West Coast Times SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1866.

West Coast Times, Issue 360, 17 November 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1866.

The Financial Statement made by the Provincial Secretary on Wednesday night, in the absence of the Provincial Treasurer from the Council, was of little or no interest to this district of the province. One important exception, however, must be made to this general statement. The estimates submitted to the Council embraced exclusively the expected income and proposed outlay for the Eastern side, and did not include amongst the sources of revenue depended upon for the year to meet the anticipated expenditure, any item in the form of repayment of West land debt. On this subject we understand that forcible representations have been made to his Honor the Superintendent by the members for the district, who protest against any present charge being made upon the current revenue on account of past advances, as a step that would most di-astrously retard the progress of works which imperatively require tobe i mmediately proceeded with. In connection with this aud other matters of great importance to the district, we should say—judging from the tenor of letters we have seen from Christchurch —that the whole of our members are faithfully doing their duty, and at the same time succeeding in maintaining a good understanding with the Superintendent and his Executive. Ttie Westland estimates were to be brought in in the course of a few days after those for the East side of the province, and we noticed that Mr Stewart promised that they should be placed in the hands of the representatives of the district, sufficiently early to enable the hit ter to consider them well before any discussion of them takes place in the House. This assurance removes an apprehension which at one time existed, that it was the intention of the Government to endeavor to induce the House to pa«!.s the Westland Estimates inylobo. It is, at the same time, not improbable that these estimates will be so cast, as to leave much to the discretionary power of the Executive, in the apportionment to the different public works, of the sums of money voted. We notice that.in the Estimates for tlie East Coast, many large lump sums are put down, such, as L 20,000 for main roads, and this being the case it must be admitted to be more than likely, that the samo sj'Stem will be pursued on a much more comprehensive scale in connection with the appropriations for this side. It will follow, that very much of the character and the direction of the works to be first proceeded with here, will depend upon the will of the Superintendent, and the views of such counsellors as he may call about him. Under these circumstances it is very satisfactory to know that nothing has. so far, transpired to lessen the confidence of those who have the best opportunities of judging, iv his Honor's disposition and intentions towards this district. That he may aspire to stand in much the same position to it that Napoleon stands in to France is an hypothesis consistent with Mr Moorhouse's

character and his antecedents. Ti at at the close of the Session he will find himself invested with large powers to be used during a long recess ; and that in the exercise of those powers he will have more regard to a future indemnity than to the passing approval of public opinion; are conjectures which we think miy bo very safely hazarded. Provided we accept such a system of government, it may be confessed thsil it could not find a more efficient em bodiment than in the person of Mr Moorhouse. Although an occasional visitor only amongst us rather than a fixed resident, there is probably no man who has formed a more comprehensive or more accurate appreciation of the Avants of the district, whilst there is certainly no man who has equally powerful motives to promote the development and greatness of the West Coast. His political identification with it as an electoral district of the colony I lends a prestige of its own to his position as Superintendent ot the province ; and it is from Westland—the most populous and the most wealthy of the electorates of the colony —that he derives his title to hold the commanding position he took during the recent session of the General Assembly. We believe thoroughly in his honest and hearty desire to do for this district all the good that the largest powers he can obtain will enable him to effect: but we believe with an equally thorough faith in his wish to be allowed to do it in his own way. Mr Moorhouse is a m;m, not only of great self-reliance, but of great self-appreciation, as a good many powerful men have been before him. There is one point, however, which must not be allowed to be lost sight of. The sense of self-government must be had regard to, and gratified on this side, and his Honor will find he will not weaken his substantial power by associating with him counsellors at once desirous to co-operate with him, well informed as to alt local matters, and possessing the public confidence of the district. It is this view of the situation that we trust the members for Westland will not fail to cease to press upon his Honor's consideration.

Yesterday afternoon, between the hours of three and four o'clock, the North Spit was the scene of a most melancholy occurrence, as a fine little boy, named John Day, aged about seven years, was washed into the river and drowned. It appears that lie, with two companions about his own age. was playing on the Spit, close to that gap through which tho sea at high water oft times rushes with great force. They selected a most dangerous locality to gambol in, and were engaged in the dangerous amusement of advancing to meet the surf, which, as it approached, they avoided by leaping on a piece of drift timber that was lying on one side of the channel. Frightened, however, by a larger one than usual, which washed round them and moved the timber, the little fellows lost presence of mind, and made a rush for the higher part of tho beach, which two of them succeeded in reaching, but the deceased happened to fall at full length, aud before he could regain his feet was washed through the channel into the river. His hands quivering above tho white foam were once seen, and then he sunk to rise no more in life, and as the freshet was running -at a furious rate he must have been swept out to sea immediately. Several persons witnessed the occurrence, but were powerless to aid, as tho boy sank like a stone and was doubtless keptdown by the undertow and eddies, which during Hoods are strong enough to overpower, a good swimmer. We have at times remarked and, on more than one occasion, commented on the danger incurred by children, who, Laving no other recreation ground, amuse themselves on the beach in all weathers by paddling in the surf. It is a most risky practice, and that so few accidents have occurred thereby is to us something marvellous, as the waves rush up suddenly and with great force, and the succeeding drawback is proportiouably strong, therefore very liable to upset such light weights and carry them into the break, from which it would be impossible to save them. We hope that, this melancholy event will induce parents to keep a closer watch upon their little ones for the future. Late accounts from the Pakihi diggings are not very encouraging, as it is calculated that between 5000 and 6000 miners are located there, out of which number not more than 400 or 500 are on gold. Miners who meditate a flit in that direction will act wisely by waiting for further intelligence ere they start. The leadiug clause of the new Act to regulate the carriage of goods, specifies that "livery common carrier for hire by land, and every common carrier by sea, between any ports within the Colony of New Zealand, shall be liublo for the loss of or for any injury done to any horses, cattle, or other animals, or to any articles, goods, or thing? in the receiving, forwarding, or delivering thereof, occasioned by the neglect or default of such carrier or his servants, notwithstanding any notice, condition, declaration, or contract given, made, or entered into by such carrier contrary thereto, or in anywise limiting such liability in the same manner and to the same extent as if no such notice, condition, declaration, or contract had been given, made, or entered into: Provided always that nothing herein contained shall be construed to prevent the said carriers from making such conditions with respect to receiving, forwarding, and delivering of any of the said animals, articles, goods, or things, as shall be adjudged by the Court or Judge before whom any question relating thereto shall be tried to be just and reasonable. Provided also that no special contract between such carriers and any other parties respecting the receiving, forwarding, or delivering of any animals, articles, goods, or things as aforesaid &hall be binding upon or affect any such party, unless the same bo signed by him or by the person delivering such animals, articles, goods, or things respectively for carriage." A rather novel export for Hoki.ika will figure on the outward manifest of the schooner Jane Lockhart, which is to sail to-du} ior Sydney direct, being nothing less than a consignment of wool from the eastern plains. i\! • Mallet, a squatter near the Bealey, has found it to his advantage to use this route in preference to that via Lyttelton, and has contracted with Messrs Lockhart for the conveyance of his produce —the present parcel of six bales being the first result of this arrangement.

We lies; to acknowledge the r^rpipf of lotli'v from tho secretary of Mr CaHsiuts' committee, explaining the reason of that gentleman's detention in Hokitika, which it appears was ciiusefl by the floo.lod state of the rivrrs. We were iv error, it seems, in stating that Mr Cassius is still "in town, he having left on the 11th instant for Christchurch. We are not acquainted with the peculiar disposition of the individual who has sent us the long and abusne epi-tlp alluded to, but v. o mny >uy pity any man who attributes every unintentional mistake to personal feeling of the meanest kind, of which we emphatically declare ourselves to be free. We apologise to Mr Cassius for our two days' blunder. Wo see by the "General Government Gazette " that Curators of Intestate Estates must execute a joint bond with two sureties in the sum of £2000 for tho duo execution of their trusts. A rather larger amount than usual of criminal business was disposed of during the week by the Resident Magistrate, as the following returns show : — For drunkenness, 8 offenders were disposed of; larceny, 2 sentenced, 1 commit ted for trial, 3 discharged ; assaulting police in execution of duty, 1 ; wilful destruc" tion of property, 2 ; obtaining money under false pretences, 1, who was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labor; burglary, 1, and indecent assault, 1, in each of which cases the prisoners wero discharged ; vagrancy, 1, sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment with hard labor : making in all, 17 offences tried and disposed of. According to the Now Zealand Bonded Warehouse. Duty Act, 1866, the annual duty upon warehouses containing a storage capacity of less than 200 tons is fixed at £25 ; of 200 tons and under 500 tons, £50 ; of 500 tons and under 1000 tons, £75 ; and of 1000 tons and over, £100. Travellers who arrived in town yesterday all concur in their accounts of the flooded condition of the country, and state, moreover, that the larger rivers were steadily rising. The Tereniakau was exceedingly high, and great difficulty was experienced in crossing it, even by the aid of a good boat and stout rowers. The boatmen, of course, seized the opportunity to raise the fares ; and those plying on the Arahura increased the charge to 10s for convoying a horse and man across, and 3s for pedestrians, and did au excellent trade all day. The ball given last night at the City Buffet was a very brilliant affair, and reflected much credit on the proprietor, Mr H. J. Hanson, and the parties under whose management the arrangements were made. Tho large room which we before had occasion to notice, presented an unusually lively appearance, aud the lovers of Terpsichore had an opportunity of enjoying themselves to their hearts' content. We need scarcely say that every person seemed well pleased with the evening's entertainment, and notwithstanding the unpropitious state of wr ather, the attendance was numerous, and dancing was kept up with unflagging zeal until day-break. Tho "Svjlney Morning Herald," Oct. 23rd, gives the following account of a dreadful accident by fir) which resulted in tho death of four children. Writing on Friday, tho 19th inst., from Hartley, a correspondent reports that an inquest was hold on that afternoon, before Mr Brown, P.M., Hartley, at the Welcome Inn, near Pulpit Hill, Western Road, on the remains of four children, daughters of Charles A. Taylor, burnt to death in a hut afc One-Tree Hill, on the morning of the 19th. The evidence of the mother, Susannah Taylor, was, that she went to bed at ten o'clock on the night of the 18th ; there were sleeping in the same bed with her, Elizabe.lh, ten years of age, step-daughter ; Ellen, six ; Louisa Ann, 4 ; Emily, sixteen months ; at half -past 12 she was awoke by the noise the fire made in the chimney of the hut . the chimney was all in a blaze ; she sprang out of bed, calling to the eldest girl to take the other children out ; she ran out with a little bit of flour ; she returned and carried out some more things ; she tried to enter the hut after putting down the articles, but could not, the flames preventing her; the three children, were ihen crying "Mother, save us, save us ; she went to the outer part of the hut, where she heard the voices of the children, and tried to pull down fie bark ; she was not and in an instant the fire was upon her, aud the cries of the children ceased ; she got a good deal burned at this spot, and had to desist from the fire enveloping her ; she was all the while shouting for help ; at this* time, when the whole of the hut was on fire, three women neighbors, living from 150 to 200 yards from her, came, but they could render no assistance ; before going to bed witness told the eldest girl to throw some water on tho fire in the fireplace, .yirhieh the girl did, but she thinks the fire was not completely put out; and that the saplings of which the chimney was made, caught fire. The chimney was a very rude structure ; the, wind could get between the sticks, and blew the fire into a flame. The evidence of the neighbors was — that they were awoke by the cries of Mrs Taylor, and on hastening to her assistance, and reaching her hut it was all ablaze, the children made no sound, and assistance was of no avail. The mother got a character from the people living in the vicinity of being a sober, hardworking woman. The father is a navvy, and had gone to seek work on last Wednesday, leaving the little bit of flour as their all. The remains of the children presented a harrowing sight. Tho girl, six years old, appeared to have carried tho child four years, to the corner of the hut furthest from where the fire began, and that they died in each other arms. The eldest girl was beside them, the baby was burned to an ash where it lay in the bed. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally burned to death."