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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 914, 1 July 1871, Page 2

It is rumored that the General Assembly will not meet for the despatch of business until the 14th August. His Honor Judge Ward proceeded to Canterbury by yesterday morning's coach, for the purpose of holding the usual sittings of the District Court at Timaru. Yesterday morning, the body of a man was found lying on the Nelson side of the river above the gorge by two boatmen, and was taken to Cobden, where an inquest will be held to-day. It would have been held yesterday, but the Coroner, Mr Whitefoord, was engaged in his magisterial duties at the Ahaura. The Irish political prisoners, who were landed at Lyttelton, have left for Sydney by the Queeu of the South. Before sailing, they addressed the following letter to Mr Michael Dowling : — "Mr Michael Dowling. — Dear Sir, — We beg to acknowledge the receipt ofLIOO, forwarded by you through Bank of New South Wales. We leave to-day per Queen of the South, for Sydney ; but be assured we shall evor carry with us a grateful recollection of the sympathy ( evinced towards us by our friends and fellow-coun-trymen in Grey mouth. Again begging of you personally to accept our best thanks, and kindly to convey the same to all our friends and fellow-countrymen in Greymouth for the very generous manner in which they have come forward to relieve us in our present difficulty. — We subscribe ourselves, with every expression of esteem, yours ever faithfnlly, John Hood, Thomas Fennell, Thomas Baines, J. ON. Goulding, J. Edwd. Kelly. Christchurch, 26th June, 1871." A public meeting of the miners in the No Town district was held on the eveuing of the 27th ultimo, at Haisty's Union Hotel, No Town, for tho purpose of establishing a friendly society in connection with the Grey River Hospital, on the same basis as the one recently established by the miners at Red Jack's. There was a good attendance, and much interest was taken in the proceedings. It was proposed by Mr William C-ameron, seconded by Mr J. Clifford.— "That Mr G. M 'Beth do take the chair.". Carried. The Chairman, in a lengthy speech, explained the objects of the friendly society in operation at Red Jack's, when it was resolved that it was desirable to establish a society on a similar basis in the No Town district. It was also resolved that an entrance fee of 2s 6d, and a weekly subscription of Is, would be necessary, to effect the object in view ; and the public were invited to then enrol themselves, when thirty -five persons responded, paid their entrance fees and subscriptions for one week. It was proposed by iSr Hallam, seconded by Mr Hynes, and' carried— "That Mr George M 'Beth be chairman of the society for the ensuing three months." It was proposed by Mr Livingston, seconded by Mr Griffiths, and resolved — "That Mr Cameron be secretary for the same period. " It wa3 proposed by Mr Hynes, seconded by Mr O'Reilley, and agreed to—" That Mr' John Clifford be treasurer." The following gentlemen were elected stewards : — Messrs £. I arkins, James G-al-braith, John Hallam, John Asham, who, together with the chahman, secretary, and treasurer, shall be a committee of the society. After which, the committee were instructed to prepare a set of fules, to be considered at a convened meeting to be held on the 11th of July. .After a vote of thanks to the chairman, the meeting separated. -^Since this meeting was lield, a letter, of which the following is a copy, has been addressed to Mr Warden Whitefoord by the hon. secretary: — "To C. Whitefoord, Esq., member" Grey River Hospital Committee, — Sir,— At a public meeting, held here on the 27th June, it was considered desirable that a friendly society should be established in. this district on the same principle, and with the same

objects in view, as that in operation at Bed Jack's. Thirty-nine members, who have paid their entrance tees and subscriptions, are already enrolled. It is expected that about two hundred will join when the society and its objects are more widely known. 1 have been instructed by the committee appointed at a public meeting, held at Haisty's Union Hotel, No Town, duly convened, to enquire of you if the committee of the Grey Eiver Hospital would be willing to admit members of this society intojtthat institution on 'the sao?e terms as thlfte of the Red Jack's society, and also tdßjpply for information and particulars connected with the Grey River Hospital that may be deemed necessary for the No Town society to obtain for their guidance in connection therewith. — I have, &c, Wm. Cameron, Hon. Sec." The race between Austin and Bird, at Christchurch, for twelve miles, in which the latter gives the former one mile, has been postponed to Monday,. 3rd July. We notice that a lease has been taken out by the private company recently started in Nelson to dredge part of the Aorere river. Mr Bain is making the survey, and operations will shortly be commenced. A new way of paying old debts has been discovered in Wanganui. AMr Chadwick, an auctioneer, in announcing a sale of stock, iuvited his creditors to attend and make purchases to the amount of their accounts. By the arrival of the ship Alexandrina at Auckland, the colony has received 1786 boxes of Snider ammunition, and 1000 stand of improved arms. The ammunition amounts to 1,000,000 rounds. *#t came in tin-lined, soldered cases, and did not suffer damage in the terrible passage experienced on the way out. We observe that the Wellington Gas Company have imported some 70 tons of Collingwood coal, and we understand that it is the intention of the company to give it a fair test, and, if found suitable for making gas, they intend giving all the encouragement they can in order to assist in developing colonial industry. A good horse-track has been recently constructed by the Nelson Government at Deadman's Creek, Buller district, joining the old road at Beaton's store. This extension was highly necessary, as pack-horses could previously be got across the creek only with the greatest difficulty, and were liable to meet with some accident. A narrow escape from drowning occurred on Friday night last to a seaman belonging to the brig Janet Stewart, lying alongside Peacock's wharf, Lyttelton. 11 appears that he, in company with another sailor, left the town between eleven and twelve o'clock to go on board the vessel. At this time there was a dense fog, and while getting on board he missed his hold, and fell between the ship and the wharf. Fortunately Sergeant-Major Barsham and Constable Davidson happened to be at hand and rescued him. The Oamaru correspondent of a Dunedin contemporary writes as follows : — "We have in the town and immediate neighborhood a milling power equal to something like 6000 tons of flour per annum, to say nothing of the large mill at Kak&nui, and one erected at Otepopo. The question naturally arises, where can all this flour go to, with so many mills producing in Dunedin and other parts of the province ? Ye merchants, Otago expects you to do your duty— find us markets. Take example by California, and never use the word impossible." Dr Collis Browne, the inventor of chlorodyne, has invented a spade which with his turn for inventing names as well as things, he call not a spade, but a " polyute." The back forms, as occasion requires, a spade, a fryingpan, or a breastplate ; the handle can be used as a rest for the rifle, and, in addition, it can easily be transformed into a " pick" and an axe. Amongst the minor detail of this novel implement are a saw, a hammer, and a matchbox ; and the whole is so light and portable as to be easily carried on the march. The Golden Gate party at Ross bailed out their shaft on Wednesday, and discovered an unexpected treasure, in the shape of thirtyone new iron horse-shoes. The claim will soon be in full work, and it is hoped the Irish Republic, adjoining, will shortly follow the example. These claims enjoy the advantage of free drainage, as, although they have always been willing to pay a fair price, the Drainage Board cannot accept payment until a certain bye-law, to which Mr Cassius objects, is legalised, or some other in lieu thereof. The consecration of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Armagh, Ireland, took place on the 11th April. "The Bishop," writes the Dublin correspondent of the Times, " after- j wards entertained his friends at dinner in the college of St. Mcl, and proposed the healths of the Pope and Cardinal Cullen. His Eminence, in responding, echoed the sentiment of the Bishop, who said, in reference to him, that they had all nailed their colors to the mast on the education question. He declared that they would not be satisfied with anything less than a Catholic University." Illicit distillation appears to be becoming somewhat rife in Christchurch and its neighborhood. Only a few days ago a conviction of this nature was obtained by the police, and on Saturday morning last Mr Inspeatoc Pender, acting on information received, arrested two men in a building in Gloucester street, formerly used as a baker's shop, but which has been unoccupied for some time past. The men were evidently no novices at the trade, as the still was in perfect working order ; and a quantity of whiskey, besides wash, was seized. They were brought up at the Ilesident Magistrate's Court on Saturday, and remauded in order to allow of the poKce briuging forward more evidence. It is believed that others besides those in custody are implicated. On Wednesday night last, the premises of Mr H. A. Davis, High street, Christchurch, had a very narrow escape . from being destroyed by fire. It appears the servant was in the habit of taking the cinders out of the grate every night before retiring, aijd laying her fuel ready for lighting in the morning. On this occasion she placed the cinders in an* iron sieve on the top of a wooden ash-box, and some time aftei midnight the constable on duty, observing a glare in the premises, aroused the family ; an examination was made, and it was found that the ash-box had become ignited, and* had communicated the flames to an adjoining coal-box. This discovery was made not a moment too soon, for in a little time the fire would most probably have gained such a hold as would have been attended with serious results. Thanks, however, to the vigilance of the constable, the fire was extinguished without any material damage being done. The recent fire in Dunedin and the circumstances connected with it have elecited the,publication of the following general instructions taken from "Braid wood's Work on Fire Prevention and Fire Extinction," which may be valuable here: — "What the open door of the ash-pit is to the furnace of a steam boiler, the open street door is to the house on fire. In both cases the door gives vital air to the flames. On the first "discovery of a fire, it is of the utmost consequence to shut, and keep shut, all doors, windows, or othejf openings. It may often be observed after'a house has been on fire, that one floor is comparatively untouched, while those above and below are nearly burned out. This arises from the door on that particular floor having been shut and the draught directed elsewhere. If the par-

son who has examined the fire finds a risk of its gaining ground upon him, he should, if within reach of fire-engines, keep everything closed and await their arrival, instead of admitting air to the fire by ineffectual efforts to oppose it with inadequate means," In the meantime, however, he should examine where a supply of water is likely to be obtained, and communicate that or any other local information to the firemen on their coming forward "If there be no fire-engine within reach, the person who has examined the fire should keep the place where it is situated: as close as possible, till as many buckets of water as can be easily collected are placed within reach." Taking care always that there is some one ready to await him, he should then open the door, and creep forward on his hands and knees till he get as near the fire aa possible, holding his breath, and standing up for a moment to give the water a proper direction, he should throw it with force (using hand-pump, if available), and instantly get down to his former position, where he will be again able to breathe. The people behind him handing forward another bucket of water, he repeats the operation till the fire is quenched, or until he falls exhausted, in which case some one should take his place. If there be enough water, however, two or three, or any convenient number of people may be employed in throwing it. On the contrary, if a supply of water be insufficient to employ even one person, the door should be kept shut, the air excluded, as the fire burns equally in proportion to the quantity of air which it receives. The possessor of the house in which the fire breaks out should take particular care to keep all doors and windows shut. By the total exclusion of air the fire would go out of itself. The Mount Ida Chronicle (Otago) regrets to hear that the first crushing of the stone in the Otekaike Reef did not come up to the expectations of the shareholders, who are, nevertheless, sanguine as to ultimate success. A man whose name iso unknwn, was found dead in his hut in Lightband's Gnlly at the Collingwood diggings, last week, by a digger named Snowden, who was working near the spot. When found he was lying with his head near the fireplace, stripped to the waist, and with a basin of water on a box beside him, as if he had been in the act of washing when he fell down dead. Death is supposed to have occurred instantaneously, and to have been caused by disease of the heart. He was last seen alive by Snowden a week previously, and from the appearance of the body it is believed that he must have been dead very nearly that time. Deceased, says the Mail, was»a Russian by birth, and was quite a stranger in the place. He had been living by himself and was known to have been unwell for some time previous to his death. The strict secresy preserved by the officers of the United States Telegraph Service contrasts strangely with the laxity in this respect which has recently characterised the New Zealand Telegraph Department. /The premature publication of the terms 0f the treaty concluded by the Joint High Commission led to a strict investigation by a Select Committee of the American Senate, and amongst other examined were the operator who superintended the despatch of a message to the New York Tribune, and the Manager of the Telegraph Department. Both positively refused to divulge any knowledge obtained by them in their professional and official capacity, although they were threatened with fine and imprisonment for so refusing. Contrast these circumstances with those divulged during the recent telegraph enquiries in this Colony ! We have lessons on other subjects besides railways to learn from America, not the least of which is how to preserve the inviolability of the telegraph. The Hon. the Premier appears to have been maligned in h>s capacity as a temperance advocate by some one at the Greenstone. Mr Fox recently sent the following letter to the President of the Greenstone Temperance Association :— " Wellington, June 7. Sir, — I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, stating that some person had asserted at a public total abstinence meeting that I am not a total abstainer, but drink wine and beer daily. As such statements are calculated to weaken the humble support I give to the temperance cause, I have pleasure in contradicting them j and beg to assure you that I am the President of a Total Abstinence Society, a Rechabite member of the Wellington Tent, and have taken the life pledge in its most extended form. 1 have not for some years drank any alcoholic or fermented liquors, ale, wine, beer, or spirits in any form or shape whatever j nor are any such ever placed on my table or used by anybody in my house. The person who asserts that he knows on authority that I daily drink wine and beer, evidently cares little for truth. And lam glad to hear that, as might be expected, he is an opponent of the temperance cause.— l am, Sir, &c, William Pox." At the Supreme Court, Auckland, the other day, Harley, Burrell,'and M'Grath, accused of selling arms, &c, to natives, were all found guilty. The sentences are nob given, as judgment is suspended until it is ascertained from Wellington if the prisoners can be condemned under the present " Sale of Arms Act." The evidence against all three men was overwhelming. Captain Percival, late paymaster in the Colonial forces, was convicted of perjury, and sentenced to one year's hard labor. In connection with this case, there are many mitigating circumstances well-known here, but not brought forward iv evidence. One important witness for the prisoner was. somehow taken suddenly ill, though seen walking about in robust health shortly (i.e. a day or two) before. It is said that if this witness had appeared, and told the truth, the accused would have been discharged. In brief, there is good reason for thinking th;it ~.h«. alleged perjury was, iii^fact, no perjury at nii. morally speaking, but merely an act of for-ef.t'ullness, s:ich as any one might coiiimit m lu> was suddenly asked to remember one out of n. roultiplicity of business events -fai.-iS ucwiri-o I tivo years a<?o. The evidence in this case \va-.< is 11 taken about two hours after sunset. An hour later the jury could not agree, there being seven for acquittal and five for conviction. They were therefore locked up for the*night. In the morning there were nine jurymen for acquital; shortly after it is said the jury were near fighting each other, and the police had to interfere. By that time the- jury were reduced to great hunger, and the foreman, a thin individual, said— so I was told by one* who ought to know — " Brethren, let us pray . perhaps the Lord willenligten our darkness."' The foreman was one of the minority. . It took a very long time to enlighten the nine, but j,they gave in at last, and unanimously the prisoner in guilty. This trial has created a painful feeling, and 1 hear many people say it is a disgrace to civilisation that such things are possible. It has been suggested that the practice of Victoria would be a great improvement. Your readers are probably aware that in 'Victoria, juries can be locked up for six hours only, and must be dismissed if, at the end of that time, they are not unanimous. Several influential gentlemen have got up a subscription for Mrs Percival and her helpless children. Poor lady, she sadly needed help.