The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 272, 15 June 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, JUNE 15, 1868.

Ik the Provincial Council, on Wednesday last, the redoubtable Donne found friend 3 to champion him, and Mr J. Kelling brought forward the following resolution : —" That in the opinion of this Council the language used in the Colonist uewssaper on the 9th of the month now current, towards Mr Donne, a member of this Council, is deemed a breach of this Council's privilege.?, highly insulting to the member of the Grey district and the Council generally, and if permitted to pass unnoticed, would tend to check a free and full discussion of questions which may come before this Couucil." Mr Home made an excellent speech in opposition, from which we are onlj r able to give the following extract: —', How an article of this sort can in the slightest degree interfere with the free discussion of this Council, passes my comprehension. (Hear, hear). I cam not aware that there is one particle of the real business of the Council referred to in this article. There is nothing of the sort. (Hear, hear). If a member of this House chooses to go out of his way, screening himself under the supposed privileges of this House, and uses language which would not be

allowed by any man out of doors ; he and those who sympathise with him (for I put his friends who support this motion along with him) are guilty of unwarranted attacks on private commercial character." The Council then divided with the following result:— Axes, 7. Noes, 7. Mr Pitt Provincial Solicitor Mr C. Kelling Provincial Secretary Mr Wigley Mr Thompson Mr Donne Mr Horne Mr F. Kelling Mr Smith Mr Bentley Mr Simmonds Mr Burn Mr Maemahon Declined to Vote- Messrs Redwood, Gibbs, Sparrow, Dreyer, Beitt, and Akersten. The votes being equal, the Speaker gave his casting vote in favor of the ayes, thus enabling Mr Donne to achieve a triumph. A motion by Mr Donne for £2OO to be placed on the Supplementary Estimates for a Custom House for Charleston was negatived. WEST COAST PUBLIC WOBKS. On the adjourned debate on the motion regarding the appointment of an Eugineer to take charge of the Expenditure and Public Works on the West Coast, it was resolved, after some debate and various amendments made, " That in the opinion of this Council the Public Roads and Works on the West Coast should be under the immediate control and direction of a Resident Engineer." A message was received from his Honor enclosing the Supplementary Estimates, and rec commending the following—Brunner Coal mine, £SOOO ; tracks between Razorback and Mokihinui, £500; Compensation to A. S. Dreyer for wharf, £7O; Public Libraries, West Coast, (to meet equivalent subscriptions), £2OO.

. A mail will be made up for the South, this day at 3 p.m., per s.s. Kennedy. Want of space compels us to hold over our Charleston and Addison's Flat correspondence, local, and other matter, till to-morrow.

%:By a Gazette published on the 9th instant, we see that the General Assembly, which was to have met on the 23rd inst., is further prorogued till the 9th of July next. In the same Gazette notice is given that £50,000 worth of Wellington Provincial Debentures will be payable on the Ist of July, 1869. The Caledonian men are talcing up the hospital question quite as warmly as those on Addison's Flat, and there is every certainty that from both those places a handsome subscription list will be shown. We quite agree with the very reasonable desire expressed at Addison's Flat—that when the annual committee is elected, the subscribers, both there and at the Caledonian, ahould have the power of voting at their respective places of residence. There cannot be any reason why such should not be, and as they are contributing liberally we should like to see representatives from both places chosen as committee men.

The weather having now taken up a little, the work of the new Caledonian track will be actively proceeded with. In order to ensure its speedy completion, it ha 3 been let in sections, and men are engaged along the route, all the sections but one having been taken up. Mr Milne has been appointed overseer, as it was impossible for Mr Sloan to look after the work about Westport and that too, and the former gentleman informs us that the track will be completed by the 20th of July. It will be well made and metalled, and both the Caledonian and Westport will soon feel the advantages derivable from it.

We have the painful task of recording the total wreck of the schooner Louisa, of this port, bound for the Grey in ballast, with the loss of three men—all hands on board. We have no particulars to hand further than that the illfatecl craft went ashore near the Saltwater Creek. She left here on Wednesday last, and had been caught in some of the frightful weather that has prevailed since that time with the above sad result. She was built at the Buller. and has been a truly unfortunate craft, On her first attempt to cross the bar she capsized and was towed in bottom, upwards; she has always been considered a most dangerous boat. The lost men are Edward Cody, master; Frank M'Clusky, and a man, name unknown, who was working his passage. M'Cluskey has been in the hospital some time, and this was his first spell of work on leaving it. We do not know whether either of the sufferers are married men.

In a paragraph referring to the Council printing, the Wellington Journal says—" Newspaper proprietors are put to considerable extra expense during the session of the Council.

It is a mistake to suppose that—and we regret to say it—the proceedings of the Council are interesting to the general reader. In proof of this, wo may mention the fact, that while we had to print three editions of the Journal containing the account of the late fire, the' paper containing his Honor's "speech, and an account of the opening of the session, was less in demand, than any we had previously published. As will be seen hy a report in another column, the Rev. Mr Harvey, Messrs Franklyh, and J. Munro, on Saturday last, were elected members of the Westport Education Committee. The two former gentlemen are new members, Mr Munro served on the original Commitlee. The election of Mr Harvey has raised a rather delicate question as to how far it is compatible with the management of a secular school, for a clergyman of any denomination to be a member of Committee. Though undoubtedly Mr Harvey is a gentleman thoroughly and deservedly respected by all denominations in Westport, we fear that parents differing, in faith will not send their children in consequence of his election. That there is the slightest probability of Mr Harvey endeavoring to inculcate any doctrinal teaching we cannot for a moment suppose, but there are some who will not be convinced to that effect, and we have reason to think will keep their children at home in consequence. We ordy hope we are mistaken in this belief, and may add that the provisions of the Act are such as to make any undue interference, as far as religion goes, impossible, even if we had not the absolute confidence in Mr Harvey's honor that we and every one else that know him have.. The following is reported as occurring in the Police Court, at Auckland:— Francis Holmes Hull, J. P., M. H. R. was charged with having on the 20th May, unlawfully assaulted James Benstead, steward to his Excellency the Governor. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Mr Weston appeared for the defence. The magistrates suggested that the case should be settled out of Court. Mr Wynn said, according to his instructions, no assault whatever took place; defendant absolutely denied the alleged fact. No compromise, or withdrawal of the case would be listened to. The bench said the case must go on. Mr Weston said he regretted that such a case should come before the bench, wherein a Justice of the Peace and a member of the General Assembly was charged with assaulting a servant at Government House on the night of the bail. He hoped, in the event of a conviction, that no paltry sum of £5 would be inflicted, but that defendant would be sent to gaol for two months. A more disgraceful case never came before the Court —a man calling himself a gentleman —an Esquire by his commission, a member of the Assembly, invited as the guest of his Excellency the Governor to the ball in celebration of the Queen's Birthday, actually so far forgets and degrades himself as to use the foulest language, and actually to strike the servant of the Governor, because of some mistake about a cloak which had been left in charge of Benstead, who had charge of the cloak-room. ISTo one, he believed, but the complainant and defendant were present when the assault took place. The evidence adduced, clearly established the guilt Gf the defendant, who was ordered to pay a penalty of £5 and costs, or in default ten days' imprisonment. Mr Weston asked for counsel's fee to be allowed. The bench said their judgment was £5 and costs, and they eould not alter it. The fine was almost immediately paid. The New Zealand Herald, of June 2nd, says : —During the past week upwards of 1600 ounces of gold have been brought up by the steamers Tauranga and Midge from the Thames.—A handsome building has been erected at Shortland for the Union Bank of Australia. There is ample accommodation afforded for the usual departments; also for gold-buying and smelting.— The Bank of New South Wales is about to erect banking premises at Shortland. —A thirty-roomed house is about to be erected at Shortland (Thames), which indicates not only the prosperity of the place, but the want of extended house accommodation. Mr ■ Christie has sold a quarter-share in Hunt's claim for £2,200, Mr Hunt himself being the purchaser. We have been reliably informed that on the 21st ultimo, after the sale was made, quite 1000 ounces of gold were taken out of this claim in the space of a couple of hours.—The quantity of gold exported from the Province of Auckland, during the quarter ended March 31st, was 8405 ozs., value £26,476 ; of which 6050 ozs. was exported to Great Britain, and 2366 ozs. to New South Wales.—A

new church, named St. Georgo's Church, was opened at Shortland, on May 24th, by the Ven. Archdeacon Lloyd, of Auckland.