Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 769, 22 December 1870, Page 2

The English mail via San Francisco will ' close here on Wednesday, the 28th, at 4.30 p.m. .We are vequested to state that the Post Office authorities have reduced the rates of commission on money orders for England, ■which weve raised at the commencement of the war, to the old rates. The coal merchants in town announce that from this date the price will be raised to 25s per ton. They state that hitherto they have carried on the trade at a loss, and they have agreed not bj do so any longer, Mr W. H. Harrison addressed a large meeting of the electors at the Union Hotel last night. He spoke for nearly two hours, .and , was .listened to with great interest. After explaining his views arid the course he had -pursued in the Assembly, a unanimous vote in his favor was recorded by the meeting. We are unable, owing to pressure of other matter and the late hour at which the meeting terminated, to give a report of Mr • Harrison's speech, but will do so in our next. The resolution above referred to was proposed by Mr Moore, aud seconded warmly by Mr J, D. Pinkerton, of Ahaura. The opening of the Presbyterian Church will take place on Sunday, next. The collection will be in aid of the building fund. The Rev Mr Gow, of Hokitika, has promised to assist upon the occasion, and the Rev Mr M "In tosh will conduct the services. We are glad that the preliminaries of the projected bazaar are being properly arranged, and there is no doubt that ifc will be a great success. We would remind our readers of the duty incumbent upon them at this season of the year to Tomfimbev the afflicted, by maintaining their anuual custom of contributing liberally towards the Christmas table of the Grey River Hospital. Many little luxuries could be sent in, and we hope to be able to announce a long list of donations in our next issue. The County Council is appointed to. meet for the despatch of business at Hansen's Assembly .Rooms, Hokifcika, at noon on Wednesday, 'January. 11. It is notified in another column that the Coujity-jSoverriment' offices will be closed on next. : . . The s.s. Alhambra : on her last visit took away 85260z 14gr of gold, of which quantity 75780z 3dwt 6r was the produce of Westland, the balance having been received from Wesfcporb, for shipment. • '■ At the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, Ann Stewart was charged with the larceny of a theodolite of the value of L 25, on the 11th June, 1869, and was remanrled for a week for the production of witnesses. .Yesterday E. Trahey, of the ■Teveraakau, was charged with larceny of a number of articles, said to have been left in his possession, and after some evidence had been taken, the case was further adjourned for a week for the production of witnesses. Our correspondent at Ross infoms us that on Saburbay last some of the draiuage gear gave way, tho entire stoppage of the work l>ein_j tos result. All the claims on Jones's Flat are flooded out. When; work will be resumed it is impossible to say. Mr Longton, who recently had his leg broken in a draywheel, died at the ; hospital on Sunday j evening. The Hokitika police, have instructions to clear the houses in North Re veil street of improper characters. In the German claim, at Ross, known as Poison and party's, gold, says the Guardian, has been struck on the fourth level. The prospect is about ldwtto the dish. The Wellington district representatives for the colonial prize firing are Messrs D. Gray and Gillon. For the Hutt district none made the required score. The Governor in a message congratulates the Superintendent of Otago upon the extension of the telegraph to liotorua. His Excellency also states that the Duke ox Edinburgh would be glad to visit Otago, but he has imperative orders to leave for England direct early in January. Mr Reader Wood, in the course of a recent speech, stated that as Colonial Treasurer he had sanctioned a loan to the Province of Auckland of L 500.000, which had resulted in "the Tamaki Bridge, a leaky Supreme Court House, a half-finished Lunatic Asylum, a very gloomy Post Office and Custom House, and the ruins of the railway below VJU the Warden's Court, Camptown, on Wednesday last, the following cases were disposed of: -George Howe and party v George Wixuer and party. Damaging complainants claim at Rough and Tumble Creek, No Town, by cutting a tail-race into it. Judgment for defendants with costs J. C. Smith and party v Patrick Gallagher and party— For cutting away complainants head-race at No. 2 Gully, Nelson Creek ; damage claimed L 5. Judgment for complainants for LI 10s and costs. Patrick Gallagher v Edward Kelly (of J .C. Smith and party)— For stopping complainants supply of water at No. 2 Gully, Nelson Creek; damages, L 6. Tliere was a cross action, and both cases were struck out. John Livingston v Thomas Foody— For filling up complainants registered dam at Try-again Terrace, Nelson Creek, with tailings. Judgment for defendants, fcjever.il applicaliojis were disposed of. and the Court adjourned for a week. It will be seen from the report of the annual meeting of the Borough Council, in another column, that Mr E. Wickes was yesterday elected. 'Mayor of Grey mouth. A more graceful compliment couJd not have been paid to any of our pioneer settlers, for Air Wickes has identified himself with the public affairs of the town, since its founda-

tion, and has conscientiously and most indcfatiuably labored to secure for Greymuuth the position to which it is entitled among the ports of the Colony. Ho thoroughly understands his position and we are sure that the honor of the town may safely be reposed in his hands A compliment quite as graceful as the one referred to, aud equally deserved, was paid to the retiring Mayor, Mr J. Kilgonr, in the vote of thanks for his services during the past year, for there is no question that I he is one of the most enterprising and public-spirited men in town. Mr Kilgour retires, for the present, with many honors and -well-wishes, and it is to be hoped that before long he will be once more au ornament to our Borough Council. Mr G. B. Parker is a candidate for the representation of the Gladstone District in the Assembly. • A Mr Hewson has nearly completed a little steamer at Wanganui, which will carry' about 30 tons. She is 50 feet long, and her engines will be capable of being worked up to 17 h,p. An exodus is expected to take place in the beginning of next year to the Fijis from the Tokomairiro and Clutha districts. At the Mount Ida Races, Otago, on the 18th instant, the race for the Grand Stand Handicap, of 100 sovereigns, was a very excitiog affair. The winning horses were— Southern Chief, 1 ; Misfortune, 2 ; Backbiter, 3. For the Handicap, the order was — Atlas, 1 ; Misfortune, 2 ; Pretender, 3. For the Cup— Southern Chief, 1 ; Backbiter, 2 ; Foretop, 3.

An accident occurred at Mr Talbot's dumping-shed, Lyttelton, last week. It appears that a man named Sydney Cohen was at work dumping wool, and he dropped his wool hook on to the lower plate of the dumping machine. He got into the machine as the upper plate was descending, aud before he could manage to get out, the plate was on him and crushed him severely. Fortunately the engine was instantly stopped, or the man must have been crushed to death. Yesterday's West Coast Times relates that a sad mining accident occurred at the Eightmile diggings on Monday, proving fatal to two i»en, and .-badly crushing another. It appears that there were four men working in a hydraulic claim with a face of twenty-five feet high, and at the time of the accident took place they were engaged removing a large boulder from the bottom of the face. One of the men had gone away to procure. a lever, and the other three, with their backs to the face, were endeavoring to move the stone, when a landslip took place, wholly burying two of them, and partially so the third. When the men were rescued it was discovered that two of them, William King and C. .lorgousen, were quite dead, and the third man, whose name has not transpired, was so badly crushed that he had to be taken to the Hospital, and his life is despaired of. The Otago Daily Times informs us that the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce waited on the Hon. the Postmaster-General dining his late visit, to urge the necessity for providing regular communication with the Suez mail service for Port Chalmers. Mr Vouel informed the Committee that a subsidy had been paid last month of Ll5O for the despatch of the mails from Melbourne to New Zealand, and that L 250 had been demanded by Messrs M'Meckan, Blackwood, and Co. for similar services in future. Thi9 the Government had agreed to give for the acceleration of next month's mail for England ; aud pos&ibly similar arrangements might be continued until the first boat of the new San Francisco service arrives in New Zealand. It would certainly definitely cease from that time, however, as the Government would not be justified in attempting to keep up two subsidised communications ; neither was it likely, judging from the past, that the Assembly would agree to such a course. He further informed the tv living d,u JLi.UKUI.KU,, — KUUUIU. 11l lUTOTeTJe" sent overland via Christchurch, and that during the summer months the San Francisco mails should not close before 1 p.m., on the days of despatch. The Sydney correspondent of the Newcastle Chronicle writes .-—"The Duke of Edinburgh, or rather the captain of the Galatea, as he prefers being called, has delighted a large circle of the genuine ton of Sydney by coolly snubbing one of the most 'noted tuf Ghunters of the city, on a recent occasion at Government House. The tnffchun*er founds his claim to admission into the most aristocratic circles on his success in business as a pedlar amongst the Maoris in New Zealand. He has, since his appearance in Sydney, elbowed his way into sundry positions of some importance in couimercial quarters ■ But commercial success is not sufficient for the soul of the aspiring pedlar ; he affeats genteel and aristocratic society, and maile himself a perfect bore to our Lite Governor, Sir John Young, who was glad to see the last of him in London. The captain of the Galatea, who, to his honor be it said, has a perfect horror of snobs of evei-y degree, could not escape the attention of the pedlar ; but he declined to join in a quadrille with the pedlar's wife at Government House, and his refusal was so marked aad so significant that neither the pedlar nor his better ha!f could prebend to misunderstand ifc. They iherefore left the vice-regal hall in high dudgeon at the want of condescension of the Prince. He rlid not refuse to be comforted when they had gone. On the contrary, he joined the next quadrille, and appeared to be amused, at the remarks indulged ia at the expense of the pedlar."