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Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1018, 31 October 1871, Page 2

It will be good news to the holders of leases on the Native Reserve, Greymouth, that this land will shortly be sold freehold. At the request of the Leaseholders' Association Mr Harrison has lately been making enquiries, at Wellington, with regard to the title of the Maoris to this land, and has discovered that the Greymouth Native Reserve was ceded to the Governor in 1860, under the Native Reserves Act, 1856, and that it can be Bold at any time without reference to the Natives at all. The subject has been investigated, and this is the view taken of it by the Native Minister, who has promised Mr Harrison that, immediately after the present session, a Commissioner will be sent down to assess the value of all the sections in town, with a view to their sale. The Oil Wizard announces that he will " Dig Down and Speak a Piece" at the Volunteer Hall, this evening. The admission is free. A banquet, to celebrate the Fourth Anniversary of the Loyal Greymouth Lodge, M.U.1.0.0.F., takes place this evening at GUmer's HalL Any member of the Committee will supply tickets. There was only one case of assault for hearing at the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, which was remanded till this day; and in the Warden's Court, M 'Caw and party applied for a five acre lease of auriferous land situate on Watson's Lead, South Beach. The ground was to be worked by means of a tunnel— the coat of which would be between L2OO and L3OO. As no objections had been lodged against the granting of the application, the Warden stated that he would forward it to the Governor's delegate. It will be noticed with a considerable amount of satisfaction that the General Government intends at once to proceed with the construction of the main lines of road throughout Westland. Tenders are called to-day for the dray-road between Marsden and Greenscone (about seven miles), and a dray-road from Woolhouse road, near Ross, to peg 270 on the proposed line of road Eanieri to Ross (about three and a-half miles.) The West Coast Times states that tenders have been accepted by the General Government for the construction of the road, commencing at the seventeenth mile-post on the Christchurch road, and connecting with the Greenstone road. The names of the successful tenderers have not transpired, as the necessary securities for the fulfilment of the contracts have not yet been lodged. The telegram conveying the information states that the road from Hokitika to Ross will be proceeded with at once. There is every probability of the old Lagoon Lead, Paroa, again attracting a considerable amount of attention, as a new lead has been struck at a lower level, which is likely to turn out well. The annual meeting of the district officers and delegates of the Westland branch of the Manchester Unity Independent Order of Oddfellows took place yesterday, at two o'clock, at the Lodge-room, Hunt's Club Hotel, and much important business was transacted. Tqe secret of the calling of the recent meeting at the Greenstone, at which the Hokitika Anti-dismemberment Committee were so signally defeated, has been let out by the Honorary Secretary in a letter to the West Coast Times. He says :— " The action which the committee took was, I believe, in consequence of what had been communicated to me by Mr E. Barff, a member of the committee. That gentleman informed me some <feyi pri«r to tk» forwardia* «< tkt mA i-

tion, that he had tested the feelings of the people in the Greenstone district in regard to the question, and that they were one and all against being joined to Nelson. It was that assertion which was mainly the cause of the letter and resolution being sent to the Greenstone." We have received frequent complaints regarding the manner in which the service in St. Patrick's Church is interrupted every Sunday night by the noise caused by a band of young vagabonds, who "lark" in the paddock opposite the church door, and when the congregation ia dispersing, rush in among the people, and frequently assault unoffending persons. It is to be hoped the police will put a stop to these disgraceful proceedings. The Government Gazette, of the 20th insfc., contains a notice altering the old limits of the legal landing-place of the port of Greymouth, and fixing them as follows :— Mawhera Quay, commencing one hundred yards eastward from the Custom House, to the junction of Mawhera Quay with Richmond Quay. The new road at Porter's Pass (Christchurch road) was opened on the 24th inst. The road is stated to be a great improvement in respect to gradient, and its maintenance will be less costly than the old road. The whole cost of the work was LSOO, Mr Dobson's estimate, in 1864, being from L2OOO io L3OOO. In commenting upon the application of a party of miners for a, lease of ground on Watson's Lead, South Beach, the Warden Btated that various parties of miners had taken up claims and were working the Railway Reserve. He had drawn the attention of the District Surveyor to the subject, who had made a report upon it, and which had been forwarded to the Waste Lands Board, but he was not aware what action would be taken on it. At the same time he reminded miners that they were only working there on sufferance, and might be dispossessed at any time. The enormous influx into the legal profession is becoming a source of alarm at home as well as elsewhere. The Law Times states that "upwards of 200 candidates went up at the last preliminary examination for solicitors ; that 290 went in for their intermediate, 190 for their final, on the last occasion. Whilst, as concerns the bar, on the 6th ult., Lincoln's Inn called 20 men; the Inner Temple, 24 ; and Gray's Inn, 1 ; total, 77. The increase in the number of attorneys is causing a fall in the value of clerkships As to the bar, if men will rush upon a career which is full of uncertainty and risk, and which exhibits to a majority the certainty of failure, the matter is beyond control." A gentleman has offered to lend the Port Chalmers Corporation any sum between LSOOO and L 12.000 at 7 per cent, interest, and the Corporation have given instructions to borrow LSOOO at that rate, if no better terms are offered. The following gentlemen have been gazetted Justices of the Peace for the Province of Canterbury : — Messrs James R. Hill, Christchurch ; James D. Macpherson, Lyttelton; and John Senior Woodhouse, Leithfield. A lively competition has set in amongst bankers in Victoria for the accounts of Chinamen since it was ascertained that they are in the habit of burning bank notes over the graves of their deceased relatives in order to provide them with a little money in the next world. Hitherto the paper of the Commercial Bank has been preferred in consequence of its bearing Chinese characters ; but I hear that in hopes of getting a portion of the business the other banks are to follow suit. The disciples of Confucius are looking up. The Wang-anui Herald publishes a statement, together with accounts, wherein it is shown, that ia the estate of a deceased person named Adamson, a piece of land was sold for LIOO, on which the expenses of the sale were Ll4 10s, and law costs LB2 14s 2d, the available balance being L 3 15s ! The following dream story is from the Ovens Advertiser :— " Mr Arthur Gilmour, of Stanley, went to Scotland in the ship Superb a few months since. On board he made the acquaintance of a young man who was afflicted with a sort of religious mania, which at last made it necessary to put him in a straight-waistcoat, and eventually in irons. Two days afterwards he died. On Mr Gilmour's arrival at home, the mother of the deceased went to see him. He was about to describe to her the circumstances of her son's death, when she described the closing scene in detail as exactly as Mr Gilmour could have done himself, and told him that she had witnessed it all in a dream." Mr Taiaroa, M.H.R., asks the Government to bring in a Bill authorising the sitting of Maoris as members of Provincial Councils. Extracts from a private letter from Auckland appeared in theWeQingbonEvening Post, last week, which says -.—"There is much dissatisfaction here that important measures should be introduced in the Assembly and pushed on before the public mind has had any opportunity to consider them. Auckland might as well have been in New South Wales —so imperfect and intermittent has been the communication with Wellington since the session commenced." The same complaint applies to all parts of the colony. Measures affecting the welfare of the people are brought forward by Government and pushed through the House, and nine-tenths of the people of the colony are ignorant of their nature. The Wellington Independent, of the 17th October, says : — " The monotony of the windy weather which has lately prevailed, was relieved on Sunday night and during the small hours of Monday, by the occurrence of a few exceptionally strong squalls, which blew out a number of lights, broke some panes of glass, sent movable objects, including nocturnal pedestrians, flying along the streets, and last, and not least, knocked down a tall chimney which formed a very essential pait of the kitchen arrangements of the Metropolitan Hotel. Fortunately the bricks did not penetrate the roof upon which they first fell, and there were »o persons about to suffer the probable consequences of a ' cannon' on to the human head. Two hundred tons of gunpowder are stored in the depot at the Royal Park, Melbourne. The stowage of such a quantity of gunpowder in proximity to a large city is attracting attention, as should an explosion take place the consequences would be very serious. It is asked why import gunpowder— -why not manufacture it in the colony, the consumption being now very considerable, even on the naval and land armaments ? When the second effort was made this session to reduce the export duty on gold, the motion was introduced by Mr Collins, who moved for the duty being reduced to 2s. He made a long speech, dwelling upon the heavy taxation at present borne by miners, the advantage the colony derived from this class of men, and the claims they had upon the colony for consideration. — Mr Gisborne moved the previous question. — Mr | O'Conor supported the motion. It was absurd to bring in immigrants, and drive away the miners, each of whom paid Ll2 to the revenue.— Mr Creighton supported the reduction, as did Mr White and Mr Shephard. Mr Steward explained the reason why, when the reduction of the duty was previously before the House, he had moved one of the many amendments which were then before the House. — Mr Kenny supported the motion, because the present duty was fn the way of class legislation, which he objected to.-«Mr Webster, who said he was probably

the oldest miner in the House, enumerated the privileges e»joyed by miners, and said it waa only fair that they should contribute to the costs of the Government. The duty was paid by the successful— not the unsuccessful —miner.— Mr Stafford, in a few words, expressed his intention of supporting the motion. — Mr Swanson suggested that perhaps, if Mr Webster had been mining and only iust making "tinker," he would feel the hardship the gold duty inflicted.— Mr Collins made a humorousflpqech, ostensibly on the previous questioi^ iiut really in reply to the arguments used afcakgti the reduction of the duty. "The prejftflfs question" waa put and carried on division by 28 to 21. Purchases of th« late Mr Moflit— Tim Whiffler (supposed to have been the best three-year-old horse of his year, though not entered for any of the great three-year-old races) and three yearlings, left England for Melbourne in the first week of August. It is expected the whole of the late Mr Moffit's stud will shortly be brought to the hammer, and as it includes several high-priced youngsters purchased by the deceased gentleman at the Middle Park and other sales, the sale will afford a rare opportunity for colonial sportsmen to become possessed of promising animals. We have already mentioned the jumping of the Providence Gold Mining Company's lease at the Thames, when the Court decided in favor of a party who had jumped the company's ground. The evidence adduced showed that the twelve months for which the company's miners' rights had been taken had expired by about forty-eight hours, ana there had been no renewal. It was during this interval that the ground was jumped, and there is good reason to believe that the jumpers received the information respecting the company's non-compliance with the law from one of the officials of the Gold Fields Department. The Warden, in giving judgment, remarked that the case was one of great hardship, the company being deprived of the mine apparently from an oversight rather than from any wilful intention to break the law. He could not, however, do otherwise than administer the law as it stood. The SoutJiern Gross understands that the whole of the Gold Fields officials, with one exception, have requested the Provincial Executive to cause the matter to be investigated, so that the blame may be brought home to the person who supplied the information. As the new Gold Fields Secretary, Mr J. Sheehan, is expected to leave for the Thames immediately to transact business connected with his department, we have no doubt the matter will be thoroughly sifted, and justice done to the Gold Fields officials. The officers connected with the Gold Fields management were undoubtedly in the best position to give the information, and if the charge is proved the offender should be forthwith dismissed. If the information obtained by officials in the discharge of their ordinary duties is to be placed at the disposal of speculators, an incalculable amount of evil will be the result. When speaking on Thursday, the 19th instant, with reference to the Defence Estimates, the hon. D. McLean expressed his individual opinion that it would be a very great improvement if the whole police force of the Colony were taken over by the General Government. He said such a change would, he thought, tend to the greater efficiency of the force, and increased advantage to the public. This expression of opinion was received with general assent, Mr Swanson only speaking in dissent. He said the Auckland people preferred to manage their own police ; and he drew a laughable picture of the Colonial police, "who look as if they bad swallowed a set of fire-irons, and marched about the streets like walking lamp-posts, and wore white gloves, superfine trousers, arid the latest fashion in coats ; gentlemen who, if there was any rough work to be done, could not soil their gloves over it, and who were afraid to spoil their fine clothes by going out in a shower of rain." The Thames A dvertiser says : — " The painful circumstances' attending the committal, on a charge of embezzlement, of F. J. Innes, late^ Deputy-Assistant-Commissary-General, stationed in this colony, which took place at the September session of the Supreme Court last year, are fresh in the recollection of our readers, and still, no doubt, command the sympathy of those who knew him. A petition to his Excellency the Governor was lately in process of signature, setting forth the many excellent qualities of the prisoner, that his * conduct up to the time of conviction was irreproachable, upright, and without stain,! and urging that ' sufficient punishment has already been inflicted to satisfy the demands of. justice.' The term of the sentence was five yeais, and upwards of twelve months have now elapsed since his committal. The. memorial is being largely and influentially signed. Amongst the names are many whose' business relations brought them into contact with the subject of the petition, and who can bear testimony to the truth of the statements set forth in the prayer for his release." A scene which was not announced in the programme, but which nevertheless afforded a hearty laugh to the audience, occurred at the Thames Academy of Music on the 18th October. Lithe epilogue to the "Heir-at-Law," Cecilia Homespun is made to address the ladies of the audience, the intention of the author being that some person should be singled out to give effect to the point. This occurred last night, but the man who sat with the lady so siugled out not relishing the joke, felt himself aggrieved, and complained to the management, demanding an apology. Mr Jones came before the curtain in the interlude and explained the matter, bu6 the explanation, instead of mollifying the feelings of the worthy swain, had the contrary effect. He loudly complained of the indignity offered to the, lady by whom he was accompanied, but his voice was drowned by cries of " sit down," " put him out," and other equally irritating remarks. A late Southern Gross says: — "Here is something for the members of our Agricultural League to ponder over and discuss. On Monday last, as may be seen by reference to our shipping columns, the brigantine , Annie Moore arrived off Grahamstown, from ' Launceston, with 90 tons of potatoes. It might be well thought that bringing potatoes from Tasmania to Auckland Province was very much like carrying coals to Newcastle. We send our money away to a distant colony for an article of produce for the non-produc-tion of which we ought to feel heartily ashamed. In 1853-54 large quantities of potatoes were shipped from Auckland to Victoria to supply the western diggings of that colony. Seventeen years ago after this we find Tasmania called upon to supply the Auckland goldfields with the same description of produce. And in this case our farmers cannot complain of being placed in unfair competition witn the sister island, for the potatoes grown in Tasmania, chiefly at Shoalhaven, Brown's River, and on parts of the seaboard and river frontages, come out of soil for which, the tenant farmers pay an annual ground retyt of L 2 per acre, and are compelled under their leases to renew the power of the land every other year with imported manure. It is to be hoped that our agriculturists will before long 'know the reason why' that Tasmania, at a distance of over 1,000 miles, can run such a competitive race against Auckland, with a magnificent soil within cooey distance of its own gold field. There must be something wrong somewhere, and the sooner the League discovers what and where it is the better foi their own interests and those dependent on them."