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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 658, 7 April 1870, Page 2

A miner, named Frederick Papar, was yesterday afternoon broughb to town from Riley's Gully, Arnold District, on a stretchev by his mates, and conveyed to the Grey River Hospital. He had been working in a race when a quantity of earth came in on him, crushing him severely. He was very speedily rescued and convoyed to tho hospital, where every attention was paid him by Dr Morice. Quite a number of our townspeople left yesterday by boat aud horse to be present at the ceremony of launching the new punt built by Mr Langdon for service at his ferryA ball and supper in the evening was to follow the launch, so that few returned to town last night, and our report of the proceedings did not come to hand ; but we learn thab everything passed off admirably. There were about 150 persons present, and towards four o'clock the punt wa3 launched in fine style, and was christened by Mrs Langdon. About five o'clock the company sab down in Langdon's Hotel to a spread, the like of which has seldom bean seen on the C;>a3t. The chair was occupied by E. Masters, Esq., who gave the toasts usual upon such occasions. "Prosperity to the punt," and "The health of tho host and hostess " were drank with enthusiasm. The manner in which the works in connection with the approaches, tho supports of the rope, and the punb itself have bean carried out, were spoken of by everyone in the highest term 3. The Eev J. N. Binsfeld, Catholic Clergyman, has arrived to take charge of this district, and anuounces that services will be held at St. Patrick's Church, on Sunday next, at 9 a. in-, 11a.m., and 6.30 p.m. During the week mass will be said at 7 a in. The contract for fixiug the standpipe and filling in a portion of the space in front of the new wharf in Mawhera Quay was commenced yesterday. The filling in will be wide enough t) allow two draya to buck in to the wharf, jio^that vessels can be moored there after the postS"are~rrnven. ■- - ■ Presbyterian Church services will, as usual, be conducted on Sunday next, in the Volunteer Hall, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. A northern contemporary is responsible for the following : — " Everybody says that Mr Brannigan is a misplaced man. Why then did Mr Fox elect him to fill his present responsible appointment? We believe the true explanation to bo, that Mr Brannigan having been formerly a bugler in the 45th Regiment, Mr Fox thought he would be admirably qualified to blow his (Mr Fox's) trumpet." Accommodation for professional gentlemen is so very limited in the Resident Magistrate's Court, that it is no uncommon thing to see a barrister prowling about the office of the Clerk to the Bench, looking for a chair to use in Court, or for a reporter to slip in and appropriate the Magistrate's seat the moment be leaves his private room. On Tuesday last, , after an unsuccessful hunt of this kind, Mr Guinness called the attention of the Magistrate to the insufficient accommodation furnished for the profession, and asked his Worship to make a recommendation to the Government on the subject. The Magistrate saiil that he had no funds at Ms disposal, out of which to provide the necessary furniture, and that he had already broughb the matter under the notice of the Government. It is to be hoped that, after this publicity, the matter will be remedied. One of the most perfect pieces of " red tapeiam" occurred lately at the Police Court, A uckland. The worthy Commissioner of Police some weeks ago arrested two deserters from H.M.S. Phoebe, and asked f >r a remand from the magisterial bench on the following morning, in order to allow him to communicate with the llosario, as being the nearest of H.M. ships to this city. After the unfortunate men have been reman 'ed time after time they are again brought up, and the Commissioner receives a letter originally forwarded to His Excellency from the oornraander of the vessel in question., the'i referred to the Defence Minister, and afterwards to Dr Nicholson, the Provincial Secretary. Why not at once have replied to the Commissioner's plain letter, aud not keep the man unnecessarily in prison for three or four weeks ? A farm servant named Arthur Nicholas Colgan, aged 23 years, in tho employ of Mr Taylor, of West Tamaki, Auckland, recently dropped down dead at his work. The cause was heart disease. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Gre} r River Hospital Committee was held last night at Gihner's Hotel. Present : Messrs Kennedy (chair), Winter, King, Maclean/ Greenwood, Revell, Arnott, Gleun, Perkins, and Whitefoord. The minutes of the previous meebing were read and oonfirmed. Letters were received from Messrs W. S. Smith and E. 8. Lapham, resiguing their seats as members of tho committee. The resignations were accepted. The Visiting Commibtee laid the accounts for the past month on the table, amounting, to L 358 17s, which wore pa3sod. They also reported bhab there were 23 patients iv the Hospital at present, 14 had been admitted

during the month, 12 discharged, and 3 died. A very largo amount of routine business having been gone through, the Treasurer reported that the Westland. Government; subsidies for the months of November, Deoember, January, February, and March were still unpaid, and the following resolution was carded z- -" That the Secretary be instructed to write to the County Chairman, informing him that, unless the subsidies now overdue be immediately paid, they will be compellel to resign." The next Visiting Coxnmifctos are Mossra Eevell, Whifcefoord, and Strike. Dr. Grade, of Wellington, has been called ■ to the Legislative Council. ! Recent telegrams received from Arohangel announce the arrival, in that city, of Mr Hepworth Dixon, who has joined a band of pilgrims going to Holy Island, in tne White Sea. The next work by the author of " Spiritual Wives" will no doubt, be " Archangelic Alliances. " We learn from floss that the sinking at Sailor' 3 Gully is going on satisfactorily Several parties are down 160 ft, bub as yet no signs of the bottom. Geddes and party ha\e nearly completed their largo waterwheel, aud the next party to them are down GOft. The Band of Hope Company are down 90ft, and are now on the top of the wash, with prospects two grains to the dish. Dodson aud party, wl»o have been sinking alongside a reef at Donnelly's Creek, have come upon likely looking stone. The affair has caused some excitement in the township, and Mr John M'Gaffin has made application for a lease next to the prospectors. Many correspondents have lately written to us enquiring why the Crown grants to freehold pi operty in Greymouth should lie in the office at Hokitika, and why they canm t be obtained without so much annoyance and expense. It is impossible to say, unless it is that the charge which id made for allowing the documents to remain fthere they are is a considerable source of revenue to the County. At the present rate some of these Crown grants will soon "eat their heads off." It appears to be a very simple matter to send these grants to. the office of the Resident Magistrate or the District Surveyor here, where they would very soon be applied, for ; but 110 doubt there is some official reason why this should not be done. Ib is announce! in the Government Gazette that a reward of L IOO will be paid to anyone giving such information as will lead to the conviction of any person guilty of the capital offence o! supplying arms and ammunibion to rebel 3, under the 23rd section of the Arms Act Amendment Act, 18G9. A reward of LSO will be paid to any one giving such information as will lead to the convictiou of any person of a felony or misdemeanor under the following sections of the Arms Act, 1860, that is to say, sections 25, 27, 2S, 29, 30, 30, 38, or any other amendment or albcration thereof. The above rewards will be paid only after conviction. The informant's name will not be divulged without his own consent, except where it is necessary that he should give evidence in Court. In the case of accomplices giviug information leading to conviction, a free pardon will be granted in additiou to the reward. The advocates of payment of members will be interested in the following extract : — " That the representatives of the people should receive wages or salary from their consbituences was a principle adopted from the beginning in almost every one of the Norbh American States ; and assuredly never in the world were constituencies more adequately represented or more faithfully served. In the Assembly which was held by Fenn at Newcastle, in the year 1700, the remuneration allotted to members consisted of 6s a day for attendance, and 3d per mile for travelling expenses ; the Speaker's daily allowance was 10s. The mooting of the Assembly was indicated by the ringing of a bell, and any member entering half-an-hour after the appointed time was fined 10il. Speaki:ig of the change in the Auckland police force, the Wellington Evening Post says : — Whebher this a separate act on the part of Auckland, or the commencement of an attempt tn fuse together the whole of the Provincial police, is not known ; but, if the latter hypothesis is correct, and one uniform police force could he established for the colony, it would without doubt be a very wise measure. Sever entirely the police from the military force, give Mr Branigan the command of the former, kept only to ful fil the legitimate functions of peace officers, and there is little doubb thab, under proper restraints with regard to expenss, a great" reform might be inaugurated." Yesterday's W. G. Times says that a melancholy and fatal accident is reported from Boss. It appeal's that a man named John Andrews, bub better known by the soubriquet of "California Jack," had been up to the Lagoon during the day, and on returning, went ashore at a Chinaman's, who was holding a festival in which the deceased joined. After regaling himself there, he left and returned to his boat, but was never again seeu alive. On Monday a search was made by a number of the residents, who found the boat stuck in some grass, and the body at the bottom of the lagoon, lying on its back, with the arms extended. It is sup. posed that deceased was sailing the beat up, aud the wind falling slack, he, in an endeavor to take down the mast, had capsized the boat. The body was taken to the township.