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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1328, 31 October 1872, Page 2

Tho telccraph line between Greymouth and Chriateburch, which broke down durirg Tuesday night, was not repaired yesterday. The lineman proceeded as far as Paroa, but found tbat it was impossible to cross tho Saltwater,

About one o'slock yesterday, Mr J. Barkley (of the firm of Thompson, Smith, and Barkley) had a narrow escape from drowning. He stepped on to the stono breastwork to have a look at the effects of the Hood, and when turning to leave he slipped and fell backwards into the river. Fortunately there were a few of the pilc3 of tho old wharf near which caused an eddy, and Mr Barkley caught hold of one of the sticks to which he clung, until Mr C. S. Brown, who was the ODly person who observed the accident, ran for a boat, and with the assistance of the boatman rescued him from his dangerous and unenviable position.

The attention of hotelkeepers is directed to a notice regarding the renewal of their licences, which appears in another column.

A tea-meeting, to be followed by a concert, is to be given to-night in the Volunteer Hall, in aid of tho Trinity Church Sunday School Library Fund.

The meeting which was called for last night to take the preliminary steps respecting the usual Christmas Athletic Sports did not take place. This is attributable to the excitement about the flood, which prevented any but few persons putting in an appearance, and these few deemed it advisable to postpone any further consideration until the

flood should subside, and matters have re' sumed their ordinary course.

No intelligence was received to last night as whether the body of the unfortunate miner, who was buried in a claim at the Lagoon Lead had been recovered ; but from the state of the weather, and the nature of the ground, the probabilities are that it had not.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, before W. H. Be veil, Esq., R.M., J. Oochrane who frequently acted as assistant bailiff, was charged with obtaining money by false pretences, having taken payment for the sworn service of several summonses which he did not serve. He was remanded until Monday.

At.Burkes Creek a few parties of miners are working the bed of the creek by grouudslucing, and averaging fair wages. The prospectors'of the creek, three brothers named Burke, after two years' wcrk, cleared out about a week ago with between L7OO to LBOO per man.

The following were the fortunate prizetakers in New Zealand at the recent annual drawing of the Royal Association for the Promotion of the Fine Arts in Scotland :— Robert Murray, Milton, a statuette of Rutb, and also the painting " Madge Wildfire before Bailie Middleburgh, " valued at L4G ISs. Bishop Tute, Auckland, the painting, "An easterly gale at North Berwick," valued at L 157 10s. The following gentlemen each won a statuette of Ruth :— R. L. Livingstone, Oamaru ; Alex. Mair, Invercargill ; J. M. Watson, Milton; and H. W. Harvey, invercargill.

In the House of Representatives, before the prorogation, the Speaker announced that a dead lock^had arisen in the payment of honorarium in consequence of difficulties which had come about through certain objections raised on the part of the Treasury officers. After some discussion, it waa agreed that the old arrangement by which members received LI a day, should be reverted to, the usual deductious for non-atteudance to be made.

Mr Swanson created considerable amusement over the item of L 53 odd for liveries for messengers. While he considered that it would be much better if the servants of the Housu appeared in their ordinary "go-to-meeting" clothes, he was quite prepared to suppoit a vote for providing every single p?r3<m who was in receipt of Government pay with a livery, feeling quite sure that if such a course were adopted, the country would soon cry out against the multiplicity of hangers-on it had to support. Mr Swanson made merry also over the charge of Ll6 for a gown for Major Campbell, and was quite sure that, if members agreed to that item, they would never have the courage't'o refuse their wives a new dress again.

A correspondent of tho Nelson "Mail" writes :— " On Saturday night last, about 10 o'clock, whilst walking down the Waiinea road, accompanied by two friends, I was astonished to see the moou, apparently, oscillating. I hastened to town and called the attention of several persons, who distinctly noticed the same phenomenon." The as. tonished correspondent asks the editor of the "Mail" for an explanation. Similar supposed phenomena are frequently seen on the West Coast, but persons who witness them do not usually write to the papers next morning asking the why and the wherefore.

Mr O'Neill introduced into the House of Representatives a very useful measure for regulating the plans of towns. If passed it enacts that the streets shall not be less than one hundred and fifty links from building not less than two principal streets m eacn town of not less than two hundred links in width. In all new towns provision will have to be made for recreation grounds. It also provides that there shall be set apart a town belt of not less than one-fifth of the town in area, one-half of which is to be appropriated *nly as ornamental ground?. Every tenth section is to be reserved from sale, as the nucleus of municipal property. Then tho plans of all towns are to be approved of by the Governor prior to sale ; and there is also an important clause providing that the level of the streets shall be distinctly marked on the plans, showing the level of the ground as it was and as it would be when altered.

"As mad as a hatter," ia a common phrase, used to express an extraordinary degree of insanity, but it is a curious fact that though some 800 to 1000 lunatics have passed through tba Melbourne watch-house dining Sergeant Pewtress's experience, extending over the past twenty years, there has not been a single hatter looked up for lunacy until last week, when one of that trade was brought up as insane. He was very mad, indeed, and from this (says the " Argus") the inference may be drawn that the saying quoted above is founded on the fact that though hatters do not fall victims to insanity, they are very mad when they do lose their senses.

The following very close description of the picture presented by the Stafford Ministry when notice of Mr Vogels no-con-fidence motion was given is furnished by the correspondent of a contemporary :— "Mr Stafford changed color; his customary pallor deepened to a pale yellow, while he laughed in a nervous fashion, and applauded by clapping 'his hands and cheering ironically. Mr Reid's countenance Hushed, and hif eyes blinked in the evident effort to preserve an immobility of face. Mr Fitzherbert did noE change a muscle or move in his seat; except some seeming involuntary motion of the forehead he was literally rigid, but by no means comatose. Mr Curtis smiled uneasily, blnshed a little, opened his fine eyes a little wider, moved uneasily ia his seat, and then looked grave. Mr Gillies— his was an indescribable look ; a sort of gentle sneer, which he can display with very little facial exertion, mingling incredulity with something of semi-consciousness that the thing was serious, and yet he did not care a tinker's imprecation were it as serious as it could be. He seemed in humor for fighting, and as if the sooner it came the better. And it was serious. Mr Stafford overdid his part, and every one saw it. In fact, it was well known that the motion was to be tabled thab day, but when the notice was given Ministers > could not prevent themselves displaying indications of feeling that the matter meant mischief aud business.