THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1870.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 714, 16 August 1870, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1870.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1870.

A special meeting of the Borough Council, called by the Mayor, was to have been held last night iv the Town Hall, but the only Councillor, in addition to the Mayor, who appeared, was Mr Wickes. At the specified hour, the Mayor adjourned the Council until Wednesday evening at eight o'clock. It has been generally known for the last few days that Mr Hoos' delegated powers have been restricted so far as the Grey District is concerned, until the Annexation question is settled one way or another. We learn that in reply to the telegram sent by the Borough Council to the Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands, the following reply has been received : — "lf you hear of any definite action being taken by the County Chairman in regard to my leasing, or supposed leasing, of reserved or crown lands in the Grey District please at once inform me as it cannot hold in law." It will be easily seen that the General Government and its officers are on the alert, and that every precaution will be taken so that no uudue use of power can be made while so important a question . as that of Annexation remains uudecided. Owing to the decision of the members of the Greymouth Literary Society at their meeting on Saturday evening last, the question of the establishment of a^Public Library and Reading-room will have to be further deferred for a fortnight. A most distressing and fatal accident took place in the New Iliver, about two miles west irom Maraden, on FriJ-ay afternoon, to a man named Avthu Fielding. It seems that he and n man named S2>encer were taking some cattle, belonging to Mr Love)), the wholesale butcher up the New River, that two of the oxen bolted out of their proper course, and Arthur Fielding immediately swam his horse after them, and in turning round his horse became stationary, and he (Fielding) called to Spencer for him to come and render assistance. Spencer at once swain his horse over to him, and succeeded in getting hold of his hand, but almcst directly the horse went down taking Fielding with him. The horse came up in a second or two, but without its rider. Spencer stayed for fully an hour, and then proceeded back to give information of the unfortunate accident to the police. Arthur Fielding was about 27 or 28 years of age. On Saturday evening endeavors were used to recover the body, without avail ; but on Suuday with more success, as the unfortunate man's body was found within six feet of the place where

he vent down, where tlic water vraa 3S feet ( t deep. At this place there was a snag with c two forks sticking up ; but entirely midci- | c water, so that it is supposed that the horse j got jammed, and having a martingale on, r which would prevent it from keeping its j head above water, caused it to go down. On r Saturday afternoon, as Constable Flamiagan t in company with Mr Lovell and others, after t dragging the river for the body of the unfor- i tunate man, were proceeding up to Mavsden, 1 Flannagan's horse was caught in a snag, and immediately commenced to rear, aud after the rider was in a perilous position for some considerable time the stirrups came off the saddle, and Flaunagan was precipitated into the river. The horse then got free, and bolted down the river, but was ultimately brought back by Mr Lovell. It seems that the river in places abounds with snags which make it extremely dangerous for horsemen. The body of poor Fielding was brought down to Paroa on Sunday evening, and an inquest was held upon it yesterday afternoon, by Mr Revell, District Coroner. Evidence to the above effect having been given, the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death." The funeral of the deceased Arthur Fielding ,• will take place from Paroa to-morrow, at 10 o'clock. . We intended to have analysed the new; mining rules in this issue, but the arrival of so many mails prevented us. We will do so in our next. The Volunteer Fire Brigade assembled last night at the usual hour, and, by way of practice, and in order to show bow easily it could be done iv case of necessitj', ran tho engine to the upper end of the town, put it on board the punt, and crossed it over the river, with twenty -three members of the Fire Brigade, in a few minutes. Prastice was gone through in Cobden, and after an hour's exercise the engine and members re-crossed the river, and had a practice on the Westland side, after which the apparatus was returned to its quarters. Messrs Charles Taylor,. William Henry Stone, and Robert Neilly, have been nominated by the Superintendent of Nelson to fill the vacancies in the Education Committee for Cobden district. . The tramway betweeu Westport and t Orewaiti is likely to be commenced at eariy date, by Mr Courtney. A poor old woman named Mrs Spanton, nearly 70 years of age, was found dead the other morning on the road leading to her house on the hill, at the back of the late Mr Poynter's residence on the Haven Road, Nelson. A. fifth share, recently hold by Mr Pear-; son in the water right, &c, of Haines and party, Deep Creek, Charleston, has been disposed of by him to the remaining shareholders for L 450. We understand that a subscription is being raised throughout the Nelson Province for a testimonial to Mr Reuben Waite, as the pioneer of the West Coast Gold Fields. At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Monday, before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M., Joseph Brett, charged with being drunk and disorderly, was discharged with a caution, as he had been locked up since Saturday.— For a similar offence James M'Jntyre was fined 10s, and an additional LI or three days' imprisonment for violently resisting the constable vrho arrested him. — Peter CWson, for having been dcunk aud disorderly, was fined 10s. The Westport Times says that during the past few months the Charleston coal has been a great boon to the public, where the supply of Grey coal has not been regular. Though not equal iv quality to the Grey coal, it burns well and is a considerable saving in expense. Mr John Behan offers it at 10s per ton in Charleston, and the freight to Westport is a like amount, which is less than one-half the price of the Grey coal delivered. Yesterday morning the Resident Magistrate drew the attention of Sub-Inspector Hickson to the frequent cases of drunkenness which were seen on the streets on Sunday evenings, and asked him to endeavor to find, out who the publicans were that supplied the liquor. Mr Hickson said he believed nearly every publican in town sold liquor on Sundays. The constables had their instructions on the subject, but it was a very delicate matter to find it out, as all, the bardoors were closed. However, the matter would be attended to. The Wellington Independent learns from a private letter from Greytown, received by a gentleman in that city, that the return from Melbourne for samples of quartz sent from the Wairarapa gives the following result : — From the surface Btone, ldwt 12gr ; from the bottom of the shaft, 60ft down, SAxrb 12gr. It is intended to sink another 15ft for the purpose of ascertaining whether the richness of the stone increases with the depth. A communication from the Colonial Secretary has reached Mr Fish, the newly-elected Mayor of Duuedin, informing him tbat the Governor has been pleased to appoint him a Jnstice of the Peace, and directiug him to-, take the customary oaths. MrF. H. M'Coy, L.L.8., Barrister of the Supreme Court of Victoria, has been admitted by his Honor Mr Justice Chapman to practise in New Zealand. Mr M'Ooy intends to make Tuapeka his central point of practice. A telegram appeared in the Canterbury Press to the effect that a deputation, con-' , sisting of Messrs Holies ton, Hall, and Studi holme, waited on the Government on Wednesday, 10th inst., to ascertain what assistance would be given towards extending i the Canterbury railways during the present year. The telegram goes on to say that the Government stated they would favorably consider the question when their Bills had passed. In the Warden's Court, Greymouth, yesterday, before Mr Warden Revell, the case of Sullivan and party v. M'Aulay was heard. Sullivan had applied for an extended claim on the South Beach, which included the site of the defendant's hotel — the Nelson Hotel — and she objected to this proceeding, as the claim could be worked without touching her property. In consequence of the coming into force of the new miuing rule 3, and some irregularity in. the form of the application, the Magistrate ordered a re-survey to be made without charge, of one and a half acres, which would have to be worked by twelve men, instead of the seven, who made tho application. The applicants said they were willing that the re-survey should not include the complainant's hotel, and she, on her part, did not ask expenses. The case was disvoissetf. It will ba remembered that Mr Harnaon endeavored during the present session to get a clause inserter! in the Municipal Corporations Act for the levying of a rate for the support of Fire Brigades, but the clanse was defeated principally through the instrumentality of Mr Baiff, who said the people of Hokitika were opposed to the measure. Since then the subject has been taken up in another form, for we find that on the sth inst. Mr W. H. Harrison moved for leave to bring in a bill authorising the councils of boroughs, road boards, and town boards within the limits of gold fields, to levy rates for the purpose of maintaining efficient fire brigades, and providing appliances for the prevention and extinguishment of fires. The Speaker thought that the hon. member should show the House that this was not a similar measure to that which had been already before the House, and had been ue^atived. Mr Harrison pointed out that

tho mojisnvo reLrrod to enn r ine;l tlic p wcv of levying rates for this purpose to borough councils alone, whereas by this bill that power was extended to road boards, and tho ratepayers generally. He would desire to point out that this was tho more especially necessary in gold field townships, as from tlicir peculiar construction and the habits of the people, the danger from fire was more imminent than in those of more settled localities ; and he might state that the two towns of Hokitika and Grey mouth were in favor of this being carried into effect. The rate proposed to be levied was limited to 3d in the £, levied only on household property, and not on land Mr O'Neil seconded the motion, expressing his opinion that the bill would be found to be very useful and valuable in digging townships. Mr Barff said he would not oppose the first reading of the bill. He might say that severe strictures had appeared in the local press of Hokitika on the bill which had been brought in before by the hon. member. Mr Haughton objected to the course taken by the hon. member for Westland South (Mr Barff) in quoting the opinions of the local press of Hokitika or elsewhere. For all tho House knew, the hon. gentleman might have written those what he called severe strictures in the Hokitika press, as he appeared to have a rabid horror of anything introduced by his hon. colleague, the member for Westland Boroughs. Mr M'lndoe thought; the action of this bill should be confined to the county of Westland, as it was not required on the gold fields of Otago. Leave was given, bill read a first time, and the second reading fixed for a future day. A - calumny on Colonel M'OonnelZ and Major Hay, published in the Wcmgcmui Herald, charging these officers with the murder of a half-bred named Louis Baker, on the Eapt Coast, oh the 7th February last, has bi-.ii satisfactorily disposed of by the Post, by publishing the real facts of the story. Baker, who had been fighting Vrith Te Kooti, and allied with Kereopa, had been taken prisoner, aud was on his way to Ohinemuri, under escort of the officers named. Before starting, Baker was warned if he attempted to. escape he would be shot. He took advantage of Colonel M'Donnell dismounting to adjust his saddle to attempt his escape, and he was fired at and shot accordingly. From our Wellington files we learn that when the House of Representatives met a few days ago, the key of the outer door of the Reporters' Gallery was missing, and the gentlemen of the press had for the nonce to betake themselves to the Strangers' gallery. As the key could not be found, it was resolved to break the door open — a proceeding attended with a considerable amount of noise, and which carried alarm to the floor of the House. Some hon. members from the North imagined that an ■ earthquake was coming, but the general impression was that the building had succumbed to dry rot, and that the collapse foretold by Mr Clayton was about to eventuate. A general stampede was on the point of taking place, when happily the door yielded, and the appearance of the reporters in the gallery explained the cause of the unwonted disturbance within the sacred preciucts. The LytteUon Times informs us that a serious accident occurred to Mrs G. Hutchinson and a female servant in High street, Christchurch, on Saturday afternoon last. A horse, whiuh the forae\ was driving, bolted fi'om Dunstable House, aud in malting across the cab stand in front of Cobb and Co.'s office, came in contact with Thomas Hazard's cab. The collision overturned both vehicles, Mrs Hutchinson received two cuts on the face, and the servant was rendered almost insensible by more extensive, bruises on the head. Both were taken to the shop of Mr Fairbank, chemist, where Prs Prins and Nedwill were soon in attendance. Meantime, the horse, with the overturned buggy at its heeels, had galloped once round the cab stand, narrowly escaping collision with other vehicles and hoises. It was ultimately secured, when, having gone a short distance down High street, both horse and vehicle turned quite over. Both shafts of Hazard's cab were broken, and it was surprising that more injury was not done, for there must have been upwards of ten horses and traps congregated around the scene of collision. The buggy, driven by Mrs Hutchinson, had both shafts broken, ■■■ and was otherwise seriously damaged, but the horse escaped almost unhurt. Mr Henry Moss, a brother of Mr M^ss Moss, of the Ship luu, Dunedin, has been found dead in his bed at the Australasian Hotel, Maclaggan street, Dunediu. Information was received by the police at Akaroa on the lOoh instant, that an accident causing the death of John Duerden, had takdn place on the Little River road. From what we could "learn, it appears that Mr Duerden (who was the contractor for widening a par! of the above road) was at work undermining the bank at the side of the road, when the whole mass, consisting of several tons, suddenly came (}own, burying the unfortunate iv.an under it. Information was at once sent to the Head of the Bay and Akaroa, and assistance was speedily given ; but at the time when the mail left Akaroa, uo fnfonnation had been received as to whethe poor fellow had been dug out. The Melbourne Argus of the 23rd July, says : — Tenders have been called for in this city for the erection of gasworks for the town of Greymouth, New Zealand. It is proposed, in the first instance, to erect works capable of supplying 1000 burners, at a cost of between LSOOO aud L6OOO. The buildings will be so arranged, however, as to permit of the extension uecessary in a young aud thriving township . The streets have hitherto be§n lighted up with kerosene, and the calling for such, a tender is a pregnant commentary on the advance made by a town the site of which some six or soven years ago was a strip of wild and deserted sea beach. With reference to the case Prosser v. Lee, called in the Resident Magistrate's Court one day last week, remarks were made calling attention to certain irregularities in the mode of transacting business in connection with the Court at the A Laura. On further enquiry we have learned that when the summons reached the Ahaura the defendant had been gone from that place for two days, and as he wa3 known to be at Greymouth the document was forwarded there at once. Iv justice to Sergeant Mayberry we give this explanation, as we have been satisfied that in the discharge of his duty he is no respector of persons. The following paragraph from the Southland News of Saturday is worthy of notice : — We were shown this week by a leading merchant a sample of imported Manilla rope, upon which, of course, a dufcy had been, paid. When closely examined, it could be clearly seen to contain at least seven-eights New Zealand flax fibre. This is not the first sample that has come under our observation. It goes far to explain why the rope-makers at home are so anxious to deprecate New Zealand flax, and extol Manilla fibre. They evidently appreciate, arid push to its fullest extent, the maxim, " buy in the cheapest and sell in the dearest market." ' At a recent meeting gf the Nelson Association for the Promotion of Science and Industry, Mr Mackay read a paper on "Technical Education, as suited to the wants of New Zealand." Under the head of Mining and Metallurgy, he says :- For mining, study geology ank paleontology for a knowledge of mineral-bearing strata; mineralogy, for the properties, applications, and characters of minerals ; chemistry, for the testing aud analysis of ores ; mining engineering and sur-

veying, for -the besb methods ■of working mines, ami the adaptation of machinery thereto, as well as to the dressing of ores, the surveys and plans of mines, and measurement of miners' work. As a proof of what skilled appliances arc capable of affecting in the dressing of ores, the Schemnitz (Hungary) miner is able to work actual gold ores broken from great depth, which, beside a little lead, contain no more than one jfort of gold in 228,000 of stone ; and the Russians work, in their stream-works, sand containing only one part in half-a-million. A knowledge of metallurgy is of vast importance in a country where gold is one of its principal products. By the barbarous processes, for they are nothing else, that are at present in vogue for the saving of gold, it is estimated that there is a loss of thirty to' thirty-five per cent.— amounting in Victoria alone te L 1,000,000, 000,000 sterling annually — nine-tenths of which could be saved by the art of the metallurgist. The Colonial Treasurer, in laying on the table of the House of Representatives a return of the expenditure under the Civil list, took occasion to explain the allowances received by Ministers during the recess, i They had all drawn their salaries. Mr Fox hat) a residence, and Mr Gisborno drew an ji'lowancc in lieu thereof. Mr M' Lean did not draw residence allowance, but received L 2 2s a day while absent from Wellington. For himself, his position was that of Eesidont Minister at Auckland, and while there he only drew the usual salary ; when absent from Auckland he drew L 2 2s a day travelling expenses, and during his mission to Australia, L 4 4s a day. We take the following particulars of the gold robbery at Clyde, which is referred to in, our telegrams, from our Otago filea .-—lnformation was received by the Government yesterday morning, August 1, that the gaol at Clyde had been broken into on Sunday night, and all the Escort gold and money for the month carried off. But few particulars are yet to hand regarding the robbery, but we learn that it must have been committed between 12 o'clock on Sunday night and half -past four o'clock on Monday morning., On a constable proceeding at the hour last named to the cell in which the two boxes containing the treasure had been placed, he found the outer door apparently intact, but the inner door had been forced opeu, and the boxes carried off. The outer door had been opened with a key, and the inner one by. drawing the screws of the padlocked bolt.' The thieves had. coolly locked the outside door after them on leaving. The excitement in Clyde, on the news of the robbery getting abroad, was, as may be imagined, intense.; The police and private detectives immediately began to search in every direction for some traces of the robbers, but with the exception of the empty treasure boxes, which were found by Sergeant Neil about 2 p.m. within fifty yards of the camp, they were unsuccessful. The amount stolen was as follows : Bauk of Nfw South Wales, Cromwell, 9300z of gold, and L 537 in notes ; do, Clyde, 3500z gold, and L 2528 in notes ; total, 13300z gold, and L 3065 in notes. Bank of New Zealand, Alexandria, 3770z gold, and L 1470 in notes ; do, Tcviot, 3920z gold, and L 765 in notes ; dc, Queenstown, LBIO in notes ; total, 7690z gold, and L 3045 in notes. The grand total, therefore, is 20990z of gold, equal, at L 3 15s per ounce, to L7S7I, and L6llO in notes, making together L 13,051. Otago wants to -be repaid the nice little sum of L 13,000, for having imported Di\ Hector and employed him for three years in the geological survey of tho Province. The argument is, tbat the Colony having engaged Dr. Hector on the termination of his Otago engagement, ought to recoup Otago the whole expenses of that engagement, and, in support of this claim, some members actually went so far as to say that the Province had nothing to show for the expenditure on Dr. Hector. Mr Macandrew qualified this statement by saying they had the nucleus of a Museum. The great compbiut was, that D'r Hector had promised a report on the geology of the Province, and had not given it, as he said, when leaving, that it was first necessary for him to complete the survey of tho rest of the Colony before reporting finally on any on§ portion of it. The somewhat ungenerous reflections cast on Dr. Hector were promptly met by Mr W. B. Harrison, who reminded the Houso of the many valuable progress reports published by Dr. Hector— of that gentleman's great and valuable servijes in connection with the New Zealand Exhibition, and of his well-known explorations of the West Coast and interior, explorations to which the settlement at Martin's Bay and many other results were owing. Mr Gillies also expressed his conviction that Otago had never spent any money to better advantage than that spent on Dr. Hector's engagement, for his reports, maps, and scientific articles, had made the Province known and talked of in places and in circles, when its very existence would otherwise have been unknown. He also referred to the admiraWe geological maps prepared by Dr. Hector, and to be" found in the Library. Mr Rollestoa and Mr Taj lor said that if the claims of Qtago were'regogniserl, Oai?terb»vy and Wellington would also be entitled to be recouped their expenditure on geological surveys. The general opinion seemed tj be that Otago's claini was au absurd one.