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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 810, 2 March 1871, Page 2

A confirmation of the old adage about the ruling passion being strong in death, or what is next door to it, was given during the race week at the Ahsuira. A young lady, wno is celebrated throughout the Napoleon district for her daring skill on horseback, after witching the world with noble horsemanship," or horsewomanship, on the course all day, was returning home in the evening, accompanied by some f iiend3, when the horse she was riding, a spirited animal, took fright and bolted just at tbe entrance to the bush on the Totara track. The horse dashed furiously down the metalled road, and when past the bridge he lost his footing and fell, throwing his rider violently, and both lay stunned. When the lady's friends came up they lost no time iv bringing her to herself but the moment she recovered consciousness she enquired about the horse. On being told that his racing days were over, for he was irreparably injured, she remarked, "Well, poor fellow ; it was bis own fault I kept by him to the last, and he fell first /" It is a pity such pluck should come to grief, as it has in this instance, for, on me 'ical examination, it was found that the young lady's collar bonewas dislocated, but fortunately she is progressing favorably towards recovery. A dispute as to water-rights between parties who have recently frequently figured in print was heard at the Warden's Court, Ahaura, the other day :— James Connolly and Party v. Michael Noonan and Party. — A complaint that defendants did not comply with a Warden's order, made at Napoleon on December 23rd, by not permitting a full sluice-head of water to run in Orwell Creek, and plaintiffs claimed L 37 10s as damages for loss of time and injury done their works by reason of defendants' acts. This dispute has been so often before the Court in other shapes that an explanation of it is scarcely necessary. Defendants are hydrualic sluicers at Orwell Creek, and complainants are working a water wheel and pump at the same place. The defendants took the water thoy allege they were entitled to from the creek, but complainants assert that by defendants doing so they deprived them (the complainants) of sufficient water to drive their whuel, and in consequence tbe water rose and the paddock fell in. The Warden made an order ou a former occasion tlist Noonan's party should leave the regulation quantity of water in the creek, and the complainants allege that defendants disregarded that order. The defence was, that although the defendants did turn the water Out of the creek, they had as good a right to do so as Connolly's party, who were also diverting the water. The defendants further said that if Connolly's party Lad told them they wanted the water, it would be allowed to run down to them. The case occupied the attention of the Court nearly the whole day. A number of witnesses were closely examined by Messrs Connolly and Guinness for the complainants ani defendants respectively, after which both gentlemen addressed the Court on either side, and the Warden, in giving judgment, said that the defendants had clearly disobeyed the order of the Court wilfully, and they had failed to show that they had attempted to comply with the Warden's directions. It was urged for the defendants that the complainauts did not require the water when it was taken away, and great stress was laid on the fact that defendants did not take any more water than they were entitled to by virtue of their certificate ; but these arguments went for nothing. The complaint was that the defendants had disobeyed the Warden's order, and the offence was not denied. If Noonan's party feltthemselve agrieved by the decision of the Warden, they had the remedy of an appeal to the District Court open to them, or they had the option of having their case tried by the Warden and assessors. It would now be for the Court to deal with the question of damages, and to say whether the complainants would be awarded the damages claimed, or whether the defendants would be fined, as directed by the Act. If miners treat the Garden's order with contempt, with their eyes open, they must take the consequences. The comp'ainants had clearly suffered a grievous injury by reason of defendants' act, aud instead of inflicting a fine on defendants, the Court would award complainants the full amount of damages claimed, with costs, and warn defendants to allow the water to run in the creek for the future, as directed. The harvest is nearly over with the upriver farmers as far as the oat and wheat crops are concerned. The weather has been all that could be desired, and every ear of corn is saved. Some of the farmers have adopted the plan of putting their crops under cover instead of preserving it outside in ricks, as in former years. Besides ensuring greater safety from the effects of change of weather this system is more economical, because it saves the expense of stacking in the first instance, besides saving the trouble of carting the sheaves to the chaffcutting machine afterwards. The barns of Messrs M'Neill, David Donald, Methven, on Totara Flat ; Lardi, Barman and Campbell, at the Junction, are especially noticeable. The oat crop has been comparatively light this year, but it is iv fine condition, and the yield of chaff will be on an average about one and three-quarter tons to an acre, of a first-class article. On some farms the yield will be gceater, but the chaff of an inferior quality. The wheat crop is limited, and not first-class, the soil or climate of the valley being hardly suitable for wheat. The average will be a little over twenty bushels to the acre. The potatoe crop never looked better than it does this year, aud the yields on some of the cultivations, if nothing adverse happens, will be something astonishing. Taking the gross yield of the season, it has been smaller than it was last year acre for acre, but last autumn, just as the harvest was finished, but before the crops were secured, a heavy week's rain came on and did considerable damage, causing produce which had been unavoidably left out to heat, and otherwise injuring it. The dairy ' farmers have suffered through the long con-

tinued drought, but not to the extent it would be expected. A.t one homestead, Mr S M Maekley'B. our reporter saw a splendid lot of butter (800U>s) in tine condition. It was all in lib parcels, done up in cloths, and preserved in weak pickle until it was convenient to send it to the surrounding diggings, where there is a ready market always for it: We have to inform intending purchasers that Mr Salmon's stock of jewelry, &c, will positively be removed this evening, as the proprietor is leaving per Charles Edward for Westporfc. In the County Council, on Tuesday, the report of the committee on the proposed alterations in the County of Westland Act was brought up. It recommended an alteration in the system of registration of voters, by which, in addition to those qualified under the existing " Registration of Electors' Act," holders of miners' rights, business licenses, &c, should be registered on the electoral roll. Should such an alteration be made by the Legislature, the committee recommend that the Chairman of the County Council should in future be elected by the electors whose names appear on the rolls of their respective districts, and for the s ime period as at present." The committee added the following recommendations on Jhe proper subject of their inquiries : — *' 2 Th.it the qualifications of voters in all elections (whether for the County Council or Road Boaarls), under 'The County of Westland Act, 1865.' shall be similar to that required in the election of the County Chairman." "3. That clause 65 of ' The County of Westland Act, 18G8," be amended, so as to provide for the Chairman holding office until the election of his successor " The report concluded by recommending that copies of the same should be forwarded to the Governor, and to Westland members of the General Assembly. The question of adopting the report was appointed for discussion last evening. Another Committee appointed in cousequence of a discussion which recently took place in the Council with regard to the question of what may b* 1 deemed to be the " special circumstances" under which in terms of the new Waste Lands Act land xay be sold at 10s per acre, reported that they were of orinion that the special circumstances referred to in the 56th section of the "The Westland Waste Lands Act, 1870," wore intended to apply to land which, from its distance from towns and roads, its swampy characters, its inaccessibility, or from other causes, render it less valuable than land of ether descriptions, or mare favorably situated. The Committee furthei recommended that a block of land in the Kokatahi district be declared open for sale, as land coming within the above designation. The Committee declined to recommend the Council to accede to the petitions of Messrs Simpson and Hawkins applying for land at the reduced price in the Arahura district, on the ground that it was undesirable to sell any land between the Hokitika and Arahura rivers at a less price than LI per acre. A motion was agreed to empowering the Chairman and the Tender Committee to enter into arrangements during the recess with any party or parties willing to undertake the construction of a road from Kanieri to Kokotabi, and to receive payment for the same in land, the cost of the said work not to exceed L2OOO, and to be constructed under contracts, and tenders for construction of same to be invited in the usual manner. At lnveruargill, lately, a man named Falconer, a tinsmith, recently arrived from Glasgow, under an en^agem^nt with the New Zealand Meat Preserving Company, has been convicted, under the Masters and Servants Act, anrl sent to prison for a month with hard labor for leaving the service of the Company. The Charleston Herald has become the property of Messrs Reid and Co., the former proprietors of the Westport Times. Mr Lab man has much improved upon the system upon which his predecessor acted in granting protection to ferries, tracks, and bridges. In reply to a communication from the Totara Road Board the Chairman has intimated his intention of being guided by the recommendations of Road Boards in the exercise of those of his delegated powers which relate to the subject of protection of ferries, &c. A fatal accident happened at Ross on Monday by a fall of earth in a claim ac Swiper's Gully, known as the "Italians." The ground, says the News, was being worked on the h • draulic plan, and the hose was playing on a 25ft face of dirt, which is comparatively free from stones, but very tenacious. The sufferers were working close to the face, breaking the clods of clay with mattocks, when suddenly a large mass came away and completely buried two men — one of whom, as was afterwards discovered, was crushed against the tail-race, and must have perished instantly. His name was George Miller, a Greek by birth. His fellow-suf-ferer is an Italian, by name Luigi Cerioli, who wonderfully escaped with one leg broken in three places. The accident happened about half-past five yesterday afternoon, and immediately on its being known assistance came in from all sides, aid vigorous efforts were made for the release of the victims; but before either was got out Or Husking was on the scene, ready to render professional assistance. The survivor was first released, and his fractures were temporarily bound, to allow of his c oiveyance to the hospital, where Drs Zurhorst, Bush, aud Husking actended him. The body of poorJMiller was soon afterwards disinterred, and it being s<;en that life was extinct, was conveyed to the hospital to await an inquest. In the recent contested election in Wellington, where there were six candidates to fill two seats, language of not the most elegant description was made use of. The Hon. J. Johnston iv the course of his speech on Ist instant said — " It had been said in the Post that the speech delivered by Mr Pearce was Mr Bunny's— had been written by him — and had only come through Mr Pearce's mouth. Well, from what they knew of Mr Pearce's high sense of honor and delicate sensibility, he need hardly tell them that he would be as likely to ask the devil for a speech as Mr Bunny." The Independent in its reportjof the meeting says that Mr Travers " addressed himself not to the chair but Mr Johnston, and said 'you're a liar, a slanderous liar, you're a liar in private life,' then his passion, becoming ton great for utterance, waving his hands aud rushing forward to the platform, he began another torrent of equally choice expletives." The Advertiser says :— Mr Travers, absolutely mad with passion, then made such an exhibition of himself as we have never before seen anyone do professing to be a gentleman. He raved and stamped backwards and forwards in front of the platform, livid with i passion, shaking his first at the gentlemen ! on the platform, and calling them the most abusive names he could use. The Hon. J. Johnston in particular, he called "a lying, slanderous, vagabond thief, in public life." This choice expression he repeated several times, and further said that all the papers and persons who supported his (Mr Johnston's) side were lying slandering, thieves. This melmcholy scene he kept up for fully five minutes, the hall, as may be imagined, becoming a picture of confusion. When will the long catalogue of "jobs" psrpetrated by the present Government terminate ? A southern contemporary gives the following account of another act of this kind : — There is probably no journal in the colony which has gone so far out of its way

as the Lyttelton Times, in endeavoring to prove that black is white, in regard to the conduct of the present Ministry. By its frequent and persistent assertions of the pure and immaculate nature of the transactions of the present Ministry, the public iv the northern part of the* jirovinca must have began to suspect that there was something; wrong, and that such praises Avere not the opinion of a disinterested and untrammelled writer. We have come to the conclusion that our contemporary is not a competent judge on the matter, and that his assertions ought to have no weight whatever. And the public will probably endorse this opinion ■when we state the facts which have recently come to our knowledge from a source which we cannot doubt. A nonth or two ago- our informant is not certain as to the exact date — certain large books were required for the purposes of the Land Transfer Act, say to the value of Ll5O to L2OO. The General Government have a printing office, and bookbinders at their disposal, and of course such books should have been prepared in Welliuaton. But no, the Lyttellon Times received the order, without limit as to charge, and being unable to do the w«»rk, as our contemporary does no 1 ; keep a bookbinding establishment, tenders were invited in Dunedin, and one was accepted on behalf of the Times. Why, in the name of common sense, did the Government go so far out of its way as to give an order to the Lyttelton Times which the proprietor could not execute. If the work could not be done in Wellington — but we happed to know that it could — why did not the Government call for tenders in Dunedin, instead of giving one of their thick and thin supporters an indirect bribe for its advocacy. | Is this a sample of the much boasted and loudly vaunted purity ? Had such a thing been done by the Stafford Government, what a howl of indignation there would have been from all quarters— and justly so. Unles3 the policy of rewarding political supporters out of public funds is checked at once, it will lead to all kinds of jobbery and perfidy. The matter in question is a small one, but the principle is not the less reprehensible Next we may bear that the proprietor of the Independent has received instructions to construct a railway to the Hntt, or that f he proprietor of the Hawlces Bay Herald has taken a contract for running a mail boat to Napier, or a coach to Taupo, "Without limit as to charge" !