THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 922, 11 July 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1871.

I The County Council meets for the despatch of business at noon to-morrow. It is expected that the English Mail via Suez will be landed here to-day from the s.s. Omeo, now in the Hokitika roadstead. Should she not have the mail, is sure, from the signals she showed in the Hokitika roadstead on Sunday, that she is the bearer of the telegraphic news. We observe in the West Coast Times of yesterday a statement that the Omeo, which is supposed to have the Suez Mail on board, " will possibly find it necessary to proceed to Nelson without effecting a landing of the mails and passengers at the port of Greymouth." On waiting upon the agents here, to ascertain if the Omeo was not to call at this port, we are informed that she will call as usual, an- 1 that the West Coast Times has as an authority only its own fertile imagination foi- inserting such a paragraph, at least so far as the agents here are aware. Messrs D. Girdwood and Co. did telegraph to Hokitika, on Sunday, that a fearfully heavy sea was running on the bar here. Thie, we find, was also the case at Hokitika, even up to the last hour of telegraphic communication last night. Our contemporary, however, 1 appears to fancy that Providence takes an

especial care of the coast off Hokitika, and will doubtless still the troubled waters at an earlier hour, for the especial beuofit of that port, and may possibly fail to do so at Greymouth. We know, however, from experience, that whenever the Hokitika bar can be worked the one at Greymouth is in good order, and we expect that the Dispatch will be alongside the Omeo to-day, as usual, on her arrival in our roadstead. We understand there are some of our townsfolks on board, and a considerable number of passengers are waiting to take their departure for New Zealand ports, and also for Melbourne, via the Bluff. There are at the least over twenty passengers waiting the arrival of the Omeo at this port. In our report of the last meeting of the Borough Council, the total valuation of the properties within the town of Greymouth was stated to be L 17,643, instead of L 27,643. With reference to this matter, we may state that the proposed re-adjustment of the Wards will be somewhat as follows .-—East Ward, from the eastern boundary to Tainui street ; Middle Ward, from Tainui street to Boundary street ; West Ward to embrace the whole of what is known as the Government Township. A summons meeting of Court Concord, A.0.F., is called for to-night, at the Courtroom, Hunt's Club Hotel, at eight o'clock. The business is to instal the recently-elected officers, and to receive the auditors' report. Subscribers to the Grey River Hospital are reminded that the annual general meeting takes place to-morrow evening, at Gilmer's Hotel, at 8 o'clock, for the purpose of receiving the report of the outgoing Committee, and nominating a Committee of Management for the ensuing year. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday morning, before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M., W. Schlichting charged Deniais Carroll with having made use of abusive and threatening language, calculated to provoke a breach of the peace, on the 3rd inst. The complainant stated that as he was entering the defendant's hotel with Mr Gilmer, Carroll stepped before him, put his hand on complainant's breast, and pushed him back, saying that fellows like him should not enter his house, called him a b tinker, and other names which he did not care to repeat. Samuel Gilmer said ho did not see the defendant take his hands out of his pockets, he simply block up the doorway against him, saying he did not want fellows like him in the house He did not see defendant lift his hand or push him in any way. It was all very quietly done- The defendant admitted having used the abusive language, but denied having threatened the complainant or touched him. He pleaded provocation, owing to some business transactions which had taken place between them. The Magistrate said the defendant was a licensed publican, and his house must be open to all persons, who were not bad characters, who wished refreshments. He could have told the man quietly that his absence was desirable, and not take the law into his own hands. Fined Is and costs. An iuquest was held at Gilmer's Hotel, Ahaura, on Saturday, July 8, before C. Whitefoord, Esq. , Coroner, on the body of Jean Felix Murthold, better known as "Little Dan," or " Dan Myrtle," who died at the Empire Hotel, Half-Ounce, on the previous day. H W. Young identified the body, and said he had known deceased for five years, and was at one time living with him in the same hut. Murthold frequently complained of pain about the heart, and on one occasion he was seriously ill. John M. Ollivier said the deceased arrived at his house, at Half -Ounce, on Monday, 3rd inst. He was wet through, and witness advised him to change his clothes, but he refused to do so. He went to bed on Tuesday, complaining of a severe cold, and lie gradually got worse until he died at 11 o'clock on Friday night. The deceased had taken some medicine at his house. Another witness was called, but was not in a fit state to give evidence, and the Coroner ordered him to be removed, and kept in custody until he recovered. Dr Lee said he made a post mortem examination of the body of the deceased. Externally it appeared healthy. There was old disease |of the lungs, and the liver was greatly congested. The heart was diseased, especially the left auricle. The affection was of iong standing, but there were some clots of blood the effect of recent disturbance in and around the region of the heart. The kidneys and stomach were healthy, aud the latter contained a small quantity of fluid. There was nothing to indicate improper medical treatment. The blood clots might be accounted for by a fall The cause of death was heart disease. The jury returned a verdict ir. accordance with the medical •vidence. The deceased was well known an I much respected on the up-rivei diggings and on the beaches, and especially at the Stony Lead, by the sobriquet of "Little Dan." He was a native of Havre, in France, aud about 34 years of age. His parents were proprietors of the American Hotel at Favre, but it is not known whether there are any relatives of his in New Zealand. A number of the friends and acquaintances of the deteased followed his remains to the grave, at the Ahaura cemetery, on Sunday evening.

The outrages on the horses of Mr Antonio Lardi, which formed the subject of a recent trial, were again investigated at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Ahaura, on Saturday last, before C. Whitefoord, Esq., R.M. Wm. Campbell and Thomas Smith were charged with maliciously wounding and maiming two horses, the property of Antonio Lardi, on 13th May, 1871. The prisoners were before the Court previously charged with this offence, when they were dismissed. On this occasion Mr Staite, who prosecuted, applied that Smith should be discharged, and the police not objecting, he was dismissed. Smith was then sworn to give evidence for the prosecution, and stated in the course of his examination that after Campbell and himself were discharged on the last trial, they were having a conversation about the outrage done to the horses, and Campbell said that he did not drive the nails into the hoofs of the animals, but that he planted nails head downwards among the stones in a certain cutting along which the horses would have to pass, and that they must necessarily walk on the nails. The prisoner Campbell, who was undefended, cross-examined this witness at great length as to whether he, Campbell stood in the relation of a partner or wagesman to Smith in the Mia Mia Hotel and Brewery at the Saddle Bush. Other witnesses were called to prove the commission of the offence, including Mr Lardi's packer, who was driving the horses at the time, and the Veterinary Surgeon who extracted the nails from the horses feet. This witness, a Frenchman with an unpronouncable name, and who appeared to understand English very imperfectly, on being sworn, and asked by Mr Staite the usual question, "What was he ?" replied, " That he was 40 years of age." After proving extracting the nails, he stated during his evidence that it was impossible the nails could have entered so far into the horses feet if the animals had merely walked on them ; and he further said that they (the nails) must have received at least three distinct taps of the hammer before they could be entered in the manner they were found. Constable Dorris proved arresting the prisoner Campbell at O'Malley's Hotel, at the Hikmatua. On 29th June Campbell asked if Smith had said anything, and turning to Austin O'Malley, who was present, said, " Smith has split ;" whereupon O'Malley said to Campbell "he dfd not wonder at it, for it was everyone's opinion

that if the offence lay between them it would soon come out." The rest of the evidence was a recapitulation of that given when the prisoner was before the Court before. The prisoner on being called on said, that he was under the impression that arrangements had been made for his defence, and such not being the case he was taken unawares. He had summoned a witness named Busbridgc, who could give material evidence in his behalf. (This witness was then called, but he did not appear. The police proved the service of the summons on him. The prisoner applied for a remand until the witness could be produced, but the magistrate said he could not grant an adjournment at that stage of the proceedings.) Campbell then denied the truth of Smith's evidence and said that the latter had an animus against him in consequence of a dispute they had about wages, and that Smith said that if he (Campbell) summoned him he (Smith) "would serve him a nasty trick." The prisoner was committed to take his trial on the 11th September at the Supreme Court, at Hokitika. — There was one unimportant civil case, and the Court adjourned to the 13th July.

The Hoss News states that Mr Tenery, who left Hokitika a few weeks since to purchase stamps for the lnangahua reefs, has arranged with Messrs Walker, of the Union Works, Ballarat, for a battery. A serious accident occurred at the Kanieri on Friday night to a man named M'Auliffe. We have not ascertained the particulars, but, according to the Hokitika Star, M'Auliffe had been working as braceman at the Morning Star claim. . He did not arrive at the claim when he was expected, and some one went in search of him. He was discovered in an old shaft, some twenty-five feet in depth, and was immediately removed to Freeman's Hotel. The injuries appear to be most serious, as the poor fellow remains in a state of insensibility. It is supposed that the skull is Iractured. Mr Merrin, Engineer of the Ross Drainage Company, recently sent some of the beach sand from that neighborhood to Ballarat, for analysis, and received the following by last mail : — The parcel was a very small one, and contained 38 per cent, of titanate of iron, 26" 5 of magnetic iron, very little gold and mica, and the remainder sand. The magnetic or pure oxide of iron is the only part which it is thought could be profitably utilised, and the analyst expressed a wish to experiment on a larger quantity. He says it would make excellent steel, and suggests Bessemer's as the best process for dealing with it, The Tuapeka Times states that another Chinese store, on a large scale, has been opened at Waipori. The first number of a new evening paper, called The Southern League, intended to be the organ of the Liberal party in Otago. was issued in Duuedin on Monday, the 3rd inst. It is stated that one of the claims in Italian Gully has bottomed on 44ft of washdirt, which is calculated to yield at the rate of an ounce to the load. An old settler of the Pelorns district, named William Beere, employed at Messrs Brown and Inglis's saw-mill, was killed on the 17th ult., by a branch of a tree falling upon him. The good folks of Lawrence, Naseby, and Queenstown, Otago, have during the last week enjoyed the rare amusement, in New Zealand, of skating. The pools and dams of the miners have beeu the scene of the sport.

Mr Collie, of Blenheim, on recently returning from Nelson, met with a serious accident through a rotten bridge on the road giving way beneath his horse, which brought down both animal and rider with great force. Mr Collie was picked up some time afterwards by another traveller, who assisted him on his journey, otherwise he might have perished. At a meeting of the Canterbury Philosophical Institute, the President, Dr Julius Haast, mentioned that he had recently received advices from Berlin that a scientific expedition would shortly leave Germany on a tour of exploration to the Southern Seas, and that it was intended that the fleet should call at Lyttelton. The total cost connected with the opening up and establishment of the settlement at Martin's Bay, is shown by a return obtained on a motion by Mr Barr in the Otago Provincial Council, to be L3S7B 9s lid, the ite ns being as follows :— Survey expenses to M irch 31st, 1871, L 2267 12s 2d ; Whitworth's pamphlet, LSO ; road from Lake Wakatip to Lake M'Kerrow, L 1560 17s 9d. The population is stated to be only 39. A resolution has been passed by the Wellington Provincial Council requesting his Honor the Superintendent to take the necessary steps to procure the passing of an Act in the next session of the General Assembly for raising a loan of LIOO,OOO. The total appropriations for the year commencing IS7I and ending March 31, 1872, amount to L 117.226, and the estimated income to L 34.256, showing a deficit of L 82.970. The loan is to meet this deficiency. By a recent order in Council the fee of one pouud heretofore charged for each certificate of title under the Land Transfer Act, is remitted in cases where land has not been previously dealt with, and the certificate is applied for in the name of the original grantee. Original grantees who have not dealt with their land can now bring it under the Act in their own names, on payment of seven shillings for each grant and a halfpenny in the pound on the value. The success of the dredges on the Shotover River, Otago, is causing quite a sensation in the district, and will, we (Arrow Advocate) believe lead some of our generally speaking non-speculative "lowlanders" to "comeoutof their shells" and take a practical interest in this branch of mining. We understand the formation of a Limited Liability Company is on the tapis for the building of another dredge. It is proposed to fix the shares at LI each, thus affording both to rich and poor an opportunity of speculating. Messrs Graves and party have just got 2870z for two days' work, and Barker's dredge got some 70oz for about a week's work. We also hear that 200oz have been taken out by Wood's dredge during the past few days. Such returns certainly offer considerable inducement for the increased prosecution of this description of mining industry. ' Among the mining on dits from Auckland we hear that Mr Farmer, so well known as one of the largest original shareholders in the Golden Crown and Caledonian, has sold the whole of his interest in these and other mines at the Thames to Mr Thomas Russell. The sum has not transpired, but is variously stated at from L 25,000 to L 40.000. Mr Farmer originally held 340 shares in the Caledonian, of which he sold about two months ago 100 to Mr Russell for L 10 ,000; and it is said he has now cleared with over LBO.OOO from the Caledonian alone. It is scarcely to be wondered at that instances of such success so rapidly attained should produce the excitement of which Auckland is now the scene. At the same time, it is not to be forgotten that Mr Farmer steadily stuck to the ' Caledonian and paid up large and heavy calls at a time when the prospects were of the poorest, and the shares were selling at less than the amount representing the calls paid upon them. According to the Otago Daily Times some of the members of the Provincial Council took great advantage of the liberty of discussion permitted on the motion that the House go

into Committee of Supply, the consequence being that " scenes" were of rather frequent occurrence. Dr Webster contributed largely to the liveliness of the debate ; offering to "bet a new hat" with any member of the House that he could reduce the departmental expenditure 25 per cent. None of the members, however, seemedinclined to accept the liberal offer. Shortly afterwards the hon. member assured the reporters that they need not fear being brought up for breach of privilege for not fully reporting him ; and aanounced that even if they thought it worth while to publish his 3peeches, he would be very unwilling to read them, as it woald be like taking two doses of physic for the same complaint.