THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1139, 22 March 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1872.

The Question of what are commonly called the Alabama claims occupies by no means the same prominent place in the Suez telegrams as it did in those received by way of San Francisco. The sources of our information on the subject are different, and, even supposing the origiual information to have been correct, the circumstances are fortunately and widely different from what they were described to be a fortnight ago. The excitement has been abated ;no rupture is apprehended ; and a friendly diplomatic solution is confidently hoped for. With this assurance, the American difficulty may be considered with comparative complacency, but, while this is the case, we have news from the I other end of the earth of an event de- , plorable in itself, and which, coming as it does closely upon an outrage of a similar character in the same i country, may reasonably be the cause of some speculation and anxiety. We refer to the death, by the hands of a native.. .»»»?-«« - lif- 1 ?^ 1 Mayo, Vicerujroi ificfta. It is only a few months since an Indian city was the scene of the murder of one of the most eminent Judges in our Eastern Empire, and, though it was the confession of the murderer that he was self-instigated and selfimplicated in the crime, chere remained the suspicion on the minds of many that it was but an incident in what might 'prove to be another organised plot against the British rulers of the country. An incident of so similar a character, occurring so soon, and resulting in the death of the very highest representative of the Crown, may reasonably give rise to the suspicion that it may prove to be but the second act in another tragic drama such as that of which India has already besn the scene. It is sincerely to be hoped that this is only a suspicion, excited by the similarity and closeness of the two crimes, and by the fact of the personages assassinated being .high in place and power. In the telegrams to hand there is certainly no indication that such a suspicion is felt on the, spot, or that the assassination is attributable to any other cause than the homicidal tendencies of a man who had already been under sentence for murder, but tj whom the law had been too lenient by granting him a ticket-of -leave. While the death of Earl Mayo is none the less to be deplored, there is in this circumstance, and in the absence of any alarm in India, some reason for assuming that the assassination is not significant of any national outbreak, however much such an outrage, or the recurrence of similar outrages, might precipitate such an event. With regard to the scene of this sad tragedy, it may be mentioned that the An damans are a group 'of thickly-wooded islands, situated towards the east side of the Bay of Bengal. As described in histories of India, the population is both barbarous and scanty, and bears no resemblance whatever, either in physical features or language, to the neighboring Asiatic races. In 1793 the Great Andaman became a British colony, which was withdrawn, however, in 1796., Since 1857 the Andamans have been selected as a penal settlement for Sepoy mutineers, though the design was not, at least on any large scale, carried into effect. It was apparently by one of those. mutinous or murderous occupants of the islands that the assassination of the Viceroy was perpetrated. From England itself the news is meagre, but satisfactory by the absence of any social agitation or disturbance, if we except the disorganisation of the labor market through the increasing demands of the employed. So far as the Colonies are concerned, and in a commercial point of view, the news of the month is highly satisfactory, wool and produce being both in good demand and acquiring a value which seems to increase steadily as time advances. It is a subject for congratulation also that the slave trade in the South Seas, which has become the source of so much misery and crime even at this early stage of its history, has provoked Parliament to introduce a Bill the effect of which, it is to be hoped, will be soon an.l beneficially felt among the islands of the .Pacific. Another Bill in which in these Colonies, where it has already been adopted, we may roasonably take an | interest—the Ballot Bill— has again, it is

said, passed the Commons by a large majority. Iv connection "with : political subjects, it would be carelessness to omit , the mention which is made of two of our most prominent Colonial politicians. Mr Fitzherbert and Mr Yogel, who had both been Colonial Commissioners to England, have been created C.M.G., which we take to mean Companions of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. : The telegrams, it will be seen, bring up the news to a very late date — the 20th of February, and, by the mails being transhipped at Port Philip Heads, and transmitted this time by way of the East Coast, the Otago and Canterbury commentators upon passing events have no alternative left, this month, but to be for once in the year content and congratulatory as to the mail arrangements. For the seat in the Nelson Council, vacated by Mr Mackley, no candidate has yet appeared, but it is stated that at the nomination, which takes place at Cobden at neon, at least three nominations will be madeMr Kynnersley, Mr P. Guinness, and Mr Drury. The settling in convection with the recent races took place yesterday at an hour earlier ' than that advertised, in' order to enable the several winners of races to leave by the I Charles Edward. The several amounts were paid, there being ample funds available to meet the Club's engagements. Mr J. S. M. ' Thompson was elected Treasurer, in the ploce of Mr Nichol, who had resigned. All having accounts against the stewards are requested by the secretary to send in their claims before Tuesday next. The Licensing Justices, at a sitting yesterday, granted the transfer- of Caroline Ken's license to Louis C. Anseline. At a meeting of the stewards of the races, held at the Albion Hotel, yesterday, the Jrotest of the rider of Black Eagle against 'eeress for second place was fully considered, a large amount of evidence being received as to the alleged jostling on the part of the rider of Peeress. The resolution , of the stewards was — " That the protest be not entertained on account of the want of conclusive evidence." 1 The Nelson Provincial Council is not expected to be convened sooner than the 30th ; of April next. The Supreme Court sittings take place in the Provincial Council buildings during tho month, and, probably for that reason, as well as others, it is considered convenient that the Council should not meet till about the date stated. The news of the discovery of a rich reef south of the Hokitika River is reported at Ross on good authority. It is known, says the News, that some Hokitika traders have been supporting a prospecting party, under the leadership of " the Doctor, and now he has come in with some very rich specimens ' and applied for a prospecting claim. Every- ' thing is kept secret at present, but the impression is that there is a good reef found t this side of the Hokitika River. There was again a fair attendance, last ■ evening, both at Murray's Circus and at the • Volunteer Hall, where the Diorama of the ) American War is being exhibited. It was i the last night of performances at the Circus, Mr Murray intending to. make a start this . morning on the long overland journey to Christchurcb, where he is to open his plase ! of entertainment during the Easter holidays. His success on the Coast encourages him to 1 contemplate returning, with a more numerous and attractive company. The Diorama will ' again be exhibited this evening at the Hall. The County Gazette contains a notification that the County Council will meet on Wednesday, the 27th instant. There was a misunderstandiDgoo to iho p»rt»ox»l«r W««a««3oday, in consequence of which Mr E. B. Fox pro w^uji. uokitika on Wednesday last. Two charges of assault were heard at the i Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday. One : complaint was by James Ogden against James Jones. The complainants statement was • that he called upon the defendant for the payment of a racing bet, and, instead of the [ bet, got a beating, The defendant's state- . ment was that the complainant was wrong as to the bet, and abusive to him before a [ number of people, and he simply removed ' him by force from his premises. A fine of 1 Is was imposed. In the other case, the - alleged assault was made by Thomas Williams upon Edward Noble, by striking i and kicking him in the street without pros vocation. The complainant appeared with a ; swollen face, so extensively bandaged that his t appearance could not fail to produce a con- , siderable effect upon the Court, but, at the . request of the counsel for the defendant, he t removed the bandages, which, he said, had been put on by his medical adviser. The ' Bench considered that there had been a gross ' assault, and fined the defendant L 2 and ' costs, LI to be paid to the complainant. In default of payment, he was ordered to be imprisoned for fourteen days, but the fine was K paid. . Henry Jacobs was charged yesterday before a Bench of Justices (Mr Revell, R.M , and Messrs King, Reidi and Wickes, J.P.,) i i with " playing with an instrument of gaming ' in a public place, at a game of chance. The i "instrument of gaming," a roulette or ba-' , gatelle table, in which the motive power is i a steel spring, was produced in Court, and a number of witnesses were examined as to , the ownership of the table and the nature of the game. The clause of the Vagrant Act ' under which the charge was made is to this' effect :— " Any person playing or betting in ' any street, road, "highway, or other open and public place, at or with any table, or instrument of gaming, at any game or pretended game of chance," shall, &c. Mr Perkins, who appeared for the defendant, contended that the game was one of skill, and not of chance, and that the race-course was not a "public place,'' being private property, for admission to which a charge was made Mr Revell, in giving the decision of the Bench, said it had been proved that the defendant was present on the race-course, where the public were assembled, and that was sufficient as to its being a public place. Though a charge had been made, that did not constitute it a private place. It was a place of public resort, and came under the definition of the Act. The Bench had very little doubt as to that point. As to Whether it was a game of chance or skill, they were divided in opinion. Two of them considered that it was distinctly a game of skill, Mid two others that it did not amount to a game of skill— that it -was simply a game of chance, '"to these grounds, and as one of witnesses stated that the same was to some extent dependent upon skill, the Bench gave the defendant the benefit of the doubt. I There was not sufficient evidence before them as to whether it was a game of skill or chance, and the case would be dismissed. The Rev B. K. Taylor and Mrs Richard Taylor, of Wanganui, were injured on Wednesday week by a trap accident, at Turakina Hill. The reverend gentleman was knocked down by the horse, and the wheel of the trap passed over his body. The lady was thrown" from the trap, and her shoulder was dislocated. Both are progressing well. The first bell cast in Otago has just been turned out by Messrs A, and T. Burt for the North Dunedin Presbyterian Church. The bell, the compounding and casting of which was done on tho premises of the firm, weighs 2cwfc, and its n*>,tt cost L 22 Bs, being at the rate of 2a per pound. Bells up to 30cwt can be cast by this firm as cheaply as they can be imported. . ;;

A well attended meeting of gentlemen interested in football has been lield in Dunedin, when it was determined to form a club for the ensuing season, to lie called the Dunediu Football Club. Professor Sale was unanimously elected president. His Excellency took his departure in the steamship Nebraska. He left Christchurch by the 5 p.m. train, and was accompanied to port by his Honor the Superintendent and a large number of gentlemen. The Gazelle was in waiting, aui conveyed the' party on board. • The Grand Jury ignored the bill in the case of Patriok Crawford, charged at the present sitting of the Supreme Court with burglary. The Hon the Premier has proceeded to Stafford Town, with the intention pi visiting the Waimea and other places in the vicinity.' It is reported that Mr G. M'Leari intends resigning his seat in the Assembly for Waikoaiuti, on account of ill-health. A shark, 4ft 9in long, was caught off the end of Queen's Wharf, Wellington, on Saturday. The person who secured the fish had, a few minutes previously, lost a large hook, and was puzzled to know what sort of customer had taken it. On opening the shark, the missing hook was found in his inside, it having been "bolted" with the bait to which it was attached.The naming of a young bull "Julius Yogel," referred to by the writer of " Casual Notes," in the Otago Daily Times a few weeks ago, reminds the Evening Post of a story which may be new to many Otago people—" A lawyer who resided in Dunedin some years ago kept geese, and named them after the Judges of the Supreme Court. Occasionally they went the way of all geese, . and were cooked,' the lawyer issuing invitations for dinner, saying— 'l've killed Rich- ; monA [or Qreßson< as the case might be), and hope you won't find him tough.' " ' The subscription list for Bray, who was unsuccessful in the wrestling match with Manning, at Christchurch, has filled up rapidly, and it is expected that the net result will be about L 25. Manning was one of the , first to put down his name, and the amount ; was very far from beine; a small one. A man named. Colu'er Bray has advertised a challenge to any man in the province for LIOO a side, but he is not, as generally believed, the same Bray whom Manning defeated. The challenger iv this instance is said to be now on the West Coast. We glean from the sporting correspondent of the Otago Daily Times, that the horses engaged in the forthcoming Dunedin meeting are nearly all upon the ground. As he remarks, absolute tips can only be regarded as premature opinions. He appears to think well of Knottingley and TBobby Burns for the Forbury Handicap, and that Defamation, with Bst 61b, has got a "steadier." Exile and Catapult, both of Canterbury reputation, are also favorably, noticed for the race, as are Slander, Lyndon, Gossip, and Flying Fish, for the Publican's Handicap. From the same source we are informed that the Hurdle Race is likely to be between Medora, Ivanhoe, or Maid of the Mill, Sir Tatton, it appears, being lately out of form. From a private telegram received in Hokitika, the West Coast Times learns that Mr Edward Smethurst has procured protection under the Patent Laws of New. Zealand for a new principle for propelling vessels, which is likely to supersede the present screw and paddle. The principle is not only simple in its construction, but will effect a considerable saving in fuel, and, at the same time attain a greater effective speed. The invention has been submitted to several competent engineers and other authorities in New Zealand, and they have all pronounced a favorable opinion as to its merits. Money has been subscribed to. practically test its uWlly, -U.tJ. t n r. r iv~. and gea-S^nfir VOSSels. Similar protection is in the course of being obtained in Melbourne, Sydney, America, and England. Last Tuesday, as Mr Arthur Reddy was working in the neighborhood of his slaughter yards, North kevell street, Hokitika, his attention was attracted by a man running towards him from the bush. The man's clothes were disarranged, and he had a long, heavy bar of iron in hi<j hands, held above his bead, making straight for Reddy. Mr Reddy, with great presence of mind, concluded that the man was an escaped lunatic, and coolly called out, "Hallo, [sir ! come here, sir !" The lunatic, for such he was, threw the iron bar into the boiler, saying, "Is not my dinner done yet ?" After some talk, Mr Reddy induced the poor fellow to go into a spring-cart, and took him to the Sea View Lunatic Asylum, from which he had artfully escaped four hours previously, but so slyly, that he was not missed until Reddy drove up and asked if they had lost any of their patients. Thereupon a muster was called, and it was discovered that a patient was missing. So. "Mr Reddy handed back his passenger to the insecure keeping of the Government, The Canterbury Press comments as follows on the new House of Representatives :— " A review of the session supplies abundant evidence that the present House is distinctly inferior to its predecessors. It contains a smaller proportion of men of high education and culture than at any former period — a fact quoted with exultation by ignoramuses j who style themselves democrats, as affording hopes that persons of that description will I soon be altogether excluded from public life. f The style of the proceedings shows that its intellectual standard has been considerably lowered. The debates, never more copious, have been, as a rule, below mediocrity, unworthy^ of an average debating club. The most interesting subjects, questions of finance or policy, or of constitutional changes, even the great question of popular education, with a few eminent exceptions, yielded scarcely a speech worth, reporting. Of two bulky volumes of Hansard, twothirds consist of a mass of verbiage, unenlivened by a sparkle of wit or a gleam of intelligence—flat, stale, and unprofitable." A gang of six magsmeri have been cleverly captured in Otago.- It appears that Mounted ! Constable Dunn, on Saturday last, watched six men who were unlawfully stopping in the out-house of Mr John Patterson, Balclutha township. The constable and Mr Patterson lay hid listening to what they were saying, as their suspicions regarding them had been aroused. At about 10 p.m. they heard the men decide on robbing a house close to them, and which they supposed to belong to the Wesleyan minister. One man said he would bring a bag of " spoods" from it, and he was instructed not to bring "spoods," but money. Another said that he had " piped" the place " properly" during the day. The constable at once gave the occupier of the house word i of what was about to take place, and con- ' tinued his watch of the scheming six. At about 11 o'clock two of them visited various places in the town, looking at what was going on. They returned to their mates at about half -past 12 o'clock. Constable Dunn, accompanied by some civilians, then went to the house the meri had put up at, and Mr Patterson, the owner of it, gave them in charge, fcr being in' his place with intent to commit a felony. The constable handcuffed two of the most desperate of the party, but he had the handcuffs no sooner on, than they broke them. He, and those with him, could not make the prisoners manageable until ;he produced his revolver. When the prisoners were sentenced, the Bench complimented Constable Dunn for his aotion in arresting the gang. .'■'.'..''