CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume 1, Issue 148, 21 January 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

The business of the election does not seem to progress very rapidly. We are now within three weeks of the day of nomination, yet nothing of real importance has been done. There have been several requisitions, the number of signatures to which were apparently only limited by the trouble of asking, followed of course by the usual stereotyped replies; and there have been several presentments and withdrawals of candidates, but as yet the public are as little informed on the main subject, namely, the views and opinions, capabilities, or incapabilities of the candidates, as they were a month ago, seeing that none of the gentlemen who have come forward have yet ventured to open their mouths or commit a sentiment of their opinions to paper. This retiring bashfulness cannot last much longer, and we hope the candidates will pluck up courage, meet the electors face to face, and give a frauk declaration of their opinions and views. Two of the gentlemen forming Mr Hennelly's committee proceeded to Brighton on Saturday for the purpose of forming a subcommittee there. The candidate spoken of as likely to come forward from Brighton has, we understand, declined the proffered distinction, and there appears no likelihood of another being found in that locality. It is our painful duty to record another fatal accident resulting in the death of a respected townsman named Allen, of the firm of Allen Brothers. Full particulars of the sad event have not reached us; but it appears the deceased gentleman was on his way home from the Buller, when in attempting to ford the intervening river on the nine mile beach, both he and his horse got swept out to sea, and were drowned. Mr David Henderson, who arrived on the same day only a very short time after the accident, brought the intelligence into town, and describes the river as being deep and dangerous; he crossed it in the ferryboat. The body of the horse was thrown up on the beach, but nothing was seen of poor Allen's body. At the weekly meeting of the Hospital Committee on Friday evening,

the chairman reported that the case of Cohen Brothers v. the Committee, had been decided in favor of the latter. The action was for the value of some furniture, amounting to £49, which the plaintiffs, who reside in Hokitika, alleged to have been purchased from them for and on account of the Charleston Hospital. It was distinctly shown, however, that the person who made the purchase had no authority from the committee, who had no knowledge whatever of the matter until a bill from Cohen Bros, was presented to them some months afterwards. Mr W. Eees, formerly of this town, was good enough to conduct the defence without fee, but strangely enough, the magistrate at Hokitika, Mr Fitzgerald, refused to allow any expenses to Mr Jones, who had to go down to defend the action, his rule being, it appears, to allow expenses to witnesses, but not to defendants ; surely a most unjust rule ?