THE The Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1170, 29 April 1872, Page 2

THE The Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1872.

That one of the warmest party struggles known for some years past will take place when the Assembly meets in June next, there can be but little doubt of, and whether the Government will be able to hold their own is, to say the least of it, doubtful. - That they have faithfully carried out the policy to which they were committed ; that they have loyally and substantially complied with the wishes of Parliament is nothing, for the provinces have taken the alarm, and as their in- ! tjgrity is threatened, the provincialises of the House, those who believe in the old regime will join the Opposition, and at last a close contest for supremacy may be looked for. When the existing Ministry took office, the provincial party were exultant, and actually the provincial vote deposed Mr Stafford and elevated Messra 'Fox and Yogel to power. The results have not been what was expected, and these gentlemen liave, in a great degree, had the good sense to kick down the very treacherous ladder on which they roise. It is not at all likely that men of acknowledged ability could persist in countenancing the proviucial sham ; and it in only natural that, when opportunity offered, they should, if not violenty, at least by slow degrees, suffocate the Frankenstein that they originally fostered and maintained in existence. That the Ministry of the day, to use a digging phrase, "jumped the late Premier's claim," there can be no question, for although they have not proceeded in the direot fashion of Mr Stafford, they have by their policy of the last two years sapped the foundations of provincial institutions as insidiously and more effectively than any open attack could have occasioned. They have, cut off the supplies, have, as it were, starved the garrison out, and though they permit the institution to linger on, they have virtually deprived provinces of all power, and have brought their Executives (Heaven save the mark) into, if possible, still greater contempt, and rendered them more evidently useless than ever. The first blow really struck at provincial rule was when the capitation system was introduced, and the division of the consolidated revenue between tho General and Provincial Governments abolished. Every Province during the first year of capitation, with the exception of Westlaud and Hawke's Bay, Weatland, though a county, taking the position of a province, benefitted greatly, and the provincial gobemoueJies swallowed the alluringly gilded pill with avidity. But a change came over the spirit of the Ministerial dream next year, when it was found necessary to cut this grant down to almost infinitesimal dimensions, and the Colonial Government, in the most patronising way, very kindly " relieved " the provinces of the necessity for engaging in public works or for providing immigration. Whether, if the provincial party cared for power, they were prudent in allowing it to slip out of their hands, may be questionable, but as to the wisdom of the step, as far as colonial legislation went, there can be no doubt. At the present time the provinces are all but powerless, they are deprived of all the consequence that are pertained to them, axd are but once a shadow of their former greatness. Would it not be better, wiser, and indeed more humane on tho part of Parliament, to deal the coup de grace without prolonging the agony, alike to the relief of the sufferers and the advantage of the Colony as a whole. Provincial institutions, no matter how closely and lovingly provincial barnacles may cling to them, are played out, and it is time that, having served their turn, they should be committed to the limbo of forgotten things. In early days, when communication between the various parts of the Colony was infrequent and uncertain, when little cutters and schooners did the duty that powerful and fast steamships now perform, when the telegraph waa unknown, and when it . was necessary that some authority should be on the spot to deal with Colonial emergencies as they arose, Provincial institutions worked well, and did good service in their then day. All that, is now changed ; all that they then could do can be done far better by the General Legislature, and, however faithless the Ministry may be, there are few but will forgive such treachery as lead* to the destruction of Provincialism. If proof were wanting as to the value set on Provincial representation, the late o/

present Grey Valley election for the Nelson Province would supply it. Though we have no authentic record to be guided by at the moment of writing, it is clear that not five per cent, of those qualified to vote thought it worth while to exercise their franchise, and the whole proceedings bear rather the nature of a farce than anything of a serious nature. Repeatedly we have ahown how necessary it is for the Provincial play to come to a conclusion ; for the lights to be put out, the curtain let down, and the puppets that have fretted their hour on their respective limited stages to go home and turn to more useful occupations. The Fox Ministry evidently are converted to this belief, and are making preparations to bury almost defunct Provincialism. It is scarcely likely that during the forthcoming session any direct action to this effect will ! be taken, but very probably a little more depletion after the fashion of last session, a little more circumscription in power, and a little more " screw" in some shape i or way will be put on, so as to compel death sooner or later. As though in anticipation of such mortality, provision is already made for taking over the effects of deceased Provinces and administering their affairs ; the- General Government have already as it were constituted themselves curators of intestate Provincial estates. But, as a matter of course this policy cannot pass unquestioned, for though rather late in the day, believers in Provincialism have at last taken the alarm, and during the next session will make a determined and organised effort in defence of their pet Provinces. A combination of singular elements may arise, and promises to be an odd one. It is by no means improbable that the Government of the day may be upset by the coalition of ultraProvincialism, and the Stafford party, whoso avowed object is the destruction of Provincialists but even in such a case their return to office is unavoidable, as out of a majority so formed, holding Buch diametrically opposite views, no cohesion could exist, and a very rope of sand could only be constructed. Still the danger exist, and, between the Scylla of Provincialism and the Charybdia of Staffordism, it is in some* degree probable that, on Parliament assembling, Ministers may suffer at least temporary defeat.

Up to the time of going to press the March mail (via Sau Francisco) had not been tele* graphed. It is now due a week, but as to what the cause of detention is no one can form an opinion. The adjourned sittings of the District Court will be held to-day. His Honor Judge Harvey has lost no time in the discharge of his duties since he left here. He has held courts in Westpoyt and Charleston, and only arrived in Hokitika by the s.s Kennedy yesterday morning. He subsequently rode up and arrived yesterday evening. The business of the Court will, we understand, be confined almost wholly to bankruptcy proceedings. A child named Thomas Alexander, aged seven years, was drowned at Saltwater Lagoon on Thursday last. An inquest was held by J. Greenwood, Esq., J.P., on Friday, and a verdict of accidental death, returned. There was only one case brought before the Bench at the Resident Magistrate's Court on Saturday, that of a man uanied Hopkius, who was found helplessly drunk on the previous evening. On being searched at the station-house, a large sum of money was found upon his person, which he doubtlessly would have lost had he not fortunately fallen into the hands of the police. He was discharged with a caution. An amateur concert was given at Hines' Hotel, No Town, on Friday last, for the benefit of the school there, and we are glad to hear that it was a financial success. As will be seen by advertisement in another column; Mr Drake has challenged Mr P. Twohill to a race for the championship of New Zealand and L2OO. It is very probable that the challenge will be accepted, in which case an interesting match may be anticipated.. On Saturday evening Mr Coburn, of Albert sheet, caught some veritable shrimps in the river herft. He only secured about half a pint of them, but had he had better appliances, could have got a much larger quantity. They were small, but identical in all other respects with the English shrimp. It its clear that we are not yet acquaiuted with nearly tho value of the piscatorial resources of New Zealand. On Saturday night last, Miss Clara Stephenson and Mr Burford, assisted by several of our. local amateurs, gave a dramatic and musical entertainment at the Volunteer Hall. There was a very good house on the occasion, and tho Greymou oh band added materially to the enjoyment of the evening by volunteering their services. The first piece was a portion of Sheridan's celebrated comedy, " The School for Scandal," in which Mr Burford and Miss Stephenson, as Sir Peter and Lady Teazle, were exceedingly good. Mr Bnrford brings an old reputation for ability with him, but Miss Stephenson has, comparatively speaking, hers to make. This will not, however, take long to do. She plays with great taste, and evidently identifies herself thoroughly with her part. She is a great acquisition to the stage, and we can conscientiously recommend all play-goers to pay tho 1 tall a visit during her stay. la addition ! to the piece already stated, Miss Stephenson ' and Miss Folland sang some songs in character, and the entertainment concluded with the farce of " The Rough Diamond," which went off capitally, Mis 3 Stephensop, as the Rough Diamond, again distinguishing herself. To-night " Milky White " will be produced, and the " Rough Diamond " be repeated. In addition to this some favorite songs will be given, and altogether a capital programme is presented.

' Considerable interest has been felt for a long time past in reference to the first crushing at Mace and Co. 's plaut at the Inangahua. The Reefton local paper of Saturday, in reference to it says: — "The chief excitement during the past excitement week has been the washing-up at Mace and Co.'s battery. Ou Tuesday evening crushing was suspended after having put through 262J tons of stone, in consequence of the supply of water having run out. When I visited the ground the aiiwilgam had been taken out of the ripples, ami the upper plates only hod been scraped, so that the exact yield will 'not be known. The nmal#iiii has not yet been retorted, Mid will not undergo that process until GOO tons have been crushed, and the result therefore will not be known for several weeks. All I learnt was that the yield was most completely satisfactory. The defective watersupply is proving a great drawback, and no time will probably be lost in remedying that by raising the breast of the dam. A meeting of the shareholders took place oh Thursday afternoon at the claim, and that being a matter of such importance would, no doubt, come under discussion. At the present time the company are unable to store more than a fortnight's supply. In the tunnels, monkey shafts are being put in, prior to stoping out the reef." Great disappointment has been expressed in several quarters at the Company's determination in reference to retorting the amalgam, and some exceedingly contradictory rumors have got afloat in consc

queuce. On the one part it is said that tho stone has givea as much as Goz to the ton, whilst there are others who think that the crushing has been a complete failure, and that the stone has not yielded nearly as much as was expected by the management... We think that both for public information and on behalf of their own interest, the i shareholders would do better if they wore not so reticent as to results. As a matter of course, if the returns were satisfactory, it wonld give the public extra confidence in investing in similar enterprises, whilst, at the same Lime the property of shareholders in the mine in question would not have their propmty depreciated by rumor even. In Victoria all machines publish weekly returns if asked, and the same custom might be followed with advantage in New Zealand. An appeal case heard at Westport a few days ago, in which Stitt Brothers appealed against a decisidn of Mr Warden Broad, was decided in favor of the appellants, and the Warden's ruling was consequently reversed. The facts were briefly as follows :— A man named Ryan sold the right of occupation of a section in Reeffcon to Stitt Brothers, tho appellants, and became their representative at the nominal rate of a shilling a week. The Messrs Stitt were anxious to build on the section, but timber was not procurable, and in the meantime one Gallagher jumped the around, and on the case being heard in the Warden's Court judgment was given for the jumper, on the ground that its occupation by Ryan was not "beneficial occupation." The District Judge came to a contrary conclusion, and the result of his decision will reinstate the appellants in possession. We hear that there is every probability of a large number of appealtr from Reefton decisions coming forward. "" Messrs Graham^Malfroy and Co. (Totara Steam Saw Mill Company), commenced operations at Reefton on Tuesday last. The above firm is delivering sawn timber at 20a per 100 superficial feet. Mr E. I. Bullot, sen., has been found drowned in the Waitara river. He was (says the Taranaki Herald) subject to bleeding at the nose, and it is presumed that being attacked on his way home, he fainted from loss of bloocL It was low water at the time the unfortunate man was lying on the mud flat,, and it is supposed that as the tide rose he must have been suffocated. A Canterbury paper says it is stated ou good authority that a requisition iB on the tapis requesting Mr E. J. Wakefield to resign his seat for Christchurch East in the General Assembly. The exhibition which Mr B. Smith, of Manawatu, Coroner, made of himself over the inquest held on the body of Mr Moir, has been followed by his resignation — whether forced or not' we are uot informed -of his appointment of j Coroner for the Colony, whbh resignation his Excellency Has been pleased to accept. : " The lozenge of peace" is the title given to an anecdote which is being related about the Rev. T, Biuney. Wbile he was occupying the pulpit at Common Close Chapel, Warminster, he was annoyed by some one in the gallery coughing. At first the reverend gentleman made a pause, and looked towards the individual, but on the repetition of the annoyance, he took out a cough lozenge from his pocket and handed it to a gentleman near tho pulpit, saying, "Give that person this." Bishop Porapallier, who for some yeais was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, died at Brest on the 29th December last. The Hon H. C. Manners Sutton, the eldest son and former Private Secretary of the Governor of Victoria, is shortly to be married to Miss Watpole, daughter of the Hon Frederick Walpole, M.P. for North ; Norfolk, and third son of the late Earl of Oxford. A man, who gave the name of Robert Hobton, was arrested at Hokitika on Friday night, on a charge of horse-stealing, alleged to have been committed at Oamaru. The West Coast Times is glad to find that the Coal Prpspectiug Association are not allowing their project to fall through for want of pushing. With the view of continuing operations energetically, they recently doubled the number of shares, all of which were promptly taken up. On Friday the list was closed, and many more shares could have betn disposed of than the number open for allotment, The Association haveput themselves in communication with the Hon the Premier with the view of ob- • taining Government assistance under the clause in the Public Works Act relating to such enter j>rises. Mr Fox referred the applicatiou to the Resident Minister for the Middle- Island, at whose request the Chief Surveyor has been instructed to obtain information on the subject, so that the Hon. Mr Reeves may be able to deal with the matter. The Chief Surveyor, we understand, will proceed in a few days to the locality, where the coal seams have been discovered. A return relating to the quantities of land sold in the various provinces of New Zealand during the year 1870 has just been printed. The Following are the figures relating to Westland and Nelson : — Westland — 3 town, 275 suburban, and 2001 country acres, realising L 2957. Nelson— l 7 town, 19 suburban, and 1124 country acres, realising L 1593 in cash, and LU6 in scrip. There was also L 248 paid for public works executed. In Otago, in the same year, there were L 26,355 realised in cash alone by land sales. A writer of "Notes on the Way," on the late tour of the Hon. Mr Fox on the West Coast, says :— " Cobden is the result of an attempt made by the Provincial Government of Nelson to establish a town on the Nelson side of the Grey River, in opposition to Grey mouth. But as the deep side of the river is on the Westland side, naturally the shipping and business connected therewith go to Greymouth. Cobden consists of a few houses, looking the picture of a deserted village— a grass-grown street, and no one visible. The Nelson people (Nelson propsr) are most jealous .of Greymouth, and cannot possibly understand why Dr Hector and Mr Blackett recommended that the Brunner coal mine railway should ,be on the Westland side of the river. They have a level country over which the railway could be carried, a good shipping place, &c. In their opinion, Dr Hector and Mr Blackett were most lamentably mistaken in recommending the southern side. In the meantime tho Nelson Government works the mine, brings the coal down to the Cobden wharf— a short wharf, about 100 to 150 ft long, situated at the Gorge, and the only place where any craft load on the Cobden side. As the steamers decline to go over to the wharf, the boats are under the painful necessity of taking coal to the steamers on the Greymouth side/ Amongst tho latest chemical discoveries is an antitode to strychnine, one (of the most powerful poisons known. It is styled hydrate of chloral, and the following testimony to. its worth is given by the Oamaru Times :-r~*the value of the I drug as an antidote to Btrychniue was tested conclusively on Wednesday night by Mr Coggins, chemist, here. A valuable waterdog Tiad been by some means poisoned, and exhibited the symptoms which indicate the effects of strychnine. The dog had fallen to the ground, and was apparently in the last gasp, when hydrate of chloral was administered. After • two dosos the animal recovered its feet and was soon abe to walk, and very shortly afterwards appc ami to be none the worse.