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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1187, 18 May 1872, Page 2

We are informed by a party of miners working near the top of the lagoon, South Beach, that a member of the Borough Council has recently been making himself very officious by calling upon them and informing them that they will' have to stop working, as they are washing away the crown of the beach. Whether they are doing so or not it is clearly , not the^ duty of a Borough Councillor to act in this manner to men who pay Borough rates. After this perhaps the matter will be enquired into. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, there were neither civil nor criminal cases for decision. A sudden death, under very paiuful circumstances, took place at the foot of Nelson Creek on Thursday, 16th inst. Mrs Roar, the wife of Mr J. W. Ross, hotelkeeper and baker, of that place, was taken ill at 10 o'clock p.m. At midnight she was delivered of a still-bom child, but the unfortunate woman died immediately afterwards. An inquest was held by the coroner yesterday. The long spell of fine weather recently enjoyed in the up-country districts, broke on Sunday, 12th inst. It rained heavily all the day and. during the following night. On Monday it cleared a little, but on Monday night and during Tuesday there was a succession of rain and hail storms, with occasional heavy rain showers accompanied by high winds on Wednesday. The weather cleared up on Thursday, when general traffic was resumed.- The rivers and creeks were highest on Tuesday at sundown, but the absence of any noticeable flood may be attributed to the fact, that while it rained in the valleys it was snowing on the ranges. The mail from Greymoutk due at Ahaura on Tuesday evening did not reach its destination until Friday. The Inangahua mail from Greytnouth was detained at Ahaura from Monday till Thursday. The mailman made several unsuccessful attempts to proceed on his journey during the interval. Last night the Volunteer Hall, on the occasion of Miss Stephenson's benefit, was crammed and a large number of persons were unable to gain admittance. The chief attraction was the well-known piece of •• The Relief of Lucknow," in which Mias Stephenson earned additional laurels and was enthusiastically received by her audience. Mis Kyle, a local lady amateur, also assisted in tne character of Mrs Campbell, and justified in a iiigh degree the expectations that her previous performances gave reason to expect. All other parts were well filled, and t.hnsft prfisp.nt. wore highly pleased with the entertainment. In the farce of "Double Dealing," Mr and Mrs Kyle gave the greatest satisfaction, and everything concluded in a most satisfactory, manner. At the request of a large number of persons the performance will be repeated this evening, positively for the laat time, A teamster, in the employ of Messis White and Garth, of Ahaura, had a narrow escape from drowning on Tuesday, 13th inst., in the Little Grey. He attempted to cross the river at Devery's Terrace with his team, during the flood, but the leaders had barely entered the river when one of them was carried off its legs. The driver iashly rushed to the assistance of his horse, but he, too, was carried away. Fortunately he clutched the driving rein in his hands, and previous nautical experience coming to his aid, he hauled himself " hand over fist" on to the dray again.'? The following is a return of the business transacted at the Resident Magistrate's and Warden's Courts at Ahaura, for the year endiug 31st March, 1872 .-—Resident Magistrate's Court— Cases tried, criminal, 129 ; civil, 498 ; amount sued for, LB3BO os lid -, amount for which judgments were given, L 3858 4s . Warden's Court— Cases tried and defended, 79 ; number of certificates issued from the Warden's Office, 2083 ; number of applications made in the Warden's Conrt, 1222 ; number of miners' rights issued, 757 ; business licenses, 265 ; publicans' licenses, 97. The revenue for the above period, from all sources, is given under the head of Gold Fields Revenue at L 3113 3s 6d, and Resident Magistrate's Courts fees, L 823 lls 2d ; making a total of L 3936 14s 8d for the financial year, and a gross total for the Grey Valley of L 6963 19s 9d for the twelve months, exclusive of the revenue, if any, from the Brunner Coal-mine, and. not taking into account the proportionate share of the gold export duty, or Customs revenue. The expenditure for the year for salaries and "contingencies," in the Grey Valley aloue, exclusive of the cost of working the coalmine, Customs, or harbor salaries, may be stated at LSSGO, at a rough-calculation. . The usual meeting, of the. Borough Council took place last evening, but the business was of the most unimportant character. A letter was read from the Westland Waste Lands Board, stating that they would recommend the Recreation Ground applied for to be reserved. —An application from the sexton for pegs was agreed to.— A request from MiUer and Collins, for a remission of rates, was referred to the Finance Committee. — The Secretary of the Gas Company wrote to say that they could not supply the lamps asked for.— Permission was given to Orr and Co. to make certain verandah alterations, subject to the approval of the Surveyor. — TheParoa Road Biard wrote and inquired whether, in cisc of their making a metalled road up to the town boundary, the Council would complete it into town. The Council, after some discussion, agreed to do so —A. letter ftom the watermen was also received, calling attention to the fact, that owing to the stone protection works progressing, access to the river was being cut off. The Town Surveyor was instructed to do what was necessary to remedy the complaint. — The report of the Public Wcrks Committee was received and adopted, but it contained nothing of importance — The report of the Finance Committee was also received, and adopted. — The Surveyor's report was, after some discussion, withdrawn. , The following extract, however, is of interest :— " The Public Works Committee desired me to report to the Council my opinion of the danger (if any) likely to arise from mining operations being carried at the beach. I cau only reiterate my often ex-

pressed opinion that all mining operations on the beach should be stopped, as the channels cut in the beach admit more water in stormy weather than the narrow mouth of the lagoon allows to exit in the same time, thereby causing a deal of inconvenience, if not positive danger, in case the sea scoured out one or more of these channels, and in stormy weather flood the back portions." — Leave of absence was given to Councillor Ooates. — A proposal by Councillor Kennedy for a division of the town into wards was postponed. The, Council then adjourned. Two of the sectiona of the Ross and Hokitika road, nearest this end, were opened for traffic on Thursday, and throughout the whole of the day the road was extensively used for timber carting purposes. The expense to the contractors (Messrs Sykes and Mullins) for maintenance will doubtless be great for some time, as the wet season appears to have set in, and the metal used in the construction has had no chance to bind. All Freemason's Ledges in Calcutta and Bombay were to be put into mourning for three months, on account of Lord Mayo's death. A most unfortunate accident happened to Mr Thomas Logan, of Rankin and Logan, carriers, on Thursday morning, loth inst. Mr Logan was attending to his horses at Mr John Devery's stables, at Totara Flat, when one of them, which is usually very quiet, kicked him, inflicting serious injuries. It appears Mr Logan entered the stall in which the horse was feeding in such a manner as to frighten the animal, and, without any warning, the horse struck out. Dr Phillips was sent for fi'oin Ahaura, and on examination it was found that the man's left arm was broken below the elbaw, and a frightful gash extended across the forehead just above the temples. The sufferer is progressing favorably, and is now out of danger. ' It is said that . the Rev Mr Peebles, the well-known lecturer on spiritualism, with a test medium, will shortly visit Australia, and will probably make a tour of New Zealand. The first gas lamp post for the Port Chalmers Corporation was erected on the 29th ultimo, at the head of the jetty. "The twaddling season" is the name given by the Otago Daily Times to the present month, because %he Otago, Nelson, and Wellington Provincial Councils, and the Parliaments of Victoria and New South Wales are now in session. ; A melancholy spectacle was witnessed at Ahaura on Monday last. A young man named Henry Wilson, a miner, long resident at Napoleon and Half-Ounce, has lately been suffering from a painful, and it is feared, a mortal illness. As it was found impossible to procure proper medical attendance at HalfOunce, on Wednesday a number of miners, friends and acquaintances of the poor fellow, carried him to Ahaura, a distance of thirteen miles, with a view of placing him withui reach of suitable attention. The sick mau was borne on a litter, carefully covered in. As the cortege passed through the streets, the rain was pouring down in torrents, as i\ did during the journey from Half-Ounce. Much sympathy was felt for Wilson, whe was a fine young fellow, much respected throughout the districts in which he resided, and the conduct of his mates and friends in taking such tender care of him .was highlj spoken of, A paper called the Waikato Times has been started in Ngaruwahia, in the neighbor hood of what a few years ago was the real dence of the natife King. This is a socia' circumstance of some significance, and on< of the last evidences of the progress of peac< and the giowth of security in formerly dis turbed districts. The paper, for a new venture in a thinly peopled district, is a satis factory production. May its columns nevei "be less ! Atthe Resident Magistrate's Court, Ahaura, on Thursday, l(sth instant, Ellen Swords, 01 Cameron, an old acquaintance of the polioe, was sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labor, under the provisions of the Amended Vagrant Act. A previous conviction was proved against the prisoner, aud it was shown that her conduct and language on the occasion were abominable. The police are congratulating themselves 01 ridding the district of a terror and a nuisanct in this case, and from the audible sigh oi relief given by a most energetic member oi the force when the sentence was pronounced, it would seem that a load of care had been taken off his mind Some of the bachelors on the Alexandra Road and Speargrass Flat (Otago), says a country paper, complain bitterly against the Government for not sending a number of females into the interior of the country, now that money has been borrowed for immigration purposes. An Auckland paper says : — " We observf with pleasure that the Maoris are ready tc send their childreu to schools where the English language is taught, and that they are doing so both at the Thames and Hawke's Bay. Mr Commissioner Locke states that in the latter Province, at Maketu, he saw a Maori girl acting as tutoress, and teaching European and half-caste children in the English language, and that great progress was being made." The Wanganui Borough Council has consented to purchase the Wanganui Bridge for the sum of L 20,000, for which, in addition to the bridge, the Corpoiation acquires possession of the wharf, hospital, and foieshore. The hospital is to be placed in repair by the Provincial Government, and a grant of L3OO towards the maintenance of the institution will be placed upon the Estimates. The broadsider claim on Adam Smith's line, Murray Creek, hitherto known as tfrank M 'Lean's, i 3 to be registered shortly under the title of " The Golden Bell Quartz Mining Company," registered, with a capital of L 13.000, in 13,000 shares, of Ll each. Mr Louis Davies has been appointed legal manager. Before people allow themselves to be led astray in their opinions of the San Francisco service simply on account of the recent irregularities, it would be well for them to have a look at the comparative cost of this and the Suez service under the old arrangements. At one time the Suez line cost us fully L 40,000 a year, not including any interproviucial services. Under the arrangemeuts made by Mr Yogel our subsidy will amount to L 27,000, subject, however, to very probable deductions, which will bring it down possibly to L 20,000, or even less. An important civil action which was to come on for hearing at the Resident Magistrate's Court, at Ahaura, on Thursday, 16th iust, had to bo adjourned in consequence of the non-attendance of the solicitor for the complainants. The parties to the suit and their witnesses came, some from Reefton, and others from Duffer Creek and Napoleon. His Worship, in granting the adjournment with full costs against the plaintiffs, remarked that heretofore adjournments were granted on too easy terms in such applications as the one before the Court. In future, when a day was fixed for a sitting of the Court, he would expect professional gentlemen engaged in cases set down for hearing to, be present, and if not he should consider they were more profitably engaged elsewhere, unless it was satisfactorily shown to the contrary. He (Mr Whitefoord) came from Greymouth to hold the present court, and he saw no reason why the learned gentleman who had charge of the plaintiff's case could not attend also. He would adjourn this case, but a rule would be made to refuse every similar application.