Untitled

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 489, 10 April 1869, Page 2

The Government Surveyor, Mr Lewis, who proceeded to the locality where coal was found by Honess, of the Caledonian Terrace, returned to town last evening. The distance of the place from Westport, he approximately at six and a-half miles, and bearing W.S.W. The height of the situation where the coal protrudes he calculates at 2500 feet above the sea level, and the dip of the seam, if seam it may yet be called, 25 degrees in a south-westerly direction. It is right on the summit of the range which extends from Mount Eochfort to the Buller, and occurs in a small hummock which rises in a saddle of that range. In two or three places there seemed to be indications of coal, but Mr Lewis and the men who were with hini did not succeed in exposing a seam of such thickness as that represented. After stripping they got pieces eight or ten inches in thickness, with shale and other material attached, and the specimens which they got burnt freely enough; but if coal is at all to be found in quantity in the same neighbourhood, it will only be by tunnelling on either side of the range, which on the eastern side is very precipitous, broken, and covered with bush. Apparently, the discovery is only or chiefly important as indicating the presence of coal in that neighbourhood, and, although the section of a seam which has been seen is not workable, the indication which it gives of coal in such proximity to the river and town may encourage some further prospering, and yet establish the fact that there is a work • able seam available.

We have received from "the mover of the amendment " at the Charleston meeting, a letter insertion of which he requests "in justification of himself." It is scarcely necessary to give his justification of proposing Mr Home as chairman, or of the amendment he proposed and failed to carry, but his excuse for his lack of success as a speaker we give. He says:—" This was the amendment which the member for Sardine Terrace turned into a Punch and Judy Show. Curing the time I was speaking he was constantly saying ♦Go down.' The convener of the meeting was telling me to ' shut up' at every sentence. One man had me by the leg, and between them, I assure you, Sir, if you could have made an address, you must be more than mortal."

! Mr Lloyd has this week visited Charleston andßrighton, witha view to ascertaininc' the public opinion with regard to the proposal of forming a company to provide a steamer suitable for these two ports and for VVestport. At a meeting at Charleston Mr Neale was in the chair, and after a resolution was passed in favor of the object, a provisional committee was formed, consisting of Messrs Allen, Bridson, Dwan, Neale, and Hunter. Mr Lloyd afterwards visited Brighton, and had interviews with the majority of the business people there. His visits to both places were satisfactory, and it now remains for the general committee ;to take steps to forward the object by obtaining all further information that may be necessary, and by communicating with steamboat builders.

The Galatea, which was expected to arrive at Wellington on the 6th inst, had not reached that port up to the time of closing the telegraph offices last evening. Five shops have been destroyed by a fire in Queen street, Auckland. The buildings consumed were Mr Weir's delf warehouse, the Wharf and Orpheus Hotels, Mr Taylor's chop-house, and an adjacent store. Both by the steamer Kennedy and the Murray some passengers proceeded from Westport to Nelson, for the purpose of attending the races and welcoming Prince Alfred to the Province. Others intend taking their passage by the Charles Edward and succeeding steamers. A correspondent has written to us that West Coast men visiting Nelson during the Prince's visit should wear some distinctive badge, but he does not suggest of what description it should be, or how an understanding should be arrived at on the subject. The steamer Alhambra arrived at Hokitika yesterday, but was not tendered until the night tido, and her news was not ascertained in time for transmission by telegraph. Larry Goodman, respecting whose safety much anxiety had been felt at Brighton, has returned to the Dublin Terrace, after an abence of five days and four nights. He returned considerably exhausted, and without meeting with the search parties who had been sent out.

The Rev Mr Walsh -will officiate in the Roman Catholic Church tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. A miner named John Moses was found dead in his hut at Charleston a few days ago. It was the evidence of Dr Dakers that he died of apoplexy. In his pocket-book was found the entry :—" Address to my mother and sister—Catherine Moses, Kyneton P. 0., Victoria, Australia.—John Moses."

It was lately reported that the first white man born in the Middle Island had been sent for to the Grey district by the Superintendent of Nelson, go as to be present in Nelson when the Duke arrives. The Nelson Mail contradicts and ridicules the statement.

Among the passengers by the Rangitoto to Hokitika, was Mr. Hoskins, who has come empowered to make arrangements for the appearance of Mr. Walter Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery, says the Daily News, will not, as was intended, bring over a dramatic company, but will give a series of readings from the dramatists. He may be accompanied by Mr. Barry O'Neil, the comediam, now playing so successfully in Melbourne. A rumor is beginning to gain strength, that the English Government, at the departure of the last mail, was seriously contemplating sending reinforcements of troops from India to New Zealand.

Three hundred glasses of brandy were consumed during the month of February by six patients in the Kilmore Hospital, Victoria, besides a quantity of wine and sixty pints of ale or porter. A committee has been appointed to enquire into the matter. The new Warden and Resident Magistrate of the Grey district and Cobden, Mr. J. H. Lowe, sat for the first time on the Bench at Cobden on Monday. The Argus says : —He must find his office no sinecure, for his duties commenced on Thursday last, when he had a heavy Court-day at Camptown, sitting until four o'clock. On the following day, Friday, the Court at the Ahaura occupied from eleven to six o'clock, and on Saturday Mr. Lowe had to visit the new rush at Napoleon's to settle, on the ground, a disputed mining case. Many persons are not aware that they render themselves liable to a penalty of .£SO by drawing up leases and deeds of agreement —the same being a breach of the Law Practitioners Act. A case of the kind has been tried in Greymouth, when Mr Cardno was fined in the mitigated penalty of Is and costs.

The Masonic brethren of Wellington presented Captain Benson, late General Manager of the Panama Steam Company, with a farewell address, and a handsome jewel of the office he held as Substitute Master, previous to his taking his departure for England in the Ruahine. A short time before he left, Captain Benson presented the two lodges in Wellington with a valuable harmonium imported by himself. Some rather curious tidal phenomena were observed on Friday last at Oatnaru, the ebb and flow being very variable, so that when the luatmen were at -?»ork thoy, vrhilo at one moment only up to the knees in water, were at another up nearly to the armpits. The landing service boats, it is said, were also left high and dry. The following is a curious illustration of life on a new goldfield, says the Melbourne Age. In the Warden's Court at Spring Creek, Moffin and others were summoned by a man named Turner for trespass. Defendants, who were boarding with complainant, had been engaged to sink a hole on his land for a cesspool. In doing this they struck a quartz-reef, and then pegged out the ground for a claim. The decision in the case was postponed. Two troopers were drowned in Wanganui river last week. When a company was crossing in an over-crowded punt, a trooper named Jones, who was drunk at the time, either impelled, or was carried by, his horse into the water, and a man named Weston, in a fuddled friendship, jumped in to save the other. Both unfortunately were drowned before assistance could be rendered. Another man named Biddle was thrown from his horse and kicked in the back of the neck. He was conveyed to the hospital, where he lies in a precarious state. An article on tho representation of the goldfields in tho Nelson Council, which we quoted in our last number, was by a misprint attributed to the Grey River Argtis instead of the Greymouth Star. A sharp shock of earthquako was felt at Wanganui on Thursday week. The banks of the Wanganui river have suffered similarly to those of the Buller, through recent floods. A special rate was laid on by the Town Board for repairs, but the amount is utterly inadequate. The expense is estimated at £1.200, and the matter has been brought before the Wellington Government.

It is currently reported in Wellington that Mr Travers is to be appointed to the office at present held by Colonel Ilaultain. The Canterbury Government offer a premium of £3OOO for success in various matters of local manufacture. The vote of JE3OOO has been divided into three parts, one of which is offered as a premium for the manufacture of 5000 yards of woollen cloth ; another for the production of 100 tons of beet root sugar ; and the third for the establishment of a manufactory for the export of preserved fresh meat.

At Nelson last week, the Stoney Lead question was urged in Chambers before Mr Justice Richmond. The application was for an injunction against Gadd and others, miners, working on the ground claimed by Charles Edward Button, by right of purchase from the Waste Lands Board of Westland. It will be remembered that the land in question, comprising about eighty acres, was advertised for sale last year, and was purchased by Mr W. C. Roberts, of the Bank of New Zealand, for £ 120, and by him again sold to Mr Button for £330. It having been discovered subsequently that there were miners actually working on the ground, the Board cancelled the eale. His Honor said 'that as the points raised were very difficult to decide, he would reserve judgment. !