THE The Drey River Argus. THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 703, 21 July 1870, Page 2

THE The Drey River Argus. THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1870.

It is generally supposed that the departments of fcoverument are regulated according to the amount of work to be done, but such is not the case in Westlancl. The rule here is that where the smallest amount of work is done, there should be the largest staff of officers. The time was when Hokitika required a much -larger staff at the Customs than Greymouth, but the inexorable Customs returns have proved that that time has passed, and that, to be in keeping ,vith the generally-applied rule, the largest number <.f officers and the majority of the expenditure should be at Greymputh. If our members in the General Assembly wished to reduce the General Government charges to the County they could not give thdir attention to anything more profitable to the County, iudirectly, than the reduction of the Customs Department at Hokitika. On the recommendation of our representatives in the Assembly, at least LIOOO. a year of permanent charges would be deducted from our accounts and made available for expenditure upon ' public works. We refer to the difference between the Customs Departments at Hokitika and Greymouth, which are. made up as follows:— Greymouth : Collector, also licensing officer under Arms Act, L4OO ; clerk, LIBO ; landing waiter, L2SO; dodo, L 200; locker, L 170; extra tidewaiters, LI50 ; messenger and boatman, L 166 10s ; gold allowance, 20 per cent on fixed salaries, L 240. Total, L 1746 10a.— Hokitika : Collector, also licensing officer under Anns Act, L 42 5; clerk, L 225 j clerk,

L 15 0; warehouse keeper, L 20 0; landing waiter, L 30 0; do do, L 25 0; do do, L 17 0; locker, L 170; do, L 15 0; extra tidewaiters, LI 50; messenger and boatman, L 156 10s ; gold allowance, 20 per cent, on fixed salaries, L4OB. Total, L 2754 10s.— To this we may add that the General Government returns for the three quarters, ended the 31st March, 1870, show that, in the. shape of imports, Greymouth contributed L 167,112, and for the same period, in value of exports, L 345.02 6; while Hokitika produced, for imports, L 160 ,120, and for exports, L 330.802. The estimate for the June quarter is expected to be even lamer in favor of this port, and still an establishment is maintained at Hokitika, costing over LIOOO a-year more than that at the port where' the larger proportion of the revenue is collected. A recommendation on this subject from the member for the Westland Boroughs would have a great effect with the General Government. He must be fully alive to the fact that the additional salaries are only so much money thrown away, when the same amount of work is done with the utmost ease, and with the greatest possible efficiency, by the Department at Greymouth. We recommend these facts to the attention of the General Government, aud the unbiassed consideration of the West Coast members in the Assembly.

A meeting of the Committee of Managemeut of the Grey River Hospital was held last night in Gilmer's Hotel. At the hour of meeting Messrs Winter, Arnott, and Masters were present, and after waiting half-an-hour they left, under the impression that there was no probability of a quorum being found. Subsequently a meeting was held, those present being Messrs Masters (chair), Kennedy, King, Gilmer, . Strike, Kenrick, and Mos3. It was proposed, seconded, . and carried— "That Mr Wiuter be requested to act as secretary," "That Mr King be requested to act as treasurer," and "That the Visiting Committee bo requested to remain iv office until the next meeting." Mr King reported that he had received a cheque from the Westland Government for the subsidies for April and May. The other business was unimportant.

There ought to have been a sitting of the District Court here on Tuesday, and at the appointed timeplaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, clerks, reporters, jury, and the general public were in attendance, but no judge appeared. The .Court was adjourned to 12 o clock, and at that hou* was further adjourned to Wednesday morning, at 11 o'clock. At that hour there was another general muster of all who hail any interest in the business of the Court, but still there was no Judge, Another adjournment was made till two o'clock, but then his Honor had not put iv an appearance, and the public again returned, grumbling aud dissatisfied, to town. Meantime telegrams had been sent to the District Judge at Hokitika explaining the situation, but he (id not. deign to take any notice of them. Another telegram was sent to the Attorney-General, but no answer has yet been received. The cause of all this serious annoyaace to professional gentleman and the general public is that Mr Judge Clarke refuses to act while the Commission of Inquiry iuto the working of the District Court in Westland sits, and in his indignation he sullenly ignores the claims of the publif; to his services, and keeps a large body of business-men dancing attendance upon his pleasure from day to day, to their great loss and dissatisfaction. The Government may have done him an injustice in appointing a Magistrate to conduct ths enquiry, but that is no reason why he should so seriously inconvenience the public as he has done in this instance. All we have to add is that the District Court will "be adjourned from day to day, until some definite instructions are received from headquarters.

On Monday an inquest was held at the .Montezuma Hotel, Hokitika, on the bodies of John Brown and Henry. Muellor, who were drowned by the capsizing of a boat on the Hokitika bar on Sunday morning last. The principal witnesses called gave evidence corroborative of the facts which were stated ia O!ir last The evidence of the harbormaster was to the effect that he knew the boat ; saw it pulling ashore, and left in order to tell the owner that his boat was outside, without leaving am/ orders with any of his men, ile was not present when the accident occurred. Geor.e Thompson, assistant-harbor-master, also stated that he was not present on the beach when the accident happened, although ho knew the boat was in the roadstead early iv the morning. He also said — ' ' The semaphore is to guide all boats and vessels in. It was not worked. I*do not think the signalman is responsible to the Harbor Master. Had the semaphore been worked, I think the boat would. have come iuall right. I believe the Harbor Master has no power to instruct the signalman. There is a boat to save life, but she is on shore. It would take three-quarters of an hour to launch and. get her ready. There are also rockets and life-saving apparatus. They are kept iv the store-room, near the Harbor Office. I think the life-saying apparatus should be kept on the beach. I believe Captain Turnbull has applied for a house on the beach to keep the apparatus. None of these things could be got ready under three-quar-ters of an hour. I think it is highly necessavy that the lifeboat and life-saving apparatus should be kept on the^beach, and hope that such an arrangement will be made." . . . The jury, after considerable consideration, retnrned the following verdict— " That the said John Brown and Henry Mueller met their death on the 17th inst., by drowning, whilst attempting to cross the Hokitika Bar;" aud added a rider— "That there ought to be a boat kept in readiness by the Harbor Department, and the) r are of opinion that a great amount of carelessness was shown by the Harbor Department, aud the jury would recommend the County Council to cause an inquiry into the working of the Harbor De- [ p.irtment on this occasion." [The evidence ' certainly shows tliac an immense amount of | carelessness has been displayed by the Harbor Department, especially when it is remembered that the boat which rescued the three men from the capsized craft was manned by a volunteer crew, although the County maintains a Harbor-master, Assistant-Harbor-master, and boatman at Hokitika.]

At the Bcsident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, the charge against Michanl Bowen of selling spirits at Nemona without a license, was further adjourned until Thursday.—Henry Morris was charged, on remand, on the information of his wife, Harriet Morris, with assaulting aud beating her on Wednesday last. Mr Newton appeared for the defendant, aud said the prosecutrix was willing to withdraw the charge, and the defendant was willing to accept an offer which had been nude to him to leave the Colony per Claud Hamilton. He could remain in custody until the steamer went. The Magistrate said this was a peculiar case, because the proseeutrix held a protection order against her husband from that Court, and the defendant was bound over in sureties to keep the pence towards her. If the case was withdrawn there was an end to it ; he could ninke no order, and the man would be at liberty to repeat the assault. He had better hear the case, and then he could make an order. The information against tho defendant for assaulting and beating the complainant was read. Harriet Morris stated that she wns thie defendant's wife, but held a protection order from the Court. On Weddesday night he came to her house, the Enuiskillen Hotel, and went into the diningroom. She locked the door and went into

the bar. Afterwards she went into the room ; he seized her by the hair of the head, and said that he would speak to her, and to oome in to hear what he had to say. He was very much excited, . but she believed he was sorry for it the moment he had done it. She was in fear of him wheu he was in drink. Some weeks back she offered him money lodged in the Bank for him, aud his passage paid to Melbourne if he would go by the Claud Hamilton. She" believed he came to town for the. purpose of accepting the offer. She was satisfied to carry out the undertaking if he would tro away ; she hsd no wish to injure him. In answer to the Bench, Mi Newton said the offence was admitted, and asked that if any penalty, were inflicted it should bo made conditional upon the defendant returning to the colony. The Magistrate said the defendant had forfeited the amount of his bail, and rendered his sureties liable to have them estreated. He would give the defendant a chance, and if he did not leave the colony the penalties would be enforced against him and his sureties. He would have the option of leaving the colony within a week, or a penalty of LlO for the assault would be inflicted, and the sureties estreated. He would' also have to find two sureties of the peace for a week, himself in LlO, and two sureties of L 5 each, until he was put on board the steamer.— George Knolls Barton was charged with being drunk, and fined 10s or 24 hours' imprisonment. .

Mr James Wilkie, M.P.C., addressed a crowded meeting of the electors of the Grey Valley, at Pinkerton's Hotel, ..Uiauraj on Monday, 18th inst. Mr James was called to the chair, and he introduced Mr Wilkie, who, in a speech of two hours duration, fully explained to the satisfaction of his hearers the proceedings of the Provincial Council at Nelson during the late session, and the part he took in connection with them. At the conclusion of Mr Wilkie's address a vote of confidence in him was proposed and carried unanimously. Mr Wilkie said that it had been hid intention to resign his seat, because he considered his sphere of usefulness was circumscribed in such a manner by the conduct of the party who were in majority in the Council that he had no opportunity of doing any good to his constituents, but as lie saw the electors had so much confidence in h?m, and were desirous he should retain his seat, he said be would reconsider his determination. ••. Much dissatisfaction was expressed by those present that Mr Mackley had not taken an opportunity before this of meeting the electors.

Last night the members or the Amateur Dramatic Club gave au entertainment iv the Volunteer Hall, and, notwithstanding the severity of the weather, the room was crowded, the reserved seats move especially so. The first piece was the play of "Life." written expressly for the Club by Mr Apted, of this town, and which Svas 'produced- for the first time last evening under very exceptional circumstances. Still, however, it gives us much pleasure in having to congratulate not only the : author upon his production, but also the members of the Club, upon their conception an.V bapfiy rendering of the various , characters iv the play. Considering the late hour at which the performance concluded last ■ night, and also that the performers were amateurs, we must be pardoned for not criticising their efforts too closely, or for giving an outline of the plot, which was made sufficiently apparent to all who were present last night. The piece was well put on the stage, by the assistence of Mr Raphael, stage manager; the various parts were ably sustained throughout; and although the piece was rather an ambitious effort for an amateur company, yet it. passed off well without the slightest hitch, which is saying a good deal for an amateur performance. It would be invidious tojparticularise the various characters, because where all did their best and gave general satisfaction the praise must be indiscriminate ; still Mrs George, Mis-s Smythe, Messrs Atkinson, Gihner, Hurst, Kenrick, and Kerr deserve special mention. At the close of the piece the author was honored by a call before the curtain. Mr S. Poole then saug a ballad very tastefully and was eucored,'%The entertainment closed with the laughable farce of "The Blighted Being," in which; ..Mr ..M. L. Browne sustained the principal character. The whole performance passed off with great . spirit, and with the utmost credit to the members of the Club.

It will be seen from our telegraphic intelligence that the petition of the residents "in the Grey District for annexation to Nelson was presented to the House of Kepresentatives yesterday, and was. received. This is the first step in the movement completed, and the residents in the district have every cause to thank the' Committee of Management for the efficient: .manner in which they have done their work. Besides, there is great cause for congratulation that the movement never looked brighter than it does at the present moment. So thoroughly are the General and Nelson Governments, impressed with the importance of the movement, that they have given much attention to it,, and are now, we have reason to believe, '^thoroughly convinced of the equity of our deraaud. Mr Curtis, Superintendent of Nelson, has expressed himself favorable, and there is no doubt that Mr Kynnersley, although opposed to the Nelson Executive, will support it. With regard to the probable action of the Ministry on the question, we have the following testimony of a rank opponent of the movement written to the W. O. Times from Wellington : — "I can get no reliable information concerning the action the Ministry intend to take with regard to the great Greymouth petition ; the most extravagant rumors are in circulation about the petition itself, but I very much doubt if the inhabitants of Greymouth will be able to make out so good a cause as was shown by the people of Westland in their separation petition. A straw may show the way in which the wind blows, and the reply of Mr Yogel to an hon. member a few nights since, may perhaps indicate what' the Ministerial view of the matter really is. Mr Yogel said that the policy of the Government would be not to create any further divisions of territory, but rather to amalgamate existing districts. It may, therefore, be possible that the ■■' Great Financier' may intend to absorb a portion of your County into the Province of Nelson. If this is the case, I venture to predict that before the expiration of many months under, the ! new rule', 'the people of Greyinoutb, and more especially the iniuers in the Grey Valley would regret the change." It is quite as probable thai they may have great cause for congratulation at the change of Government under which they will then lie.

An operation is now _ being quietly carried out on the ■ swamp behind Araey street, which, when completed, will probably work a : considerable change in its appearance- aWI value. The Roman Catholic grant is'^nbw being enclosed with a fence of swamp turf, 5 feet high, with a basis nearly equal, and gradually tapering to 2 feet at the top, the whole slightly bound with rushes," and is impervious to water. As the trench from which the turf is taken is gradually filled up by the action of the tides,' its contents will be. regularly spread on the enclosed ground, and a few mouths will probably see a grassy and firm paddock supply the place of the present worse than useless soil. The rapidity with which the fence can he constructed must not be overlooked, the present embankment, stretching far iuto the swamp, being the. vtork of a single individual for the last few 1 weeks, duiiug his sj. are time and the intervals of the tides.