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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1145, 30 March 1872, Page 2

Yesterday, being Good Friday, was observed os a close holiday in town. On Easter Monday all the Banks in town will be closed. Mr Lahman, County Chairman, has been appointed a Justice of the Peace. By the ss Alhambra, Mr Brogden, the Railway Contractor, his Chief Engineer, and Dr Knight, the Auditor-General for the Colony, arrived. We suppose the purpose of. their visit is to examine the proposed line of railway from Greymouth to the Brunner Coal-mine. The Treasurer of the Grey River Hospital acknowledges receipt of a donation of LI from Mr Alexander M' Hardy, being fee re* ceived by him for attendance at an inquest at Ahaura. The Nelson Provincial Council is summoned to meet for the despatch of business on Tuesday, the 30th April. | The Kaikoura Herald publishes the following advertisement :— " Notice to the Ladies. — Wanted, a wife. A widow preferred. A good home and a loving husband. Apply to," &c. 1 There is some prospect of passenger trains running regularly between Christchurch and Kaiapoi from about the middle of next month . I A shorb thne ago a fisherman discovered in a care at Akaroa a quantity of g jano, estimated at about ten tons. We learn from a recent issue of Public Opinion that Wellington and Hokitika are in New South Wales. The " Anglo- Australian," in the European Mail says :— Dr Featherston is in Scotland, busy in the matter of procuring suitable emigrants for New Zealand. Mr W. H.'Watt, of Wanganui, has been appointed a member of the Wellington Executive. Mr J. Sheehan, who has been elected without opposition to represent the district of Rodney, will be the first New Zealand-born representative to sit in the General Assembly. The Marlborougk Express of Saturday last says : — A first crushing of about seven tons of stone from the Marlborough Golden Crown reef took place this week, with, we regret to add, a very negative result. Some splendid specimens have been obtained from the Bismarck claim at Coromandel, and have caused considerable excitement. A romance of the gold fields came to light the other day, in the case Morwood v Watson. The evidence showed that four years ago a twelfth-part in the Golden Fleece claim was sold for L 2 10s, and now the value of the share is given at LIO,OOO. Incendiarism is so familiar to the people of Auckland that it has become almost a household word. Three fires in various localities are reported in the Herald of the 16th, and two of them seem to have been intentionally raised. In both cases the houses destroyed were unoccupied. lilt Rutherford, member for the Amuri district, has resigned his seat in the Nelson Council. It is said that the Chief Justiceship of Fiji has been offered to Mr St. Julian, law reporter on the Sydney Herald, and is likely to be accepted by him. A large colliery company has been launched

in England, the title being the "Australian and Oriental Coal Company (limited)." The capital is to be L 300.000, and it is formed for the purpose, inter alia, "of supplying the chief ports of India and the Eastern Seas, the intercolonial ports, and those in the Pacific Ocean, with coal." Poor Mr St. John Bramgan, on account of Whose affliction so much sympathy was evoked, we»riow learn has had a relapse, and attended with symptoms which preclude all idea of a restoration^ bis faculties. His condition was such as to necessitate his being placed under restraint, and it is even thought that his physical organisation will not long outlive the loss of reason. The large crop of apples which has been grown in Canterbury this season is likely to be turned to profitable account. Mr Tunmer, of the North town belt, has fitted up a press for making cider, of which he expects to produce a considerable quantity. A largo quantity of cider is also likely to be made at Rangiora. A prospecting claim has been applied for by Antonio Charles and party, three in number. The claim is situated on a tributary of Flaxbush, about four and a half miles from Christy's accommodation house, up the Buller River. The prospectors brought in a nugget weighing 540z, obtained from their ground, which is described as vecy patchy. Mr Alexander Sclanders, of the firm of Messrs Morrison, Sclanders and Co., and Mrs Sclanders return to Nelson by the Alharabra from their voyage to England. By the same vessel Mr and Mrs Cracroft Wilson, who have also been to England, arrived in Canterbury. The death of the late Mr W, Pagan, of Wellington, affords another example of the advantages of life assurance. Mr Pagan, we believe, was insured under the Government scheme and in the Mutual Provident Society for LSOO each. The documents requisite to substantiate the claim in the Government office were presented on Friday last, and on the same day the amount was paid to the widow. . William Goodwin, a recent inmate of the Nelson Hospital, who, at his own request, had obtained his discharge therefrom, went into the garden of Henry Adams, Esq., Trafalgar street, and deliberately jumped into the well. Fortunately, a young nun in the employ of Mr H. Hounsell, Bridge street, named George Galland, was near at the time, and seeing what Goodwin had done, immediately raised an alarm, and the unhappy man was secured— at the time calling out for persons to cut his throat or assist in drowning him. The Colonist states that the Nelson and Foxhill Railway is certainly to be proceeded with. The working survey, now in progress in charge of Mr Austftj,' will be finally completed in the course of two months from this date, and no delay will arise in the further progress of the work; Oh Monday, the Colonial Secretary, Mr Gisborne, went over the Waimea district to Foxhill, and expressed himself as much pleased with the country. At the half-yearly meeting of the Dunedin Golf Club, held last week, it was mentioned that the number of playing members was increasing, and that from the enthusiasm which led to the formation of the Club being on the wane, there is every prospect that the royal and ancient game will before long become an exceedingly popular one in Dunedin. Steps are being taken, it is said, to form a Golf Club in Uhristchurch. A Napier telegram reports that Te Kooti has come out of the bush and communicated with the natives of Mahaka, applying for food. Ho has with him six men, one woman, and one boy. Captain Ferres is on his trail, marching on Mohakai. Pitt, with a omalJ party from Poverty Bay, and Ropata, with another small party, are all approaching from different direction?. When tbe despatch left Mohakai Te Kooti was nearly surrounded. The country is densely wooded. In consequence of the success which has attended a Sydney manufacturer of tin fiddles, Mr R. Billens, a Christchurch tinsmith, has resolved to try his hand at the art of fiddle-making. He has made two instruments after the model of a Cremona. Its tones have no trace of tinniness, and theii power is considerable, giving promise that when the instrument has been well worked they will be both mellow and brilliant. An accident, which it was at first thought would probably be attended with fatal results, occurred at the Kuri Bush. Otago, on riuuday week. Mr Andrew Connor, in company with Mr Scott, was out schooling a young horse, and meeting with a four-railed fence, they put their horses at it. The horse Mr Scott was riding took the jump cleanly, but Mr Connor's refused to rise to it, and ran against the rails with a crasK The fence was too strong to yield, and horse and rider were thrown violently to the ground. Mr Connor was rendered insensible, bis left shoulder and Ms ribs were broken, and he was otherwise injured. The Canterbury Press has been requested by the Hon. the Resident^ Minister to state that the Government neither has, nor ever had, any intention of introducing Chinese labor into the colony, or permitting it to be introduced and employed by contractors for public works. The circular addressed by the Minister for Public Works to the several Superintendents, was intended solely to elicit their opinions on a subject which had been brought before the attention of the Government. If any bias in favor of the employment of Chinese labor is thought to pervade the circular it is altogether unintentional, and contrary to the wish and opinions of the Government; While Constable Flannigan, of the Akaroa police, was conveying two prisoners from Akaroa to Pigeon Bay, on their way to Lyttelton gaol, one of the men, lately committed for trial for robbery at the Akaroa Police Court, managed to effect his escape in the bush near the top of the dividing range, The place where the man ran. into the bush is one of the most inaccessible spots along the track, and it is evident that the escape was preconcerted. - The policeman and the other prisoner were on horseback, while the man now wanted w&s on foot. Neither men were handcuffed, and immediate pursuit was almost impossible. I A correspondent writes to the Otago Daily Times from Big Bay (near Martin's Bay), under date 9th February, as follows:— "A sealing party, consisting of William Thomson, better known perhaps by the name of • Maori Bill,' Sam Nicolson, Harry Homer, and Arthur Strode, being all the men left at Martin's Bay at present, started on the 2nd msb, with the large Government boat to cross Martin's bar, intending to go to Big Bay and wait for some necessaries to be brought by the ss Waipara, before they started for' the sealing ground. While crossing the bar, Nicolson ' caught a crab,' and broke his oar. The steerman's oar broke at the same time, and the boat in consequence filled, everything that would float being washed out of her. While she was in this predicament, Homer jumped oveboard, and tried to swim ashore, leaving the others to thoir fate. After trying in vain, however, to reach tenafirma, he was forced to make for the boat, and with the assistance of a line was got on board again. After a long and hard struggle the boat.'s crew succeeded in getting her into Boat Harbor, in the south-west corner of Martin's Bay, where Ehe now lies. Fortunately she had her tanks and life gear on, or it would have been a serious case. The women and children at Martin's Bay are all in good health, and the crops look splendid;"