Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 633, 8 February 1870, Page 2

We ,\re authorised to state that as soon as the Estimates are finally passed in accordance with the Act, a considerable portion of the amounts due to the Corporation and Fire Brigade of Greymouth will at ouce be I poid. . ] The return cricket match between the i • Greymouth and Hokitika eleven will take J place on the Camp Reserve to-morrow. The | Greymouth team will, we believe, consist of Messrs Paul, Horton, Dalton, Hurst, Guinness, Thomas, Poole, Barnett, Wright, Waters, Turner, and ,Coohrane, 12Jbh man. ' A supper will take place in the evening in the Volunteer Hotel, and in order to euable our Paroa friends to be present at both the match and entertainment, a late train will be ran from town. As a proof of the steady increase »nd prosperity of Greymouth, we give an authentic statement, shewing a comparative return of receipts and expenditure for the years 1868-69. Total value of imports, 1869, L 205.185 j 1868, L 188.458 ; increase, L 16.727. Total value of exports, 1869, L 430.936 ; 38G8, L 392.417 ; increase, L 38.519. A two-mile walking match between Messrs W. C. Shepherd and Owen Boden, forLlO a-side, is arranged to come off to-morrow afternoon, on the Camp Reserve. Yesterday morning, at the Resident Magistrate's Court, — Lodge was chargad by his wife, Houpra Lodge, with cruelly and maliciously 'assaulting and wounding her. The evidence showed a sad picture of domes, tic unbappiness It appears that Lodge went home at 12 o'clock on Saturday from his work for his dinner. .bo found, however, it was not cooked, and accordingly, after fetching the, meat from the butchers, shop, set about getting it ready himself. This led to words with his -wife, and phe threw an iron ban at him, followed by whatever sho couM lay hey hands upon, and ending by running out into the street and pelting him with stoncp, He, enraged, threw an axe at

her, as also some stones, one of which struck her on the head, inflicting a wound of two inches in length behind the right ear. She was found by the policeman lying in the road, blooding very much, and then preferred the complaint against her husbaud. Yesterday, however, she repented, and gave most unwilling evidence,' keeping her eldest boy (who saw the assault committed), out of the way. Tho Magistrate commented strongly upon Lodge's conduct, but said that ag he evidently had received great provocation, he would not punish him, and accordingly dismissed the case. Lodge left the Court declaring that he would separate from his wife and allow her a maintenance. At Pukuratahi, Wellington, a man named Nathaniel Trench, fell the other day under a loaded waggon and was frightfully orushed. He died a few hours afterwards. The County Council have so far recognised the right of the. Road Boards to exercise their own and proper functions with regard to the construction of local tracks, thatj they have decided that the construction of the tracks from the Eight-mile diggings to No Name, and from the Eight-mile to Liverpool Gully, for which L7OO ,has bee.n voted by the Council, shall be entrusted to tLe Paroa Road Board, The money is not, how. ever, to be handedrio that body until the works are completed.- We presume that this precaution is on ab.cou.nt of the embarrassed position of the Bo'anf,'' In Timaru, flaxowners are receiving, L 5 a tou for the privilege of cutting green flax on their land. Governor Bowen has requested Lieutenant Best, of the T'lauies Naval Volunteers, to accept his son as an honorary member of the corps. " An accident of the saddest nature recurred on Sunday evening, 23rd inst," writes the Sandhurst correspondent of the Argus. " Mr R. B. Fletcher's sister-in-law, a young girl 11 years of age, named Ayiies Bird, thoughtlessly poured upon the lire some kerosene from a tin, when the fire communicated with the tin and set the contents on fire, causing the unfortunate girl to be severely burnt, so much so that she died on Monday morning. Mr and Mrs Fletcher were also burnt in enlfcavorin;; to save her. " The crops on the Totara Flat are now being gathered in, and ore turning out be. youd expectation. The present season is said to be by far the most prolific one that has yet been experienced. One field near the Grey River, belonging to Mr Lardi, is most especially luxuriant, the grain being so thick and heavy as to test tbe mowing powers of the harvesters severely. The adjacent farms are equally favorably situated with respect to quantity, imd promise almost sufficient to keep the up-country districts supplied with hay and oats for a long time to come. A late number of the Hawkes Bay Herald gives the following :— On a recent date, a man named John M'lnnes left Jew's accommodation hous3 at Pohui for Mohaka, to obtain a horse for tbe purpose of carrying sume rope to the-Mohakaierry. Mr Ebberly, a line man, informed him it was useless to proceed, a» he could not cross the river with his horse. Ebberly, it seems, had crossed over himself by means of a telegraph wire stretched across — no mean performance, considering that the span is about 70 yards. M 'Lines, on reaching the ferry, cnoeyed three times, anil was infoimed by the ferryman's wife that he could not cross, ami had better go back to Titiokura. No reply was received, and it was thought he had gone back. Next morning, however, his horse was found tied to the wire which is stretched across the river. It.is surmised that he used the horse for tho purpose of getting on to the wire, and when partly over, lost his hold and fell into the river. : j" Our readers are aware that in last session of the County Council it was decide! to dispense with the services of the Wardens. Amongst those who were notified of this intention was Mr Warden Keogh, but owing to some inforuiality=-or rather a misunderstanding on Mr Keogh's part of the notice he received from the County Chairman, the former gentleman declined to consider that he had received proper notice, and continued to exercise his functions as Warden until a few days ago, when, in consequence of a peremptory order from the Chairman he handed over his court to Mr Warden Schaw. Mr Koogb, however, insisted that he was still on the Gold Fields Staff, and a day or two ago applied for instructions. Mr Hoos, in order to ascertain the exact position of the matter, telegraphed to the Colonial Secretary and received the following reply :— Mr Keogh has been already told in former letters that his services have been dispensed with. When officers paid by Provincial or County authorities are dispensed with by these authorities, it is not usual merely because the General Government appointed them for that Government to inform them of the fact.— Gisborne." . • The arrangements for the match between Hewitt, the English champion runner, and Harris, the Victorian don, may be said to have been completed as nearly as possible. The match will extend over two days, namely the sth and 7th of March next. The first day will be devoted to the 150, 200, and 300 yards races, and the second to the 100 and 440 yards events. Each race is for LI 00 aside. It will be endeavored to make the match a sort of national affair, and it is anticipated that tho Government lives throughout the colony will run at cheap fares. The admission to the ground will probably be one shilling. From the Lyttelton Times of the 25th ult., we learn that a most flagrant instance of attempted arson was discovered in an outbuilding at the near of Mr Hargood's shop. Colombo street, Christchurch, yesterday. An empty box had been placed on end, some shavings put on the top, then some 200 or 300 matches, next a quantity of paper and cloth, followed by a small quantity of wood, and lastly another layer of paper, the whole being 'Sjiturated with kerosene and placed; close to. the wooden framework of the building A hole, some inches in diameter, showed that fire had been applied to tbis pile of combustibles, but it had burnt- itself

out. By those who examined the spot, it is supposed, however, that this was the result of over zeal on the part of the would-be in* cendiary, the large quantity of kerosene used having apparently smothered the flames before they oouH obtain a good hold The City Council, at their meeting last night, very properly offered a reward of L 25 for the disooyery of the offender on this last occasion, and it is sincerely to be, hoped that it will have the effect desired. — In addition to this, we have also to record a very- narrow escape from fire at. the Provincial Government Buildings on Saturday afternoon. Prom what we can learn, Dr Hoastls room was discovered by Mr Stansell to lie on fire, and it was only by the most vigorous use of water, carried to the spot in buckets, that die flame!) were qnenched. Had they remained but a very brief time longer undiscovered, they certainly would have been beyond the control of such means as were at the disposal of Mr Stansell, We have received from the Postmaster. General a circular containing copies of contract charter party-, and correspondence in reference to the New Zealand and San Francisco mail service. We learn from it that the first vessel, conveying the mails outwards is to leave Sydney on the 26th March, and Auckland on 2nd- April, and the others as * follows :— Prom Sydney, April 27, May 28, June 30. Prom Auckland — May 4, June 4, July 7 ; and each month following to leave Sydney on the last day of the month, and to leave Auckland on the 7th of the following month. The inward mail is to leave San Francisco on the 10th day of each month* commencing on the 10th day of April next. The time allowed for the voyage is 25 days from Auckland to San Francisco for each of the first six voyages, and every subsequent voyage not to exceed 24 days. A premium of L3O per day will be paid for every twentyfour hours less than the contract time, and a 'ike sum will bo the penalty for every twenty-four hours over the contract time. The amount of subsidy paid by the New Zealand Government is L 15 ,000 per annum ; New South Wales, L 10.00 0; and Victoria, L 6.000. A notification is published that the Provincial Government will next Wednesday issue a proclamation "'declaring the Wangapeka districts to be a gold field." By this we (Nelson Colonist) presume it is meant that an extended boundary of the present gold field will be proclaimed. The result of the late survey of the existing boundary line shows that at le ist one district of the Wangapeka is already within a proclaimed gold fi«ld. It has been stated that the delay of some ten days has been necessary, in order to enable the Provincial Government to secure the proper officers. Mr Blackett has filled the office of Warden on the West Coast during an emergency,' with credit to himself, and satisfaction to the community. There is, we believe, nothing very pressing in engineering work at present, and uutil a suitable permanent officer were obtained, Mr Blackett would lie found an efficient and useful officer, pro tern. We hear that M r Kynnersltty, who is in the colony, is to be, or has been, offered the appoiutment of Warden at Wangapeka. One having a better acquaintance with the daties could scarcely be found ; only he will soon discover that the plentiful supply of money he had. while on the West Coast, under Mr Saunders's Superintendency cannot be granted to him in the present impoverished condition of the Provincial chest. " The inspection of the Greymouth Volunteer Corps by Lieutenant-Colonel Harrington took place last night, thirty -niue members being present. Immediately after musteriug iv *he Hall, the men were marched down to the Camp Reserve, where they were drilled in the manual and platoon exercises by Lieut Maclean, Captain Hamilton afterwards proving the company. On, their return to the Hall, the Lieuteuant-Cdlonel, in addressing them, complimented them upon their efficiency, ami strongly enforced upon them tbe necessity of attending to their drilL He stated that good shots were not created at the butts, and that it was drill alone that could make a marksman, and that the great success that atteuded the Otago Volunteers was was attributable entirely to their constant attendance at drill. He felt sure that if the Greymouth and othet corps paid as much attention to this part of their duty as the Otago volunteers, the great prizes given by the Government would not, year after year, go always to the one province* The Lieut. - Colonel also notified, through Captain Stack, that honorary members would be entitled to tire for the district prizes. The night for company drill is. altered from Monday to Thursday, commencing on the 10th instant. (The report of the Court of Inquiry on tb. late boat accident at Timaru, by which Mr Balfour and Mr Smallwood lost their lives, has been published in the General Government Gazette. Some remarks . by Captain Johnson, Nautical Assessor, are appended. We are unable to publish them at length, but their gist is contained in the following paragraph : — "I consider that the weather, at the time of the accident was not so bad as not to justify either the use- of the shore or ship's boat, but the "accident arose from the mismanagement of the latter ; that, although everj' exertion was made by those on board to save lives, some errors of judgment were committed., but which no doubt were committed tinder great excitement." With regard to the remarks alleged to have been made by Captain Malcolm relative to Mr Balfour's control over the boats, Captain Johnson points out that Mr Balfour had no such control.