Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 553, 3 August 1869, Page 2

The monthly mails for England, the Continent of Europe, and America will be sent ' away from here on Saturday next by the s.s. Tararua. In the County Council last night Mr Reeves was to move — "That it is undesirable to proceed with the consideration of the Estimates until the balance-sheet, showing the receipts and expenditure for the last halfyear, has been laid on the table." The proprietors of the Diorama now being exhibited at the Volunteer Hall have every reason to be proud of the amount of patronage which they have received since they arrived in Greyuiouth. Every evening the hall has been crowded, and the applause with which, the various scenes have been received has shown that they were immensely appreciated. The exhibition given last evening was to have been the last in this town, but the proprietors have beeu induced to give one more representation this evening, when the prices are to be reduced. In the House of Representatives the other day, Mr Di»nan asked the Premier whether it is the intention of the Government to take the necessary steps for the establishment of a Mint in the Colony of New Zealand ? The Hon. the Premier replied that the Government would be very glad to see a Mint established in the colony. The subject had been brought under tho notice of the Imperial Government by Mr Fitzhcrbert, and,

in reply, the Home authorities had sent out a report of the working of the Sydney establishment, which was not of a very encouraging character, as the mint had put the colony to great expense, while it was under tho sole control qf the Imperial authorities. Ik was now abont self-support-ing, but i?s,ued 800,000 sovereigns a year, which was a larger number than a New Zealand branch would be likely to issue. The Government, however, considered the establishment of a jjjint would be beneficial to the country, and would direct their afetentiqn to the subject. A boat accident occurred up the Grey rjver on Friday last, which, fortunately, did not result in loss of life. As one of Mr A. Constantine's cargo boats, with a full cargo of goods, was proceeding up the river, within three miles of Nelson Creek, it struck a snag and went down. The crew managed to get ashore, but all the cargo was submerged. Some of it was afterwards got ashore, much damaged, aud the boat was secured, as it floated bottom-up, and is ex? pected to be made good again. A heavy loss has been inflicted upon Mr Constantine. There appears to be a great dearth of seamen in Auckland just now; the shi^ Percy, which is to sail for London in a day or two, is in want of eleven hands, and can't get them. An additional £100 has beeu granted by the Otago Government in aid of the operations going on in the deep shaft at Wetherstones. The earthwork of the Graving Dock at Port . Chalmers is now completed, and the pumping out by centrifugal pumps, driven by a 25-horse power engine, will be commenced in a few days. A share-list lately published in Auckland showed that amongst a total of eighty-seven mining companies at the Thames, there was capital to the amount of £1,270,201. The advances on the selling rates of shares amounted in one week to over £534, 175. In our last report of the Borough Council proceedings, a mistake was made with regard to the remarks of Mr Moore. He is represented as having said that Mr Mackay might have answered the telegrams of the Council. It should have been, that Mr Harrison might have answered the telegrams that had beeu sent to him requesting him to see the Native Minister about the grant of £500 which had been promised by Mr Mackay to the Borough Council, but which Mr Harrison had never acknowledged. Mr James Mackay, junr., who has recently resigned his office as Native Commissioner, is spoken of as a candidate for the Superintendency of Auckland. The Echo states, as an on (lit, that in Dunedin an action will shortly be entered in the Supreme Court, damages to be laid at £1000. The action has reference to Feuianisin, and the principals are well known. Mr Jabez Wallis, youngest son of the Rev. •T. Wallis, Wesleyan minister, of Onehunga, has beeu drowned at Raglan. He had to cross the Okate stream over a plank bridge, which, it is thought, was slippery through the frosty weather, and that he fell in sliding on it. The stream was shallow, but there is no doubt that Mr Wallis was stunned by falling on the rocks. A meeting of the Borough '"'ouncil was held on Saturday morning at Kilgour's Union Hotel. Present — E. Masters, Esq., Mayor (in the chair), Coiincillors Parkinson, Moore, Rae, and Kilgour. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A letter-* was read from Mr G. Taylor, stating that he had beeu instructed by a committee of gentlemen in the Middle Ward to communicate to the Council a resolution passed at a meeting of the committee. It was to the effect that the Council be requested to appoint four gentlemen a Fire Preventive Committee, giving them power to inspect chimneys, lamps, &c; also, that additional Fire Inspectors be appointed. Consideration of the letter was deferred until next meoting of the Council. The Mayor said the present meeting had been held because of the report that Mr Rees had gone to Wellington on behalf of the County Council, to endeavor to obtain rating powers for that body, in order to enable it to raise a loan of £50,000. Mr Moore thought a telegram should at once be sent to Mr Harrison, informing him that the Borough Council was opposed to the proposition to allow the County Council to levy rates. The residents here were already sufficiently taxed. What had they to expect from additional taxation? They might look at what had beeu done for the district during the last six mouths. They had certainly received a subsidy of £1500 ; the additions to the gaol had been built, but not paid for j the Omotumotu Creek road had not been touched; and the Arnold road had been commenced just on the eve of the Council meeting, to prevent the vote lapsing. Ha could not see that they should allow another tax to be levied here for the purpose of sinking the money in the district south of the Teremakau. He did not object to the Council obtaining the loan, but not in the manner proposed. — Mr Kilgour referred to the case of the Hokitika bar, for the opening up of which the County Council was going to pay onehalf. He believed if the Council got hold of this additional money, it would all be spent in the Hokitika district. He did not object to the loan beiug raised, but he did to rating powers being grant-ad to the Cqunty Council. The other members present coincided in these views, and it was resolved that the Town Clerk be instructed to request Mr Harrison, by telegraph, to oppose the granting of rating powers to the Couuty Council. — Mr Parkinson gave notice of his intention to move— "That the Council do make aud levy a general rate of Is. in the pound on all rateable property within the Borough, for the year 1869." — An extraordinary meeting of the Council was held yesterday at two o'clock at the same place, in consequence of a delegate, Mr Proctor, having arrived from the Arahura Road Board, requesting the co operation of the Council in opposing the granting of rating powers to the County Council. The letter he brought contained the copy of a resolution passed by the Auihura Road Board, to the effect that it

viewed with alarm the resolution passed by the County Council to raise a loau of £50,000 by means, of rating powers, as they considered the sanje unprecedented in the annals qf colonial institutions ; also, that the Borough Council be requested to send two delegates to a Conference to be held at Hokitika on Wednesday, to consider the re? jection of the report of the. late Hoad Board Conference by the County Council, and what steps ought to be taken to oppose the grant » ing of rating powers to the County Council . Mr Wickes said he thought they had done all they could by telegraphing direct to Mr Harrison to oppose the mission of Mr Rees to Wellington, Mr P-irkinson was in favor of a delegate being sent to the Conference, in order to show the County Council that people in this district were really opposed to the proposition. If they stayed aloof, and some other body did the same, the Conference would not have the same effect. He proposed Mr Moore as their delegate. The Mayor seconded the motion. Mr Moore thought it was the least the County Counc.il could have done to receive the report of the Road Board Conference, and report upon it afterwards. Although they had taken no part in the Conference themselves, yet they ought to do what they could to prevent such treatment being given to thess bodies for the future. The motion was carried, and it was also resolved tjhat the Town Clerk be instructed to write to the Arahura Road Board, stating the entire concurrence of the Council in the movement, and what steps they had already taken with respect to the granting of rating powers to the County Council — A letter was read from Mr Hall, collector of wharfage and tonnage rates, stating that Mr Moss, on behalf of the Steam Tug Company, had refused to pay tonnage dues on vessels brought in by the p.s. Dispatch, as they were illegal On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Mr Parkiuson, ifc was resolved that immediate steps be taken to recover the amount now due by the Company. —Permission was granted to Messrs Kennedy Bros, to extend their new bonded warehouse into the tidal creek, at a sufficient elevation, so as not to interfere with the boat traffic. A farewell dinner has been given by the inhabitants of Napier to Captain Wray and the officers of the detachment of the 18th Regiment, which has for some time been stationed there. There were fifty -five gentle, men present. The chair was occupied by Joseph Rhodes, Esq.; and the vice-chairs by John A. Dean, Esq., aud Major Green. The only additional item of intelligence know respecting the reported gold field at West Wangauui is the following, from the Nelson Examiner: — By the arrival of the schooner Heathcote, from West Wanganui, we have intelligence of the new gold field on the Coast. About three hundred men were on the ground, seventy of whom were doing well, a large proportion of the remainder being engaged in prospecting. It is said all are pleased with the appearance of the ground. The Pearl had succeeded in getting safely into the river. The monthly meeting of the Volunteer Fire Brigade was held last evening, Captain Whall in the chair. There was a good attendance. The hon. secretary reported that the auditors had not completed their audit of the accounts, but it would be ready for next meeting. The captain reported that the Borough Council had ordered 500 feet of hose aud fire bell, and there had been ordered oil behalf of the Brigade 40 unforms, 30 firemen's axes with belts and pouches, one 30ft., one 25ft., one 20ft. ladders, and two 18ft. roof ladders. Votes of thanks were recorded to Mr Parkinson for services rendered as hon. sec, and also to the following gentlemen for donations towards the Brigade funds : — Messrs Kilgour, Lapham, Hunt, Kennedy, Glenn, J. Taylor, Smith, Sheedy, and Basch. It is notified in the Government Gazette of the 16th inst. that the Wardens at Westporb, Charleston, and Cobden, have resigned their appoiutmeuts as Receivers of Gold Revenue for their respective districts, and that the clerks to the Wardens at each of those places have been appointed to these offices in their stead. An accident happened on Tuesday last, says the Westport Times, at Addison's Flat, to a man named Thomas Hosie. He stumbled over a stump while engaged in some work near "Dirty Mary's," and in the fall he broke his leg in two places. On the same day he was brought to the Westport Hospital, and, although he is advanced in years, it is expected that he will recover from his injuries. The Westport Times states that some fine specimens of gold were brought down last week from the diggings on tho banks of the Buller. One of the pieces is a nugget weighing five ounces. It was obtained about two miles up the river from the spot at which the nugget of 92 ounces, now in the possession of Messrs Tonks and Hughes, was got a few months ago, and on the opposite bank of the stream. In the same neighborhood there are some terraces or old beaches which, with such indications, would anywhere else be extensively rushed. At Wanganui, the other day, Mr Lingard, late a member of the Guide Corps, and previously of the Kai Iwi Cavalry, was decorated with the newly instituted Colonial Order of Merit by Major Noake. The act of bravery for which Mr Lingard received the ! decoration was performed during the skirmish in front of the Tauranga pah, on the 28th December last, during which skirmish Sergeant Maxwell, of the Kai lwi Cavalry, was killed. Mr Lingard, then a trooper in the Kai lwi Volunteer Cavalry, under a heavy fire courageously rode up and cut adrift with his sword the tether rope of a horse belonging to the enemy, which was fastened near the pah, and took the same to a comrade whose horse had been shot beneath him, and mounting him on the horse belonging to the enemy, assisted him in getting off the field. The three corps of cavalry belonging to the district, and numbering about 120 of all ranks, paraded to witness the decoration. At the close of the ceremony, au unfortunate accident occurred

to Trooper Southcombe of the Wanganui Cavalry. Major Noake's orderly was riding a young horse, which, getting excited at %he barking of a dog, began plunging, and threw his rider. The spectators formed a circle, to prevent the horse from gallopping off, and he, becoming wild from the, noise and runr nihg of the people, charged right into the line of cavalry where. Trooper Southcombe was. Mr -South combe's horse reared, and fell backwards, his rider being under. Upon being relqased from his perilous position Mr Soutlicombe's arm was found to be broken a little below the. shoulder. Dr Mussen was present, and get thie fracture, and by the last accounts, the patient was in excellent spirits and progressing favorably. — Post. In the Warden's Court yesterday, Mr Warden Revell gave judgment in the case Harriet Morris v. Peter Anderson, which was reported in our last issue. He said : By the plaint it is set forth that I am called upon to make an order to compel the defendant to complete the transfer of his share in a claim at the Stoney Lead to the plaintiff. On reference to the Gold Fields Act, I find that I am not in a position to make the order. If damages had been sued for, I might ha?e assessed the amount, but I have, not been asked to do so, and I cannot compel the defendant to complete the agreement to transfer his share. Will you take a dismissal or nonsuit, Mr Guinness ? — MrGuinness : Whatever judgment your Worship thinks fit to give.— The Warden : I will dismiss the case with costs. « The Thames Advertiser, of the 19th inst., records the following mining accident :— "A man named Edward Shoehan was at work in the shaft sank on that claim to a depth of . 130 feet, which is divided in the middle by a partition, and after filling a bucket of stuff in one chamber proceeded into the other for safety while ifc w;is being hauled up by the man overhead. The bucket would appeal to have landed on the top, and a piece of stone by some mischance tumbled out as it was being carried away. This fell into the chamber in which Sheehan was at work, and struck him with great force on the head, fractnring the skull, and carrying away a small piece of the bone. Assistance was at once procured, and the poor fellow was lifted out of the shaft, when, as might have been expected, he was perfectly insensible. The man remained insensible up to a late hour on Saturday night, when he spoke for the first time. He now lies in the hospital in a precarious state." A correspondent, writing to a Nelson journal, relates the following incident : — " Recently, three Maoris came from Patea, on a visit to our natives, a tribe living below Tataramaika. They came fully armed, and with, the intention of making this said tribe join them in the war. Our chief (who is a very influential man), accompanied by his tribe, assembled to hear what they had to say for themselves, and, upon learning their errand, ordered them to come forward, which the rebels did, whereupon he took their guns from them, dashed them to pieces on the ground, and then scattered the powder in all directions. The chief then ordered his men to strip these fellows of their clothing, which caused them to cry and make a great noise, fearing their end would be death by hanging. However, after having taken atf that they had, he bid them begone as quickly as possible, and not come trying to excite his men again, for they were all tired of the war, and should any more rebels come, they would be treated in a like manner. I think that looks veiy well for our natives."