While Mr J. W. Joyut, the Principal of the Nelson College, was out on his bicycle, a trap 1 collided with the machine, and Mr Joynt was thrown and had bis collarbone broken. Inspector McGovern was presented with an address and a gold watch by the residents of Greymouth prior to his departure from that town. - Sir James Hector and Judge Ward, mem bers of the Brunner Commission, were pas sengers by the Grafton, which arrived hero last night from the West Coast and Nelson. Mr A. D. Riley, director of the Technical School, is now inspecting the schools up the Manawatu line. Mr Riley expects to return on Saturday next. f The life of a Now Zealand Minister of the Crown (remarks our Stratford correspondent) is not all beer and skittles. “They earn their money,” was a frequent remark heard here after the late visit of Mr Ward. A long speech in the afternoon at Eltham, the recep tion and disposal of half a dozen deputations, an eight miles drive in an open buggy amidst torrents of rain, a two hours’ speech at Strat ford, two hours’ banqueting with another speech and a comic song, “ There’s Bound to be a Row,” with “ Auld Lang Syne ” at mid night; then a series of deputations till well after 2 a.m. formed quite enough work for the average man, and yet Mr Ward turned up for the south train at 8.30 a.m as fresh as paint. Sir Stafford Northcote, who is now making a long visit in Washington—as the gossips say, on a diplomatic mission—has singularly good opportunities to find out just what the drift of American opinion really is, and per haps also not a little to influence it. His younger brother, Oliver, Is in business in Wall street, and married a daughter of Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State under Grant, who negotiated the Alabama Claims Com mission. Sir Stafford’s father a member of that same Commission, and his brother Henry acted as secretary to the Marquis of Ripon, who negotiated the treaty. His own wire is an American by birth, who was adopted by Lord Mount - Stephen, a very wealthy Canadian peer, and the loading spirit in the Canadian-Pacific railroad. 