Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1338, 12 November 1872, Page 2

Yesterday was the third day devoted by sections of the inhabitants of Greymouth and its district to the celebration of the birth of the Prince of Wales. It was the Government day, and as a holiday there was a good deal of the "Government stroke" about it. It seemed to be rather a slow holiday — a sort of "Sunday without Bell's Life"- .anil those who Have seen the picture of ennui which Leech has drawn of a Invmaa being suffering from a Sunday of that description can appreciate the desperate condition of our local Government officers yesterday between the hours of 10 and 4. For that long interval the etiquette of the service forbade them gratifying their irrepressible desire to be always in their offices, and the ennui of being elsewhere, surrounded by persons actively employed, must have been unendurable. It would have been excusable in tnem to have engaged in discussing problems in vulgar fractions — c. g. \ & £ — but "the etiquette of the service," &c. It is to be hoped that, on the occasion of the next birthday of any one of the Royal Family the soft goods men of Greymouth will subordinate their loyalty to their respect for the local population, and especially for the local Governments. On Sunday afternoon a boy about 5& years of age, named Henry John Easy, was missed from his home on the South Beach, near the Nelson Hotel. A search was made, when the body of the boy was found in a water* hole. Yesterday an inquest was held by Mr Warden Eevell, when a verdict of accidental death was returned. Intending exhibitors at the inter-provin-cial exhibition, at Christchurcb, are requested to send in applications for space at once to Mr W. M. Maskell, secretary. Exhibits should be forwarded to Christchurch by December 1, as the exhibition will Le opened on December 16. To-morrow evening a meeting of those persons interested in getting up the annual regatta will be held at Middleton's Whaif Hotel at 8 o'clock. The extraordinary meeting of the shareholders of the Greymouth Masonic Hall Company (Limited), to be held at the Commercial Hotel on Thursday, is postponed until Friday, the 15th instant, at 8 p.m., in order to consider business of importance. Two accidents occurred yesterday afternoon. The first was to a boy, the son of Mr itobert Kilgour, who fell off the the temporary tramway amongst the stonework and sustained a severe fracture of the leg. In the other, a fisherman named Robert Scotchmayor, while fishing neat the bar, had his boat capsized by a roller. Fortunately the next roller righted the boat, and he managed to get into it and pull ashore. The following is Mr Redwood's explanation of the recent sale of Peeress :—"Having heard from various sources that the outside public think that the sale of Peeress to Mr Walters was a fictitious one, I beg to state that such a report is utterly without foundation. , The sale was in every respect a bona fide one, and this I am. in a position to prove to the satisfaction of any one. It was well known that all m}' homes were for sale from the day I arrived in < hristchurch, and Messrs. Bird and Bennett were instructed to sell them. The price I put upon Peeres 8 was LBOO, and from various parties offers Of L 750 were received and declined, by n}e< j

also stated publicly that any party giving LBOO for her could have her as she walked into the saddling paddock, and I .also frequently cautioned sanguine backers that she was iv the market, and inigh l ; be sold at auy moment. It must be well-known to Christchurch sportsmen that 1 am anythiug but a speculative m*n on my own horses or those of others. lam now breeding a good many thoroughbred horses, and, like auy other breeder on a large scale, they are always for sale at a price. Under these circumstances, although very adverse to rushing into print, I think it only fair to myself to state that I had nothing whatever to do iv the scratching of Peeress, which was done, I may say, very much against my advice ; and it seems scarcely fair that I should bo accused of double-dealing because I sold my mare at my price.

Mr J. F. Johnstone, at the Ikamatna, had three head of horned cattle in flne condition poisoned by eating the leaves of the tutu plant, on Sunday. " Pauyrette, or Three Months in the Snow" is the play announced for Miss Stophenson's benefit on Wednesday evening. It is more sensational than Stephensonian, but, with her as Pauvrettc and good scenery, it should be a success. A miner named George Fulness was severely injured by a landslip while working in his claim at Adams' Town, Little Grejr, on Saturday, the 9th instant. The sufferer was conveyed to M 'Hardy's station, at the Miiliere Iti, where he was attended by Dr Phillips, from Ahaur&. Ths right leg was found to be fractured below the linee, besides several .bruises, more or less severe, on various parts of the body. The Japanese Troupe, which propose to visit Grey mouth shortly, opened at Hokitika on Saturday night with much success. With regard to the event the Times says : — "I he Duke of Edinburgh Theatre was quite thronged last Saturday night, the attraction being the performances of the Japanese Troupe, and it must certainly be admitted that those performances fully deserved the success they met v/ith. From beginning to end everything done by this very clever company was performed with a neatness and finish seldom witnessed in the exhibition of the kind, while the tricks and gymnastic feats had that greatest of charm, novelty, to recommend them to the admiring gaze of the crowd. "Anglo-Australian" informs us that Mr Kirkham has just sent off to New Zealand six splendid Lincolnshire rams. There was a sale the other day in one of the Midland Counties of the celebrated ' Leicester flocks of the late Lieutenant-Colonel Ing, when some fine rams were secured by Sir I hos. Tancred, Bart., for his stations near Lyttelton, New Zealand, which will be shortly despatched to their destination. The General Government have sent an overland telegram to the Agent-General to quicken hia action in respect to immigration. Positive instructions have been sent to reestabiish the Scotch agency and to open another in Dublin. Should Dr Featherston deem it necessary, he is directed to make more liberal terms with intending emigrants, in order to obtain the required number. We hear that the Colonial Government do not intend to appoint a successor to the late Mr Brodie, who was Accountant in Bankruptcy. With reference to the Peeress disqualification for the Canterbury Cup, the Lyltdton Times says : — We may state that, according to the recognised rules of betting, all bets arc off in the racec for which she is disqualified, but this does not of course affect the Cup, for in that event she was scratched. We (Independent) are enabled to say that there is not the slightest truth in' the statement that the working hours of ihe civil •servants arc to be increased. It is, howe/er, " the intention of the Government to institute a classification according to merits throughout the department of the Civil Service, to weed out all the drones and incapables, and to offer encouragement to industry and ability by increasing the remuneration of the really deserving officers. It is expected that such a course of regime will effect great improvements in the Civil Service. Here is a practical hint to work qur own coal. The Napier Telegraph states that tli3 last ton of coal has been sold in Uapier, and if householders rah short before the brigantine Amherst arrives from Newcastle, N.S. W., they will have to use wood if it can be procured. If not, chairs and tables must furnish the necessary fuel for cooking pnrposes. And this kind of thing must constantly recur so long as v/e arc dependent upon £1 evt South Wales for coal. The Maoris living to the north of the city of Auckland predict that the coming summer will be an unusually dry one,, and say the European settlers are a month too late with their crops. In Australia, also, we observe from our fifes, a very hot summer is prophesied. The London correspondent of the Leeds Mercury says the postal authorities have now under their consideration an invention by which the handwritiug of persons telegraphing a message will be transmitted by the telegraph. The Otarjo Daily Times says that the meteor seen in Dunediu oil the night of the 23rd October, was also seen at Lawrence, where, according to the local paper, "so light was it, the shop signs could be distinctly read in the streets." Correspondents write some strange things at times. Here is the manner in which the Wellington correspondent of a Taranaki paper writes of hon. members in both Houses; — "The members of the Upper House are a sleek, well fed, looking lot ; and all apparently ready to pounce upon any crumbs which might fall from the Government table. With few exceptions, the legis-' lators of both Houses are evidently glad to escape the tyranny of their wives for a few months." The proprietors of the Auckland Evening Star are threatened with another action for alleged libel by the directors of the Green Harp, for articles in reference to the death of Cazali. The solicitor's letter is published with the following reply: *?C. L. Joy, solicitor, Auckland. Sir —With very great respect for yourself, but most contemptuous defiance for your clients, we beg to invite you to proceed, Beed and Brett." As mentioned in recent tolegrains, the Government have commenced some departmental reforms which, if likely to create a certain degree of dissatisfaction amongst a few, will be calculated to satisfy the House and country. Tho department under the charge of the Native Minister is the first to feel the new besom. The office of Inspector of Volunteers and Militia has been done away with. Colonel Harrington is to receive half-pay to the end of the yen>; during which time he will perform such duties as may pertain to his position or he may be called upon to perform, For the future, in all places where tho armed constabulary are available, the duties of drill and musketry instruction will be performed by the officers of volunteers ; and where no armed constabulary are afcationed the Government will expect the honorary officers of militia and volunteers to perform the duties instead ; and if they do not chose to do so, they will cease to be allowed to hold rank any longer. The following appointments have been dispensed with :— Captain Humphries, now at ■ elson; Captain Alacpherson, adjutant at Waikato ; and Captain Dawson, who resides in Auckland, , ■