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Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1348, 23 November 1872, Page 2

A satisfactory commencement to the candidature for the election of members of the County Council was made last evening, when Mr W. M. Cooper addressed a meeting of electors in Gilmer's Hall. Mr Cooper's address was listened to with attention throughout, and at its close the meeting affirmed that he was a "fit and proper person" to become a member of the Council. We give a necessarily abbreviated report of his speech in another column. The general meeting of the subscribers to the Christinas sports took place last evening, as advertised, but only resulted in a very meagre attendance, and a strong confirmation of the charge of apathy ou the part of the public that had been often previously made. The members of Committee mustered largely and Bpoke firmly and determinedly about carrying their resolutions of thep-e---vious night into effect, but as some subscribers were desirous the town should bave another trial by disinterested persons outside the Committee, they agreed to hold office till next Tuesday evening, in order to allow these gentlemen to canvass the town and see if the wished-for augmentation could be got. Unless, therefore, the public embrace this last opportunity of strengthening the funds, such measures as have been already taken will be of no account, and as far as the present Committee are concerned, no effort will again be made by them to get up the anticipated sports. The Volunteer Hall, at half -past two o'clock, a.re the place and the time appointed for the youth of Greymouth gratifying their anxiety to see more of the Japanese than they have seen in the streets, and to see all the monkeys about whom they have heard and debated so much. In the evening, the Japanese give another and positively their last entertainment in Greymouth. The following- gold-mining leases have been granted by his Honor the Superintendent of Nelson, and are lying at the Warden's office at Ahsura : - James Graham and company, for nine acres alluvial at HalfOunce ; G. Perotti and company, for 16 acres for quartz, at the Razorback; the Bell Hill Gold-Mining and Water Race Co,, for 10 acres alluvial, at Bell Hill ; Jas. Anderson and party, 16 acres for quartz, at the Big River, Little Grey District.

A meeting pf the Regatta Committee was held last evening, af> Middleton's Hotel ; Capt. Allardyce in the chair. By the report of the canvassers it appeared that subscriptions to the amount of LUG bad been made, and fcb&t # further smalJ addition was anticipated. Among other resolutions, it was agreed that the regatta should be held on New Year's Day, and the following gentlemen were appointed to prepare a programme of the sports : — Captain Allardyce, Captain Kitchingham, Messrs Bulstrode, Morice, and Rhodes. The meeting was adjourned until Monday next for the purpose of receiving their recommendations, upon the receipt of which further steps will be taken to forward the objects of the. subscribers, and all the preparations necessary for what at present promises to be a very successful regatta. The. proceedings in appeal initiated by Messrs Sinclair and Philpotts against a decision given by Warden Whitefoord, at Ahaura, on 15th November, have been discontinued. All the parties attended the Court at Ahaura on the 22nd, and formally gave notice of withdrawal. A document v was put in, signed by the parties interested, stating that they would adopt the suggestion of the Warden, that the construction of a main sludge channel was the best means of effecting a remedy, and they were all willing to contribute a proportionate share of the cost. A meeting of the Paroa Road Board was held on Thursday night, when all the members were present. The correspondence and minutes having been disposed of in the usual form, Mr Maurice O'Conor was,' by resolution of the Board, appointed Engineer of the works in hand, and the meeting (probably the last of the present Board) was adjourned. Mr Charles Montrose, while on a flying visit to Hokitika, took the trouble to write to the l v i7nes, identifying a telegram which appeared in these columns with one which he, as Greville's agent, had forwarded from Wellington. Mr Montrose, not for the first time in his life, makes a mistake. Some time ago the Municipal Council did what is their duty, but what individual householders might easily do - they cleansed and repaired the side-channels of the streets. They had only done so when individual householders whose interest it should be to make -the approaches to their houses as smooth and cleanly as possible, undid the Corporation work by again filling up the .channels with as big gravel as it was possible to pick in thg interests of shoemakers. The Melbourne Hotel took thplead' 'in thig, as it does in some other things that are more creditable, and to remove the nuisance the "Mrs M'Clarty " of the premises "canaa be fashed." Respect for the municipal byelaws is evidently on the wane. At the cattle sale advertised to take place at Kiugham's yards, at Ahaura, on Friday, 32nd November, the large quantity of fat stook offered were sold at good prices. The sale was attended by a number of buyers from the surrounding districts, and passed off in a manner satisfactory to all concerned-, The Committee of the Church of England, Charleston, have decided on holding a farewell picnic prior to the departure of the Rev. Mr FJavell from the district. ' The fiats Ifews says, with regret, that Mr Tribe brings no "assurance that the MikonUi water-race will be shortly undertaken, Monday, November 11, was observed as a close holiday at Auckland. The steamers were filled with excursionists, and a Volunteer review was held in the Domain. 500 Volunteers were paraded, and 400 spectators were present. The foundation stone of the new market hall was'laid by the mayor immediately after the Review. On the same day, a Volunteer review took place at Grahamstown, v and was a groat success. 300 Volunteers were present. Two mineral leases, which have been forfelted iii tho Charleston district, are advertised to be sold in Nelapn by auction. The, Her aid declaims: — Is this another land swindle tho Nelson Government intend to countenance? Are we to be placed at the morcy of Nelson speculators for our coal supplies as other parts of the West Coast have been for their sections of land? Are the Provincial authorities unacquainted with the fact that we have an auctioneer in Charleston, who, having duly paid all extor-. fcipnate fees and demands made by the Gpyemmeht upon him, is willing, and- q

equally as well able to sell a couple of paltry mineral leases as they can be sold in Nelson. Surely some mistake has been made in the Gazette notice. If not, it is time some protest was entered against such wilful neglect on the part of the Provincial authorities to our interests as herein expressed. If in Nelson, why not in the Fijis or Timbuctoo ? The Treasurer of the Grey River Hospital acknowledges receipt from the Committee of the Greymouth Assembly, per Mr J. M. Butt, of the sum of L 2 12s. The Ross Guardian states that the operations for developing a reef up Donnelly's Creok are still continued with unabated vigor. The tunnel is now run into the hill 285 ft. The contractors are delayed by a landslip which took place lately at the mouth of the tunnel, but it is expected that stone will he struck in about three weeks. We trust the spirited attempt to open a reef in this district will be crowned with success. Another start has been effected at the Maori Reserve Claim, Woodstock, and hopes are confldently entertained that, under the new management, a successful result will be achieved. The engine is now working two columns of pumps in the shaft, and the water is kept down easily. Sinking commenced on Tuesday, aud we trust that before long we shall be able to chronicle the fact that the bottom has been reached, and that there is as much gold in the dirt as the enterprising proprietors of the claim deserve for their perseverance in face of the numberless difficulties which have been encountered. The Dunedin Star says : — The impression appears to have got abroad that Mr Gillies'B Bill for the abolition of imprisonment for debt became law. It was not the fact. The Bill passed the Lower House, but was included among the measures that did not reach the Council. A destructive fire took place lately in Beach street, Queenstown. Two houses — the one a store occupied by Mr W. V. Wilson, the other Mr Scully's dwelling-house-were burnt to the ground, and Mr Scully's family were saved with difficulty. . At Brighton, on Saturday night last, whilst working at a small facing, a quantity of earth fell down and broke the leg of a miner named Sandy Currie. The claim in which he was working is the same in which Dougal Matheson was so seriously injured a few days since. A meeting of the Westland Racing Club was held at Hokitika on Thursday; Mr H. Mace in the chair. It was resolved that the subscription to the Club henceforth be L 3 3s, instead of Lsss as heretofore. The Chairman stated that two contracts had been let for clearing the' new racecourse, amounting to about. L2OO, and he was in groat hopes that all would be ready for a meeting at the New Year. Ways and means were discussed, and several gentlemen were appointed to canvass the town for subscriptions towards completing the course. An appeal froaa a. Warden's decision at Orepuki, tried before his Honor Judge Ward, will possess interest for many mining readers. Richard O'Brien turned the whole of a small creek into his race, which discharged into another creek. John Forbes lodged a complaint that O'Brien did not allow two sluice-heads of water to flow in its natural channel, in accordance with the Gold Fields Act, and tlie Warden decided in complainant's faror, O'Brien being th^s deT prived of the fruits of iis labor— the oreek not usually containing two sluice-heads— appealed against the Warden's decision. The case hinged upon the construction to be put upon the words "for general purposes," as the evidence showed that plenty of water was available for domestic purposes, and that Forbes merely wanted the water to sluice with. His Honor upset the Warden's decision, and reinstated O'Brien, At the Volunteer review at Auckland on tho 11th inst, a Volunteer accidentally fired away his bayonet and shot a boy in the knee cap, besides cutting off three of his fingers. The name of the volunteer is at present unknown. The accident occurred in the Domain. Another Volunteer, or cadet, nearly " went for " a man while practising at the butts. The Star, of a recent date, says : — "This morning a rifle bullet came through the bed-room window of Mr W. J. Green, at Mount Eden, passed through the window blind, and entered the wall on the opposite side of the room. Five minutes before, MrJames E. Green had been standing at the dressing-table, which stood right across the window, and in the line of the bullet. Had he been in the same position at the tjme, the bullet would have entered his body."