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Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1806, 20 May 1874, Page 2

, A stupid typographical error occurred in our leading article of yesterday. Respecting some remarks made by the Hon. Mr Brighc, it was made to appear that he had made them in a speech at "Nelson," instead of " Birmingham," as ought to have been printed.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday,'before W. H. Revell, Esq., R.M , the following debt cases were disposed of .— Wm. Ormond v D. \. Hughes — Claim for LSO for-a fire-clay crushing machine. Evidence in this case was taken at some length, but it was adjourned until Friday. R. Reay vW. Newport— A fraud summons for L 2 195. . The defendant did not appear and it was ordered that a warrant issue W. G-oard v K. M 'Kay— Judgment by default for 8a and costs. P. Mingovan v Jno. M'Lean — A claim of L 2 148 6d. Judement was given for LI 11s and costs. John Haig and Benjamin Homberg y J >hn Roff— Claim of L 2 for musical services rendered at quadrille parties. Judgment for the amount and costs. Matthew and James Ryan v Martin Kennedy — A claim of LlO lor damages for nonfulfilment of contract to lease' certain premises in Albert street as a public-house, to which a license was afterwards refused. Judgment for the plaintiff for the amount claimed and costs.

Vincent Pyke, Esa., M.H.R., it is reported, has been appointed su^-editor of the Otago Guardian It is probable that the Southern Mercury, which MrPykeestablished, will be transformed into the weekly issue of the Guardian.

We notice that J. A. Bonar, Esq., is appointed sole agent for the projected Colonial Bank of New Zealand for Hokitika and distriot.

A Wellington firm announces the establishment of a line of sailing vessels between that port and Hokitika.

We are sorry to have to record the death of another of tf oiritika's oldest identities, Mr Cheffings, of the firm of Cheffings and Wnitting, who died on Monday morning at his late residence Bealey street, near Gibson's Quay.

A meeting was held at No Town the other day to consider the nature of the objections made by the Returning Officer to a number of the additions made to the Electoral Roll. The meeting was largely attended, two delegat s were appointed, and a subscription list was opened and liberally responded to, for the purpose of appealiug against the objections in the Revision Court

The following appears in the West Coast Times of yesterday :— *' From wfyat is current rumor in town, we learn that one, if not two Government officials of long standing ape 1 kely to be called up >n, at no distant date, t > answer to the charge of assault and battery, tie one on the other. The story, as related t > üb, is that the Bailiff, who we will call No. 1, had'the fluty to perform of serving a diF. tress warrant for a claim for a small amount on a liigh official under theProviucial Govern uient. A Siii(- Bailiff, who we will call No. 2, «vas first engaged to put the warrant in execution, wnich he did, legally it is statedj at a late' hour (on Saturday night.' Qu the Sunday, No 2 baihft was relieved by the e ntrance of bailjff No 3, , who oiame to supple.

tnent his place. On the departure of No 2 with his warrant, No 3 was politely asked for his authority either to enter, seize, or retoin possession, and, being unable to produce auy authority, be was ordered off the premises, to which order he did not show much resistance, though he did not retire aa speedily as he might, nor until he was pushed out, his hat being handed him through the window. Bailiff No 3 desired not to put in any further •appearance, but immediately acquainted Bailiff No 1 of whatrhad happened, wuen the latter proceeded to-- the Provincial official's house, and entered by the back door, which, the inmates of the house say, he burst open by breaking the catch. Then came the climax. From words they came to blows, and if missiag portions of whiskers and discolored frontispieces are any indications of what transpired, we should say the arguments between the two became sharp and decisive indeed."

English capitalists are beginning to understand that the rental of London is pretty fair security jor a moderate loan. Hitherto the Metropolitan Board of Works have. found it a little difficult to place their loans, but it appears, from a report of the Finance Commit cc to the Board, that the Board asked for L 2,600,000, 600, 000 at 3£ per cent By four o'clock the same day, the loan having been previously advertised, L 21,236,750 had been applied for, at 944 I ne distribution made was therefore^Jorata, each applicant getting only 12^ per cent.; and the price on Friday was 96£, »he bonds being, in fact, the next dearest to Consols.

The Register of yesterday says:— "The saw-mills are likely to be very busy for some time to come, owing to the large amount of carrying accommodation now in port and to arrive. There are at present three vessels l'»ading ; three discharging, which will load with timber ; and some half-dozen more at sea bound for this port, all of which will require logs or sawn timber for return freight."

The big tunnel in connection with the Kanieri Water-race was pierced through on Saturday last.

Quite a chapter of accidents, more or less serious, occurred in the up-country districts last week. First there was the accident to the daughter of Mr Puyh, at Nobles, by which the little thing lost two fingers from one hand. On Monday, Dr Phillips, of Ahaura, while proceeding on a visit to the Haupari, had his leg so severely bruised that he is partially disabled, through his horse falling upon him. On Wednesday, Mr E. Orchard, butcher, of Ahaura, had hia hand badly bitten and torn by a savage pip. Th* infuriated beast — a sow — rushed him in the sty while he was endeavoring to remove aome of her young, 0 i the same day. a mau named Olliver Cooper, in the employment of Mr Herbert Hughes, farmer, Totara Flat, wounded himself severely in the le^ with an axe, white chopping wood. On Thursday, a man named John Saunders was injured in a mining paddock at 6. A. Terrace, Moonlghc Creek. He was gouging the sides of the paddock, and going too far he undermined one of the walls. He saw the fall coming, and ran for safety under a trunk of a tree which was lying across the paddock. This saved his life, buc the stuff in breaking over the log partially buried him, and in • fliced severe injuries, notably a fracture of a rib and several severe bruises. On the same day a stock owner at the Upper l*rey who should have known better, rushed an old crock, which he imagined could jump, at a deep and wide water-course. Horse and rilec landed iv the middle of the stream, and in the struggle to get out the rider got tbe worst of it. Resides being very nearly drowned, the marks of the horse's hoofs are visible on nis head, face, and sides.

The Times of March 6 says "yesterday a Parliament met which may possibly determine the character of the national representation and party politics during the lifetime of the leading statesmen The strength of the dominant party in the House not only shows a majority of 50. but all the circumstances connected with the recent transfer of power show that the country is with it."

The licensing meeting at Dunedin afforded its quota of witticisms, the largest share of whioh have been credited to the chairman ; but the only instance in which the laugh was against him has been allowed to pass unrecorded. Some enterprising person, who had almost completed a tine building at Carey's Bay, applied to have it licensed, but Mr Bat agate pointed out that the Bench had no power to grant a certificate for a house that was in nubibus "Nothing ef the kind," was Mr Hagyitt's ready reply ; "the house is in bluestone." An>l the Court appeared to be greatly amu3ed with the counsel's information.

The Kanieri bridge has been completed in a most substantial manner by the contractor, Mr Smith, aud was thrown open for traffic last week.

The tunnel in connection with the Kanier-Water-race is not less than three-quarters oi a mile in length and has been most vigorf ously prosecuted. The contractors commenced from each side and made such progress that it was expected the two parties would break through to each other on Saturday afternoon. Singular to say, throughout the whole work the men have not been in the least troubled with foul air, and there has been no necessity w&atever for air shafts at any point. This is of course the heaviest part of the undertaking, and a speedy completion may be looked for.

Good Templarism has beea made compulsory during the last week or so in must places along the Buller roa-l. The irregularity of traffic has caused many of tho vendors of "hard stuff" to run completely out of supplies. It is said that instead of receiving the usual salutation "good day, fine weather," each passer by has been summarily asked if he had a "nip" in his pocket.

In its report of the Waimate Steeplechase, the South Canterbury Times says; "Much amusement was caused by the running for the Maiden, all the horses baulking at uearly every fence, jockeys spilling, and horses going down being the order of the day, but the sensation reached its climax when the jock of Wait-a-while came in riding Bush* man, and winning the race. A protest was entered against him."

The Western Star oi Riverton, Southland, Btates that Mr J. R. Watson, while walking on the beach found, five cows lying dead under a large red pine tree. The animals were lying huddled together, and had evidently been killed by lightning on the evening of Wednesday, the 16th inst. The tree was marked as it had been struck. The cattle were marked in a zigzag manner from the flank to the shoulder, as if they had been with a hot iron. We hear that two head of cattle were also destroyed by lightning at Urepuki.

We commend the following remarks from the Melbourne Argus to the attention of the G/reyrnputh football slayers :— " Anyone who has watched the progress of the game from year to year will, we think, agree wjth us that each succeeding season has seen £tie piay gradually degenerating into a mere scramble ; and if it go much further in the same direction, it must become a rough-and-tumble fight, and then a pitched batfc'e. It is, and always must be, a rough pastime, and we disclaim any wish to see it otherwise, for we have no sympathy with those lads or youths who wish to saturate every amusement, and in fac; everything, with milk s\nd water. Jn. this world, hard knooxs, both mentajl and physical, Are the order of the

flay, and nowhere does a youth better learn 1 1 bear the latter bravely and with patience than on the football ground. But at the same time football was never intended to be solely a trial of brute force, which unfortunately it is in da-ger of becoming in this Colony. Skill also should have some chance, and this is impossible unless rules are plainly defined and rigidly adhered to."

A comparative return of -the number of telegrams forwarded, the revenue received, and the value of General Government telegrams, transmitted fer the quarters ended December 31, 1872 and 1873, appear in the Neio Zealand Gazette. The following are the totals, December quarter, 1872 :— Uumber 137,515, value L 9762 7s 6d ; December quarter, 1873, number. 182,596, value Lll. 147 13s 6d ; increase for Decerabnr quarter, 1873. number 45,081, value L 1385 t>3. Value of Government telegrams, December quarter, 1872, L 2482 8s 6d ; December qu .rter, 1873, L 3210 5s sd; increase, L 727 16s lid.

The agricultural statistics for the Province of Westland have been published. The total number of holdings is 204 Extent of land broken up, but not under crop, 6874 acrea Wheat, 2j acres ; estimated production, 7 bushels, Oats. — For green food or hay, 286£ acres ; for grain, 7\ aores ; estimated production, 130 bushels. Barley, nil. Hay, 279J acres ; etimated production, 525 tons. Amficial grasses (including! land in hay), 21214 acres. Potatoes, 241 f acres ; estimated production, 12,371 £ tons. Other crops, 251| acres. Total- quantity of land under crop (including grass land), 2730 acres.

The Register's correspondent states that there is a party of five men prospecting near tbe Eluo Kiver, and hopes are entertained of a payable gold-field being shortly found in that quarter. Mr Ward, storekeeper, of Hunt's Beach, is supplying these men with provisions He takes them in a whaleboat round the Coast to the aringa, or Blue River, as occasion requires. The prospectors state that wherever they have tried they have found gold. The same writer says that the Okarito bar is nearly closed.

We take the following from the Register of yesterday :—" Mr Holloway, the delegate sent by the Agricultural Laborers Union in England to New Zealand to report on its fitness for permanent settlement by immigrants is about to pay Westlaud a visit. Mr Holloway is a friend of, and fellow-worker with Mr Arch, the now celebrated man, who, himself a laborer, succeeded in bringing the farm laborers of England to a sense of their abj ct position. Mr Holloway has already visited Otago, and is now in Christchurch. Even if he may not think Westland so suitable for the special class of immigrants he represents, as other parti of New Zealand, still his visit is desirable, and he will, no doubt, recivo a hearty welcome in Westland, as he has in Ofcago and Canterbury." We (Argus) presume that Mr Holloway 's visit 13 in some way connected with the scheme of special settlements in the southern parts of this Province.