THE PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1357, 4 December 1872, Page 2

THE PUBLISHED DAILY. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1872.

Ix was evident from the character of remarks made during a recent discussion in the Assembly, by men enjoying large handles to their names, but small acquaintance with the mineral resources of the Colony, that very considerable ignorance exists, even in high places, as to the situation, extent, value, or feasibility of profitably working the West Coast coalfields. Although by this time almost every community on the sea-board of the Colony mast to Borne extent have been consumers of the products of the Brunner coal-mine, little more than a knowledge of its existence was exhibited by our legislators, and so imperfect was that knowledge that they suggested all sorts of inquiries before they could concede that it was worthy of being connected with a port by the construction of tram or railway. Similar but more excusable ignorance seemed to prevail as to the facilities for shipment which the port of Greymouth affords— excusable because few but local residents, casual visitors, and Melbourne merchants are aware of the class of vessels which, enter this harbor, the trade with New Zealand ports being carried on in small bottoms, capable of supplying, better than vessels of larger tonnage, a produce-market which is somewhat easily overstocked. It is bad enough that the character of the coal-mine and the port should suffer from the prevalence of such ignorance. The circumstances are aggravated seriously when, in addition, there is found a disposition to injure the reputation of • either one or o her, and, through the inexcusable existence of some miserable local jealousy, fostered by a miserable Government, this disprsition unfortunately does prevail. On every occation on which the project of connect- I ing the coal-mine with the port 13 raised in that political body which unfortunately has the nominal management of the mine, the Nelson Provincial Council, the most extraordinary assertions are made, by men who have never seen one place or t'other, as to the relative merits of Greymouth and Cobden as a shipping port, as if they wore two distinct ports, and as if Cobden possessed, in land and water, all the requisite facilities, while Greymouth's only attribute is that of being in a chronic state of flood. Such are the lively fancies of gentlemen from such places as Motueka, Waimea, and Wakapuaka, who sit in solemn conclave to settle subjects upon which mineis engineers, and ship-captains are infinitely ' more likely to be able to give an intelligent opinion, and their dear delusionsdear enough to the district and to the country generally—are rather encouraged than otherwise by a clever Superintendent and a cute Provincial Secretary. One of the bon mots of last session, for instance, was, we ar« told, the production in the Council Chamber, by a gentleman who was strongly suspected to be the Secretary, of two photographic views— one of Cobden, the other of Greymouth; the joke consisting in the fact that, while the picture of Cobden was taken from a particular stand-point . on MawheraQuay at which Oobdeu looks its little best, the view of Greymouth was bo taken from the

limestone range as to represent only, in fto foreground, two children aud the trunk of a tree ; beyond these the roof and chimney pots "of Johnston's Melbourne Hotel ; and beyond that again, the. "sad sea waves." Unfortunately there are more reprehensible way taken to bias the opinions of bucolic members of the Council, and to mislead the general public, and he, she, it, or they who adopt them usually do so by "private letters from Cobden," which happen somehow to be " handed " to the Nelson papers " for publication." Hero is part, of a recent specimen, as published in the Colonist. Referring to the railway and the port, tho writer says :— " The report of Messrs Blackett and I Hector was based on false promises— that the lines would cost J24,000 on the north, and £26,000 on the south side of Grey River, whereas the actual cost would be £15,000 on north, and iwt less than £54,400 on south. The up-keep on the south side would be very expensive, on account of the formation of the country and its 'crumbly' nature, also its greater length. The facilities for wharf building on tho north side are all that could be wished, rock ; while on the south side piles fifty feet long fail to reach anything but gravel for foundation. On the north there is fourteen feet of water when the river is low and at ebb tide, and not more than ten feet on an average on the bar at high water. A most careful survey has been made of the line on the north side, and plans proposed, but the Nelson Government has not even usked for them. The river is showing a decided tendency to leave the south side and bother us ; it is depositing a large quantity of shingle in front of the breastworks, so that a wharf will have to be run out from the Grey side to the shipping in a very short time." Whether the person who wrote this means "premises" or "promises" when he associates the names of Mr Blackett and Dr Hector with falsity is immaterial, for they, no doubt, know quite as much about the matter as he does ; and their views are likely to have the preference. What more concerns us meantime are the mendacious statements which are made, and made not for the first time, as to the facilities for shipment on the two sides of the river. It involves no merit or demerit, blame or praise, to anyone living, whether there is more water on the one side of the river or the other ; it involves good to everyone whether coal is shipped on the north or south side, so long as it is shipped ; therefore we cannot be accused of any mere popular, personal, or property sympathy in stating to be the fact the very oppasite of what this correspondent has stated. That his statements are not facts, but foolish falsehoods, must be obvious to every person who is oh the spot and possessed of two ordinary eyes. At no time since Cobden was Cobden was the north side of the river less suited to be selected as a shipping-place. Naturally the shallow and gravelly side of the river, these conditions are at the present moment moro apparent and aggravated than they have been at any time within the memory of settlers,the only place accessible to shipping being a single berth in the strength of the current through the Gorge. The " decided tendency" of the river also happens to be-in a direction quite opposite to that described by this correspondent, aud, but for the existence of the stone protective works, this tendency would undoubtedly before now have "bothered us" on the south side to an extent compared with which the loss of a few yards of loose clay at Cobden during the last flood would be a very minute flea-bite. So far from the usual berthingplaces on the south side, in use now or previously, being rendered inaccessible by an accumulation of shingle, the fact is just tho reverse — the present depth of water having been seldom or never exceeded. What nature has done for the improvement of this side in respect to shipping is, indeed, being undone only, and to a very considerable extent, by the intervention of art, rendered necessary for the railway works and the protection of the town. The whole length ot the quay, from Tainui street upwards, is being rendered useless for the purposes of landing or discharging coal or goods by the " foot " which is being given to the protection wall. Fresh vharve3 outside of that structure will be absolutely necessary as the trade of the port increases by coal exports or otherwise, and another possible effect of the work may be the formation of a "tail" of shingle at its lower extremity ; but, under any circumstances, it would require either a convulsion or one of the greatest of those great changes which do undoubtedly occur in shinglebed rivers to convert Cobden into a suitable shipping port, and to make Greymouth the reverse. The one fact in favor of a line on the north side of the river is its comparative shortness, and that is a big fact in its favor if it is to bo a simply a coal-line f and not a link in a railway sy3tem the extension' of which to the West Coast will every year become more and more necessary. Should the shorter route be adopted to-morrow, either temporarily or for ever, let it be adopted on the score ' of that one merit ; there is no necessity for making to appear white that which is palpably black, and that such correspondents as this one whom we have quoted are endeavoring knowingly to do so is apparent from the circumstance of such communications always appearing in the Nelson papers. "Private letters" in these parts are not usually devoted to comparisons of "soundings" and costs of railways. The obvious object is to secure publicity to statements in situations where they cannot be challenged, to create thus a false impression abroad,- and, in this matter particularly, to assist obstructive officials who will neither " dance nor hold the candle."

Most cheeriog news has been brought by the Bteainer Claud Hamilton, which arrived at tho Bluff last evening. The passengers and seamen who first left the wreck of "the City of Newcastle in Cook Straits, and as to whose safety all hope was abandoned, were picked up by the barque John Knbx and conveyed to Sydney. The lady passengers in the boat were Mrs Fox, Mrs Pilcher, Mrs Jones, and Miss Cameron. There were also in the boat three children, who have, no doubt, also been rescued, although they are not mentioned in the telegrams. How intense the happiness which such news must brinw to the hearts of the relatives of those who have thus been saved ! At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M., Elizabeth Turner was brought up on remand, charged with lunacy. Drs Morico and Smith stated that they considered the defendant to be quite recovered and safe to be at large. After receiving a severe rebuke from the

lagistratc as to her drinking habits, tho ilatendant waa discharged.— John Wilson, for having been drunk, wps fined LI. or 48 hours' imprisonment. The follovviug civil cases were disposed of :— O'Callaghan v. Pell; judgment by default for Lll 16s and costs —Jones v. Evaus, a fraud summons for LI 03 • defendant was ordered to pay one half in one month, and the balance in two months —Levy v. Card ; judgment confessed forL99 19s and costs. — Giesking v. Whitmore ; judgment confessed for LG 3s 4d and costs. — Guinness v. Shannon ; judgment by default for L 7 10s 6d and costs. Having made arrangements for the presence of a special reporter in Hokitika during the County Council elections, we are enabled to give in to-day's number a report of the proceedings at tho nomination yesterday. In another letter from our correspondent will be found some current gossip regarding the elections. The letter was intended for publication yesterday, and was written in anticipation of the A rahura and Kanieri nominations, now past ; but we publish it as received. Only one nomination was sent in to the Town Clerk on Monday last for the seat in the Borough Council for the East Ward, vacated by Mr G. S. Smith. The gentleman nominated is Mr R. C. Reid, who being un--1 opposed, is now ono of the representatives of the Ward. ■ The annual meeting of the Grey River St. Andrew Lodge, S.C., takes place this evening, at the Masonic Hall, at 7 p.m.., for i the installation of officers. Immediately ; after the election, a banquet will be held, i The nomination of candidates for the representation of the Paroa District in the County Council takes place at noon to-day. The nominations for Greymouth take place • to-morrow, at the Resident Magistrate's . Court, at noon. i Yesterday forenoon, while the schooner Io was discharging cargo, the mate, named t William Duncan, observing that one of the . fenders had slipped, attempted to adjust it. While doing so the vessel was swinging with the curreut, and the mate's leg, which was 1 over the side, was jammed between the 1 vessel and one of the piles, inflicting a very < serious injury. The injured man was takeu to the Hospital. 1 A meeting of the Licensing Bench took ' place yesterday at the Resident Magistrate's Court, The Justices present were Messrs s Greenwood, Revel!, Reid, Wickes, and King. The following applications for renewals of , licenses wete granted :— Francis Sweetman, ; Ferry Hotel ; George Cooper, Tivoli Hotel ; \ Dennis Ryall, Digger's Arms Hotel ; Henry Hunt, Club Hotel ; Dennis Buggy, Niagara Hotel ; Isiac Abrahams, United States 1 Hotel ; Daniel M'Kmty, Rose of Australia ' Hotel ; James Howie, Masonic Hotel. Thos. 1 Bailey, of the Full and Plenty Hotel, applied ; for an extension of hi 3 license during the I Christmas week. After consultation, Mr Greenwood said the Bench could not grant : the application in the form in which it was . made, as it would be very unfair to those i publicans who paid an extra amount for 12 ; o'clock licenses. If he wished to keep his ( house open until 12 o'clock during the Christmas week he could do so by paying the additional LlO, and making the applica--1 tion in the usual way. Such an application ' was not contemplated by the Act, but if the r applicant wished to keep his house open on any single night for the purpose of a ball or ■ supper, no doubt it would be granted if prol perly recommended. Tho application would i be refused. > Mr George Coppin is getting up, in Mel-' i bourne, a Grand Musical Festival for Christs mas. Robert Hellier is expected back in > Melbourne before that time, and will contrii bate some performances on the new nr'^an. 1 The following are some of the remarks i made by Mr Rolleston at the opening of tho ■ Rangiora railway :— '.' You have a first-clas3 railway into the centre of your township, i and you are placed in intimate connection 1 with the market for your produce. I don't r believe it will stop here. I look forward to \ the line being pushed onward at no distant date, forming as it does, in my mind, one , link in the great chain of communication with the West Coast. To my mind— and this has been my impression for many years [ —the opening-up of the plains in this direc- • tion, in the direction, I mean, of the West Coast and its mineral products, seems of the ! utmost and most vital importance to the i prosperity of the Province." "All work and no play," &c. The Hon. ! rhincan Gillies knows it, and on Wednesday (says the Talbot Leader) felt it, for at our ; fete he went in like "a brick," and gained every match he played at the bowling alley. It is not often that our fetes are graced with , the presence of a live Minister, and some of our "rude provincials " may have hitherco regarded a Commissioner of Railways, Lands, &c., with some degree of awe. Now, howK ever, we are all charmed with the bo'nhomviie of Duncan, and vow him a thorough gentleman and a real good fellow. ° Napier must resemble a good many places in New Zealand. A contributor to one of the local papers thus writes of it : " There must be some inducement to bring so many commercial travellers into the town. Tnere must be some money made by the traders, or we should not see so many of them building handsome villas on the hill. It appears to be only necessary to start a shop to do well. A humble shop grows into a large store, and the owner takes rank with importers. In a i year or two, the trader starts a buggy, and drives out on Sundays and on public holi-daj-s. In another year, he builds a house, grows roses, and goes in for plants and shrubs with botanical names nobody knows the meaning of. All this time the prosperous trader gets stouter and stouter ; iv the words of Mr Weller, he 'wisibly swells' with his banking account." Judge Johnson, of Wellington, and some others of our Colonial judges, might read, mark, aud learn something from the following opinion expressed by Lord Neaves in an address before the Scots Law Society :— lf was impossible to deny that the disposition to interpose, and even to interrupt counsel, was a fault which was too common, and from which perhaps only a few judges were wholly exempt. But it was a true saying, he believed, of Chief Baron Alexander, that no man who had not tried it could tell the herculean labor and enormous self-control which a judge had to exert in holding his tongue. There was certainly considerable temptation to break in when a judge heard a counsel speaking what was absurd, or, it might be, not doing justice to the case he was maintaining. . But, whatever was the temptation, it ought to be resolutely resisted, particularly where it would interfere with the younger members of the bar. The instructions lately sent to the AgentGeneral, and referred to in arecent telegram, are thus indicated by the Wellington Inclependent: — The Government hove recently instructed Dr Featherston to pay special attention to Ireland as a field for immigration, and he is authorised not only to open a central agency in Dublin for this purpose, but to encourage by every possible means, immigration from that part of the United Kingdom. His instructions, we are informed, are to the effect that, if possible, a fair proportion of Irish immigrants shall be sent out by each vessel. He is also requested to place the Scotch agencies upon their original footing, and to ship Scotch immigrants from Glasgow instead of from London. It has been a matter of complaint- that the various Provinces have not received their complement of immigrants, n-nd tho Agent-General has been instructed that as far as possible he

nust secure ,1 proportionate shipment for each of the Provinces interested in immigration^ Special stress has been placed upon keeping up a constant supply of. population, and with tbe exception of nominated immi-. grants and the men brought under the auspices of Messrs Broaden, the Ageut■'eneral is authorised to uiake terms of passage more liberal than those now obtaining. Two of the Southland sealing boats have just returned from their cruise— the Sandfly aud the Pilot. The former, with a complement of 12 men, fitted out and provisioned by Messrs Whittingham Bros, and Instone, with 351 skins. They report duriug the most part of the cruise a continuation of heavy gales and rough weather. They were unable to get any further north than Two-Thumb Bay. Seals abounded thickly in most parts, but the weather prevented them from landing at the most exposed rookeries and caves, where there were seals in thousands. The Pilot brought 200 skins and a quantity of oil. She was fitted out by Mr Hatch, chemist. The fore-and-aft schooner-boat Mary, with a small whaleboat as tender, left Cascade Point to work the Blowhole and caves near Miheti, to the northward of Jackson's Bay, between the latter place and Okarito. When last heard of she had over 200 skins, besides oil.