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Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 569, 9 September 1869, Page 2

The Municipal ejections take place to-day > and in two Wards will create considerable interest. In the East Ward there is no competition, two, candidates having retired in favor of Mr M, Kennedy, the only remaining one. In the Middle Ward, Mr H. H. Lahman has. retired from the contest, in consequence of so much of his time having been taken up by the County Council. The remaining candidates are Messrs S. Barclay and P, Purcell, and it is likely to be a close run between them. For the West Ward Messrs Strike and M'Gregor are the candidates, Mr Weber having retired. The usual weekly meeting of $»§ Committee of the Grey Eiver Hospital was held at Gilmer's Hotel last evening. Present — Messrs Revell (in the chair), Moss, Kennedy, Maglean, F. Guinness, Strike, Uilmer, Arnott, Wylde, Lahman, Perkins, Lowe, Frost. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr F. Guinness tendered his resignation as member of the Committee on account of his leaving Grey mouth, which was accepted, and Mr Middleton was elected in his place. The Visiting Committee reported that 11 patients had been admitted and 10 discharged, leaving 31 at present in the Hospital. Donations were i-eeeived from Mr W. Dale of hooks, Mr Parkinson, a bath, Mr llae, Cobden, seed potatoes. L 4 5s Cd was received from the sale of vegetables. The accounts for the past month, amounting to L 257 lls Sd, were hud on the table, and ordered to be paid. A letter was received from the contractor of the new buildings requesting payment as soon as possible. The Treasurer reported that the Westland Government had not paid their subsidy for the months of May and June, and that neither Nelson orVvestland had paid the amount voted for the new building. The report of the Sub-Committee on the general management of the Hospital was brought tip and received. The report announced a neAV system of management, which would reduce the expenditure from LOSO to L 450 per aunum. It was agreed to postpone the discussion to the next meeting, so as to allow the members time for consideration. The Visiting Committee appointed for the month were Messrs Kennedy, Laphaui, and Arnott. We learn by telegraph from Westport that the surf was very heavy on the beach there on Monday and Tuesday. The sea ei:croached very seriously, so much so that the Government school and schoolmaster's house were completely destroyed. An Auckland paperstates, on the authority of a gentleman who has recently been in the Uriwera country, that some of the forces there have been doing a little casual prospecting close to the camps, and have found gold j while the men who have had an opportunity of going into the country, state that there is plenty of gold in the ranges. The whole of the Wanganui River natives have communicated with the Government, expressing their desire to maintain and confirm friendly relations, and are anxious as soon as possible to hold a general meeting of their tribes to confer with Mr M'Lean. As an earnest of their sincerity, they have absolutely refused to allow Te Kooti or any of his party to visit their settlements. The Wanganuis, including the natives se tied near the source of the river, are anxious for employment on roads towards the interior. Letters have also been received from all the influential Ngapuhi chiefs ef a most satisfactory character, affirming their loyalty to the Government. In the Eesident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, before W. H. Revell, Esq , 11. M., John Edwards was fined LI, or 48 fours' imprisonment, for having been drunk aud disorderly. The following list of civil cases was disposed of :— Joyce v. Fisher, claim of LS ISs ad, judgment by default, with costs ; T. Drew v. J. Ward, case dismissed, as it was sworn by the bailiff that the plaintiff had instructed him to tell the defendant to throw the summons in the fire, as he did not intend to prosecute. Heron v. Shaw, claim for the price of 8000 paper bags agreed to be purchased. The defence was a denial of the agreement, but the Magistrate gave judgment for the amount claimed and costs. D. Dowling v. D. Buckley, claim of L 8 10s, cash lent in Otago in 1802; case dismissed under the Statute of Limitations. Burns and Hams v. Timothy Dennis, claim of L 52, case dismissed, with costs. H. Watson v. C. Cochrane, claim of L 1 0; a set-off was lodged, and L 2 Is paid into Court ; judgment for the amount paid into Court. G. Cooper v. J. Hudson, L 5, case dismissed with costs. Trustee in the estate of W. Giedhill v. J. W. Parkinson, L 2 10s, judgment for the plaintiff, with costs. — Yesterday, Dennis Carroll was fined LI and costs for allowing a goat to wander at large. Ellen Davis v. Honora Lodge, charge of assaulting the defendant by striking her. As it appeared by the complainant's statement that the defendant did not strike, but merely used bad language to her, the case was dismissed. In the House of Representatives, on the 30th August, the following resolutions were carried for the purpose of encouraging local manufactures :— (1). Whereas it is highly desirable to encourage the establishment of woollen factories within the Colony, this House is of opinion that the Government in obtaining woollen cloths and blankets for the use of the Defence Force, should give the preference to local manufactures over imported goods, .supposing that, taking the serviceable use into consideration, the cost will not be greater : (2). That it be a recommendation to the Government to call for tenders for a three years' supply of such local manufactures, the successful tenderer or tenderers to commence such supply within

eighteen months from the completion of his or their tender ; the Government in accepting any tender or tenders to be guided by the principle, as to cost and quality, indi--cated in the first resolution : (3), That, at the request of the Superintendent of any Province, similar tenders he asked for the supply of like goods for the use of the inmates of gaols, lunatic asylums, hospitals, reformatories, ami benevolent asylums, and for the police, within such Province ; and, at the roqueßt of such Superintendent, that contracts similar to those indicated in the last preceding resolution be entered into by the Government on behalf of and at the cost of such Province. From the Wangamd Times we learn that one of the. oldest and most loyal of our Wanganui chiefs died at Arainaho about 4 p. in. on Thursday last, after a lingering illness of two years. Taiuati was one of the five chiefs who, in 1847, pursued and captured the murderers of the Gilfillan family. In that case summary , justice overtook the murderers, four of whom were hanged at Wangat nui. In consequence of the action then taken by Tamati, his pa was subsequently burned down by the rebels. He was one of the very few real fighting chiefs during General Cameron's West Coast campaign. He again took the field under General Chute, was present at every battle in which the troops were engaged, and led the natives who went with General Chute round Mount Egmont and returned by the beach. Tamati's son, Wirehana, is the cln'ef who is now with his people at the hot springs attacked by Te Kooti. Messengers from him arrived at Aranuho on the day of his father's death with a letter for Kemp asking for reinforcements. Kemp is absent in Wellington, but we believe that will not prevent Wirehana's friends taking action. Tamati's loss will be felt by the really loyal natives whose acts in byegone days have made them most obnoxious to the rebels. With regard to the distribution of the New Zealand war medal to the Colonial Forces aud Friendly Natives, on the Ist inst, the House of Representatives went into committett to consider the report of the committee to which the matter had been referred. Major Brown said that the committee had not been able to ascertain the exact numbe? of persons who would be entitled to the medal. His own opinion was that about 3000 was the number. After due consideration, the committee had decided that the medal ought to be only given to those who had been under fire ; and that instances of distinguished gallantry exhibited elsewhere than in action or skirmishes should be considered on their owii merits. Mr Heaphy, as a member of the select committee, had objected to the medal being restricted to those who had been under fire ; and if this were done, a large number of persons who had done good service to the country would be excluded from the decoration. Mr Ti avers suggested that the nearest relatives of persons who had distinguished themselves should be entitled to the medal. After some other members had spoken. The Defence Minister moved that the committee concurs in the report of the joint committee in granting the New Zealand war medal to such of the colonial forces and friendly natives iv all cases where the claimants have been actually under fire or otherwise conspicuous for distinguished services in the field ; the medal to be also given to the nearest relatives of suiy who have died of wounds or been killed in action. The resolution was carried ; reported to the House, and agreed to. By private letters from Manawapo, the Wellington Independent has received the following confirmation of the reports which have been in circulation, telling of cannibalism by Titokowaru in its most revolting form. Blake, who commands the Carlisle Ilifies, reports as follows : — A trooper na.med Smith was killed some months ago in a skirmish at Manutahi, where his remains were buried. It was reported by the mailman that the Hau-haus had exhumed the body, cut off one leg, and eaten it. His supposed grave was pointed out, and Lieut. Blake, in order to ascertain if the reports were correct, dug up the ground, and sure enough the skeleton was found minus one leg, which had been hacked off by a tomahawk close to the body, and, strange to say, a portion of the thigh bone was found, charred at one end, as though the flesh had been roasted. The bone corresponded with that left on the body, as having the same sort of notches. The leading Wellington journal, of Aug. 30, has the following : — " There is nothing," a native tells us, whose present position should show him to be a good authority, "serves our purpose better than a good fiyht." After the pakehas have retired, which they generally do, we pick up hundreds and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Whole packages we often find thrust under the roofc3 of trees and in all sorts of out-of-the-way holes and corners. This was especially the case at several of the engagements on the "West Coast. "We used to buy from the soldiers, too, sometimes, and once got' 2oo rounds for Is Cd aud a tin pot." But these sources of supply are failing now, and there is reason to believe that the want of ammunition is the chief cause of the surrender of themselves by the natives. When Titokowaru was surprised at Otutu, whence he decamped so hastily that he left his coat behind with Ll2O in cash in the pockets, several packages of ammunition were found with not more than one teaspoonful of powder to a dozen bullets, and the small package of powder- Wx-apped up most carefully in almost innumerable folds of cloth and paper to preserve it from the damp. The Wellington Independent states that a most painful case occurred the other day at Catterton, which if it had taken place iv London would have furnished at least a column of sensational matter to the readers of the metropolitan press. A poor woman, by the name of Je'niimah Stinston, well, known to old Wellington settlers as the wife of Burgess Sayers, and subsequently as Mrs Ash ton, who was found dead in her bed under most distressing circumstances; as prolwbly her end was occasioned by some

potent drug administered by herself. . , She was a strong healthy woman, and apparently in the prime of life, but had been a)ine days previous to her death. . very indisposed, though it appears she neither sought for nor obtained any medical or other assistance. On the night of her decease she called her little hoy to her bed side, the only other living person near, to go for some neighbor, but he Baid " I cannot go, it is so very dark." She then took hi in by the hand and squeezed it so that he could not release it from her affectionate, passionate, and dying grasp. In the morning she was found dead. ... The wretched whare in which she lived has since been levelled witn the ground. No inquiry was instituted by the coroner, as probably from his professional knowledge, he did not consider it to be necessary. But the fact of a woman dying unattended in her last moments by any Christian soul, capable of rendering any assistance, naturally causes very painful reflections, and provokes the enquiry whether the race of the good Samaritans is not in danger of becoming extinct here.