of one of the reins (Mr Feist was driving) and caused the horse to turn round. This brought one wheel of the vehicle on to the edge of the hole, and the next moment it turned completely over. Through the confusion and danger of the moment, Mr Feist recollected nothinguntil he found himself upon the bank, and does not know in what manner he made his way out. On looking for his companions he found they had been swept beyond the reach of assistance. The bodies were shortly afterwards recovered. "