The Westport Times. THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 503, 13 May 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1869.

We understand that the General Postmaster has accepted the tender of Messrs Cobb and Co. for the conveyance of a daily mail between Westport and Charleston, and of a mail twice a week between Westport and Addison's. The tenders of Messrs Simmer and Forder have also been accepted, for a mail twice a week between Charleston and Brighton, and once a fortnight between Brighton and Cobden. The present mail contracts do not expire for six weeks to come.

At a meeting of the Church of England vestry, on Tuesday, the tenders for the erection of the proposed church were opened. Only two tenders were received—from Messrs Somner and Co. and Messrs Bull and Bond. The tender of the latter, for .£390, was accepted, A slight improvement in connection with one of the wharves has lately been effected by the Harbor Master, Captain Leech. Below what is dignified by the name of the Upper Wharf there stood a number of piles braced together, being part of the wreck of the protective wort s. These were considerably in the way of steamers, especially when leaving their moorings, and were likely to do some damage. By their removal, freer access to the wharf is obtained, and the stability of the structure itself is not detrimentally affected. The handsomely engrossed copy of the petition for Separation which is intended to he presented to the House of Representatives is now on view in the shop of MiBishop, stationer, Gladstone street, and persons who have not signed the petition will have an opportunity of doing so at the same place.

We imagine it is scarcely necessary to remind "lovers of music"—which, of course, means every representative of humanity in Westport—that it is on this evening that the amateur concert is to be given in the Masonic Hall. Yesterday, two accidents happened to the conveyances running between Charleston and Westport. One of the horses in Messrs Simpson and Keiley's coach fell down dead near the Five-mile Beach, and the rest of the journey had to be made with three horses only. In the evening, and at the Westport end of the journey, Messrs Rimmer and Forder's car got capsized by coining in contact with a stump when being driven, after dark, between the stables U.v. l.«»oU, Wfc tKo troliiolo was nnly slightly shaken. By these two conveyances about 4500 ounces of gold were brought up from Charleston under police escort.

By a return of brewers and wine and spirit merchants registered under the Distillation Act, it appears that there are in the Province of Nelson eighteen brewers and thirty-nine wine and spirit merchants. Three of the brewers are in Westport, one at Charleston, and one at Addison's Flat. Nine of the wine and spirit merchants are in Westport, the same number in Charleston, one at Addison's Flat, and two at Caledonian Terrace.

Subscriptions to the amount of j£S5 have lately been received in aid of the English church in Charleston, chiefly through the exertions of the Eev. Mr Harvey, and an effort will be made to clear off all debts previous to the arrival of the new incumbent.

The Albert car belonging to Messrs Eimmer and Forder, which disappeared in the Totara river during the late floods, was recovered, and is again on the road. The loss by the late fire at Okarito is estimated by Mr Warden Price at between two and three thousand pounds. Mr Talbot, an actor new to the colonies, has been playing in Melbourne, but he is adversely criticized by the Press.

At the conclusion of the Dunedin races the well-known horse Stormbird was sold for JMOO, and the marc Virginia for £l5O. The Mendora, bringing out the second shipment of salmon ova to Otago, had a passage of 114 days, instead of a passage of 85 days, as expected. The ova were immediately despatched to the Waiwera, a tributary of the Clutha, and to Christchurch. Those sent to the Waiwera are believed to bo good enough to leave some hope of the expei iment, but the Canterbury papers do not speak so hopefully of the ova received there.

The Provincial Couneil of Marlborough is now sitting. It is stated that the Superintendent, Mr Eyes, intends taking a petition to the Assembly to modify the present form of government; amalgamating office 3; and urging that it should take charge of Police and Gaols, and that the revenue from Harbours and the Laud Fund be divided among the Road Board districts. Legs of mutton are being sold at "Wanganuifor one shilling when six pounds weight or under, or at 2d per pound above that weight. A boiling-down establishment has been started there and at Wairarapa. The half-yearly meeting of the Bank of New Zealand was held at Auckland on April 28th, when a dividend was declared —the usual one of ten per cent., with a bonus added, which makes the dividend equal to 15 per cent, per annum, and this, after leaving a balance of .£8,313 6s 3d. to be carried to the profit and loss fund. Another breach of promise of marriage case is fixed to come off at the next sitting of the Supreme Court at Auckland, between a Miss Morrow and Mr John Ebenezer White, a partner in Hunt's claim. Damages are laid at ,£3OOO.

Mr G. W. Binney lias given up business in Hokitika, aud has left for Melbourne. Telegraphic communication, it will be seen, has again been established between Australia and Tasmania. It is nearly ten years since the first cable was severed. Mr Phineas Solomon, the well-known proprietor of the Cafe de Paris, Revell street, Hokitika, died rather suddenly on Thursd >y last. He had a paralytic stroke on the previous Tuesday. The story is told that a medical officer inspecting some recruits and objecting to a man on account of his having no teeth, as he would be unable to bite a cartridge, was invited to put his fingers in his mouth and try if he could not bite. A similar scene, says the Wairarapa Mercury, occurred on parade at Masterton, Major Snitll, in drilling the Wairarapa Cavalry, complained of one of the members at sword exercise, using the expression that' in the way he used his sword he would not hurt a fly.' The answer was thereupon made, 'You stand in frjnt and let me see if I would not hurt you.' Of course this was a great breach of discipline, and the troop will lose a very efficient member through his being called upon to resign. The Marlborough Express says that a wellknown publican at Picton, in company with his wife and seventy-two kits of oysters, took his departure per Airedale for Wellington a few days ago in a quiet and mysterious manner. So little confidence was felt as to the date of his return, that the owner of the premises took immediate possession of them, with the contents, which will be brought to the hammer.

The Supreme Court is now sitting at Hokitika. W. Jones, charged with embezzlement, was discharged. Daniel Burke O'Driscoll, for perjury, was sentenced to sis months' hard labor. J. Whelan, charged with riot and assault at the Greenstone, was found guilty, and his sentence was adjourned. Mary Hardman, for attempting to commit suicide, was ordered to enter into recognisances for good behavior. Iloran, for forgery, was discharged. The trial of Birch, for perjury at Cobden, was proceeding on Tuesday, and there was another case of a woman abetting a criminal assault on her own daughter. Mr Bonar has resigned his seat in the Westland County Council. It is said that Mr Cassius is so disgusted with his last defeat that he will not again become a candidate. Mr Bonar in his address says, " I feel, however, now that I have no hope of being able to carry out successfully measures which I consider necessary and beneficial." His resignation is imputed to his feeling with regard to the election of Mr Eeeves.