THE Grey Riber Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1572.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1210, 14 June 1872, Page 2

THE Grey Riber Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1572.

The sittings of the District Court will be resumed this morning, at ten o'clock, before his Honor Judge Harvey. Telegraphic communication with all other parts of the Colony, excepting Hokitika and Westport, has been interrupted, the fearful weather that we have had during the last few days having done serious damage to the line between Hokitika and Christchurch. It was nob repaired up to the time of going to press. The annual meeting of the Greymouth Jockey Club called for last evening lapsed, owing to there not being enough members to form a quorum. This was owing to many country members being prevented from at* tending by the weather, and several other townsmen being absent at the reefs and elsewhere. Another meeting will be called shortly with, it is to be hoped, more satisfactory results. Yesterday's West Coast Times says :— "The Christchurch coach did not arrive until about half-past one o'clock this morning, the delay having been occasioned by the heavy fall of snow between this and the Bealey. The depth of snow in some places was as much as sit, and it extended in varying degrees of depth, to within eight miles of Hokitika. Indications of this were given by the quantity of snow which fell here yesterday, and which far exceeded anything experienced before. Martin's Bay is looking up. On the 6th inst. two applications to purchase 100 acres each of land in the Hollyford district were made to the Waste Lands Board, and granted. ' The Wellington Independent is "pleased to see that the city will soon be provided with a morgue." The Chinese have established, at their own cost, a daily "pony express " between Lawrence and Adam's Flat. The following paragraph, taken from the Southern Gross, will serve to show that the revenue obtained from alcoholic .liquors is not all profit to the country :— " A couple named John Shires and Mary Burke were brought before Mr Beckbam, R.M, and sent to gaol for drunkenness ; the woman for a week, the man for 48 hoars. Fithy-two sentences had been passed on the pair within two years ; while the cost they put the Government to could not be estimated at less chan L2OO. So say the police authorities, and they ought to know." The dog tax in Ofcago realised L 2775 last year. I The larrikins are disturbing even tie i peaceful streets of New Plymouth; The policeman of the town is unable to put a stop to their pranks. There are 56 boys and 45 girls at present in the Industrial School, Uunedin. Besides receiving educational instruction, the boys arc' employed alternately in keeping the garden in. full working order, and the girls in general household work, sewing, &c. The average cost per child is 43 10£ d per week. Fifteen bales of cocoa-nnt fibre mats and coir matting, manufactured in Petworth Gaol, Sussex, were sold by auction in Christ* church last week. The auctioneer, in his report, which is published in the Press, says that the goods "being of excellent quality and required at this season of the year, the prices obtained were very satisfactory." It is a significant fact that during the last financial year no less than 103, or abont one in seven, of the Armed Constabulary were dismissed for misconduct, Either the moral model is preternaturaUy.higb, or the normal standard is superlatively Tow. Yet

it afforded the Defence . Minister " grout pleasure to notice the marked improvement in the conduct of the force.; 1 Its condition in previous years must have been startling. ' • '■■■-.;.. Efforts are being made by private enterprise' to establish new oyster beds at German Bay, Akaroa. Eight acres of land have been leased from the Government under "The Oyster Fisheries Act 1866 Amendment Act Act 1869," for a term of seven yeare with a right to renew at the end of that time for a further period of thirty years. Workmen are now engaged preparing the beds, and 30«<0 dozen oysters have been procured from Stewart's Island, as well as a large number from the Akaroa beds for spawning purposes. The news from the Aylroer lead, Ross, is very favorable. The prospectors' claim is paying good wages. Holly and paity intend to erect a water-wheel. Holly, Miller, and party are doing well, and also M'Clellan and party. O'Donnell and party diviied L 27 per man fora fortnight's work. The claims held by Dunn and party, Captain Perkins and M'lntosh and party are paying very good wages. It is now about a fortnight we (Boss Neios) are informed since Messrs Brogden telegraphed their desire that the County officials should complete the survey of the Mokinui race, but we have not had the pleasure as yet of noting the presence of members of the snrvey-Btaff in this district. The sooner some action is taken in the matter the better will it please the inhabitant of this district. During the last ten years the increase in the population of New South Wales was 13 per cent, greater than that of Victoria. In New South Wales the population between the ajjes of 20 and 35 increased by 29,235 persons, whilst the population of Victoria between the ae;es of 21 and 35 decreased by 42,766 persons. Hawke's Bay, according to the Herald, "is already almost exclusively a pastoral Province, aud is every day becoming more so." The rails for the tracks upon the road from the famous Kaitangata coal pit to the Clutba River are now being : laid, and it it expected that in the course of a week or a fortnight the export trade to Dunedin will commence. . From an Australian paper we learn that a proposal has been made by the Governor of Western Australia for the introduction of 600 Swedish immigrants, the new-comers to be provided with a tract of land that shall be set apart for them, and which they are to occupy rent free. 'Che Waikato Times says:— "The Hon. Donald M 'Lean has promised a quantity of wheat, oats, and barley for seed to the natives of Tamahere. If they deserve any present from the Government this is ceitainly the best form in which to confer it, the cost being trifling compared with the result, if they only take the tronble to cultivate it. . The Wellington Independait says:— "The question of gold fields administration is one that the Government will be compelled to grapple with, unless it is prepared to leave the gold fields to their fute. In Auckland, Nelson, and Otago, the complaints are loud and persistent, and they should be listened to." The Pall Mall Gazette says :— ' 'The success which has marked the exportation of smallpox from the United Kingdom to the United States, free of duty, must have surpassed the most sanguine hopes of those interested in the Society for the Diffusion of Diseases." A Queensland paper states that New Zealand stands second amongst the Australian colonies for the value of her exports:— "Queensland exports per head of population per annum L 22, New Zealand Ll9, Victoria LlB, New South Wales Llo, South Australia Lls, Western Australia LB, Tasmania L 6 10a. ' , . The Wanganui Chronicle states that the Westmore blockhouse was burned to the ground on the 2nd instant. Some workmen engaged in road-making have occupied it for some time past, but we are not in possession of any particulars as to the origin of the fire. It will be remembered that this blockhouse was for some time Colonel Whi!> more's head- quarters while preparing for his last successful campaign against Tito Kowaru. Offences by Maoris, it would appear, are not treated with the same rigor in the North Island, as when they are committed by Europeans. The Wellington Indejiendent of the 27th ult. says :-" Patete Te Teko, who snatched away Mr Mould's watch guard a few days ago, was brought up on Saturday charged with larceny. The facts elicited were substantially the same as have already been published. Mr Ollivier defended the prisoner, and contended that there was no attempt at theft, and that his action was no more than might be expected from a Maori under the circumstances. The native, thinking he had paid too much for his blanket, demanded his money back, not fully aware that such a practice does not enter into the European system of trade, and on Mr Mould's refusal, a -scuffle ensued, during which the Maori snatched the watch guard and a locket and made off with them. The Magistrate took a lenient view of the case, and dismissed the Maori with a severe caution not to repeat such a trick." Mr Joseph Howe, a Cabinet Minister in Canada, has been delivering a "strong "lecture to the Young Men's Christian Association of Ottawa, on the conduct of the mother country. He declared that the Dominion, with only four millions of people in it, had to govern half a continent and face a people of forty millions ; that it could not tolerate a laggard or a coward ; that in auy war with the Union, it would be five times as completely overborne ati France was by Germany; that a new policy had been developed at home, and Great Britain was to retain her troops and surround herself with ironclads, and the Britons across across the Atlantic were to be abandoned. On the eve of most serious negotiations, Canada had been stripped of every soldier, aud the thirty millions were "to hoard their rascal counters in two small islands," and let the Empire go. • The following businesslike advertisement appears in this week's Tuapeka Times:— '♦ Matrimonial. — The two bachelors residing on the Alexandra road, who some time ago advertised in the Tuapeka Times, beg to inform Maggie Black and Flora Macdonald that they are still desirous of achieving matrimonial bliss, and with a view thereto would be glad to correspond with those ladies. Should Maggie and Flora feel similarly disposed, they will oblige by forward" ing their address to * Cupid," Tuapeka Time*