THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1250, 1 August 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 1872.

Paraphrasing one of Hamlet's little sermons to Horatio, the Nelson Mail exclaims " Verily there are more dodges in the signature-to-petition- obtaining trade than are dreamt of in our simple Nelson philosophy." Possibly the editor of the Mail may have had in his " mind's eye" a certain recently-obtained petition bearing that highly poetical number of signatures, " six hundred," but, so far as we may judge from the outward and visible signs of the reasons for the faith that is in him, the exclamation has been produced chiefly by his perusal of a letter which he publishes— a letter which pretends to have emanated from Greymouth. According to the columns of the Mail, there has been communicated to some simple philns)pher of Nelson by some cunning fellow in Greymouth a revelation of the "dodges" to which some of the recognisedly respectable, upright, intelligent, and politically active members of this community resort when they bring before the Parliament of the country their own and others' grievances. In the words-of the Mail, "We have been favored with a perusal of, and permission to make extracts from, a letter recently received from a resident at Greymouth who, we have reason to believe, is well acquainted with the position of affairs there. And, in the words of this "resident at Greymouth," this acquaintance with the position of affairs is obtained by his being, after the manner of Polonius, " behind the scenes." The subject with which there is associated all this amount oi dodgery, revelation, and moralising is, forsooth, the memorial which was recently prepared for transmission to Parliament, in expression of the feeling of those who

might sign it, regarding an improvement in the form and manner of administering local affairs on the West Coast. Here is the "Gfeymouth resident's" revelation as he gives it : —

"Icannot but. think that the discon* tent with the t|Telfiton Government is but slight, and yet this will appear strange when the Greymouthians are enabled to obtain so many signatures, but I will let .you behind the scenes. Last summer but one was an exceedingly dry one, ■ and from October to March, comparatively speaking, no work was done on the> diggings. -Diggers could not pay storekeepers, nor could storekeepers keep their engagements with the merchants, and very many are not yet square. Those who are living in Greymouth who wish to carry their point apply the 'screw,' and the storekeepers do likewise. Say, there are six of us in a claim ; my mate goes down to the store for provisions ; there is a little hemming and hawing about scarcity of money, bills to meet, &c, and then the petition is produced ; sign it, or no more tick. My mate considers a while, and then his signature is attached. ' I say, you might as well sign for your mates — what odds is it to them what Government they are tinder? They won't have to pay any more for their stores, and perhaps less for their miners' rights.' The consequence is that my mate signs for the lot, varying the caligraphy as much as possible, and is then asked to take a whisky by the storekeeper. This is no imaginary case ; it is a positive fact." Most local readers, we imagine, on perusing this politico-commercial romance by a great unknown Greymouth author, must ask themselves — Should the fellow be writ down rogue or ass 1 Charity suggests that he must be more of the latter than the former, yet he must know that what he would leave the reader to infer are facts aie no facts Beginning with the basis of this romance as to the discontent with the Nelson Government being slight, and ending with the statement as to the number of signatures obtained to the memorial, he asserts as " positive fact," that which is the purest fiction. The positive fact is, as regards the memorial in question, that not a single signature to it has yet been asked or obtained— out of Greymouth, or even in Greymouth, so far as we are aware. But where he displays the simplicity of the ass is in supposing that anyone else could be ass enough to believe that the relations of creditor and debtor, between the merchants, storekeepers, and miners of the West Coast are so exceedingly free-and-easy as to make the giving or taking of " tick" dependent solely upon a man signing, a petition. Alas for anyone who should be such an ass ! His fate, we fear, would be to sign, and eke to file, a petition of a very different sort. The bare suggestion of the thing, as a feature of the commercial morality and practice of the West Coast community, is intensely ludicrous, and to imagine that its existence could be even " dreamt of" in Nelson or its philosophy is to imply that there can be no more simple creature in heaven or earth than a "simple Nelson philosopher." Should such philosopher stray hitherward, he would find himself tho welcome guest of many, wirh their hearty wishes that his should prove the true philosophy, and as hearty invitations to " take a whisky." Delightful task it would be for the impecunious and indebted digger, when the summer is dry, and the " screw" is put on by the storekeeper, to have simply to sign a petition for separation from Nelson, and thereupon and thereafter to enjoy " more tick." How worthy of being courted would be the society of such 'a storekeeper, to say nothing of the solace of his whisky ! How thoroughly excellent men are "those who are living in Greymouth," and whose habit it is to " apply the screw" only when they wish "to carry the point" of procuring signatures to a petition ! O, that this were "no imaginary case !" O, that it should prove, now and for ever, " a positive fact !" I At the monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee, held at Gilmer's Hotel, last eveniug, the following tenders for supplies for the year were accepted :— Butcher's meat, Woolfe and Austin; wines, spirits, and groceries, Duncan M 'Lean ; bread, W. Jones; milk, W. Fairhall; coal, G: Martin,'; washing, Mrs Faulkner ; burials, J. Quinn, Mr Kenrick was elected secretary, and Mr King treasurer. | We are compelled to hold over our usual abridgment of late proceedings in the County Council, and also the County Estimates fojr the next six months as published by our Hokitika contemporary. Several subjects are therein discussed which may prove worthy of future reference. I A prisoner in the Upper Gaol at Hokitika, named Thomas Purnell, died there early on Tuesday morning. He had been ailing for some months, and his death was not uiiexj pected. Purnell was sentenced in the May session, 1869, to ten years' penal servitude. At a meeting of the Board of Education, held at Hokitika on Tuesday, the sum of L 250 was distributed as subsidies among the various schools in Weatland. In Greymouth, Mr Thomas's Bchool received L2O ; St. Patrick's, L2O ; 'Greenstone, Ll3 ; and Arnold, Ll3. ; Mr Neville^ Thornton and the Petite Amy are acting, with some amateur gentlemen, at Sheahan's Bijon Theatre, Westport. Miss. Nye, Miss Matthews, and Donato ate performing in Nelson. Henry Hildebrandt, better known as German Harry, has been drowned in the Inangahua river. Messrs Cullen Brothers, drapers, Charleston, we notice, have disposed of their entire interest there to Messrs Thompson, Smith, and Barkley, merchants, Greymouth. Mr Edward Elward, an old and respected resident of Nelson Creek, and one of the Sioncers of the Grey Valley, died rather sudenly at his residence, the Diggers' Best Hotel, foot of Nelson Creek, on Tuesday moraine. Mr Elward had been unwell for a few days, but his illness was not sufficiently Berious to alarm his family and friends. The body was brought to Greymouth for interment yesterday. The cause of death was inflammation of the lungs. The Inangahua Herald, of Wednesday, says — v The Westland Company concluded their crushing on Friday, washed up on Saturday, and the gold wetit down to Greymouth on Monday. The exact result is not made known, but there is no disguising the fact that, taking into consideration the great expectations that had been always held out, it is highly unsatisfactory. Apart however, from those expectations, and dealing with actual facts the result is said to have given a moderate Average, about an ounce to the ton —at least such is the estimate, though the actual yield per ton of the first crushing levercan be accurately ascertained. This has arisen out of the disastrous mismanagement inside the mine. Long ago it wus represented by tho mining manager that at 1 least 150 to 170 tons of quartz hail Lcen got

out and was stacked in the drives, ready to be brought out as Boon as tbe batterieß wcie prepared for crushing. On clearing out the drive, the quantity of stone proved to bo considerably less than half the estimate, and on investigating the tailings, there was conclusive evidence that slate containing no gold had been very largely mixed with the quartz. Taking these facts into consideration, together with the small quantity of stone put through, and the plates being uncured, it is impossible that the present crushing can be accepted as any test whatever of the ground. The directors are so fully satisfied on this point that they have decided to raise a large quantity of stone, the result of which will give at least something reliable. Driving is now being continued and stone got to grass."

George Henry Chamberlain, whose name is a familiar one on the West Coast, was brought before the Resident Magistrate at Hokitika on Tuesday, charged with breaking into the premises of Messrs Cowlisbaw and Plaisted, and stealing two brackets, a powder flask, and sundry other articles. James Rowley, whose name is alf o a familiar one on the Coast, was the first witness for the prosecution. He stated that he had been living with Chamberlain for some time, cooking and minding his shop, and he described how Chamberlain used to go through a hole in the floor of his premises, creep under several houses, ascend through a hole in Cowlishaw and Plaisted's floor, and return with articles which he had appropriated, replacing the loose boards in each case. Chamberlain, he saii, then took the goods to a shop he had in Tancred street, and disguised them by repainting them. Detective Brown described the truck which he discovered between the premises, and articles which he found in those of Chamberlain — a dark lantern, a neddy, and ast old pair of trousers very dirty at the knees. The prisoner was remanded to Cth August, being admitted to bail. In the rivers Motueka andWaimea, 2\ elson, there were destructive floods last week, and in the former a settler named. George Harding was drowned. Messrs Tonks and Hughes, of Westport, after having two hotels washed away, announce that they carry on business at their Empire Hotel No. 3, at the corner of Wharf and Lyttelton streets. Some excellent specimens of quartz from the Little Wonder claim, Lyell, held by Carrol and party, have been brought into Westport. The specimens, says the Times, were obtained at a depth of 60ft from the surface. The atone is a conglomerate of white quartz and granite, with gold interspersed throughout, in quantities sufficient to prove that it would pay remarkably well under proper manipulation. The prospects of the Lyell district are most encouraging. The rails of a portion of the Dun Mountain railway, Nelson, have been sold by Mr Levien to Messrs Brogden and Sons for temporary use on the Picton line. A thoroughly characteristic lamentation is made in Nelson over this event. Says the Mail: — "It is with no little regret that many persons in Nelson have witnessed the railway-trucks running down to the Port laden with rails from the far end of this line. The Dun Mountain railway is one of the greatest engineering triumphs in New Zealand, and as such we have been accustomed to point it out to visitors to the Province with some degree of pride, but it seems that wo are no longer to be able to include it among the 'lions' of Nelson." Greenwood and Co.'s plant, ut Charleston, consisting of steam-engine, batteries, stampers, &c, has been purchased by T. Dwan and Co. Last week, the Lady Barkly brought from Colliugwood to Nelson 84oz of gold, the produce of 209 tons of stone from the Perseverance mine. Mr Charles Webb, the acting-secretary of the Building Society, informs us that he will lie at the temporary office of the Society, in Waite street, every afternoon from two to four o'clock, to receive applications for shares and give any information required. > On the subject of the article which appeared in our issue of yesterday— the relations between the General and Provincial Governments— the Wellington Independent, in a recent number, Bays :— " Government can gain nothing by evading it ; they shouH be strong enough to deal with it firmly and conclusively, and we are sure they would much more commend themselves to thje support of the House by a positive course than by any temporising action. The question is one which grows Digger every session, and unless grappled with at once, it will probable become much more formidable than it is now. We may venture to say thfe much :— The Provincial Governments have been placed in ,such an anomalous and irritating position lately, that unless their powers are defined, however narrow theijr limits may be fixed, a revulsion will take place, and provincialism will become more powerful tnan ever it was before. The existing relations between the central and Provincial Governments are most unsatisfactory. • There is too. much friction ; a great deal too much of weak concession on the one part, and of arrogant demands on the other, and it has become an absolute necessity that a more definite division of authority should be made. It is no use pror crastinating the matter; it has been put off and put off from session to session, but the Government, in the interest of their own policy, are bound now to deal with it." ■

Alluding to the recent departure of Mr Kynnersley for one of the other colonies, in the hope of improving his seriously impaired health, the Westport Times says :— " Mr Kynnerslay's many friends on the Coast will derive some satisfaction from knowing that,' thanks to their tangible expression, of good-; will for his past public services and sympathy in his present bodily afflictiou, he is now en route for Melbourne by the steamer! Albion, it having been considered absolutely: necessary by his medical attendant at Nelson; that Mr Kynnersley should seek a change of; climate, where ho might for a time breathe a; warmer air. Had not friendly aid been accorded him, it . might have been that Mr Kynnersley would not have taken this necessary step, and should the present change ot scene, through providential dispensation,; add to his regaining a portion of that physical strength which is bo necessary to any man occupying a public position, those who: have proved themselves friends in deed as in word, will have the supreme pleasure of knowing that, in following the dictates of generous impulse, they have also wrought well for the public cause. We need hardly suggest that the good -work now^ommenced Bbould not fail in its perfect consummation for. lack of means. Other friends of Mr Kynnersley, who respect him for his honorable principles, and sympathise with him in his sufferings, will do w ell to follow the good example already Bet them." In these columns we have already made referenceperhaps too Blight reference— to the propriety of the people of the Grey Valley, whom Mr Kynnersley distinctively and efficiently represented, expressing this sympathy with him, as now suggested by this Westport journal. By private advices, we are assured that Mr Kynnersley's temporary removal to another climate was a step rendered absolutely necessary by the very delicate Btate of his health, and by the very unusual rigor of the present winter in this Colony ; and it is sincerely to be hoped that, during this enforced retreat to another climate, he will not l<e forgotten by his many friends nn the Coast, including those in the Grey Valley.