THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1871.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1050, 7 December 1871, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1871.

1 A meeting of. the friends and supporters of W. H. Harrison, Esq, M.H.R, took place yesterday afternoon at Sheedy's Brian Uoru Hotel, for tbe purpose of bidding him farewell, and also to present him with a token of their respect in the shape of a well filled purse of sovereigns ana an illuminated address! Mr G. W. Nichol was in the chair, and in a neat speech made the presentation, expressing the regret felt by all parties at the loss the district had sustained through Mr Harrison leaving, and in doing so spoke highly of the services rendered by that gentlemen both in the Assembly and out of it. Mr. Harrison .feelingly replied, stating that although he was compelled by private duty live, in Wellington, the interests of both the town' and district would, he believed, be advanced more than if he still resided in, Greyiriouth. He painfully felt the separation, and he would never feel satisfied until he had accomplished his programme— the unity of -the 'district.- He anticipated that during "the ensuing sessiou more attention: would be given to gold fields matter* by- the Assembly than had been hitherto, and to the best of his abilities he would watch over the interests of the Grey district. Mr Harrison's health was then drank in bumpers of champagne, and three cheers were given for him. The company then escorted Mr Harrison to the steamer Charles Edward, which shortly afterwards left for Nelson. We beg to remind our readers that the Star Minstrels and Polygraphic Company give an entertainment to-morrow evening in aid of the funds of the Grey River Hospital. A contract was recently taken for removing the bridge at Coal -Creek, and the least the authorities at Cobden could have done would have been to provide temporary free accommodation for crossing the creek until the bridge was re-erected. This has not been done ; on the contrary, eithei the contractor or some other party have been allowed to charge a toll for crossing on a very shaky contrivance built after the manner of a "bridge of boats. The up-river .jjollp were surely heavy enough already without levying on travellers this extra black mail. • . A meeting of the Borough Council was held last evening, in accordance with, a resolution of the Council, to see \i the public would take any action in demanding a ballot on the road question, but no notice was taken. Present — the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Kennedy, Smith, Woolcock, Moore, .M'Gregov, Pur cell, Dupre, and Ooates. A warm discussion took place upon a resolution by Councillor Smith, relative to the giving of twenty-four hours' notice by the Town Clerk, in writing, to each Councillor of any notice of motion. The motion wa^s carried. — A notice of motion, deprecating any further action being taken on the Marsdeu road question, was withdrawn. — A letter was read from Messrs D. Maclean and others, stating that certain inhabitants residing near the Wharf Hotel had subscribed the sum of L 9 odd, two years since, for making steps, on the understanding that the money would be refunded by the Borough Council, and wishing to know when the promise of the Council would be carried out. . Referred to the Public Works Committee.—An application from Mr J. Kilgour to erect a balcony in front of his house was granted. — A letter was read from Mr Masters recommending a; certain style of lamp-posts for the use of the Council, which could be obtained for L 4 Ids each, and .that a sample would be sent from Melbourne by the first opportunity. Letter received .—An application from Mr Maclean, on behalf of Mr Mirfin, asking for the use of the Corporation monkey to drive several -piles, was read. The application was granted subject to Mr Warden Whitefoord guaranteeing the safe return of the monkey. — At the close of the proceedings the Council adjourned till the usual meeting night. In consequence of pressure, onr usual report is crowded out. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Maori Gully, yesterday, before W. H. Revell, Esq., ' R. M . John Rjan was fined LI and costs for assaulting a man named M'Namara. There were six civil cases disposed of, but they were of ho interest. —In the Wardeu'a Court Mary Howley was fined 40s and costs for occupying a business site in German Gully without a business license. Emma , Singer admitted a similar offence, and was fined 20s j and costs. A fire broke out at Ross on Monday morning, which was unfortunately attended with fatal .results. A Mrs M 'Bride with three children were living at Donoghue's, when , about four o'clock the house was discovered to be on fire, and before the whole of the inmates could be rescued, one fine little girl was burned to death. On the same day an inquest was held, When the following Verdict was returned, "^Phat the said Maude Mary M 'Bride was accidentally burnt to death at Donoghne's on the 4th December, 1871, and not otherwise. A reminder of Christmas festivities arrived in. the shape of geese and poultry by the s.s. Wallabi, which were speedily taken possession of by those who were fortunate enough to call .them owners.. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yes- I terday, before E. Wickes, Esq., J.P., andß. C. Reid, Esq., J.P., William Johnson was fined -ss, or in default, 24 hours' imprisonment for drunkenness. Hugh Barnhill was charged with a breach of the Licensing Ordinance. Mr Perkins stated that Mr Barnhill was unable to attend, as he was under medical attendance, having met with an accident. He therefore asked for a remand. The case was remanded until Saturday. The usual meeting of the Grey Rivev Hospital Committee was held at Gilmer's ' Hotel last evening. Present — M essrs Whitefoord (chair), Maclean, Newton, Kenrick, ■ Revell, Arnott, King^.Nancarrow, and Reid. The minutes of tbe previous meeting bavins; been read and confirmed, a letter was read from Mr J. G. Hankin, secretary of the subcommittee of the Half-Ounce district, enclosing a cheque for Ll'l3 Os Gil, being the first instalment of subscriptions in that district on j behalf <f the Hospital. The letter was acknowledged with thanks. A letter was also I 'read -from Mr M. O'Connor, secretary to the Paroa. sub-committee, inquiring if a society was forced on the Red Jack's basis wheiiher the members would be entitled to entrance to the Hospital. A reply in the affirmative was given. Theappointmeiitof night wardsman was then considered, aiid the present temporary occupaqt of that post, Win. Davis, waseleoted permanently. It was resolved that

the'Ahaura district be sub-divided into three districts, namely, Ahaura, Callaghan's and Moonlight, and the appointment of the subcommittees in these districts be confirmed. The Visiting Committee reported the number of patients in the Hospital, on the Ist November, to be 30 j altuitted during the month, 16 ; discharged, 12 ; died, 3 ; remaining in Hospital on the 30th November, 31. The accounts for the month, amounting to Ll9B 3s sd, were laid on the table and passed. The Treasurer acknowledged, receipt of the following amounts : —Subscriptions from West Ward, L2O Os Cd ; Red Jack's Benevolent Society, L 8 8s ; Nelson subsidy for October, LBO 13s 7d ; No Town Friendly Society, LlO 10s : Prank Badger, L 5 Gs ; John Card, Hospital attendance to W. Card, L 6 ; Aiken and M'Gill, per subscription list, 15 11s ; payments by patients — Holman, 10s; Dempsey, LI ; Mooney, L 3; Anderson, LI, Thompson, LI ; sale of vegetables, IA 53. The Visiting Committee for the month are Messrs Maclean, Nancarrow, and Kennedy. The other business was unimportant. A short time ago we drew attention to an application for the throwiug open for sale of a block of land, supposed to be auriferous, near the present beach workings at the Teremakau, on the application of Mr Patrick Kerns. We objected to this proceeding on information of miners working in the neigh- ■ borhood, and the application was postponed. At the last sitting of the Waste Lands; Board, held at Hokitika on Tuesday last, ] this application a^aiu same up, when the* Chief Surveyor st ted that he had been overj the ground applied for, and none of it ' showed auriferous indications, and also that' he had been informed by the District Sur-j yeyor, Mr Browne, that when the miners put in their objection they had not the remotest idea where the land was. The Chief Surveyor ought to have added that when the miners applied to the District Surveyor for information, he knew nothing whatever about it, and it was he who had not the remotest idea where the land was. The miners knew well that it was in the immediate vicinity of their workings, and. that most probably they would be called upon to pay the applicant compensation, as they had done before. ■It was upon similar grounds to these that Mr Lahman opposed the application all through, but he was out-voted, and the block thrown open for sale. The best thinp the miners can now do is to run the land up and purchase it freehold, and then they will be able to work it without interference. At the Sittings in Banco at Auckland, on the loth ultimo, two gentlemen were admitted to practise at the Bar as solicitors! and barristers, namely, A. E. T. Devore,' late of Hokitika, and James Bannatyne: Graham, Esquires. In according them the;] privilege, the learned Judge passed a very; high compliment upon these gentlemen for: the efficient manner in which they had. passed; their examination. . The Daily Southern Cross says : — "A case; of uerious illness, occasioned by eating po>; sonous berries, occurred yesterday in Parnell. , Four young children, named Madekin, had,; whilst playing in the neighborhood of the beach, eaten some native berries. After^ reaching home they weie seized with con-' vulsions. Dr Kenderdine was called in, and the stomach pump was used, but we learn that fears were entertained for the life of one of the children. Parents caunot be too careful, in warning their children against eating wild berries. " At the Resident Magistrate's Court, Ross, on Saturday, a criminal information for libel was laid by Mr Archer againsh Mr David Curie, proprietor of the Ross Qyardian. Mr Curie applied for an adjournment, on the ground that his legal adviser,' Mr Button, was at present at Westport ; and another legal gentleman, Mr Harvey, to whom he had applied, was at Stafford ; he therefore asked for an adjournment till Thursday. Mr Purkiss opposed, and said the only available counsel in Westland had been in Rosa since defendant had been served with the summons, and Mr Harvey, being Crown prosecutor, was not likely to act on his behalf. The application was granted. The Wellington correspondent of the Daily Southern Cross, in speaking of the scramble for railways, says : — "Mr Brogden's face, behind the Speaker's chair,, was seen gradually elongating itself with wonder as scheme after scheme was being hurled at the Government. It was quite evident he was trying a little mental arithmetic as to whether the fortunes of Rothschild and 'Baring com- ■ Mued would suffice for the construction of the proposed railways." Ah instance of rare good fortune is reported to the Ballarat Evening Mail as having befallen a clerk in the Government employ at Sandhurst. Having purchased 1,000 shares at 6d per share, within a few days he was able to sell out at L 6 per share, netting LIB, 000. Being placed beyond the necessity for toil, the fortunate civil servant resigned his position, " cut" speculation, and is now a happy gentleman at large. ■ The Thames Advertiser of the 27th ult., speaking of the rifle match between the Greymouth Rangers and the Thames Rifle Association, says:— "lt will be recollected' that on the day on which the members of the Association assembled at the butts to fire the match, they were unable to do so, in consequence of the heavy rain and the gale which was bkwing at the time; consequently, after firing the first range the men were compelled to seek shelter, and only a few of the members fired the second^ range, and only one or two had sufficient perseverance in, the face of the tempestuous weather, and as one of the conditions of the match was that it was to.be fired on the day named, it was agreed to leave the victory to the Greymouth men, and to issue another challenge. A meeting was held on the 4th inst., at the Union Hotel, No Town, to make arrangements respecting the forthcoming Christmas i sports. G. M'Beath, Esq., being called to the chair, first pointed out the importance of the No Town district,, and considering the spirit of the people, he had no doubt but j that hisfellow townsmen would come forward in such a way as to make the sports of No Town this Christmas second to none up the Grey Valley. Other speakers being of the same opinion, a committee of four gentlemen was nomiuated and elected, consisting of Messrs Rundle, Braid, Galbraitb, and Hines, to receive subscriptions, and likewise take the general management of the intended sports. After which, a subscription list was handed round, and L 45 being at once subscribed, it was suggested that the committee wait personally on the inhabitants, and from the general feeling, there cannot be a doubt by the time the subscription list is closed, the committee will be put, financially, in such a. position as to make No Town, this Christmas, the up-country centre of attraction. At last another attempt is to be made to ftrospect that portion of the Stony Lead ying between Watson's Creek and the Australasian Hotel. Descaciata and Co, who have been working awheel claim near the Half-way Hotel, hsve taken up one of Watson's old tail-races, and intend taking it in at the lowest possible depth, so that they may be able to be much deeper when they reach the lead than the other parties were who formerly prospected the ground. It will hi remembered that formerly the ground was held by Paul and Co, the Cutpberlond party, an>l the Ifcip and Tear. Thepe Jailed ia ' tracing payable gold, but acknowle 1 .el lb.it their tail-races were hardly deep tv 'u^h. '1 he experience that haj bince been

sained in the North Star and the Rising Sun that good payable gold may exist even at a lower level than the one usually worked on, proves that the work formerly done is no proof that the ground is not payable. Looking at the whole course that the lead has been traced from the southerly end of the old Stony Lead to the Caledonian claim near Cremome Gardens, there is every chance of as good gold being found Jjere as was found elsewhere . Now that Descaciata^ and - Company have set the examp^of" taking ; up this ground for the purpose of giving it a thorough trial, there is not the slightest doubt that others will also take up claims. The Long Drive Company are beginning to attract afc tention, as it it expected that they will have completed their tunnel in about three weeks; for if they get gold at the same depth as their neighbors, the North Star, some people imagine that it will again revive the lost prestige of the Stony Lead, and remind one of former times. The reef , however, that is to be seen in the Royal Standard, and on a higher level, is considered by some to be fatal to a lower lead being traced, fie that as it ma}', it is almost certain that the Long Drive will get payable gold unless nature has indulged in some freak, for the North Star have so far traced it towards them. If this should be the case, and so far there is every probability of its being so, it will be another proof that tunnels at the lowest possible depth are far the cheapest and best to prospect with. This is the very ground that the Grey mouth Gold Mining Company held, and which after several months prospecting by the aid of a water- wheel, they were at last compelled to relinquish. There is no piece of ground on the whole Stoney lead that has had more labor and capital bestowed on it than this, and if the Long Drive Co. succeed they well deserve all they meet with, and none of the former proprietors will envy them their luck which they so richly deserve for the enterprise they have shown. The various claims on the Stony Lead are all in full working order, with their usual results. The wheel claims, with one or two exceptions, are not spoken of so favorably as : they used to be. . The Bill providing for the Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt in New Zealand did not pass during last session. On this a writer in the Canterbury Press says : — Woe ia me ! I see the Bill for Abolition of Imprisonment for Debt has been dropped, or shelved, or whatever you call it. It is not law anyhow. The happy future 1 had pictured to myself won't come off just yet. I hope I am right in my supposition that the Lower House passed it, and! that it was the Lords, who are all men too well to do to appreciate the good such a law would bring about, who shelved it. What is the good of putting a poor fellow in limbo because he owes you L 5, and has told you every fortnight for the last three years that he will pay "next Saturday?" Saturday may come some day to you. I don't say it will, mind, but I am quite positive that putting a man in durance vile is not the best way to recover yomrLs. I only look at the matter according to my lights, but I repeat that' in my opinion revenge must be very exceptional to be worth the maintenance money paid for the poor debtor. The game is not worth the candle, and coals of fire are ever so much more satisfactory for both parties. Oh dear, L wish those senators had passed the Bill .' What a vista would have opened for yours truly — bills sent in once a quarter by landlady, &c, and once a quarter the benefit of the Act. The world would be a haven of peace, and really worth living in. There — it's too painful to dwell upon, the Bill I mean ; let it pass— I hope it will next year. The Thames Guardian relates the following story about an extraordinary " plant" ofspecimens. — "About a fortnight ago a young man residing at the Temperance Hall, Smale's Buildings, undertook, on his own 'iccord, to clear out a well. After bailing for a long time, and the water getting low, he descended into the well, and was proceeding with the work when he struck the bucket against something hard, and found it was a piece of quartz. Curiosity prompted him to wash it— and, to his joy and astonishment, he perceived it to be richly studded with gold. 'Putting on a spurt,' he fished out some more specimens with gold in them, and very. rich. The question then was, had he struck a rich reef ? or was it only 'salting ?' The conclusion come to was the latter. Now comes the strangest part of the business. On Tuesday night, Silent aa gjravedtggers or as 'resurrection men,' the original depositors came to take up their 'plant,' and it appears- they searched about till they found a bucket, then with the aid of a rope (which they left' behind as a trophy for the police) the well was duly emptied— as indications show— and after hours of toil one of the unfortunate ' planters' was lowered down, and sent up some of the bottom, but no specimens. Imagination enables us to guess the rage, disappointment, and solemn looks of the poor fellow and his" mates— no specimens ! Perhaps they took it in turns to go down to make sure ; the result was all the same— sold, completely sold !"