PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 34, 11 February 1869, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Mr W. H. Eyes, Superintendent of Marlborough and member for the Wairau, met his constituents at the Provincial Hall, Blenheim, on Saturday, 30th uit. The meeting does not appear to have been ofthe most orderly character, and although the chairman stated that a vote of confidence in Mr Eyes was carried, the newspapers are of a different opinion. Personal remarks seem to have been pretty freely bandied about, and language used of which the least we can say is, that it was more expressive than elegant; one gentleman (Mr Collie) a recently defeated candidate for a seat in the Provincial Council* closing a short speech by remarking that he had arrived at the conclusion that ' politicians were a pack of rogues.' It would sedm that the last days of Marlborough are drawing nigh, and that before many months are over we shall witness the collapse of a province which from the first day of its existence has proved a wretched failure, and a glaring instance of the utter want of foresight that was displayed iu the framing of the, now extinct, New Provinces Act. After giving a lengthy account of his stewardship in the House of Representatives, Mr Eyes is reported to have spoken as follows : — Before concluding, he would say a few words about their present position and future prospects as a province. Their present position was very bad f The roads in many parts of the province needed repairs, bridges were falling to decay, although he had done his best to keep up the main lines, and as far as postal communication went, except at the Opawa. bridge, it was not so bad. Some of the districts required developing, and as an instance, the road from Havelock to the Rye Valley would be a great provincial .work if properly carried out. The province had uo money to subsidise any rates that might be collected uuder a Road Boards Bill. They were obliged to get money from the colony to carry on the necessary departmentsof the Provincial Government. These were entailed on them by the present form of Government. Few of them gave him credit for cutting down every department almost to the lowest extent; but he intended during the next

sitting of the Council, the last and only one perhaps ever to take place, to propose a resolution and address to the House of Representatives, praying them to introduce into this province some more economical form of Government. Amalgamations could be made. The Superintendent was paid to do something, but so very little, that he actually slid into more expense to kill time thau his salary amounted to. (Laughter.) He could show thera how to save £1000 a ,year in the provincial expenditure; and hoped to have the support of the majority ofthe members of the Council for that resolution. On Wednesday last a gathering of miners and others took place at the Twelve-mile Beach, for the purpose of taking part in the interesting ceremony of christening a water-wheel, just completed in the claim of Isdell and party. Mr Warden Dutton was among the visitors, and took a prominent part in the proceedings. When the water was turned on, Miss Warren, sister of Mr Warren, storekeeper, Ten-mile Beach, broke the customary bottle of champagne on the wheel, and christened ifc ' The Concordia,' amidst great enthusiasm. The company then adjourned for refreshments, which were amply provided by the owners of the claim. — Grey River Argus, Feb. 6. We believe that Mr Shallcrass has been appointed head ofthe Police iu Nelson Province. This appointment has been made in compliance with the request of Inspector Franklyn, who has charge of the force on the goldfields, and we believe that the combination of the two forces is likely to be of considerable advantage. — Westport Times. By the Ruahine have arrived a beautiful pair of young antelopes, the first, I understand, which have been seen in the colony. They are consigned to the care of Captain Wheeler, of the s.s. Phcebe, who is open to sell them. There is no Acclimatisation Society here, so that it is not likely they will remain in this province. Most probably they will go to Auckland or Otago. — Wellington correspondent Westport Times. Our Greymouth friends are certainly going to the front in racing matters, and if handsome prizes are all that are required to attract good horses, they are likely to have as good sport as is to be seen anywhere in New Zealand. We take the following from the Grey River Argus of 6th instant: — The stewards of the Greymouth Annual Races have issued the programme of the forthcoming meeting, which takes place on Wednesday, the 17th March (St. Patrick's Day) and the following day. The prizes offered are worthy of any town in the colonies, and will no doubt, have the effect of bringing together some of the best horses in New Zealand. For the Greymouth Handicap — the great event of the meeting — a prize of £225 is offered, and for the Town Plate and Hurdle Handicap prizes of 100 sovs each. An inquest was held at Westport on the body of the unfortunate man Thomas Dudley, who met with bis death from eating tutu berries, when a verdict was returned in accordance with the evidence. His companion George Butiment (says the Westport Times), who also partook of the poisonous plant, has not yet altogether recovered from the effects of the poison and from his three days' exposure in the bush, without food, and in a state of raving madness. The peculiar mental effect produced by the poison of the tutu berry is indicated by an expression made by Butiment at the inquest. He said that, when lost in the bush, he 'was not without company. He thought he was among crowds of people, and in all sorts of places of amusement.' Kemp and his men have volunteered: — begged as a favor, indeed, to be allowed — to fight in the coming engagement without

pay or rations. Colonel Whitmore mistrusts them since the affair at Okutuku, but has given them the permission sought for. — Wanganui Chronicle. In Rangitikei, shortly after noon on ■Sunday a fearful hail-storm came on. The 'oldest inhabitant' has never seen the like of it : hail-stones nearly the size of walnuts. We are florry to say that rt did •great damage to the standing crops and •nearly destroyed all the 'fruit on the trees in and about Tutaenui. So heavy were the hail-stones that they broke the glass in some of the windows and the door lamp at the Tutaenui Hotel. — Wangauui Chronicle. A writer in an Otago paper advocating -additional importations of young women, •not merely for the purpose of reducing the high rate of wages to domestic servants, but also 'with a view to provide good wives for the number of single men residing in the province,' quotes the following extract ; from Hepworth Dixon's New America: — ' Bear in mind that these crowds of prosperous fellows are not bachelors by-choice, .elfish dogs, women-haters, men useless to themselves and the world in which they live. They are average young men, busy and pushing ; fellows who would rather fall into love than into sin ; who wonld be •fond of tbeir wives and proud of their children, if society would ouly provide them with lawful mates. What are tbey now ? An army of monks without the defence of a religious vow.'"