THE The Drey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1572.

Grey River Argus, Issue 1077, 10 January 1872, Page 2

THE The Drey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1572.

The news brought by the San Francisco mail, though not startling, is important, ad showing the direction events are taking. The information brought by the Suez mail relative to the illness of the Prince of Wales is confirmed with the addition that he is dying and that the Earl of Chesterfield, who contracted the sime disease at the same time as the Prince is dead. Much has been said about the wane of loyalty in the United Kingdom ; but, according to the telegraphic report, genuine sorrow is felt by all classes, more especially by the growing power — the working class— at his illness. On the other hand, the Queen is better. It is somewhat remarkable that a similar question to that Which has agitated New Zealand, viz., the abolition or reform of the Upper House, has taken place in England, and resolutions have been passed at Birmingham against the principle of hereditary legislation, and the withdrawal of legislative powers from the bishops, and there is no doubt but that the movers have got a good case. Mr Gladstone alluded to the. fact that England was at peace with the world, but it is rather doubtful whether that peace is so lasting as Mr Gladstone seems to consider it, for Europe is evidently only slumbering after its last great struggle. It is to be hoped that the Washington Treaty will put an end to the differences which have hitherto existed between England and America, and be the means of placing on a safer footing the good understanding which has hitherto existed between the two great powers. From the remarks of Mr Gladstone tho International Society is causing some anxiety on the Continent, although nothing was feared from its operations in England. The Rev. Norman M'Leod, so well-known as v writer and preacher, denies, from 13 years' personal knowledge, any imputation as to. mental unfitness on tho part of the Queen. The Tichborne baronetcy case appears to be as far off as ever from settlement, witnesses pro and eon being produced from every quarter of the globe in hundreds. France is in a chronic state just now. Thiers is vacillating ' a 9to what he shall do, but evidently inclines to resign in favor of the Due d'Aumale, while the army is in favor of a return to Imperialism. A disagreement has taken place between Germany and Brazil, but there is no doubt it will be satisfactorily arranged. Such aro some of the leading features of the news brought by the mail.

The Westland County Council openß today at twelve o'clock, when no doubt the Chairman will explain many matters that have hitherto been ambiguous. At the monthly meeting of the Hokitika Fire Brigade, the Chairman, Captain Macfarlane, repotted thst he bar l , s'nee the last meeting, received a complimentary ticket from the Greymouth brigade, inviting him to their annual banquet, but that in consequence of the state of the streams at the time, he bad been unable to give bis personal attendance, and could only acknowledge the compliment by telegram. During a recent gale in Wellington, according to the Post, showers of pebbles were driven with great violence along the streets. Since the floods, about five years since, the No Town Creek has not overflown its banks to such an extent as it did on the night of j the 3rd instant. , At midnight the square was all' but under water, rising up to the threshold of Molloy's store. The chief damage done, as far as the writer yet knows, was to the tramways, tbat portion of Robertson's which spanned the creek is swept away, 'also a portion of Devery and Co.'s, near the western terrace, has sustained considerable injury. It was fortunat for the owner of the Shamrock that the current cut a new channel through the old workings on the western side of the creek, thereby diverting the pressure from the breakwater in front of bis house, or probably a portion of "Old Jerry's "Shamrock would this morning have been seen floating at the TwelveMile. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before 0 . Greenwood, Ea.q, J.P., and R. C. Reid, Esq., J.P., the followine civil cases were heard :— Ryan Brothers v. Clarke: Fraud summons 1 ; warrant ordered to issue. —Vivian v. Smith : Claim for 30s for goods supplied ; judgment for amount claimed".— Rogers v. Carlisle ; An action to recover -the value of certain articles of clothing detained by defendant. The plaintiff stated that she sent defendant certain clothes to be made up, and on examining them she found that they were badly made and very dirty, ana tola defendant so. On taking them back to defendant to alter, she took them in and re-

fused to give them up. She never abused abused Mrs -Carlisle; - She (defendant) said LI was not sufficient for making the clothes. Mary Ann Lawrence stated that she vent with plaintiff to, defendant, , who; refused to give up the clothes. Plaintiff said she was going to get the spoilt clothes. Defendant turned plaintiff out of the house. Mary Carlisle stated that she was employed by plaintiff to do some needlework. The money had never been tendered for the clothes. Plaintiff offered her money for the summons. The clothes were of no use to her, and plaintiff could have them at any time. If plaintiff had offered to pay for the clothes she could have had them. Plaintiff was very abusive, and she had to turn her out of the house. The Bench dismissed the case, and ordered each party to pay their own costs. Kereopa's portrait has been taken by a Napier artist, who has secured the copyright of nis work of art. The likeness, according to the Hawked Bay Times, "is of exceedingly faithful character, and shows considerably less outward appearance of villainy than might be expected by those who have read of his deeds. The expression of the features is, in fact, of a plaintive rather than a criminal cast." Good hacks were lately sold in the Wairarapa district, Wellington, at 10s to 25s each, Farmers' Clubs in Canterbury appear to be of some practical use. The Courtenay and Ellesmere Clubs in one year, according to the Lyltelton Times, on a rough calculation, increased the , price of grain in Christchurch upwards of 6d per bushel. The Auckland City Board proposes to borrow L 20 ,000, and a local paper states that already " some members sniff the carrion on which they hope to fatten." Coroners' juries do give queer verdicts sometimes. The other day an inquest was held on the body of a waif, a poor drunkard, at a farm on the No. 2 Line, Wanganui. Mr McKay, a settler, stated in evidence that he was compelled to strike the man (then dead) in self-defence, and that he gave him one blow. Dr Earle deposed that the man died from the effects of the blow. The case seemed clear enough. The jury brought in a verdict to the effect that the deceased died from the effects of a blow, but how or by whom given did not appear. . At the Dunstan Races, Otago, on the 27th ult., the Maiden Plate was won by Flying Fish, Patch 2 ; Handicap Hurdle Race, by Pretender ; Grand Stand Handicap—Brunette, 1 ; Miss Ennise, 2 ; the Members' Race was won by Yatterina. On the next day the Hurdle Race was won by Patch ; Sir Tatton, 2. Alexander Plate— Slander, 1 ; Flying Fish, 2; Jockey Club Handicap- - Brunette, 1 ; Exile, 2 ; Knottingley, 3. As the funeral procession following the remains of the late Mr Robert M'Kay was going on board of the steamer Golden Age at Port Chalmers, a youth of about fifteen years of age, named John Miller, fell off the stage into the water. He was, however, rescued by the efforts of the captain and crew of T.he steamer ; and Mr George Wilson, butcher, who saw the danger the boy ,was in, and fearing that he might have injured his head iv falling, immediately sprang into the water and swam under the jetty to his assistance. We are glad to say the lad was uninjured by thefalL From Christchurch we learn that it is thought probable that the Astronomer Royal will make use of the Christchurch Observatory to observe the transit of Venus in 1874. He recently wrote to the General Government stating that Canterbury was the best place for the purpose. The formation of an Astronomical. Society is, therefore, very apropos, and the Superintendent proposes to ask the Council next session to give land endowments for the purpose of promoting tho establishment of tho ooocrvalury with a, permanent astronomer. In the meantime, donations and subscriptions are coming in very freely. In reference to the measures being taken to form special settlements in the North Island, the Wanganui Chronicle has the following :— Mr M'Lean may be expected in Wanganui in a week or two to arrange with Kemp and other loyal natives, to purchase their interest in the confiscated land in the Waitotara district/with the object of locating some of the immigrants upon it, who will soon be arriving in the colony. The Melbourne Age of the 14th ultimo, has the following:— "At Mr Packham's, 99, Collins street west, there is on view a piece of carving in Kakanui stone, representing two birds known as Waxeyes, watching over their nest in some New Zealand climbera. The male bird has discovered an intruder peering into the nest, and is alarmed in consequence. The carving exhibits the remarkable case with which some of the New Zealand stone ciin be worked. When fresh ft dm the quarries, the workmen cut it as easily as the soft freestone of the eld country. Though soft when taken from the ground, the stone hardens with exposure. Its cost, we learn, landed in Melbourne, is much less than. that of much inferior stone." The Wanganui Chronicle of the 26th ult. says:— The changes in the official staff of this Court, which we foreshadowed some considerable time ago, -will come into effect about the new year. Mr Baddeley comes from Hokitika to the Clerkship of the Court, and Mr Reimenschnider is appointed I Clerk of the Court at Raglan, for which he will leave immediately on the arrival of Mr Baddeley. Mr Henderson has arrived from Wellington to act' as bailiff and assistant in the Clerk's office here, vice Mr Montgomery, who retires on a pension. We understand it is the intention of the Government to carry out the provisions of the Civil Service Act, as it bears upon the retirement of officials over sixty years of age, and it is solely in accordance with this provision that Mr Montgomery retires. Mi Short, the Travelling Agent of the Australian Mutual Life Assurance Society, will deliver a lecture on the advantages of life assurance on the mutual principle, this evening, at eight o'clock, at the Volunteer Hall. The success which has hitherto attended Mr Short'a lectures will no doubt attend him in this iistrict. In connection with the above, we have been requested by Mr Short to publish the following, taken from the Sydney. Morning Herald of September 3, 1870 .— " It will do doubt interest many of our readers to learn the opinion of the English Press on the present position of the Australian Mutual Provident Society. Tlie (Insurance) Iteview, of July, has the following observations on this valuable institution:—'We have received a copy of the! annual report of this society (founded 1849), from Sydney, and have had much pleasure in perusing it. We print the report iv an abbreviated form in another part of our columns. The accounts which accompany] it, and a copy of the last quinquennial report ' published in 1869, show the position of the! Australian Mutual Provident to be eminently ! satisfactory and deserving of all support, j The new business during the past year has j been very considerable, and the new jj premiums are no less than L 32.236. The! annual income of the society is, from ; premiums, L 160.884; from interest, L 40.132 ;! the grosg income is L2Q1,016. The total j number of policies in force is 10,269, assur ; ing L 6,754,984,, 754,984, The balance carried to the ] Assurance Fund was L 92.500, making the total assets L 679.784. The rate of ex- ! penditure, . including commissions and all other charges, does, not, exceed 11 per cent of the income. The present posi* ; ; (ion of the Australian Mutual Provident, j

with its clearness of accounts, vigor of management, and economy in expenditure, seems to us to. be : most creditable to all Who have been concerned in bringing it to its present prosperous state. The last quinquennial report "is 'deserving of a more than cursory examination, and we propose shortly to discuss it at more length than our present limits will allow." The Commercial World, also an insnrance periodical, say 3 : — " Through the courtesy of Mr A. *J. Ralston, secretary of the above excellentlyconducted and prosperous' life assurance institution, we have r aceiyed the quinquennial bonus report, and the twenty-first annual report for the year ending 28th February, 1870, presented to the general meeting of members, which was held at Sydney on the 26th April Tho clear and succinct manner in which the business and accounts are detailed furnishes a capital model for all other life offices to follow." The following is from the Dunedin Echo : " Our earthly father was Adam, and Adam complained. We are chips of the old block, and that block was imperfect. Daily experience seems to show us that we have more of the Adam than of the God in our natures. We may put blacking on leather, but if we do not rub with the polishingbrush the leather will hot shine.. Perhaps we have not applied any polishing apparatus to our divine being, and thus it rusts, and we say that exists not which we have but do not call forth. That we daily call forth ' the offending Adam' is quite apparent. He never rusts, for want of rubbing. No Presbyterian church was open on Christmas Day. The Presbyterian says, ' Christ was born in warm weather ; and European December is cold. Episcopalians say lie was born in December. As December is cold, and as Christ was born in warm weather, he could not have been born in December. Ergo, we know not his natal anniversary.' And. because Sawney knows not his natal anniversary; he observes not any commemoration of the birth of the God Man whose praises he sings every Sunday ; and because the said Sawney is remarkably fond of whisky, he begins the new 5 ear by celebrating the anniversary of a heathen god, namely, two-headed Janus !" The Wanganui Chronicle has the following benevolent remarks respecting one of its townsmen :— " We learn that Mr F. H Cooper has left Wanganui with the intention of practising his profession in Auckland. He has done so amid the plaudits of nearly all the Majors of the place, and we suppose of the whole rank and file of the thirty or " forty " who are always ready to . "do the amiable" to distinguished people, from a Governor down to an Attorney. Mr Cooper has also got an Address certifying to his many gifts and graces -^-a fact which, whatever else it indicates, may well entitle the least .worthy of us not to despair of yet obtaining an honor of this Innd. For ourselves, speaking not in the interests of a few individuals out in that of. the' public at large, we are bound to say of Mr*Cpoper's connection with Wanganui that nothing has become him bo well as his leaving it. The Australasian Trade Review has the following regarding where all the bad wheat goes to :•--" A good deal of excitement has been occasioned through the action taken by the City Council, in bringing before the Magistrate's Court several bakers who are alleged to have used alum in the preparation of their bread ; the bakers persist in laying the onus on the millers*, the latter, however, deny the allegation, and some (through the medium of the press) invite au inspection of their stock. The question probably resolves itself into the followiug inquiry :— What becomes of the very large quantity of damaged and unwholsome New Zealand and other sorts of wheat, competed for so eagerly at our weekly auctions? Tt is well known that if flour be made from such inferior grain, it Can Only btf loudored Iliafkolablo hy ilio uoo of alum, or some similar ingredient, as this community toitt have a white loaf." The Duns'an Times writes :— " The Auckland Government are about to test ground, and will publish the result of their investigation. Supposing it possible for our Provincial legislators to condescend to carry out n like manner some such practical ideas, and thoroughly test the Carrick Reefs and other similar gold-bearing localities, would not their energies be more honorably employed than in the make-believe duty of theoretical legislation. Such work might be made almost self-sustaining, and, while giving a new and vigorous impulse to mining industry, would ultimately develope, by mere force " of favoring circumstances, into the establishment of schools of mines and a thorough mining . survey of the country. Thus the people would eventually become trained to the proper working of the goldfields, the risk of mo^ey and labor being fruitlessly expended by misdirected enemy would be lessened, and; v tbe reproach would pass away that a Province teeming with golden treasure is helplessly drifting into ruin, under the regime of self -conceited or incompetent rulers." At Masterton (Wellington), a few days since, the following verdict was returned at an inquest: — "That the deceased , James Tobin came by his death from injuries received by falling from the roof of a lean-to, the same being part of a house known as Tuck's Hotel, on which he obtained access from a window, such window being the only egress from the room, the trap-door by which he entered being closed, he being then in a drunken state, induced and brought on by drink served to him on the said premises known as Tuck's Hotel, Masterton, and died on the 17th day of December, 1871. And we further find that the deceased was cruelly and improperly treated, and neglected, not having been undressed from the time of the accident till the day of his death, and being placed upon straw without bedding ; blankets being only supplied ; he having been removed from the house and put into a loose box in the stable, the adjoining stable being at i times used to stable entire horses in, and for slaughtering and dressing sheep." The following announcement which recently appeared in the Fiji Gazette, receives no favorable comments from the Australian press:— "We understand that it is the intention of the Government, at a very early day, to institute measures for the inauguration of a military force, to subjugate the mountaineers of VitiLevu, and- occupy .their land. Of course all acquainted with Fiji are aware that there exists a mighty country, hundreds of thousands of acres of well watered and fertile soil, highly calculated for the settlement of an extensive, intelligent, and progressive population. No undertaking that could be projected would meet with more general satisfaction. We have already a number of idlers who would gladly volunteer to become members of the army of occupation, and who are quite ready to shoulder the rifle and undertake the invasion of a country that is peopled with bloodthirsty savages, that are living in a state of heathenism horrible to contemplate, and who have slaughtered so many white men. Their complete coercion there would be no difficulty in accomplishing; and their deportation in small lots as laborers to the planters, where they might be Christianised and civilised, would be a work which the world would ,ippro\e. Wo trust in a short time to be enabled to announce the arrangements that are, projected for this noble purpose; and **c oon^dent they will meet with. tb,e co» operation of the public.?.' : ■ The miners of Si Bathans, Otag(y have actively taken up the case of their fellow townsman. Mr John Swing, who shot at anl wounded a Chinaman on the morning of

■■■■I Sunday, the 19tli September last, caughb by one of his -workmen in the act of robbing his (MrEwing's). tailrace; and they -now appeal to the miners generally throughout the Province to subscribe towards a defence Fund for Mr Ewing, who is committed to take lija trial for the alleged offence at the next of the Supreme Court. Tailrace robberies have been most frequent of late in the Mount Ida district, especially at St. Bathans, where L 250 worth of gold is supposed to have been lost in this way during the last few months. The Chinamen have long been suspected as the delinquents?but no case could be satisfactorily brought home to them, although sufficient evidence has remained to connect them with the various robberies. The case of Mr Ewing has set all doubts at rest, and John Chinaman has been caught in the act of abstracting gold from a miner's tail-race. It will be recollected by our readers that Mr Ewing's workman cnly secured the thief after a most violent struggle, and in answer to the man's cries for assistance his employer rushed to the rescue, and, to complete the capture, armed: himself with a gun. Finding the Chinaman upon the point of overpowering hiß man and effecting his escape, Mr Ewing very naturally and properly fired at the thief, wounding him in the right shoulder.