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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1143, 27 March 1872, Page 2

The Greymouth portion of the Melbourne mail brought by the Rangitoto was not landed at Hokitika and forwarded by coach, as was expected. The English letters and papers received by way of Suez are understood to have been forwarded by the Alhambra, and may be expected to arrive in Hokitika by this night's coach. The Diorama of the American War Is to be exhibited in Greymouth this evening only, Mr liaiuer having arranged to leave for Hokitika. The ordinary attractions of the entertainment will be enhanced, as they have been for the past nights, by a distribution of gifts. ' . • ; In the Rangitoto's passenger list we notice the names of Mr and Mrs Masters, of Greymouth, who, with their family, have for several months past been on a visit to Victoria. Murray's Circus Troupe has been performing to good housos in the Waimea district. The Tenders Committee of the County Council have accepted the tender of Mr Connon, for the erection of a Lunatic Asylum. The Waipara, on her last trip from Okarito to Hokitika, brought up 2730z of gold, and 33 " empty casks." The diggings of the district seem to hold out well, and so does the " drouth " of its inhabitants. At the Launceston Races, Chapman's Band was engaged to attend from Melbourne; but the uustom Houpe officers made the performers pay duty on their instruments. This is described in a Victorian paper as "meanness gone mad." ' , The following are the weights declared for the Gold Fields Handicap Race, at flokitika: -Plying Jib, 9sb 41b ; Black Eagle, Bst 121bj Misfortune, Sst 101 b ; Lacenfeed, 7st 121 b. John Hartley, accused of horse-stealing at Dunedin, and captured in New South Wales, has been safely brought over and lodged in Dunedin Gaol. « ' Most of our readers/ says the West Coast Times, "will recollect the man as an old offender, but who rendered himself serviceable in. the gaol on one or two occasions, when work vas required to be done of a somewhat unpleasant character." The limes refers, we presume, to Hartley having acted as hangman when Noble was executed for murder. Arrangements are being made preparatory to starting a newspaper in the Waikato district. Captain Baldwin Las lately been lecturing at Picton. During his stay there, he has been, very successful with regard to insurance. He has been obliged, unexpectedly, to leave for Wellington, but returns again shortly to Marlborough. A Havelock correspondent informs a Marlborough paper that things in general are looking well in that quarter. The timber trade is brisk, no less thao upwards of 400,000 feet of timber having been exported during February. The Hon. Mr Fox has delivered a second lectu -c in Hokitika. The subject was ' ' The Liquor Traffic," though, as Mr Fox said, the title did not represeut the matter of the lecture. It wag listened toby ''the largest and most attentive audience that has ever filled the Town Hall." Mr Button was the chairman, and at its close he expressed his gratification at listening to the lecture, and stated that his scruples had been entirely removed, and he should at once sign the pledge. ' ' In the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, John Gbstridge was brought up on remand, charged with stealing L2B, the property of Robert HilL He had been remanded for further evidence, and the additional witnesses called were Eliza Duggan, barmaid at Banney'a Hotel, and Patrick Hanney, the proprietor. They gave evidence as to Hill changing a LlO note ia the hotel when prisoner was in the bar. Constable Casey proved the arrest of the prisoner, and also that prosecutor picked up L2B in notes, near where witness first saw him and prisoner struggling. Mr Perkins addressed the Bench for the defence, urging that prisoner, on finding prosecutor in his tent, tried to turn him out, and by way of accomplishing that end threw hia clothes out. During the scuffle, the notes fell out on^ the ground, where they were found. Prisouer made a statement to a similar effect, but was committed to take his trial at the next District Court, The same prisoner was then charged with stealing a meerschaum pipe, the property of Robert Kennedy, on the 23rd instant. It seemed that on Saturday prisoner was in the bar at Hanney's Hotel, where prosecutor and others were at the time. Prosecutor laid his pipe down on the counter for a minute or two, when prisoner availed himself of the opportunity to pocket it. On being charged with the theft be stoutly denied it, but on receiving a thrashing gave the pipe up. He was sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labor. The races announced by the Hokitika Sports Committee, to be held on the old race-course on the cricket ground, on Easter Monday and Tuesday, promise to be highly successful. " The time for receiving nominations for the Goldfields Handicap closed on Saturday, at 8 p.m., when the following nominations had been sent in : — Plying Jib, Misfortune, Black Eagle, and Lacenfeed'. The West Coast Times says :— That the horses named above will likewise be entered for the Westland Handicap of the second day there can scarcely be a doubt ; while alrea iy we hear of a number of local horses that are being got into condition to compete iv the numerous minor events that are set forth iv the programme. They do things handsomely at Coromandel. The Rev. Thomas Scott was lately presented ' by his congregation with a horse, and the Jdailfin describing "the ceremony of presentation," says :— The ladies' executive, acting for the donors, were Mrs Kelly and Miss Preece, and the " gifted animal " was transferred by passing over the rein to Mr Scott by Mr Douglas in^a graceful and impressive manner. The writer of "Talk on Change" in the Amtralasian says :— " There has been within the memory of a middle-aged man a shoddj aristocracy, and now there is a new capitalist class in process of development— a quartzocracy. Soft-goods can no longer find lodgings ftt Queenscliff, nor the best berth on board the Tasmanian steamer* nor a monopoly of the picked brands of dry champagne, nor can hardware secure all the prizes that the world offers wealth. For quartz is just now generous, and gives forth gold to its conqueror more abundantly, than do bales of blankets | or blacksmiths' anvils, and gold can be sold on shorter terms than six months' bilk • renewable. Hitherto the quartz-men have not shown any disposition for vulgar or ostentatious display, nor for loaving the country

where they had achieved success. Let them distinguish themselves by patronising the | fine arts. There is plenty of opportunity for them to gain credit for themselves as a class in this way, and they could not expend some of their surplus profits more creditably nor usefully." ' . , ' A dog having been filled lately in Grahamstown, the owner has had him buried, and got a nice headboardjnade for the grave, which bears the following inscription :— " In memory of ' Sancho,' killed by savage curs, Feb 22nd, 1872. Here lie the remains of my faithful little friend, whose fidelity and love were without human selfishness or hypocrisy. These virtues, so rare in wan, I found in my poor dumb pet, and place this tablet as a record of my loss."

A deputation from the ITokitika and Greymouth Tramway Company waited upon the Hon Mr Fox on Monday. The deputation was introduced by Mr John White, M.H.R., and consisted of Messrs Klein, M'Beth, Moss, Hansen, Hastings, and Patterson. The claim of the Company for compensation, and the grounds upon which it was made, was fully explained in an address presented in the name of the Chairman and directors. In reply, ■Mr Fox said it was clear to him that though the Company might have valid claims, they had none against the Genroal Government. They seemed to have claims for compensation, but they were solely against * the County Government under a resoulu tion passed by the Council. If the General Governire;.it were to admit claims of the kiud, half the money to be devoted to making the grand trunk lines of roads would have to be devoted to compensation for works already existing, which were displaced by the new roads. The matter, however, was departmental, and should be brought under the consideration of Mr Eeoves, and when he reached Canterbury he .would talk the matter over with the Minister of Public Works for the Middle Island.

The Southern Cross says :— " Who are those men that are daily seen in attendance at our Police Court ? Where do they oome from, and when the business of the morning is over where do they go ? Day after day the same faces may be seen standing this morning almost on the identical spot they stood yesterday, and where it will be strange indeed if they are not standing to- jaorrow They are a peculiar people. They are not loafers, nor public characters, or they would keep a more respectful distance from the place ; but there is a general sadness in their appearance, and a decided look of hard-upness about the whole of them. There is one of these attendants who regularly brings a bunch of bread with him, which he attacks the moment the clock points to 11 sharp. There is another man who stands alt through. the^Court hours upon one leg, restuig^MW 1 other bent at right angles against the wall." He is evidently deaf, for his hand is placed in a curve behind his ear,' and he never removes it for hours at a stretch, when the police business lasts so long. There is a dirty, unshaven,, bristly-looking man who chewo tobacco, and when he retires from the Court leaves quite a little pool round the spot where he stood. Among these eccentrics is a very small very old soldierly-looking fellow, with a red shrivelled-up face like a dried winter apple. Whenever a man is discharged from the dock he leaves the Court for a few seconds and then returns again. We have discovered his objccP. He goes out to shake hands with the prisoner, who has just had a 'narrow escape.' No one appears to know who or what these men always to be seen inside the Court are, or from whence they come or to where they go. The police don't, the reporters don't, and no one does. It is a funny taste to indulge in, but it take 3 all sorts of people to make up a world."