West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 329, 12 October 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1866.

We are still without any precise information as, to the fate of the Bill to increase the "representation of .the district in the General Assembly. It seems from the Wellington correspondent of the " Lyttelton Times," that after Mr Moorhouse had secured, as he described it, in a " thin and sorely tired house," the second reading of th^ Bill, a lai'ge amount ,of business was hurriedly got through. At least a third of 'the members of ,the House of" Representatives had gone away to their several homes. But during the few remaining days of the Session, " measures of the highest importance parsed both Houses, if not with mature consideration, at. least with speed," and " a long list of bills Wfhich ornamented the order paper" a few days previously, v had disappeared." ' Of course, Westland, although represented in the Assembly by the Superintendent of the Province, does not occupy a very prominent place amongst thvi matters engaging the attention of the Christchurch press v correspondents, or we might have - been supplied with the one item of news that is of importance to ourselves* viz., the 'presence or absence of the Representation Bill in the long list of " measures of tbe highest importance' that have passed both Houses, "if not with mature consideration, at least with speed."

There remains room, however, for hope that the Representation Bill lias been carried through its stage c . When legislation was conducted with so obvious a desire to pass everything unobjectionable, it can hardly .surmised* that a measure to give 1 n additional member and a half to West Canterbury, would be very seriously resisted ! It is seldom, we believe, that a petition so numerously signed as that emanating from Westland in support of- this Bill, is presented to the General Assembly. Yet we «cc no record of its presentation in the reports before us, and learn the fact only from Mr Moorhouse's private letter. One piece of intelligence is of interest and importance. Mr Moorhouse has redeemed his promise to introduce a Bill to amend the qualification ot candidates - under the goldfields suffrage'; to clear up past uncertainties, and declare valid the late elections of members of the Provincial Council, notwithstanding all technical objections. has done more ; he has carried his Bill, and thereby rendered ihe district a substantial practical service.

In connection with .the recent establishment of a Municipal Council in Hokitika, a most important proclamation appears in the Provincial Government i* Gazette," of the sth instant, to hand by the overland mail. In the exercise of the authorit}' vested in him, the Superintendent has ..ordered "The Fire Brigades and Prevention and Extinction of Fires Ordinance," to be brought into force in the town of Hokitika. The provisions of this Ordinance may necessitate a material alteration in the constitution of the present Fire Brigade ; and 'as few mat-

ters are at this moment invested with so much inteiest as the question of the form which the future. local institutions of the town are to take, we give a resume of the causes of the Ordinance f It will be seen that mu^h of the work already done will have to be done" again, after a different fashion, and that the Brigades formed under the Ordinance possess a much more regular, disciplined aad authoritative character, than the purely volunteer bodies formed to meet a> public necessity, iv the

absence of any legal' provision for their embodiment.

The Ordinance proceeds 'on the assumption that a "duly organised bqdy of volunteers " exists in the district in which its enactments are to be brought into force, and that at "the head of such organised body is an officer named the Chief Engineer. The first clause empowers the Superintendent, if he shall tbink fit, '• On application made to him of not less than two thirds" of any such body, attested by their signatures, and whose services shall have been ac cepted by the Chief Engineer for a period of not less than twelve months, to " accept such body as an enrolled Fire Brigade." Then follow sundry provisions. . The Fire Brigade is to be named after the city or town in which it is organised. The' Chief Engineer' is to be named by a • majority of votes of the members, "subject to the approved and appointment of the Chairman of the City or Municipal Council of the district " Th» other officers are to be" - appointed by the Chief Engineer on the nominaation and election of a majority of votes of enrolled members. " The engines and all other property of the Brigade necessary for the proper and efficient discharge of x its duty, are to vest in and be&jmc the ah solute pi'opvfty of the Citjr or Municipal Council — and to be uuder its control and direction." Penalties are to be enforced for injuring*" the property of the Bri.gade, or obstructing its members in the discharge of ttuur duty. Clauses 8, 9, and 10, provide for the enrolment of a " Fire Police." They empower the Chairman of -any City or Municipal Council, where the ordinance is in force, to accept the services of fit and proper persons not exceeding fifty men in number, whose duty it shall be to attend all fires, to assist the enrolled Police Force, to watch property, &c, and generally to carry out the instructions of the Chief En-

gineer. The Fire Police are< •to be considered part of the Brigade, and t" servo for one year ; and are to be sworn in before a Justice of the peace, and have all the "power, authority, and responsibility-." of constables. Power ib given to the Chief Engineer to ' erect barriers ; and penalties are to be enforced, not exceeding L 5 in each case, for refusing to assist in suppressing and extinguishing fires, where such assistance is demanded by any member of the Fire Police, or .by the Chief Knginein* of the Brigade. Clause 12 regulates the power -to ' " remove or destroy any building for the purpose of preventing the spreading of any fire." An order, the form of which is given in a' sphedule, is to be made and signed "by any three, persons duly authorised by the City or Municipal Council for that purpose, of whom the.Chief Engineer if. -he shall be prcseilt, shall be one." - The house or building so removed or destroyed, is to be taken and deemed fpr all purposes to have been destroyed by fire, and no one assisting in the destruction is to be liable to, penalties. , ' ' The remaining clauses provide for making Brigade Rules .and Regulations, and for the recovery »>f penalties by summary process before a Justice of the Peace,. This Ordinance is simply empowering, not corapulsory\ It , leaves the present Hokilika l<ire Brigade the option of remaining under its present constitution and system of management, or of applying, by memorial of two-thirds of its members, provided their services have been^accepted for twelve months, to be " enrolled " by the Superintendent. Such a , step seems, however, necessary to give the Brigade a legal status, and to protect its members in any iuterfeience with, or destruction of, private property, whilst in the discharge of their duties. The formal order of three persons authorised by the Municipal Council, is necessary to legalise any act. of removal or destruction, and probably such authorisation will not be given unless the Brigade is formally brought, in the manner 'specified in the Ordinance, so far under the control of \ the Municipal Council as to provide for the ratification by the. Chairman of the 'choice of Chief Engineer, and the vestment in- the Council of all tbe property .of the Brigade: It may be anticipated, again, that any aid to be given by the ■ Corporation to the funds of the Brigade will be made conditional upon its being brought under the operation of* the Ordinance. These are matters which it behoves the members seriously to consider ; - and ' having regard to the - increasing danger - of fire to which the town - is becoming exposed, by the very extension of' its improvements, they are of vast public importance. It must be patent to every one that as the vacant places iii our streets are being rapidly filled up, and as timber buildings of palatial 'proportions are rising here and , there to replace the more modest style of structure that has hitherto prevailed, the necessity becomes daily more urgent of providing for the fixpld extinguishment of fires.. The ignition of any* one of the large buildings that are now becoming so common iv our most densly- crowded streets, would create a, huge muss of burning material, threatening extensive destruction to adjacent, property. The Ordinance presents this advantage over the mere volunteer system — that it provides for effective organisation, discipline, and responsibility ; that it confers important legal rights upon the enrolled members and protects them from all damages resulting from their carrying out tfhder tbe proper authorisation whatever measures may be deemed necessary to prevent the spread of conflagration. The Ordinance is in force from the day of its proclamation, viz., the stb instant ; and its provisions help to show how important are the functions with which the new Municipal Council will gradually become invested.

The General Assembly was prorogued by His .Excellency flic Governor on Monday Jast. Only a very meagre telegraph summary

of tho toiitenls of His Kxeelicncy's Speech w,ns transmitted to Chrisfchureh. Sir George Grey p'-o'nisod the introduction, during the next session, of "a measure for the establishment throughout tho colony of municipal institutions, .on an enlarged and comprehensive basis ; and expressed a hope that he would hare a very early opportunity of making a tour of tho Squthern Provinces, and familiarising himself with their great productive resources. His Excellency gave the Royal assent to a large number of Bills passed- during tho session. There will bo no steamer from Panama on the 21st of this month. This is owing to the fact that, in order to effect the change in the date of departure from Sydney, the Rakaia did not leave until the Ist September, instead of fche 15th August; she would, therefore, not reach Panama until the end of September, and start on her return voyage on the 26th October, arriving on the 21st November. « ' - Referring to -the despatch of Mr Stafford, addressed to tho Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, which we publish elsewhere, the "Ly ttelton Times" says :—": — " Mr Stafford's letter is concocted in strict accordance with the principle of the soft answer that turns away wrath. It will be difficult, even for so crusty a gentleman as Mr Parkes, to find cause of quarrel in the letter, or forliis Government to find occasion for backing out of the agreement, or refusing to pay the little bill that accompanies the correspondence." After a period of fine weather, which we have never seen surpassed on the West Coast, a change has taken place, which forcibly reminds us of by-gone times. To say that " West Coast weatlier" has returned would be to imply a slander upon one of the finest climates in the world ; so A f e will merely chronicie the change as a very seasonable visitation, rain being much needed to clear the entrance of the port, and supply the various goldftelds with water, as very serious complaints have reached us lately of a scarcity of that element, without, which sluicing operations must come to a standstill. "On Wednesday the rain commenced falling in real earnest, and during that night was accompanied by a heavy northerly gale, which swept in gusts through the streets, shaking some of the frailer tenements in a manner that threatened their destruction, and kept the inmates on the alert to, if possible, avert it. Yesterday morning the effects of the downpour were apparent, in the river running bank and bank, and the flooded state of the lower parts of the town, not excluding unfortunate Tancred and Hamilton streets, which were completely uuder water. As usual, mauy incidents occurred* which, although humorous in themselves, were evidences vof the discomfort and inconvenience suffered by some of the residents in the above, localities. We observed one of our most respected fellow-townsmen, anc} a civic 'functionary to" boot, in a boat { knocking at the front door of 'his private residence. He responded to our matutinal greeting with a joviality of manner that Mark Tapley might have envied, declaring that " 'twas jaty right, as he ,at last possesod a magnificent water frontage," and after paying the boatman with a cheerfulness of demeanor perfectly in•describable, disappeared, apparently quite contented, into the interior of his domicile. The flood subsided as ' the tide ebbed, bub •during tlie remainder of- the day rain fell incessantly, and the gale continued with unabated violence. Towards midnight the storm lulled, although the heavens continued heavily overcast, giviug but little promise of brighter weather to-day.

The Gold Escort left town yesterday for the Waimea, bttfc on reaching- the Arahura, found that river in such a flooded state, and so covered with snags and brushwood, that an attempt to cross it would have been extremely dangerous. A return was, therefore, .very wipely determined upon. Should the weather bo morefavorable the escort will again leave town to-day.

The " Provincial Government Gazette " of the sth instant notifiesthe appointment of Mr Jas. R. Browne to be draughtsman iv the Survey department at Westland.

_ The " Gazette " contains a notice to the effect that the p*urt of the province of Canterbury to the west of the dividing range having been proclaimed a quarantine ground under ,the Diseased Cattle Act, the following regulation for the management of the said quarantine ground is in force from' the sth inst. ': — " No cattle shall "be driven or removed from the said

quarantine ground into any other portion of the province of Canterbury ; and any person driving or removing, of 'causing to bo driven or removed, or assisting in driving or remov iug any cattle from the said quarantine ground into tyiy other portion, of the province of Canterbury, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty pounds for every head of cattle so imported, .driven, or removed." A singular accident (says the " Daily Times") happened on the jetty yesterday. An tempty dray belonging to Mr Findlay, coal dealer, was there ; the horse in- the shafts being blind. . The man in charge pulled.the reins in the wrong direction, and the horse stumbled off; the jetty, and went head-fore-mast'into the ' hold of the schooner Danzig. The hold was nearly empty ; and, but that/the (dray caught in tho combings of the hatchway, 11 the horse's neat would probably have been broken. As it was, both horse and dry went into the hold, and were only got out after some difficulty; but the horse wag not injured, beyond its fright and the shaking it got in the fall. * <■

A " General G-overnment Gazette," dated the the, 27th uifc., announces :—" Whereas, by the Electric Telegraph Act, 1865, it is enacted that it shall be lawful for tho Governor by Order in Council, to make regulations for the transmission and delivery of all despatches, messages, and communications by tho electric telegraph lines referred to in that Act : and whereas it is further enacted by the said Act that it shall be the duty of all officers and others employed in the working 01 any such telegraph lines to transmit all messages which may be lawfully transmitted under such regulations. : Now, therefore, his Excellency the Governor, with the and consent of the Executive Council of New Zealand, in pursuance and exercise of the above recited power and authority, dothhereby make the following regulation : — No message or communication relating to the Customs shall be transmitted by any officer or other person employed in working any telegraph line ' belonging to the New Zealand Government, or bo allowed by him to be transmitted by 'such line during any period which shall be specified in any order from the

Honorable the (Joimnissioner of Customs, unless under tho written authority of the said Commissioner, or of some person authorised under in his hand in that behalf." The " Panama Star and Herald " thus reckons up the voyage : — From Wellington to Pauama, 27 days ; stay on the Isthmus, 2 days ; Aspinwall to New York, 7 days ;in New York 3 days'; New York to England, 10days ; in all, 49 days. / The arrival of the Christchurch coach was hardly expected on Wednesday night, as,fuom the flooded state of the Hokitika, there was reason for the supposition that the Arahura and other streams which intersect the line of road would be impassable. These surmises were, to a certain extent^ verified, as the coach was stuck up on the A^rahura, across wliich river the passengers and mails were boated, and conveyed into town on horseback. Notwithstanding the delay, the mails were delivered at the Post Ofllce by eeightt t o'clock, only two hours nfter time. There was a heavier load of passengers than usual, as we observed on the way-bill the names of Messrs Graham (Inspector in Bankruptcy), Kinnard, M'Brayne, Read, Welsh, Herson, and Jones. W,e are informed by Mr Graham that heavy rain fell during their passage through the mountains, and that all the streams were high and rising. The road, however, was in excellent order, and but for the weather the jour- ■ ney would have been delightful.

We are indebted to the courtesy of Mr Graham, the Inspector in Bankruptcy, who was a passenger by the overland route from Chr^stchurch on Wednesday night, for a copy of the " Lyttelton Times " of the 9(h instant, 11 day later than our own files. Frbui this journal we extract several important items of news which will be found elsewhere.

Tbe second meeting of the Hokitika Municipal Council will be held this evening at Mr Charles Williams' Hotel, North B'evell-street. Tho tenders for forming a roll of rateable properties in town will be 'considered, and no doubfc much other business of importance will be brought before the Council.

Notwithstanding the very unpropitious state of the weather last night, we Vcre glad to find that a very numerous company attended the Prince of Wales Opera House on the occasion of the concert given by Miss Julia Mathews and a party of amateurs, iv aid of the building fund of the Catholic Church. The theatre was - quite full, aud presented a very animated appearance. The performances" went oil' very successfully, Miss Mafchews rereiviug tho compliment of several encores. The amateurs sustained their parts most creditably ; and we understand that tho pro. ceeds of the concert amounted to,n6t less than Ll7O. It will be seen that Miss Mathews is announced to make one more appearance in dramatic performance to-morrow evening, on the occasion of the Cpmplimentary Benefit to be given to Mr Bartlctt, under the patronage of the Municipal Council.