THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1879, 10 August 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 1874.

Tbe long -lookei-f or report of Mr Moriarty on.the. Greyirputh.,Harbor Works arrived at Auckland on Saturday, and will reach town by first mail from tbe north We have seen the telegrams which have been received by the Mayor from Mr Moriarty, stating I that his reports and plans had been sent by the "Victoria" via Auckland, ho that they may soon be expected. The successful tenderer for making the railway from Westport to Mount Rochfort, a distance of about seven miles and thirtysevin chaius, is Mr John M'Lean, of Greymonth. Ihe price contracted for is given at LI 6 795 12s, or something nver L2OOO per mile. Mr M 'Lean is determined apparently to lose no tme in commencing operations, for, we are informed, he proceeds to Westport today to enter into the necessary ■ •'■•■ ■■ ':-, >*l :■■■■■'■ ,'■■■.-■■■ ■•■;■.:'

securities for the due performance of his contrict, and he advertises in our columns for 400 railway laborers, at 12s per day. A number of sawyers and sqaarers of timber are also wanted, and all entering iuto an engagement wiuh the contractor will have their passage money to Westport advanced, if required. All this looks like business, and is in favorable contrast to the manner in which other contracts for public works have been and are carried out, as far as the employment of labor is concerned, in Nelson and Westland. The admirable clause iuserted iv the specifications for this contract will do much to prevent the introduction of the truck system in paying the workmen. The contractor is under a penalty, which will be strictly enforced, of LIOO for every week the contract remains unfinished after a stipulated time ; on the other hand, the contractor receives a bonus of LIOO per week for every week of the time the work is completed before tbe date fixed. This in itself will be a great incentive to a vigorous prosecntion of the undertaking, but other precautions are to be taken so that the truck system will not be adopted. The several tenders were, it is said, very close in amount; the next tender to Mr M' Lean's being for L 16.808, or only Ll2 8s more than the amount of the tender accepted. The entertainments given by the Greymouth Ethiopian Minstrels at Hokitika, in aid of the Lunatic Asylum, appear to have been highly appreciated, and no doubt the result will be a considerable addition to the revenue of that institution, which, was all that was aimed at, and not, as was hinted by the Hokitika journals, to take back half of the proceeds of the concerts to Greymouth. A " Gazette " notifies that his Excellency has appointed John Mackrell, 21 Cannon street, London, solicitor in England to the New Zealand Government. Our advertising columns announce that tenders are wanted for landing from the ship at Wellington, and carrying about 160 pipes for the Waimea Water Race from Wellington to Hokitika. A woman named Minnie Benzie, late of Uokitika, has been committed for trial at Wesfcporfc, for attempting to commit suicide by drowning herself in the surf there. We understand that Sergeant M oiler, of the Greymouth police force, has become a naturalised British subject. The results of the various Mayoral elections, so far as we ("Arrow Observer") have yet learnt, are as follows :—Queenstown : Mr Betts returned by a majority of forty over Mr V/arren. Cromwell . Mr Jolly over Mr Dawkins by seventeen. Clyde: Mr Navlor of Mr Naylor over Mr Auckland by thirty four. Alexandra — Mr Samson over Mr Rivers by three. Naseby :Mr Bushe, re-elected. Tuapeka : Mr Hay over Mr Ferguson by fourteen. Tokoinairiro : Mr Goodall, by a majority of twenty-six. Dunedin : Mr Ramsey over Mr Walters by thirty-four. During a debate last week in the House of Representatives the proceedings were interrupted. Hon. members of the Opposition complained bitterly to the Speaker of the extreme coldness of the Chamber on their ride of the House, and Sir J. U. Wilson, who was suffering from influenza and bronchitis combined, declared, in effect, that he could nc longer endure such a low temperature It appeared, however, that, there was no help for it. The Colonial Architect had been able to do nothing to remedy the evil, and the Speaker hinted to members that they must just " grin and bear it." When the House was recently discussing the duty on colonial spirits, it was remarked as carious that during the debate scarcely anyone bad a good word to say for Auckland or Dunedin made whiskey. Yet bearing in mind the targe amount which has been manufactured and sold, a good many people must drink the condemned liquor. I take it the publicans do a little in the " blending" and bottling business, and thus sell the colonial manufactured article under another name. Despite the Shaksperian assertion to the contrary, theie's a good deal in a name after all, and Dunedin whiskey would probably sell better in bottles gorgeously labelled as "Gleolivefc," "Tslay," or "Inverness Mountain Dew. " We (•' Guardian ") have received the following intelligence from the Saddle Hill qua>tz mining companies: — ''The Hope Company's main drive has been put in a distance of 307 ft. A cross-drive is about to be commenced at 80ft from the mouth of the main drive, and by this means it is intended to intersect the leader at a distance of 100 ft. The company consists of nine shares of L 35 each, and they bold 27 acres of ground. The Dunedin Gold-mining Company, situated on the Green Tsland side of the hill, has been let on tribute to the manager of the company, Mr Eggers. They have found a reef 9ft thick, which, at last crushing, yielded at the rate of 14dwt to the ton. A new whim has been erected which cost L 90." The "Intelligent Vagrant" writes in the ! " Bruce Herald " to the following effect :— I " Business is business. A gentleman wanted to sell an hotel in this district lately, so he advertised, and he presently sold it for LBOO, and the purchaser is glad of his bargain. But another man comes to the front, who says that the .owner of the hotel put it for sale into the hands of a Dunedin agent, and he bought it for LIOOO. And he, too, is glad of his bargain. And all parties are determined to stick to their bargains, or to have the law of each other. Tnere is one consolation for the lawyers -their costs are pretty safe. The hotel, you see, is wortn L9OO anyhow." Mr W. Browne, of the Bank of New South Wales, is about to leave Weßtport for Greymouth. His departure, says the "Times," will leave a blank in musical circles not easily supplied. The loss of his services as choir master at St. John's will be a subject of very great regret to the members of the congre gatior* A response has soon be accorded to the liberal offer of the Halcyon Quartz-mining Company, Mohikinui, to grant a bonus of LSOO for the erection of a five-head battery on the claim, or LIOOO for a ten-head battery. Messrs W. Wilson and Co, of Charleston, are negociating for the larger sum, and there is little doubt that a contract will shortly be ratified. Mr W. Wilson and a party of shareholders will visit the claim at an early date. A "Gazette" notice appears intimating that the office of the Boatman's Creek Goldmining Company is at Reefton, and that Mr William M'Lean has been appointed manager. The " Charleston Herald " reports that the Argyle Gold-mining and Water Supply Company are having constructed at the Vie torian Forge in. Camp street, a length of 300 ft of iron piping, which the company intend to substitute for the old fluming across the gully between Brandon Hill and Mouut Pleasant. The company deserve some amount of credit for introducing the | use of iron piping on such an extensive scale ! into the district as we believe they entered on this innovation on the old system in a purely experimental spirit. The iron from which the piping is being constructed is malleable sheet iron, about one-tenth of an inch in thickness, and the diameter of the piping wiil be 2ft. To provide against the possible corrosion of the iron which may ensue from vegetable or mineral matter contained in the water with which the syphon will be supplied, it is intended that a coating of hetna*

tifce paint sball be applied. The water from one company's race will enter the syphon from Brandon Hill, at a height of 50ft from the bottom of the gully, and will empty itself into the continuation of the race on Mount Pleasant at au elevation of 4!)ffc. The scraping up of the Wealth of Nations claim for the past week resulted in a return 3380z sdwt of amalgam. The Company holds ita half-yearly meeting this evening at the town office of the Company, at 7 o'clock. Mr Curtis, in bringing forward the' Nelson Goid-fields Act Amendment Bill in the House, explained that there was nothing in the Bill to create alarm, as it was simply to provide that the powers which were delegated to the Superintendent should, under the A.ct, be administered in the same wav as the ordinary affairs of the Province— under a system of Responsible Government. The " Westport Times " of Friday reports: — "The body of a woman, supposed to be Mrs Carmthers, was found on Tuesday, between 11 and 12 a.m., on the beach about half-way between the rivers Warieta and Waimangaroa by Messrs J. C. Reid and Lewis Sweet, on their way from the Mokihinui. They noticed an unusual object some little distance from high water-mark, and on turning off the track to inspect it found the body of a female in a very decomposed state. The hair was dishevelled, the eyes gone, and the flesh from the face torn away, and the upper clothing missing, the body being clothed in boots, stockings, and underclothing, and having on the second finger of the left hand a gold wedding ring. Messrs Reid and Sweet did not touch the body on account of its fearfully decomposed state, but they piled round about logs to protect it from the next tide, and hastened into town to report the circumstance. Mr Carruthers, on hearing of the discovery, at once sent out a conveyance and shell to bring in the remains. An inquest was held on the body, and a verdict recorded "that deceased drowned herseif whilst in a state of temporary insauity." A correspondent writing to the " Tuapeka Times," from Waipori, says :- " The weather we have experienced during the past two or three days has been of a, rather Siberian character. A heavy snow storm commenced falling at eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, and continued, almost without the least intermission, until Tuesday evening. The flat and surrounding hills, as a matter of course, are entirely covered with a white mantle, varying from 2ft to 3ft in depth. This is the heaviest fall of snow that I have ever witnessed at Waipori, during a residence of upwards of nins years." The " Times" adds : •'ln our locality we have been visited during the last few days with the heaviest fall of snow that has been known for years past, causing almost total suspension of work. The claims at the Blue Spur have stopped Bluicing, the races being snowed up, and the inhabitants appear to have given themselves up to the healthful recreation of snowballing. In Peel street, the appearance of an individual was the signal for a volley from every direction, and people who escaped being rolled in it we^e indeed fortunate. One among many instances of summary notice to quit, given by the uncermonious sea waves during the late storm, occurred, says the "Times," at the house of Mr Moody, in Kennedy street. Mr M. and his spouse had remained up until twelve o'clock watching the tide, and taking such little precautions as suggested themselves to prevent any possible damage from an influx of water. A.t last they went to bed, thinking the danger past for a time, and had scarcely got there when a big wave or roller came dashing in the front door, surging underneath the floor, and heaping the furniture of tha house pell mell. The inmates made hastj exit, glad to find shelter until daylight in another dwelling. A somewhat amusing incident occurred during the debate in the Assembly on the Distilleries Bill. Mr Luckie twitted Mr Reader Wood with inconsistency, and read an extract from a speech in the \ " Han 31 sard " of 1868, which certainly expressed very different opinions from those expressed by Mr Reader Wood during Friday's debate. Members thought that Mr Luckie had made a hit, but when Mr Reader Wood mildly explained that he was not a member of the House in 1868 - that consequently he couldn't have made the speech, and that Mr Luckie had got hold of the wrong man — there was very great laughter indeed at the expense of the hon. member for Nelson Oity. It seems there were two " Woods," one hailing from Auckland and another from Invercargill, and that Mr Luckie had confounded the one with the other. The state of political parties in the House is thus commented upon by the We'lington correspondent of the " Wanganui Chronicle ; — " There is really very little to be said with reference to the present ' political situation ' Now that Mr Sfcafhrd has absolutely ceased to act as the leader of the Opposition no one else has succeeded to the position. Practically, Mr Gillies usually rises when there is anything special to be said on the Opposition side of the House, but he is not the formally recognised leader of a party. Connected with affairs political, it is noteworthy that the feeling is very general amongst the best men in the House of all parties, that a period of reaction and depression after its high pressure careers of borrowing spending, is not only in store for the Colony, but near at hand. I do not in the least doubt the soundness of the view. When wool goes down and money goes up, then the reaction spoken of will begin to set in." Dr Peatherston will have a grim satisfaction in knowing that, in literally interpreting orders, he has ptuuged the Colony ia to a mess. To land nearly 2000 immigrants in the dead of winter on the shores of Ofcago is a feat he may rejoice over. He tells the Government very significantly, "if you dare to interfere with my high will and procedure, I will serve you out." What else does such conduct mean ? But it is no satisfaction to the shivering "new chums." who bave been duly s uffed with the accounts of the genial climate of New Zealand, to be landed in tha midst of such weather au that which has been ruling for the last month in Oiago. If nothing else moved, this conduct should be" sufficie it to justify the recall of our blundering, perverse, self-willing Emigration Agent in London. The Wellington correspondent of the "Lyell Argus" states:— "That the first object that met my gaze on landing revived West Coast associations. These were the immense iron pipes that have been imported for the Waimea water-race. Each pipe is about twelve feet long by two feet nine inches in diameter. I have been unable to ascertain their weight, but it must be something considerable— not far short, ab a rough guess, of a ton and a half. It has been estimated that by the time they are in position each pipe will cost at least Ll2O ! Rattier an expensive race, I gu ss. The small coasters are reaping quite a harvest, as they take them, down to Hokitika and come back laden with timber, an article at present in great demand, owing to the large number of houses that are going up in all directions.

Mr Lionel Levy, proprietor of the Globe Theatre, in London, ha 3 presented the Duke of Edinburgh, as a wedding gift, a dessert service of solid gold. Its value is between 3000 and 4000 guineas.