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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1131, 13 March 1872, Page 2

The Assistant Engineer-in-Chief, it will be seen, calls for tenders for the construction of several sections of road in the Giey and Inangahua Valleys. The sections in the Inanqahua Valley are— from Christy's to the Gorge, 4 miles, and from Larry's Creek to Fern Flat, 4^ miles. Tenders are to be sent in to the Provincial Engineer's office before the 23rd inst. The section in the Grey Valley is that from Reefton to Mia Mia Plain, 7 miles, for which tenders are to be sent in before the 30th inst. Tenders can be seen at Cobden, Ahaura, Reefton, and Westport. It will be seen Ithat all Government property in possession of Volunteers must be sent in to the Drill-shed before tive o'clock this evening, as a preliminary to the annual inspection on Thursday, the 14th inst. We understand that Mr G. W. Moss has brought to Greyraouth the first cake of gold, weighing 430z, obtained from a crushing by the Energetic Company, at theluangahua, and that it now lies at one of the Banks in town. The Flood Relief Committee met last evening at Gilmer's Hotel, MrMoriceLevy in the chair. Several further applications for relief were considered, and about L4O voted to the applicants whose claims were favorably received. The funds at the disposal of the Committee are now nearly exhausted, and only a few applications from the country remain to be disposed of. On that being done, a full report of the proceedings of the Committee will be published, and be forwarded to the various places from which subscriptions have been received. Signor Donato, the celebrated one-legged dancer, is expected to arrive at Christchurch in a few days, and wi'l appear in conjunction with Mr Morton Tavares at the Music Hall. The new Otago immigration barracks for the reception of the immigrants to be brought out under the General Government scheme, are to be erected at Green Island. The wife of a blacksmith •in Dunedin has presented her husband with triplets, two boys and a girl, one boy being still-born. The establishment of an annual intsrcolonial four-oared race in Victoria, also a champion scullers' race, are announced. The prize for the former is to be the same as at the Hobart Town and Sydney inter-colonial races, and that for Bcullers is to be L2o. Mr Walters, of Nelson, succeeded in carrying off two races in one day ab Invercargill, with Slander— ihe Town Plate and the Ladies' J Purse. Mr Walters has reaped a tolerable harvest this season in Otago with his two mares, and been the means of affording good racing at numerous meetings. j We have to acknowledge receipt of a copy of what should prove to be a very useful little book. It is entitled " A Key to the Stamp Acts," being a digest of stamp duties payable in New Zealaud, with directions on stamping instruments and cancelling stamps. It is arranged by H. B. Sealey, Esq, R.M. , late Deputy' Commissioner of Stamps in the Province of Hawke's Bay, and is printed at the Herald office, Napier. The author says in his preface :— " The necessity for this

little treatise will, I think, sufficiently apologise for its appearance. There are already five Stamp Acts, containing 239 clauses, besides schedules. The public— especially the mercantile public — are bound under heavy penalties to comply with the provisions of these Acts, and are continually subject to the risk of transactions being defeated from defective stamping, brJKmperfect cancelling of stamps." Reporting the progress of the Hon Mr Fox southward, the Boss News, of Monday, says :— "The Premier and party went up the Waiho, on the 6th, and camped for the night. He sketched the most marked features of Mount Cook, and such of the country as could be seen. Next day he went as far as Gillespie's, and will probably arrive here to-morrow. Meanwhile the County Chairman will escort Mrs Fox here." A banquet was to be held last evening in the Fire Brigade Hall, Hokitika, to celebrate the formation of the Courts of the Ancient Order of Foresters in x Westland into a separate district, they hitherto having been established in connection with Canterbury. Mr John Cameron intends running a line of coaches between Hokitika and Waimea, the principal feature in the arrangements being that passengers will be enabled to make the return journey in the same day. The West Coast Times is informed that gold has been discovered on the new road between Greenstone and Marsden, on one .of the banks of the Blackwater, and that some of the men employed on Messrs Cassidy and Clarke's contract have left their work and gone prospecting. Some time ago, it is said, gold was struck in the same locality, and 12oz were taken out of a paddock, but the lead— if there be one— was not then discovered. At the last meeting of the Hokitika Hospital Committee Mr Bonar and Judge Harvey tendered their resignations of the offices of President and Vice-President respectively, in consequence of other engagements interfering with their attendance. The resignations were accepted, and thanks recorded to both gentlemen for their services. Mr William Norfolk, residing at Eangiora, Canterbury, has been drowned in the river Waimakariri. It appears that the horse propped his rider into a deep place where a strong current was running. The deceased leaves a wife and four or five children. The Friendly Societies of Dunedin have resolved to build a hall at a cost of L3OOO. Messrs Spears and Co are the contractors for its erection. Late Dunedin papers contain the nominations for the handicaps at the forthcoming Forbnry Park Races. They are thirty-six in number ; and judging from the quality of the horses entered, and the fact that between fifty and sixty will run, some really good sport may be expected. Hawke's Bay is receiving tri-monthly j shipments of female immigrants. The Herald states that " from whatever cause it may arise, it is a matter of certainty that a considerable number of the females recently sent to this Province have not turned out as satisfactorily as might have been anticipated, considering the care with which they were selected, and the. recommendations which preceded their arrival." Whilst driving in a buggy on the Main South Road, Mr Sibbald, of the Provincial Hotel, Dunedin, and Mrs Sibbald, who accompanied him, were suddenly precipitated out of the vehicle, the splash board having given way and frightened the horse. Mrs Sibbald escaped with % few bruises on her forehead, but her husband, unfortunately, had his arm broken. Wo™o g yt 0 i wn that Mr Sibbald is progressing favorably. The Marlborough Express gives a cheerful account of a theatrical performance attempted by the Wairau Club. It states that in. the "Illustrious Stranger," "the King was most imperfect in his part. Fatima read most of hers, and spoiled the others ; Irza was indistinct, and the scene shifting was badly managed." Hamlet, with "the ghost left out by special desire," must have been a treat to this. A poinfully sudden death took place in Princes street, Dunedin, last week. A paperhauger named James Galbraith, who had been engaged with a fellow-workman in papering the bar of the Oriental Hotel, was observed to rush suddenly across the street, and fall down opposite Mr Aldrich's office. On being picked up, blood was flowing from his mouth, and he was at once removed to the Oriental Hotel. Dr Reimer, who was called in, found that the unfortunate man had expired. Deceased was 30 years of age, and a native of Scotiandl ' He has two sisters living in Victoria. Captain Bascand, of 'the Waipara, reports that the Martin's Bay settlers were all well, and that a good many of those who had left had returned over the Saddle, and have set to work clearing their lard, The miners at Big Bay speak very highly of the place, and do not seem in any way anxious to leave it. Fine gardens, well stocked with potatoes arid other vegetables, meet the eye all the way down, the soil being of the best description. No accidents or sickness of any kind were reported, and all the miners and settlers at the various places visited seemed healthy and in good spirits. Araoncst the several parcels of gold bought from the miners, one parcel came from Yates's Point, some distance south of Martin's Bay, and near to Milford Sound, and evidently the gold found there is of a superior quality. It 'has been decided by the Wellington Borough Council to give its mayor a salary of L2OO a-year, the original proposal that he should have L3OO being amended. From the discussion on the motion, it seems his Worship looks after the reclaimed land, the wharf, a bonded store, the streets, and an " enormous quantity of other work," as well as having to reply to correspondence. When an accident, as the flood at Greymouth or a fire at Carterton, occurs, the mayor is the first person referred to by the sufferers, he is bound to see these people assisted, " and whether it was for the death of a horse or the burial of a child, the mayor had to put his hand in his pocket for relief." Such were some of the chief arguments in support of the motion. One councillor thought that from the prices the reclaimed land aud wharf were fetching the Council could afford L3OO. The amended notice was carried by five votes to two, his Worship retiring while the discussion was going on. An interesting work, entitled "The Lite, rary Life of the Rev. William Harness," who was a Prebendary of St. Paul's Cathe- J dral, has been lately published. It contains ' a number of interesting anecdotes regarding well known mon, both living and dead. The following relates to Bishop Selwyn :— " (Jonversing with Bishop Selwyn, then of New Zealand, Mr Harness, asked him if his ministry had been attended with success. 'With very litfcle, I grieve to say;' 1 Mtos the reply. 'A short time since, I thought [ had brought to a better state of mind a man who had attempted to murder a woman, and had been condemned to death. He showed signs of contrition. I gave him a Bible, and he was most assiduous in the study of it. He gave altogether such a promise of reformation that I exerted myself and obtained for him a commutation of sentence. I called to inform him of my success. His gratitude knew no bounds ; he said I was his preserver, his deliverer. " And here," yhe added, as he grasped my hand in parting— "here is your Bible. I may as well return it to you, for I hope that I jsliall never want it again.'"'