West Coast Times. SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 288, 25 August 1866, Page 2

West Coast Ti mes. SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1866.

We publish in our supplement full extracts from the English papers received by tkc Claud Hamilton! froui Sydney. | They furtiisk d@tj4U.6 of the earlier porti'Qiis iif the intelligence covered by the telegrams issued in a second edition of the Times on Monday List, We liave, of course, no details of the subsequent incidents of the war recorded in the late Anglo-Indian telegram^. By the Claud Hamilton we have colonial news to the 18th inst. from Sydney, and id ihe 17th from Melbditfnfc. Much local intelligence is unavoidably held ovev.

At the meeting of the Memorial Committoe, held yesterday afternoon, there were present Mr Sale, the Treasurer, Mr Barlf, Mv Bright, Mr Cooper, Mr Eaton, and Mr South. Several subscription lists, were handed in. It was resolved to publish a list of the subscriptions at present received or promised* and to close the lists on Sattofoy tilt 4 £lh September, A considerable Blim is yet required to make up tile amount considered by the committee requisite,' effectively to carry out the instructions of the public ineetmf JVeld at the Cafe de Paii.*.

The enquiry into the_ causes which led to the stranding of the s.s. Win. Miskin, is postponed until Monday next, when it will be hold at the Supreme Court iiouse, before tho Resident Magistrate, after the ordinary business is disposed of. An inquest upon the body of Robert Clark, now lying at the Teremakau township, will be held to-day by tho District Coroner, Dr. Beswick. Another handsome addition has been mado to the drapery and clothing establishments of j this town by Messrs Manson and Co., who, j this day, open their new promises, which havo been lately erected on the site where once stood Kennedy's Club Hotel. The interior of the building is commodious and well fitted, whilst tho show window will be one of the handsomest in Hokitika, as it is constructed of three large sheots of plate glass, each about 10 feot by 5 feet in size. The Bhop is divided by au arched partition, at the back of which is the ladies' department. We trust that the enterprise of Messrs Mauson and Co. will be rewarded by a fair share of the public patronage.

There was a good house at tho Prineo of Wales Theatre, last night, when Miss Julia Mathews appeared for the first time in the Comedy of " Everybody's Frieud," and reappeared iv her great part of Endymion, in Broughs's romantic burlesque. We withhold our criticism in consequence of tho pressure of news by the mail.

The " Wellington Independent " observes , — " Mr Fitzherbert once said that the number of officials in Now Zealand equalled a regiment at its full length. He spoke within the mark, because official returns provo that we pay under appropriations of the General Assembly 1602 individuals in salaries and fees £193,404. Moreover, wo do not pay them very well, because while chief clerks' get au average salary of £281 Bs, and other clerks an average sulary of £175, yet the rates paid by banks and mercantile establishments to persons in corresponding positions are considerably higher. We have too many ill-paid men, and there is no doubt that a smaller number at better salaries would do the work better, because good pay would secure good men."

We take the following digging nieins. from tlio " Grey River Argus" :—" Tho first considerable! parcel of gold, tho produco of tho Now River Rush, has been purchased by tho Bank of New South Wales. It weigjied 140 oz., and was tho result of the first washing up by

a party who have only been working a few weeks. Dud'or'a Gully, and its adjacent diggings, continue to contribute well to the yield of gold in the Grey district: One buyer brought doWn tf&bs weight yesterday."

With reference to the decline of the Maori race, tho Wellington correspondent of the "Lyttelton Times" writes;— " Two gentlemen, whoso official duties have recently taken thorn separately over almost all this island, have m&cle, independently of one another, each his own estimate of tho number of Maoris now existing. It his been supposed that the native population varied from 40.000 to 50,000 persons \ but one of these estimates gives the number at 34.000 tho other at 27,000, ' certainly not over 30,000.' "