THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1592, 11 September 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1873.

It will be becoming of the bachelors of Greymouth to beware, and to take care. Especially those who have no credentials of character as Sunday-school teachers, as attendants at snobocratic balls, or as being favorably known to the police. And most especially those who affect the society of the bar, the back-parlor, the billiardroom, or the free-and-easy. They know not what a day may. bring forth. They would be wise in their day and generation to cease to sing, or, if they do not sing, to cease to think such sentiments as " Britons never shall be slaves" ; or they I may accept the alternative of leaving — ! Greymouth ;of leaving it— to the prurient and the police. Otherwise it is high time for each of them to put his house in I order, so as to he prepared fora domiciliary visit, for disorder among his ; household gods, for ihe ransacking of his pockets, for untvammtable arrest, and for a night in a cell. For all such are within the powers of the police, as these powers are exercised in this place— at present. Presuming that they remain where they are, discretion will direct them either to defy those functionaries, or to take " a sailor's holiday," and assort the contents of their chests. They will have to see that their libraries do not contain editions of the Apocrypha or translated specimens of Italian litera. ture. They will have to suit the style of portrait in their albums to the senses of the prurient, and not to "simple Naturel" They will have to examine closely their large or little stock of jewelry, lest it, by inadvertency, as has in time happened, include signet-rings or scarf-pins whicr may not be so pure in all particulars as they are in the quality of their gold. They will have to deal only with trustworthy tobacconists, whose meerschaums, snuffboxe>, and cigar-cases are morally, as 'Caesar's wife, above suspicion. Failing to do so, by the aggregate influence of an incipient and aggravated mother-in-law and a docile and presuming police, they may find themselves at any moment in a criminal dock — as vagrants. The facilities for arriving at that position and predicament are likely to be enhanced by familiarity with barmaids, by permitting pewtjers to become the media to the exercise of the power of love, by indulging in the full glass and the fund glance, or by venturing with the purveyor of the one and the possessor of the other in the direction of the Ocean Beach. Dare they indulge in any of these iniquities, they may find that a venial mistake made months before will, under pur 'Parisian' system of police, subject them to intrusion and arrest. The existence or discovery of a " sneaking regard" by or towards the young and the fair is all-sufficient, if it only come to the knowledge of the police, to involve, a3 matters are at present, the prostitution of Acts of Parliament on the one side, and on the other side incarceration, contempt, arid cost. If there is solatium in the circumstances, it is that they are indicative of the realisation of Punch's picture and of the advent of the millennium, when of the juVenilte'bffende^ it'will be asked " What's he bin and gone and done," and from the police will come the indignant answer " Gone and done ! Why he's bin and gone and dropped a H." But that ia slight solatium; to the living subject of the abuse of official authority, and of the deprivation of personal liberty under the false pretence of offence against the Majesty of the Law.

Local readers, at least, will comprehend the direction and intention of these comments ; aqd we trust that there is suffi- ; cient spirit in the community to enable I them to appreciate their propriety. They will have read or heard of a little episode in love-making, the denouement of which was that a complaint was made, or invented, against a man named Muirhead for having exposed, more than a month ago, a so-called obscene and indecent picture in a public place ; that the'police, availing themselvess of an Act which it would require very hard straining to apply, went in double strength, on last Sunday afternoon, to hig private apartment, searched it with their usual delicacy of manner, ! seized a portrait 'which he himself said was contained in his album, arrested him]* rifled his pockets of all; his

private letters, and locked him up for the night ; and that, on the following morning; they brought him, with a posse" of prisoneraj before a Bench of Justices— to be discharged. There was but one remark made by the Bench, with less emphasis than was necessary, as to the peculiarity of the mode of proceeding ; but there was no mistaking the emphasis with which the Bench declared that there was no obscene picture — no public exposure — no ground for the appearance there of the man as a prisoner. The questions suggested by these circumstances are — were the police so ignorant of the elements of the obscene that they required the opinion of two Justices ; were the circumstances so gross that immediate arrest and imprisonment were warranted ; was the arrest made, and was the charge brought, in the interests of public morality, or in the slightest degree in accordance with the spirit of the Act ? And if neither of these things was — what then? The possible answer might be that the police knowingly exceeded their duty, most unjustly deprived a subject of his liberty, and perpetrated an outrage upon the sense and the safety of those whose servants they are, and whom they are paid to protect. It was the statement of the Inspector of Police that the charge was not brought by the Collector of Customs under the Customs Regulations Act, under which the man had apparently been arrested, but, in the event of that charge failing, the Collector mkjht so bring it. And so he might ; but dare he ? Great as are the powers of the Customs Department, in casting upon a defendant the onus of proving his innocence, the position of a Collector who would in such a ca^e as this cause the arrest and imprisonment of a citizen would not deserve to be worth a single day's purchase. The Vagrants Act, though it should never be treated as elastic, is quite as extensive in its powers as the other, and, had the police a case, they might be warranted in acting under it ; but, even with their vision blinded, they should have known that there was no case. The facts, according to the injured informant, were that she, an experienced matron, was invited privately to view a picture as common to her as what she see 3in the mirror every day, and perhaps as pretty, though the question of prettiness is a question of taste ; the facts, according to the defendant's statement, might be very different. No doubt he who deliberately or otherwise, in a public-house bar, offends by obsceneness in word or action, deserves to be considered a low, dirty fellow, and unfortunately of these there are too many, while some there are who offend without being of the sex of fellows ; but if there was the remotest offence in this instance, it had more than a month's forgiveness. With the condition of the offender's morals a mother might have to do most righteously, but certainly not the police, except on very different grounds from those on which they proceeded ; and if there is anything that they have to be guarded in, except in extreme criminal cases, it is the exercise of the power of arrest. Much more careful should they be in the assumption of the power to imprison. Not for the purpose of referring to a particular case, but to direct attention to a system which all of us in common have a right to protest against as intolerable in any free country such as this, have we written on this subject ; and we have, moreover, done so in the knowledge that, en some parts of the West Coast, such, matters of complaint are not incidental, but systematic, with the effect nf the police assuming a power which it is the duty of every man to destroy.

An early breakfast will be requisite on the pact of those who iasfce to tlie poll for the election of Borough Counc llors— this day. The polling ''booths," under which undignified name the Volunteer Hall and Fire Brigade flail are to be known for the nonce, are to be opened at eight o'clock, and to close at four. The friends of the different candidates were not asleep yesterday, and to-day they may be expected to be early and wide awake. The Greymouth and Brunner Railway Strike Committee held their final meeting on Tuesday night last, • and, after passing all accounts, &c, framed a resolution to hand over the surplus funds in their possession to the Grey mouth Hospital, the amount being about LlB 18s 7d. The committee also desire to tender their thanks to the public for their handsome contributions in support of the meeting. Mr Staite, who acted as counsel for Patrick Mulvay on his recent trial at Hokitika, writes to us a letter which appears in another column, and which puts upon the case a complexion very different from that it was supposed to bsar. In the absence of a knowledge of the circumstances which Mr Staite relates, it was impossible fairly to question the fitness of the sentence, or to commiserate with the prisoner, but Mr Staite's statement may form the ground-work for an appeal made on his behalf. We have on several recent occasions oiled public attention to the manner in which the front street is being littered about by the free-and-easy manner in which pine logs for export are deposited in front of the wharf. ' The street at present is in a most disgraceful sttue, and the Borough Council appears to have given all control over it to those persons engaged in the conveyance of timber. The consequence is that traffic to and the wharf is seriously interfered with, owing to a privilege being granted to a select few which would certainly not be granted to the many. The most serious matter to the residents in the front street in connection with this interference with wharf r age accommodation is that the approaphes to nearly all the stand-pipes for the use of the Fire Brigade are blocked up, and rendered useless. Should a fire occur, some buildings are sure to be down before the Brigade pan get obstructions removed and be in working order, and should a fire get a good held of any of the blocks during such weather as we have recently experienced, what the oonsequences may be had better be imagined. The

obstructions we refer to not only consist of logs, but also heaps of lime-stone rock which have been thrown off trucks on the tramway are liberally distributed on the quay, »nd pile* for kerbing are scattered everywhere. In addition to this all the platform-approaches to the standpipes have been destroyed or removed, and it is very questionable if the Brigade possesses sufficient suction-hose to connect the engine with more than one of the standi-ipes on Mawhera Quay. With the recent example of Auckland before our eyeSj.i. surely such an important matter as this only requires to be mentioned to be attended to. The usual meeting of the Grey River Hospital Committee was held at Gilmer's Hotel on Wednesday evening, Mr H. Kenrick in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, correspondence was read as follows : —From Mr Phillips, Maori Gully, in reference to the delay in admitting the lat* Richard Ormond to the Hospital; from Mr James Hamilton, treasurer of the Brunner Railway Strike Committee, enclosing cheque for LI 8 18s 7d ; from Mr William M'Kechnie, treasurer of the Maori Creek Sub-Committee, enclosing cheque for L 46 4s 6d ; from Mr Colton, Paroa, stating that he had forwarded on the 22nd ult. L3O from his district, and that the balance would be forwarded in a few days. The Secretary was instructed to write to Mr Phillips in answer to his inquiries, and the other letters were received with thanks. The accounts for the month, amounting to L 272 Is 3d, were laid on the table and passed for payment. The Visiting >. Committee reported the number of patients in the Hospital on 31st July to have been 31 ; admitted during August, 15 ; discharged, 24 ; died, 3 ; admitted during September, 7 ; present number in Hospital, 25. The sum of L 7 had been received as donations from patients, and L 2 from visitor,?. After some discussion it was resolved to rescind a previously passed resolution that a bazaar should be held at Christmas on behalf of the Hospital funds. The Visiting Committee for the month are Messrs S. Gilmer, F. Hamilton, and H. Kenrick. A meeting of members of the Greymouth Cricket Club was held at Gilmer's Hotel on Tuesday evening. Mr Guinness was voted to the chair, and explained to the meeting the success with which the committee appointed at last meeting had met in canvassing for subscribers to the club. The adoption of rules and the election of officers was then proceeded with. Mr Masters was elected president, Mr R. C. Reid vice-pre-sident, Messrs Turner and Cress well secretary and treasurer respectively, and Mr F. W. Paul captain. Messrs F. J. Gleeson, Guinness, «F. W. Paul, and Daniel Twohill were elected members of the committee for the coming year, and it was arranged that the opening match should take place on October 4th. The eldest son of Mr Falla, Westport, has had a very narrow escape from losing his life. A gun he discharged, on the reserve off Palmerstbn street, burst in firing, and he received several severe cuts on the head ) from the shattered fragments. Providentially the injuries are not dangerous, and bis eyesight is uninjured. Changes are about to be made in the personnel of the staff at the Westport Post Office. Mr Northsroft, Acting Postmaster and telegraphist, will shortly leave, and in his stead MrFearon will act as telegraphist, assisted by Cadet A. J. Renner. The new chief Postmaster appointed is Mr L. Buck, of Lawrence. Mr Frederick Brandt, storekeeper, has now taken the management of the punt at the junction of the Inangahua River. Owing to the traffic having so greatly fallen off on the Buller Road within the past few months, the former proprietor (Mr Langdon), who had been at greai expense in constructing the punt, anticipating nothing less than' a success, was obliged to succumb to circumstances. This (says the Inangahua Herald) is the more to be regretted from the fact that he has been singularly unfortunate jof late, having not long since, in quick succession, met with heavy losses in connection with punts on other rivers. A serious accident occurred to a miner named Christian Benedicsen, at Anderson Greek, Half-Ounce, on Tuesday. While ascending the shaft on his claim, the sling in which he was fixed slipped, and he fell| to the bottom, a depth of 22ft. Both ankles were injured, and the man was forwarded to the Grey River Hospital. i Mr Macandrew's motion in favor of granting a subsidy of L 2500 to a steamer to make monthly trips round the Middle Island, starting from and returning to Otago, and calling at all the West Coast ports from Martin's Bay to NelsoD, met with unexpected success. The Government, says a correspondent, opposed it, but not very strongly, the chief argument urged being that hitherto only postal services had been subsidised, and this was a service for commercial purposes solely. This argument was promptly disposed of by a reference to the Fiji subsidy, and the motion was carried by a large majority. The Government then at once consented to place the required sumonjtbe supplementary estimates. In consideration of this victory, Mr Macandrew allowed a motion of his about placing a heavy duty on all imports from Victoria to lapse. He is apparently satisfied that with a subsidised steamer between Otago and West Coast his Province will secure much of the trade which Victoria now does with the West Coast trade. The Nelson Government seem determined that, so far as they are concerned, the Greymou?h and Brunnerton Railway will be made in vain. The following bit of decidedly interesting local news appears in the Melson Examiner ;— "We learn that Mr M'Carthy— a gentleman from Melbourne who was lately in Nelson endeavoring to secure for Melbourne capitalists one. or more coal-fields on the West Coast, and who afterwards proceeded to Wellington to interview the General Government on the subject, received so much encouragement that he proceeded direct to Melbourne from Wellington by the s.s. Claud Hamilton to make further arrangements with the gentlemen he represents. He has offered to lease the coal-mine now being worked by the Government at Brunnerton, and as the line thence to Greymouth will form part of the main line from Nelson, and the coal traffic might lead to inconvenience, he has proposed to build a tramway direct from the mine to Cobden. It will be six miles in length, over comparatively level ground, and with only one stream of any importance to cross. The Government are reported to have entertained the proposal favorably, and plans of the tramway are in course of preparation. An application has also been put in for the lease of a coal-field at Mount Kochfort, on behalf of the same gentlemen." At the Residept Magistrate's Court, Hokitika, on Tuesday, Thomas Hawkes was charged with assaulting Charles Ah Moo, by striking him on the chest and cutting off his tail of hair. The complainant gave evidence to the effect that he was in the Swiss Hotel on Saturday night last, sitting on a sofa, when the prisoner threatened to cut his throat with a pen-knife, and eventually cut off his tail of hair. After other evidence in pprroboration had beep given, the defendant stated that he and the Chinaman had been larking, that he intended to draw the: back of bis Jinife over the tail, but by accident he passed the edge over it, ■ and severed it unin. J.i tentionally. The prisoner was fined L 5, m with the alternative; of fourteen days' itn- <

prisonment. Mr Hawkins, who appeared for the complainant, applied for professional costs, but they were not allowed. Mr Beckham, the Auckland Resident Magistrate, says that he considers lawyers are luxuries. It was rninored in Auckland recently that, should Mr Gillies succeed in his scheme for securing a million loan for Auckland, he intends to stand for the Superintendency. We are happy to state that Mr Watson, the diver, has so far recovered that he expects to be able to resume work at the Cassius shaft in a day or two. Mr O'Conor, M;H.R., has telegraphed to Charleston that the Government will assist the bringing in of the Four-Mile Water-race by a grant in aid, in accordance with the ■" Immigration and Public Works Act," 1871. The grant in aid will be equal to . half the cost of the construction, of the undertaking. We learn that Mr Frank Bird, of Okarito, has collected L7O in that district in aid of the widow and family of the late Mr Balfe. • He expects to receive a further sum of LlO. | Mr Duncan, the newly-appointed Emigration Agent for the Province of Canterbury, when speaking at the public dinner given to him last week, is reported by. the Press to have said : "I may say that the letter inserted by me in the local newspapers has produced over 100 letters from aJI parts of the I Province addressed to every corner of Britain — from John O'Groats House to Penzance— and from Norwich to Galway. [Mr Duncan here read some extracts from letters received I by him ] I have other letters which show in the clearest possible manner that the working classes in England coming out . here amongst them. lam glad to say that the Provincial Government have agreed to give me power to grant free passages, and for this reason : In many cases the working man has just sufficient to find sufficient clothing for his passage out. It is indeed almost as much as he has, if he has this. Bespecting the giving of the promissory notes, I do not agree with it, for where is the good of having, as at the present time, two or three collectors employed by the Government, and over L 20,000 owing to them on account of these notes ? Tb is much better, in my opinion, to give them a free passage, which would leave them with what little capital they may have to spend on their arrival in this Colony."