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Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 750, 8 November 1870, Page 2

We believe it is intended by the members of the Presbyterian Church to hold a bazaar in aid or the building fund of the Church, during the Christmas week, which is likely to prove a great success. The extensions now being made to the, English Church . necessitate another effort being tried to raise the necessary fund?, and we believe a concert is on the lapis, which will come off shortly. A requisition to Mr F. Guinness, to allow himself to be nominated for a seat in the County Council for Greymouth is being nnmerously signed in town. Ib is rumored that Mr James Payne is also likely to come forward, should he be solicited by a suffi. ciently numerous body of the electors. Wednesday, the 9th instant, being the anniversary of the Prince of Wales' birthday, will be observed as. a public holiday in Westland. The Government offices and banks will all be closed, and it is likely that a number of places of business will follow the example, after noon. A meeting of Frenchmen and sympathisers with the French nation is to be held at the Road Board Office, Paroa, on Saturday evening, at six o'clock, for the purpose of raising subscriptions in aid of the sufferers by the present Franco-Prussian war. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yes- [ terday, a lunatic was brought up and remanded for a week for medical examina- • tion. The great water-race dispute on the South Beach, which was lately before the District Court, will shortly come before the Warden's Court in another shapo Mr Whitcfoord, accompanied by the Committee of the Grey Valley Hospital, proceeded on Thursday last to select a site for tbe new hospital at the Ahaura. Several spots were examined, and a site was at length chosen on the rising ground to the left of the

Napoleon road, and about a quarter of a mile from the township. The ground is at present set aside fora cemetery, but ib is considered too near the town. The authorities have promised to lay off a new cemetery furthei out on the edge of the plains. Tenders havr been called for the erection of the hospital; and the building will be proceeded with at once. The Borough Council are calling for tenders for the erection of the new wharves on Mawhera Quay,; and also for the widening of Richmond Quay, from Johnston street to Arney street. i» We notice that Mr W. W. Wilson, barrister-at-law, &c, late of Duuedin, has arrived at the Abaura. Mr Wilson intends practising in the up-country Courts, making the New Ahaura his head quarters. One of the Hokitika Volunteers, Mr Forsyth, of Messrs Forsyth and Masters, has been keeping up the credit of the local volunteers at Melbourne. By telegrams of Australian news we learn that he was successful in carrying off several of the prizes contested for at the Victorian Rifle Association meeting. The residents at the Ahaura turned out in a body on Saturday to see the starting of the turbine-wheel, which Avas to drive Mr Eeid's new sawmill on the plains. We regret to say that they were disappointed, as, so far, the experiment has proved a failure. A miner named Patrick Connolly met with a serious accident at Half-Ounce on Thursday. He was falling a tree when the butt slipping a splinter struck him on the head, severing the temporal artery. The sufferer is progressing favorably under the care of Dr Donovan. ' ' We bave been informed on good authority that P. A. Buckles, Esq., Barrister-ot-Law, Wellington, iutends to offer himself at the next election for the representation of the Grey District in the General Assembly ; but it is quite possible our informant is mistaken, as we happen to know that it was, only lately, the intention of Mr Buckley to stand for Westland North. A notorious old woman who has been repeatedly before the Police Courts up country on one charge or an other for the last twelve months, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for vagrancy, before Mr Whitefoord, at Napoleon, on Friday last. The district is well rid of the old vagabond, who has been a terror to the neighborhood. The picked team of the Greymouth Rangers fired a simultaneous match on Saturday with ten of the St. Kilda (Melbourne) Volunteers. On our side the average was a good one, ten men scoring, at three ranges, a total of 412 points. The shooting of the St. Kilda men will not be known for fourteen .days. The following is the detailed score made by the representatives of the local company : — •

412 It was lately decided by Judge "Ward, in Chambers, at Hokitika s under the 216 th clause of the " Bankruptcy Act, 18(57," that servants' wages weie not preferential, or even payable debts in a bankrupt's estate, where the hiring is merely weekly, but to be entitled as a servant under that section, the hiring must be of a continuous nature, and something more than a mere hiring for a ! week. The section referred to runs thus : — Where, at the time of the filing of the petition for adjudication the bankrupt was indebted to any servant or clerk for wages or salary, the trustee, on proof thereof, shall pay so much as is due, not exceeding three months' wages or salary, and not exceeding fifty pounds to such servant or clerk, out of the bankrupt's estate, and such servant or clerk may prove for any sum exceeding that amount." Fresh and very glowing accounts were received at the Ahaura on Saturday evening from over the Saddle, with regard to an. alleged extensive alluvial discovery. There is no doubt that extensive diggings will be discovered in the district, but we would advise that the news mentioned above should be received cautiously, owing to the parties who brought it. The following with regard to this district is from the Westport Times: - "Mr Lewis, of the Survey Department, has returned from Anderson's and Murray Greeks. At Anderson's he surveyed a prospecting claim for Anderson and party, and three claims, of six men's ground each, north of the prospectors ; and to the south, five claim?, each of six mens' ground. The miners are disputing about the boundaries of the claims, the new arrivals contending that the necessary number of men have not been maintained on the ground, in order to legally occupy the claims. Anderson and party, whose claim has a frontage of six hundred feet, have struck very rich stone in their tunnel, situate about two hundred feet from their southern boundary. Hunter and party, who hold No. 4, south, on the same line of reef, have also strijck a rich leader, and there is every indication that it is the same reef as obtained by the prospectors. At Murray Creek, Mr Lewis surveyed a claim for the prospectors ; also a lease of sixteen and a-half acres for Da vies, on the supposed line of reef. The lease includes No. 2, 3, and 4 south, aud the application witi he objected to by the holders of these claims. No. 3, south, Shields and party, have put in a tunnel, and have struck a rich leader. No. 1, north, Cooney, Kelly, and party have also got rich stone ; No. 2, north, consists of a hatter, who is putting in a tunnel ; No. 3, north, consists of nine men, who have a tunnel in 140 feet ; No. 4, north, consists of six mens' ground, and the holders are also preparing to tunnel for the reef." The accounts from Charleston report favorably upon mining matters. An old miner just returned here, after an absence of some months from the above district, expresses himself gratified and surprised at the signs of renewed raining activity apparent in various localities. The entire terrace at Argyle is taken up, and is being worked with excellent results, varying from L 7 to as high as Lls Meekly per man. At Mount Pleasant and Brandon Hill, all the available ground has been taken up, as also the slopes adjoining. The ground referred to has been long known to be payable, but owing to its elevation, and the difficulty hitherto in obtaining water, has been allowed to remain unoccupied. This want has been recently supplied by the race extensions of Haines and party. With regard to the recent alleged appropriation by the Government of the Associated rress Telegrams, the Otago Daily Times says :— " By the mail from Melbourne by the Gothenburg, we have been placed in possession of information which leaves no room for doubt as to the truth of the suspicions we have entertained in reference to the transmission of the English mail telegrams on the 30th September. The facts of the case, af confirmed by our correspondence, are briefly these : The most important portion of the news, bringing dates to the 6th of September, did npt reach the Argus office from Adelaide until after^hc Gothenburg had left Hobson's Bay, and had proceeded on her voyage to thi Bluff. These telegrams were speciallyjtele-

:raphed from the Argus office to tlieir agent it Queenscliff — about forty miles from Melbourne— with instructions to put them on board the Gothenburg, addressed to our agents at the Bluff. This was accordingly done, the Gothenburg being stopped off Queenserlff ab half -past nine o'clock by means of blue lights. That no other copy of these telegrams was placed on board the Gothenburg can be proved by the evidence of the captain and chief officer, supported by that of the Queenscliff agent of the Argus. That the Independent did not receive a copy from its own correspondent in Melbourne, can be proved by evidence direct as well as indireot. By what means it became possessed of a copy, word for word the samp, as our own, is a matter which must be explained by the Government. We have demanded an explanation from the Telegraph Commissioner, and are now awaiting his reply. Unless a more satisfactory defence can be set up than that which has appeared in a series of scurrilous articles in the Independent, the Minister Avho is responsible for the dirty work in question will (md it a serious matter to deal with. We do not suppose for a moment that the telegraphic officials are to blame, as they have no choice but to obey instructions." Topia has returned to Napier from the . Waikato, and brings news that the leading chiefs of Waikato and Maniopoto have consented to attend the conference on December 25th, at Oamaorou, near Peraki. The Princess Sophia and Rewi will represent the King. Topia says that the tribes mentioned are favorable to peace, and desire to estalish the most friendly relations with the Pakeha. Bishop Selwyn has written to Mr G. P. Pierce, of Auckland, expressing his thanks for the handsome writing table, inlaid with New Zealand woods, forwarded to him at Lichfield by his friends in Auckland. It is rumored that Mr Main, M.H.R., is to be the Timaru Distrist Judge. The public meeting called by the Mayor of Dunedin to devise means of raising subscriptions for the relief of the sufferers by fire at Lyttelton lapsed. Seven or eight persons only were in attendance. A whale lias been caught off Waikouaiti by the Bay Company, which is estimated to yield seven tons o£ oil. For soma days past a painful rumor has been current in Lyttelfcon that there has been loss of life at the late fire. It appears that a sailor named Johnston is missing. He left Leslie's Hotel on the night of the fire, and went to the Queen's. Since then he has not been seen. His swag and other properky are in Lyttelton unclaimed. At Timaru, on the night of the 23rd ult., an attempt was made by an incendiary to burn down the boot establishment of Mr C. Bowker, At the back of the building a quantity of kerosene waa spilled, and the fire had just caught the weather-boards when it was discovered and extinguished. No clue has yet been found as to the perpetrator. A miner named John Marshall, aged about 30 years, was killed at Switzers, Otago, on the 22nd ult, by a fall of earth. He leaves a wife aud family, who are living at Switzers. The Hon Mr Fox addressed his constituents at Marton on Wednesday evening last. He reviewed the principal business of the late session, aud claimed for the Government that it had established iv the country a peace with the natives which was not likely to be disturbed, fie looked for the best results from Immigration and Public Works; as a means of relieving the existing depression. He warmly eulogised the people of the South Island, who, he said, behaved to the North "like brothers." Mr Fox was well received, and a vote of confidence was carried unauimcmsly. Sergeant Kiely has proceeded from Westporb to the Inangahua Junction, where he will remain until the sittings of the Warden's Court shortly to be held there, and in the meantime will perform the duties of Warden's (.'lerk. By the outgoing mail the German Committee of Dunedin have remitted to his Excellency the Chancellor of the North German Confederation, Berlin, the sum of L3OO, on account of subscriptions collected by them for the wounded, and widows and orphans of the killed, in the present war. A very mysterious case has occurred at Drybread, near Blacks, in Otago. A miner on his return home one Saturday last month found his wife in apparent pain and distress 1 . She said she had been confined of a child, which was then lying at her side, dead. It has since been ascertained that the child is the same one upon whom a coroner's inquest was held in August last by Warden Vincent Pyke, it having been found dead in bed by its mother's side, who resides near the other woman at Drybread. The grave has been examined, and the body of the child is missing. Strange to say, the real mother of the child was found dead in bed the following night. A Thames correspondent of an Auckland paper says :— " An extensive deposit of lignite coal has been discovered in the bed of a small creek on the West side of the Surrey Redoubt, in a direct north-west line with Porter's Creek, immediately facing Grahamstown. A party went over last week, and among them was Captain Higgins, a gentleman of large experience, who minutely examined the seam, which, after several experiments, he pronounces to be of great value, and admirably adapted for steam purposes on this field. The coal is found on the property of his Honor the Superintendent, and is about eight miles from the coast, the country being very level, and well adapted for the laying of a tramway, little excavation being required. A surveyor is about to go over the ground, and take sections to lay before the Superintendent, who, I understand, offers very good terms indeed to those who are prepared to work this valuable deposit." While at Westport, a deputation waited upon his Honor the Superintendent of Nelson, in order t>> induce him to pledge himself to open up communication with the Inangahua district from the Buller, instead of the Grey side. In reply, his Honor is reported to have said :— " The Executive had decided to refer the matter to the Gold Fields' Representative, to make further inquiry in the matter. The Greymouth people appeared to believe that a road could be more efficiently constructed from their side to these reefs, and it had been decided, therefore, by the Executive that one of their number, Mr Donne, should visit the Grey district and gain all information. As soon as that had been done, steps would be immediately taken to open up communication of such a kind in the first instance as wculd admit, though perhaps with some difficulty, of macbiupry being got to the reefs. Certainly the amount of money available was not large, and did not exceed LI 100. He did not think it politic in the first instance to incur the expensive outlay of a first-class road, nor would they have sufficient means for such a work until the Council met. But in the meanwhile it would be seen of what value the .reefs were Jb was well known that reefs did not always turn out as expected ; rich specimeus had been obtained in various places, yet the result had been disappointing on the giound being tested with machinery. As stated, however, means would be provided for the transit of machinery, and in the event of the reefs realising expectations, he was quite sure that the Government would desire, and he believed it would also receive the isscnt of the Council, to place a sufficient suraon the Estimates for the construction of a suitable road."

400 yds I Dr Morice ... 34444 Vol. Kevell ... 32244 S«t. Chamberlain 22434 Vol. Osborne ... 32440 Cor. Smith ... 44244 Vol. Johnston... 44324 Cor. Butt ... 33333 Vol. Simmons ... 33332 Cor. Moss „. 33344 Sgt. Thomas ... 42333 500 yds 600 yds TJ. 34444 24032—49 22340 34443-44 23334 24422-44 24233 42244—43 33030 43432-43 23334 40330-42 00243 44323-40 22403 04232—36 30433 04020-36 20340 03404-35