Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1165, 23 April 1872, Page 2

Mr W. H. Harrison, during the last session of the Assembly, moved that the Government should lay upon the table, each

session, a report embodying a general account of the gold fields of the; Colony, and that his Excellency be requested to forward a copy of the saire to. the # State for the Colonies. In compliance with this motion, reports on. the Auckland, Westlaud, and Marlborough gold fields have been printed, the reports relating to Westlani including all thoße laid Defpre. the County Council ■during its last session but one. It is to' be regretted that the same return did not iuelude also.the reports trom the Nelson Southwest gold fields. '" At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Stephen Cattle was fined 5s for having been drunk and disorderly ; and John Moore, charged with the same offence, was dismissed with a caution, as he had been locked up since Saturday. An appeal has been lodged in the case Drury v. Cooney any party, and we believe that the next sitting of the Supreme Court will be held at Hokitika on Ofch September, when the appeal will be heard. ' The nomination of candidates for the vacant seat in the Grey District in the Nelson' Provincial Council takes place at noon to-day, at the Court House, Cobden. Numerous candidates are spoken of, but it is likely that only two will be proposed. •.. •-- ..•■■ Mr Spurgeon, in an address to the Walworth Young Men's Christian Mission said : —"On. Saturday I received a letter from Australia containing '.an order for three Baptist ministers.' I had some thoughts of getting them packed up and labelled, ' This side up with care,' and sending them out by the next mail, but, continued Mr Spurgeon,' the most amusing part was. the postcript. Here it is— 'P.S. — Don't send duffers. ' This story made the Walworth Young Men's Christian Mission laugh exceedingly, and their mirth was renewed when Mr Spurgeon added, that had it not been for the postcript he could have executed -the order at once, but 'duffers ' are no more liked in Australia than they are here. . If decided Christians take to poking fun at each other in this fashion, they will be compelled for their own sakes to cultivate a little toleration. It must be dreadfully provoking for Baptist ministers to hear that it is not easy to find one who is not a 'duffer.'" Writing of the Rainy Creek reef, a correspondent of the Inangahna Herald, says :— '•The prospectors first struck the reef ajt the 60ft level, after driving 150 ft. The reef here showed only 6ft wide, and had evidently been squeezed by some convulsion of nature. Having cut through this,- they put. in a cross tunnel to the south-east, and after driving about 20ft alongside the reef, it widened out to 13ft, and presents a perpendicular appearance at that width. It shows gold all through the face and in the casing. The quartz is of a light blue color, and is similar to that in Adam Smith's line. Six claims have been taken up on each side of the prospectors. From No. 3 north the ground' dips very considerably ; but at the south end the ground appears to be of a uniform character ; and from the distance the surface reef has been traced, Nos. 1 and 2 south leases should have no difficulty in soon finding it. However, more will be known in a few days. It is the opinion of those who have seen the reef disclosed that it is one of the best defined yet struck. The following anecdote, told by an American writer, may be aptly quoted for local application :— A frisnd of the writer's was travelling out in the West, and was; as he expressed it, " rather dry after a hard day's ride, and stepped into a tavern to get a "Ifiao nf liminr Wh»> <•««■"■•■ .*"T r ~*"' * i? i when twelve men 1 who were sitting around stepped up unasked, and "lowed they would take sugar in thar'n !? " My friend payed for the twelve "drinks," as he found it was in strict accordance with the custom of the country, but he never went back to that tavern again. A jocular old Calif ornian judge had a much more^ effectual way of getting clear of these troublesome hangers-on. The judge was not inimical to a" horn," and was therefore frequently in bar-room's with his friends in all parts of San Francisco, where— in early time evten more than nowdrinking customs were very prevalent. On " stepping in" he would meet a large party of noted "loafers," who, of course, a la American, hailed the judge with a view to be asked to " step vp 1 :" Nor were they disappointed. In a rich husky tone of voice his Honor would call out, " Let all take a drink," and all did so'; arid then, after finishing, he would add in an equally hospitable tone, "And now let's all pay for it!" Then as he laid down his bit, he would walk to the'-door, chuckling at the blank dismay of the numerous thirsty souls who expected to drink at his expense. We are happy to say t^at the fears which were entertained for the safety of Mr George Saddler, were dispelled, yesterday, by the arrival of a messenger, who stated that he had bfien detained on his journey through haying been thrown from the horse he. was riding.. The injuries he sustained were not of a very serious nature, and it is thought that he would be able to reach Reefton yesterday. ... During*the recent flood; in the Buller, two boat accidents occurred. As already mentioned, Mr Pell's boat was capsized, and a boat belonging to the Maoris, laden with cargo for Reefton, was upset, whilst moored near the pah. A sawyer, named Peter Campbell,' has heen drowned in the Mblyneux River, Otago. ■ The Cromwell Argus says :— " We are informed that the claim at the Nevis which yielded the 220z and 17oz .nuggets .has been bought by a party of Chinamen for the sum ofL95. .'.:"• It is stated that L 21.904 worth of the kird of paper used for printing alone was imported into this colony from the JJnited Kingdom, New Sooth Wales, and Victoria laafc year. The returns of previous years show that the importations have been steadily increasing. The JVeio Zealand Herald says : — " His Worship the Resident Magistrate, in commenting upon a case .heard at the Police Court, in which a person, late i membej of the Atmed Constabulary, sought protection from his wife, said that it the person who was then seeking protection from the violence of his wife was a fair sample of the men composing the Armed Constabulary, the sooner that force was formed of women the better." Many amusing incidents might be recorded" illustrative of the display of intelligence which universal suffrage affords opportunity of, but it is to be questioned whether any can beat the following, given by the Queanbeyan Age:— "An elector, proud of the privilege and power which the exhibition of his name on the Queanbevan electoral list vouchsafed to him, was on his way to the polling place at Gininderra yesterday week, intent upon recording his promised vote in favor of Mr De Salis. When hear Grace's public-house he was overtaken by a partisan of Mr Walsh's, who treated him to a nobbier. ' | On reaching the polling place, our hero, a marksman, and unable to read even the plain i bold type in which the names of the candidates were printed on the balloting-papers, was asked, with a view to his guidance, whom he intended to vote for? 'Let me see,' was his reply, looking around the room, ' I'll vote for . Mr Macarthy. ' ' But, ' it was objected, ' Mr MacarthyAS, not a candidate;' 'No? then I'll vote fon^>Mr Hall— he's a very good man. '• ' BukMtiHall is not a candidate.' * Then I'll 'S&mpv you, Mr Haircourt,' said our redoubtable champion, addressing himself to the presiding officer; ' you are a first-rate fellow. ' ' You can voto

for no one bub those whose names are on this paper,' was the reply- 'Can't I? Well-read them over. ' The names were read .over*- and the hero of the scene exclaimed exultinglyi'Then I'll ; Vote for Jack O'Neill. Jack O'Neill for ever.' • But John O'Neill is not a candidate.' 'No; then, is the big 0 there at all? If it is, I'll vote for the big o.' And, under the direction of the proper officers, this free and independent voter drew the pencil through the names of the other candidates, leaving the big 0 intact." ; An abstract of deeds of ; purchase in the Southern Island, entered into bet ween. the Government and the Natives has -jus| been printed. The following are, the descriptions of the two deeds of pur* chase by which the landa on the West 'Coast of the Middle Island are held '.—November 10,- 1855— Deed of Sale to her Majesty exeicuted at Nelson, on the 10th November, 1855, by the Ngatirarua and Ngatifciama, ceding all their claims to land that were not sold formerly, commencing at the Wairau ; thence to Arahura, to the boundary of land sold by the Ngaitahu, excepting, certain lands at West Whanganui, within the boundaries described in the deed. No action was taken in this last-mentioned matter, and the land has since been granted.to the Natives: May 2.1, 1860— Deed of Conveyance ; to her Majesty by the Natives of the Ngaitahu Tribe, residing on the West Coast, Produce of Canterbury, ceding all their claims to land; commencing. at.^Lilford Haven, thence inland to Mount Taumaru, thence inland to Mount Tiori-Patea, Mount Cook (Haurangi), Te Kai o tama, thence to the saddle at the sourde'of the River Teremakau, thence to Mount Wakarewa, thence following the range of mountains to Lake Rotorua, thence to the source of the Rivers Karamea and Wakapoai, thence by a straight line to Kaurangi on the sea ooast, thence by the sea coast from Kaurangi to Milford Haven, excepting the Reserves named in the schedule to/tie deed. Among the many returns which Mr Mervyti called for during the last session, 'there waf one as to the quantity of land suitable for* agricultural purposes in eanh Province, ana still at the disposal of the Government. . TbSit return has only now been printed, arid from it we learn that the quantity of such lari'd in Westland towards the end of 1870 was estimated at 175,000 acres! On the Wdst Coast of Nelson, the ' following is the estimate : — Buller Valley and tributaries, 100,000 acres ; Mokihinui, 5000 acres ;'Karamea, 20,000 acres; Grey Valley arid tributaries, 200,000 acres. The Dumtan Times has the following :— "At the close of a sermon, .by a casual clerical visitor, lately preached within a hundred miles of Clyde, the rev. preacher stated that a gentleman Mould stand at the door with a plate for subscriptions, and if the ser mon was not worth a shilling, it was sixpence, but if it was not worth that, he would give it again for nothing." ...,'. The Queensland rivers present dangers which are fortunately unknown in the Grey Valley. The CardweU correspondent of the Sydney Empire, iii his- last letter, states, calmly but firmly :— "The latest alligator adventure from this neighborhood is that a geritleman crossing Elphinstone Creek, 20 miles from Cardwell had his horse taken frcfm under him by one of these monsters, I need not add that said individual was * pretty considerably scared,' and regretted losing his swag." ; ' It is to be hoped that in carrying out the system of immigration on the nomination ant!Li>!iA;mf«vfc of neraons in, the .Colonyithe Government will manage (better thau the Otago provincial authorities seem to have done. In a recent issue of the Olago Daily Times appears a letter from a settler complaining that more than twelve months ai/o he gave the necessary instructions and paid the money reqaired for the passages of his mother and daughter from England to Otago, He forwarded the prescribed instructions to his relatives, who made arrangements for leaving home, the mother giving up a situation she held, and selling 'off the little property belonging to her. He says, " I expected they would arrive in due time. Month after- inohth wore away, and I received no tidings from them until last San Francisco mail, when I received a letter from my mother, informing me that neither my child nor herself had received any intimation whatever from the Otago agents. My mother and child had written. -.to. the Otago agents, but the agents had not deigned to reply to their letters. They have been waiting over six months for their passages."