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Kumara Times, Issue 437, 19 February 1878, Page 2

We publish to-day European telegrams down to Saturday, 16th inst, on which date a significant interview took place between Lord Derby and Count Schouvaloff, the Russian Ambassador at the Court of St. James. No news has been received of the restoration of complete telegraphic communication between Adelaide and Port Darwin, but from the fact that European telegrams only three days old are coming to hand, we gather that the gap north of Tennant’s Creek is being covered bv estafette. Some action has at last been taken by the Borough Council towards making arrangements for the reception of Sir George Grey and party. The Warden is to be asked to grant protection to the claims for the day, so as to enable the miners to come into town and take an active part in the proceedings. The various Friendly Societies represented in Kumara will also be invited to turn out, and there will be a dejeuner, at which, of course, the usual speechifying will take place. This programme was hastily drawn up this afternoon, and will no doubt be elaborated and perfected as soon as it is known on what day the Premier will be here. We would suggest to the Borough Council the advisableness of placing upon the Committee the names of gentlemen, not Councillors, representing the other ! public bodies having a recognized standing in the district.

I A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last night for the purpose of revising the Bye-laws. As there are nearly 160 of these, the task was no light one, and occupied Councillors up to midnight. No material alterations were made. Those present were—His Worship the Mayor, Crs. O’Hara, Hannan, George, Campbell, and Ancher. We have not the pleasure of knowing the Charleston agent of the Associated Press, but we should very much like to. The Associated Press possesses some very brilliant agents. The corruscations of their genius as conveyed along the telegraph wire are only to be equalled by the brilliancy of the electric spark itself ; but the Charleston man knocks them all into a cocked hat. Yesterday he favoured us with a special despatch announcing that on the previous night an eclipse of the moon had taken place “at Charleston.” We have had to pay for that telegram, and, as we have Just intimated, have a hankering to become personally acquainted with the idiot who sent it. Some day we shall be told in hot haste that the sun rises and the moon sets at Charleston. Tendersforsupplyingapromenade supper for tiie Hibernian Ball close to-morrow evening at seven o’clock. The usual weekly parade of the local Rifles will be held this evening, at the Public Hall. The firing for marksmens’ badges will take place next Saturday afternoon, this class having been delayed in consequence of a new mound being required to be erected at one of the ranges under the Government regulation, it being previously too low to allow of the targets being seen when the firer was in a recumbent position. It will be seen by our advertising columns that on and after to-morrow the Banks in Kumara intend closing on Wednesdays at noon. Greenfinches are committing great havoc amongst cereal crops in the Rangitikei district. s The drawing of Bulstrode’s Calcutta Sweep on the Dunedin Cup will take place next Saturday evening, and the horses drawn will be sold by auction, as usual, on the Monday following. Seperate tenders are Invited by P. A. Learmoi.th and Co. for the construction of five sections of the Erm-go-Bragh Water Race. A man will be in attendance on the days specified in the advertisement appearing elsewhere to show intending tenderers over the ground. The Greymouth Lodge of the Ancient Order of Foresters are making arrangements for the reception of “Brother Sir George Grey,” The Grey River Argus differs from us in the opinion that there is an excellent understanding between the Czar and the Porte, but admits that “our vaticinations are of course likely to be upset at any time, for surely there never was a war in which tiie probabilities have been so largely upset as this.” We i fell into an error in stating yesterday that ex-Constable Clarke, late of Aliaura, had been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for appropriation of Government funds. He has been committed for trial at Hokitika. The amount of revenue collected at the Custom House, Greymouth, for the week ending Saturday, the 16th instant, was £562 7s 7d. During the week 607 tons coal were exported, 450 tons coastwise, and 157 tons to foreign ports. Is it not rather a significant sign of the times that the headmaster of the Greymouth Roman Catholic School should have applied to the Central Board of Education for employment in a “Godless” State School ? A Mr Denis Collins, of Charleston, is “ heir - presumptive ” to a fortune of £250,000, left by a Mrs Sarah Collins, who died intestate in London recently. The presumption is said to be something very great. The West Coast Times is going through the periodical political transformation scene of its pantomimic existence. From being an opponent of Sir George Grey it is, upon the eve of the Premier’s visit to Hokitika, becoming an ardent admirer of his person and his policy. This morning it commences a leading article :—“Notwithstanding many predictions to the contrary, the estimation in which the present Ministry is held is steadily increasing in the eyes of the New Zealand public”—and so on, ad lib. The receipts of the Westland Board of Education during the year 1877,amounted, we learn from West Coast Times, to £19,577 19s lid, and the expenditure during the same term amounted to £21,936 lls Bd. Of this latter sum, £10,004 7s was expended in the erection of new buildings throughout the district. The balance was expended in salaries, repairs of buildings, rents, expenses &c. Referring to the death, the other day of the Hon. W. B. Rhodes, a Christchurch contemporary mentions that “ he secured, to be always maintained, the Middle Island for the British Crown by hoisting the British flag at Akaroa a few hours before the arrival in that harbor of the French squadron, with the immigrants of the Nante-Bordelaise Company.” The Southland Times is nervous as to the effects on Invercargill of through railway communication with Dunedin. ‘ ‘Very soon,” says the Times, “the district will be linked to Dunedin by the close bonds of direct unbroken railway communication, an immense advantage which .our astute neighbors know how to make the most of. It means ruthless competition to secure every pound of Southland produce and every shilling of wholesale trade. Let Invercargill look to herself and heed the signs of the times, or the morning of her life that now is so bright may become seriously overcast.”