The Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY,OCTOBER 12, 1875.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 269, 12 October 1875, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY,OCTOBER 12, 1875.

A shock of earthquake was felt this afternoon at five minutes past twelve. Our Wellington agent has neglected to supply us to-day with any telegraphic news of last night's Parliamentary proceedings. Mr. Mabin reports sales of South British shares at 523. The Bishop of Nelson invites the members of the Church of England I attending St John's Church, Wakefield, to meet him at the schoolroom on Monday evening, to take into consideration the best means of erecting a parsonage house. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, James Ford was charged by Annie Ogden with using threatening language towards her. He was bound over to keep the peace for three months, himself in £10 and two sureties of £5 each. The third competition for the revolver given by the officers to be fired for " by the members of the Stoke Rifles took place on Saturday, wheu Capt. Barnett headed the list with 38, Private Doidge being second with 35. The ranges were 400 and 600 yards, seven shots at each range. Aw inquest was held yesterday afternoon on the body of Henry Garnett, when the evidence went to show that for some time past he had been of unsound mind, and had frequently threatened to make away with himself. A verdict was returned to the effect tbat deceased had committed suicide by drowning whilst in an unsound state ot mind. Tee Rev. P. P. Agnew delivered the second of his series of lectures on "Bush life in New South Wales" last night to a much larger audience, we were glad to see, than on the previous occasion. The history of the country when it was overrun with bushranging gang 3, comprised chiefly of escaped convicts, was remarkably well told, and rendered exceedingly interesting by the number of anecdotes with which it was interspersed. The last of the lectures on convict life wili be delivered tomorrow night, and on Friday Mr Agnew will lecture on Freemasonry, when the chair will be taken by Dr Scaly, first Principal of the Trafalgar R. A. Chapter of Nelson. The sad news was brought into town this worniog by a Maori that Mr Thotaw Askew w^ drowned at the

Croiselles on Friday last. It appears that he had a boat lying at anchor a short distance from the shore, to which he palled out in a small diagy with a view to looking to her moorings. In taking a pull at the anchor he lost his balance and fell overboard, sank for a moment, bnt speedily came to the surface again, when he seized hold of tl c side of the dingy, which at once capsized. A boy who was on board the boat seeing ihe danger in which Mr Askew was threw over an empty cask to him, but unfortunately the bnnghole was open and it soon filled and sank. He then threw over a small spar, but this Mr Askew failed to see or at least to seizo. For several minutes he was swimming abont until at last he disappeared so suddenly that tbe boy thinks he must either have been attacked by the cramp or laid hold of by a shark, Of whioh there are a large number in the locality. The news of Mr Ask.w's sudden death will be received with sorrow by this many friends he possessed in Nelson. The opening of the railway to Balclutka has placed Invercargill within a day's journey of Dunedin. The middle part of the journey between Balclutha and Mataura is performed by a sixhorse coach. ' . • The Christchurch correspondent of the Waitangd Tribune says :— The Wesieyan portion of the community are about suffering a loss in the person of the Rev Mr Buller, who is about proceeding to Europe after a residence of more than thirty yeara in the colony. Mr Buller was one of the earliest — if not the earliest — missionary " who came to New Zealand. He resided in various parta ofthe North Island during some of the most troublous times of its history, and his name will always be associated with the* doings of the pioneers of Northern settlements. The Wairarapa Standard describes the working man as he appears on his arrival in the colony, and as'he presents himself a few yeara later when thoroughly colonised. Oup contemporary says there is a striking contrast. At first he is diffident and shy, occasionally he will, as it were, involuntarily touch his hat to a pastor or master, and is grateful for small mercies. But when acclimatised there is a wondrous change. He 'is unconscious of the existence of a pastor or master. His talk is bold and free, and can be heard across a street. If wanted to do anything his natural reply is "No fear! See him — --.first!" He does not hesitate to call the great men of the. colony rogues, liars, and humbugs, and will when opportunity offers say so to their faces. -He earns his* own living, and as a rule prefers working by tender. He fights his own battles, and likes having a few on hand to fight. He is irrepressible and undaunted, ,feels that he is a power in the State, and if governors, knights, and legislators don't recognise the fact he has a shrewd idea that he can make it ' hot ' for them. The Braidwood Dispatch gives the following description of a fight between a bull and a ram: — We are not aware whether it is generally known that a ram will give battle to a bull, and looking at the enormous difference in the size of the two, we would hardly have credited it had we not witnessed an encounter which took place between a ram and a pedigree bull of immense proportions, the property of Mr Robert Greelan. The ram, with a flock of sheep, was feeding in the paddock with the bull, and the latter going rather close? to the sheep than his ramship seemed to appreciate, he went up to the bull, and after a quiet inspection walked backwards for [about half a dozen yards, and then made a desperate charge at his gigantic antagonist, which he repeated some three or four times. The sound of their horns striking together could be heard for a long distance, and they must have come against one another with considerable force, as at each charge the ram was knocked back some two or three yards. However, the bull after the fourth "round" had had quite enough of it, and turned tail and scampered off round the paddock, with the little herp full tear after him, the bell that was hanging round his neck by its furious incessant clatter having apparently as much effect in scaring the "load of the pastures" as the unexpected pluck of his diminutive assailant. As the defence of the coast line is a matter of considerable importance to the Australasian colonies, the extraordinary torpedo experiments made recently at the Alexandra Palace are well worth attention. A man, furnished with certain appliances, can live and work under water without any communication or connection with the surface for two hours — can move about in any direction, raise or lower himself as he pleases, guide himself by compass, and can read by the light of a lamp, which he can light or extinguish at pleasure, and with these appliances can either remove torpedoes placed by the enemy or arrange others for the destruction of his ships. What will next be effected ?— English paper. On the 15th of June the Presbyterians of the Dominion of Canada united into one church, embracing 700 ministers and congregations, 100,000 communicants, 500,000 adherents, and extending from Newfoundland on the east to British Columbia ou the west. The four bodies which united were the Canada Presbyterian Church, the Synod pt Canada m connection with the Church of Scotland, the Synod of the Lower Provinces, and the Synod ofthe maritime Provinces. There was a large attendance of ministers and elders numbering about 900. The audience was about 5000, The place of meeting was ¥ he qtafttiog yhjfc pf MonfcwJ,

REPORT OF THE OHINEMURI MINERS' RIGHTS COMMITTEE. The report of the Ohinemuri Miners'-; Rights Committee is as follows:—" l.\ The Committeo appointed to enquire into the alleged illegal issue of mineral rights at Ohinemuri has made very full inquiry into the matters referred to it. The evidence has been taken of various persons likely to be acquainted with the circumstances •> bearing upon the case. The Committee has examined on oath Mr Edward Torrens Brissenden, Mr James Mackay, Mr Gerald Richard Disney O'Halloran, Mr Patrick Dillon, Inspector J. B. Thompson, and Captain Fraser, warden ofthe Thames goldfields. Mr Adam Porter's evidence has also been taken in support of two petitions sent by him to the House of Representatives, and referred to thia Committee. The Committee has likewise \ carefully considered the report of the Royal Commission appointed on the 10th May, 1875, to inquire into the alleged illegal issue of miners' rights at Ohinemuri, as well as the evidence taken before that Commission in the Province of Auckland, a copy of which has been furnished ttf the Committee. 2. I am directed to report that. the. Ohinemuri goldfields were opened fey proclamation a few minutes after ten o'clock a.m. on the 3rd March, 1875. 3. That, some days prior to the opening, arrangements were made by Mr Warden Fraser and Mr James Mackay, agents at that time for the General Government, that applications for miners' rights to be exercised on the Ohinemuri goldfields should be received at anytime previous to the date at which the field was to be opened, and that the rights so applied for should be issued at Mackay Town as soon as possible after the proclamation, at 10 o'clock, on the morning of the 3rd March, by which the field was declared to be open, this arrangement being publicly notified in the Thames Advertiser. 4. That the arrangements made to secure a fair and impartial issue of miners' rights, appear to have been reasonable and good. . 5. That the filling up of miners' rights, for which applications had been received, occupied the evening of 2nd March, and until 2 a.m. of the 3rd of March. 6. That the greater portion of the rights so filled up remained in the custody of Captain Fraser until a few minutes before the reading of the proclamation on the 3rd March, when they were given to the persons who were to issue them for the various compartments of the warden's tents. 7. . That 155 miners' rights passed into the possession of Mr James Mackay on the night of the 2nd March, and remained in his possession until 6 30 a.mi of th(? 3rd March. 8. _ That these 155 miners' rights were put up in bundles or parcels, one of which contained fiftythree miners' rights, for which Mr Brissenden had made application. 9. That on the morning of the 3rd March, at about 630 a.m., Mr James Mackay handed the whole of the miners' rights in his possession to his private clerk, Mr Gerald Richard Dixney O'Halloran, to keep for him during the time he would be occupied while he visited certain survey or road parties. 10. That immediately thereafter, on the departure of Mr Mackay, Mr Brissenden (who was present when the rights were give into . the charge of Mr O'Halloran by Mr Mackay) requestedMr O'Halloran to give him the bundle containing the rights for which he had made application; tbat Mr O'Halloran complied with the request so made, and gave Mr Brissenden a bundle supposed to contain fifty-three miners' rights; that about two hours afterwards Mr O'Halloran returned the remainder of the miners' rights to Mr Mackay, without informing him that he had given some of the number entrusted to him to Mr Brissenden. 12, ' That Mr Brissenden, in accordance with an. arrangement previously entered into with a person named James Smith, handed over at about 7*30 a,m.. on the Srd of Marcb, the miners' rights he had. received from Mr O'Halloran, to a miner named Patrick Dillon, to hand to miners assembled in the Karangahape spur, which was the centre of attraction ofthe Ohinemuri goldfields. 13. Thai Dillon did distribute the miners' rights which he received from Mr Brissenden in the manner intended before ten o'clock on the morning of the 3rd. March. 14. That some, if not all the rights so distributed, were exercised on the. Karangahape spur after ten a.m. on the 3rd Marcb, but before the miners, who were receiving their righls in a legitimate manner at the warden's tent, Mackaytown, could reach the Karangahape spur, and that this" premature exercise of miners' rights prevented Adam Porter and others from acquiring ground which they were desirous of taking up. 15. That in the opinion of this committee the miners' rights issued by Gerald Richard Dixney O'Halloran to Edward Torrens Brissenden, at about 6*30 a.m. of the 3rd March, were improperly and fraudulently issued by O'Halloran and received by Brissenden. 16. That three of the rights, numbered respectively 6*3, 646, 648, so given by O'Halloran to Brissenden were in the name of the said Brissenden, and it would thus appear that he had a direct interest in the fraud committed. 17. That it farther appears from evidence taken before tbe Royal Commission at Auckland, and from the warden's books produced before this committee, that several rights in favor of O'Halloran were included in an application made ' by a person named Robert Cassel, and that some or all of theee rights were eg-K-M (aad therefor mti hkn i

been issued) before the proper time. 18. That itJs probable that the rights ; last referred to were given byO'Hdloran to Brissenden on the morniGg of the.3rd March, at about 630 a.m , but the;committee is not able to say wiih certainty when or how theso particular, rights were issued. 19. That it does not appear from any evidence before the committee that Mr James Mockay was a jparty to tho improper issue of miners'"" rights, except in so far as the enirustiog the rights to his private clerk O'Halloran may render bim so; nor does it seem tbat previous to the appointment of tbis committee he (Mr Mackay) had any knowledge of the mariner io which the righls came into the possession of the minors before the proper time. 20. That with respect to the petitions referred to this committee by the House, signed by Adam Porter and othors, I am directed to. report that the petitioners have no legal iclaim against the. colony for losses which they may Lave suffered by reason of the improper issue of miners' rights, hut that nevertheless as-a matter of equity the 6um of £150 ought to be paid to Adam Porter aod Company to reimburse them for certain legal expenses incurrod in^ an aotion arisiog oat of the said improper issae of miners' rights. (Signed) Johm Brigs, chairman."