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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1158, 15 April 1872, Page 2

The Post Office the credit of doing as much as it could possibly do, as a Public Department, to expedite the transmission of the two months' mails received at Auckland by the steamer Nevada. ■ By agreement with the contractors for the conveyance of the mail from San Francisco to the Colony, the steamer Wellington was despatched from Auckland to Wellington and Lyttelton, and special coaches were provided between Christchurch and Hokitika. From Hokitika to Greymouth it was also arranged that the mails should be conveyed by special express, but the rivers between the two places, and between the Bealey and Hokitika, were so much "up " that the intentions of the Post-Office Department could only be carried out with difficulty and some delay. Coaches were started yesterday between Hokitika and Greymouth, but the overland mail had not arrived in time to suit their starting, nor were the rivers in condition for the transmission of mails, even if they had arrived. At five o'clock in the evening, however, the letters received by the two last San Francisco mails were despatched from Hokitika, and, by exertions on the part of the mail contractors at both ends, these letters, with a few newspapers, were received in Greymouth at half-past nine o'clock last evening, and were sorted immediately on arrival. The interval for reply was short enough, as the mail with outward letters starts this morning at half • past Beven o'clock, but the greater part of the correspondence from the West Coast

Lid been previously despatched by the steamer Charles Edward to Nelson. So far as local attention could go, there was the utmost attention on the part of. the Postmaster, Mr Andrews, and on the part of the contractors for the conveyance of the mails, and except for the freshes in the rivers, the arrangements of the. Post-Office would have been as successful as they wore well-int6nded. The arrangements for the conveyance of the mails along the East Coast and the delay between Honolulu and Auckland will probably be best understood by a perusal of the following quotation from the Lyttelton Tivies: — "The facts are very simple. It appears that the Montana, the connecting boat between San Francisco and Honolulu, left the former port on February 29, a day after the time-table date. She seems to have reached Honolulu on March 19, taking nineteen days to do the distance for which ten days are allowed. The Nevada took nearly the same number of days between Honolulu and Auckland, and from the fact that her boilers are completely out of order, it must be inferred that this was the cause of her slow passage. It is clear that both the Nevada and Nebraska have been doing far too much work, but this will be obviated as soon as the Dacotah is placed on thi line. The branch boat from Honolnlu to San Francisco will then, it is understood, be dispensed with, and it is believed that Mr Webb will place a fourth large boat in the service. As to the delay at Auckland, in forwarding the southern portion of the mails, it should be borne in mind that it is the duty of the contractors, and not the Government, to provide for their distribution. It is the duty of the latter to see that the contract is carried out, or, if it is not, that the stipulated penalties are enforced. But those who are so very impatient would do well to consider that, to a very large extent, it is Hobson's choice — Webb or nothing." The American Minstrels and Star Comique i Company arrived in town yesterday, and intend giving their opening entertainment in the Volunteer Hall this eve Ding. The members of this company' have been highly spoken of elsewhere, and were very successful in Hokitika last week. It rained heavily throughout the upcountry districts on Wednesday, Thnrsday, and Friday. The rivers rose rapidly on Friday, and all travelling was stopped by mid-day. The weather cleared again about noon on Saturday, when traffic was resumed. The Grey and Ahaura rivers were highest on Friday at sundown. The contract for cutting a foot track from Abaura to Nelson Creek was let on Wednesday, 13th April. The work must be completed within one month from the time of signing the contract. The successful tenderer is Mr John M'Lean, of Ahaura. The Flood Relief Committee met on Saturday evening, at Gilmer's Hotel. Nearly all the members were present ; W. H. Revell, Esq., in the chair. The previous minutes were read and confirmed. The Honorary Secretary, Mr Henderson, laid on the table a large number of applications for relief, a number of which were from persons who had suffered from the flood in the upriver districts. The Committee, after careful consideration, distributed L 155 among those of the number who had had heavy losses, and were deserving cases for relief. It was resolved that the subscriptions received in Auckland, amounting to L 64, and sent for the joint relief of those who had suffered from the flood in Greymouth and Westport, should be handed over to a Committee in Westport, to be distributed among those Sariiea who required relief owing to the late ood. The Committee likewise resolved bo receive no further applications for assistance, and as a balance of about L3OO is yet at ttieir disposal, - a auu-uoiuuiitico >v»o appointed to go over the applications already received, with a view to supplementing the most deserving cases. The Committee will meet again on Saturday evening, when it is expected all the business will be disposed of, after which a full report of the proceedings will be given to the public. A vote of thanks was given to the chairman, when the meeting adjourned. The agricultural correspondent of the Grey River Argus for the Grey Villey has been presented with a testimonial by the farmers up river. The gift was in the substantial form of a ton of horsefeed. A meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was held at Gilmer's Hotel, on Saturday afternoon, Mr E. Masters in the chair, for the purpose of considering the tenders for fencing the grounds and building outhouses, &c. The successful tenderers were— for fencing, B. Sylvin and Co., L 54; for .outhouses, W. Nottle, L 57 ss. The District Court sits againjthis morning, when the bankruptcy case will bn proceeded: with. We are indebted to Mr H. Wickes and Mr H. Smithers for the conveyance of some communications from up-country districts, and for information as to the state of the road since the late freshes in the river. They describe the road between Nelson Creek and Red Jack's as in a very dangerous state, on account of the back-water and quick-sands. Along that part of the road it is necessary to keep well to the left, in coming down, so as to avoid dangers both to horsemen and pedestrians. We are informed that Mr Frank Guinness, of Ahaura, will be a candidate for the seat in the Nelson Provincial Council for the i Grey Valley vacated by Mr James Wilkie. Mr Guinness did not intend to seek election, but at the request of a number of the electors he has consented to allow himself to be nominated. Mr Guinness was formerly a member for Greymouth in the County Council of Westland, and has since been resident at Ahaura. It is also said that Mr H. G. Hankin, an old resident of the Moonlight and Half-Ounce, intends to become a candidate for the vacant seat. The name of Mr Acton? Adams, of Nelson, has also been mentioned in connection with the forthcoming election, and we understand that, to representations made to that gentleman, he has replied that he is willing to become a candidate in the event of no gentleman locally resident coming forward. Mr Adams is largely interested in the Inangahua reefs, and has lately made himself acquainted with that district by a personal visit. We understand, however* that he. is not prepared to contest the election, though willing, if returned, to serve faithfully a constituency with whose interests his own are to some extent identioal. Dr Featherston ought to get plenty of emigrants in London, judging from the superabundance of labor which the following paragraph from a London paper indicates : "A tradesman in South London the other day advertised for a clerk at 18s a week. He received 300 applications, and amongst them were two M.A.'s, one B.A, about 20 who could read different languages, and about the same number who had received college educations. Alas for education !" Referring to the rifle-firing atChristchurch, the Wellington Independent says:— "Capt. Wales, of No. 1 Company Dunedin Rifles, is the first champion who has taken the honor for two years consecutively. The score made by him is a brilliant one, but it is congratulatory to observe that the honor of this Province was well sustained by Corporal Carter, of the Pahautanui Rifles, who makes a total of six points only behind the champion, with which he takes second prize. The names of the highest scorers shows that in the Province to which thej belong rifle shooting is being practised with great zeal, and as a consequence ' the prize list of this year will show a greater distribution of the honors

among the marksmen of the 'different Provinces than has been the case at any previous meeting. Out of the ten highest scores of the year, Otago, with seventeen representatives, shows four names; Wellington and Wanganui, with eight representatives, shows two names; Canterbury does not figure at all ; while the other Provinces, excepting Nelson and Hawke's Bay, are represented by a single member.' Otago has had a hard fight for the blue ribbon this year, and if, as our telegram states, Captain Wales,, wis. warmly cheered and congratulated on hii splendid shooting, Corporal Carter, of tie Pahautanui Rifles, was no less deserving of a warm greeting on the attainment of so figh a position in competition with competitors of such note. Ex-champion Christie seems to have fallen away very much, as his name is not mentioned amongst those who made the highest scores." Two miners, named John Goodman and Baptiste Reali, were summoned before Warden Whitefoord, at Camptown, on Wednesday, 10th instant, for disobeying a written order of the Warden's Court directing them to desist from interfering with other parties working at No Town. The defendants attempted to justify their conduct, and were besides contumacious in Court. They were each sentenced to one week's imprisonment in default of payment of the fine inflicted. '' An American exchange says :— " It is T a great mistake to suppose that editors keep public reading-rooms ; that they have plenty of time to talk to all and everybody ; that they are delighted to get anything to fill up the paper ; that they have plenty of time to correct bad manuscript ; that they are in duty bound to puff everybody ; that they should know everything, whether informed of it or not ; that they have plenty of money; that they should notice every scalawag that travels ; that they should have news when there is not any news ; that they should print every man's name who attends a dog-fight, and should keep every man's name out of the paper who comes before the police court." The Nelson race meeting has been postponed from Wednesday, the 24tb, to Tuesday, the 30th inst. The object of this postponement is to consult the convenience of some of the horses coming from a distance. The Examiner states authoritatively that the five best horses now running in New Zealand will be present, barring accidents, namely— Peeress, Black Eagle, Plying Jib, Slander, and Yatterina ; and the meeting . will have more of the old spirit of racing than has been seen since Nelson was visited by Knottingley and Backbiter, A Canterbury paper states that Nature is performing some strange freaks with fruit and flower trees, many of which were flowering and bearing a second crop of fruit, while on the same trees' still hung some of the previous crop. A gentleman has assured the Wellington Independent that like phenomena can be seen in the Hutt. In confirmation he handed in a half -grown apple, about the size of a very large walnut before the outside shell is removed, The apple is one of a cluster of four, and, stranger still, a large portion of the tree is now in blossom. The cutter Avon has taken on board from the yards of Mr James de Hirsch, at the Thames, twenty tons of tailings for export to England per ship Caduceus, now loading in Auckland harbor. The tailings are intended as an experimental parcel, Mr de Hirsch being still convinced — notwithstanding the improved methods of treatment he has himself introduced to the Thames— that mere perfect extraction can be made on the Continent of Europe, the result of scientific research and experiment. Two old Victorian colonists (say 3 a Melbourne paper) have returned to our shores from New Zealand. Both left us about the same time, and both have prospered. Mr Yogel has become the Treasurer of the colony, as one of the administration which has pacified the Maoris, and has just returned from Europe, where he has successfully floated a large railway line. His latest coup has been successfully negotiating with Mr Duffy for a regular communication by means of Mr Webb's steamers with |San Francisco. Mr Cassius has in a pecuniary sense been more successful than even Mr Yogel. He has acquired a large property, and is the owner of the greater portion of Hokitika. His mission here, however, was none of the pleasantest, since it was to be the defendant in an action for breach of promise of marriage. Many will remember the murder of " Yorkey," at Miller's Flat, in the early days of the diggings in Otago. "It is an old saying," says the Bendigo Independent, " that 'murder will out,' and its correctness cannot be doubted, for many remarkable instances of its truthfulness might be quoted in support of it. A man named Andrew Hayes, while drunk and in the custody of Senior-constable Cook on Monday night, made a statement to the effect that he had murdered a man familiarly known as 'Yorkey,' in New Zealand, in 1863. The constable took a note of the disclosure, and on Tuesday, at the City Police Court, when he was tola of his remarks when in custody, he said that some years ago in Dublin he fell from a scaffold and seriously injured his head, and when he got drunk he said things which had no foundation. A man named ' Yorkey ' was murdered in the year 1863 at Miller's Flat, between Gabriel's Gully and the Dunstan, in New Zealand. The murder at the time of its discovery created considerable excitement, and a couple of persous were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the affair, but nothing was proved against ' them, and the diabolical deed has been enshrouded in mystery ever since. Hayes is a stalwart man of 50 years of age and a laborer, his right eye is injured, and it is said he cannot see with it. As there was nothing in the remarks of Hayes to- justifyhis detention, he was simply fined for being drunk." Intelligence has been received in Taranaki that Mr Eugene Isidore Bullot had been accidentally drowned in the Waitara River. It appears that he had been engaged assisting at the Waitara Hotel, and had left for his home late on the previous evening. He was subject to bleeding at the nose, and it is E resumed that, being attacked on his way ome, he fainted from loss of blood. It was low water at the time the unfortunate man was lying insensible on the mud flat, and it is supposed that as the tide rose he must have been suffocated. Mr James Mackay, jun., is successfully negotiating the purchase of many valuable native lands for' settlement and mining pur-; poses on behalf of the General Government. No doubt, sayp an Auckland paper, advantage will be taken of a large gathering of natives assembled at the tangi of the two influential native chiefs lately deceased at Ohinemuri, and bordering Tauranga, to talk over the matter with the natives. It is believed to be a capital time to talk business with natives when they assemble in numbers to mourn, talk, eat, and drink. Old settlers are, as a rule} remarkably well,, off, but an individual known as "Old Baker," in the Horokiwi Valley, Wellington Province, is a striking exception to it. Some five-and-twenty years ago he was a butcher in Wellington ; a little later he obtained some notoriety by being tomahawed almost to death by a Maori ; subsequently his hip was dislocated, and other misfortunes overtook him ; latterly he has been reduced to living entirely on potatoes. The settlers in Pabautanui gave a Christy Minstrel entertainment his benefit lately; to help h**n through the writer.