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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 724, 8 September 1870, Page 2

The results of the elections for the vacant seats in the Borough Council will lie declared at noon to-day. In neither of the Wards will there be any contest, A meeting of the Westland Board of Education takes place on Tuesday next at Hokitika. The.ploughing match at the Totara Flat, . near the Ahaura, comes off on Saturday next. It is likely to be an exciting affair, as a great interest has been taken in it by the farmers and storekeepers throughout the valley, and a large gathering is expected. There are already twenty entries, and owing to the energy displayed by the gentlemen who were appointed to canvass for subscriptions, the Committee will be. enabled to offer higher prizes than those usually given in competiI tioua of this sort. The match will come off on Messrs JM'Kinlay Bros.' farm, about six miles above the Ahaura, on Totara Plat. The Wellington papers announce the death of Mr E. W. Nicholson, of the firm of Whittem, Nicholson, and Co., of that city. A bench of Justices of the Peace sat on Tuesday morning, in the Court House, to consider applications for licenses. The following were granted : — Tonks and Hughes, letail license for Albion Hotel ; Mary Burchell, retail license for the Hibernian Hotel ; Alfred Cleve, bottle license for store, MawheraQuay; Mary o' Halloran, retail license for Shamrock Hotel. The application of A. S. Hall for a retail license for the Rock of Cashel Hotel, was refused, because the house was reported by the police not to be in proper order. Mr John Sutherland, farmer, East Taieri, Otacro, for very many years was a severe sufferer from asthma, but has found that a little sulpher mixed with his tobacco in smoking has proved to him a most effectual cure. The drawing-room entertainments given by Mr G. Cotterell during the last two evenings at the Volunteer Hall were a very great success. Mr Cotterell is an actor of considerable natural ability, and possesses a most wonderful power of imitation, and of changing his countenance, voice and manner. Indeed, in a single moment, he cai work such a transformation upon himself that it is almost impossible to believe it is the same individual who appears before you, only in a different character. His deiiniations- of character are generally true to nature, and in some cases only are they even slightly exaggerated, and throughout the entire entertainment not even a tinge of vulgarity is to be detected. In all the towns in the Colony which Mr Cotterell has visited he has been very warmly received, and we must say that all we have read of his abilities has been fully realised. Mr Cotterell has determined to give a farewell entertainment on Friday evening, when we anticipate he will be received by a large and fashionable audience. To the Galatea belongs the honor, of having brought the first live elephant to Wellington. The skeleton of one that died in Otago of eating tutu is set lip in tb.3 Colonial Museum. A meeting of .the Grey River Hospital Committee was held at Gilmer's Hotel, last evening. Present— Messrs Kenrick (chair), Giliner, Moss, Winter, King, Kennedy, Arnott, and Sirike The minutes of the previous meeting haying been read and confirmed, the secretary read a copy of letter sent to the County Chairman, requesting that the subsidy for the month of June should be paid forthwith, to which no answer had been received. The Visiting Committee reported that the number of patients in f the Hospital at the end of August w,as 20 ; admitted during the month, 11; discharged, 10; died, 4. The accounts for the month,' amounting to L 246 -5s Id, were laid on the table, and ordered to be paid when the Treasurer was in funds. The Treasurer acknowledged the receipt of L 2 from Mr Pfeiper, a late patient in the Hospital, and also the subsidy for June from the Nelson Government. He also stated that the accounts for July were still unpaid, as ■ there were no funds. A discussion ensued as to the best means of. raising funds, and a committee was appointed to prepare and ' forward the up-country subscription lists. Mr Kennedy suggested that an application should be made to the Waste Lands Board for a piece of ground near Sawyer's Creek suitable for an Hospital reserve. The other business was unimportant. The body of another victim to the dangerous waters of the Clutha river was found the other day at Balclutha, Otago. It is supposed to be that of a man lost some time ago at the Pomahaka. The corpse was vvashed up against the; approaches to the old punt, and was found, oi£- examination, to be so much decayed that it will -be difficult to identify. . We have already drawn attention to the very inadequate provision made for the representation of the mining community in ! the new Representation Bill. We notice -that on 'Mr Fox's motion for the third reading of this Bill, Mr Haughton gave au explanation of the course pursued by him, asserting that the measure, as framed by the Committee and the House, would have the effect of arousing the people to demaud equal electoral districts . If he .was elected he "should come down with, a Bill to allow the' districts, as in America, to return members in proportion to the number of men ; and also another Bill recommending the dissolution of the House in that session, so that the elections might be conducted on that basis. He contended that the Bill was infinitely worse than the one they were sitting under, anl that the milling interest, \srhich had done; so much for the prosperity of the Colony,^ was miserably under-represented, this Bill actually reducing the number whichwas already inadequate. He should, as" a matter qf form, call for an expression of opinion by moving that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. Mr Barff seconded the amendment, characterising the Bill as the most miserable one he had ever seen. Mr Carleton said he should divide the House on this question, if the hon. member for Hampden did not. Mr Fox trusted the House would hot consent to this amendment. The Government had taken the very best

course which was open to them, and one which Avas the best to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion ; and he was quite convinced that it was a matter of impossibility to satisfy all hon. members. The Government had been charged with shirking its responsibilities, but if the Government had wished to do so, they would not have brought forward the measures they had done. This was, he contended, a complete answer to these charges. The amendment, on being put, was declared to be negatived on the voices, when Mr Carleton demanded a division, which took place as follows :— Ayes, 12 ; Noes, 41. The following members voted, with the ayes : — Messrs Carleton, Haugtaon, Peacock, Brown, Bradshaw, Mervyn, O'NVsili, Barff, Taylor, Kenny, Armstrong, and Munro. The Bill was then read a third time and passed.

A wages man writes to the Thames A d'vertiser respecting the late lynching case on the Whau claim. He says that the punishment was inflicted upon Preston not because he gave information ahout the specimen-steal-ing, but because he insinuated, in- giving information of his brother-in-law's dishonesty, that all the men employed upon the claim were implicated. One of those social gatherings, which are enjoyable at the time, ant) leave pleasant memories behind them, took place at the Ahaura on the evening of Tuesday, 6th inst. The occasion was a farewell supper given by Mr and Mrs M'Kenna, of the Royal Hotel, to Sergeant William May berry, of the Nelson Police Force, previous to his departure from the district after a. residence of nearly five years in ib, during which time hehadsecui'ecl the respect and esteem of every one of the inhabitants. About twenty gentlemen were invited to meet Mr Mayberry, and at ten o'clock the company— gat down to supper. After justice had been done to the splendid spread provided by the hostess, the Chairman, Mr W. J.JjfPotts, after the usual preliminaries, proposed the health of the guest of the evening. The Vice-Chairman (Mr E. A. Drury), Mr M'Kenna, and other gentlemen, spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr Mayberry, and expressed their regret at his departure from amongst them. After music and songs, including, of course, "He's a Jollj Good Fellow," Mr Mayberry returned thanks in a neat and feeling speech, in which he expressed his sorrow at leaving so many old friends, and at going away from a place with which he had been so long associated. He concluded by assuring the company that no matter where his future lot might be cast, he should ever remember, with feelings of gratitude and pride, the reception they had given him that evening. Several other toasts were proposed, including the host and hostess, and after some capital singing, accompanied by appropriate music, the tables were cleared away, and dancing was kept up until " all hours in the morning." We are sorry to hear that the use of the knife is becoming prevalent in Auckland. A man named James Southcombe was arrested lately at Wanganui on a charge of selling powder to the Maoris. An article might ve'-y well be written, under the heading of "What the Thames is coming to," upon an. occurrence that happened lately, at a meeting of shareholders, for the purpose of electing a legal manager, for a claim that shall be nameless. The choice of the evening was so evenly balanced between two candidates, that the two shareholders who were the last to vote, finding that a dead heat must be the result, agreed to "go Yankee-grab for it ;" and the needful tools — in the shape of three old dice and a pewter pot — having been provided, the operation was successfully performed, and a legal manager duly elected. The party then liquored-up, amidst mutual congratulations at having devised so original an experiment. With reference to the admission by Mr Gisborne, that Kapa, the Maori who carrier] Captain Lloyd's head 'about the country, was now living quietly at Wanganni, the Daily Times remarks — "Circumstances alter casss," and accordingly we are not surprised to find that the present Ministry, who, when not in office, could hardly find epithets opprobrious enough by which to stigmatise Colonel Whitmore's force, have, since their accession to office, employed and paid a pair of the greatest rascals to be found even among the Maoris. It is to be hoped that Mr Gisho ne's admission of this fact, as reported by telegram, will not be allowed to pass unno iced. Perhaps Mr Fox will explain how such "double-dyed scoundrels" are not only allowed to remain, ua touched, but to enter the G-overamenb service and to i - ecei>'e Government pay. We should scarcely ba surprised, after this to learn that Te Xc obi and Titokowaru had received commands under the Fox Ministry, or that Mr M'Lean had appointed Kerebpa, the "eye-eater," to be his orderly. •<■- ■ In explanation of the reasons for the Bank of .New Zealand increasing its capital by half a million, the Southern Cross remarks : — " The main reason for the increase is that it has been found necessary to augment the power, of the one Bank in existence in New Zealand which is really under local management. The other banks doing business in the Colony are subject to foreign control, aud are of course not conducted entirely with a view to the interests of this Colony. Moreover, theinstruntions which they receive are necessarily frequently issued under a misapprehensiou of existing circumstances, and are quite inapplicable to the state of affairs existing at the time when those instructions are carried into effecb. Anobher reasqu for ■ the step is that, in view of the great increase which has recently taken place in the amount of the deposits, it is advisable to give the public au additional guarantee— an object" which is effected by the issue of these shares." Our local billiard players will read with interest the following account of the performances of a Frenchman : — "I was present the other evening at a stance given by M. Faure-Nicolay, who has several times played before the Emperor, or rather has knocked the balls about to 'amuse His Majesty. M. Faure-Nicolay commenced his entertainment . by. playing all three balls from baulk, and j lo ! after they had struck every cushion they cannoned. His powerful and his gentle massd strokes (strokes made by striking dr.wu on top of the ball) were executed with marvellous dexterity and precision. The professor would either mass 6 back the whole length of the table, or massd round a hat placed in- the centre of the table. By this I mean that he would place the red and the spot balls in the right hand top comer, of the table, and playing from the left baud bottom corner would cannon by passing round the hat without touching a cushion. Some of the strokes required not only skill but force of wrist. Amongst the gentle viass6 strokes I may describe the following :— Draw a circle the size of the crown of your hat on the table with a bit of chalk, place the three balls in a line in the centre, and, playing with an outside ball, cannon without any balls leaving the centre. M. Faure-Nicolay >loes this with the greatest ease, and strokes more wonderful still, which would 'oe difficult to describe, .and must be seen to be believed. He plays not only witlrtf'cuc^ but with his hands and even his nose, and .whether using cue, hands, or nose, the balls appear to obey some irresistible force, to be under the most perfect control." ■ '