Untitled

West Coast Times, Issue 328, 11 October 1866, Page 2

A grand concert fs announced to take place this evening, at the Prince of Wales Opera House, the proceeds of which will be devoted to the liquidation of the debt on the Roman -Catholic Church. The theatre has been ,Jcnt for the purpose by Mr Bartlott. The main attraction of the evening will be the re-ap-pearance of Miss Julia Mathowe, who will lend her invaluable assistance. This circumstance alone, will, we are satisfied, be sufficient to ensure a crowded house. It is. announced that Miss Mathews will appear again »on the stage in HoMtika, on the occasion of a projected benefit to Mr Bartlett. We may also express a hope that she will not be allowed to leave the West Coast, without a, final complementary benefit given to her by her many admirers here. But; to night will be her last concert performance, and the opportunity will, no doubt, be eagerly embraced, of listening to her sweet tones. We notice with n^ucli pleasure that another mining company has been formed in the Kanicvi district, and registered under the name of the " Commissioner's Flat Gold Mining Company." The prospectus which is published in another column contains full details of the undertaking, which we are inclined to regard most favorably, as two leads of gold have been traced into the three acres of groxmd leased by the company, and a systematic mode s of working, backed by* capital, is alone needed to ensure remunerative returns. We wish the new company cv.cry success. One of the first acts-of the new Municipal Council was, to wait upon that, talented lady, Mrs Mumford, to request: that she would give a farewell performance at the Prince of Wales Opera Hotise on Saturday night, on the occasion of Mr Bartlett's benefit, the -performance to be under the immediate patronage of the new civic body. To this request Mrs Mumford gave her consent. The announcement of the performance will be found iv another column. •*■ j We have received very favorable and reliaIble intelligence from a new workings opefled N within the last few days, bet Wen the Waimea I and Kapitia Creeks, from which we infer that another of those rioh patches bo peculiar to Hthe coast line has been struck. The ProII spectors' claim is situated at tho foot of a low U terrace, about one hundred and fifty yards inf laud from the beach, and from the bottom of I their shaft, y a return, of from 3 graius to \\ I'lwts the dish w#s obtained. Tho depth of 'linktaK is eighteen M through. toyev» tf »ancl

wind sandy loam until tho washdirt is reaohod ; cho latter consists of black sand and granite and sandstone wash, about nine inches thick. Between acvenand eight "hundred miners have assembled there, and the ground is market! out for a distance of nearly two miles on each side of the Prospectors' claim. Two stores are already erected, and doing a thriving trade, and several others are going up, and as the locality is densely scrubbed, the diggers and storekeepers havo^commonced a pack track from the beach, which in a few days will be completed. Many shafts are being sunk, but so far, the prospectors alone have bottomed. Another of those mysterious disappearances for which the Coast is so remarkable, and which have never, in our recollecti&n, been followed by any tidings of the missing parties, was brought under our notice yesterday, by the police. It appears, that on tha sth inst. a man, who a day or two previously had pitched histtent close toMrßicard's residence, called upon that gentlemen, and in an excited and incoherent manner said, "he was looking for his brother, of whose whereabouts ho requested information." The man was quite a stranger to Mr Ricards, who, being convinced from his manner that he was laboring under an attack of insanity*, advislsd him to make enquiries at the Police Camp for his missing relative ; upon which, the poor fellow departed, and Mr Ricards hae.not seen him since, but, observing that the tent remained unoccupied he, yesterday.Nnade known the circumstances to the authorities, who" at once inspected the tent which, from its appearance, had evidently been deserted for some days. The man's personal effects, bedding, '&c, were found inside and taken 1 possession of by the police, pending his re-appe^rance. Aqtive enquiries were also made, with the view of elicitiug information that might lead to his identity, when it tran- , spired that he was one Newland, by birth a Scotchman, and about twenty-six years of age. A miner by profession^ he had lately been working at the Five Mile Beach, Okarita, from which locality he removed to town. Nothingfurther is mown concerning him, but it is feared that he has made away^ with himself during a fit of madness.

Sergeant Blain, officer in charge of the Kanieri district, ' writing on the 7th instant, says that during tho past fortnight no material alteration has taken place in the number of the population of, that district, M-hich may be estimated afc aboub 4000. Thorc was a great stagnation iv mining matters consequent upon the .stoppage of the two" engiucs on the old flat, but as they have again commenced pumping, activity is once more the order of the day, the different claims being in full work. At Commissioner's Flat several claims in connection with the different engines there have been given up, as the ground was proved to be too poor to pay even small wages. Mining on the old terrace has assumed a much healthier phase, the Pioneer Company having at last completed their branch race ; and, as ifc carries a heavy head of water, the Company are enabled to supply a great many claims. Notwithstanding this increase, the indispensable elemout is still at a premium, and double the quantity could be readily disposed of, for the sluicers generally are making good' wages, and much ground is still unoccupied which, it is believed, would pay well if water were only -available- to work it. Tho Woodstock and Arthur's Town communities have slightly increased in number during the fortnight. At Tucker Flat the miners aro principally employed working old ground by the aid of that primitive appliance the cradle, small wages being the result. The" two companies there which obtained a grant of 'extended ground, with the intention of sinking to the main bottom, have apparently abandoned the work, as the ground is {go deep and wet co be" wrought without the assistance of steam .machinery. | The Ho Ho and Blue S.pur leads coutinue to U employ a large body of miners, many of whom succeed in making high wages. About a dozen shafts were smile at the northern extremity of the Ho Ho lead hr expectation of striking the gold again. Only one out of the number obtained any return, and this was so small that the others were at once abandoned. The rush to the terrace . below the Three-Mile township is turning out better than was at first anticipated. Seven shafts were bottomed last week, aud all gave fair prospects. The district is Tory orderly, no crime .having been reported during the fortnight. The " Otago Daily Times" of the 2nd inst. says :: — •' Mr Justice Richmond and Mr Justice Chapman will, we believe, sail in the Airedale, ou Friday, for Wellington, in order to attend the Court of Appeal. We have not heard of any ease from this district."

The proposal to change the ' title of the United States Government has been negatived. A New York journal records its objection thus :—": — " Mr Anderson's bill, some months since introduced in the House, to change th£ title of this Government from " United States of America" to the simple title of " America," has been effectually defeated by tlje action of the Judiciary Committee, to whom tho bill was referred. It appears that a bare majority of the Committee aro opposed to., the change of^itle,'and that majority prefer to kill the bill by a resolution in committee, indefinitely

postponing the further consideration of the matter. A minority, including (he chairman, are in favor of* reporting favorably. No doubt the proposition will meet with more general iiivor at the next s^Esion of Congress, when there will be fewer questions of greater moment to absorb the attention of the national Legislature." *