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Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1938, 22 October 1874, Page 2

Last evening we received a telegraphic despatch, giving the text of ;i petition addressed to the Governor liy Bir George Grey. ex-Governor of this Colony, against the proposed constitutional charges. Owing to the press of other matter, we witholdits publication until to-morrow. We regret that we have not room for the report and balance-sheet of the Literary Society, but will publish them to-morrow. The attention of shareholders in the Greymouth Coal Company is directed to a notification in another column that a call of five shillings per share is due, and payable to the manager, at the company's office, Mackay street, to-day. The Grey River Argus is now printed by steam, the engine of three horse-power, on the pendulum principle, having been supplied by Messrs Rae and Sewell, of this town. We believe that this is the first steam-ensine applied to printing machinery on the West Coast. We may add that another printing machine for this office is now on its way from England, which will make the plant of this establishment as complete as any in the Colony. We notice that Mr P. Comisky was to read a paper upon mining in California before the members of the Hokitika Institute last evening. The first barges which have arrived at Gcey mouth, loaded -with coal the product of the Greymouth. Coal Company's mine, reached the wharf on Tuesday. It is understood the company is not yet in a position to bring down a regular supply, owing to the unfinished condition of the winding machinery, in consequence of the non-delivery at the mine of certain castings recently executed at Eae and Sewell's foundry, and without which the winding-gear cannot be put into complete working order. The annual general meeting of the subscribers of the Literary Society was held at the Reading Room, last night, Mr W. M. Cooper, President, in the chair, The minutes of the previous meetings were read and confirmed, and the appointment of Messrs >topps and Shields as auditors was ratified. The President read the reports and statements of accounts which were adopted. The following gentlemen were then nominated for the new Committee : — Messrs Jas. Hamilton, Warner, Newton, Dr Morice, Orr, FSheedy, Glenn,? Lyell, Minnett, Kerr, Joyce, Holmes, Woolcock, Lahtnan, Wickes, Jas. Wilson, Sotheran, and M. Kennedy. It was decided to hold the election by ballot on Saturday next from 4 p.m. to 8 t». m.. and that the voting qualification should be the payment of subscription for current halfyear. A vote of thanks to the Committee, on the motion of Mr Humphries, was carried after a very lively discussion, after much opposition from two of the subscribers present, by only one dissentient voice. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, his Worship was occupied for some time in disposing of a charge of assault, and also one of malicious destruction of property 'drought by one feioale against another. Tbe complainant received such injuries in the affray as entitled her in the opinion of the Court to the satisfaction of seeing her antagonist sent to prison for one month without the option of paying a fine. The destruction of property with which the defendant was charged consisted in damage done to the complainant's wearing apparel during the combat, and as the Magistrate expressed himself satisfied that the sentence already ( passed upon the defendant would be a sufficient punishment the second charge was dismissed. It is not safe to tread on the coat-tails of the Provincial Secretary of Nelson. Mr Hodgson, the Clerk to the Superintendent ot Nelson, having given evidence against Mr O'Conor in the recent case before the Resi' dent Magistrate at Nelson, has been ordered to remove to Westport. At the sitting of the Waste Lands Board at Hokitika on Tuesday, amongst other business an application was made by Mr Boyd Thompson to have 3000 acres of land thrown open as a run between Cock-eye and the Eightmile. The land was ordered to be put up to auction. J. Evans made a similar application for a run at the Teremakau — ordered to go to auction. Hill and Hampden applied to have their license for the occupation of some land at Omotumotu amended, which was granted. The Board adjourned until the first Tuesday in November. Amongst the reports to the General Government of Major Gordon, of the various volunteer corps throughout the colony, he speaks of the Westland companies as follows : — " Of tnejihree companies in this district, two— the Ist Westland and Greymouth Rifles —are a fine body of men, and in excellent order, but the Totara Company at Ross, were qnite astray at drill of any sort, and there were thirty-five of their number absent. I think it will be found to be useless, or at least difficult, to retain a corps at Ross, by reasoQ of the unsettled occupation of its residents, In the circulars emanating from his Honor the Superintendent calling the Local School Committees together, ie is suggested that they should at once each adopt a simple code of byelaws for regulating the proceedings of their respective bodies, as well as appoint a permanent chairman, through whom all official communications should pass. It is also pointed out that it will be necessary for each Committee to elect a representative at the Central Board, on or before th 6 sth of November next. Within the last six or eight weeks meat has advanced in price at Auckland from twopence to threepence per pound. Dairy produce is fifty per cent, higher than it was at this season last year. Vegetables are scarce and dear ; but while the waters swarm with fish, and there is a large demand for all kinds, a dozen or so of baskets is all that the boats will fill of a morning. And now fish, from the circumstance that no one enters upon the business of taking it in anything like large quantities, has advanced a hundred per cent. The state of Fiji finances may be assumed from the fact that in a Levuka Court recently when the harbor-master prosecuted in a case for sailing without a license; upon being pressed to state his reason for having initiated the proceeding, Captain Hedstrom candidly stated that his instructions were to | " sue the beggars ; every oae of them. We want our sciews." A miserly settler at Hamilton (Waikato), whose wife was on her death-bed, refused to pay the travelling expenses of his son whom the dying mother wished to see. After the woman died he bought a packing case, nailed a bit of black cloth on it, on which he chalked her name, and thus she was buried. A bushman at Grahamstown named John Drew died suddenly recently. He had been drinking heavily, and drank, some maraud

milk, and lay down on the sofa, and slept three hours. He was awakened by the servant, aud appeared conscious, but fell back dead almost immediately. The " ( »tago Daily Times" siys : -" It is stated in the Northern papers that the Rev r>. T. Dudley refused Christian buiial to an unfortunate woman who lived a disreputable life, anrl died through excessive drinking, and sho was lowered into the grave by a policeman, the provincial undertaker, and the sexton. It is to be hoped that this is not true. These" are the things that call forth many a sneering remark about ' Christian charity.'" The " Lyttfllton Times" has the following relative to the appointment of Mr Cashel Hoey as Secretary to the Agent-General : — " Dr Featherston has always contended for the ruht, as Agent-(ieneral, to select his own confidential secretary, on the ground that his diplomatic relations with the Imperial Government are of a strictly confidential nature, and often involve him in very delicate negotiations. Mr Yogel conceded this point, recognising Dr Featherston's right of selection and leaving the appointment entirely in his hands. Dr Buller held it — as Acting Secretary— up to the day of hia depai'ture from England, and a week later Mr C.ishel Hoey, formerly Chief .Secretary to the Victorian agency, succeeded him. In the meantime the Government, without informing Dr Featherston of their intention, appointed Mr Kennaway to the office of General Secretary. The ai-pointment appears to have given satisfaction here, and we doubt not that Mr Keunaway will find enough departmental work in the Agent-General's office to engage his whole time and attention without interfering in any way with Mr Cashel Hoey's special functions as confidential lieutenant to Dr Featherston. The " Lyell Argus " of the 17th inst. thus speaks of the results of the frightful weather recently experienced in that district} : — In fact the inconvenience has already made itself felt, in that the last batch of bread was distributed yesterday at 2s 6d per 4lb loaf, while not even passable beef and no mutton ' whatever is to be obtained. We stated in i our last issue tbat there was a sufSciencj of potatoes aud oatmeal wherewith to tide over the period that must elapse before the wished-for advent of the boats. We have since ascertained that we were in error in making that statement, as the commodities in question are almost as scarce as flour. Should the bad weather continue, all thoughts of getting supplies must be abandoned, and it will then become necessary for the population to leave in a body for some other locality. We are entirely at the mercy of the elements, for should a change in the weather not immediately supervene one of two things must happen. Either we must live for an indefinite period on fern roots, or with our wives and families betake ourselves to Westport or to Reetton, which would entail a weary tramp of from 30 to 40 miles over tracks which are merely distinguishable from the surrounding bush, and swamp by tbe mud that is on them.