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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 181, 28 February 1868, Page 2

Queensland Ho ! —The departure of the Escort for Newcastle direct with only a few passengers on board, is a proof that the Queensland fever has not yet infected the immediate neighborhood of the Buller. The Escort had been laid on for Maryborough, but the required number of passengers not be got together. Whatever the ultimate state of Queensland may be, there is certainly no news at present of a sufficiently good and authentic description, to warrant any exodus from our shores. The old proverb " Better to bear the ills we have, than fly to others that we know not of" is very applicable at the present time, but man is prone to buy, rather than to be taught experience, so that we fear it will have little or no effect in checking the rush, should any further tidings of successful finds be received.

The Cemetery.— Although the abiding place of the dead in English communities does not receive such attention from the hands of the living, as is accorded it in foreign countries, still there is no one but feels some pleasure in paying some little attention to the graves of their relations or friends, either in planting some shrub or flower, or in some slight way testifying to the love they once bore their departed brother or sister. Of late years the burial place of the dead has been the subject of earnest consideration, and the health and comfort of the living in connection with its location, has been carefully studied, and everything is being done throughout English communities to relieve the mind of as much sadnes as possible, by +he taste displayed in choosing a fitting site for their cemeteries, and by the picturesque way in which the grounds are laid out. Our own cemetery, chosen at first as the place, probably of some drowned stranger, when Westport was not even thought of as a town, is far too near our dwellings to be pleasant, and until lately has been a sadly forlorn and neglected spot; we are pleased, however, to record the fact that the fencing is nearly finished, and although we cannot speak much regarding its ornamental qualities, we can as to its adaptability as a fence to keep the place clear of stray horses and sheep, and to enable the living to pay those little attentions which are so much needed to keep the ground in anything like decent order.

The Weather. —The wet and stormy weather of the last few days has again given place to sunshine, and yesterday afternoon was as fine as the few previous days had been wet. Our town is getting an unenviable notoriety for bad weather, let us hope, however, that the next few months will

make up for the past, and that rain : and storm may be the exception instead of the rule. Addison's Flat. Great complaints reach us of the inconvenience felt by miners on Waite's, by reason of their having to come into town to sell their gold since the various bank agencies were stopped. No doubt there is not a living for the three banks, but still from all accounts there would be a very remunerative return for either one banking institution or some local Rothschild. Free Ball and Supper.—We beer to draw attention to Mr Trimble's advertisement, announcing a grand free ball and supper for this evening. The arrangements iu progress are of the most recherche description, and those who desire a good night's amusement had better patronise Host Trimble. Mr Eastwood's Performance.— To-night Mr Eastwood, late agent for the Nathan Troupe, takes a benefit at Hamilton's Adelphi Theatre. From the varied nature of the performance, and from the well-known talent of the performers engaged, including Mr Peel, the champion dancer of America, a full house may be looked for ; indeed we wish Mr Eastwood all the success he deserves. "Waite t. Norton.—We extract the following from the Nelson Examiner of Thursday. 22 nd ult. The case which is of local interest was heard in the R. M. Court, Nelson; —A claim of £IOO, balance of money due. Mr Pitt appeared for plaintiff, and Mr Kingdon for defendant. This was an action to recover a portion of the pur-chase-money for an interest in a lease of some land sold by the plaintiff to defendant at the Buller. £l5O had been paid. Plaintiff alleged that the balance had not been paid ; defendant said that it had, and that he had seen a receipt in the possession of Blair, liis partner, for the amount. Plaintiff's wife deposed that she had signed a receipt for £IOO to Blair, but it had nothing to do with the present transaction, and was only between her an- 1 Blair, not betwen her and Norton and Co. Defendant alleged that the receipt in question was for this balance ; the whole sum was not paid at the time of purchase, because the plaintiff could not give a clear title without the consent of the Commissioner of Native Lands. In December, 1866, Norton retired from the firm, and at the winding-up the receipt was produced. He knew Mrs Waite's handwriting, and was quite certain that it was a receipt for the £IOO balance of the purchase-money. Defendant did not know of any other transaction between Waite and Blair relative to this land. A letter was put in from Blair to Norton, in which he says "I have my papers to prove that I bought this land." Defendant was quite certain he receipt was written by Mrs Waite. case was adjourned for the production of the receipt.

Boiling-down in Victoria.—Since the startiug of Mr E. Lawes's boilingdown establishment, near the breakwater, at Greelong, in October last, 15,000 sheep have bean disposed of, yielding 270 casks of tallow. The legs of the animals were forwarded to the town, and sold at 6d each. The result is considered satisfactory, and was accomplished by means of two of Mr Van Hermet's recently-patented boilers. It is intended to carry on a more extended scale. Eun eyen in Advertising.—We clip the following from the Wanganui Times of the Bth ult: —" One of our good friends, who likes his joke, and likes to make himself and all around him happy, writes—" Stop my advertisement for a man and his wife, as 1 have got a man without a wife that I am to make trial of—

Nae woman hae I in serving station, Grade keep me aye frae a' temptation." Flour and Wheat Export from Australia. —3565$ tons of flour and 145,743 quarters of wheat were exported from Port Adelaide to England last year. The total quantity of flour exported from South Australia during the year was 42,138J tons, and of wheat 294,952 quarters. Misquoting.—We clip the following from the Nelson Examiner of the 22nd ult. —By the arrival, last evening, of the steamer Nelson, we are in possession of the Westport Times, of the 20th inst., which contains the following private telegram, received by Mr White, ageatof the P.N.Z. and A.E.M. Company, at Hokitika, by way of Melbourne and the Bluff: —A great rush has set in to Maryborough River diggings, Queensland. A nugget, weighing 1020 ounces, has been found, and also, on the same day, one weighing 75 ounces. The Airedale leaves Sydney for Hokitika on the 15th. Surely the sense of the above lies in its tail, and we can only imagine that we have been so seriously misquoted, by believ-

ing that the editor and the agent of the P.N.7, boats have interests in common. For the purpose of showing how easily the public can be misled wo give our paragraph in full, which we copied from the Hokitilca Evening Star : —By Electric Telegraph. Evening Star 'office, 10.30 a.m. A great rush set in to Maryborough River diggings, Queensland. A nugget weighing seventy-five ounces. Eighty-five pounds weight found same day. Airedale leaves Sydnev for Hokitilca on i the 15th.

Westland City Council. —By latest Hokitika files we see that on Monday night the Council voted themselves a salary of £l5O each per annum out of the public purse. The W. G. Times of Tuesday has the following :—lt is the first time that the principle of parliamentary " salaries " has ever been recognised in the British Colonies, although in New Zealand it has been customary to make provision for " expenses of members " —that is travelling charges and daily expenses during session. We are sorry that the

innovation has been made in the first instance in the case of the Westland County, and that our representatives in Council have lowered themselves to the status of " salaried" servants of the people.