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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 819, 13 March 1871, Page 2

A dastardly act was committed on Saturday night, by some person at present unknown, cutting away the rope which attached Mr Langdon's punt to the wire rope, and allowing it to drift down the river. We have not heard whether the punt sustained much damage, but we notice that Mr Langdon offers a reward of £10 for such information as will lead to the discovery of the perpetrators of this cowardly outrage ; and it is to be hoped he will be successful. The nomination of candidates for the seat in the Borough Council, rendered vacant by the resignation of »Mr Barclay, took place on Saturday, before Peter Purcell, Esq, Returning Officer for the Middle Ward. Only one nomination paper was lodged, that of Mr J. M'Gregor, which was signed by Messrs W. J. Coates, Duncan Maolean, and G. Gleeson. At the proper time Mr M'Gregor will be declared duly elected. The application of Mr R. G. Neale, late proprietor of the Clmrleston Herald to have that paper declared a gazette under the Bankruptcy Acts for Charleston and Brighton has been acceded to. A man named John M'Veigh had a narrow escape from serious injury at Half-Ounce on the 9th inst. He was oiling the axle of the large water-wheel, just erected on the claim in which he is a shareholder, when hi 3 foot slipped and he fell among the spokes or arms of the wheel, which was slowly revolving at the time, He was carried round until his body fell transversely on the horse or bearers of the machine which was stopped by the impediment. Fortunately the water had just been turned off, or the consequences would have been; dreadful. As it was, Mr M'Veigh was severely bruised and amch, shaken through his involuntary flight through the air, No messages will be received at the Telegraph Office, at present, for Auckland, via Tauranga and the Thames, as the mail between these places and Auckland is stopped. Due notice will be posted at the telegraph stations when steamers leave Nelson, Napier, Wanganui, and Tauranga. It will be seen by our telegrams that Color-sergeant Chamberlain, of the Grey Rifle Rangers, is one of the prize-takers at the colonial prize firing at Auckland. In shooting for the championship, his score is among the best made. All entries and nominations for the forthcoming race meeting must bo made to-night at the Albion Hotel. Great interest is now being taken in the meeting from the fact of the arrival on Saturday by the p.s. Chailes Edward, from Nelson, of Peeress, XXX, and Ino, which were landed without accident. It is known that several good horses are on their way overland from Christchurch, and we have the authority of the Nelson Examiner for the statement that Flying Jib will be here. The sites for the booths, &c, were sold by auction by Messrs D. Maclean and Co., on Saturday as follows: — No. 1, L 22 10s ; No. 2, L 22 10s ; No. 3, L 32 ; No. to L 55, Mr James Johnston. No. 5, L3l ; Mr P. Hanney. No. 6, L 2 5; Mr J. C. Moore. Fruit stall, L 8; Williams. The race card, Ll7 ; Riley. Right to tend horses on the course, Lll ; Morris. Total, JL224. The lead was struck in Carton and Houston's claim, at Half- Ounce Creek, on Wednesday, Bth inst. This makes the connection between both ends of the lead complete. The bridge over the Saltwater at Paroa is in a very dilapidated and dangerous condition. Only yesterday, as Mr P. Hanney was riding over it, a plank broke, and the horse's leg went through, but it fortunately escaped without serious injury. A number of men had to be set at work yesterday to make the bridge strong enough to allow Mr Trahcy's funeral to pass over. The state of this bridge ought w> be brought under the notice of the County Chairman at once. On Saturday evening a meeting was held at Cameron's Union Hotel, for the purpose of taking preliminary steps for the establishment of a public Literary Society and Library for Greymouth. Very little interest appeared to be taken in the proceedings by the outside public, as there were only six persons present, in addition to the members of the old Society. Mr J. Wylde occupied the chair. It was stated that the sixty members of the old society were ready to join the public institution, and would hand over all | their books, papers, and periodicals, as well as their interest in a year's papers and periodicals paid in advance, and also L5O which was received from the County Council in December last. There were no liabilities to take over, and the old members asked no special privileges. A set of rules were read and adopted, and the following Committee of Management -was appointed, to remain in office until July, when the annual meeting of the Society will take place : — Messrs J. Wylde, President ; J. Greenwood, Treasurer; J. M. Butt, Secretary ; and Messrs King, Hindmarsh, ReveU, Masters and Newton members of Committee. A committee was appointed for the purpose canvassing the j town, in order to ascertain if sufficient funds can be obtained to erect a suitable building for the Society. Mr and Mrs Collins, assisted by Mr Milburn, gave an entertainment to a large audience at Pinkerton's Hotel, Ahaura, on Thursday evening, 9th inst. They appeared at the Casino de Venice, at Half-Ounce, on Friday and Saturday evenings. The house was crowded on both occasions. A serious accident happened on Wednesday last to a miner named James Landrum while walking up the tail-race to his claim at the head of the Right-hand Branch of the Waimea Creek. The West Coast Times says : — A portion of the tail-race gave way, and, falling upon Landrum, struck him with such force that he fell over the sideling, a depth of about 15 feet, and for some time could not move. He ultimately managed to crawl near enough to his brother to call out and obtain assistance. The injured man was at once carried to his hut, when a difficulty presented itself in obtaining medical aid, as, from the rain and the bursting of the Band of Hope dam, the creek was thought to be too high for anyone to travel down it. Mr Seddon, the storekeeper, however, volunteered to go to Stafford Town to fetch Dr Matthews, and this with much difficulty he succeeded in doing. Upon the doctor's arrival it was found that Landrum was bruised about the chest. The extent of the internal injury is not known, but it is to be hoped that in a few days a favorable report can be given. Upon returning down the creek, Dr Matthews' foot caught against a

stick and tripped him, and the stream being strong he was carried with some force against a log, the collision smashing a bottle lantern which he was carrying, and thus cutting his right hand so severely that it will be several weeks before he will be able to use it again. According to the Westport Times the Provincial Government of Nel3on have replied to the application of Mr M'Leod in respect to a bridge over the Buller River, declining the offer. That gentleman proposed to throw a bridge over the river at a point a little above the Island, submitting a scale of tolls to be approved of, and the consideration, for constructing the bridge was to be a bonus of seven hundred acres of agricultural laud to be selected by the applicant in the Buller district. We are informed that Mr Langdon from the Grey district has lodged an application to place a punt on the Buller River at the spot referred, to, and that his application has been granted. The proprietors of the steamer Golden Crown offer the Southern Rifle competitors a free trip to the Thames and back. A Coromandel correspondent, writing on the Ist March, says :— " Th% body of a man named Frederick Wilson has been found drowned at Kennedy's Bay. Major Keddell proceeded there to hold an inquest. — A little boy, the son of Mr Edwardes, a resident of the Upper Township, was found drowned in a creek near his parents' residence. The poor child is supposed to have fallen in accidentally." A list of subscriptions in aid of the sufferers by the war in France shew 3 a total of L9O 10s 6d already subscribed in Westport. The amount collected and the number of subscribers are equally creditable to the industry of the committee and the benevolence of the Westport people. Reference has been often made to the condition of Wharf street, Westport, caused by the gradual washing away of the bank of the river, in the hope that such repairs would be immediately put in hand as would suffice to stay further encroachment, until some mode could have been devised of permanently dealing with the difficulty. As the matter now remains, the slightest southerly swell undermines the bank a few feet from the surface, and the ordinary wear and tear of the traffic breaks it down in large blocks, injuring the thoroughfare, and rendering it highly insecure. Wharf street, between Wallabi and Kennedy streets, is already impassable, except for foot passengers, and unless something is done speedily, other portions of the street will be closed to dray traffic. The Wellington Evening Post contains the following : — A general impression prevailed a short time ago that provincial institutions in Wellington had virtually died of inanition, and that all that remained for those who had charge of the affairs of the province to accomplish was to wind up its estate decently, and hand over the control of its future destiny to the General Government. But this belief seems to have been a fallacious one — the provincial party die hard, and will by no means allow that their game is up yet. The money coming in from the sale of the Manawatu land has still to be spent, and it would never do to allow provincialism to collapse before that object is accomplished. People were somewhat puzzled the other day to know why the Council was still further prorogued, but the reason is now beginning to make itself apparent ; it was to provide a means of perpetuating a system which the general voice of the public has long ago pronounced effete and pernicious. Dr Featherston, about to be translated to a happier sphere, feels that he could not experience the serene enjoyment befitting the evening of his arduous life, except with the consciousness that his darling institutions still flourished under the fostering care of some approved friend. Like Elijah, on the summit of Carmel, he is now hovering on the verge of departure, his disciples anxiously watching to see on which of them the mantle will descend ; but there is no Elisha amongst their number, and the Doctor has had to cast his eyes further a-field for a successor. He has, as we are credibly informed, selected Mr Fitzherbert, and is now urging upon the acceptance of that gentleman the doubtful "honor" of the Superintendency of Wellington. . We trust, however, that Mr Fitzherbert will utterly refuse to compromise himself by accepting the offer — that he will not derogate from his high position as a Colonial statesman so far as to come down and mix up with the paltry intrigues and miserable shifts which Provincial Governments in Wellington must henceforth be, whether its existence be long or short. "Let the dead bury their dead;" let the wretched faction which has so long obstructed the progress of the province and the colony use the short time which is left them as they choose, but let all who have higher aims than personal family or party interest come out from among them, and devote themselves to the labor for the general good which is so urgently required. I The following regulations for the appointment of writers to the departments of the Civil Service of New Zealand have been issued by the Government : — These regulations apply to all departments of the Government in the Colony, excepting the staff of his Excellency the Governor, and the departments under the control of the Postmaster-General and Telegraph Commissioner respectively. Writers will be nominated and finally appointed by the responsible minister in charge of the department. The limits of age for admission will be from 23 to 40 years. Candidates must be persons of good character, and must produce satisfactory certificates to that effect from their previouß employers, or, should they not have been previously employed, from other persons of »espectability. They will be examined in the following subjects, namely : — A good handwriting ; writing from dictation withease and correctness ; a knowledge of the first four rules of arithmetic. Candidates ' who may pass a satisfactory examination in the above subjects will be placed on the list of writers for employment whenever their services may be required. Writers will be paid at the following rates, viz: — 10s a day for six days in the week, for the first year, and to rise by sixpeuce a day for each year's service to a maximum of 15s a day. Advancement to the higher rates of pay will be dependent on efficiency and good conduct ; and the heads of the departments in which they may be employed will make an annual report respecting them, separate from, but similar to, the present return of "ages, capacities, &c. ;" and then or at any other time they are reported as not having in all respects conducted themselves satisfactorily, they will be forthwith discharged. In the event of the services of the writers being no longer required, for any other cause than that their conduct has not been in all respects satisfactory, one month's notice of discharge will be given to those who may have served for a shorter time than one year, and three months' notice to those who may have served for a longer period. Writers will have no claim to superannuation, but if incapacitated by age, illness, or accident, they will, provided their conduct has been good and their services have extended continuously over a period of five years, be allowed gratuities at the rate of one month's pay for each year's service, not to exceed twelve months' pay on the whole. Candidates aye especially to understand that writers will not only hay« no claim to appointments on the establishment, but will be ineligible for such appointments, except under the 10th section of the Civil Service Act, 1866.