West Coast Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 129, 15 February 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1866.

Aftkh a fashion the question, who and what is the governing power in Westland, is answered. The police are the Government. Mr. Sale has left us to make his devoirs on the other side of the range, but the constabulary wo have still with us. The decree Which disenthrones Commissioners and Wardens insjals in dignity and authority Mr. Inspector Broham and his force. Various Gazette notices intimate" for the public information that Ilokitika and the Grey have been withdrawn from the Goldfields and that lands comprised within certuin defined boundaries are set apart to constitute the two towns. These notices wo presume, are sufficient to bring Hokitikaaud the Grey within the category of '• proclaimed towns," and the provisions of the Police Ordinance have been formally pxtended to thorn. This is undoubtedly the greatest advance in government the district has yet witnessed. There is at last power vested in some quarter to do something ; and it is to be hoped the resultwill bo the speedy suppression of the gross nuisances which have hitherto defied all constituted authority. No town has ever been more mismanaged than this has ; none has ever been more reeking in villainous offences. Poor Mr Sale tried to do what he could, but the Resident Magistrate told him in effect that he had as much power to punish people of filthy habits as ho had to say to the encroaching sea itself, " Thus far shalt thou como and no farther." It is very necessary that tho public should understand that a new state of things has been inaugurated, and that a great number of petty offences, which havo hitherto passed unpunished and unnoticed, oxcept by the people they have disgusted, are subject to summary justice, and to sharp penalty. We proceed to point out some of the provisions of the Police Ordinance which is for the first time brought into force in tho proclaimed toAvns of this district. The following offences against Municipal Order aro liable to be visited with a fine of fivo 'pounds, or under: — Street games and disturbance to congregations on the Lord's day ; firing combustible matter to the danger of any buildintc ; riding or driviug through the public streets so as to endanger the lives or limbs of passengers ; allowing ferocious dogs to be at large unmuzzled, or " wantonly setting on any dog to attack, worry, or set in fear, any person or animal ;" negligently driviug cattle through a public thoroughfare to the damage of person or property ; wantonly hurting or harassing cuttle ; neglecting to keep covered, openings in the footway or roadway to cellars, &c. ; conveying night soil along a public thoroughfare between the hours of six in the morning and eleven at night ; exposing for sale, or having in possession with intent to so 1, uuwholesome food, or having in possession diseased animals 1 for the purpose of slaughtering ; throwing or leaving earth, stones, glass Jbottlos, or rubbish on a public thoroughfare ; obstructing public thoroughfares ; suspending carcases or meat so as tooverhang a thoroughfare ; throwing out dead animals into streets, &c. ; training or breaking in horses in a public thoroughfare ; neglecting to observe tho proper rules of the road, in driving vehicles ; hauling goods otherwise than in wheeled vehicles ; using profane or indecent language, &c. ; bathing within view of any placo of piiblic resort between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ; defacing knockers or signboards, or wilfully disturbing any inhabitant by ringing any bell or knocking at any door ; wilfully damaging houses, personal property, trees, shrubs, &c. ; committing or provoking a breach of the peace ; discharging firearms without lawful cause ; wilfully firing tho bush or other vegetation ,' neglecting to keep chimneys clean, and causing goods to be exposed on a public thoroughfare, or a signboard to project over one. Large powers are conferred for the abatement of common nuisances, which havo not hitherto been possessed by the local authorities, in consequence of neither Hokitika nor tho Grey being proclaimed townships. The nuisances specified aro tho exorcise of any noisome or unwholesome trade, tho keeping of hogs or of styes, privies, or other receptacles of filth of any kind, so as to cause offence. On complaint made to a Resident Magistrate or to two Justices of tho Peace, it is lawful for the Bench to make an order for tho abatement of tho nuisance, and to cause the order to bo affixed to the promises ; and the neglect to obey it is to bo visited with a penalty not exceeding ten pounds. The following offences are liable to q- fino of twenty pounds, vizj—Tho

wilful destruction of buildings, roads, or other property; the removal, without pei'inission.of any material used in tho formation of roads, &c.; excavating undeu any road ; removing or interfering with survey marks. Indecent exposure within view of nny public thoroughfnro or placo of resort, is punishable with a fine of not exceeding twenty pounds, or imprisonment at tho discretion of any two justices of the peace, for a term not exceeding threo months. Any constable is empowered to demand admittanco, for the pjurposo of preventing, repressing disorderly conduct, into any shop or place of public resort, where refreshments of any kind avo "sold or consumed," whether kept or retained on tho promises or procured elsewhere ; and any unnecessary delay in giving him admission, subjects the offender to a forfeiture of five pounds. The police are protected in tho exercise of their duty, and aro entitled to help from by-stander3, when calling upon them in the Queen's name. Persons resisting a constable in the performance of his duty, or refusing aid to him, aro liable to a ten pound . fine, or a month's imprisonment. - These are tho main provisions of tho measure which constitutes at present the Municipal law of Ilokitika. If not so comprehensive as tp embrace alt the evils of which tho people have been loug complaining, it certainly comprises powers of dealing with most of tho more crying offences ugainst public propriety. In tho exercise of their new authority it is to bo hoped the police will combine zeal with discretion. Possessing almost a plenary power it is quito possible to, use it vexatiously. But there may bo the utmost vigilance without an undue and vexatious officiousness. An intelligent officer will know how to discriminate between tho two classes of offences now made amenable to law. Those that outrage decency and morals should be hunted down to the death. Here justico should be relentless. There are nuisances towards the perpetrators of which there should bo nojjmerey. At tho samo time thero are technical breaches of the law committed often through' inadvertence and with no purposed intention of offence. In many instances a judicious M'arning will suffice for the public protection. It may be hoped that the explanation we have given of the provisions of tho law as it is now in force, will conduce to the maintenance of municipal order, and to the abatement of many nuisances which havo hitherto gone unchecked.

Captain Beveridge lias sent us information from Bruco Bay to the effect that there nro bet.ween sixty ami seventy minors working there, the majority of whom are ranking LI per day n man. Tho old system of cradle washing has been universally discarded, and sluicing adopted instead, the results fully warranting tho change, Provisions nro to bo had at reasonable prices, flour being quoted at L 5 the bag, and other articles of consumption in proportion, An uMdition has been mado to the number of prisoners in our gaol by the arrival of (he Ballarat from tho Grey yesterday. Pour prisoners came by her in charge of two constables, two of whom are undor committal for garotting, one for larceny of a watch, and one sontonced to one month's imprisonment, with hard labor, for stealing a watch. It is to bo hoped tho new gaol now in course of erection near the coinetery will soon be completed, as the present accommodation id exceedingly limited Even now the cells are over crowded, and in a week or two we are likely to again hear of tho same disgraceful state of things that called forth such a sovoro rebuke from Mr Justice Gresson when ho inspected tho prisoners' quarters in tho camp. Wo presume the new gaol is not inoluded in Mr Hall's sweeping denunciation of Wostland public works. v Wo take tho following from tho Argus — " At a mooting of tho Council of.tlio Molbourno University, Mr John Drummond Kirkland was appointed lotturer on chemistry. Thero wore five candidates, but tho socrotnry of tho University declined to disoloso thoir mimes." Mr Kirkland, ib will bo remembered, was assistant to tho Into Dr. Macadam, and gavo important evidence in tho second trial of Captain Jarvoy, in -Dunedin, for tho murdor of his wifo. Tho ongino and boilers lately purchased by (ho Star Steam Pumping Company, at tho Kanieri, from Mr Aldridgc, have been safely transported from tho saw mills on tho south sido of tho ITokitikn, across tho rivor, to tho Company's claim at tho back of tho township. They arrived on tho ground on Friday last, and in a week O r ton days two oxpocted' to bo roady for work. By tho Claud Hamilton wo haYo files "of Molbourno papers to tho Bth inst.., and later datos from tho othor Australian colonios. Yesterday being Ash Wednesday, thero was no business transuded at tho ltosidonfc Magistrate's Court boyond tho disposal of tho drunktmls' list. William Clarko ITaines, tho first Promior of "Victoria, an honost, honorablo Englishman, who did tho Stato manly sorvico in critical times, lias die 1. Tho Jr#us pays—" Wo vory much rogrot to havo to announ'co tho death of Mr Ilninos— a gontleman intimutely associated wilh tho constitutional history of tho colony, and a most estimnblo member of ouv community. Ho cliod about flro o'clock on Saturday, nftprnoon, and whon tho nows of his doconso spread throughout tho town thoro was a vory gonoral manifostation of vegrot, although provious accounts of tho stato of tho honorablo gentleman's health had lod tho publio to anticipato a fatal termination to his illness. Though a prominont politician, and necessarily at ono time and nnother acting in opposition to tho views of corlain parties, wo fool convinced that thoro avo vory fow of any party who do not vory sincerely lamonfc Mr Ilames's promahiro decoaso." Our Melbourne files inform us of tho departure of the hrigantino Colonist from Sydnoy for Hokilika. By her the dramatic company engaged for the now theatre by Messrs Bartlett and Moon woro to leavo Sydney, so that wo may their arrival daily, us tho Colonist is a fast vessol, having mado ono or two oxcollent passages to the port. We hopo tho theatre will be ready for their reception, 'as such an entertainment will be most acceptable, for hitherto tho original drama has not found a resting-place amongst us. Two or threo attempts havo been made by stray knights of tho ." sock and buskin" to introduce it, but in each instance a miserable failuro has boon the result. This time, ljowevor, wo feel certain we shall not be disappointed, and trust tho originators will reap a rioh harvost from the speculation. A sum of £200 has boon voted by tho Pro. vinciol Council of (Canterbury to M..Chovalior to assist him, in Ju'e nytjutio labours in Now Zonland,