West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 655, 30 October 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1867.

The Provincial Government " Gazette" of the 4th September contained the proclamation, that the then unsold portions of the town lands within the towns of Hokitika, Greymouth, Okarita, &c, were offered for sale under the Land Sales Regulations. The "Gazette" notified that all holders of sections, who were legally in occupation at the date of the withdrawal of the town of Hokitika from the Goldfields, should be entitled to take up their lands at a certain fixed price, viz., one pound and thirty shillings per foot frontage, according to the depth of the allotments — or be allowed the option of letting their holdings pass under the ordinary auction regulations. The terms of the proclamation secured no pre-emptive right to any holders Iwho had not been in " legal occupation" under the Goldfields Regulations, on the 22nd January, 1866 ; and secured no right whatever to compensation for improvements in the event even of the legal occupant, declining the alternative of purchase at a fixed price, and choosing rather to take the chances of the auction room. The special Act passed through the Assembly to remedy these defects, which we were enabled, by the courtesy of the hon. John Hall, to publish in our issue of the 11th iust., provides, in the 3rd section, that the Superintendent shall cause all improvements to be assessed in the case of persons holding town allotments "at the date of the passing of the Act" — such assessed value to be added to the purchase money should the land be bought by any other person than the holder — provided the improvements are of the value of twenty-five pounds, and have been effected by the holder, whose rights however devolve on his lawful assign or representative. These conditions are to be observed " when such land is offered for sale.' The town lands of Hokitika, Greymouth, and Okarita, were offered for sale by proclamation in the " Gazette " of the 4th September. That proclamation has not been withdrawn, and is therefore in force. The two mouths allowed for section-holders to make their election between the purchase of their land at the price fixed by the Provincial Council, and their bidding for it in the auction room will expire at the latest on the fourth November. Those who do not before that date intimate in writing their desire to take up their sections at the pound and thirty shilling frontage price, will have to go into the auction room. If they do the latter, all holders who were in occupation at the date of the passing of the " Hokitika, &c, Town Lands Act, 1867," and have improvements to the value of L 25 put up by them, or purchased by them from others, will be entitled to have the assessed value of their improvements paid over to them, in the event of the land being purchased by any other than themselves. We have repeated these explanations because the right of section-holders to make their election between the fixed price and the auction system will expire in the course of a day or two, under the terms of the unwithdrawn proclamation of his Honor the Superintendent in the " Gazette" of the 4th September.

We understand that the Hon. John Hall will receive the deputation from the Municipal Council, to-morrow afternoon. Wo received by the steamer Charles Edward file's of Melbourne papers to the 21st inst, for which we are much indebted to the courtesy of Captain Patrick. We learn that it is the intention of the Su perintendent to further prorogue the meeting of the Provincial Council until after the proclamation of the County of Westland Act. Mr Joshua Strange Williams will leave for Christchurch by coach on Friday morning. Mr Stewart intends to remain for some further time in the district. Mr Hall purposes we believe to leave for Wellington about the 10th or 12th of November with the intention of returning almost immediately to the district. Mr Balfour may be expected by to-night's coach from Ohristchurch. A telegram received from Chriatchurch states that the hon. John Hyde Harris, Mayor of Dunedin, has been gazetted SolicitorGeueral of New Zealand. The temporary protectivo works on the North beach to be erected by the Corporation, will be commenced forthwith. Yesterday the following tenders were received for a supply of saplings, at por hundred, viz : — J. C. Kellook, L36s j P. Sutherland, L 3 10s j T. Hungerford, L 4 6b ; Turnbull and Packwood, L4 7b 6d. Mr Kellook's tender was accepted. The work will be commenced as soon as the saplings are delivered, the Corporation finding the necessary labor for placing them, under the direction of the Town Surveyor.

A large and influential meeting of the lovers of the turf, was held last evening at the British Empire Hotel, Revell street, Mr Carey, of Carey and Gilles, in the chair. The following resolutions was passed unanimously. — " That steps be taken to get up the Hokitika Annual Races." After some discussion it was resolved " That the consideration of the days of the meeting be postponed to a meeting to be held on Tuesday next. A committee was then formed for the purpose of carrying the resolutions into effect. Messrs Carey and Dyson were appointed to make the necessary arrangements as to the course, and other preliminaries with reference to the coming meeting. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the business. From all we can hear, we believe that some first-rate sport may be expected at the forthcoming races. We observe by advertisement that Messrs R. Reeves and Co. have re-commenced business as auctioneers, land, house, estate and general commission agents in Hokitika. The head of the firm, Mr R. Reeves, is one of the early residents in this town, and from his wellknown business habits we venture to predict that his present venture will be a success. We perceive that it is tho intention of Messrs Reeves and Co. to hold weekly sales of goods, furniture &c. on Saturdays. We understand that a match of cricket will shortly be played in Hokitika between a Greymouth eleven and eleven from the Hokitika Club. The cricket ground is said to be getting into first-rate order, and will probably be in prime condition for the forthcoming match. Yesterday afternoon an accident occurred to a person named David Curry whilst he was with others engaged in working a crabwinch near the steam-tug Challenge. As he was at work his fingers became entangled in the cog-wheels, which severely crushed the bones of the little finger of the left hand, at the same time lacerting the flesh. The man was at once taken to Dr M'Creery's surgery where the wound was dressed. It is a fact that deserves special notice, that on tho occasion of the last three sittings of the Resident Magistrate's Court in Hokitika, viz., on Saturday, Monday, and yesterday, the charge-sheet was clean, not a single criminal case being brought before the Bench. Considering that these days included what are generally known as Saturday night and Sunday cases, the circumstance is very credi table to the community. Once more the dead-lock recurs in Victoria. The Upper House has again rejected the Appropriation Bill on account of the Ministry insisting on again including in it the special appropriation of L 20,000 to Lady Darling. There was virtually no discussion of the Bill. It was silently rejected. Twenty members of the Legislative Council voted, fifteen against and five for the Bill. In speaking of the political situation the " Argus" of the 18th says :—": — " The Appropriation Bill has shared the same fate of its predecessor. Its end was, indeed, more summary than that which befel the former Bill. Without discussion, almost without observation, it was rejected in a full House by a majority of four to one. We thus have completed the second round of our political course, and are now ready for a fresh start. The subtle device of Mr M 'Culloch has come to nought. . The bill has been sent up a second time verbatim et literatim, and the Council has nevertheless not been in the least alarmed. We do not know whether the Chief Secretary can go beyond a repetition of his late persevering process. He will probably be quite ready to sympathise with the advice of his national melody, 'If it wasna weel bobbit, we'll bob it again.' We trust, however, that by this time the Governor has seen sufficient reason to induce him to try the good old constitutional remedy. We are glad to observe that, in his answer to the reply of the Council to his former message, he deprecates any intervention on his part with the majority of either House. We accept this resolve as evidence of his Excellency's intention to keep in future upon the highways of the Constitution. We shall have no more sham resignations ; no more amateur advisers ; no more mocking messages. The Governor is now out of Mr M'Cullock's hands. He has followed the advice which he accepted from that gentleman, and he has in due course found that the result of that advice has been what every person — Mr M'Culloch included — must have anticipated." ' A discussion has taken place m the Legislative Assembly of Victoria on the alleged abuse of their free privileges by members of the Colonial parliament. The Library Committee of the two Houses presented a report in which they insinuated charges of a fraudulent use of the postage stamps placed at the disposal of members to frank their correspondence on the public service, for which purpose a sum of L2OO is placed annually on the estimates. It appears that the stamps are issued to the members on application, by the Librarian, and the account of the number issued to each is entered in a book kept for this purpose. Amongst other charges arising out of this arrangement, it was alleged that one prominent member of the Legislative Council had used two hundred and ninety-five two-penny stamps upon the departure of one English mail. It subsequently tmnspired that 'these wore not used to cover private correspondence, but to frank copies of the Report of the Royal Commission on Education. It was said of a member of the Assembly, that he had applied at one time for two thousand stamps, but it appeared on further explanation that the hon. member, on applying for a certain number of stamps had been told by . the librarian " that he did not think he had so many ;" upon which answer he said that he had a right to ask for a couple of thonsand if he pleased ! The report of the Library Committee was sent back to it for reconsideration. Other charges appear to have "been adduced against members. One was to the effect that a sum was annually paid out of the Treasury to the Contractor for the Refreshment-rooms, to reimburse him for "free drinks" taken by members at the bar, and another that the free railway passes issued to members were systematically usod by their friends, to whom they were lent. Boih accusations hare been pronounced to be altogether without foundation. The free privileges of members of Parliament in Viotoria would seem to be somewhat extensive : they travel free on all the railways and contract coaches of tho colony ; their correspondence is franked on all matters supposed to be on the public service and on parliamentary business with their constituents ; and they have no tolls to pay on the roads. Tht arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh at Adelaide was hourly expected, and arrange

ments were made in Melbourne for hoisting signal flags the moment telegraphic news of his advent was received. A telegram from Sydney, dated the 14th inst., says ,— " H.M.S. Virago, Commander Bingham, arrived from the Cape of Good Hope last evening. She left on the 5th of September, and reports that the Galatea was at the Cape, and was to leave on the 25th of September. The Prince had been feted almost to surfeit at Rio. and the Cape, He had left in H.M.S. Rangoon for an excursion. The Honorable Mr Willoughby, midshipman on board tho Galatea, died of typhoid fever at Rio." In connection with the account we extract elsewhere, from the "Argus," of the reception of the Duka at Rio de Janiero, that journal says: "We reprint in another column, from a Brazilian journal, an account of the reception, the fetes, and the ball given to the -Duke of Edinburgh at Rio de Janiero. The unusual style in which the enthusiastic reporter of this Anglo-Brazilian newspaper deals with the scenes of the ball-room, the attractions of the ladies, the reel- dancing of the Duke, and the conduct (and misconduct) of the stewards, is the raciest thing in this style of business which we have ready for many a day. It is moddled on the "New York Herald's" style of ' doing' the fashionable balls at Saratoga ; but we doubt if the Jenkinses of New York ever exceeded him of Rio."