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Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 554, 5 August 1869, Page 2

A clerical orror crept into our last leader on the subject of granting rating powers to the County Council. The special rate levied in Greymouth for finishing the. protective works and forming the hack streets is one shilling in the pound— not sixpence as stated, The following is the report of the Committee of the County Council with regard to the validity of Mr M. Sprot's lease of the Kawhaka tollgate, which the Chairman would not allow to be read, as it directly censured him: — "Your Committee, having considered the question of the validity of Mr Mark Sprot's lease of the Kawhalta tollgate, and having taken the evidence of the County Chairman and County Solicitor, ha veto report that they consider the agreement between the County Chairman jmd Mr Mark Sprot, respecting the lease of the Kawhaka tollgate, is illegal and invalid. From careful perusal of all papers, and the evidence taken, your Committee agreed to the following resolutions : — ( 1 . ) That this Committee regards the conduct of the Chairman of the Council, in accepting tenders by himself as illegal, and deserving of the highest censure. (2.) That the acceptance of the tender of Mr Mark Sprot, for the lease of the Kawhaka tollgate, is in direct opposition to the advertised conditions of the letting of the said tollgate, and, in the opinion of this Committee, is exceedingly unbusinesslike, and detrimental to the common interests of the County. — I have the honor to be, your obedient servant, H. H. Lahman, Chairman." — The other members of the Committee were, Messrs Button, Rees, and Carreras. Saturday last was the day appointed for the nomination of candidates for the two vacant seats in the Paroa Road Board. The gentlemen nominated were, Mr Maurice O'Connor and Mr Michael Dowling. There being no other nominations, the Returning Officer, Mr Stansell, declared those gentlemen duly elected. A rush is reported at the Taipo, and although there is no official intimation of the fact, still, from the statement of an hon. member in the County Council, who should be well up in the prospects of that district, we may infer that some good gold has been struck, or at least has been reported as having been struck, in that direction. The County Chairman seemed conscious of something more than he cared about stating, and asked the authority of the Council to put up another tollgate at the Otira Gorge, if the news proved true, so as to intercept the Canterbury flocks and herds, and traffic generally, and the request was granted. We are informed that Detective Lambert arrived at Nelson Creek on Monday evening, in order to take charge of that district, where he was much wanted. A sum of £69 13s has been collected ia Orwell Creek for the Fenian prisoners recently released in Western Australia. The amount was yesterday transmitted by Mr John Hayes, hon. sec, and Mr Michael Toohey, hon. treasurer, to the Secretary of I the Central Committee, Melbourne. An attempt was made to burn down Hatfield's Hotel, Wellington, on the night <>f the 27th ult. The fire was discovered in time by a boat's crew of H. M.S. Challenger, who, along with the printers in the General Government office, speedily extinguished it. It was rumored in town yesterday that a quartz reef or leader had been found on a spur a short distance north of Langdon's ferry, on the Grey River. Its probable yield is cstbnated at 6oz. to the ton. As yet we have no means of verifying the truthfulness of the report, but will be able to do so ia a few days. Two prisoners named Plummer and Martin, who recently escaped from the Mount Eden Stockade, have been recaptured by the Auckland police. Plummer is quite a modern Jack Sheppard, having escaped several times before. The Summary Trials in Disturbed Districts Bill, which provides for the more speedy trial and punishment of rebel prisoners, has passed its second reading in the Upper House. j A copy of the report of the last Road Board and Corporation Conference, which was so ignominiously rejected by tbe County Council, has been sent us for publication. As we published the same document on the 25th of May last, we cannot see any good which would result from again bringing it before tbe public. But we must say that the terms in which it was spoken of by several members of the Council were quite unwarranted. It is couched in most respectful language, and contains a number of practical suggestions, which, if given effect to, would result in good to the County. We believe the true reason why the- report was rejected was, as we pointed out at the time, that it was an act of discourtesy to present the report to the Hokitika Borough Council, and thereby obtain its publication in the press two months before it was presented to the body for which it was intended — the County Council. . With regard to the recent gold discovery at West Wauganui, the correspondent of the Nelson , Colonist writes : — Knowing how anxious your readers will be to hear the latest from the new rush to the Big Rivertwenty miles south of West Wanganui, 1 will, as far as I am able, give you a truthful account of what is doing. There are about 300 men at present on the ground, a large

number of whom have secured good claims on the An,ai;ori Creek, a few miles north of the Big River, and the othors are sanguine of obtaining good ones. Vary soon the country has a very promising appearance ; and .another creek, from which some two pennyweight prospects had been gob, will be taken up by the time you receive this, some parties having started at daylight on Sunday morning last to mark out claims, wishing to get first choice of the new ground. Prospectors are all over the country, and everybody is sanguine that this will turn out a very valu- ! able gqld field, The Pearl got in on Saturday morning, being hauled over the, bank by a large number of diggers, who happened to bo there, and landed her cargo all safe ; the other vessels had to run to Wanganui, being afraid to cross the bar. Recently, Judge Richmond seated it as his opinion that the bank notes issued in this colony were not fit to be handled, except with a pair of tongs ; they were a perfect disgrace to the banks, and were calculated to disseminate all sorts of loathsome diseases. Anything so beastly as the paper currency here issued o.ould not be found in any country in the world. The remedy was in the hands of the public, who, when such filthy rubbish was handed over the counter, should refuse to take it, but should demand either clean notes or gold. The Wanganui native mailman reports that the prospectors at Taranaki have found gold in the quartz of the Kaitake ranges. Hope for Tarauaki yet. The Volunteer Hall was crowded to overflowing on Tuesday night to witness the last exhibition of Bachelder's Diorama of the American War. As there was no steamer leaving for the North yesterday, the proprietor very generously offered to give an evening's entertainment for the Grey River Hospital last night, but owing to the heavy rain which fell during the evening, the hall was not so well filled as on previous occasions ; still, the thanks of the community are due to Mr Bachclder for his endeavor to aid the funds of the Hospital. We learn that in a few weeks Mr Bachelder will exhibit here two new panoramas, which are now in one of the vessels lying in the Hokitika roadstead. The Hokitika Hospital Committee has so seriously disagreed with Dr. Riley, that at their last meeting steps were directed to be taken to procure the services of a permanent surgeon-superintendent by advertising throughout New Zealand and the Australian colonies. The Taranaki Herald says : — " There was a whisper respecting the friendly natives who on the day before the late expedition was to have started, were told to go to the camp and make up their deficiency of ammunition. We hear that the eighty natives on pay were no less than two thousand rounds deh'cient. We should certainly like to know what has become of this large amount of ammunition ; it could not all have been used in firing salutes, or even killing wild cattle." A meeting of tbe Local School Committee was held yesterday — present, Messrs De Co3ta, Thomas, Keogh, Parkinson, and Glenn. A letter was read from the County Chairman to the effect that as the erection of a National School on the Court House reserve would interfere with the business of the Court, another site had better be obtained. — Received ; and a telegram was ordered to be sent to the County Chairman asking a reply to the Committee's letter of the 19th July. It was also resolved "that the plans and specifications forwarded by Mr Price be sent to the Chairman of the Education Board, with a request that he would place the amount required for the erection of the building at the disposal of the Com " mittee." Messrs De Co3ta and Parkinson <vere appointed a committee to wait upon Mr Mackay, respecting a site for the National School. Another alarm of fire was given in Hokitika on Monday evening, but the cause turned out to be only a chimney on fire. The ringing of the bell had an electrical effect in the Supreme Court House where the County Council was sitting. Every one sprang un voluntary to his feet, and a general rush was made to the door, councillors and audience joining in the stampede. Mr Button moved the adjournment of the Council for half- in-hour, which, we need scarcely say, was carried without dissent, 110 member stopping to say aye or nay to it. A recent number of the Thames Evening Star says : — One of those cases of sudden death that at times occur to remind us of the frailty of life's thread happened last night at the Shellback Creek, in the case of a miner, named Frederick Walker. He, with his mate, William Wilkinson, lived in a whare about one mile up the creek, and only yesterday afternoon was in town with him, apparently in the possession of perfect health. Both went to bed at an early hour, but only one got up this morning, and that to find his companion lying dead on the stretcher. It has beeu generally known during the last few days, says the W. C. Times, that the promised "Treasury officer" had actually arrived per Omeo to investigate the affairs of the County. Since his landing on Saturday last he has not let the grass grow under his feet, and has set himself assiduously to work ; the results will, no doubt, appear in. good time. The gentleman so honored with the confidence of the Government is Mr Garvin, sub-accountant in the Colonial Treasury office, and he bears the reputation of being one of the most efficient officers in the New Zealand Civil Service. We cannot, of course, speak from experience, hut trust that he will institute a most searching inquiry, feeling fully satisfied the department to which he specially directs his attention will emerge triumphantly from the ordeal. It is with great regret that we ( W. C. Times) have to chronicle another attempted suicide, which was very nearly successful. On Tuesday, a woman, shrieking and gesticulating, was seen running from the Tudor street Tramway in the direction of the beach. A number of persons followed her, and on arriving on the beach the woman had disappeared. It was evident that she had thrown

herself into the sea, but for a few moments no trace qf her could be seen, but then, what appeared to be a corpse, was thrown up in the shallows, lying in a few inches, of water, caused by the retiring wave, Messrs J, White and J. Robinson, at the imminent risk of their lives, rushed in and seized the woman, who was dragged out of the reach of the next wave, and subsequently brought safely to land. She was perfectly insensible on being rescued, but soon recovered consciousness, and was taken home by her husband. We decline publishing the name of the unfortunate woman who has so narrowly escaped self-imposed death, but may say that her husband is a moat respectable man, and in business in the locality lef erred to.