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Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2048, 2 March 1875, Page 2

At the Resident Maeistrate's Court yesterday, before W IT. Revell, Esq. R M, Michael Murphy, was chareed with having been rlrunk ana makine use of obscene and abusive language For the first offence he was fined LI, or 48 hours' imprisonment ; and for the second L 2. or one weeks' imprisonment, — William Rath was charged with having com raitted an assault on Patrick Caldwell in Albert street on Saturday last, and afterwards repeating the offence in an hotel on Mawhera Quay. When the first assault was committed the defendant had a knife in his possession, but he threw it away. It appeared from the evidence that the defendant had some time ago been committed for lunacy while suffering from the effects of drink. At the request of Mr Insnector Hickson, the defendant was bound over to kefiD the peace for three months, himself in L2O. and two sureties of LlO each, and. also to pay the costs. The following acceptances for the Greymouth Jockey Club Handicap were received by the Secretary of the Club at the Albion Hotel last night :— Tambourini, Yatterina, Septimus, Guy Fawkes, and Tommy Dodd. The steamer Alhambra is expected to leave the Bluff at 11 a m. on Wednesday, the 3rd inst. Telegrams for the Australian Colonie3 or Europe via Java cable, will be received at the Oreymouth Office for transmission to the Bluff up till 9.30 a.m. of the 3rd inst. A Brighton correspondent sends us the following items of now 3 from that district : ' The Go'irl Templars are increasing in number, and we are going to have a lodge established in Brighton by the end of the week if things go on well, as most of the people here, excepting the publicans, are Templars, and it is "too far for us to go to Charleston. The rush at the Razorback has not turned nut anything yet, but there are a large number of tunnels, races, dams, and washing sites applied for, and they are busy working at them, so the ground will soon have a good trial. The greatest want is water, as the ground is on a high terrace." The firing for the Government District prizes, Westlaud District, took place on Saturday, at Greymouth and yesterday at Hokitika. The Ross men have yet to fire, but it is not probable that they will very materially alter position of affairs, at least they have seldom done so yet. Our Greymouth men have so far had it pretty much their own way, the scores beiag as follows : — For the First Set (District Medal and eight money prizes.) Dr. Morice, Greymouth ... 73— 1st prize & medal Lieut Chamberlain, do ... 63 — 2nd prize Vol. Simmons, do 63— 3rd do „ Moss, do ... rp. )„„ . . _ i " Ross, Hokitika... Ties J 62-4 &sdo Paptain Revell, Greymouth... 61 — 6th do Vol. G. S. Smith, do 59— 7 th do „ M'Levie, Hokitika ... 58— Bth do Second Set— Four money prizeß. Vol. Kettle, Gro> mouth 57 „ Alfred Masters, do 56 „ Holmes, do ) -, Name not known, Hokitika \ Dr. Morice is virtually safe for the medal, as his score is an unusually good one. The places of the resc are, of course, uncertain until the result of the firing at Ross is known. The election of Auditors and Assessors for the Borough for the year took place yesterday, at the Town Hall, before Councillor Moore, Returning Officer. As will be seen by the number of votes recorded, more interest wag taken in the result of the election by the burgesses than was anticipated. The following is the result of the election : — Assessors. Auditors. Mr Russell 168 — 161 Mr Lyell 188 — 111 Mr Hindmarsh ... 82 — 81 There was one informal vote for the assessors, and four for the auditors. The monthly meeting and inspection of belts, uniforms, keys, axes, &c , belonging to the Volunteer Fire Brigade was held last night. There were 26 members present. On inspection it was found that a qu >ntity of new working material for the members was required, if the Brigade is expected to work efficiently It was resolved that on an alarm of fire a reward of L 2 should be given to the owner of the first horse and dray at the eugine-house ready to drag the engine to the scene of the fire, and LI to the second horse and dray. It was resolved that in future ten members of the Brigade should form a quorum instead of fifteen. In connection with this meeting we may call the attention of the property-holders in the upper end of the town to the fact that two of the stand-pipes are covered by at least two feet of mullock, which, in the event of a fire occurring, would have to be dug out before the engines could be got to work. It is no part of the duty of the Fire Brigade to keep these stand-pipes clear, and if the residents do cot look alter their interests, they

must, in case of accidents, take the consequences, but a representation to the Rorough Council might have the desired effect, The clearing up for the month of February, at the Energetic Quartz-mining Company, j gave the handsome result of 7090z Idwt of melted gold. An adjourned sitting of the District Court was to have been held yesterday, but as Judge Harvey was detained at Westport the < 'ourt was adjourned until Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock. A sitting of the Licensing Bench takes place at the Court-house this morning at 11 o'clock With regard to the supply of imported labor for the agricultural districts, we learn from the " Herald " that twenty-five laboring m u n, immigrants by the ship Rakaia, arrived at Timaru by the Beautiful Star on Monday. Our contemporary says that owing to the great want of agricultural laborers in Temuka, all of the twenty-five were forwarden there at once. A number of married couples and single women from the Rakaia aae expected to arrive by the next steamer from the north. We learn that all the barracks are empty in the southern district, and that the supply of laborers is not nearly up to the demand. As a proof of the high rate that wages are ruling just now. consequeut on the scarcity of labor, we may mention that at Terauka L 4 a week is being paid to harvest hands, and in Timaru a short while back several men were unloading timber from boats at 12s a day struck for 2s an hour. At some of the London theatres of late the I costumes of the actresses have become so scant, and tho dances, such as the Can-can and the Riparelle, so grossly indecent, as at last to draw flown the just indignation of the Lord (I harnberlain, who is our official censor of stage marals. He has addressed a circular to all the metropolitan theatrical managers, intimating that such a state of things will not be tolerated any longer, and that any theatre transgressing the bounds of propriety will be summarily closed by him The press has for some time been raising its voice against these abuses of our stage, and the intervention of the Lord Chamberlain is hailed with satisfaction by the general public and the theatrical profession itself. It is due to the London managers to add that though the circular was general, the practices complained of obtained at only two or three houses. From the "Herald" we learn the contract for making the tramway for the Dudley Coal Company to connect the mine with Reefton, has been let to David Murphy and party. The length is 27 chains. We understand that a finp seam of coal is now disclosed, and if the quality is equal to what is stated, the inhabitants of Reefton m%y look forward during the coming winter to being supplied with good household fuel at a price much lower than has hitherto obtained in this locality. The missing copper-plateß from Anderson's (says the "Herald") were discovered in the bush by Mr James Stevenson while tracking sheep a few days ago. Se immediately informed the police, and Constable Jeffries, accompanied by others, proceeded to the spot indicated. It is situated on the opposite side of the river to Black's Point, and some short distance up a spur, but in view of the machine-house, from where the pi tes were stolen. Between the roots of two trees, one of which had fallen up hill and the other down, was where the olates were found. They were cut into strips, and from the efficient manner in which the amalgam had been cleaned eff showed that the thief or thieves were practised in the art of cleaning plates, and from facts whic»\ have transpired, directing suspicion to a ce-tain individual of stealing them also. A good fire had been lit to facilitate this work, and it was quite evident from the careful character of the preparations that the robbery had been well planned. The thieves had carried the plates across the river, and within a few minutes after getting clear of the michine-house probably commenced scraping off the amalgram. To practised hands the work would soon be accomplished, and probably before the robbery was discovered they were many miles distant, and before a hue and cry was raised had disposed of their plunder. After a fortnight's trial, it is found that the pipes conveying the water foi the Wealth of Nations Gold-mining Company, near Lankey's Gully, answer that purpose in every respect. The "Herald" says :— That during the first few days' use the pressure of water forced the water through the rivets, but the holes speedily became cemented with fine sand, and the entire work is now perfectly water-tight. There is a fall of seven feet in the level of the race between the point on one side of the gully where the water enters the pipes and the point of discharge. This is said to be sufficient to deliver the water at a speed equal to that which it has on entering. A correspondent of a southern paper says that it is believed that since the death of the Superintendent of Auckland the Governor's power under the Gold-fields Act reverts to the Governor. He will be advised to retain the same, or delegate them to a Commissioner nominated by the Government. There is a feeling here and at Ohinemuri that the delegated powers would be exercised more for the benefit of the field by the Governor or by a Commissioner than by the Superintendent and Provisional Government of Auckland, This is specially the case at Ohinemuri, where it is believed that Mr James Mackay should have the control for seme months of least in view of possible difficulties with the natives. The Napier " Telegraph " of February 5, states that the Superintendent was about to hand over L 14.450 sterling to the Corpo» ration of that town, which were voted for certain town improvements by the Hawke's Bay Provincial Council.