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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 792, 9 February 1871, Page 2

H.M.S. Clio, with his Excellency the Governor on board, has not yet put in an appearance at Hokitika. As she left Nelson on Monday it is presumed she has continued on to Milford Sound, in which case the Governor will not visit Westland until after his stay in Otago and Canterbury. We were informed yesterday that Mr T. L* Shepherd, formerly of this town, and who recently contested, unsuccessfully, the seat for the Queenstown district against Mr Haughton, has been returned for the Dunstan district, Otago. •-■■? The election of a member of the House of Representatives for the district of Auckland West has resulted in tbe return of Mr T. B. Gillies, the present Superintendent of the Province, by a narrow majority of two over his opponent, Mr John. Williamson, the former Superintendent. Mr Williamson sat in the last Parliament, and steadily supported Ministers. Mr Gillies is strongly opposed to them. There are great preparations being made for the Ahaura races. The course is being improved, if indeed such a splendid piece of ground could be improved. The booth-holders are erecting their temporary hotels ; several horses which are to take part in the contest have arrived, and maybe seen taking their breathings on the plains surrounding the course in tbe early morning ; the course itself is tabooed ; all the stable accommodation is secured ; Gilmer Brothers are erecting a new range of stalls, and all that is required now is a good week's rain to enable the miners to get a start to carry them over the approaching carnival times.

The usual meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was held at Gilmer's Hotel last evening, when there were present — Messrs Whitefoord (chair), Kilgour, King, Kennedy, Revell, Arnott, Winter, Maclean, Moss, and Masters. The minutes of the previous meeting having been rend and confirmed, the followiug correspondence! was read : — From the Loyal Greymouth Lodge, M. U.1. 0.0. F., enclosing donation of L 5 ; from W. M. Cooper, district surveyor, informing the Committee that tbe Borough Council have applied for the Hospital Reserve on the banks of the Lagoon, and offering to substitute another portion of ground for it ; from the gardener, asking for an increase of salary. A cordial vote of thanks was given to the Loyal Greymouth Lodge for their donation. After discussion, the Secretary was instructed to write to the Waste Lands Board, requesting them not to accede to the request of the Borough Council; The resignation of the gardener was accepted. The Visiting Committee reported the state of the Hospital as follows : — Remaining on 30th December, 20 ; admitted during January, 20 ; discharged, 14 ; at present in Hospital, 26. The buildings have all been painted, and the outhouses whitewashed by the patients, at an expense of about LlO. The accounts for the month, amounting to LlB9 14s 2d, were laid on the table and passed. The Treasurer reported having received the following country lists and subscriptions : — Hansen and Watkins, Twelve -mile, L 8; A. Ellis, Nelson Creek, L 32 19 ; A. Nicol, Duffers, L 5 15s ; M. O'Connor, Paroa, L 2 ; George Muir, Nelson Creek, L 8 10s ; Do, Red Jack's (including LlO from the Red Jack's Benevolent Society), Ll9 8s 6d ; Do, Try- Again, L 5 2s ; James Stevenson, Murray Creek, L 4; J. Wilson, Eight-mile, LI 10; also -msX&£iifflT&B&"& a r m °emT>er Irf tti Committee was accepted, and Mr Samuel Gilmer was elected in bis place. Messrs Kilgour, Kennedy and Masters were appointed tbe Visiting Committee for the month. The other business was unimportant.

H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh keeps a tame elephant on board the Galatea, which when on shore has betrayed the possession of human weaknesses in the shape of an affection for beer and things that "is'nt his'n." An Auckland correspondent writes: — Of late I have not seen much of my friend the elephant, and have carried biscuits for him to no purpose, but- 1 came across him last Sunday afternoon ; with his trunk he was carrying another big trunk for an officer of the Galatea to the Junior Club. I fear liis morals have become rather loose, for I hear he was lately detected surreptitiously helping himself to peaches over a garden wall ; some he concealed in his trunk, and walked off with them. In passing a street grating he dropped one or two peaches through the bars, and tried to recover, them by lifting the grating with his trunk, but failed, until he bethought himself of taking a piece of rope from his neck; the rope he passed through the bars, and fastened to his near fore foot, after which, by lifting his leg, he succeeded in raising the grating. lam not Quite sure if he recovered the peaches. On state days— as when, for instance, he goes to visit the Governor— he wears a purple cloth, Avith his royal master's monogram worked in each corner. One night he returned home minus the cloth, excepting the said monograms. Some say the cloth, was stolen ; others, that Tom parted with it for beer for himself and keeper. As yet, the mystery has not been unravalled.