(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

West Coast Times, Issue 265, 30 July 1866, Page 3

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

(feom oub own co-respondent.)

Nelson

Saturday, 4.40. p.m. Arrived. — 27th, Otago, Kennedy, and Airedale, steamers, from West Coast. Sailed. — , 27th, South Australian and Tararua, for Hokitika and Melbourne ; Wallaby, for the Grey. Frederick Birkman, taken prisoner at the Buller, has been brought here on a charge of sticking-up at the Grey. He has been remanded to Cohden. He is suspected of having killed his mate on the Buller, the body found in which river answers the description of the man.

The "Lj'ttelfcon Times" correspondence from Wellington, furnishes sonic gossip about the Goldfields Committee, to which Mr SaleandMiPricehave just been summoned to giveevidence. "We quote as follows :—": — " There huvo been smothered isuttorings, followed by volcanic discharge's of tremendous import, arising from the Groldficlds Committee. This is an enormous institution of the session, comprising thirteen members of one house and right of the other, who not only fill the committed" rooms but overflow into the adjacent lobbies. It is said that not a little wrangling goes on ; wherefore divers other members go down and form a queue in the passage to v indulge in the delights of the discussion. It seems that energetic members of very opposito sentiments and interests are on the committee, and that when one party proposed to send to Otago for a witness, each of the others determined to do the same. This being considered hardly fair to the most prominent interest, it demanded further witnesses on its own behalf. An opposing member threatened to have up six, and so the battle went on. The Government heard of it, shook with fright at the expense to be incurred, and appealed to the House. Then the whole story came out. Mr Keynolds attempted the narrative, but was stopped by the Speaker, on the ground that the proceedings of a committee are not supposed to be made public except on its" own report. Mr Heynolds humbly begged leave to put a hypothetical case ; and he delivered himself of a parable the like of which is not to be found hi any prose writer,, nor oven in poetry. Some other speakers attempted to follow tho style, but it broke down under them, and the sins of the Goldfiolda' Committee stood confessed. No doubt the discussion had its effect in warning the committee against the absurdity of tho antagonism of its members. But tho motion which the Government proposed — namely, to have no distant witnesses at all, except with the sanction of tho whole House — waa objected to and was discreetly withdrawn. An important question has been referred to th** committee, namely, is the legislation on g-' 'fields as well as the administration to be gi . vii to the provinces, or is tho administration to bo handed to the General Government, with whom is fl)e sole right of lesis. lation?" b