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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 888, 1 June 1871, Page 2

The English Mail via Sau Francisco was due at Auckland yesterday, but up to a late hour last night there was no intimation by telegraph of its arrival. As the Nebraska has the reputation of being as fast a boat as her sister t';e Nevada, we may look for the arrival of the mail telegrams at any hour.

By private accounts we hear that all the shares in the claims norch and south of the last granted prospecting claim at Murray Greek have been jumped, and that a considerable amount of libigati on will ensue, as the original holders of these claims are determined to contest their rights to the utmost. The reef has been struck very rich in the claims both north and south of the prospecting claim. The action of the wash of the sea at the Hokitika whfiri has completely undermined that portion of the wharf opposite Mr Oassidy's, at the foot of Revell street, so much so as to be positively dangerous. It would appear that -when the outside protection was proceeded with at that portion of the wharf it was not planked down, but Isimply filled up with brushwood, and covered over with metal. The wood or fascines which were placed there have become rotten, and during the last tide or two have washed away, hence the disappearance of fche gravel from the street. The sooner some slight action is taken in the matter by the Corporation the better, otherwise the whole of the gravel road to Cassidy's corner will wash away. The Germans at Ross are giving a series of entertainments at the Union Hotel. The first consisted of some capital instrumental and vocal music, and a comedietta in Ger« man, after which a social quadrille party closed the evening's amusement. During the past sixteen months the mining claims, occupying about 38 acres of Jones' Flat, have paid, in drainage-rates, more than L9OOO, and are now paying about L2OO a week. The public may draw their own inferences as tc the quality of the ground from such facts. The lioss Netcs is assured by a gentleman lately returned from Auckland that Schiele's turbine is in common use for pumping, and gives 85 per cent, effective power. He asserts that it will lift seventeen-twentieths of the water back to the same height from whence the power is derived. We merely remark that our informant is an intelligent person, who would not wilfully mislead anyone, but we have doubts as to the accuracy of his statement. The West Coast Times of yesterday publishes the following synopsis of the census in Westland : — •• The census returns just completed for the County of Westland show the population to be as follows : — For that por- | tion of the district south of the Grey to the Teremakau, as 1979 males, 379 femalestotal, 2358. Greymonth proper, 1252 males, 929 females— total, 2181. Between the Teremakau and Arahura, 1626 males, 513 females —total, 2139. Between Arahura and the Hokitika, 1187 males, 481 females— total, 1668. Hokitika proper, 1938 males. 1634 females— total, 3572. Between Hokitika and i the Wanganui River, 2007 males, 868 females ' —total, 2875. From the Big Wanganui to the southern boundary of the County, 464 males, 100 females— total, 564. Grand totals for the County, 10,453 males, 4904 females — total, 15,357. Of the total number, 4116 are under 15 years of age ; 5160 are miners ; 1907 females are under the head of domestic duties. There are 91 farmers, 78 gardeners, and 4005 otherwise employed ; 2228 males and 2133 females are described as married. There are 5472 holdings, 323 oi fcbee being tents, and 12 vessels. There are 1749 acres under crop. The stock of cattle, horses, &c , are described as 759 horses, 2688 cattle, and 4588 sheep. The population census is numerically above that set down for the County at the time of

adoption of the capitation allowance, which will give Westland some LBO.IO additional per annum. The difference in population between the principal towns of Westland is something extraordinary, where the numbers are so small. Hokitika holds a population of 3572 souls, whilst Greymouth holds only 2181, thus giving a balance of population to the principal town of 1391 souls. We were under the impression, from the representations recently made, that the Grey would have contained a larger population, but such is not the fact." We recently mentioned the dispute which had taken place between the miners at the Duke of Edinburgh Terrace, at the Greenstone, and the manager of the Hohuna Race, which ended in the men knocking off work. During this week, two gentlemen, representing the shareholders in the Hohuna Race, interviewed the committee appointed by the miners of the Duke's Terrace, at which the latter explained to Mr Evans, the company's legal manager, their requirements and grievances, who, after patiently listening to the various complaints, promised to lay the same before the meeting of the whole of the shareholders, to be convened at an early date. He (Mr Evans) agreed for the company to send up a surveyor, who, in conjunction with one appointed by the miners, were to decide with regard to the measurement of water the miners are entitled to During the meeting different members of the committee made remarks, one of which was, that not one of the miners would go to work until a fresh manager was appointed instead of Mr Armstrong. This, however, found no supporters, as the miners have no wish for the present manager being Temoved as long as he mends his ways. Mr Evans was understood to say that a code of rules should be drawn up, to act as a guide between the manager and the miners ; and before closing the meeting it was arranged that the batters l'ecently fixed in the guage boxes by Mr Armstrong, whereby the water was curtailed, should be removed, and work resumed as before, with allowance of water as usual, and thereby preventing everything from being at a standstill until the arrival of the surveyors. The miners have since resumed work. It seems very strange tba't we still find many of the leading "home" journals, in referring to Colonial subjects, guilty of the most curious geographical blunders. The latest we have noticed is a paragraph in the Euroj>ean Mail, of the 24th March, which runs thus:— "New Zealand. — The Rev G. Maxwell Gordon, formerly curate of Bedtlington, and more recently a missionary in Southern India, will be the first Bishop of Rockhampton." After this, we shall not be surprised to find it stated that Sydney is the capital of the Fijis. Dredging the Westland rivers for gold, on the system which has prevailed in Otago for several years, forms the subject for some very pointed remarks in yesterday's West Coast Times, which ought to be seriously considered by the miners in this district. We make fche following extract: — "So far the enterprise is one which has not been transplanted on the West Coast, the character of the rivers, as a rule, preventing the use of the dredges, and no special discoveries having been made to warrant any experimental adventures. There can be no doubt, however, that in many of the rivers which fall in to the sea on the western sea-board of the Middle Island, there are exceptional situations in which dredges might be. employed, and we believe it only requires one or two experiments to be made to create a lively interest in this peculiar form of mining industry. We learn that in one district on the West Coast such an experiment is about to be made, and as it is to be made by a mixed company of capitalists and miner?, we sball probably soon hear sufficient of it to warrant an opinion being formed as to the propriety of initiating it as a means of investment. The particular district in question includes the Upper Bu Her and its tributaries. The capitalists, or non-practical shareholders, are chiefly residents of the city of Nelson, and the practical miners are men who have for some time been engaged in the work of dredging in Otago, aad are now disposed to give their time and energies to the work of proving the applicability of the same system to the rivers of the Nelson Province, and, it may be, of Westland. The origin of this enterprise in the adjoining Province is, we believe, partially due to Mr Lowther Broad, whose name is familiar as that of a Warden in Otago, at the Thames, and latterly at Wangapeka and the Matakitaki. . . We may expect that this experiment will be but the prelude to similar experiments on the very similar rivers of fche Grey, Teremakau, Hokitika, Waitaki, Wangauui, Waiau, and others in the southern section of the County of Westland. It is now sufficiently well recognised that it is to glacial action that the early deposits of gold on the West Coast are attributable, but it is equally well known how important has been the influence of our rivers in the distribution of these primitive deposits. It is as patent that what they have done in the past, they are still doing in the present, and ■will continue to do during the long periods in the future ; and there are many grounds to warrant the hope that an organised and determined effort to prove the practicability of their being profitably worked as portions of our gold fields will not altogether end in failure. The following, from Prescient Grant's speech to Congress, with regard to the settlement of the Waste Lands, is well worthy of consideration : — "The opinion that the public lands should be regarded chiefly as a source of revenue is no longer maintained. The rapid settlement and successful cultivation of them is now considered of more importance to our well-being than is the fund which the sale of them would provide. The remarkable growth and prosperity of our new States and territories attest the wisdom of tbe legislation which invites the tiller of the soil to secure a permanent home on terms within the reach of all. The pioneer who incurs the dangers ! and privations of a frontier life, and thus aids in laying the foundations of new commonwealths, renders a signal service to his country, and is entitled to the special favor and protection, of the laws that secure that object, and largely promotes the general welfare. They should, therefore, be cherished as a permanent feature of our land system. Good faith requires that we give full effect to existing giants. The time-honored and beneficial policy of setting apart certain sections of public land for educational purposes in the new States should be continued. When ample provision shall have been made for these objects, I submit as a question worthy of serious consideration whether the residue of our national domain should not be wholly disposed of under the provisions of the homestead and pre-emptive laws."