The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 251, 21 May 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, MAY 21, 1868.

The Government Gazette is one of the popular delusions of the present day in which attaches of the Circumlocution offices generally, and of New Zealand particularly, intensely believe. Professedly it is a vehicle of public information, a medium through which official communications are made, and an authority in all things legal. Actually it is a public mausoleum in which disjointed partnerships, insolvencies, bankruptcies, and Government notices generally, are decently interred in a quiet and undisturbed manner. But few of the outside public invade the hallowed privacy of its pages, and to a large proportion of the population it is as mysterious and unknown as if it was published in China for the information of the celestial empire. The Gazette is to many, what the Moa is to naturalists. There is no question of its either existing, or having existed, but beyond fragmentary portions, at times reproduced in the journals of the day, the public as a rule know it not. Its very character is not such as to win for it any high position in public esteem. Its literature, if useful, is not of such a description as to ensure it a very extensive circulation. Still by law it must be published, by law it is the necessary depository of, secrets we had almost said, that were not to be communicated to the outer world, certain public and certain private affairs, or rather the affairs of private persons. "We have no idea of questioning the wisdom of burying some matters of public record on the same principle that explorers bury provisions in a cache, viz., to he able at some future time to exhume them for the public benefit, though even on that score we cannot see why the ordinary newspapers could not record what was necessary quite as legibly and equally as intelligibly for immediate or future reference. Whatever might be, however is not, and the Gazette will no doubt exist as an honored institution long after its uselessness is admitted. It is, however, to the special circumstances of the West Coast in connection with the Gazette that we would at present attract notice. Everybody, of course, is presumedly a reader of the Graz,ctte ; scarcely any one really is sufficiently curious to carry the presumption out. Even if the fiction, instead of the reality prevailed, the public of this and othes.' places have but few opportunities, and those most irregularly supplied for the perusal of the periodical in question, and very often find that when it is to hand the information it contains is too late to be of any use. For example we have a Gazette of the IGth inst. to hand, which came into our possession yesterday morning, the 20th inst., just four days after publication. It came by post and readied us as soon as it could possibly have reached any one else, and for all our individual use it was in ample season. But in it there are two notices of meetings to bo held in the estates of two bankrupts, and creditors arc invited to attend. They both reside in Charleston, and such being the case it is probable that the bulk of their creditors do so too. The notice is intended to be of service to the latter, but it is very clear that tho first information of it will be that it is over. Wc do not for amoment mean to insinuate that there were any special features in either of these cases, but simply instance them as showing how ridiculous as a vehicle of information any advertisement in a Gazette is. Had these been published in a local paper where the insolvents resided, full notice could havo Ijjlt. ionvoyed to all the parties interested, and tho expense ol such would not have exceeded, even if equalled, that which was absolutely

worthless. Tho new Bankruptcy Act, that was thought such a prodigy of legislation, has proved already a miserable failuro, and tho systom of publishing notices in tho Gazette and withholding them from the local press, is calculated still more to bring it into contempt, and embarrass still more tho already sufficiently embarrassed creditors in various estates. Without doubt wo may, and no doubt will, be accused of sellish motives in this matter, but at the same time in drawing notice to it wo are doing no more than our duty. We have not the slightest desire to do what is unfair, or to seek for more than justice to all interested. AVo hold that not only all bankrupt notices but public notices having reference to public business, whether land or other sales, tenders for works of every description, legal information that is intended to bo conveyed to the general public, &c, &c, should be advertised in the local

papers where such notices have reference to. In the very Gazette in question there are nine advertisements in all, not one of which we venture to say will be seen beyond the precincts of the Camp, and the offices of lawyers, though many others ought to and should be made acquainted with their contents. There are out of these six insolvency notices, the proclamation of an educational district, a list of Crown grants ready, and a permission to levy tolls on a tramway ; all these, with ono exception, relate more or less to the West Coast. Not very long ago when the Court House was to be built a small written notice stuck up in the square, was all that was done in calling for tenders here, whilst the Nelson papers had advertisements to that effect. We complain, and this is a subject in common with all the press of the Coast, that the Gazette is utterly insufficient if publicity is aimed at; if such is not the end, the Gazette is too much. The same expense that is gene to in one case would meet the expenditure of the other, with this difference —by advertising in the local papers those for whom the notices were intended would see them, by interring them in the Gazette they are dead to all but a select few. Even allowing that we have interested grounds for dwelling on tho subject, we apprehend that it is of equal, and indeed far higher moment to the general public to have an amendment made in the present system. It is clearly the duty of our representatives to move in the matter, and we moot the question whilst the Council is sitting, in order that even if unsuccessful in procuring any alteration, we may at least know the official grounds for persisting in keeping the public here as much as possible in the dark on things that most vitally concern them.

A case was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, which was unimportant in itself, but which goes to show the liability of partnership and the responsibility of partners. In the case in question a blacksmith sued one of the owners of the Young America, ketch, for ,£l7, work done and materials delivered in connection with the craft. The defence was that defendant was not liable, as the work had been ordered by his partner who had left the district, and was not joined in the summons. The consequence was that the action being brought against himself he alone was rendered liable. Mr Pitt, for the defendant, moved for a nonsuit on these grounds, but Mr Tyler, for the plaintiff, quoted the 27th clause of the Resident Magistrate's Act which his Worship held to be conclusive, and a verdict for the amount claimed was returned. For general information we quote the clause in question ; it is as follows: —" Where any plaintiff shall have any demand recoverable under this act, against two or more persons jointly answerable it shall be sufficient if any one of such persons be served with process, and judgment may be obtained and enforced against the persons so served, notwithstanding that others jointly liable may not have been served or sued, or may not be within the district or colony, and every such person against whom such judgment shall havo been obtained under this act, and who shall have satisfied such judgment shall have a right of action for contribution against the pcrsDns so jointly liable." The weather yesterday was just as miserable as the most miserable West Coast weather could be ; how wretched that is, is only known to those who have endured it. The rain descended in regular, irregular, and all kind of showers, accompanied at times with strong squalls from the norih-east, which made some of the fragile habitations rattle again. The back streets were flooded, and access was only possible by partial wading through mud and water. A dull dirty skye without the faintest glimpse of sun or opening of any kind,

a series of unhappy and wet individuals walking about at intervals, and a general feeling of gloum and discomfort completed tho picture. In short yesterday was one of the most dismal days that even the West Coast can produce, and at the time of writing we regret to say the glass indicates a continuance. As yet we have had no fresh in the river, but if the rain holds there is every prospect of a heavy one. AVhat is ono man's meat is another's poison we are told, and the same will apply to ports. The rain and misery that wo are now enduring will most probably fee the means of reopening the lately closed port of llokitika, as the probable fresh will scour out a new and greatly needed channel.

By a notice in the Gazette of the lGth hist., Messrs Irwin and Behan are authorised under the provisions of section 13 of the Goldfield's Act, to charge toll on their tramway between Darlue's Terrace and Charleston, and protection is afforded for four years, from May 1, 1808. The following are the conditions: —1. That the tramway be ma'ntained in such a state of repair, that it shall not in the slightest degree impede or obstruct or interfere with the traffic on the street. 2. That in the event of the ground over which the tramway passes proving auriferous, any person shall be entitled to work it on first paying compensation at a valuation, or making an equally good portion of tramway. 3. That this protection shall extend only to the ground over which the tram-

vvay passes, aud shall not affect the right of any other persons to lay clown tramways in any direction. 4. That if at any time a portion of the ground should be required by Government, any portion of the tramway shall be given up at a valuation. 5. That this protection shall not be assigned or transferred without the sanction of the G-oldfield's Commissioner. The schedule attached runs as follows: For every loaded horse, and for each head of horned cattle passing along that portion of a tramway which is not a public road, one shilling toll shall be paid." The salmon ova sent to Canterbury seem to be progressing satisfactorily. The Lyttelton Times says, " The Acclimatisation Society has been peculiarly fortunate in the weather which has prevailed since receipt of the ova, and should it continue, the chance of hatchsuccessfully will be greatly increased. A cold bleak atmosphere is a most important item in the treatment of salmon ova, and very considerably lessens the labrsof the Curator, in regulating tho temperature of the breeding boxes. Up to yesterday evening about a dozen more dead ova had been removed, but this is nothing more than Mr Johnson allowed for, and still leaves a wide

margin between the number now in the boxes and the number expected to be hatched. Since Thursday an improvement has been effected in the apparatus for reducingthe temperature of the water obtained from the artesian well. Instead of the table originally adopted, a species of ladder, fixed at an angle of 30 degrees, and having broad slates for steps, is placed under the pipe to receive the water. The flow is immediately expanded on descending to the ladder, and then falls alternately from one slate to another, 10 in number —until it reaches the channel leading to the fish house. In addition to this, other improvements of a minor character have also been effected. The ice which accompanied the ova from Otago has been stored in the house prepared for its reception, and will be much more than sufficient for the hatching, We have been recpiested to express the indebtedness of the Society to Sergt. Quia, of the Otago Police, for the great care with which he superintended the transit of the ova." In the Eesident Magistrate's Court yesterday there were no cases, criminal or civil. The English mail via Suez, was due at Melbourne on the llth. and we may consequently expect the news by any steamer that comes in.

The Wellington Independent informs us that "the Provincial Survey Office had a narrow escape from fire on Tuesday afternoon. While one of the surveyors was at work upon a map, he was startled at seeing some sparks of fire fall upon his drawing. Looking up, he discovered the roof of the building to be on fire. A few buckets of water sufficed to extinguish the flames, which were originated by some sparks from a chimney falling upon the dry shingles." The coal prospecting party at Preservation Inlet have fortunately been rescued from starvation by Captain Kennedy, of the Airedale. "We take the account of the Airedale's voyage from tho Wellington Independent of the 7th instant:—" The s.s. Airedale, Captain Kennedy, arrived at four o'clock on the afternoon of tho (sth. She left Port Chalmers on the 2Gth

ult., but was detained at the Bluff from the 27th to the 30th Tilt, by a very severe gale, which rendered it impossible to pass through Eovoaux Strait. She left at 11 a.m., and at 5 p.m. the wind increasing ran' for shelter to Mussel Beach, Tcwaewas Bay. During the night the wind blew with hurricane violence, accompanied with thunder and lightning, and at 4 a.m., Ist inst, Captain Kennedy determined to got underwoigh, being afraid of the the wind shifting to the southward, when the anchorage would not bo safe. She made Preservation Inlet at 2 p.m., Captain Kennedy having intended te call there to relieve the coal prospecting party, of whom nothing had been hoard for three months. Their old

camping ground was examined and found deserted. The party returned an board, and upon smoke being seen an Crayfish Island, they got underweigh immediately, and on the way across the sound picked up 3, boat with Mr Coates, C.E., and several of the prospecting party on board. They had suffered great privations, having had the misfortune to get their boat capsized a month previous, when they lost all their provisions, and since had to subsist on what birds and fish they could obtain. The Airedale brought on to Nelson, which she reached on the sth, Mr Coates and four of the party, leaving three weeks' provisions for those left behind. She sailed from Nelson at 6 a.m. yesterday, and arrived as above."

A meeting was held last night at the Post-office Hotel, for the purpose of organising some sports in celebration of Her Majesty's birth-day. This anniversary occurs, as all know, on the 24th Sunday next, but it will be kept on the following day. At the time appointed a good many attended, but it was thought advisable to postpone the the meeting to secure a larger attendance. Messrs Harris, Tyler, Martin, Hanson, and others were present, and there is no donbt of a successful issue to their exertions. As will be seen bj advertisement, the adjourned meeting will be held tonight at eight o'clock, when all interested in a becoming holiday are invited to attend. A number of sports are suggested, regattas, horse-races, jumping, running, &c. Let us hope that out of the many blossoms some will bear fruit.

The following extracts, concerning the Thames Goldfields, are taken from the Thames Advertiser of the 30th idt.:— "We hear that a valuable piece of ground has been opened at Tapu Creek, Hastings, by Stanley, and others, to the S.E. of Cashel's claim, a half-share changing hands shortly after its discovery for £3OO. The party of natives employed •by Taipara on ground at the Karara Creek, exhibited on Monday a considerable quantity of specimens obtained from stone they have on hand. The Young Canadian Claim have realised half an ounce of gold from 100 lb of quartz, which was taken as a sample of the bulk now waiting to be passed through the machine. The Kerry claim on the Karaka (Messrs Fitzpatrick and Winder) have sent their first parcel of quartz to Bull's machine. The first quartz was passed through on Monday last, and yielded five ounces to the ton. At the same machine there is a quantity of stuff from various claims waiting a turn to be passed through. A parcel of 18 lbs of stone brought to town from the Puriri has just been crushed and retorted, yielding 47 ozs of gold. The export of gold from Auckland for the month of April was 5074 ozs."