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Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 850, 18 April 1871, Page 2

At a late hour last night, the s.s. City of Melbourne, arrived at Nelson with the New Zealand portion of the San Francisco mail on board. The telegrams of the latest news will be found in another column. The Suez Mail is now due, and it is very probable we may receive the telegrams by that route to-day. At the request of his Worship the Mayor to-day -will be observed as a public holiday, in order that all the arrangements for the reception of the Governor may be perfected before the afternoon. The programme to be carried out has already been fully explained in these columns, and we only trust that the weather will permit of the arragements being carried out. It is particularly requested that the members of the various Friendly Societies will be punctual in their attendance, in full regalia, at their Lodge-rooms, in order to join in the procession, at the specified hour. The Governor will be met at the Teremakau, to-day, by W. H. Harrison, Esq., M.H.R. ; W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M.; and 0. Whitefoord, R.M., which gentlemen will accompany his Excellency to Greymouth. We may draw the attention of gentlemen attending the Governor's levee today to the fact that they will be expected to be provided with two address cards — one for presentation at the door, and one to be handed to the Governor's Aide-de-Camp. The levee will take place at four o'clock this afternoon. Sir George Eowen and suite, accompanied by a number of gentlemen who have been invited, will visit the Brunner Coal Mine tomorrow. He will proceed to the mine on horseback from Cobden, and a boat will be provided for such as choose to avail themselves of this means of transit. His Excellency will arrive at the mine at about 12 o'clock, and inspect the various drives, which will be illuminated for the occasion. A meeting of the Citizens' Ball Committee was held last evening, at which the final arrangements for the ball were made. It is satisfactory to be able to state thai the prospects of the ball being a perfect success are very encouraging. A considerable number of tickets have been sold, and it is expected that there will be a brilliant assemblage present. As announced, the ball will commence at 10 o'clock, and the company will sit down to supper soon affcer midnight. We are desired to announce that admission can only be obtained by the presentation of tickets supplied by the Committee, which can be obtained up to 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, from any of the members of the Committee. No money will, under any circumstances, be taken at the door. We are instructed to state that the members of the Volunteer Rifles and Fire Brigade can attend in uniform. The Greymouth Rifle Volunteers met last night at the Volunteer Hall, marched out, and went through the drill required for to-day's proceedings. The monthly inspection takes place at the hall to-day at 1.30 p.m., and the Company will afterwards march to the Sef ton Bridge; In connection with the Governor's Reception to r day, it is particularly requested that parents and teachers will bring the children who are to have places on the platform early to the place of assembly, in front of Gilmer's Hotel, where the procession will be formed, and march to the Camp Reserve, where, should the weather permit, they will be entertained to a pic-nic until close upon the hour of the Governor's arrival. Refreshments have been abundantly provided for the occasion. A meeting of the Volunteer Fire Brigade took place at their hall last evening, when it was decided that the members of the Brigade should muster at noon to-day to take part in the procession to receive the Governor. Mr James Johnston, of the Melbourne Hotel, certainly deserves the thanks of the community for the immense expense and trouble to which he has gone for the purpose of receiving the Governor at his hotel in a manner likely to do honor to the town. The entire building has been internally repainted, repapered, decorated, and almost refurnished, while externally it has been Burrounded with a handsome verandah. The bedrooms have all been repapered and furnished in a com*

fortable and elegant style worthy of a Prince, and we have no doubt that his Excellency wi.U highly appreciate ths arrangements which Mr Johnston has made to do him honor, and to worthily represent the feeliugs of the residents of Greymouth. Mr Warden Revell gives notice that all claims, rights, and privileges on the gold fields in his district, will be protected during the visit of the Governor. There was a sitting ot fiie District Court yesterday, when a number of opposed bankruptcy cases were disposed of. His Honor Judge Ward will sit in Chambers this morning, at 11 o'clock. The business at the Resident Magistrate's Court was yesterday adjourned until this morning, at ten o'clock, in consequence of the Court-house being required for the sitting of the District Court. We are given to understand that the cold collation to be given to the Governor in the Brunner Mine, on Wednesday, will be supplied by Host Johnston, of the Melbourne Hotel, and that gentleman has determined to do his duty upon the occasion. A grand ball is announced to be given at the Victoria Hotel, this evening, in honor of the visit of the Governor. A good day's racing is expected at Christchurch on the Queen's Birthday. Mr Bills, who has brought out two shipments of English birds to Otago, has been engaged by the Government of Canterbury to bring a shipment to that Province. Mr Barff, late a member of the House of Representatives, is said to be the editor of that luminous journal the Hokitika Evening Star. If there were any doubt upon the subject, it would be set at rest by the following extract from that paper of the 14th instant. Mentioning the selection of gentlemen who " had the honor of a private introduction" to the Governor previous to his levee, the ' Evening Star enumerates Mr FitzGerald, Mr Roberts, Mr Patten, Mr Barff, and again Mr Barff! His Excellency's feelings must have been somewhat akin to those of Macbeth ! Persons desirous of purchasing greenstone are cautioned by the Lyttelton Times that green glass has been offered, and in one or two instances purchased as greenstone, the imitation being very good. A Timaru paper of April 12 states that on the previous day Mr Watson, the diver, came across the last piece of ironwork belonging to the Rangitata bridge. JN early all of it was buried in the sand, which was just level with the top, and only a small portion of one end was visible above the surface of the sea-bed. A rope was soon attached, and the iron was hauled into the boat. The diver had been engaged in the search five days. A \isitor to Valparaiso, writing to the Oamaru Times, says : — There is one very good paper published in Valparaiso, viz., the West Coast Mail, edited by Messrs Cox and Taylor. Mr Taylor was at one time connected with the press in New Zealand, and it is owing to his enterprising spirit that many of the Otagons have succeeded so well over there. The settling on the late Hokitika races came off on Saturday night last, and was in every respect satisfactory. A protest against Mr Cassidy's Bobby receiving the stakes in the Hack Race, on the ground that Mr Cassidy had two horses in that race, was sustained, and the stakes were given to Black Bess. The decision of the Trotting Race dispute was adjourned till next Saturday. The only mining item of interest we have to record from the Buller District is the discovery of two fresh leads of payable washdirt afc Hatter's Terrace. Both leads are parallel to the lead, one forty feet below and the other thirty feet above the present line of workings. Grant and party and Hughes and party are the discoverers of the new ground.