THE EARTHQUAKE AS FELT AT NELSON AND CHRISTCHURCH.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 385, 24 October 1868, Page 6

THE EARTHQUAKE AS FELT AT NELSON AND CHRISTCHURCH.

{BY ELEGTEIG TELEGRAPH.)

(from otjb own cobbespondent.) Christchurch Oct. 19th., 5 p.m. The first shock of the Earthquake commenced here about thirteen minutes past midnight, and lasted for fnll half a minute. The motion appeared to be vertical.

No damage is reported. A second shock was felt about four o'clock this morning. It did not last long, and was slight. A telegram from Nelson says the shock lasted there forty-five seconds, and commenced fourteen minutes past mi'l-night. Some damage has been done to chimneys.

The Libel Bill, introduced by Mr Vogel to relieve newspapers from unjust actions, arising from bona fide reports of meetings, &c, afterpassing through the preliminary stages, has been thrown out by the House of Representatives, by a majority of two. In its place a bill has been brought forward by Mr J C. Richmond, and passed a second reading, devising most stringent pains and penalties, for most trivial offences. An informer, for example, may raise an action against a newspaper publisher, if the latter neglects to put his imprint to any extra slip of news, and can claim not less than £5, and not more than £2O, for every copy of such extra printed and published, not exceeding twentyfive copies, which gives simply a power of inflicting a penalty of £SOO. for an offence of the most venial character. The Provincial "Gazette" of the 10th inst., contains notifications of the bankruptcy of the following persons:— Joseph "Watkins, of Quail Valley; T. C. Crook, of Nelson; Philip Rooney, of Charleston; and Michael Roache, of Brighton. A new way of settling accounts seems to be coming into vogue in Charleston. A landlord, hearing that an old boarder of his—a well-known miner—had sold his share for a few hundreds, and was on the point of leaving the district, looked out for the gentleman, and inviting him into a little back parlour, locked the door. The actual particulars of what took place may never be known, but from the noise made, it was surmised that a hot argument was being indulged in, and the net result was that the landlord got payment of a debt of £3O, the other ' party' getting a receipt in full, in the shape of a couple of black eyes, but whether he will be contented to accept such in lieu of the usual stamped receipt is doubtful. The unlucky payee bad yet another settlement to make, for another of his creditors, who was in the house at the time, by threatening to adopt a simliar line of argument, succeeded in extracting cash in payment of his account to the tune of some £ls from the capacious and well-filled pockets of the lucky—or as he no doubt thought himself—unlucky digger. "We understand that the two Armstrong guns which have been in use some time at Duuedin, by the Volunteer Artillery Company, have recently been taken possession of by the Government, for the purpose of being worked in active service in the North Island.