THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1872.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1360, 7 December 1872, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1872.

Of all the pointless things that msy be done or said at a nomination of candidates for election to political office, there is seldom anything so pointless as the show of hands. In a mixed assemblage of electoi-s and non-electors, even under ' the old system of open voting, it moant nothing, non-electors as a '.rule excelling far those possessing the franchise, both in point of numbers and in promptitude in ( exhibiting their washed or unwashed palms. And under the ballot-system it is a performance altogether anomalous, if not ridiculous ; for what logic can there: possibly be in first asking & man to exhibit [ his sympathies by showing his hand and then providing a returning - oflicer, a ticket, a screen, and a ballot-box to enable him to exercise his vote in secresy ? These two conditions— the presence of nonelectors and the opportunity of voting diametrically opposite to the sign given by the show of one's digits — make the declaration of tho result at the Greymouth nomination on Thursday a matter of very little moment. Its significance is made all tho less by the fact that a goodly number present at the nomination were so low in the possession of open, fearless, honesty, or in the possession of a sense oi the humorous, as to perpetrate the hypocrisy or the supposed joke of elevating their hands for every candidate by whom they were confronted. Questionable as the result may thus be in point of significance, there are, however, some reasons for believing, and even superior reasons for hoping, that the snow of hands sufficiently represents the public feeling to entitle it to be accepted as a prcmo- I nition of the state of the poll, so far, at least, as regards two candidates, MrSmith and Mr Kennedy. By the show of hands they are the elected members, and, should the polling day be productive of the same result, it will be a result which is not likely to disadvantage the permanent interests of tho constituency, however much or slightly it may temporarily disappoint the friends of the other gentlemen who are candidates. MrSmith has hitherto been less prominent as a public man than as a worthy private citizen, and it is his very worthir ness in that particular which mainly recommends him for election as a member of the County Council. .The mistake which is too often made, in estimating the qualifications of a representative, and especiaHy of a representative in such a small body as the Council, is in valuing too highly the loud voice, the loosely hung tongue, and the bountiful possession and exercise of banter or blarney. To these' characteristics Mr Smith may not be able, to lay claim, but it is of more practical importance that he should enjoy, as he is certain- to enjoy, the respect of those who may be his colleagues, and, as described by his proposer, he is as likely to be as independent in thought and action as he is in means, and it may be more so. In accepting the position, he would distinctly do so with no very high sense of the honor which the new Council would inherit from the history of its predecessors, but his sensitiveness in that particular is symptomatic of oare on his own part to maintain the good repute of the Council and the solvency of the County. He is, if anything, ultra-sensitive as to members receiving a honorarium, without whioh popular representation would in this country be limited to a olasß, and in con*

demning the " disgraceful scramble for the Chairmanship " ho did not, in his words, whatever he may have done in thought, sufficiently recognise how much -that scramble and its disgrace are due to the system of election. That tho same scramble will occur again there is no doubt, but it will be by the presence of such men as he that the proceedings connected with it will, if such is possible, 3avor more of grace than disgrace, and, when tho selection is concluded, Mr Smith, we believe, will be one of the first to exercise himself iii the quiet arid undemonstrative discharge of his duty, rather than in " bearding " and badgeriug the Chairman elect. Mr Martin Kennedy has the advantage of Mr Smith in possessing the power to state his sentiments with an almost provoking amount of coolness, calmness, aud deliberation, and an equally provoking, but only occasional, indifference to the simplest relations of parts of speech. Equally with Mr Smith, with another of the candidates, and with the community generally, he openly asserts that the management oi the affairs of the County by past Councils has not been creditable, and we do not suppose that any consideration but a desire to improve that management, and to comply with the wishea of his numerous reqtiisitionists, would induce him to exchange the congenial atmosphere of his counting-room, or of ; the upper end of wharf, for tho questionable advantages of seeing others "strut and fret their ;hour" upon the Council Chamber floor. He was appropriately introduced to the electors by Mr VYickes, if such introduction were ! at all necessary, as a man who had energetically conducted his own business and all other business which had been entrusted to him, and the stoc^ argument was used that therefore the constituency should have confidence in him. Fortunately Mr Wickes qualified the common remark by referring to the business . of others as well as to "Mr Kennedy's own business, oLherwise people might have been disposed to dispute the principle. It is sometimes the very last reason for raen accepting another as a popular representative that he should have been ouci cessM in his own private business. There have been Shylocks, and there are still. There have been aud stillare "skinflints " whose success is dependent upon the sacrifice of all sympathy for anything but self. Mr Kennedy is far from fulfilling either character ; he is a fortunate and favorable exception, being both diligent, in business arid fervent in spirit; but there might b. 3 candidates, and we are not sure that they are not represented on the occasion of this County election, who would be as ready to buy or sell a County as they would be to buy or sell "a vatch," and whoso personal success in life does not prove that they possess a single public sentiment, or any public sympathy, worthy of the name. Mr Kennedy, like others of the candidates, 'contemplates retrenchment and economy, and there undoubtedly are departments in which a reduction of numbers is not only a necessity but would be simple justice to the taxpayer and to public servants who have to wearily wait for promotion. It is doubtful, however, if he is correct in assuming that the expenses of the County Chairman's office could be reduced, any more than our Bokitika correspondent was correct in suggesting that the County Chairman's salary should be reduced below its present or former figure. Neither staff nor salary, so far as we are ; aware, is other than moderate and rea-: sonablo. These aro matters of detail, however, upon which Mr Kennedy will be more able to decido when he takes his seat, which seems to be a very probable; contingency. The one other eligible candidate, Mr; Cooper, has merits of a kind distinct from those of others by the fact of his belong- i ing to a profession a member of which would be a very desirable addition to the numbers of any Council, and he is capable ' both of forming an intelligent view of : affairs and of giving to his views intelligible expression. He was the first to come forward as a candidate, anrl we presume , he iu tends to go to the poll, .though -the i chances of his election are inevitably re- • duced- by the number of candidates who have siiice presented themselves, and to j none of whom ho may be personally opposed. In fact the contest as a whole is less between persons or parties than between the principles which have characterised the administration of the affairs of* the County in the past, and which it is felt to be undesirable to perpetuate in the future.

We are informed that the books for the Greymouth Literary Association have been placed in the library, and will be ready for circulation this evening. Tho first of what we hope will be a series of similar substantial buildings has been commenced in Greymouth, by the erection of a brick edifice for the office of Mr Perkins, solicitor. The foundation will be laid in large solid blocks of limestone, upon which will be built brick walls of 14in in thickness, while the building will be divided into four room*, one of which will be a strong room for the safe security of. deeds and other valuable documents. The entire building, to be constructed by Messrs Walton and Murray, will have 23ft of frontage to Werita street, with a depth of 27ft, and will be a handsome addition to the otherwise unpretentious buildings adjacent. Mr Eissenhardt is the architect. It is to be hoped, when erected, the appearance of the building will induce other owners of property to follow Mr Perkins's example, and to substitute more substantial stores for the at present dangerous temporary timber structures. An amateur dramatic entertainment, originally fixed for last evening, but now appointed for Monday, is to be given in the Volunteer Hall, "in aid of the very urgent object of augmenting the funds of the Grey District Hospital. The entertainment is to consist. of a sensational melodrama, "The Idiot Witness," a musical interlude, aud the domestic drama, " The Clock on the Stairs." The amateurs included in the cast are to have the assistance of Miss Folland, Mrs Thornton, Little Amy, and Mr Thornton, and there is every prospect of the performance being a success. It unfortunately happens that on the same evening Mr Lahmau holds a meeting, but those who are more interested in politics than dramatic performances or the promotion of the iuterests of .the Hospital, should at least encourage their wives or sweethearts to be pre3ent at the Hall, and join the dear " creatures as soon as the conclusion of Mr Lahman's address may enable them to attend. , , The. Grey District Poultry Society held its usual monthly meeting on Wednesday evening, at Kilgour's - Union - Hotel, Mr J. A. Uarley occupying the chair. - After the general business bad been through, fair prospects of success '.were reported %y the honorary treasurer, Mr 0. Prince, aud Mr

James Wyldc was elected a member of the Managing Committee in the room of Mr Barkley, resigned. The honorary treasurer and secretary were then authorised to collect and receive subscriptions, of which a handsome amount was.iUfonco collected in the room.. A vote thanks to the Chair terminated the proceedings. The obstruction erected on the Greymouth and Omotumotu road by Mr Coewas removed by him yesterday. .During the day, in the Court buildings, Messrs H. Keurick, I\. C. Reid, and A. F. Stark sat as arbitrators in the case between the Government and Mr* Coo, and received the evidence of four surveyors and a large number of other witnesses, Mr Perkins appearing for tke~Govei - uirienfc, and Mr Newton for Mr Coe. It is expected that the arbitrators will announce their award to-day. A mistake as to a matter of fact was made in a paragraph which appeared in yesterday's issue regarding the accidental death of a child* son of Mr Parkinson, stationer. The paragraph stated that Dr Acheson, with Dr Smith, had attended the child during its brief fatal illness. The fact was, however, that DrAoheson only saw the child some, time after its decease. We understand that Mr Kenrick, as Returning Officer at" the Paroa election, has beeu notified, on behalf of Mr Cooper, that he claims to be duly elected for that district, on the ground that Mr Hamilton was disqualified when ho permitted himself to be nominated and was returned for .the seat in the County Council. The Officer has meantime stated the case to the law officers of the Crown. The Borough Council met last evening. . The Mayor, aud Messrs Masters, Moore, Coates, Woolcock, Glenn, and Dupro were present. Among the correspondence read there was a letter from Mr Mackay, Native Comm ssioner, stating that he did not feel justified in contributing tothe formation of I ainui street south, but that he had no objections to the Council devoting to the purpose a portion of the annual funds from the' Trust.— Residents .near, the upper part of Mawhera Quay complained, by lefeter, of persons causing a nuisance near a building known as the Immigration Office, and the letter was referred to the Inspector of Nuisances. It was also suggested that the building itself and some other obstructions in the neighborhood should be removed, and the matter was referred to the Works Committee.—The Secretary of the Fire Brigade wrote directing attention to the removal of stand-pipes near the upper part of Mawhera Quay, and the Jetter was referred to the engineer in charge of the works, with a request that the pipes should be temporarily replaced. — A letter from Mr .Cooper, applying for a lease of some portion of the , Municipal Reserves to Mr Anstee, was referred to the Reserves Committee, to be considered with some other applications. —Mr Masters, as Returning Officer, reported the nomination of Mr R. C. Reid as member of the Council for East Ward, and' intimated that lie would bo formally declared elected on Monday next.-— A letter was received froiri a nuniber of residents on Richmond Quay, directing attention to the dangerous state of the thoroughfare there. Mr Moore supported the request made, and it was agreed to refer the matter to the' Works Committee, with power to act. — IVo tenders, accompanied by the requisite deposits, and a third with no deposit, were received for the repair or re-construction of Sef ton bridge, but all the tenders were, far in excess of the Surveyor's estimate, .aiidit was agreed that neither should be accepted. — Several accouuts, including that of Mr Per- < kins, as Solicitor to the. Corporation, were passed, and the Council adjourned. ' The last meeting of the old members' of the Paroa Road Board was held on Thursday night, when there were present — Messrs O'Connor (in the chair), Colton, Barnhill, ' and Symons.' The only business transacted was the reception of the Engineer's report on the second section of the Greymouth road, which has been completed in a manner alike creditable to the Board and the contractor, Mr Andrew Matheson. The amount due to Mr Matheson. 'was certified to be L4S6 15s, and it was passed for payment accordingly. After passing some smaller amounts, the Board adjoiirned ; and after the close of the : meeting Mr Henry Symons, regretting that his business engagements did not permit him, for the future, to give the necessary attention to Road Board matters, handed to the Chairman his resignation. , The Ross News states that Mr William Bell disposed of the Wauganiri Ferry a few days since, to Mr : Hende, for the sum of L 240. It is over seven years since Mr Bell took up his abode on the banks of the Wangauui, and the hardy pioneer has afforded good service to many a weary traveller. The Ross Guardian has had the pleasure of inspecting a series of photographs of the Francis Joseph Glacier, Mount Cook, taken by Mr Thomas Pringle^ of Donoghue's. There are seven pictures of the glacier, all of which are weli taken, and mounted in a first-class style. There are also two pictures of the river Waiho, which are ■ equally well taken. Mr Pringle has gone on another trip to the glacier, in search of further and still more interesting views. A peculiar mineral has been found up the Totara. It seems to be a mixture of lead and ironstone, but there may be silver i-i---jtermixed, A piece of the ore has been sent- ! to Hokitika for aualysis to. be made. In the colonial prize firing, the principal j alteration in last year's arrangements is, that 'the Skirmishing, Running, and Rapidity Matches are left out in competing for the ! Champion prize. The district prizes are slightly increased throughout. An announcement by the Hon. ' John Bathgate in tho Gfazette informs judicial officers and others that correspondence on subjects connected with the administration i 'of justice will no>v be received by the Hon. the Minister of Justice, and should be ad« dressed to him. The manufacture of Btrawberry jam is becoming quite a big local iudurstry in the neighborhood of Hokitika. Mr Bladier Arahura, offers to purchase white jars in any quantity. There was to be an entertainment at the Duke of Edinburgh Thsatre, Hokitika, last evening, "under the patronage of the Hon. H. H. Lahman, CO., the Hon. J. A. Bonar, and the elite of the town." The Tauranga correspondent of the SoiitJuyii Cross writes that a massage had beeu received there from Karaitiana to the Ngatirangi, to the effect that wives wero wanted for five young men of his tribe. The district was immediately hunted up j the required number speedily found— of such as the tribe could willingly spare — who were told off to hold themselves in readiness to go by the first opportunity. . O.no or two of them were not ill-looking specimens of Maori comeliness. After this, business had beeu transacted, about a dozen mounted natives arrived at Opotiki, bringing with, them a young woman who had been run away with, and was then in charge of her escort, about to start for Cambridge with their recovered prize. The young woman said her name was Mere— whoso name is legion. She was on horseback ; and seemed to enjoy the excitement as much as any one. One or more cf the men folio vved her about as a body-guard, and never lost sight of her. In the courso of his address to the electors of Nolaon a few nights ago, Mr Luekie, M.H.R., referring to the , Foxhill railway, aaul :— Anobkor hue piece of saroiwui was

where the vigor of Mr Curtis in the Ministry was to cany through this line. His vigor ! where was it? was it shown in the neglect. of our gold and coal fields, or in the emigration, instead of immigration, that, as had been saii by- one of the papers, was the order of the day in Nelson ? If that was vigor, it was vigorous laziness. The goneral feeling in Wellington with regard to the Brnnner coal-mine was, that it was one of the finest in the Colony, and yet comparatively nothing was done with it. A meeting had been held while he was in Wellington with si view. to raising a company to "work" it, 'ana if that were carried out, instead of 10,000 tons, at least 100,000 tons a year would be obtained, thus saving a large export of capital from the Colony. An enquiry was held at the Lyell on Friday last, tipon a body discovered in the Buller river, at the junction of the Lyell. The body was that of the man known as German Jerry, whose absconding from the Landing, while in Brandt's employ, with some LBO in cash and gold, the property of the latter, was recorded a few days back. After escaping from the custody of Chichestcr, the arresting ! constable, he was last seen swimming down a fall, and some doubt thea prevailed as to whether he had survived it. The constable's opinion was that the deceased never rose again, and subsequent events have proved the correctness of his opinion. Constable Jeffries left Reef ton for the Lyell on Monday last, and will make search in the hut where deceased was arrested for the stolen property. Four skiffs, suitable for regattas, are advertised for sale in- Hokitika to-day. It: is proposed to work on tribute r the Skeriandbah claim, Kanieri. Writing of the disqualification- of Peeress' by the Canterbury Jockey Club, a correspondent of the kelson Examiner says:-"! think the C. J.C. might haveenlightened outsiders with a short statement of, the facts which led them to adopt such a course. All the information thathas reached us here, is, that the mare having been for sale from the hour she landed in Canterbury, Mr Redwood sold hoivat Ms reserved price to Mr Walters within forty-eight hours of the race for the Cup, and ' that the latter gentleman, having Yatterina in the race,' the -supposed next best animal to "Peeress, scratched the latter the moment she became .his property. The right of Mr Walters to scratch Peeressi, and' reserve her for the handicap ou the following day, for which she bad been heavily weighted, opens up' the vexed question of whether owners of- horses are bound to run their animals to suit the bets of speculators, or may run 'thorn to win stakes for themselves. 1 know lam treading on dangerous ground when I say that having become possessed of Peeress, Mr Walters might have considered, apart from all betting considerations, that to win the Cup with Yattorina, for which she was on equal terms with the Canterbury horses, was his: best chance of success, seeing that in the handicap this mare was asked to give the supposed best of her Canterbury opponents 81b, thus leaving Peeress fresh for the handicap. I say, without knowing more than what has appeared in print, he might have held this opinion, and the C.J.C. should therefore have enlightened the general public a little' as to the reasons which influenced their decision."