The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 59, 10 March 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1871.

Caledonian Mine. — We understand that a telegram has beeu received in town to-day stating that at a late crushing at the Geledonian battery, in the Thaaies district, a ton of quartz yielded 120 lbs. weight of gold. Supreme Court. — John Leary versus Bennett <§• Symons. This case, the evidence in which we published yesterday, was brought to a close about 6 o'clock last evening, when the jury after an hour's absence returned a verdict for the plaintiff for £25 16s Bd, being the difference of 6d. per bushel, together with 10 per cent for the necessary charges, and 2\ per cent commission. The Provincial Secretary accompanied hy Mr. Dobsou, the district engineer, left town for the West Coast yesterday overland. With reference to his expected visit the West-port Times says : — "Dr. Giles will probably meet Mr. Greenfield and Mr. Dobson at the Inangahua, and will afford the former valuable assistance in obtaining what, no doubt, is the object of his visit — the necessary and reliable information to enable the Government to frame the estimates for the approval of the Council. The last visit of Mr. Greenfield resulted favorably to this portion of the Province, his plans ard projects beinsj generally accepted hy the Council as judicious and trustworthy. T-Motueka Valley. —It is always a pleasure to us to chronicle any sigus of progress in our out-districts, and we are therefore glad to learn that a great boon has beeu conferred upon the settlers in the Motueka Valley by the erection of a flourmill in that district by Mr. Oliver under the supervision of Mr. John Knyvett, with whom will rest the management. The motive power is a vortex turbine water-wheel, and the mill will when in full operation, grind about 45 bushels per day, thus proving an immense convenience to the farmers in that part of the country who are steadily, if slowly, increasing in number. The present season has, owing to the long-continued drought in the spring, proved unfavorable to agriculturists, notwithstanding which about 1500 bushels were grown in the district, and it is believed that next year there will, under ordinary circumstances be at least double that quantity. The saviug that will be effected by the avoidance of the unnecessary cartage between the Waimea and the Valley will be something considerable, and will be gladly welcomed by the miners iti the Waugapeka and Upper Buller districts, who henceforth will undoubtedly derive their supplies of flour from the newly-erected mill. Action fob Libel. — An application was made in tb.6 Supreme Court this morning, by Mr. Conolly, on behalf of Sir David Mouro, for a rule nisi calling upon David Mitchell Luckie, and Edwin George Collius, proprietors of the Colonist newspaper, to show cause why a criminal inforinatiou should wot be exhibited against them tor scandalous libels upon Sir David Mouro. The case having been stated by Mr. Conolly, his Honor the Judge, in granting the rule, said that to impute to a man, the having acted on party motives was not. in itself a libel. To serve a party was, in the opinion of politicians generally, to serve their country, as by so doing they kept the reins of Government in the hands of those whom they thought most able to handle them. Parliamentary Government was only to be carried on by means of party, and to Bay that a man was a

" party man " was what was done every day by newspaper writers and private individuals -without their incurring any penalty, but to say or write that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, qua Speaker, was a party man was libellous 1 , if false. Prima facie, the second article in the Colonist entitled, " Who put back the clock? 1 ' did contain an imputation against the Speaker of having acted in the chair for party purposes. The extract from the article in the New Zealand Spectator contained the sting of the libel, it beinir there stated that » Ministerial. Bill being in difficulties, the Speaker took advantage of his position to extricate.it from those difficulties by ordering the- clock of the House to be put back, whereas the affidavit of Sir David Monio, which at the present stage of the proceedings he (the Judge) was bound to assume to be true, statod that no such difficulties existed, the Bill having passed through all its stage?, and nothing remaining but to adopt the title, a mere formal matter, and no essential part of the Bill, and therefore to assert that it. was in difficulties was a mis-statement of a cardinal fact. Rule granted, returnable on Friday next.

A singular accident occurred on Friday Jast to a butcher on the West Coast. He was killing a, pig, nnd just as he stuck it with the knife, the animal snapped at his hand, and succeeded in catching the middle fiuger of the left hand between its teethj completely smashing the joint. It is feared that amputation will be necessary. What is the Hon. Mr. Fox about ? We are informed by an Auckland paper that the Maori King Tawhiao has token to dram drinking and that the morals of his Court are not so severely proper as they ought to be. Our informant suggests that perhaps an unlimited supply of rum would be a powerful agency in settling the native difficulty and the natives at the same time ! The Naval Brigade's new launch at Port Chalmers was, for the first lime, putunder canvas on Saturday last, when, it being her trial trip, there were a large number of visitors preseut. The launch left the old jetty at 2 o'clock, a stiff breeze blowing from the north-east. The long channel was taken, aud the launch proved herself equal in sailing qualities to almost any yacht in the harbor. She is 23 tons measurement ; 45 feet long, 10 feet beam, and has rowlocks for 18 oars, giving occupation to 36 men of the Brigade. The Auckland Herald publishes the following from a correspondent's letter : — " The very novelty of a proposal I have just received in all seriousness struck me as being so unique of its kind that I send it you. During my business career in Auckland, it has been a common practice with me to deal with those who patronise my own shop. Thus my grocer's, baker's, butcher's, shoemaker's, bills, &c. have been usually settled by contras. I thought, however, I was going far enough when I found myself obliged to become the unwilling owner of a cumbrous piece of furniture, for which I had no use, but will you believe it., that a man has just had the coolness to propose the liquidation of his debt by supplying myself or any of my friends with coffins ! This appeared to me like dying to live with a vengeance." The following items respecting the Karamea, are supplied to the Grey Valley Times by a party who has recently visited that locality : — About thirty men are engaged in mining on the beaches iu the neighborhood. Hughston and party have completed a waterwbeel, constructed to raise water a height of sixteen feet, a sufficient supply having been obtained from a neighboring creek to drive the wheel. A flumed race, nearly a mile in length, conveys two sluice-heads of water to the beach, where the party are working two boxes ; and they purpose rigging a third pump to enable them to work an. extra box. Makemson and party are bringing in a flumed race 28 feet high from the ranges, aud when completed it will furnish an excellent supply of water. M'Meckau and party have expended eighteen months' labor in bringing in a iluraed race, also from the rauges, and they have now four boxes at work day and night. A few other parties are scattered over the beaches, but having no permanent supply they are dependent upon the rains to work the beach. Our informant gives a deplorable account of the journey overland. At one bluff fully fifty feet in height, the only means of ascent or descent is a rotten rope, which reuders either task very perilous. The G-overnment should cut a track round the bluff, or, at least, replace the rope with a chain to ensure safety. At other points bluffs have to be passed, the passenger following the face of the rock at a height of thirty feet above the sea. From what we can gather, tha overland journey, in the absence of a track, is alone an arduous undertaking, but attended with no little hazard to those desirous of testing the locality.