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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1204, 7 June 1872, Page 2

It is with great regret we find that Sergeant Richard White if about to be removed from this station to Ross, and goes away almost immediately. Sergeant White has been for many years stationed in Greymouth, and has earned the hearty esteem of the inhabitants from the straightforward manner in which he has invariably discharged his duty, and we have no doubt that he will earn new golden opinions where he is going. In common with others we wish him all success' in his new sphere of usefulness. In the Enterprise Company south, Adam Smith's, good progress is being made with the tunnel. In a former issue we reported that the driving was hard and blasting necessary. It proved only to be a small bar, which was got through after putting in a couple of blasts. The tunnel is now in about 203 ft, and they expect to intersect the reef after driving another 100 ft. We remind our readers that Miss Stephenson, Mr Burford, and company, appear again to-night at the Volunteer Hall. It was originally intended to produce " The Corsican Brothers " to-night, but the success of "The Lady of Lyons" on Wednesday night was sd decided, that the management resolved on reproducing it with the same cast, Mr Drury again assuming the role of Claude Melnotte. We were thoroughly sincere in the praise that we gave its performance on the former occasion, and can really recommend a visit to all who wish to see a piece well played. It ran better and more smoothly than anything the present company have brought out during the season. Owing to the bad weather and the heavy rain that fell, the Hokitika coach was noi able to start, and consequently we did not rec,eive our usual southern files. Another cargo boat accident happened yesterday about mid-day, when only a short distance up the river. The boaf, belonging to A. Constantine, had got as far as the terrace below the saw-mills, and almost opposite the stable, when a timber-laden boat, with one man and a steersman, was observed to cast loose from her moorings and come fast down upon the one going up. The crew in the latter endeavored, as far as lay in their power, to avert the unavoidable contact, and pushed their boat over the rocks before the other one could strike her. However, the : wash caused by the down-coming one was so great that she sank Mr Constantine's ■ boat at once. The crew had to jump overboard to save their lives, which would have been imperilled had they remained until she sank. Very little of the cargo has been saved. The boat has been raised, and brought to town for repairs. By some singular stupidity of Greville's agent at the Bluff, though he had later English papers by the Albion that brought the mail, he could not compile a telegram containing the chief items. We telegraphed to Greville's chief agent at Wellington yesterday on the subject, hoping that we might get something, but were unsuccessful. The chief agent telegraphed the following explanation, which however satisfactory os far as late Galle telegrams go, cannot apply to news contained in papers brought by the mail up to the date of its leaving. The explanation runs as follows :— " In explanation of the non-receipt of telegrams from Galle— that owing to the P. and O. Company's steamship Nubia being four days under the contract time, the branch boat had not arrived at King George's Sound in time to convey the telegraphic despatches to Adelaide, and consequently the Nubia ran through toMelbourne, anticipating the telegraphic despatches from Adelaide. Melbourne would thus receive London mails before Galle telegrams were received from Adelaide, which, under ordinary circumstances, anticipates the mail by two days. Greville's telegrams, with others, were left at King George's Sound, awaiting the arrival ©f the branch boat^

Telegrams sent from home have news to the 19th April." Owing to the Resident Magistrate fceiug unwell and unable to sit yesterday, some time was consumed in securing two honorary J.P.s to sit in his stead. Eventually at five minutes before' 12 o'clock, his Worship the Mayor and R. C. Reid, Esq., took their seats, and disposed of the business. Robt. Haynes, for allowing two goats to wander in the street, contrary to the Municipal Bye-Law, was fined 20s aud costs. For the same offence he had been fined twice before— once ss, and another time 10s, hence the increased penalty.— John Gilbert, for a first offence of the same nature, was fined 5s and costs. — A case of ejectment was brought a week or two ago by Mr Magoffin, in which the occupier, named Lodge, was ordered to give un possession of a cottage. Subsequently possession was obtained, but the wife of the occupier forcibly re-occupied it, and out of this fact a string of cases arose, and were heard yesterday. In the first, Honora Lodge w«s summoned by Henry Gieseking for assaulting him and threatening his life. It was shown that after the ejectment, complainant had been instructed by Mr Magoffin to watch the cottage in question, and whilsb doing so defendant assaulted him, having at the same time a knife in her hand with which she threatened to "stick him." A man near rescued him from her after she had pulled him down by the hair of the head and was standing over him with the knife. The Bench bound her over to keep the peace for three months, herself in LlO and two sureties in L 5 each. — Magoffin summoned the same defendant for breaking a large window and smashing a door, and laid two separate informations. The breakage of the window was clearly proved, and slle was fined Is and costs, with 10a damages. . The injury to the door was not proved, and the case was dwmissed. — Hcnora Lodge then summoned Robert Gamble for having assaulted her. She said that in connection with the same dispute, defendant had torn a handful of hair out of her head, had knocked her down, and kicked and jumped upon her. In confirmation she produced the hair, and exhibited serious bruises on her arm, which she said had been inflicted by his kicks after he had knocked her down. A lad of hers, about 14 years of as;e, corroborated her statement. Defendant denied that he had laid a finger on her, but said that after complainant had been ejected, Mr Magoffin put him charge of the premises. She subsequently broke open the back door, and seeing a light in the house about one o'clock in the morning, he went over, and finding her there, turned her out, using no more than necessary violence to do so He also said that he was assaulted by both the. mother and son, the latter operating with a brick-bat oh the back of his head. Mr Magoffin proved that he had given charge of the premises to defendant, and the Bench came to the conclusion that complainant had no business there, and that defendant only did what he was justified in doing. The case was therefore dismissed. From Okarito we hear that, on the 30th ultimo, at the nomination of candidates for the seat iv the County Council vacated by Mr Scaulan, Mr Frank Bird proposed and Mr Peter Adatnson seconded Mr J. H. L. Ralfe as a " fit and proper person," &c. Mr T. Eaton proposed and Mr John Cloghu seconded Mr John Barrett, of Hokitika. On the show of hands being in favor of Mr Ralfe, Mr Barrett's proposer and seconder demanded a poll, which will be taken on Monday week. From Ross wo learn that Mr John M'Lerd and party started on a prospecting tour on Saturday last. They left the neighborhood of Mr M'Leod's residence in a boat lately built by that gentleman, and when heard of on Sunday, had succeeded in "paddling their own canoe " up to some little distance above the second gorge of the Mikonui. We understand that it is the intention of the party to prospect the country about the Wahiti. It was reported on Tuesday that the Golden Gate Company at Ross had struck a payable layer of wash running into the terrace, but we have as yet heard nothing definite respecting it. The Taranaki correspondent of the Otago Times writes .— The peace policy is evidently having a telling effect on the Province, The natives are daily becoming more sociable with the Europeans, and in a short time, if the same course is continued, they will be conquered without knowing it. The influence that old chiefs formerly had over their tribes is fast dying out, and the young men, seeing that the natives who have intercourse with the Pakeha are better dressed and have more money than they, are inclined to break the traces that have hitherto bound them, and seek to follow in the footsteps of the friendlies. Even at Pariaka, where Te •Whiti reigns in seclusion, a feeling of independence is beginning to be felt, and the day is not far distant wben the telegraph will .be allowed to pass through that terra incognita; and the railway bepermitted to pass across tracts of splendid agricultural country. It only requires a continuance of peace for a few years to obtain all we desire, for nature is doing the work that the rifle has hitherto attempted, but failed in accomplishing -the annihilation of the race. The following is extracted from the Wanganui Herald of the 25th ult : — " Several instances where natives have interfered with the settlers have recently taken place close to Wanganui within the last few months. This morning, however, the interference went further than customary. Captain Iveson owns a farm called Featherston, on the other side of the river, on which his man was ploughing to-day, when a iiumber of Maoris went to Mm and ordered him at once to leave off, as the land, they said, was theirs. The title to the land we may say is a Crown grant, and hence there is no foundation for tha claim. The ploughman refused at first to obey, but after some loud threats he gave way, and the natives removed plough and. horses to a house at some distance from where they were engaged. This is a pretty state of things.- We are assured, however, that if there is any further interference, the Maoris will be snot down like dogs, as a number of determined men are armed and ready to act. This is the best argument iv such a casa with savages, if the Native agents and Native Office cannot maintain the indubitable right of the settlers. The argument is a potent one with the Australian blacks." A Taranaki paper thus records a Maori row: — "A report was in circulation on Monday morning, that a Maori woman had beenmurdered by a native man, but upon inquiring of the police, we found the story to be that the woman was the wife of a Maori who had been assaulted by a brother Maori ; so out of revenge, the injured husband at once proceeded to a place where the culprit's sister lived, and beat her most unmercifully as payment for her brother's crime. The woman was at first thought to be dead, but it appears she was not so much hurt as was at first supposed. The friends of the girl have compromised the affair with the injured husband— the price being two horses. The following marriage announcement appeared in a late Melbourne paper : — "Ah Poo— Thurlow.— At ihe Wesleyan Parsonage, Lonsdate street, Melbourne, Ah Poo, Esq., of Canton, China, to Miss Frances Louisa Maud, eldest daughtsr of F. J. W. Thurlow, Esq., late of Belfast, Port Fairy, and grand-daughter of the late Captain Edward Wilson Cotton Hodgson, and granddaughter of the late Captain Ressic ."

"iEgles,"in the Australasian, says: — "It is doubtless very uncharitable and unchrisivnlike, lut the soulsof men revolt at the matrimonial alliance of Mongolians with English women. It doesn't mend the matter much, nor does it quite Anglicise the bridegroom that Ah Sin appends 'Esq.' to his native appellation. Nor need the lady feel so much pride in the alliance as to parade in the public journals the names of her distinguished ancestors— an announcement which, if they could read it, would make them shudder in their graves."