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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 453, 16 January 1869, Page 2

" The pangs of labor are over ; the deliveryis accomplished ; tli e new-bom Chairman is in the world, and his name is—Hoos." Such is the announcement made by the West Coast Times of yesterday, a copy of which we rei cived last evening by the steamer Lioness. The announcement, of course, refers to the appointment of Chairman of the County Council, and it is an announcement which will, no doubt, create surprise here as well as in Hokitika. From the report it appears that Mr Rees proposed that Mr Hoos should be Chairman, and Mr Harrison proposed Mr Bonar. Mr Sale declined to vote, and wifh- : drew from the Council. Mr Hoos said that he consented to act as the Chairman of the Council temporarily, because he saw they had got into a fog. We have received a telegram from the agent of the steamer Beautiful Star, from Dunedin, announcing that the steamer will leave Dunedin on or about. Monday next. This information is telegraphed to afford merchants and others an opportunity of telegraphing thenorders prior to the date of the steamer's departure. Tenders arc invited, as will bo seen by advertisement in another column, for the supply of -wine, spirits, groceries, and bread, for the Westport Hospital. The present contractors, Messrs Ehrenfried Bros., have, in accordance with the terms of their contract, given the Committee one month's notice ef its discontinuance, owing to their leaving- the district. It will also be observed that tenders aro called for the necessary supplies to the Gaol, Cnmp, and destitute poor until the 31st of March next. The hard labor prisoners have been engaged during the past few days in repairing the street between Molesworth and 'Bright streets. The weather of the past week having been so favourable it has admitted of more out-door labor being done by the prisoners than many weeks previous. A runner has been despatched with copies of this paper to the TJpper Buller and Lyeil districts. Complaints having recently reached us that few or no newspapers are received by the miners or storekeepers in these neighborhoods, we have determined that, while the weather permits of the continuation of this despatch, this journal will be regularly circulated in these districts. We-are pleased to see that Mr Emanuel has so fax recovered from the effects of his late accident during the Christmas Sports as to be permitted to leave his room, and there is every reason to hope that in a few days he will be able to resume the duties of his daily calling. We have been informed that Constable Pringle has tendered his resignation to the Inspector of Police, and that the Inspector has temporarily accepted of the same, until the Provincial Secretary shall be commuui cated with, in whose power rests the acceptance or otherwise of such resignations. An Auckland paper reports : —"On Sunday the 20th December, Tararoa, an old chief of Ngatiwhakaue hapu fell by accident into one of the boiling springs at Ohinemutu, in which the natives cook their food. His cries for help attracted the attention of Taupoa, a resident of the pa, who dragged him out with* ut less of time, but the injury he had received was of course fatal, and it was considered necessary to 1 ury him immediately afterwards. Places of interment are not wanting in this volcanic region, for in all directions thure are cavities in which water has at one time boiled, and from which steam is still rising, and, in these, traces of tTec miposition soon disappear. One consequence of the disaster was very feelingly deplored, viz., that the boiling springs could never again be used for cooking food, as by such an accident it became tapu—tapu for ever after ; and there would be some show of it ason in setting aside a culinary receptacle in -which a Rangat r i had been boiled.'' On the 6th inst, Sergeant Monahan and Constable Fraser, of the Wellington police, proceeded on board the steamer Airedale, and

arrested a person named Alfred Cullimore, who is charged on warrant at Melbourne, with embezzlement, we believe, to a considerable amount. No positive information reached the police at Wellington as to Culliniore's movements, excepting that he liad sailed for New Zealand. The detection and arrest are mainly attributable to the argus-eyed officers above mentioned, who detected a striking likeness between the person now iu custody, as he was walking leisurely down the beach, and a photograph and description with which they were furnished. Mr Hennolly and Mr M'Donnell, of Charleston, are mentioned by the Herald as probable candidates for the Grey District, in the Nelson Provincial-Council. A requisition to Mr Huimelly has been signed. Owing i,o the horse "Sulky" having lamed himself, the match announced to take place at Charleston with Mr Loring's "Charon" did not come off, the owner of " Sulky " having paid forfeit. The Herald mentions that at a raflle for the horse " Lightfoot " at the Melbourne Hotel on Wednesday evening, Messrs Skoglund and M'Shane threw forty - one each. Skoglund purchased M'Shane's chance, and therefore became the lucky winner. The Press relates that on the Anniversary Day, an Irishman, named William Walker, was passing along the Forty-mile Beach in search of driftwood when he saw a sperin whale buffeting among the surf alive. Having no other weapon, he managed to harpoon it with his tobacco knife. He went back to his h raise and procured a rope and a butcher's knife, and at great hazard succeeded in capturing it, but not before it had knocked him down among the sand and water. The whale lived nearly twenty-five hours after it was taken. It measured thirty feet and a half in length, and nearly six feet in diameter It yielded seventy-five gallons of pure oil. A movement is on foot in the more southern portion of the Province of Marlborough, for memorialising the Government to compel a reduction in the number of Provincial Government officials, under the altered circumstances of Marlborough. The promoters consider that the duties of the whole departments might be efficiently performed by a Commissioner of Waste Lands and his clerk. The Union Bank yesterday paid duty on 2,800 ozs. of gold for shipment this day. This make 3 the quantity exported within the past week about 10,000 ozs. Besides this the Union Bank has another shipment of about the same quantity ready for a different destination when opportunity offers.