The Westport Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 492, 17 April 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1869.

By the steamer Wanganui we a,re in receipt of Wanganui papers of datc3 up to the 13th instant. Colonel Whitmore's campaign has apparently been brought to a close. There had, however, been an expedition up the Wattotara river, and all the Native villages and plantations for a distance of several miles up the river from Papatupu had been destroyed, and the force brought; back with them a lot of horses, sheep, canoes, saddles, arms, spears, mats, and other loot. A serious accident occurred at Giles Terrace on Thursday to a miner named Williamson, who had been working on wages in Tapley and party's claim. The accident occurred by the truck tipping over the bank, and carrying Williamson with it for a distance of ten or twelve feet. He was rendered insensible, and was severely bruised about the head and neck, but is now considered to be out of danger. Dr Thorpe was on the ground shortly after the accident and rendered the necessary medical advice, and the man was removed to the hospital yesterday. A. meeting of the local Education Committee was held on Thursday afternoon at the Court-house, at which all the members were present. The meeting was called for the purpose of appointing a successor to Mr Philips as teacher, that gentleman having resigned. Threo applications had been received, but there having been no reply received to certain communications sent to the Secretary of the Central Board, the meeting was adjourned until Saturday, the 24th instant.

The mining business has so largley increased at the Upper Buller, Lyell, and Matukatuka, that Mr E. H. Coe, C.E., has opened a Mining Agency and Survey Office at the Lyell township, and, under the sanction of the Warden's Court, will in future receive all applications for water-rights, &c, for that district. Thatcher is expected to appear shortly in Hokitika. It is stated by a contemporary that he has been engaged by the proprietor of tho Casino de Venise. The body of the lad Geghan, who was drowned at Grey mouth on Saturday last, in the river, has not yet been found. It is stated authoritatively that the Duke of Edinburgh will not visit Westland. The following telegram has been received by the County Chairman from the General Government: Edinburgh arrived on Sunday. He cannot possibly visit Westland, owing to his limited stay in New Zealand." The Galatea leaves Wellington for Nelson to-day. His Eoyal Highness will land on Monday, and will leave Nelson in time to reach Lyttelton on Thursday next, and will stay tliree or four days in Canterbury, after which he will proceed to Dunedin. The West Coast Times of Wednesday states that a determined attempt to commit suicide by poisou was made in Hokitika on Monday night by a woman named Mary Ann Hardman, who has a little store adjoining the Lancashire Arms Hotel, Eevell street. It appears she came home about twelve o'clock, and after being in the house some time, said to a Mrs Senior, who acts as servant, " You can get a suit of black for me to-morrow, as I will be dead." She then went into the bedroom, and on her return said to the servant, " I have taken poison." Mrs Senior then endeavored to get out to call assistance, but the other would not let her. She succeeded, however, and Dr Acheson was sent for, who, on his arrival, found Hardman in a very bad state, suffering from the effects of essence of almonds. Ho immtdiately administered emetics, which had the desired effect. She is a married woman, and has four children, her husband being in Christ church. Great preparations are making in Christchurch for the reception of Prince Alfred. It is reported that Colonel M'Donnellhas been appointed Commissioner of Police at Sydney. In the Eesident Magistrate's Court, Hokitika, the remanded case of evasion of tolls brought against Simeon Isaacs has been decided. It may be remembered that during the last session the County Council decided that a toll should be imposed on the traffic on the Christchurch road. Tenders were called for the lease of the same, and the tender of Mr Eichard Eeeves was accepted. In the Act it is stated that coaches or horses conveying mails are exempt from toll, but nothing is mentioned with regard to passengers. Mr Simeon Issacs, perhaps, having an inkling of the same, refused to pay, and was summoned by Mr Eeeves. After a lengthy argument by Messrs Harvey and South for and against the case, Mr Fitz-Gerald dismissed the information, with £2 2s costs. Mr Clayton has been appointed architect to the General Government,

Speaking of the long continued drought in Queensland, the Melbourne Age says : It is notable that the sheep are actually unfit for human food, inasmuch as from having been so long fed on pine leaves—the only food available—their bodies have become completely saturated with turpentine.

A rather amusing "sell" was perpetrated through the Otago Daily Times on the Ist of April. A small advertisement appeared in the paper to the effect that a Professor Cook, who had been lecturing on mesmerism, would deliver a lecture on Dredging on Rattray street Jetty—admission free. A great many people went down, of course only to be made April fools of, and a good deal of fun was occasioned. But the best of the joke wa3 that the Professor was working on the dredge himself, having been committed by the Magistrate for a short term for some trifling misdeed or other, only the day previous. The General Assembly has been convened for the despatch of business, to meet on June Ist. The Wellington Independent, of the Bth instant, has the following remarks about new members :—" An unusually large infusion of new blood is likely to be apparent in the House of Representatives next session. In addition to Messrs Hull, George Graham, Cox, Hepburn, and Paterson, whese seats are already filled up, we believe that Mr Mitchell has resigned his seat for Waikouaiti, that Mr Gallagher is about to resign his seat for "Westland North, and that Mr Campbell, the member for Oamaru, has left the colony on a visit to England. It -./ as understood that he would resign his seat before he left, but it seems doubtful whether he did so. If not, Oamaru j will be unrepresented next session. It is said that the newly elected member for Newton, Mr Creighton, is likely to resign immediately, having accepted a situation in the 'fourth estate' in one of the Southern Provinces." We are assured by Mr Gallagher that he has no intention whatever of resigning. Grapes and melons grown by the Maoris have of late found then- way into the Auckland market in large quantities. It i 3 said that when properly protected, grapes can be produced in Auckland fully eqnal to any in Australia, and the local papers look forward to the day when the making of wine will be one of the leading industries of the province.

At a late meeting of the Auckland Total Abstinence Society it was stated that the sum estimated to have been spent in drink in New Zealand during the year 1868, wa .£1,131,270, or upwards of £21,755 per week. It was also stated that during the last seven years the colony has expended .£8,400,000 for intoxicating liquors, &c., and has remitted out of that sum £2,800,000 abroad for these imports. H.E.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, says the Sydney Herald, has gained the favor of the Irish residents in Sydney by wearing a bunch of shamrocks on the breast of his coat when he appeared at the Eoyal Victoria Theatre on the evening of St. Patrick's Day.

The following letter appears in the Grey River Argus : —" Is it not a pitiable state of things when masters of steamers have to hawk things from door to door through our streets ? Just imagine such a highly educated and respectable man, with a small box of eggs under one arm, a pair of fowls in the other, and a ' nanny goat' bringing up the rear, with a pair of ducks slung across her back ! Such scenes may to some persons appear amusing, but to me it is really distressing to see men of such refined feelings compelled to do such menial acts. If the owners of steamers trading on our coast cannot afford to keep their servants respectable, I propose we raise a subscription for that purpose." A correspondent of the Southern Cross, writing from Wanganui, asserts that, out

of the 200 men enlisted by Captain Stack at Melbourne, and forwarded at the cost of the Government to this colony, about 100 have been already discharged, many being medicaDy unfit for service. Okarito is not altogether deserted. The Eoman Catholic inhabitants of the district are sufficiently numerous to be able to build a chapel, and the members of the Church of England are also building a place of

worship. Dunedin papers contain notices of the death of Mr Edward Bates.

Under the heading of "Important Notice," the Hokitika papers contain advertisements by clothiers stating that they have on sale '* socks and stockings free from poisonous coloring matter." The following paragraph appears in the Hokitika Star: —The committee of the Charleston Hospital, in their report, drew attention, to the fact that the miners, for whose especial benefit the institution was established, had contributed for its support, the munificent sum of five guineas during a period of three months! Were the example of the Charleston miners likely to be followed by their confreres of Westland, we should certainly not recommend the citizens to take upon themselves the charge of maintaining the Hokitika Hospital. We fancy, however, that our miners are not so selfish as those of Charleston.

The following wrinkle, stated by the Melbourne correspondent of a Victorian paper, may be useful to some advertisers : —" One of our tradesmen has hit upon a very ingenious method of securing some attention to his hand-bills, which are distributed in the streets. On the opposite side to his advertisement he gives the words of a couple of socalled comic songs so much in vogue just now, such as' Tommy Todd,' and 'Upin a balloonThese hand-bills are generally kept for the purpose of reading the words of the songs, instead of being thrown in the gutter as usual."

The Greymouth Star has the following rt* marks on the decision on .the Stoney Lead case:—All is settled now, and the miners

of the Stoney Lead may continue their work, without a thought of wrong-doing or of having the figures £l<>,ooo, or any smaller sums staring them in the face, as well as being deprived of their claims and the hard-earned fruits of their labor. It is, perhaps, a hard matter for Mr Button fco lose his case and all the attendant expenses, but we doubt not that he will receive some compensation for his deluded hopes, and the matter will certainly be a good lesson to the Commissioner in the sale of "rural lands." The diocesan Synod met at Dunedin last week. The Bishop of New Zealand, in his opening address, after referring to the resolution of the General Synod, respecting Dr Jenner, said that his atfion in the matter had been solely guided by a desire for the peace of the church, and reiterated the statement made to the local vestry in February, "1 should not under any circumstances have iuhibited Bishop Jenner." On a motion of congratulation to Bishop Harper on his appointment as Primate, an acrimonious attack was made on his conduct by Messrs Webster and Smith. His Lordship's explanations, which were moot satisfactory, were received with applause. The clerical order [is equally divided, so no- motion can be carried. The question of Dr Jenner's appointment came on for discussion afterwards, and a motion that he should be was proposed an£ was rejected.