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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1309, 9 October 1872, Page 2

Another dramatic performance ia to be given at the Volunteer Hall to-night, when the play of "Plot and Passion,*' in which the company appeared so lately to so much advantage, will be re-produced, by special request. This will be followed by the farce "An Object of Interest." It is announced that the ordinary genera 1 , meeting of the Greymouth Gas Company i will be held at Kilgour's Hotel on the 16th < instant, when much important business connected -with the company ■will bo considered. The Mechanics' Cricket Club meets this evening, at the Queen's Hotel, at 8 o'clock, fortho purpose of making arrangements for the approaching cricketing Beason. An investigation into charges preferred by Mr J. D. Piukertou, of Ahaura, against Constable Thoß. M. Ollivier, of the Bame place, will be held at the Court House, Ahaura, before the Resident Magistrate, on Monday, 15th October. The proposed road from Garven'a bridge across the Arnold to the track from the Twelve-Mile Landing to No Town was surveyed by Mr Lewis in the beginning of the week, and the work of making it will be commenced at once. One of the handsomest shops in "Wellington is said to be Messrs M'Dowell and Co.'s clothing establishment, at the junction of Willis street and Lambton Quay, which was opened on Saturday last. It occupies a frontage of 90ft, with a depth of 80ft, and has been most elaborately fitted up in all departments. The "Wairarapa paper congratulates its readers upon the establishment, in the district, of a second soda water manufactory, and sayß that it affords " a convincing proof of a great change having taken place in the habits of the people." A late telegram reported a fire in the granary of Mr Duncan's flour-mill, Water of Leith, Dunedin, which wholly destroyed it and the Wellpark Brewery, adjoining. The mill proper was saved. The mill was covered by insurance of LSOO in the "Royal ; L 750 in the Liverpool and London and Globe. The stock was uninsured. The brewery was insured for L 750 in the Liverpool and London ; LSOO in the New Zealand. Messrs Wilson and Maddox lo?e LISOO, which is uncovered. The origin of the fire is unknown. Hematite, which is now being extensively manufactured by Messrs Johnston and Louisson, of Nelßon, from ironßtone obtained from Collingwood, is gradually coming iato use in Nelson, the Nile street bridge, two or three offices at the Port, and two of Messrs N. Edwards and Co's steamers having been painted with it. The demand for this article £ said to be largely in excess of the supply. Mr Fitzherbert is said to have issued a circular to the members of the Wellington Provincial Council, announcing his intended resignation, and asking them whether, as the Council expires by effluxion of time in June next, they would prefer being called together, or whether, to save expense and time, his Excellency should be asked to dissolve the Council. There must be something radically wrong in the way the people of Wellington set to work to develop what many believe to be the quartz reefs in that district. Company after company, all with capital far smaller than necessary, have succumbed ; the last being the Never Despair, which, at one time, gave promise of at least setting to work in a way that should decide the question. The total area of the County of Westland is said to be 3,025,000 acres. Of this acreage only 3324 acres have been sold for cash, and 7238 acres otherwise disposed. The cash received for land sold amounts to L 17,531. The area of Nelson Province is said to be 6,928,000 acres, of which 725,927 have been sold, realising L 271,816. Mr Alexander Mackay, in reporting upon natives in Nelson and Westland, says the ■numerical status of the people is abojt stationery, the births keeping pace with the deaths. The total population in these districts amounts to 920, in the proportion of 52? males to 397 females ; the children form little more than one-fourth of the whole. The total area of Native Reserves in the Province of Nelson is, 58., 565 acres 3 roods and 35 perches ; and in the Province of Marlborough, 521,414 acres 2 roods 8 perches. The Reserves in Westland comprise an area of 5937 acres 1 rood 16 perches. The total acreage set apart in the South Island for native purposes amounts to 119,544 acres 2 roods 18 perches. The quantity, when averaged over the native population in the Middle and Stewart's Island, gives 50$ acres to each individual, But, besides the quantity stated, the natives in the Province of Nelson own territory at Wakapuaka, andD'tTrville's Island, comprising about 51,170 acres; and at the Island of Ruapuke, in Foveaux Straits, an area of 4093 acres. The Wanganui Chronicle is of opinion that the Civil Service "shelters a number of insolent and ignorant •swells' who, in any other capacity, would fail to earn a bare living." A well-known member for a gold fields constituency in the Provincial Council of Otago has been fortunate enough to procure the responsible and distinguished office of cook, the onerous duties appertaining to which he is said to perform in a highly efficient manner. In consequence of a report which obtained currency some few days since that the Otago Government had determined to abandon the Martin's Bay settlers to their fate, some persons in Hokitika telegraphed to Dunedin to inquire whether the report was correct. In reply, the following telegram was forwarded by the Deputy-Superintendent of Otago :— " No. The Government is informed on good authority that the reports of distress at Martin's Bay must be exaggerated, but is nevertheless arranging for a vessel to call. George Turnbull, Deputy-Superintendent." The necessity of a telegraph from Ross to Hokitika, says the tfetos, has long been acknowledged. At the beginning of this session of the Assembly a distinct promise was made to Mr Tribe, the member for the district, that-its erection should at once be proceeded with. No instructions, however, appear to have been given in the proper quarter, and a very important work is neglected. The main road approaches completion, and it was fully time something was done. If tenders, for pqjes wprp afc qnge called for, there is plenty of time between this and Christmas to have the lino in full working order. According to Mr Fitzgerald's report on i lunacy in Westland, the number of lunatics

jmaining in the Sunnyside Asylum, in the rovince of Canterbury, at the cost of the iounty of Westland, was, on January 31st, 872, six— namely, 2 females and 4 males, 'heir weekly maintenance per head amounts o 22s 6d. The number of lunatics confined a the Sea View Lunatic Asylum, Hokitika, n the 31st January, 1872, was 30, all males. ?here were received from Ist July, IS7I, to n !lst January, 1872, inclusive, 13 patients ; t lischarged, 6; died, none. The average lumber in the Asylum during the same term vas 26. The average cost per head was 19s )f d per week, but this does not includo the j lalary of the Medical Officer, who is also bounty Surgeon and Medical Officer of the Jaol and Police Station. § Messrs Cormack, Nicol, and Co, of tl»e Blue Spur, Otago, have invested LI2OO of j 'ocp,lly earned wealth in the local coal-mine. 3ho:tly afttv; the pit was opened, some ten I years since, a sixth share was offered for i Lls. A large seal, measuring some nine feet in ( length, was caught about nine days ago at . Kuri Bush Beach, Otago, by Mr J. Bruce. This is the second that has been caught at the same place within 12 months. No less than 15,000 old sheep, culled from Mr Robert Campbell's flocks on the Station Peak and Otakaike runs alone were, last season, boiled down on the works erected at the latter station by Mr Campbell. Mr A. Pollock, of Green Island, who ia at present opening up a new coal-mine on the Messrs Howorth's property, has found a fossil oyster in wonderful preservation. It was discovered in the shaft at a depth-of 82ft. It ia reported the County of Westland Government have guaranteed Messrs Ashton and Caaßidy 1.200, as their share of the subsidy towards opening a coach road between Greymouth and. Ahaura. Mr Samuel, Thames agent for the News of the World, has received a circular from Messrs F. M'Crellish and Co., of San Francisco, stating that with the September number the Nexos of the World would cease. The weekly A Ita California is to be furnished, and the number preceding the departure of each steamer will contain the latest complete market reportß of colonial produce. Mr Anthony Trollope left Auckland by the 8.8. Southern Cross for Tauranga, en route for the surrounding districts. Mr Trollope's tour was to extend over ten or twelve days. We (Hokitika Star) learn with regret that Dr Paley, the Inspector of Victorian Lunatic Asylums, has decided upon returning to Melbourne without paying a visit to Hokitika. His expected arrival in Westlaud had been looked forward to with a considerable amount of interest, as the new Sea View Asylum is in every way worthy of the inspection of so experienced a gentleman as Dr Paley. We are satisfied that the institution would bear favorable comparison with any other asylum in the Colony, and can only imagine that the omission of the Victorian Inspector was either unintentional, or that he could not afford time to complete the task he had undertaken. The " Wardens' Courts Proceedings Validation Bill " is the title of a measure which has been introduced in the House of Representatives. According to the report in Hansard, Mr Stafford, in moving for leave to introduce the Bill, said that it was intended to remove difficulties as to the exercise of jurisdiction by Wardens on gold fields in certain cases. It had been prepared by the lats Government, and he had looked over the papers and found that there was a necessity for it. It was only right that he should inform the Legislature that it would stop a suit already commenced by a person named Joyce, who had been defendant in a case . tried in a Warden's Court, in Westland, and against whom judgment was given. Under the powers delegated from time to time to the Superintendents of Provinces and to the Chairman of the County Council of Westland, they could withdraw towns from within gold fields, in which Wardens had sat. A question had arisen, therefore, as to the jurisdiction, of a Warden sitting in. a town which was outside the gold field, and it was necessary, therefore, to make provision for such cases. The Bill was read a first time on Sept. 24. The following is Major Reaphy's recommendation as to the sale of the Native Reserve at Arahura : ■-" I do not think that tho Arahura settlers have, in asking to be allowed to purchase their freeholds, so strong a case asi the Greymouth tenants, or that they have shown that an alteration of the nature of the trust is necessary. But I think that longer terms might be granted. The expense of clearing is very heavy, and many of the holdings require expensive river walls. On a short term the tenant would not be induced to clear the roughest parts of the land, however productive the soil might be. The property might, for purposes of transfer and mortgage, be conveniently brought under the operation of ' The . Land Transfer Act, 1870,' in the manner proposed in the Grey: mouth report. Where the holdings have been materially injured by the overflow of the river, the tenant might be allowed to surrender the lease, or, if the land has been improved, to take it for the remainder of the term on a rent reduced commensurately with the injury sustained." Willie Steel gave an entertainment on Monday night at the Rechabite Hall, Hokitika, and certainly (says the West Coast Times) it was the must remarkable enter* tainment given in Hokitika. His audienoe was not large, nor did it appear to be appreciative! Undoubtedly Willie is an eccentric and most of those who attended at the Hall last night went there for the amusement to be derived from his eccentricities. He appeared before the audience in a garb consisting of a scarlet tunic, white trousers and a scarf, and went through his programme of songs without pause and without accompaniment, except stamping of feet, imitations of bag-pipes, cat-mewing, and other voluntary assistance of the like kind from the body of the hall. Willie several times endeavored to repress the ardor of his unwelcome assistants, but with little effect, and the affair was brought to a close, in consequence of those interruptions, at an earlier hour than Willie had himself proposed. The only genuine bit oi fan in the course of his entertainment was afforded by Willie mistaking a well-known boniface for Mr Joseph Small. Under that impression Willie now and then addressed the publican as if he were the versatile actor, much to the amusement of all present.