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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1179, 9 May 1872, Page 2

To-day will be observed as a general holiday throughout the Colony, being the day fixed by the Governor as a day of thanksg'ving for. the recovery of the Prince of Wales om his late dangerous illness. All Courts, banks, and public offices of every kind will be closed, and services will be held in the various churches in celebration of the occasion. A daily telegraph mail service, to and fro, has been established between Opunake and New Plymouth, via Stony River. The mail leaves Opunake, at 12 noon each day, arid arrives at Stony River, where a temporary telegraph station has been opened, about 4 p.m. Telegrams are then sent the remainder of the distance to New Plymouth by wire over the portion of the road already opened on the New Plymouth side. Telegrams from New Plymouth for the south are sent by the same route. In the Resident Magistrate's Courtjvesterday, there was no business whatever criminal or civil. We hear that at least two of the coal merchants of this town have been informed against by the Inspector of Weights and Measures for having sold coal without duly weighing the same. The cases will come before the Resident Magistrate's Court tomorrow. We understand the police too have been making a raid on some bakers for breaches of the Bakers and Millers Act, and these will be heard at the same time. Considerable interest is felt as to the results of the prosecutions. A meeting of the shareholders of the Energetic Quartz Mining Company was held at the office of the manager, Mr G-. W. Moss, Tainui street, yesterday afternoon. The only business was to appoint directors and auditors for the ensuing year as required by the rules of the company. Messrs P. Hamilton* C. Mace, R. J. Tonks, E. Wickes, D. Sheedy, W. H. Bray, and E. Ashton ; Messrs Hindmarsh and Lahman were elected directors, and auditors. The following was omitted from the report of the last monthly meetirg of the Fire Brigade, reported in our last : — A cheque for L 5 was received as a donation from Mr W. S. Smith. We have received a long letter from Mr T. Joyce, explanatory of his view of the case, Kenrick v. Joyce, heard on Monday last in the Warden's Court here. It would be very injudicious to publish the letter, seeing that an appeal has b. a lodged, and the case is therefore sub jvxlice. If the facts as stated are correct regarding the putting in of the bailiff on the morning after the case was decided in the Warden's Court, it appears to be very sharp practice, as it was not likely that the defendant would fail to meet the judgment, but all these circumstances will, no doubt, be fully entered into when the appeal is heard. It is particularly desirable that every member of our local Volunteer force should attend the usual parade to-night, as the annual inspection by Lieut. -Colonel Harington takes place to-morrow (Friday). As there has been so little drill lately, the men will require polishing up to appear creditably before the Colonel, who, we believe, is a man not to be trifled with in matters of drill and discipline; On parade on Friday it is probable that the New Zealand war medals will j be presented to two members of the Com* pany for their services during the war in the North Island. ' One day last week a singular accident happened to a miner at Callaghan's Creek. The man was cutting a sapling in the bush, when the root end of it flew up and struck him under the chin, causing his teeth to close on his tongue, nearly severing it in two parts. One of the blood-vessels was so injured that he neatly bled to death before he reached Ahaura. Dr Phillips, however, succeeded in stopping the hemorrhage and sewing up the wotibd. At a meeting of the Westland Waste Lands Board, held at Hokitika on Tuesday, a letter waf> read from the Town Clerk of Greymouth, applying that the Board recommend that certain land in the Borough be reserved as a recreation ground. The Board agreed to reserve temporarily the land referred to for the purpose of a recreation ground. The first of a series of penny readings and amateur vocal and instrumental entertainments, which it is proposed to repeat at short intervals during the coming winter months, was held in the Court House, Ahaura, on Friday evening last. Though the weather was unfavorable the building was well filled with an appreciative audience, ' and the different performers were well received. Mr Whitefoord, who presided, in a I few prefatory remarks alluded to the popularity which similar movements had acquired in other towns of the Province, and thought that there was local talent of a sufficiently high and varied nature to render such enterI tainments attractive to the residents. The movement was designed purely for the amusement of the public, and therefore no charge would be made for admission beyond ! what was necessary to defray the cost of lighting the room and procuring seats. He solicited the indulgence of the audience for any shortcomings on the part of the performers, as no rehearsals had taken place, and the entertainment was a purely extemporary one. The programme commenced with "The Wedding March," a cabinet organ solo, by Mr R. Pownall, which was performed with taste and effect. Mr G. L. Greenwood followed with a song entitled

"Of what is the old man thinking ?" which was capitally sung. "Plaisir d' amour," an instrumental solo, by Mr Pownall, was excellently rendered. Mr Webb sang ' ' Constance "in his best voice. Mr Whitefoord's rendering from the well-known scene in "Oliver Twist," where Mr Bumble bemoans the loss of his beadleship, and assails his better half iv eloquent vituperation on the question of " prerogative," provoked 1 uproarious merriment, and put; the audience in the "best possible humor for the rest of the evening.. "We meet again " by Mr Greenwood, " The Dutchman's Courtship " by Mr Pownall, "Rhine Wine" by Mr Potts, " Take back those gems you gave me " by Mr Arnott, and the several other songs and choruses were well received. The company dispersed at ten o'clock, after having spent a very enjoyable evening. It was announced that the entertainment would be repeated on the evening of Thursday week. On Thursday last a publican, named Lane, waß brought before the Resident Magistrate's Court, Ahaura, charged with robbing a man named Boyd, a miner at Noble's, of a sum of L 9. The prosecutor stayed at the . defendant's house at Half-Ounce, and he lo3t his money during the night. The accused was remanded for eight days. Bail was allowed in two sureties of Ll5O each, By a Melbourne telegram of the 2nd inst, it seems that at the 23rd annual meeting of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, held at Sydney, on the 24th April, a report was presented that showed extraordinary success. There were issued during the year '■ 2337 new policies, and the new premiums; amounted to L 32,733 per annum, assuring; L 830.904. The gross annual revenue amounts to L 249 ,0 16, and the credit balance for the; year is L142,G82. The accumulated j funds now amount to L 964.824 A large and influentially attended public meeting, convened by the Mayor of Hokitika on requisition, was held at the Town Hall last Monday evening, for the purpose of adopting measures to press upon the General Government the importance of completing communication by road between Hokitika and Reefton, when the following resolutions were passed :•—" That viewing the importance of the recent quartz discoveries in the Inangahua district, it is desirable to connect Hokitika -with Reefton in as direct a manner as can possibly be done." "That with the view of opening up direct communication from Hokitika to Heefton, the Minister of Public Works be requested to obtain the sanction of the House, at its next sitting, for the construction of a rood leading from the thirty-second mile-po3t on the Christchurch road via Bell Hill, to join the Reefton road to Arahura at Napoleon ." * ' That in tbe opinion of this meeting the connecting link on the Ross and Greymouth road, namely, from Marsden to Omotuinotu should be immediately proceeded with ; such road having already been sanctioned by the General Assembly and the necessary surveys made." "That the County Chairman be requested to communicate with his Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury regarding the construction of a road via Bell Hill to Reefton, and to point out the facilities which this road would afford as an outlet for Canterbury produce and stock, and to request the valuable assistance of his Government in getting it constructed." "That a committee consisting of Messrs Bonar, Todd, John Hall, John White, Hawkins, and the mover, with power to add to their number, be appointed for the purpose of drawing up a memorial to the General Government, embodying the resolutions passed at the meeting. " The drama of the " Sea of Ire" was reproduced last evening at the Volunteer Hall, Miss Stephenson and Mr Burford playing their respective roles with even more »uceesn than on the first occasion. A very good house attended, and the interest was unflagging from the rise to the fall of the curtain. The minor characters were really excellently rendered, and the amateur element was less observable than it has been since the company have played. All the parts ran smoothly throughout; the Barabas of Mr Seymour was especially worthy of special notice as an excellent impersonation. The attractive nature of the performance may be gathered from the fact that many who witnessed it on the previous evening again attended. The Greymouth Band, as usual, added materially to the enjoyment of the evening, and rendered several of their best pieces in admirable style. Owing to the hall being required for volunteer purposes, there will be no performance this or to ; morrow night. We believe the "Ticket of Leave Man " will be produced on Saturday evenThe exodus now taking place from Fiji is stated by a late Levuka paper to be most alarming. A. popular pastor last Sabbath evening,: in Dunedin, speaking of " Cain leaving the old folks," remarked that "the moral world was all higgledy-piggledy," and spoke of the niggardliness of the wealthy portion of his flock in the matter of subscribing towards bringing out more ministers. Why not keep those who came out ? Australia already has just six flourishing congregations . presided over by Otago pastors who somehow failed to be comfortable here. The Ross News says that the Hokitika new road progresses but slowly ; the two sections nearest Ross, those contracted for by Messrs Sykes and Mullins, may be considered as completed, though not certified, except a part of Mullins", which was passed by Mr Gow to allow the bridge-contractor to have the use of the road for drawing timber. Connelly's section will take a month to complete, and Moran's, still longer, while unfortunate section 10 is not commenced. One abutment for the Totara bridge is complete, and a second one far advanced ; the timber used is silver pine, and the work is being done in a permanent manner. There has been much litigation recently in Otago regarding some of the claims at Skippers. There is no doubt, however, that Skippers has be^n wonderfully rich,, and that between several parties of miners a large amount of gold— equal to LlOO.OOO or Llso,ooo— was taken out and shared, within two years, between less than a dozen men. The actual time of working was far less than the two years, for the run of gold was followed, when struck, with a keenness of instinct known only to miners when on "good gold." There seems to be a difference of opinion regarding the observance of the thanksgiving day. On this subject the Dunedin Echo says ; — " Some people like either to sing or to pray, or both ; others prefer breaking the the Sabbath by trips to the Nevada ; others would prosecute carriers under the Sunday Observance Ordinance ; others will visit Haselmayer ; others desire to see Tavares' Hamlet or lago, or anxiously wait for ' Time and Tide.' Each to his taste. But why should the people generally be forced to return thanks to the Deity in a peculiar or any form because one man who had an attack of typhoid f ever got well again ? Hero, worship we can understand, but such worship of a man vho happens by no act of his own to be heir apparent to the Crown of England, is past our comprehension. Why talk of the equality of man when special prayers must be returned to the Deity because one was snatched from the gates of death, while thousands have perished and thousands recovered? It makes our finer, our religious feelingß, seem ridiculous. It is too bad to make thanksgiving look so absurd. Fancy millions > of people pestering and annoying the Deity by pouring out their thanks for the recovery of a young man not very dis.

tinguisbed for his lofty aspirations, while.: our poor brethren have been starving add dying for want of medical attendance by the . thousand! The fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men mentioned in connection with a thanksgiving day seems a solemn mockery! ! In this connection wo notice that a London correspondent says that Canon Kingsley'a sermon on the Prince of Wales was "wretched, illogical, unmanly, and basely snobbish." It has been generally known about town i (saya the Wellington Independent of April>26) for some time back that the member for the Bay of Islands in the General Assembly (Mr M'Leod) waß in negotiation with the Provincial Government of this province for the purpose of bringing out and locating a body of immigrants from Nova Scotia,' a portion of what is now known as the Canadian Dominion, with which Mr M'Leod is intimately acquainted, being a native of that province. • As the arrangements are; now finally completed, we may say that the principal features of the agreement are that as soon as the forthcoming session of the General Assembly is over, Mr M'Leod will proceed to Canada on behalf of the Pro- v vincial Government. He is to receive to the extent of LIOG as passage money_each way, : and a lump sum of L3CS for his. servicer. , It is expected that the immigrants will be landed here inside of twelve months ; but if not, . Mr M 'Leod will' be entitled to no further remuneration. Under the heading of "The Maoris and the Bridge," the . Wanganui Herald relates : the following :-»-'• A rather amusing incident occurred this morning on the Bridge. Many, of the up-river natives had never crossed it, and entirely, ridiculed; the . statement made: by the Wanganuis, that part of the Bridge; moved round. A long controversy at the pah had. been the. result of the, statement,: and, to settle the affair, about 40 or 50 came' down and went on the Bridge. Their desire was soon made known to the Collector, and; he readily agreed to initiate them into the mysteries of the turntable. All being in: leadineas, the natives stepped on to the span, the machinery was set in motion, and; slowly.] and , steadily . the pakehas' bridge moved round. A good number had gathered near the end, but drew back with mute astc-! nishment and some terror at finding themselves, as it were, cut off trom terra firma. When the turn had been completely made, their feelings found vent in three hearty cheers for the bridge. The return of the span was eagerly watched, and with a sigh of relief they stepped over the rubicon into the hands of the Collector, who further relieved them of 'one cop.' for his trouble."