PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1572.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1280, 5 September 1872, Page 2

PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1572.

O tempora ! O mores ! O Eugene O'Conor!

Bat yesterday the .word of Eugene Stood against the world ; now lies he, And none so poor to" do him reverence. It is a sorry spectacle. Faithful among the faithless, we were so faithful as to be ! foolish enough td say, only a few days ago, that in being designated ". doubtful " Mr O'Cpnpr wap lonce. .more . being '•' perae--cuted by malicious, evil-minded enemies." Our faith was based upon a fact. That fact was that at Westport, a week or two before. the sessionj when it was mildly hinted by one of his "political opponents'* qr" personal eneuries" that there would soon be seen a change come o'er the spirit of his dream, through circumstances which were even then appearing on the surface, he boldly repelled the base insinuation, and avowed himself, in the past and in the present, "a warm supporter of theLlMiniatry." In : almostapoloi getic tones it was suggested that there was too great an- interest being all of a sudden taken in the hpn. member by Mr Stafford and his satellites to be altogether good for the moral health of a weak member, and the constituency were invited to watch the progress, of events, and to mark the speaker's word?. Prophet iof ? evil that he vwas, 5J19 words have come true ! Heralded, into the. House by Mr Arthur Collins as a. probably injured man, handed over to the tender mercies of a committee headed by Mr Gillies, watchod for and: welcomed on his return by Mr Stafford, Joseph fell upon the bosom of his new political i step-father> and— kicked biit right and left' at his former friends. Mr Fox was friehdly, it is true j> but what is friendship? Friendship— nothing more. Arid it was under these circumstances-^, when the value of- one vote was enhanced to adegrbe which it is difficult to estimate—that a so-called "judicial inquiry" Was ' conducted to its, 'Satisfactory close, with this 'adtisfactbry sequel ! The least satisfactory part of the whole proceeding is that not a. word of t all that Mr O'Conbr is reported 'to have sdld 'was, so far aa we areaware, ever anticipated byJMrO'Conor'B constituency; Loud he was, as a member of the Nelson Provincial Council, in his J praises of the Premier as compared Vifli the Superintendent; loudhe'wasin his expressions of his admiration of the General Government administration, . as compared with Provincial ; proud he was to the last that the Premier and he. were on such friendly terms' ds r> -to interchange private /correspondence ; and strong he was; > as we have said, in the assertion that he was a supporter of the Ministry. Ifjhe sthoughts thought k otherwiee— if he;imeanti otherwise — why not, on some cf the frequent opportunities he had, take his constituency into his confidence, and Bay that he was somewhat " doubtful " ? It is needless; however, ito ask questions in a case which is so emphatically and endlessly questionable. It is needless for the present to follow Mr O'Conor through the several; statements which he : has 'made, antagonistic to the Ministry, as briefly re^ ported to us, and .'as more fully reported in earlier telegrams. Other occasions will arise for an investigation of the reasons for his^heresyj] if rgasons ; jthey can be called.' Coming from the cne other Opposition member representing the Coaßt, they might be called reasons, and be re-ceived'-with raspidct 'by reason of his lief cognised ; consistency. ,- Coming from* Mis O'Conof they #re .only remarkable as an addition to the abundant illustrations of hu consistency in being utterly and hopelessly .inconsistent. . Verily, it was: well and trnly said by an acute contemporary, not a month ago, that Mr O'Conor was a man 6f whom more 1 wiould be heardi ! His ; tergiversation on this occasion js a complimeht fo bur Contemporary's foresigtit/ but complimentary to no one else coricerned—least 6f ; all ' to Mr O'Conor's confiding constituents. .

The debate on Mr Stafford's resolutions, and on the amendment:. proposed yesterday, has in all probability been concluded by the hour; this sheet is put to press, and, in that evrot, the result will, no doubt be known as soon as the Telegraph Office opens. The Ulegrnphists were originally instructed to be in attendance up to midnight, but it was apparent at eight o'clock that there was no prospect of tho debate being concluded until

far into the small hours, and their instructions were therefore countermanded.

The Manager of the, New\Zealand Press Association, Mr E. T. Gillon, telegraphed to us yesterday, pointing out that our issue of the,27tb ultimo contained a telegram purporting .to- be a summary of an article which, had appeared in the Wellington Independent regarding West Coast members of the Assembly. Mr Gillon in his telegram says :— rt'J^fißvK^sKe.4 iJLasjan,. Aß.sociatiQ.n~telealthough not sent by us. Please state how this occurred." . The explanation which wo had to give, and which it is right" should be made public, was that we had received the telSgrafiTf rorn" si 7 private" correspondent, but that inadvertently" it was placed *iii the hands of the printers without being distinguished from other telegrams,: and that it thereby was wrongly attributed to the Association. Of course we could not do otherwise than; .express our regret to Mr Gillon for the oversight and request that he should take steps to make known our explanation, promising to do the same here. . The Stephenson-Burford company played last night at the Volunteer Hall for a charitable purpose, and their efforts appeared to be fully appreciated by the public, because the hall was crammed in every part. The pieces selected for the occasion were— "Milky White" and "The Omnibus," with a musical interlude' by Mr J. Small, all of which we have frequently noticed, and which, last night, were received with abundanco of applause. On Friday night the company will j ■produce the tragedy of "Macbeth," which will, no doubt, attract a very large andience. A meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was. Jield, last night at Gilmer's Hotel ; present,, "Messrs "Masters . (chair), Smith, Maclean, Kennedy, Arnoot, Reid, Gilrner, King. The Visiting Committee reported the Hospital in a satisfactory condition. The number of patients on the 31al July was 29 ; admitted during the month, 16; discharged, 17 ; died, 2; remaining in Hospital on 2nd September, 26. The amount realised from the sale of the vegetables during the month, was L 3 ss ; and donations from patients; L 6 135." The accounts for the month, amounting to L 203 11s 2d, were laid on the table and passed. The Treasurer reported that the Westland subsidies for March, June, July, and August were unpaid ; and a donation of LI had been received from Mr J. Small. The Visitiug Committee- were authorised to furnish the new ward as soon as it was completed, and, if necessary, to appoint a nurse temporarily. The Secretary was instructed to forward the annual report to subscribers and the Local Committees. The Visiting Committee for the month are Messrs Hamilton, Smith, and Kennedy. The other business was unimportant. . , . . • '-. After five weeks' washing, Mulligan and party, at Inangahua, consisting of five shareholders, obtained a parcel of 750z of gold. The mode of working is ground sluicing, and the site of . operations i 3 at. the head of Soldier's Gully. . The 'party possesses a large water-race, commanding the highest elevation, and hold therefore a claim practically unlimited in extent. . , We ( W. G. - Times) learn that on Sweed's Terrace, Piper's, Bramall and party, who are working some sluicing ground, have been getting from £dwt to ldwfc to the dish, and that there is, likely to be a big rush to the locality, as it is almost untried ground. The first waggon, with a team of seven horses, went over the new Saddle road, Inaupahua, on Monday, with machinery for Ihe Wealth of. Nations. A good deal of difficulty' was experienced in getting over the short curves leading over the Saddle, and the waggon was twice nearly locked. No trouble whatever was met with on the journey from Reef ton to. the machine site. -

We haveireeeived from /Mr James Jcnes, of Mawhera Quay, a copy of the programme of the next, race meeting at Christchurcb. The meeting is to be held on Thursday, Friday, and Monday, 7th, Bth, and 11th November. The events on the first day include, of course, the race for the Canterbury. Cup, of 250 Boys., and on the second day the Jockey -Club Handicap, of 2 ;0 , soys. The entries for these two ' races are to closle on October Ist ; for the other races on October 1 31 st. 'Up to the present time it 'has been the custom; to receive nominations &c, as valid if bearing the post mark of the day preceding tbe nominations, Sic. That custom is now discontinued, and notice must be given to the' Hon. Secretary on the day named, EntrieS'by telegram will be received, provided the money bo sent at the same time. .-■•■■•■ !::«■» ■ "■ ■'■■•■ ■'■'■ . '■"•'■■ - t Mr Whitefoord, K.M., was on, the bench in the Resident Magistrate's 'Court yesterday, acting for, Mr Revell, who has sustained ;a domestic bereavement. The only police 'case" heard was a charge of disorderly con- : duct,, in which, the, delinquent, a , woman^ an'd'an old offender, was fined 20s, 'with <the alternative of three days' 'imprisonment The only civil case was adjourned. : -An excellent sample of coarse scaly gold has ;been 'obtained by'a party of miners irom Burkes Creek, Inangahua. The mode of working is ground-sluicing. Miss. Jenny Nye, who. recently appeared on the Greymoukli stage, has'returned to the old scene of her successes, the Princess i Theatre, Dunedin, where, says the Times, she received a unanimous, hearny, and most gratifying welcome. ; •" i ,Mr Macandrew, in moving the adoption of a recommendation in the report of the. Library Committee, spoke of some "honor-, able members who were shortenihg their, lives by their narcotic proclivities."; -The fact of one of the Reefton storekeepers having deemed it advisable to issue' instructions for goods received at Westport to :be transhipped to Greymouth and foi- 1 warded by that route, should be the means iof inducing 'boatmen and; carriers on the Buller side to reduce freights. At the present rate,, goods via Greymouth are landed in Reefton at a reduction of nearly L 5 pcjr ton on merchandise received from Westport

The case T. Joyce v. Revell (Warden) and IF." T; ■ Elmer (Bailiff), was heard at the Supreme Court, on Tuesday. This was an 'application made by the defendants to set aside, for irregularity, a writ sued out by Thomas Jayep, of Greymouth, and served upon defendants, claiming LIOOO damages for wrongful, seizure and, conversion of his 'goods under a distress warrant, issued from the^ Warden's Court,. Grey mouth,,, in the. action of ' Joyce v/Kenrick^ The irregularity*: which forms the ground of the application was, that there was no endorsement on the writ in;the;forra prescribed by the Supreme Court rules. Mr Guinness, for the plaintiff, .: appeared^ to show cause against the application, Mr Newton to support it. After a legal. argument as to the interpretation of the rules, his Honor said that the summons must be dismissed with costs. A nonsuit would be; allowed,, defendants to pleadi ••■„'.,.; s Mr John Fitzgerald, a well-known and' much respected miner, died ,at Reefton on Sunday, 31s<; August. Mr' Fitzgerald resided on most of the principal gold fields'of Victoria and New Zealand for tho last 12 years, uid the esteem in which he was held was shown by the : expressions of sympathy, with his surviving relatives, and regret for the departed which were evinced at his •funeral. Messrs Butler, Hunt, Dee, and other, friends of tho deceased, who, before his death, worked in the .Golden Fleece quartz-mine afc Murray Creek, decided that tho body should be taken ' to Greymouth for interment in accordance

with the expressed wish of the deceased that hn should be buried in consecrated ground. The funeral procession left Kelly's Hotel, Broadway, Reefton, on Monday morning, and the remains were escnrfced ito Ahaura by a number of the former friends of the deceased. The body was conveyed from Ahaura to Greymouth by boat, and the burial took place at the cemetery at Greynjoutb. on Wednesday. Mr Fitzgerald was ,a native ,of, the County Waterford, Ireland, and he was 35 years of age at the time of hia death; which resulted from inflammation of the lungs. .At, the, Supreme -Court,- at Hokitika, on Tuesday, HairyWilliamßarbourwas indicted for that, being: in the public service of the Queen in New Zealand, he converted to his own use moneys the property of her Majesty, which he roceived by virtue of being in v the public service. There were altogether four counts, in the indictment varying the offence, and also laying the ownership of the money in the Corporation known as Lke County Council and inhabitants of Westland. .Prisoner, who was defended by Mr Guinness, pleaded not guilty. The result of the trial, and also of the second indictment, which was heard yesterdny forenoon, will be found in our telegraplic column. V & Information reached Hokitika on Tuesday morning, that a man named William Quinn. aj hotel-keeper and carter at Ross, was drowned on Monday night, in the Storm Channel, in that township. Deceased had gone out at the rear of his house at about half-past ten o'clock, and, the night being dark, it is supposed that he fell into the channel upon his head, being stunned by the fall, .as there was cot a foot of water in the stream at the time. When discovered efforts were made to' restore animation, but without avail. 'Hhe'lncuigahua Herald of yesterday Says that Mr Gulline, mining manager of the \ health of Nations Gbli-Mining Company, informs vs that 12 tons of the crushing plant for the above company had left the, Ahaura for the Inangahua. The erection of' the machinery will "be quickly completed, as there is no difficulty in transporting itto the machine site, the Litter being situated close to. the left-hand; branch of the Inangahua. Waggons can proceed ' without difficulty along the bed of the river to the site of operations. Crushing is likely to be commenced early in November. ,

A Northern contemporary gives the following sensational , heading to the telegraphic summary of the debate on Mr Reader Wood's motion regretting that the Government had not given effect. to the resolution of the, House last year, that the present session should be held in Dunedin :— ?' Alteration of place of session. Exhibition of Southern bunkum, -food's motion withdrawn. Undignified remarks of Southern members. Otago regrets the 'siller.' Wanted a Governor. Fernhill to let." , , Mr Fox, in speaking to Mr Curtis's motion regarding the inadvisabihty of hastily altering the Provincial boundaries, said :— '-'Let honorable members consider the terms on which these Provinces were formed when the Constitution Act was passed. It must be within the. memory of many honorable members that Sir George Grey, with others who . were not his . responsible advisers, although acting as his Executive, vent into a rooai together, 'and with a map and a pair of compasses ruled off the divisions .that were to be Provinces. They had nothing to go by, little to guide them, and they took mountain ranges, rivers, and other hardly known features of the country as boundaries of the six Provinces which they constituted." An Otapo member, writing from Wellington, says that the Insolvency Bill, which 13 before the Legislative Council, is not likely to pass this session. It is anticipated talso, he adds, that the Licensing Bill will be withdrawn; and the question relegated to the Provincial Councils. Chinese labor" is entering into competition with that of Europeans on the gold fields of Victoria. The Crcmokk Advertiser- states that at the Australasian Company's claim an engagement has been made .through one of the directors, with a Chinese agent in Ballarat, for the supply of one hundred men at 27s per week, to bo forthcoming within ten days from Friday last.' There was also an understanding made that one hundred, more men would be put on shortly. ' ' Very few of > the Coromandel mining companies appear to be , self-supporting. 'At Jate issue of the Coromandel Mail says that np less than seven companies are making fresjj calls on the shareholders.. Very few. of these pompanies' share's have no marketable value on 'Change, and not a few can be' obtained for a little over the value of the paper on which they are printed; "• '■ The medium through whom Mr Macandrew ' learned from the spirits that New Zealand possesses more gold than iron, is stated by the Wellington, correspondent of the Neio Zealand Herald to be Mr James Smith, of Melbourne. . _ ." ■ r The valuable coal reserve, with iron tramroad and jetty, on the Molyneux, has been leased Dy the Government to Mr Alexander Grant, the enterprising proprietor of the Blueskin flax mill, who will , at once ; put in thorough working order this hitherto much neglected mine. An iron steamer will be; ordered from home, capable of carrying 200 tonson;a.light .draught. This steamer will be employed in carrying coal from Coal Point' to Duuedia, Timaru, Oatnaru, &c. . , • te; the first discovery of gold in Victoria, the Leader says Mr Winter has a theoryof : his own, and seems by' no means inclined to" give the lion's . share of the praise to either Esmond or Hiscock. : The former,, who was a fellow passenger with Hat-greaves' from California, found gold at the •' Cluhe!3 preemptive right on the very day, the Ist July, .1851; that. Victoria : was separated from New. South Wales, and- started 'into' ; exiatence.as an independent colony.- Hiscock; 1 discovered traces of the precious metal at ; the gully near, .Buninyong 'which now/ bears his name, i and. Golden. Point, which may be; regardbd as thp key to the Baiiarat ' field, inasmuch as it was the first ijitoce^where,. gold "was~Tduina* iii remurierafive quMrtrtTes~ and was worked ,by" the parties of Connor and Turner in the latter end of August. But Mr Winter. "says that the first discoverer waV a shepherd nainedKemp, who found gold on ranges which lie between Winter's Flat and the main road from Baiiarat to Buninyorig as early as 18.50, and that it was from him that Hiscoek ijrstknewof the auriferpus nature of Bunihyong district. Kemp died, so^n afterwards, arid so far as we know his name has never been publicly mentioned as that of the' first discoverer of gold in Victoria. With regard to' the proposed new Mining Bill, a correspondent in tho New River diSf trict writes :— Considerable indignation is manifested by the miners at the attempt J being made in the new Mining Bill now before, the Assembly,, to impose a tax .'of.Xp on two heads of water, and an additional LI for every, extra head. At first it was not credited that so insane a coiirso could for one minute be entertained; but when it was protested .against in the County Council, it only showed' bnt £op truly that such was actually the case. Those wno are acquainted with mining know the hardships that are undergone in bringing on water, and often when done the poor remuneration that it returns for working in water day after day and wpek after week, andean only look on sucji a propogitjon as emanating from parties who must be putirely ignorant of mining. If such should ever become the law it would be most disastrous to this particular district, a?

the majority of the men owning water-races could not afford to pay such an imposition-,', and would be compelled to abandon itheir races and ground.- The consequence of {si^ch a course of actiou would be r,uin and stagnation to all^ whether following mining; :^or business ocpupatibhs... It canhardly be conceived for^Jjcttomep); that so insane a step should naye'evelCb'een contemplated by the Government unless it was done purposely to t make the miners inofe 1 dissatisfied -wiliK r '^ew^ Zealand and. the Government. At the pre< sent time, the whole body of miners are manifesting great uneasiness with their prospects, particularly those who 1 have vested 1 " interests; and, now, a.blowjs .raimed at those ' who have them, by extinguishing them altogether, for, it would have; that effect. ; In such a district as this is now, where t|e majority depend _ , on sluicing (and; .all will have to do so in time), this proposition would act most prejudicially, and prevent men from bringing' in extra water. There are, very many races scattered over this.im^mense district, and few with anything like a permanent, supply of water .that, will last 'much' over a week, necessitating the men often to work the most when it rains the hardest, and our paternal Government kindly entertain, . idea, , of putting a stop to this "kind of work which as a rule seldom pays, for the great hardships that are endured. There was avery great outcry ; , raised; against the .selling: pfrJjhe \ land on the Stony Lead some three or ' four years since, and the indignation then . shown was no mere than will be again' raised if this proposition be not' expunged from the new Mining Act. Our miners say that both ! the ; West Coast' members', and those from, Otago, never ought tp.have allowed 'such a flagrant injustice to have passed a second reading, , and . now,^ hope, that as public attention has 'been directed to it, that it will be at once erased from the new Bill, and. prevent ihe necessity of holding public rneetuigs to projjest against it, wKich will be 'dbrie'if there is ! £my further j attempt to . impose '• bo: obnoxious a law. '' , ...