The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 445, 4 January 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1869.

Detective Lambert Wt town by the Wanganui steamer on Saturday last in charge of the prisoner Williams, who was remanded to Wanganui on a charge of burglary. It is satisfactory to know also that the same officer will return with another prisoner, who has been apprehended in Nelson on suspicion of being concerned in thelaterobheryofamalgain at Addison's Flat, and against whom there has been sufficient evidence to justify his removal from Nelson to Westport. The Nelson Examiner of Monday reports that:—A man was brought up before the Eesident Magistrate yesterday, on suspicion of being concerned in the late robbery of 200 ounces of gold amalgam at Addison's. The prisoner was recognized by a miner from Westport, as having belonged to the party who lost the gold, and was known to have sold out his interest in the claim for a fe»v pounds, which was all the money he was believed to possess. Since he has been in Nelson it is ascertained he has spent a good deal of money, that he had purchased a draft on Melbourne for £2OO at one of the banks, and' had a large sum of money in his possession when apprehended. The prisoner was remanded in order to communicate with Westport, a breakage in the West Coast telegraph wire having put a stop to communication. We regret to know that Mrs Warmoll, who was very severely injured a few weeks ago by burns accidentally received at Giles Terrace, has succumbed to the injuries she received, and died at the Hospital last evening! The funeral will take place on Tuesday, the funeral party leaving the Robert Burns Hotel in the forenoon. It will be observed that there is a change of proprietory in Cobb and Co.'s line of coaches between West port and Charleston. Messrs Greening and Keiley succeed Messrs Cole and Co. Hitherto the line has been most efficiently conducted, and we have no doubt that the new proprietors will endeavor to follow the example of their predecessors. We are not aware whether Mr Beamiss is to continue as manager at the Westport end of the line. If he is not, his modest merit will be missed.

The Sports Committee have nearly concluded their work, and have paid all the sports prizes, as well as the stakes for the races, with the exception of the prizes against the award of which protests were entered, and have not yet been fully considered. The two disputed are the Butchers 1 Purse and the Scurry Eace, and the stewards purpose giving their final decision upon these events on an early day this week. Several members of the Committee have had arduous work in con-

nection with the various duties incumbent upon them, and it must be admitted, after making all allowances, that the sports and races were eminently successful, and the thanks of the public are due to those who initiated and so successfully carried them out. Many extra expenses for labor employed, for the clearing of the ground, and for making and erecting hurdles, posts, &c, have been incurred beyond the calculations of the Committee, and before a balance sheet can be published, there are one or two accounts in dispute which have to be considered. Pending the settlement of those accounts, there is supposed to be a small balance in hand. A sub-post office will be opened today at the Caledonian Terrace, at Mr Robert M'Farlan's store. After several month*' delay the PostmasterGeneral has sanctioned a bi-weekly mail to be conveyed between Westport and the Caledonian Terrace, and Mr Wiastanley proceeds to the Caledonian to-day to make the necessary preliminary arrangements. It has not yet been finally decided on what days the mail will close at either end, but it is contemplated that Mondays and Fridays shall be the days when the mails will leave town, and on Tuesdays and Saturdays the Caledonian mails will be made up and returned. This will be a great boon to the residents on the terrace, who hitherto have had often, at much delay and inconvenience, to send to town for and with their letters. To mention each or all of the balls and dancing parties which took place last week would be a duty entailing more time and space than we can at present afford, as, upon each evening of the week, some ball or other bearing the name of the " holiday ball," the " Christmas" or " New Year," " the Rajah," the " Mistletoe," or the " Race Ball," was announced, and in nearly 1 every case were the various attractions well patronised. At the Theatre Royal the week may be said to hare been one continuous ball throughout. At the Nelson Hotel the programme was equally elaborate. On one evening, in particular, an entrance beyond the passage to the ball room was unobtainable without some difficulty. : Mrs Braithwaite had a crowded house, also, on New Year's eve, and the dancing was kept up until daylight. Mr Sloan, on the night ■ following, had a very pleasant party, and many others" of a similar nature took place during the week of the holidays. This evening, we notiee, Mr Milne announces a Caledonian Ball, with the new fbature of free drinks to all who appear in Highland costume. We have not been informed if there is to be a prize awarded for the best original Gaelic song or the occasion, or for the best Highland Fling or "-Gillie Galium " dancer, or whether the Highland chiefs of the clans M'Tavish or M'Pherson are to make their appearance ; but " What for no?"

Our Charleston correspondent's full report of the races there isunavoidably omitted from this publication. On Saturday last three boats went up the river to the diggings on the Lyell and on the B tiller banks, about two miles on this side of the Lyell; and about forty men started overland for the same localities. We anticipate a large rush up the river this year, and are quite certain of its occurrence if Eern Flat should turn out as it is expected it will do. Meantime, what are the authorities doing towards repairing the track ? Its state is perfectly disgraceful. It is not often that, with the facilities presented by steam vessels, we receive later news from other parts by sailing craft, but this happened yesterday, when the ketch Constant arrived in port from Nelson, after a very speedy passage. The late newspapers which she has brought do not, however, contain any news of particular importance. "We observe that the Examiner repeats, as late as Thursday last, the inaccuracy of the Government returns which represented Westport as having no imports during the September quarter. No doubt, it only requires the attention of our con temporary to be drawn to the subject, to induce him to correct the impression which the publication of the inaccuracy must convey. Notwithstanding the discouraging circumstance of a small attendance, and the fact that Mr Gourlay had acquired a hoarseness which would not have very well fitted him for the re. presentation of feminine characters, the Gourlay Family gave a very varied programme on Saturday eveniug, with all the requisite spirit. Fortunately Mr Gourlay had no feminine characters to represent, and his gruffhess rather became the character of the Laird of Bumbiedykes, which he otherwise represented admirably, the scene, of course, being

that between the Laird and Jeanie Deans. la the " Apothecary's Wedding," or whatever may be the name of the amusing and well-known farce which was performed, Mr Gourlay also kept his limited audience in roars of laughter, and in that respect he was well sustained by his. little daughter—our ungallant memory refuses at the moment to furnish us with her name. Her acting was piquant, and her " phizzi-a-hogiuimy," when doing the indignant hand-maiden, might have taken years of cultivation in the kitchen. The other parts were taken by Mrs Gourlay, Little Johnny, and a promising young " walking gentleman." Little Johnny sung also some of his songs with much liveliness and humor ; and, with the airs of a "grave and reverend seignior," he went through the jugglery of the great Indian Basket Illusion. By a funny accident after the successful completion of the trick, some of the apparatus—if we may call it so—was exposed, but not sufficiently to take away the zest of the announcement which was made—that this evening the trick will be repeated and explained. The entertainment, this evening, is to be for the benefit of the " wee " Gourlays.

The billiard tournament which took place during the past fortnight at the Prince of Wales Billiard Saloon terminated on Friday evening, when the prizes were distributed. The first was earned by Mr Southworth by a score of 58. The next two highest were Mr T. Griffiths, and Mr J. Gomas, who made a tie at 49 points. They played off, when Mr Griffiths got the second prize, and Mr Gomas the third. We have received from our AVellington correspondent a telegraphic message giving an account of the cavalry attack upon the pah at Nukumaru. The same particulars had, however, reached Westport before they had reached Wellington, and were published by us on Saturday. A case of slander —Isaacs v. Kempthorne—in which the damages were laid at £SOOO, was being heard in Dunedin when the mail left. The plaintiff is son-in-law of Mr John Jones, and the defeudant was a member of the firm of French, Kempthorne, and Co., with the plaintiff had business relations. The'alleged slander by the defendantwas that the plaintiff's cook, a Mrs Drew, was about to become the mother of a child, of whom the plaintiff was the father. The slander had apparently been originated by Mr Drew, who afterwards denied it, and it was diffused by a Dr Crawford. It was alleged that, in consequence of the slander, John Jones had stopped Isaacs' annual allowance of £IOOO ayear, and 5000 sheep he promised him, and deuied him admission to his house. The case had not concluded on the 21st ult.

t The gentlemen connected with the civil service of the County of "Westland Government, have presented G. S. Sale, Esq., late County Secretary, with a handsome silver tankard and a purse of sovereigns. The tankard is of large size and very tastefully ornamented. The presentation was made by the Hon. James Bonar, County Chairman, in the name of the subscribers.

Cape papers to November 2nd have been received in Melbourne. Two parties of diggers—one of nine persons and the other of four—had reached the new goldfields, but the news from them is notlater than that previously to hand, but what that was is not stated. A very brilliant nine carat diamond and some smaller ones had been picked up by the natives on the surface, but no attempt has been made to work the ground systematically. The ceremony of fixingthe first pile of a new hall about to be erected by Mr Johnston, of the Melbourne Hotel, for a Volunteer Drill Shed, and other public purposes, was performed on Saturday week at Greyniouth, the Volunteers being paraded on the occasion. Mr N. Edwards is a candidate for the seat in the Provincial Council vacant by the retirement of Mr Akersteir, one of the members for Nelson, The Nelson Examiner is now published bi-weekly, instead of three times a-week, as formerly. This has been deemed advisable by the proprietors "in the present altered state of the Province, arising from dulness of trade."

There were several days' racing at Hokitiku during the holidays, and very full reports are given by the Hokitika Daily News. The News, in referring to the result, says :—" The late races have been a great success, and the funds, we are happy to say, have rolled in abundantly. The Grand Stand has been erected by the Committee, and from it and the admission

money on the first day, Tuesday, £155 was received. On the second day, Wednesday, £lB5 was returned, and on Thursday, a bye-day, fully £SO was gathered. It will thus be seen that the Club will soon be self-supporting. They have expended £4OO in fencing in and enclosing the course, and have still further expenses to go to, but, notwithstanding all, they will be able to afford amusement to the public very soon, without calling on the public to subscribe one shilling." At Greymouth there were some sports on Saturday and Monday, but, strangely enough, they were interfered with somewhat by wet weather, while at Hokitika and Westport the weather was exceptionally fine.