Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 676, 19 May 1870, Page 2

We . are requested ,to. state that Mr Franklyn will again offer himself for reelection for the Gery District in the Nelson Provincial Council. A most mysterious robbery took place at the Police Camp, Napoleon Hill, on Saturday, 14th inst. It appears that Sergeant Jeffries and Constable O'Meara left the camp : to go on duty at the towiiship about 10 o'clock p.m., and on their return to the police station, sometime afterwards, they found the camp had been entered, and property to the value of nearly LIOO had been taken away. We are unable to give further 1 particulars at present, but we nave/b^en: informed that the property abstracted, which consisted principally of cash and jewelry, was part of the private effects of one of the police officers in charge of the station. We are informed by the manager of the Geordie's Terrace Sluicing Company that the. Company is likely at last to be rewarded for it's perseverance. The large • dam; : which, . owing to the porous and treacherous nature of the ground, has caused a considerable amount of trouble and disappointment, and 'on which LIOOO have been expended^ is now apparently secure, the ' water collected from the rainfall at the commencement of the ■week- having been retained without leakage. Stripping was commenced on Monday morning, and the ground, which is being passed through the boxes, has yielded half an ounce bf gold per man per ! diem. A few weeks of the wet weather which may now beexpected will enable the company to reach the rich : ground on the terrace, When the returns will no doubt be very satisfactory. The Stewards of the late Greymouth Races are required to meet, for the discussion of important business, to night, at the Union Hotel, at eight o'clock. .Tenders are at last called for lining the Church of England. It is about time when every wet Sunday the congregation' sit in a shower-bath. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was held at Gilmerte Hotel last evening. Present— Messrs Revell in the (chair), Kennedy, King, Glenn, Greenwood, Maclean, M 033, Gilmer, Winter, Arnott, Whitefoord, and Strike. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A letter was received from the Secretary of the Greymouth Amateur Dramatic Society, enclosing LI 5 3s being the proceeds of an entertainment giveu in aid of the Hospital, which Was received with thanks. Mr R. Purcell-was elected a member of the Committee. ; Tenders for alterations of buildings were opened and the lowest, Mr M. Richards, LB7 10s, was accepted. The other business was unimportant. .- ' We understand there are reasons to hope that the main road from Greymouth to the Ahaura will soon be consti noted by the joint efforts of the Nelson and Westland Governments. ' Negotiations in this direction have been some time in progress, and it is reported that the Nelson Government will liberally subsidise the work, so as to carry a main road to the Arnold, from which they intend to .carry it on to the Ahaura. As the 1 road is already made from the Coal Pits ,to the Arnold, the adoption of this route would save the jfelson Government several thousands of pounds ■ ; 'The new road from Marsden to Nemonain the New River District, was thrown open to the public on Tuesday. It is Baid to be a very creditable piece of work. At the Circuit Court, held at Hokitika on Tuesday,' Francis Hubert Morphew, a bailiff, whp ; had been found guilty of embezzlement was sentenced to two years imprisonment' with hard labor; James Connerau to eighteen months for an indecent ' assaluc, and Mary ' Bullock , three "months' for ' assault. This concluded the criminal business. Messrs .Watson, Hammil and party, who have been prospecting among the Upper Branches of the Ahaura River, are still vigorously carrying on their operati°ns. The party have tried several places, which would pay small Wages if provisions were more easily obtained ; but they state that they have found nothing as yet worth causing a rush. A of men who have been working on. the road to Totara Flat have formed, themselves into a party, with the

intention of trying the terraces and tributaries of the Upper Ahaura for gold. A share in Baxter and Co's claim in Baxter's Gully, at the Ahaura, has been sold for Ll2O cash, being about twelve weeks' purchase. •The'f purchaser is Mr H. M. Moore, of the Anaura. Mr M'Leod, the shareholder who sold out, is about taking a trip to North America ; but it is his intention to return to the Coast. Some changes are being made in the Nelson Police Force. Constable Paul has been removed, and Mr M'Girife, who was recently discharged from the Westland Force, ajppoihted in his stead. It is rumored that a fpw other changes will follow shortly. j The sea committed great havoc at WestjWt on Sunday last very suddenly^ About § a.m., fully fifty minutes before high water, <jhe breakers swept in quick succession over the highest line of beach, and all the tenements occupying the low-lying portions of the beach were flooded out. In Molesworih and Freeman streets there were fully three feet of water, and Russell street, to where it is intersected by Bright street/ was encroached upon by the sea, a distance of fully a hundred yards. Mr Fleming's house was 1 unrounded with water, which filled all the channels between the sand hills to a depth of our. to six feet, and the wash.pf the sea also reached the boundary of the grounds Attached to the residence of Dr Thorne. Approaching the river in the direction of lEerbert street and Baring street a body of ;. water, similar to what was sweeping over the beach at Russell street, broke over the beach forming a deep lagoon, and discharging itself into the river. The whole of Messrs Stitt Bros, stock had to be removed. The bootimaker's and another shop adjoining Messrs Stitt were also flooded and abandoned. jThe two-storey house occupied by Quigly, on the eastern side of Gladstone street, was •carried clean off the piles, and the Robert Burns Hotel, in the occupation of Mr M'Rae, at the eastern side of Bright street, surrounded with water, and Will require to be 'moved shortly. Mr Williams, chemist, at jthe corner of that street and Palmerston jstreet has transferred his business to the ■premises adjoining Mr Munson, bookseller. IThe old premises were flooded, and; the building has sunk to the rear, throwing it several 'inches out of the perpendicular. Mr Harris, •who oc.cupies a hotel at the opposite corner, fared similarly ill. Mr M 'Do well, ; draper, and all intervening premises, until 1 reaching the Prince of Wales Hotel, were ; more or less flooded. EmaniielV Little ; Grey Hotel had a foot of water in it, and the ! premises of C. M. Fox, Johnston, Carpenter, Steel, and others, were in a similar condition. In Molesworth street, with a few exceptions, all the buildings were flooded and many of the occupants there as also in Freeman street, had to wade to the middle inwajfc^ to get beyond the level of thejjjQd^'"^'"^. At the next meeting _jjfrsjne County Council it is the mtentipjstffMr John White to move — " Thajjgf^roporfcion to its population to the extent of the representation enjoyed by other districts of the Colony, as compared- with their population and revenue, the County of Westland is inadequately represented in the Colonial Legislature ; and that a committee be appointed, consisting of Messrs Harrison, Bam, and the mover, to draw up a memorial for presentation to the General Assembly* praying that measures be taken during the approaching session to place the representation of this district on a just and equitable basis. The memorial to be submitted to this Council." A sitting of the County Council took place last Monday, but no business of any interest was transacted, a ; nd the Council was adjourned to.the 23rd inst. The object of this adjourhement is supposed, to be to allow several Bills to.be drafted, but it is expected by that time that a considerable sum of money now overdue will have been received from the General Opvernnaont, whoa a more hopeful appearance may be given to the County's affairs. By the arrival of the cutter Woodstock in Auckland harbor on Friday night, sth inst., from Opotiki, we (Southern Cross) have received the information that the followers of Te Kooti are much disheartened, and are willing, should the Government offer them protection, to come in and surrender. Three of the rebels came in to Te Kaba just before the Woodstock left, and gave themselves up. Colonel St. John intended to take them with him on his expedition to act as guides. From another source we learn that Hopata with about 400 followers, left Poverty Bay on Saturday last on his expedition in pursuit of Te Kpoti. He was expected to return again about Thursday. There is no doubt, from present appearances, that the disturbances which nave so long retarded the prosperity of the colony are drawing to a close, and that ere long we shall experience all the benefits of general tranquility.