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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 494, 22 April 1869, Page 2

Our readers may expect in an early issue a special report from the Lyell and Upper Buller districts, or at all events an account of a holiday ramble in these parts, which may in some degree be found interesting, and will be more reliable in its information than scraps made up from current reports or from the occasional notes of a correspondent. It is not from the receipt of any new or startling tidings from that quarter that we have undertaken to furnish our readers with such details,but simply from a desire to be more conversant with those districts which are weekly denoting signs of improvement by a steady increase in the yield of gold, and to render the necessary assistance in advocating the many wants and requirements of the increasing population. The Separation petition may be said to be in favorable progression. In Westport last week the petition went the round of the main street, and about two hundred signatures were obtained, there being scarcely a dissenting voice heard on the subject. Mr Adam Porter has also obtained between four and five hundred signatures in the Upper Buller and Lyell districts, which he has forwarded to town. We learn that equal success has been met with at the Caledonian, Addison's, and the adjoining places, and there is now no doubt about the petition carrying with it to the hands of the Premier from three to four thousand signatures. The following are the amounts of the Provincial revenue collected at the Wardens and Eesident Magistrates Courts on the South-West Goldfields for the two halfyears ended 30th Sept., 1868, and 31st March, .1869. For the half-year ended 30th Sept. last, there was~collected at Westport ... ... .£3780 14 0 Charleston 3533 15 0 Greymouth... ... 3283 17 8 Brighton 1258 19 0

£11,857 5 8 and for the half year ended 31st March last, the amounts were, at Charleston £3239" '5 0 Greymouth 3191 10 3 Westport 2729 2 5 Brighton 898 7 10

£10,058 5 G making a total for the year of £21,915 lis 2d. This amount is actual revenue, exclusive of the gold and Customs duties. Colonial experience and capital are often turned to good account in England. An article in one of the Victorian papers lately instanced a number of cases of successful men in the Colonies having returned to England and met with increased success in their various professions or trades. Mr Childers was cited as an instance of what a Victorian legislator had become in the British Parliament. Mr Carpenter's doings on the Stock Exchange, and Messrs Spiers and Pond who left the "Cafe de Paris" of Melbourne, and made such a change in the railway refreshment departments over all England, were also commented upon, as having risen from Colonial experience now exercised in fields of greater magnitude. "We notice by a late English paper, The Brighton Observer, that the West Coast has contributed somewhat to the list. That paper has given a description of a new hotel opened in the metropolis, in Oxford street, under the name of the *' Australasian and New ZeaJander." Mr James Kebble, who was well known as the proprietor of the London Hotel and Concert Hall in Hokitika, in which he was very successful, returned to London about fifteen months ago, and entered upon this large speculation in catering to the British public with a concert hall, described as being on an extensive and attractive scale. The rough bridge over the brook leading to the Orawaiti is in an insecure state, some of the timber being broken, thereby rendering it dangerous for horses and traffic generally. The attention of the proper authorities should be •directed to it, as the traffi-j over it is considerable. On Tuesday morning some evil-disposed person or persona let three of the watermen's boats adrift from the upper wharf. William Hannah's boat was tied under the wharf, next another which was not touched. The owners of tho other two boats were Hans Larsen and James Eoso. We hope that the perpetrators of this action will be apprehended, the circumstances appearing to bo purely malicious, causing serious loss to the men. Hannah has a family to support, and of course his trade has been damaged, irrespective of the exertions he must make towards replacing bis boat.

The petition forms for signatures sent to the Separation Committee at Charleston, from Westport have, says, the Herald, been numerously signed, and will be returned to the Chairman at Westport in a few days. Already there hi been 600 signatures obtained, and it is anticipated that from two to three hundred more will be secured. This number will represent at least three-fourths of the adult mule population residing in Charleston and district. We have not, adds the Herald, yet heard whether the Brighton people hare taken any steps in the matter, for or against; but we weve informed yesterday, that a meeting was about to be held to ascertain their views on the subject. The existence of the West Coast, and the justice of it being more fully represented in the Nelson Council, is positevely at last admitted by the Nelson Examiner. In its issue of the loth the Examiner says :—" The Nelson Provincial Council has been summoned to meet on the 27th instant, but as far as we are aware Government does not intend submitting many bills for the Council's consideration. There will be one however which has already appeared in our columns, namely, a bill to reduce the number of members from twentysix to nineteen. This measure has been directed by considerations of economy, and also, we will add, by a sense of justice. Either it was necessary to reduce the number of members sitting for the settled districts of the province, or to increase the representation for the goldfields, and there could be no question as to which was the more preferable course.

A parcel of fifty ounces of gold from the Lyell was sold on Monday last to the Bank of New Zealand here, besides several smaller parcels. We learn that some of the clains on Hatter's Terrace are turning out exceedingly well. Considerable parcels of gold have been sold this week in town from that locality. Tenders were received and opened yesterday for the construction of a horse track round Hawk's Crag, on the Buller road. We have not ascertained who has been the successful tenderer, but it is to be hoped that no delay will take place in commencing what is admitted to be a most requisite piece of work. Mr Price, Photographer has, during the past few days, been engaged taking views of the principal streets and buildings in town, many of which are very creditable works of photography and denote the artist's skill and knowledge of his profession.