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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 466, 16 February 1869, Page 2

Returns of the quantity of gold exported from the different ports of New Zealand, and of the Customs Revenue at each port, appear in a Gazette of the Bth inst. There are also published returns of the quantity and value of gold exported during the year 1868. In all the returns Westport occupies a very " respectable " position. It does so especially in the matter of gold exports. As an importing emporium it occupies only a third-rate place. Still it is in advance of Nelson, Invercurgill, Napier, Wanganui, New Plymouth, Blenheim, Timaru, Oamaru, and other places which, in postal service and other items of Government attention, receive considerable consideration. Westport paid, during the quarter, duty on imports to the amount of .£7873. Nelson paid, during the same pir'.od, £76C3. Wertport maintained its pre-eminence in one respect by paying, during the quarter, £3369 as duty upon spirits alone, and there was a sufficient number of fools in the place to pay £349 as duty on cigars—>md such cigars ! Tobacco-smokers contributed £854 to the revenue, and, notwithstanding the quantity of " colonial" that is drunk, some people paid £SOO as duty upon " ale and beer in wood and bottle." There is no.hing said about extra cost entailed by the purchase of blue pills and black draughts. £29 only was paid as duty on coffee and cocoa. For the sake of people's health, it is a pity the amount was not greater—especially on the item of cocoa. It is peculiar, with regard to the saccharine taste of the inhabitants, that both Westport and Nelson paid exactly £942 on " sugar and molasses." The remaining duties were paid upon goods "by measurement and weight," and the columns convey no information. It is only to be hoped that the duty on soap bears a fair proportion to the duty on drink. By the year, Westport is the largest exporter of gold except Hokitikaand Dunedin. By the quarter it is a few ounces inferior to Greymouth. The figures are, for the March quarter— Westport 29,8230z5, Greymouth 22.07 lozs ; for the June quarter,—Westport 36,8900z5, Greymouth 24,3220z5; for the September quarter— Westport 34,2820z5, Grejmouth 24,2010zs ; for the December quarter Westport 26,3810z5, Greymouth 26,6-sozs. It is a noticeable fact that the exports from Greymouth are very largely the produce of the province of Nelson. For instance, during the December quarter 18,5700zs exported from Greymouih were obtained in Nelson Province, and only 8115ozs in Westland. Auckland's exports of gold are rapidly increasing. They rise, in the quarters of the past year, from 8000, 9000, 13,00■», to 22 25Sozs for the December quarter, but the value of the Auckland gold is entered at £3 3s per ounce, while the gold from the other provinces is valued at £4 per ounce. The following are the exports for the whole year from each of the ports: Auckland, 53,611; Picton, 401; Nelson, 9599; Westport, 127,376 ; Brighton, 14,340; Greymouth, 97,279; Ilokitika, 156,959; Okarita, 6222; Lyttelton, 38; Dunedin, 163,089; Invercargill, 8,548; Bluff Harbor, 12oza.

The following notification appears in the elson Provincial Gazette of the 12th inst.: .ndrew Johnston and company, of Westort, in the province of Nelson, are hereby | uthorised, under Section 13 of " The Gold.elds Act, 1866," to construct a tramway, ommencing at tho junction of Cobden and lomilly-streots, and continuing one mile long Romilly-street, and protected in the iccupation thereof* for a period of one rear, upon the following condit : ons, viz : L. That the line be laid in the centre of ;he street so a3 not to interfere with or mpede the traffic, and that it shall be subject to the approval of the District Engineer. 2. That if, during the currency of this protection, the street should be formed, the Government shall have the right to use the tramway for the purpose of metalling the street, and that the tramway shall be altered to suit the level at which the street may be made. 3. That the Government; may at any time cause the tramway to be altered for the purpose of adapting itself to any public work that may be undertaken. 4. That foot passengers shall at all times be entitled to use the tramway, provided they do not interfere with its proper iises. 5. THut upon -violation of any of these conditions the Warden of the District shall have power to suspend the opsration of this license until the matter of complaint be removed. It appears that the advices received by the Governor relative to the visit of Prince Alfred state that his Royal Highness will only visit those places in the colony which may evince their desire that such an honor should be conferred upon them. How does Westportfeel? Several cases of drowning have lately occurred in Auckland Province. At the Kawkawa coal-mine, Donald Lamond (late of Wanganui), and another man called Jack, were drowned on separate dates, by falling overboard from the coal-barges.— James Mitchell, a miner (late of Westland), has been drowned at Ohinemuri. Deceased had swum across the river, and on coining out he got some mud on his body. He too> a plunge into the water to cleanse himself, and never came up again.—On December 27, as John Ryan, a bushman, was crossing the Wangapoa bar in a dingy from the cutter Prince of Wales, his boat capsized, and before assistance could be rendered the unfortunate man was drowned. Mr John Hall, Mrs Robert Heir, and a dramatic company, are shortly expected in Nelson. Mr Gully, the water colorist, has painted two beautiful pictures for exhibition in London—views of Mount Egmont and Mount Cook. The personal liabilities of Mr Kennedy, late general manager of the Bank of New Zealand, are said to be .£26,000. General Chute returned to Melbourne by the Gothenburg. He paid a short visit to Hokitika on his way. TUo DuXi, «* MOiuWigli ia oipocicJ to visit Nelson province in April. He will be accomp nied by the Governor. The Government organ at Wellington states distinctly that the Assembly will not meet until after the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh. It was recently reported that Captain Robert Towns of Sydney, well known in the commercial world as a large shipowner and extensive merchant, had failed, and that his liabilities amounted to over two millions sterling. The report has since been contradicted. Mr Dobson, C.E., for twenty years one of Canterbury's public servants, has left that province for Melbourne, with the hope of finding a more favorable field for the exercise of his professional talents. The Christchurch papers complain of his being allowed to leave' without the slightest recognition from the public. The news from the Greenstone, says the Hokitika Daily News of the 11th inst, is not of special interest, but the impression is that the rush is overdone.