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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1174, 3 May 1872, Page 2

We have to acknowledge the courtesy of the Postmaster-General in forwarding us the telegram that appears in another column, in reference to the amended San Francisco mail contract. The provisions are far more favorable to New Zealand than was generally supposed. If the undertaking is carried out as entered on, the lately existing dissatisfaction will be speedily dissipated, and the Colony will be well served. •

We remind our readers that the Art Union in aid of the Catholic Church, will come off to-night, in St. Patrick's School-room, Gresson street. Other chuiches have had their Art Unions, which have come off successfully, and the Catholics have in many cases aided them. Let us hope that such liberality will be reciprocated, on this occasion, and that all denominations may unite on this and other occasions to raise up and support churches in their midst.

Two of the New Zealand war medals, which have been so long overdue from England, arrived in town yesterday. They are destined to decorate the breasts of those who won them in action, namely, Mr H, F. Andrews, as Ensign in the Auckland Volunteers, and Mr J. H. Hall, as Corporal in the Taranaki Volunteers. The medals will be presented at the next parade, when it is expected that Colonel Harrington will be present to inspect the company.

In the Resident Magistrate's Court, Jane Weeks summoned her husband, William Weeks, foe assaulting her and threatening her life on the morning of Tuesday last. She had obtained a warrant for him previously, but failed to put in an appearance when the case was called. Complainant stated that defendant came home drunk on the morning in question, pulled her out of bed, kicked her, and threatened to kill her. The Magis. trate made an order for defendant to entej. into sureties to keep the peace, himself i n

LlO, and two in L 5 each. In Cassells v. Annie Ogden, a verdict went by default for L 4 6s %3a. The case of Guinness v. Bowden was postponed till Tuesday next. Communication with the Reefs and Valley Gold Fields is gradually being increased. We hsar that goods are now being carted from a little above Nelson Greek to the Ahaura, a distance of five miles or thereabouts. The Volunteer Fall, last night, was again crowded, and the "Octoroon" was more successful than even on the first representation. This is only natural, the company falling into their parts and the piece working more easily. We have already said that it was capitally put on the stage ; we can only add that it was rendered still more effectively on this second occasion, and gave the utmost satisfaction to those who were present. We can conscientiously say, that for a length of time nothing has equalled its success in Greymouth. As a matter of course Miss Stephenson and Mr Burford were the larger constellations, but their satellites well supported them, and everything went off excellently. To-night, it will be repeated by request.

Mr H. Wise, of Dunedin, is compiling a new Directory for the Colony, and his.representative, Mr Seward, is now in Greymouth, on business in connection with its publication. We have no doubt that he will meet with the support that such a publication, issued from a thoroughly reliable source, deserves. To nearly all in business a directory of the kind proposed would be almost invaluable. Among the passengers by the steamer Kennedy, which arrived here after a brisk passage from Nelson on Saturday last (says the Westport Times) was the Rev A. G. Johnstone, Incumbent of Nelson, who intends travelling overland from hence to Greymouth via Inangdhua. The reverend ge&tleman delivered two impressive sermons at St John's Church on Sunday last, and purposes holding divine service at Reefton on Sunday next, perils of river and road and wind and weather permitting. Peaches must be plentiful at Guildf ord. The local correspondent of the Mount Alexander Mail states that Mr Munro, of Guildford, is using his cows to distil the peaches into milk. The cows eat them with relish, and they seem to increase the milk both in quantity and quality. An accident occurred on Friday last to a miner named John M'Connell, working in Hussey's claim at Addison's Flat. While he was engaged ground-sluicing, a face about 12ft high came down, covering part of his body. Fortunately some of his mates were at hand, and he was, after some difficulty, extricated. He was immediately brought in to the hospital, where it was found that be had received some severe injuries, being bruised about the lower part of the body, though there were no bones broken.

An exodus of Chinamen, who have made " piles," has recently taken .place from the Tuapeka district, principally, however, from Waipori, During last and the previous week, a large number passed through Lawrence, en route ta the Flowery Land. The following return has been made to the Colonial Government of land in the colony suitable for agricultural settlement : — Nelson, 336,000 acres; Auckland, 16,610,000 acres ; estimated, area over which native title has not been extinguished, 10,200,000 ; provincial, available for settlement, about • one-fifth of which is suitable for agricultural settlement, 749,061 acres; Hawke's Bay, 1,050,000 acres ; agricultural lands in the hands of the Government, 210,000 acres ; agricultural land over which the native title has not been extinguished, 85,000 acres; Taranaki, under Government control, 700,000 acres ; native title not extinguished, 700,000 acres ; County of Westland, 175,000 acres suitable for agricultural settlement ; Otago, 834,785 acres ; ■ Wellington, purchased from natives, 4,840,000; under the control of the Provincial Government, agricultural, 631,000 acres ; Canterbury, 922,233 acres suitable for agricultural settlement. We learn from the Timaru Herald that, on the 26th ultimo, a man from the Wester' field station named Henry Davie, while crossing the Askburton river, in company with two other men, in a trap, was drowned. It appears that the trap was capsized when crossing one of the streams, and the unfortunate man was not seen again by his companions, who fortunately escaped uninjured. Constable Smith, accompanied by Mr Murphy, proceeded to the spot where he was informed the accident occurred, and after searching for some little time the body was discovered on a spit about 400 yards further down the river. On the 30th ultimo an inquest was held, when a verdict of "Accidental death by drowning" was returned. In writing to a home paper, a correspondent says :— The firm manufacturing for* me have been so pressed to get their own especial work completed, that they have not been able to spare the looms to work up my yarn. However, from a letter received on February 21, I am led to expect my cloths will very soon be put in hand, and that before the mail leaves for New Zealand in March, I shall be able to show sheeting, towelling, coal-sacking, and probably tablecloths, all made from pure New Zealand flax. 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 fiye-and-twenty years ago he was a butcher in Wellington ; a little later he obtained some notoriety by being tomahawked 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 Panautanui gave a Christy Minstrel entertainment for his benefit lately, to help him through the winter. The London correspondent of the Scotsman writes : — The agitation for the ballot has received a new development. The management of the Queen's Theatre, the proprietor and inspiring genius of which is Mr H. Labouchere, the Daily News's humorous correspondent during the siege of Paris, has issued a notice that, in consequence of being overwhelmed with letters suggesting different Shakespearian plays for performances, ballot boxes have been placed in all parts of the house, in which those who go to see the "Tempest" can deposit the name of the play they prefer. The state of the poll will be published, every week, and the play which has, on the withdrawal of the "Tempest," a majority, will be acted next year.

A mining manager has been making himself unpopular at Ross, and has given rise to a demonstration which is thus described by the News of Wednesday last :— •" Last night a representation of the manager of the Morning Star Gold Mining Company was paraded through the streets of this town, hung from a gallows, attended by a crowd of persons, who manifested their displeasure with the original by repeated groans and hisses. The procession was accompanied by a band, which played the * Rogue's March," as they wended their way to the scene of their final artistic operations, and caused no little amusement to the juvenile minds who gloried in the intellectual amusement. After a more than sufficient parade, the effigy was fixed on the triangle reserve, and set on fire, with a rather liberal groaning accompaniment. Viewed from the lower part of A.ylmer street, the scene was extremely picturesque, and attracted a great crowd of people ; but it was a Beroeless exhibition, and reflected no oredit

on those concerned in presenting it to the imblic. Mr Gordon, as manager of the Com? mny, has done his utmost to make the mine lie managed yield a profit, and we are of opinion he was only actuated in adopting the course for which he is blamed by a' desire to serye his employers faithfully . A less energetic man would, no doubt, have failed to keep the claim working as long as he has done, and it is a great pity that the ground has not proved sufficiently remunerate /c of late to permit him to adhere to the old rate of wages, which are not at all too high for miners engaged in underground operations. The Company find they cannot continue to pay the old rate unless by the creation of new capital, and if they cease working the remainder of Jones' Flat must stop also, for the Star claim, latterly, has paid half the drainage rates. The directors of the Company, rather than bring on such a crisis, have determined to make an offer of a reduced rate of wages to miners, who are free to accept or refuse it, and the manager who carries out their orders should not be made tbe scapegoat and blamed for the reduction, which all knew was inevitable, but which he has endeavored to delay as long as possible. We sincerely trust that our miners will take a rational view of the matter, and not allow themselves to be disgraced by a similar scene as that which disturbed the harmony of this little community last evening."

Robert Eyton, who was well known in Greymouth, was recently brought up at the Fitzroy Police Court on the charge of attempting suicide. His age was entered on the watchnouse sheet as twenty-six, his religion as Pagan, and his calling as a laborer, these items being of course put down from the information which he gave. Further inquiries elicited that he was a joarnalist by profession, and had been such in New Zealand. It also appeared that he had been writing for the Victorian Press. A leading article, in manuscript, upon the Ministerial banquet at Castlemaine, was found in his pocket, and the style in which it was written showed him to be a hand of some experience. Allusion was made in the article to a pre-, vious one "in Friday's issue." He had been living in lodgings at Fitzroy, arid there tried to poison himself by taking a dose of laudanum. Fortunately he was seen to very shortly afterwards, and Dr Hunt was called in. The doctor applied a stomach pump, by which means Eyton was brought round.; Two letters were found in the room, one to his wife, and the other to his father, both in England. The letters were stamped, and contained the information that the writer, had made up his mind to suicide, and would be dead when they came to hand. The cause of the attempt^ is said to be drink, to which Eyton was driven by pecuniary difficulties. He had lost money over mining in New Zealand, but states that a fortune of LSOOO will probably come to him shortly. The Bench remanded him a week for medical nquiry.