THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1892, 29 August 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1874.

The proposals we recently put forward with regard to the reconstruction of the Provinces in the South Island, in the event of their not being dealt with in the same manner as those in the North Island, appear to be taken up elsewhere, and almost in the same shape are now being advocated by the "West Coast Times," which says the proposal to which we refer is that an agitation be got up and petitions sent to the Government in dealing with the question of the North Island to make provision for the Coast to be brought under the same goverance. It is true that this could only be done by the sanction of the Assembly, but if in the recess strong popular feeling were elicited in favor of such a course, there can be no doubt that the Ministry would lend a favorable ear to the applications, and the same majority that decreed the destruction of Provincialism in ths North Island would sanction the inclusion of parts that prayed to be so dealt with. Nearly the identical reasoning that was used in favor of Provincial abolition in respect to the North applies, in some cases with increased force, to the West Coast of this Island, and others as well. The cost of administration, the constant drain on the general revenue, and other arguments fit exactly, but it is not necessary now to enter into them. Our present desire is merely to put forward the idea for the public to ponder over and form their own opinions on it. To suit the Coast in relieving it of an incubus, and to create no opposition in the larger Provinces, whose present privileges would not be disturbed thereby. It is very probable that Nelson would fight for her misgoverned slice of territory, but the master-hand that severed

the North in such a dexterous fashion will have no difficulty in partitioning Nelson should he so will it. In case of such division, Nelson proper, or the settled districts, as the old identities delight to call it, would either have to be content with preserving a small and insignificant Province, or taking the wiser course, and coming in on the same terms. Should such be Nelson's choice, Marlborough would follow suit, and the only remaining vestiges of Provincial institutions would be found in Canterbury and Otago alone.

The annual report of the Telegraph Department is dated the 24th instant, and was laid before Parliament on the following day. It states that the progress of the department during the year had been satisfactoiy, the revenue, which amounted to .£45,000, having exceeded the estimates J by £2000. This is all the more satisfactory since it was in November last that the tarifFvras considerably reduced, both for private and Press messages. We observe that the number of Press messages, chiefly in consequence of that reduction, had increased during the year by 17,000, or over fifty per cent... though the cash received was £600 less than in the corresponding period of the previous year. The amountreceivedfromthe Press was £4066. Messages to the number of 752,899 had been transmitted during the year. That number showed an increase of 183,939, or rather of more than twenty-four percent. Eight thousand money orders had been transmitted by telegram in the course of the year, representing a sum of .£38,052, or an increase of 2210 messages and £9945 in amount. The commission collected by the Post Office was £1035, of which £400 was due to the Telegraph Department for fees, leaving a profit of £634. The largest number were issued in Dunedin, Wellington and Christchurch respectively ; and the second largest amount paid was by Auckland. The extent of line maintained during the year was 2530 miles, at a cost of £6 3s lid per mile. Twelve new offices were opened in the course of the year. The lines earned £59,875, a sum which left £6026 as interest on an expended capital of £249,594. •For every hundred letters transmitted by post the number of messages was over twenty-three ; and in some Provinces the percentage was as high as twentyeight. At the close of the year 2530 miles of line, carrying 5182 miles of wire, were in circuit, and it was contemplated to make large additions to the mileage iv the course of the year, to meet the increasing business of the department. The report, which is signed by Mr Yogel, closes with a note from the Premier to Mr Lemon, the Telegraph Commissioner, in which he writes with reference to Mr Lemon's discovery of duplex telegraphy : — "I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of the Government, the expression of their recognition of the. service you have been able to render the Colony, and their thanks for the same. I desire also to request that you will convey the thanks of the Government, for the assistance they have rendered in this important improvement in the system of telegraphy, to Mr M'Alister, the assistant officer in charge of the Wellington station, and Mr Smith, the mechanician to your department, by the latter of whom all the apparatus now in use was made."

A special general meeting of the Literary Society is called for Monday night, at 8 p.m, at the Society's rooms, Mackay street. A meeting of the Masonic Hall Company was held last night for the election of two directors in room of those retiring. After a vote Messrs Bowman and Glenn were elected. The deputation from the Borough Council and the two Coal Companies, appointed to interview the General Government with regard to the proposed harbor works, left yesterday by the p.s. Charles Edward for Nelson. The deputation consisted of Mr W. S. Smith (Mayor), Messrs Kennedy, Johnstoue, Moss, and Wickes. Mr Barkley, who was also nominated a member of the deputation, did not proceed, being detained by business engagements. At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, the only case was that of P. Cameron v. James Newton, a claim for L 26 Is 6d, for board and refreshments. A set-off for L2O 15s was put in and admitted. Mr Perkins appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Newton for the defendant. The defence to the action was that Ll3 5s 6d of the claim made by plaintiff was for drinks, and therefore could not be recovered, but Mr Perkins contended that as payments had been made from time to time, and only a small balance remained between the parties, the plaintiff had a right (which with characteristic foresight he had exercised) to appropriate the payments made by defendant to either the bar or the board account, and therefore he had chosen to completely liquidate the account for liquids, and now only sought to recover a balance on account of solids supplied. The Bench took the same view of the case as Mr Perkins, and gave plaintiff a verdict for the baknce, L 5 6s 6d, with costs LI 11s, and professional fee LI Is. The Sydney " Town and Country Journal" gives an illustration and a long and interesting description of \Vliakati, or White Island, the great sulnhur-deposit of New Zealand, situated on the east coasb of the North Island, between Auckland and Ivapier. The last new thing in linen -drapers' shops in Paris is a billiard-room for husbands and brothers to beguile away the time while their fair companions are making their purchases. A good luDch and glass of wine are. also provided gratis. On Saturday last, Mrs Barnett, of Wakapuaka, Nelson, was in a chaise cart near Mr Hingston's store, in Waimea street, when the horse got its leg down the hole of a drain. The trap was broken, Mrs Barnett was thrown out, and sustained a severe fracture of the right arm. above the elbow." Commodore Goodenough, in reply to a toast in the Melbourne City Hall, referred to Kir Hercules Robinson as having borne testimony to the orderliness of the Melbourne people on a recent great racing event, when there were 40,000 persons present. He said it would take three hours' search on a good horse to find one man intoxicated. About a fortnight ago the Melbourne "Telegraph" announced the death, at Wodonga, New South Wales, of Mr De , Courcy Ireland, son of Mr R. D. Ireland, Q.C., saying that the deceased gentlnnan had of late years taken an active part in public matters at Fiji. This was a mistake, the deceased being a cousin of the gentleman for whom he was mistaken. An accident occurred on Friday afternoon, though, fortunately, no serious consequences ensued. It appears that Mr Applebee and Mr T. Gibson were driving in a buggy along the Arahura road, and when a little distance beyocd the toll-gate the axle broke, precipitatiug both gentlemen into the road. We

(" West Coast Times '') are, however, happy to state that, beyond a severe shaking, both escaped uuhurt. A series of interesting views of the scenery of the West Coast mining districts, nicely executed by Mr W. M. Cooper, surveyor, has, the "Times" remarks, been kindly lent by that gentleman to the Colonial Museum, where they will remain for a few days. They will well repay inspection, for, though they are unfinished and rough sketches made on the spot, they convey a more truthful impression of the scenery than is often found in more highly finished drawings. The " Pall Mall Gazette," speaking of the visit of the Emperor of Russia to England, says : — " So far as personal feeling is concerned, Wellington was probably as well disposed to Napoleon on the morning of the 18th of June, 1815, as the British public are to the Emperor Alexander on the 21st of Vl ay, 1874 ; that is to say, there was no personal feeling at all, beyond respect for a great man, and an idea that national interests are above and apart from all personal considerations whatever." As tending to show the remarkable aptness that Maoris in the North have for business transactions, says the "Otago Daily Times," a barrister of the Supreme Court related the following anecdote : — He was drawing up a lense for his Maori client, and when reading it he came to the words "more or less," upon which the Native asked, " What is that; more or less ?" The lawyer replied in explanation. "Then^" said the Maori, " strike out the more, ancl leave in the less !'/ The racy manner in which the anecdote was told caused some f uu in Court. Business seems to be in a satisfactory state in Dunedin, The " Guardian "of a late date say.° : — " Those who have been in the habit of reading the reports of the Supreme Court in Bankruptcy will have noticed that, as compared with the business disposed of during the early part of this and previous years, that" transacted recently has been very small. In alluding to the subject lately, his Honor Mr Justice Uhapniau said the public were to be congratulated on the fact, and that the applications made to Mm on the present occasion were the result of pure misfortune." The -wolf has lain down with the lamb. When Mr T. L. Shepherd moved the second reading of his Gold-mining Bill, he was actuxlly seconded by Mr Pyke, who praised the measure. There was some sparring between Mr Shepherd and Mr J. C. Brown, the wind-up of which was that the former dared the member for Tuapeka to bring forward any amendments he might fairly, instead of "lobbying" in the smoking-room of the House, or the streets of Wellington, or other places that were unmentionable ! The Bill has been referred to the Gold-fields Committee. " Intelligence has been received by the mail," the " Ballarat Courier" state 3, of the death of Mr James Matthews, father of Miss Julia Matthews, the well-known burlesque actress. This event occurred on the 17th May, at the residence of his daughter, in the City road, London, from heart disease. Mr Matthews was an o<d resident at Ballarat, and finally left here in 1863. By the same meanswe learn that Miss Matthews continues to be one of the leading attractions of the London stage, though her health has not been of the best of late. Mr Matthews was over 70 years of age when he died. The "Radical Reform League," of Nehon, seem to have a very wide scope of self-im-posed duty. At a late meeting they discussed the Government of the Colony and the management of the Nelson Botanical Gardens, and at their last meeting the "Mail" says: — "There was a very large meeting of members last night, and the discussion, touching the City Council election, was an animated one. The doings of the late Executive, with regard to the gas and waterworks accounts, were severely criticised, and the taking over by the City Council in the manner done, instead of by valuation, was condemned. Several persons were mentioned for nomination at the next City Council election." A Wellington correspondent telegraphs as follows : — "The Public Revenues Act Amendment Bill partly repeals sections 9 of the Public Revenues Act, 1872, providing that. in future the balance of imprests snail nob exceed L 120.000 of the Special Fund The offices of Auditor-General and Controller of Public Accounts are abolished, the present holders ceasing to hold them. Two Commissioners of Audit are to be appointed, to hold office during good behaviour, and with a salary of L9OO a year each ; but no such appointment is to be made till one or both offices are previously recited and declared vacant. The Auditor-General and Controller are to be Commissioners of Audit while they hold their offices.

The manner in which the Marlborough Province has been " settled" seems to have made as forcible an impression upon Mr HolJoway as it has upon every person who has visited it and realised its great resources — now almost exclusively, and indifferently, utilised by the runholder, instead of being, as they well might be, and ultimately will bo, an attraction to thousands of au industrious population. While at Patea, and in an interview with some of its settlers, as we learn from a correspondent of the Wanganui "Heiald," Mr Hollaway "made some remarks about the way the Province of Marlborough is situated. He found thai the land was in the hands of large capitalists, who owned from 40,000 to 100,000 acres each, which he considered was a very bad state of things. He would much rather see a class of small farmers who would improve what land they held, instead of large runs which only required a man and dog to attend to a large extent of country." A correspondent of the "Otago Daily Times " calls attention to the excessive rates charged for postage from New Zealand to India. He says—" To the home country, a distance of about 16,000 miles, the charge for a letter is 6d, and for a newspaper Id. To India, which is not half the distance from New Zealand as the former, perforce we have to pay double the rate. Twelve years ago I recollect only having to pay 6d each letter ; and now, I may also say for several years back, the charge has been Is for a letter and 2d for a newspaper. There might be some excuse if India was under a foreign power and Government for the heavy charges mentioned ; but, being a 3ritish possession, and under British (-iovernment, I think that it should be allowed the same privileges accorded to other British Colonies, that is, a nominal charge for the carriage of letters and newspapers." Notice has already been taken of a collection of water-color views of New Zealand scenery, painted by Mr W. M. Cooper, and now to be seen at the Colonial Museurr>. The collection has been referred to as containing views of the Mount Rochfort coal-field, but these form but a small part of the series. They include pictures of the scenery in nearly every Province of the Colony ; but the illustrations of the West; Coast are especially numerous, and Mr Cooper has selected some of the grandest scenes from Cape Farewell to Milford Sound, while faithful drawings of the centres of settlement have also been made. The collection is not only interesting but valuable, and had the Government known of its existence they probably would have made from it a selection for the purpose of publication among the views which are to appear in the New Zealand Handbook. They are ho valuable by tbeir accuracy, and the artistic taste shown in their selection and

execution, that it is well worthy of the artist's consideration whether he should not endeavor to have copies of them made in chro mo -lithograph or by such process as may be best suited to their reproduction. They would, be certain to command a ready sale both within and beyond the Colony. The Ward- Chapman scandal would appear, after all, to have been a case of •' much ado about nothing." An interim report was brought up in the House from the Joint Committee, read, and ordered to be printed. It narrated the history of the case, and stated that Judge Ward had acted as unpaid counsel for the defendant in the action Macassey v. Bell. He had become irritated at the granting of the rule for the production of certain telegrams on an ex parte statement, and out of that feeling arose his telegram to Mr Yogel. The order had afterwards been rescinded by the Judge. The Committee had arrived at three conclusions — Ist. That the charge made by Judge Ward against Judge Chapman was not general but specific, aud made without legard to its importance ; 2nd. That Judge Chapman, in making the order alluded to on an ex parte statement, did not act in a partial manner ; and 3rd. That the circumstance induced the Committee to think that the Supreme Court J udges should be shifted from time to time. The concluding paragraph of the report was received with some amusement by the House. The following practical joke was lately perpetrated in Dunedin. The "Guardian" states that some facetious young creature, anxious apparently to occupy the spare moments of the 10 to 4 and 9 to 5 of this world, has been amusing herself by soliciting private interviews with a favored few. Written on rose-colored and delicately-per-fumed paper, and enclosed in envelopes of the prettiest pattern, the invitations, in many cares, proved absolutely irresistible, as demonstrated by the punctuality of many of those selected by the fair correspondent. These gentlemen, however, originally delighted at being honored with so much feminine attention, are genera'ly becoming wroth because ten or twelve of them have met nightly at the same hour, always in the same place, and always without any satisfactory result. They must necessarily speak to each other, and each other's destination they were anxious to learn, but the truth was seldora told ; and, having no better alternative, they volunteered to accompany each other to places of amusement, which, on leaving home, they had not the remotest idea of visitihg. Yet this is the kind of pastime in which they have been luxuriating for ■weeks past. Now that their dreams are dispelled, and all hopes of an interview with the fair unknown at an end, we trust they will again settle down to their work, and do their employers full justice for their money. The Christchurch coach capsized whilst crossing Kelly's Creek on Tuesday last at 4 o'clock, in consequence of the flood. Kenny, the driver, and Smith, a roadman, were washed down the creek. Kenny had a very narrow escape, but Smith caught hold of him three times, and eventually rescued him. The other passengers luckily crossed the suspension bridge. The two horses attached to the fore-carriage were carried down the creek and drowned. One large mail-bag is missing. The other mails and luggage were saved in the morning. The coach was smashed, but the fore-carriage was recovered. No blame whatever was attached to the driver. The " West Coast Times," of Friday, says:— "We are glai to say that the Uhristchurch coach, with the mails and eight passengers, arrived last night a little after midnight. It will leave as usual this morning at 6 o'clock, and no interruption to mail communication will take place, owing to the arrangements that the contractors have made. Messrs Cassidy and Clarke deserve the greatest credit for the manner they have met their difficulties, and it is evident that the service is in the right hands. Mr Clarke informs us that had the road been in repair, the accident would not have happened, as the mail would have been beyond Kelly Oreek before the flood came down. What we ("New Zealand Herald") cannot understand is why, as soon as a stringent Bill is passed to regulate the liquor trafficj it is usually found necessary to create one or more hospitals for inebriates. Does it not follow that the one is either corollary or a consequence of the other ? Not very long since, in the State of Indiana, America, a very stringent Liquor Law Bill was passed^ and immediately afterwards something in the shape of an inebriate asylum, largely subsidised by the State, was considered advisable. The same remark applies to several States comprised in the Union. Not very long since, the liquor traffic was legislated against in Melbourne, and there, too, an inebriate asylum has been considei-ed desirable. Attempts have been made in Adelaide to make men sober by Act of Parliament, and there has since been an agitation for an institution of the character we have indicated. There are several in America at the present time that are, we cannot doubt, of great utility. The question appears to arise whether unreasonable legislation, in respect to the liquor trade, does not bring about, the worst results. There is under it, and will be, sly grog-selling, when hocussed brandy and fiery liquors of divers descriptions will be vended. If temperance be the object of the liquor law reformers, it would seem that their efforts do not in all cases conduce to this. And, certainly, they evoke an immense amount of opposition from persons who are just as much opposed to intemperance as they can be, which they would avoid if they would pursue a course that in many quarters would be considered more temperate and rational.

The "New Zealand Times," of Aug. 14, thus refers to a subject which must before long occupy the attention of the inhabitants of Greymouth : — " Wellington and other cities of the colony may well take warning, before commencing a system of sewerage, from the experience of the cities in the other colonies which deserve to be venerated on account of their superior age. According to the description given by the correspondent of a Melbourne contemporary, the oldest colonial city, Sydney, is indeed a ' shocking example.' 'Every year,' he says, 'makes it clear that we have spent a great deal of money to do a great deal of damage. The discharge from the sewers is not only silting up the harbor, but causing an odour from the foreshore at low water as pernicious to health as it is disagreeable to the senses. Darling harbor is almost wholly occupied by private wharves, and their owners feel the evil in two ways. In the first place, the ground is continually shoaling alongside their wharves ; and, secondly, it is most sickening to be on the premises at low tide.' This condition of things, it appears, is commanding the -attention of the Corporation, the Marine Board, and the Government ; but each seems to be as responsible for some of the nuisances as the general public, and there is a growing disposition to institute a Metropolitan Board of Works, which might effect some good, but whose existence and action would also involve increased taxation. To be forewarned is to be forearmed ; and, if the Corporations of New Zealand cities situated on the seaside are wise, they ought to take a lesson from the mistake by which the citizens of Sydney have succeeded in making one of the most beautiful harbors in the world a nuisance to themselves, to say nothing of the costly curse which their syscein of sewerage is certain to prove to their posterity,"