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Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1621, 15 October 1873, Page 2

The ordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the Greymouth Gas Conipany . (Limited) takes place this evening, at eight o'clock, at the offices of the Company, Mackay street. The business is to receive the annual report and balance-sheet, to consider tte advisability of declaring a dividend, and to elect two directors and two auditors. A general meeting of the members of the Greymouth Cricket Club will be held to-night, at 7.30 o'clock, at Gilmer's Hotel. It will be seen by an announcement elsewhere that the National Insurance Company have commenced business in town, and are now prepared to undertake fire and marine insurance business The local agents are Messrs G. W. Moss and Co. The Borough Council of Invercargill have resolved to contract a second loan of L 3500. It is understood that if the opening of the forthcoming Nelson Exhibition were delayed until some time in December, his Excellency would be able to be present. ' During the last few days, says the Hokitika Star, several parties of miners have returned from the Eaast overland. They describe the journey as a very rough one, and state that in several cases they experienced considerable difficulty in crossing the rivers, in consequence of- there being no flags or poles to indicate the fords. At tie Waiau the ferryman's boat could not be taken across all the branches of the river, and the travellers had to make the best of their way on foot through some dangerously deep water. The work upon the Kanieri Lake Race is making fair progress, the contractors, and the men in their employ, evidently be ; ng determined to take advantage of the weather we are now enjoying. At the present time there are twelve men employed in the tunnel, and five other sections of the race, between the tunnel and the Lake, have been let. Altogether, there are about forty men at wort .

A notification appears in the Wellington Gazette in Bankruptcy to the effect that Mr W. H. Eyes has become insolvent, and unable to meet his creditors The "hairless horse" Caoutchouc is now being exhibited in Nelson. The hut of a miner, named Donald M'Kinnon, on the Kanieri Terrace, was burned down on Monday, while the owner was aj work. The building and everything in. it were destroyed, with the exception of a L5-note, which, after much searching, was found ia a chamois-leather bag, in the corner of the pocket of a half-burned pair of trowsers. The fire is supposed to have originated from some embers left halfsmouldering in the fire-place. The first ordinary general meeting of the shareholders of the National Bank of New Zealand was held in London on the 29th of July last; the chairman — Charles Magniac, Esq., M.P. — presiding. We observe from, the statement submitted to the meetiug that 41,719 shares weie applied for in New Zealand, although only 10,333 were reserved for this colony. These shares were distributed among 847 applicants, and the Association now consists of 16C0 members. On the business done in London in the first few months of the Bank's existence, a profit of 1.1102 was made, which was carried forward to profit and loss. The preliminary expenses amounted only to L 2736, and the expense of forwarding the officers of the Bank to New Zealand to L 959 1:

During the quarter ending the 30th September, the receipts from the Brunuer mine were L 1755 2s 6d, and the disbursements L 1534 16s lOd. From a return lately laid before Parliament, we find the amounts of the revenue of the various Provinces of New Zealand, and the sums spent in them respectively for the purposes of education. They present a strange contrast, and in this matter, at least, place Nelson in a very favorable light. The income of that Province last year for example, wa5L74,028, and the sum spent on the instruction of youth was LBOO9, or in round numbers a ninth of the whole. The greatest offender as regards the instruction of the young people was Marlborough, which received L 10.747, and spent nothing on the schoolmaster. _ Westland stands next on the black list, having contributed for education only the 133 rd part of her revenue. A fiftieth part only was given by Wellington ; a thirty-ninth by Auckland ; a thirty-second by Canterbury ; a twenty-eighth by Hawke's Bay ; a twenty-sixth by Taranaki ; and a nineteenth by Otago. The total sum thus devoted to education for that year was L 44.673. Among the bills passed in the last days of the late session of Parliament was an Act to provide for a grant of land for the five halfcaste children of Charles William Brou^hton, of Wanganui, in the Province of Wellington,^ who was "treacherously assassinated" — as' the bill sets out— near Kakaramea, in the Patea district, on the Ist of October, 1865. Two hundred acres are to be selected for the benefit of the children, and placed in the hands of two trustees for their benefit. A year or two ago'it was one of the great complaints of the Tasinanians that rabbits were overrunning the country, spoiling the pastures and interfering greatly with the aheap farmers and horse and cattle breeders, while they could be turned to no profitable use. A trade in rabbit-skins has now grown up, however, to such an extent that one steamer lately took over to Melbourne from Hobart Town hot fewer than 8740 dozen, worth LIO9O. Between the beginning of 1572 and the end of August last, 700,000 ! skins of poor bunnies has ; been forwarded from the Derwent to. Melbourne, their value being L 7282. The Nelson Examiner says : — " It will not be uninteresting to the people of Nelson to hear that two well-known gentlemen whof were formerly associated in business have again joined in partnership, for the -purpose of carrying on business of importers here and in Canterbury on a large scale. We allude uo Messrs Bennett and Edwards. We understand that partnership arrangements have, been concluded between them, and that Mr" Bennett proceeded by the mail, steamer Alhambra, to join the R.M.S. China in Hobson's Bay, on his way to London, in connection with tho business of the new firm." A comic journal is about to appear in Auckland, under the title of "Mosquito." The title is unfortunate. The insect after which it is called annoys everybody, and pleases nobody. This cannot be the aim of the Auckland humorist. Our sporting readers will learn with interest that Mr Redwood has shipped by the Taranaki, at Picton, seven horses for the ensuing Chriatchurch meeting. These consist of the four-year-old mare Malvina, winner of the Maiden Plate at Canterbury last year, and the Jockey Club Handicap at Nelson ; and the following three-year-olds by Ravensworth :— colts- -Pepepa, dam Waimea ; Kakapo, dam Toi-Toi j Terenga, dam Phoebe ; fillies — Paringa, dam Countess ; Matter, dam Pancake. The seventh animal is Spiritsail, a filly by Traducer, out of Wetsail. Pepepa. Terenga, and Spiritsail, are engaged in the Derby ; iMalvina, Pepepa, and Spiritsail. in the Cup; and Malvina, Kakapo, and Paringn, in -tVio Jookoy Club HandicaD.- PepftP 1 - Kakapo, Paringa, and Spiritsail, are also in the Leger, to be run for in the autumn. The whole lot are in good health and conditioa, and if landed safely are well calculated to uphold the reputation of Mr Redwood's stable. Pepepa is a colt of grevt promise, and although not possessing the substance of his half-brother Manuka, has fine racing points, and will be difficult to beat under three-year-old weights. The races come off on the 11th, 12th, and 14th of November. . A serious charge of misconduct has been brought by the Auckland Evening Star against the master, one. or more of^tbe officers, and the surgeon and the matron of the immigrant ship Berar, which lately arrived from London in Auckland. They are accused of misconduct towards^ two. of the single females— who, however, appear to have been of but indifferent character; and to have. carried, on improprieties so openly as to have occasioned great scandal anddisi comfort to the respectable females and married couples on board. One man and his wife, who ventured to go upon the poop' and remonstrate with the captain on the subject, were set upon by the girls referred to, and others, with pails of slops and water,; with which they drenched the couple. In this attack the matron assisted, and the captain and doctor are referred to as having instigated it. A brother of the complainant,' who interfered, was put in confinement, and only released on the interference of the pas-; senders. The doctor is further accused of, having withheld the allowance of preserved; milk from the infants on board, giving them; corn-flour instead, that he might be able to. rear a litter of pups. The charges are of! such a distinct character that they cannot be passed over without full investigation, and punishment, in some fon>" or other, of the offending officers, if the charges against them are sustained. The Star declares that it is in possession of a large amouut of evidence to prove its statements. The ship Halcione, now loading at Wellington for London, will take away an unusually large cargo of flax, having not less than 1800 bales on board. Of this quantity there are 538 bales of very superior flax, from the Opunake mill, which ceased operations some two years ago on account of the difficulty of getting the prepared article to a shipping place. ' " ".. The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Evening Star is responsible for the following gossip of Parliament, which we find in a late issue of that journal :^ v Scandalous revelations were made before the Committee on the Ngak whau coal-mine, respecting the floating of the Albion Company, and the purchase of the' Coomerang. The evidence will be laid on the table this afternoon " After the evidence had been laid on the table, the correspondent wrote ;—" A great tow has just occurred in the House respecting the evidence taken in the Ngakawhau coal-mine inquiry. Mr O'Conor complained that after tho evidence waslaid on the table of the House it had been totally altered by Mr Beetham. The Speaker endeavored to put down Mr O'Conor, who persisted. Mr Bunny took up the' cause, denouncing it as an outrage on the House. The Minister of Works stated that the alterations were of a most vital character, altering totally the nature of the evidence on which the action was being taken. , The Speaker apologised to Mr O'Conor. He stated that he had misunderstood Mr Wakefield stated that he had seen Mr Beetham come into the -House, go to the table, and, taking the report, sit down and. make extensive alterations when the members were absent. Mr Fitzherbert spoke in strongly denunciatory terms of such conduct. He said the officers of the House must be made accountable: The Speaker said aD inquiry would be instituted. ".The excitement ran very high.' It 1 ears, the alterations totally altered the '.character 'of the evidence." - : ' Ai J ' I < <fim * i "">

A miner named Andrew Malcomson died suddenly at the Karamea Beach on Friday, the 2b"th ult. The Westport Times says that the information given to the police authorities by John M'Harrie and A. M'Donald, mates of the deceased, showed that Malcomson had been suffering for a little time from inflammation of the bowels, and that the unskilled treatment and simple remedies available in= the remote locality of the Karamea were unavailing as means of relief. Deceased was buried on the Saturday following the date of his decease, and intimation of .Ms death has been forwarded to his relatives. He was about 31 years'of age, and atnative of County Down, Ireland, his residing at l^ew Town Ards. , ; \ ■

The true basis of commercial greatness is a population of intelligent artisans and ire? chanics. If we have superior workmen— msn who understand their businesses not merely upon a "rule of thumb" principle, founded on the natural powers of imitation which teach a man to do a thing in ! the way he has seen others do it, but men possessing an!intelligent scientific knowledge of those natural laws that lie at the foundation of all mechanics — then we shall make rapid strides ahead in the arts, sciences, and manufactures. It is to our artisans we must look for the growth of those industries which- form the basis of pertnanent prosperity, and it is therefore to the interest of everyone.. having a stake in the Colony to support by Ml means in his power every measure having as! its object the improvement of bur mechanics in this respect.