Untitled

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1368, 17 December 1872, Page 2

Mr W. M. Cooper is now engaged holding a series of meetings in ilie Faroa district and addressing the electors. Yesterday be requested us to correct our report of the nomination proceedings, in which he was made to Bay •' that if elected he would resign in favor ojt Mr Dungon," Bis version is that what he did say was, thab "if returned for Greymouth," he would resign, He certainly said so, but afterwards, when he withdrew his demand for a poll, he gave as his reason that he did so because "it appeared that he and Mr Hamilton had the same object in view in coming forward," and therefore he would retire if Mr Dungan thought proper. Mr Duugan acquiesced, whereupon Mr Cooper's proposer and seconder withdrew their demand for a poll. The Borough Council of Ureymouth have to-morrow to discharge their ' annually recurring duty of electiug a Mayor. Last year the choice, for several valid reasons, fell for the second time upon Mr Wickes, but it is probable that on this occasion Mr Wickes will consider that he has had sufficient experience cf the responsibilities of the office to entitle him to a period of rest. Some changes having taken place in the Council during the past year, there j# nps such a choice of old

members as there has been, but Mr Masters having been elected as successor to one of those retired, there is in him at least one accustomed man who t is otherwise thoroughly eligible, and, notwithstanding contfary reports as to the designs of Councillors, it is but reasonable to anticipate that the choice mil fall upon him, and that he will not decline to accept the office. It will be seen by our telegrams that intimation has been made to tlfoouperintendent of Nelson that the Government intends immediately to call for tenders for the construction of the Foxhill railway. It is to be hoped that a similar- announcement with regard to the Greymouth and Brunnerton railway wjll follow as closely upon the visit of Mr Carruthers to as this announcement followed his visit to Nelaon. At present there is no information as to negotiations between the Superintendent of I Nelson and the General Government as to the working of the coal-mines, but it is feared that the matter is simply "hung up" through the continued inaction or objections of the former. Dr Black, one of the Professors in the Dunedin University, left Greymouth yesterday for Marsden and the Greenstone, intending to visit the diggings at these places and beyond them towards Hokitika. Mr Sale, his fellow Professor, proceeded to Hokitika by the Waipara, both intending to return to Otago overland. ; At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M., William Weeks was charged, on the information of Jane Weeks, with having as> saultedher, and she asked that he should be ■bound over to keep the peace. The hearing of the case was adjourned until this morning. — Anne Christie, alias the "Indian Queen," was fined Ll or four days' imprisonment, for having been drunk. — Hugh Hammett, for emptying filth over the river bank, was fined L 5 and costs, this being bis second offence. — Anne Christie was charged with the wilful destruction of the property of David M'Gregor, amounting to L 2, but by permission of the Court the charge was withdrawn. A joung man namen Matthew Kirwin received serious injuries through an accident while exercising a horse in jumping a fence at the rear of Marshall's Hotel, Totara Flat, on Saturday evening. At the Warden's Court, Ahaura, on Saturday, 14th inst., the Secretary of the Anderson Quartz Mining Company, Big River, sued Tiios. Henderson,' a shareholder, for Ll7, due on unpaid calls. A verdict was given for the plaintiff for the amount claimed with L 5 costs and expenses. The hearing of other summonses against defaulting shareholders in the same company" was adjourned in consequence of non-service. The Inangahua Herald says that it was erroneously stated in our last that the Westland batteries had discontinued crushing owing to the shortness of water. This untoward state of things was contemplated owing to the continued drought, and but for the seasonable rainfall on Wednesday would have been accomplished. Crushing, however, was maintained until the supply of water had been replenished and has since been continued. Latest report fixes a very promising result from the general body of stone being put through for the Victoria Company. An interesting cricket match is to come off at Ahaura on New Year's Pay. The sides will be chosen from players resident in and about Ahaura, and from among the " Overl<mders," a nomadic tribe of cattle and sheep dealers, who are expected to muster in force at Ahaura after Christmas, and who it is said succeed most effectually in " lambing down" every crickcb^jiuU.Tiliey.iaU acrossin" . their wanderings. «".• "- At a recent sitting of the Warden's Courb, at Ahaura, a neat attempt to get in the thin end of the wedge to make an opening for increased expense of litigation succeeded admirably. A case was tried in which the ampuut sued for was considerably over LIOO. A verdict went for the plaintiffs, with costs. Mr Staite, who appeared for the plaintiffs, applied at the conclusion of' the case for a~n increased professional fee, as the fee of two guineas usually allowed in Wardens' Court cases was not adequate remuneration for the trouble necessarily taken by an advocate with an important case like the one just decided, The Warden, after some misgiving as to the desirability of further increasing the already heavy expenses of suitors iii big Court, granted a professional fee of five guineas in the present case. We (inangahua Herald ). regret to learn of a boat accident on the Bulter river resulting in the loss of a very valuable horse, the property of Charley Crowle. The mishap took place on Friday, the 6th instant, and was caused chiefly by the extreme narrowness of the towing track at that par* ticular point, namely the long fall below the Blackwater river. The two horses towing the boat were pulling abreast, and a sudden strain on the tow line dragged both men and horses oyer the river bank into the current. One of tpe ir>en" ha<J t tb© opportunity and presence of mind to disentangle one of the horses which swam to the opposite shore, but the. remaining one was carried down the fall, and rolling over with the impetus of the current never recovered himself. This is the second los 3of a similar kind experienced by Crowle during the past few months, and sympathy is very generally expressed with him in his misfortune. The, Canterbury Provincial Government purposes uext year to spend LC3ooonthe Provincial Lunatic Asylum, L§oo on a Drunkards' Asylum, and Ll2oo on the Orphans Asylum. The Taranaki News says: — "A marked feature in many of the Maoris at' this time is their utter conteinpc of Sunday observance —ploughing, harrowing, jjumara planting, and horseoreaking, being performed by them on that day more zealously than on any other." Fifteen female students, in telegraphy at tho Melbourne Industrial Museum have received certificate from th.c Board of Ex* aminers. Mr E. Thomas and Mr C. O'Neill have taken two large contracts for public works — one from Mr Brogden for 14A miles of railway, a portion of the Waikato line to Mercer, and the other for 'the Auckland breakwater. With regard to the new gold field reported to have been discovered in the Otago Province, referred to in recent telegrams, and also in our correspondent's letters, the Daily limes of Qth December says :— The Taieri Lake Station and neighborhood has been the scene of much excitement during the present week. Hyde, Hamilton's, Macrae's, Fullarton's, and the respective neighborhoods, have all hived at the Four-Mile, where gold is reported to have been picked up in buckets full. The "Four-Mile" is four miles from Hyde, and Hyde is eight miles from Hamilton. The Four-Mile is also four miles from the Taieri Lake Home Station. From, various sources, we learn that from 100 to 500 miners are on the ground. Shearers, washers, and station hands generally, have all left for the scene, of action. We are informed that the flocks hay,e been turned out without being shorn, for waut of p'andp. Stores were plentifully ordered yesterday, for' the requirements of this new gold field, The same paper of 7th i December says :— We learn that all the newly-discovered auriferous ground at the Rock and Pillar, about three miles from Uyde, referred to in our issuo of yesterday,

lias been taken up. Our informant, a gen- ] tleman who was at Hyde on Monday, tells us | thj,t he heard there that all the ground had been pegged off by the Hyde miners ; and he adds that on his way to Dunedin he met miners from Macrae's Flat, who had been to the rush turning back disappointed. The transactions of the Post Office Savings 1 Banks, for the quarter ending September 30, , show a considerable, increase in the amount i of deposits, as compared with the withdrawals. The total sum deposited at all the Savings Banks in the colony during the quarter amounted to L 113.825 13s 10-1, and i the amount of withdrawals to L 78.268 11s ] 3d; the interest paid on closed accounts : amounted to L 463 7s od ; leaving a balance • in favor of the deposits of L 35.557 2s 7d. The number of accounts opeued in the co- ', lony during the quarter was 1579. and the \ accounts closed 835. The sentence of death passed on the convict Caroline Witting, in Otago, has been commuted to that of penal servitude for life. The intelligence was conveyed to the prisoner on Wednesday evening last, who received it without displaying any emotion. On Saturday last Mr Outram, the overseer • of the prison works at Bell Hill, Dunedin, was very successful with the rock render used in blasting, About 1001 b was used in one blast, which brought down a much larger quantity of rock than usual, besides producing effects equal to about 2001 bof powder. The state of the Chatham Islands, according to late reports, is very satisfactory. Every part of the group is described as being in a most flourishing condition. Live stock and agricultural produce of all kinds are so abundant that the settlers hardly know what to do with th«»m. Fine fat bullocks could be purchased, it is said, at less than Ll per head, and potatoes at 303 per ton. The yield of gold from the Thames and Coromondel gold fields is improving. The production had fallen off very seriously during the last twelve months, the total yield for the month of October having sunk to 8883oz, the lowest point which it had for. a considerable period. The returns from the Ist to the 26th November show an improvement of over 1009oz upon the month's yield, although fully % thousand tons less quartz had been crushed. A more hopeful tone appears to prevail generally as to the future of Auckland gold fields, and the prices of 3ome of the more depressed stock are said to be improving. In reporting the results of the visit paid . to Nelson by Mr Oarruthers, the Colonial Engineer-in-Chief, and of his' examination of the proposed route of the Foxhill railway, the Colonist says :— lt will gratify our readers to learn that the early construction of the first instalment of our inland railway communication may now be considered assured. The principal object of the Engineer-in-Chief (after examining the proposed route, and as to deviations), was to secure the requisite and reliable data to enable him to estimate whether the line would pay working expenses. We have good reason' to believe, that Mr Carruthers is of opinion that the line will at least pay workiug expenses, and we believe in addition something in excess of these. We believe he considers the route round the rocks as being too costly, and the line through Toi-Toi Valley and through Jenkins's Hill the cheaper and more easy one, We believe, however, this will oause no delay in the progress of the line. The schooner Merlin arrived at Auckland on the 30th ult,, and, aq has already been telegraphed, : brought definite information that .five Green Harp conspirators —Howe, Walsh, O'Reilly, Cummins, and Sheehan— -inwi— <Mi..ii™uL- a fc Levuka from Auckland. Captain XTrquhart r of the. Morlin, met them several times there, and Uofouo-tko— U-e»Jln_ sailed for Auckland one of them had left in a small schooner for one of the neighboring islands. Frpm inquiries made by Captain Urquhart in Levuka he gathered that the conspirators had arrived there on the 9th instant in the schooner Sea Gull, Captain Oakes. Upon reference to the Customs papers here we find that the Sea Gull cleared outwards on |t}t November without any passengers, and we observe that her arrival is reported at Levuka in the Fiji Times of the 13th ult. as conveying six passengers. This* confirms -Captain Urquhart 's statement. There was no concealment as to their identity at Levuka, the men boldly declaring they were picked up outside the harbor' on the Sunday morning, and had a fine run of seven days to Fiji.' It is reported here that they have left a .sura of L 250 each for the benefit of their less fortunate conspirator, Sheehy, who is now scoria-reefing at Mount Eden, and is likely to be so occupied for three or four years to come. ; . Recent Otago telegrams mentioned the accidental death of Thomas Turner, a miner at the Hogburu Greek, Otagq. At the coroner's inquest it transpired that the deceased was aged 38, unmarried, had friends in Keswick, Cumberland, England, and that he died intestate. Deceased and three. miners named M 'Donald, Stewart, and M'Quartmer, left Naseby at 2 p.m. on the Ist instant on horseback, for a ride in the country. At G p,m, they dined at the Plough Inn on the Dunedin road, and had refreshment there, all being slightly under the influence -of drink. Shortly, afterwards, deceased and M'Quavtier mounted their horses, and the former, who was leaning on the pommel of his saddle overbalanced and fell off coming heavily on the ground with his shoulders and back of his head. After getting up with assistance, he walked a short distance and sat down. His friends, seeing he was much hurt, sent off for a. doctor to, Naseby, but, before he arrived, deceased was dead. After examination, the doctor stated death resulted from the bursting of a blood vessel in the head from the effects of the fall. A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical evidence.