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West Coast Times, Issue 234, 22 June 1866, Page 2

A heavy gale swept over tho town during tho wholo of yesterday and last night, accompanied by incessant torrents ot rain. Tlio effect' upon the town was moat melancholy, tho streets boing rendered almost impassablo from mud) ami tlld unraodo thoroughfares completely BWamped. Suoh a day of thoroughly stormy weathor lias not beon witnossod horo before during the prosont soasou, and wo expect to hear of numerous acoidonts, resulting in tho destruction of proporty, to whioh wo trust tho disasters threatened will bo limited.

In a recent issue wo gave publicity to a statement, mado very circumstantially by tlio " Hobav't tfown Mercury," to tho effect that tho Rev. H. F. Cox, incumbent of St. John's Church, Goulburn stroot, in that oity, had received and accopted tho appointment of tho Bishopric of Natal, vacant by tho excommunication of Dr Colonso. Wo expressed our surpriso at the choico made by tho Church authoritieß, of an obscure although hard- working parochial clergyman at tho antipodes, to fill a gap in tho episcopate, produced undor ciroumBtancos that had caused suoh sensational effects in ecclosiastical circles. It appears from an announcement mado in tho lato English tolograms, that tlio wholo fttntonioiit about Mr Cox\s preferment must havo beou grounded on some misconception, for tho announcement now made is that " Tho Archdeacon of Demorara hus beon nominated as Bishop Colenso' successor."

In moro than ouo instau'eo wo have seen an indication of tho readiueaa of Great Britain to accept and imitato groat sooial changes whioh havo beon successfully carried through thoir experimental stages in tile cdi'onfcs. Tho feeling of English cotw erv&ltem is" so strong that any proposal to effect an innovation meets invariably, a strong doad weight of oppositron Tlio colonies aro less ououmborod wftft wmbarrasmonts, loss bound by 'traditions nud prosoriptivo idea*. Mv" in thoso England has seen mau^ n»\V philosophies tostod, whioh sho was roluctant to entertain without being previously well assurod of their practical valuo. Amongst tho questions \6ug debated in England^ hftD uc6n tho expediency of substiUUmg tho Bvstom of private for publio cxeoution of tho last sontonco of tho law — moaning by privato execution, tho carrying out of tho sentence apart from tho gaze of a crowd, como to gratify a morbid curiosity, and withiu the walls of tho prison, in tho presence of ft special number of offloials and other- witnossos. Tho croditof the introduction of this Bystom into tho Australian colenios, wo boliovo, is duo to Now South Wales. But tho oxamplo act by that colony has boon followed by tlio wholo of tho BoltlomentB) O.IIA privato oxooution is now tho established law of the colonios. The oxamplo thus sot by an antipodoan oolony has at last beon tardily followed by the mother country j and wo find amongst our tolegraphio items the following :— "ln AilUrd executions for niurdor aro to be effected within tho prisons."

In consoquouco of tho inolomont stato of tho weather, thoro was no performance last night at tho Prineo ©f Wales Opera House. Tho management vory wisely absttiinod from oponing tho doors. This ovoaihg, Morton's comedy ontitlod '* Speed tho plough" will bo produced in whioh Mr Barttott will sustain the oliaracter of Bob Handy.

Very great complaints havo reached us from Rosstown concerning tho frightful condition of the once new track between that placo and the Totara. At a very ounsidorablo expense this road was constructed sorao months ago } but, through not having been kopt in repair, it has from tho incossant traffio upon it become nearly impassible, and most dangerous to tlio lifo of man and beast that are unfortu. natoly compelled to travol on it. The authorities have boon applied to upon tho subjoot, but of course cun do nothing j so that during tho wintor months thoro is almost a certainly that it will remain in its prosout disgraceful state. Wohoarlily sympathise with our Rosstown friends, fooling confident thoy mustBuffer tho groatost inconvonienco. Wo can, howovor, assure thorn that tho plight this town is in is exceedingly similar, for not only aro tho approaches to this town from tho Kanieri and Hau Hau all but impassable in wot woathor, but tho condition of tlio main stroot beggars description, having in somo placoa auoh a ilppth of mud that pedestrians do not daro to.

cross, savo whore high ridges of stones intorsoct it, which wo may as well mention wore not placed thoro by tho Government.

Notwithstanding tho vory mc ' ont weathor last ovoning, there was a very fair attendance at tho Thoatro Royal to witness the performance of tho Stevens' troupe, whioh was an ontiro success, surprising tho audionco aliko by thoir agility, graco, and daring. On Wcduosday night tho houso was quito full.

The gold discoveries in tho uppor Grey district (says tho " Aigus") aro steadily progressing. On Tuosday, information was recoived in town of ft now rush in the neigh- 1 borhood of tho Littlo Gfroy .JiVnctfdn'/ftAd'dn onquirlng wo fdun'd that tncro was somo foundation for Iho rumor. Wo havo beon allowed to copy tho followiug from a lottor received on Tuesday from Mr Warden Lightound: — "I have hoard roports of another rush, about flvo dr six milos up from tho junction of tho Littlo Ch-oy, and from all accounts it is likely to turn out vory well. Thoro is no doubt that tho Grey district will bo tho leading goldfiold of tho West Coast." i Tho quantity of gold that continues to bo taken from tho claims On tho North Beach (says tho " &roy River Argus") is astonishing. Ono party, on tho Darkies Terraco, has divided, for ton days' work, 148 ouncos among six men and all tho olaiins on tho terrace aro giving largo roturus. Tho working of tho tailings from some oi thoso rich claims i» attracting considerable attention, and wo are informed that ono party that recently p urchaSod some tailings, for tho purpose of rq-workiUg them, havo mado, '&hd avo hOw making, as much as LIB per weok por man.

Rofomug to tliQ commencement of tlio Panama Mnil Sorvico, the "Sydnoy Empiro" of tho 12th says :—" Tho Kaikoum etnvts tomorrow to complete tho oirolo of fltoam postal communication round tho World, ttri ftollioVomont tit tho BueW&B of which till nations will liavo dattso Id rejolco, and which will supply to Sydnoy, tho Australian torminns of tho Panama line; Bpotufu" gV'dunds 6f 'saWfiictiom This live # will c&viy nteils SfHJrii Sydnoy, direct to Now £ealattd, Panama, Limn, Valparaiso, San Francisco, Honolulu, British Columbia, Jamaica, Havbadoos, Demorara, St. Thomas's New Orleans, Now York, Quoboo, Halifax) and tho Unitod Kingdom. That groat benefits must bo derived from direct communication with all UtcßO Important centres of commorco is ovidont at ft glanc'o. JBut tho convonienco of postul conuectidil is not $10 Only, nor tho groatok adVa'ritogo, &ecui l 6d by tho opening of this roulo. Tho mail stoamor will bo mot at Wollington by branch steamers from Molbourno, Auckland, Otago, Lyttolton, and Nohon. And tho facilities thus afforded for intercolonial commorco and migration between tho colonies of Eastern Australia and tho progressive provincos of tho two islands of Now Zealand caunot but givo a healthful stimulus to enterprise of vdrious kinds. It is true that da Bdiilo grounds tho migratory character ot colonial sooioty gonprally is mattor of regret j yet from tho vory nature of tho eutovpvises opou t6 oolbnists it follows that migration ih\ in many iustancos, ftA i»idlsp"6u&ablo ilioans of gotting now coinors into tho positions thoy aro qualified to fill with advantago to thomaolves and to tho community, and is, consoquontly, an essential condition of gonoral prosperity, Tho now steam postal lino, thoroforo, by inoroasiug tho facilities of communication botwoon all parts of New Zealand and Enstorn Australia, will tend to advance tho general godd of all Ihtto toh-i-tortefc 'iHioujSjli at protfon't it U li'o't thought advisable 06 Qs6do td Iho wish of tho trench OoVormnont, by making Tahiti ono of Jho regular calling places of tho lino", it iji provable that tho constant passago of tub niail steamers within ft short dia'tanco of tho largo and hnporlant groups of islands in tho central parts of thoPaciflo Ocoan, will afford opportunities for rendering moro frequent and moroecourb tfh&'inl tercoureo botweon.tkose islands and Australia AtPaufti'Da \% mail steamer will bo mot by British steam vossols going to and fro botweon that port and the chief cities on tho coast of Peru, and by American steam vessols running to San Francisco, and by San Francisco, those who desire so lo do, can pass dn to Vancouver's Idand and British Cohunbty by the Undson'e Say stoAnVora* 'tVo course of the wail h ovei' tho Isthmus by railway to Colon, a journey aocoinpli&hod in four hours Prom Colon tho Atlantic stoanWrs will cdnvoy the mails to Jamaica-, tbouc'o passing Hayti to St. Thdmafi'fi island, and from that island to the Azores, whore tho last ,oall is made, and so on to Southampton. Prom Colon two othor routes are open to tho ohoioo \rf tlio travollor. Ho may go by eVoamor to Cuba 5 thoncoaloog l\\o t& u \( o f Mexico to Now (Means, up tho Mississippi, and by railroad to Philadelphia and Now York, where ho may enter tho steamor for Livorpool.- Or, instead of going up tho Mississippi, ho may prdcood along tho coaßt to Now Yor^ and so reach Livorpool before tho lilail steamor from Colon arrives at Southampton. At Colon tho passongors will find alao rogular communication with Doraorarn, Barbadoos, and Brazil. Looking, thon, at all tho important and progressive ports and countries whioh are accessible from Panama and from Colon 5 and considering that tho new postal lino will not only open tho way, for any who wish to do so, to pass rapidly from New South Wales to any of thoso places, but will also offer to thoir inhabitants oasy access to tho ample fields for onterpriso furnished by this colony, it i& impossible to vosist tho conviction, that tho doparturo of tho Kaikoura for Panuma is an ovont full of promiso."

We take the following from the " Grey River Argus":—" Wo learn that so many attempts are made by un-principled miners to impose upon the gold-smelters that the utmost precaution needs to be taken to guard against them. It has become a practice with them to take amalgam known to be excessively adulterated, to the smelter, and after it has been retorted and smelted to make a disturbance about the Bmallness of tho return of gold. In some instances, also, they have by means of threats of prosecution extorted from the victimised smelter more gold than they were entitled to. It is suspocted, also, that spurious gold is being manufactured some where in the district, so it would be well for gold-buyers and smelters to bo on their guard.