THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 599, 18 November 1869, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1869.

The tenders for the biidge over the Stillwater Creek have been opened, and are all found to be too high. This is owing to the I elaborate style of work proposed to be carried out by Mr Rochfort's plans. Fresh plans for a strong useful bridge have been proposed by Mr Johnston, Town Surveyor, and fresh tenders are to be called for the work. Our readers are reminded that the concert (riven by the Amateur Minstrels in aid of the Grey Kiver Hospital takes place to-night at the Volunteer HalL There is not the slightest doubt that the hall will be crowded, and that a first-class evening's entertainment will be the result. The cricket match played on the Camp Reserve yesterday between the First Eleven of the Greymoutb C.C. and Twenty-two All-comers was easily won by the former in one innings. Owing tn a pressure of other matter we are unable to publish the score. A miner named Peter Kirk, a native of Drogheda,, was killed on Tuesday during a free fight in the street at Charleston. It is supposed he was killed by a blow on the head from a stone thrown at random. One man was seen in the crowd hitting right and left with stones in his fists. He was not arrested, but two of the ringleaders named O'Brien and M'Laughiin have been. Our Lawrence (Otago) contemporary an-, nounces that the opposite reef has been struck in the Wetherstones Deep Shaft. It will be remembered, it says, that a drive of eight feet from the bottom of the main shaft was begun some time ago. This has been finished, and on sinking a small shaft at the end the reef was struck. The money on hand is barely sufficient to keep the shaft dry, the water making more strongly than it has yet done. From the dip of the reef it is supposed that a shaft sunk about twentyfour feet from the end of the drive will nearly hit the gutter --the estimated depth being only 70 or 80 feet. We have to acknowledge receipt of a volume of the Statistics of New Zealand for last year, from the Registrar-General of the Colony. In December last there ware in Kew Zealand 244 Public Schools, with 332 teachers and 12,052 scholars. We learn from the Otago Daily Times that there was considerable excitement in Dunedin on Saturday, the 6th instant, on the arrival of seveut3'-four of the condemned Maori prisoners. At five p.m. the Rangati a was seen coming up the harbor, ami a gener. 1 rush was made, the crowd lining tie wharf and its approaches, and also the line from the reclaimed lan I to tho gaol, 'alorg which the prisoners were expected to pn - ceed. On reaching the jetty some delay was experienced before the Rangatira could come alongside, but on ber doing so the prisonc s were mustered and marched to the gaol, in the custody of a number of constables arm* d with rill s with fixed bayonets, a lave hav'ng been kept clear for their passage by SergeautMajor Moore, Mounted-Trooper Bevan, and other officers, all of whom performed their duties in a highly satisfactory manner, attention not only being paid to the security of the prisoners, but also to the prevention f undue pressure by the crowd. Tho progress from the ship to the gaol was slow, many . £ the Maoris being old men, and, indeed, t. was a noticeablo fact that, almost without exception, they were tither very aj;ed, or very young men. Some of them are Hue, stalwart follows, but they all appoarel to * c thoroughly cowed by the position in which

they found themselves, and exhibited none of the haughty indifference generally attributed to the captured savages. Tho line of march was crowded with spectators, the multitude following them up, and when they were received by Mr Caldwell, the Governor of the gaol, that part of Stuart street was thronged with persons eager to obtain a glimpse of these ferocious rebels. On their arrival at tho' gaol, at about six o'clock, they were at once submitted to a process of ablution, their blankets and other clothing taken from them, and they were attired in the gaol costume. After this, and after having got rid of the excitement of the landing, they presented a much more comfortable appearance, and they wero detailed off to the various cells prepared for their reception, and locked up for the night. Within a few minutes of the arrival of the prisoners inside the gaol, one of their number died. This was Waiata, a Patea Maori, who had been sentenced to imprisonment for three years. He was a very old man, and, it is supposed, died of general debility accelerated by the sea sickness he experienced on the voyage. At a meeting of the Hokitika Postal Conmittee, held on Monday, the following letter was read from Messrs W. H. Bui ton and Co., proprietors of Cobb and Cb.'s coaches : — "We have respectfully to inform you that, should the postal authorities determine upon adopting the requests of t*ie Chamber of Commerce here and your Postal Corcmittee at Westland, and maintain au additional service, that we are prepared to carry out such additional weekly service by*our present line of coaches, for the sum of One Thousand Pounds (£1000) for the year 1870, and that we can so arrange that the present contract entered into with Dalwood need not be inteifered with." The following resolution was arrived at : — " That it is the opinion of this comndttee that the proposal of Messrs Cobb and Co. can only be entertained by the postal authorities, to whom the committee recommend that this or any similar proposition be forwarded. All that the committee desire is a continuance of an efficient biweekly service." According to a correspondent of the Southern Cross the beach or lower township at Coromandel has been quite enlivened lately by the excitement of the Maoris with regard to their claim at Paul's Creek, and also by a little ronionce, in which the junior wife of one of our chiefs figured as the heroine. It appears that this young lady has taken a violent fancy to a yoxing Maori who recently arrived from Shortland, and who is reputed wealthy. Sundry love passages passed between the two, and everything was going on swimmingly when an intercepted love-letter came into the hands of the husband, who accordingly placed spies on his wife's movements, and watched himself, so that, according to Maori usage, he might be enabled to claim utu should it be found that his wife had proved unfaithful. Yesterday, as the boats were leaving for the steamer, the episode reached its climax. The gay young swain who had disturbed the domestic economy of the chief's household was returning to Shortland, aud the young lady seemed determined to accompany him. She jumped into a boat, but was immediately followed hy her mother. and sister, and incontinently hauled out again, and, after several other fruitless efforts to get away, she was compelled to give in. She seemed greatly distressed at her lover's departure, but in a short time tears gave place to smiles, and she philosophically resigned herself to her fate. It is reported that a great deal of land wi?l change hands as utu, owing to this event. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before W. H. Revell, Esq., William Campbell was brought up, supposed to be of unsound mind. Drs Morice and Lee stated that they had examined the defendant and found him to be unsafe to be at large. An order was made for the defendant's removal to Hokitika Asylum. Peter Buchan, charged with having been drunk and disorderly at Maori Gully, was fined LI or 48 hours' imprisonment. The same prisoner was further charged with assaulting and resisting the constable in the execution of his duty. When the constable was about to arrest him on the previous charge he lifted two stones and struck the constable on the arm. The Magistrate said he was determined to protect the constables in the outlyiug districts in the discharge of their duty, and tined the prisoner L 2or one week's imprisonment. Andrew Agnew and Daniel Henry were each fined 10s and costs for allowing thair horses to wander at large. Honora Lodge was charged, on the information of Harriet Dawson, with using obscene and abusive language ; but the case was dismissed, as the complainant did not appear. The same defendant was charged by Emily Seuior with a similar offence. The Magistrate informed the defendant that she had rendered herself liable to be charged under the Vagrant Act, and read the clause over for her information. He fined herLl or three days' imprison men 1 , with a caution that next time he would take very severe measures with her, in order to teach her how to behave herself. The flour mill ac Spring Grove, Nelson Avas recently burned down, and a coroner's inquest was held before Dr. Squiros at Mr Dialer's Hotel, Spriug Grove, on Friday last, for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of the fire. The jurors visited the scene of the fire. The mill was then found to have been fully 150 yards from the cartshed; stables, barn, and dwelling-house, aud the house about 27 yards distant from the cartshed After hearing the evidence the jury unanimously agreed on the following verdict :— " That the mill aud other premises regarding which this inquisition was held, were wilfully and maliciously set on fire on the moming of Tuesday, 2nd November, but by whom it was so set on firo the jury have had no legal evidence. The jury suggest that the proper authorities should offer a liberal reward for the discovery of evidence that would lead to the conviction of the offender or offenders." ■ The •" Provincial Government have offered LIOO reward for such evidence as would lead to tho discovery of the guilty person or persons,