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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 483, 27 March 1869, Page 2

Good Friday, anno Domini 1869, will live long in the memory of "thirsty souls" in the Buller district, for there will be associated with that day one pleasing reminiscence, suggestive at once of the extension of liberal sentiments, and of the district's advance from its primitive stage of barbarism and beer to a higher and purer period of civilization and spirituous liquors. On that day, and probably on the principle of " the better the day the better the deed," the hotel-keepers and publicans of Westport, after much consultation, and, no doubt, mature deliberation, reduced the price of the indispensable "nobbier" to the small charge of one sixpence! The interest of the incident those who are poetical might say even its picturesqueness —is enhanced by the fact of their having done so, not a3 houses divided against themselves, but "as one man" —and as brothers. Moreover, the reduction was made not alone for that day, but for all time; "stout, spiders, and hot grog excepted." It is true that in the case of one " weaker vessel," sisterly charity some time ago suggested the imposition of but a single sixpence for an individual drink, "quality guaranteed j" but those having weightier interests, and wages to pay, withstood the current of public sentiment until, probably, they couldn't help it. To be candid, perhaps publicans' liberality and public sentiment were less the cause of the change than cold weather, of which there is at present an excessive abundance. Colonial beer and its twin-sister " shandygaff" had, in the dog-days, recommendations in connection with which suspicions as to the mere consideration of their being only sixpence a glass need never have existed. But, admirable beverages as theymaybe with a high thermometer, their consumption, under such circumstances as a south-east wind and sleet, is so suggestive of colic that they positively came to be regarded with suspicion, not to speak of contempt. A relapse to keener stimulants was inevitable, but there also presented itself the inevitable shilling, and, metaphorically, that was not so easily " swallowed " as might be the article which it nominally represented. There was discovered, on the part of several "drouthy" subjects, a " sneaking regard" for sixpences which, really, had the times been better, would not have arisen in a community where coppers are unknown, and where the name of Nelson is obnoxious because its people misgovern the district and drink beer at thrippence. Thus it came about that the hotel-keepers, et cetera, " associated," and thus it is that, in Westport, Good Friday, anno Domini, 1869, has become for ever memorable. Teetotal readers will excuse such a tedious reference to what may be to them an insignificant subject. Judging by toe interest—yea, even excite-

ment—which it has caused among a considerable, and, as the event has proved; considerate portion of the population—the hotel-keepers themselves —we have by no means exaggerated its importance. Compared with it, such incidents as the presence or the preachings of the Bishop of Nelson, or the vexed question of Separation, are, for the time, nowhere. No doubt, small as the individual importance of the' matter may be, the liquor traffic is so intimately allied with the value of property.and pecuniary interests of sections of a mining community, that even such a change is of serious moment to some, and we suppose the " licensed victuallers " know their business best when they compromise the matter by the scale of charges which the majority now exhibit in their bars and in these columns. It is to be hoped, for the sake of Hennessy and humanity, that, in undertaking any other "reduction" than that of mere reduction in price, they will have xecourse only to that useful household appendage—the pump. Only on that consideration do we suggest, as the motto of the " association:"— "Let those drink now who never drank before, Let those who always drank now drink the more.'' We learn that the new ground which has been opened up the Buller, is situated about a mile above Christie's store. It is on a low terrace on the Westport side of the river, and the gold was struck by tunnelling into the terrace. Thirty claims, representing about 240 men, have already been taken up, and that is said to be as many as there is at present room for. The same ground has been frequently prospected before, but previous parties had never gone in sufficiently far to strike the lead of gold. There is good reason to suppose that all along the same side of the Buller, and below the Lyelh payable gold may be got, but the extreme denseness of the bush has hitherto prevente J this portion of country being more than very slightly prospected. Some new ground has also been lately opened in the neighbourhood of the Inangahua. A shark about five feet in length was washed up on the North Spit yesterday. The pigs of the neighbourhood soon paid their addresses to it, but did not appear to specially relish it as an article of food. Some admirably executed water-color paintings by Mr Gregory, a Victorian artist, were purchased by Mr Hughes, of Messrs Tonks and Hughes, during his late visit to Melbourne, and now ornament their hotel in Westport. They are valuable both as works of art, and as accurate portraits of those famous traders—the Great Britain, the Somersetshire, the Thermopylae, and of Her Majesty's troop-ship, the Himalaya. The Thermopylae is the splendid clipper of whose extraordinary passage to Melbourne—the fastest on record—we lately gave an account. A meeting of the local Education Committee was held at the Court-houae on Tuesday afternoon. Present Mr Tyler (Chairman,) Messrs Franklyn, Munro, and Beid (Hon. Secretary.) The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed, and correspondence between the Secretary of the I Central Board and the Committee was read. It would be well to mention for the guidance of parents and children that a supply of books and school materials sufficient for the ensuing twelve months has been recently received, and that all books issued now or during the next year must be paid for by those who require them. This is expected to cause the children to take more care of the present stock. The resignation tendered by Mr Phillips as master of the school was received, and a resolution was passed instructing the Secretary to advertise for a successor for that office ; applications to be received until the 15th April and the duties to be entered upon on the Ist of May. The Greymouth Borough Council are negotiating for a loan from the Bank of New Zealand.

During the hearing of a case at Melbourne lately, it transpired that the offal, blood, and entrails connected with some bone mills were carted to East Collingwood, to be used in the manufacture of gelatine lozenges and lollies. Pleasant! Messrs Moss and Smith, of Greymouth, have proceeded to Dunedin, as the only represent&tiyea of the West Coast in the Middle Island Rifle Match. The Nelson Provincial Council is to meet on the 27th of April next. It is said that new and rich discoveries of gold have been made within the last few days at the Thames, which quite equal any of the claims previously worked. Miss Harriett Gordon (Mrs J. P. Hydes). the well-known vocalist and pianist, died at Auckland, on Saturday, March 13 th. Colonel M'Donnell has notified his intention to the Resident Magistrate at Auckland (where he is at present) of resigning. The Colonel's wife died at Auckland on March 7th. Good Friday (probably God's Friday) has from early time been held as a solemn fast, in remembrance of the crucifixion of our Saviour on Friday, April 3, 33, or April 15, 29. Its appellation of Good appears to be peculiar to the Church of England ; our Saxon forefathers denominated it Long Friday, on account of the great length of the offices observed and fastings enjoined on this day. Good Friday, in 1866, happened on March 30; in 1867, on April 19 ; in 1868, April 10 ; and this year, yesterday, March 26.