CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 154, 28 January 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

A very large meeting assembled at M'Grath's Shamrock Hotel, on Saturday evening, to receive from Mr George Donne, M.P.0., an account of his doings in the Provincial Council. The chair was taken by Mr Job Savage. After referring to the last occasion on which he had the pleasure of meeting the inhabitants of Charleston, namely at the time of his being elected, Mr Donne said, he proposed to render an account of his stewardship, and hoped, before he was done, to convince the meeting that he had discharged the duties entrusted to him faithfully and honestly. He considered the present moment the eve of an important election, a very fitting opportunity for such an account, and could not help remarking, that although totally uninfluenced by a regard for any particular candidate, he looked forward with considerable anxiety and interept to the result of this election. He Jhad fought very hard for the present increased representation, and it would augur very badly for any further extension, if a bad choice was now made. He

then referred to the particulars of his statement published at the time of his election, &,nd pointed out how he had fulfilled the pledges there given, and afterwards gave a resume, at some length, of such proceedings of the Council during the last two sessions, as related in any way to the South-West Goldnelds. He was listened to with great attention throughout, and at the conclusion, a vote of confidence being put to the meeting by the chairman, was unanimously carried. Another of those pleasant festive gatherings called to witne .s the christening of a crushing-machine, took place at Hargreave's Terrace, on Saturday afternoon. The weather was all that could be desired, and the pull up to the Terrace was rather warm work, it only rendered more palatable the bumper of champagne handed to us at the termination of our journey. The scene of operations was the claim of Alex. Thompson and Thos. Mylchrist, the prospectors. Not long ago, Mr Thompson went to Victoria, and at Ballarat got an engine and battery constructed, the former by Ivey and Co., those he brought over to Charleston and dragged up the terrace, and the whole were put together, foundations made, framing, pumps, and other requisites constructed, in little more than a fortnight. The battery, which is of iron, consists of four heavy stampers, driven by a pretty little steam-engine of six horse.power, with tubular boiler. "When started, the whole appeared to work admirably, with plenty of power at command. The furnace was fed with wood, and there seemed no difficulty about getting steam. The machine having been christened "The Golden Point," a move was made to a well-furnished refreshment table and Mr Broad, R.M., inducted into the (figurative) chair. Then followed a few toasts and a great many songs, the harmony being after a time increased by the arrival of a fiddler and fifer. The health of the proprietors, proposed by Mr Broad, was of course drunk with enthusisim. A large number of townsfolk as well as miners were at the gathering, and the scene was graced by the presence of several of the fair sex.

The days appointed by Mr Broad, RM., for hearing cases in the Magistrate's Court, are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at eleven o'clock. The same evening the address was presented to Mr Button, a few of his friends invited him to partake of a parting glass of wine at the Melbourne Hotel. Between twenty and thirty gentlemen assembled, and spent an hour or two very sociably together. The next morning, Friday, Mr Button took his departure for Cobden. It is a pleasing fact to record that the subscription recently started at Brighton, for the relief of the sufferers by the late calamitous fire, has been most successful, upwards of two hundred and thirty pounds having been collected within the first twenty-four hours. This is very creditable of our worthy neighbors. Mr Broad, R.M., held a Court here on Saturday for the first time since Mr Button's departure, but the business transacted was of an unimportant nature.

What may be considered a new era in cement crushing was inaugurated on Thursday afternoon, with the christening of the " Band of Hope " machine, situate on the brow of the Back Lead Terrace, overlooking the valley of the Nile. The battery of six stampers is driven by a small steam engine, with a cylinder not much larger than a good sized Wellington boot, yet of 4 horsepower ; and if we except the battery worked for a short time by Mr Nees' engine, is the first instance in this district of the application of steam power to such a purpose. Having been duly christened by Mrs Pierro, the engine —a compact affair, built to order by Ivey and Co., of Ballarat —was set agoing,and for a first essay appeared to do very well, though it was soon seen that an improvement might be made by altering the relative sizes of the driving puilies. An adjournment then took place to a convenient spot where there was a table spread with refreshments, and Mr Bain proposed success to the Band of Hope and the shareholders, Angus, Davidson, and party, which was of course enthusiastically drunk. Among other toasts which followed was " the Ladies," to which for a long time the chairman (Mr Jones) could get no one to make a respose. The scene was graced by the presence of a large sprinkling of the fair sex, whose many charms, however, failed for some time to inspire any of the young men to come forward as their champions. On such occasions one cannot help feeling regret at the custom which excuses ladies from speaking, and thinking that the usage would offcimes be more honored in the breach than observance.