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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 507, 22 May 1869, Page 2

i We understand that Mr Gallagher, i M.H.R., before leaving for Wellington to be present at the ensuing meeting of the General Assembly, desires to meet his constituents, for the purpose of giving explanations as to his votes during the la.it session of the Assembly, but chiefly for the purpose of eliciting the views of the electors on some of the questions which, in the | event of there being no dissolution, are likely to come before the House. With these objects he will meet the electors of Addison's Flat on the evening of Tuesday next, and on some convenient evening during the week he will also pay a visit to Charleston. Mr Gallagher, as a member of the Westport Separation Committee, conj ceives that, through that Committee and through the columns of the Press, he is ! sufficiently advised of the local fooling on | the county question and others, and, for j that reason, does not purpose holding a public meeting here, unless it be particularly desired. We shall give, in the first publication after the meeting at Addison's, a full report of the proceedings. It can scarcely be necessary to remind the owners of horse-flesh, and lovers of the turf, that on the Queen's Birthday there is likely to be a very good race-meeting at Westport. The races will be run on the course which was cleared for the New Year races, Mr Woolfe, who has since enclosed part of the race-course, having agreed to leave it open for this occasion. The rights and privileges of the Grand Stand were sold yesterday by Messrs Robertson and Co., on behalf of the Committee, and were purchased by Messrs Tonks and Hughes for ,£23, which will go to supplement the amount already in hand for prizes for the races, the entries for which are all post entries. The races will be followed on Tuesday by a regatta, which is also expected to be a source of considerable attraction. Balls and similar entertainments are announced for each evening at different hotels. To-morrow, for the accommodation of Charleston visitors, Messrs Simpson and Keiley will run their six-horse coach to Westport. Mr Harrison and Mr Gilmer, who were appointed by the Greymouth Separation Committee to visit the out-lying districts, never fulfilled the object of their appointment. The local papers quote the "inclemency of the weather" as the proximate cause of this, but there was also a want of funds. Mr James Payne, formerly of Westport, is as yet the only delegate who has visited the district in the Greyniout interest.

A mining work of some interest to this district is that of tunnelling- what is known as the Bald Terrace, situated between the Caledonian Terrace and the Buller river. The terrace has already been prospected by several parties, but an extensive tunnel is now being driven by a party of working and sleeping- shareholders, who are alreadyassociated with the Caledonian district. The situation of the ten-ace suggests that, if anywhere in the neighbourhood good gold should be got, it should be there. There was a small rush on Tuesday to the northerly end of Christmas Ten-ace, one of the series of terraces forming the Great North Lead. Smith and party were reported to have struck gold, and several claims adjoining their ground were marked off. Some payable gold is said to have been also struck by Young and party on a small terrace named North-east Terrace, between Eochfort and Hatter's. Captain Beveridge, of Charleston, who combines in his individual character an active harbor-master and an energetic representative of the virtue of " humanity," is also an ardent student of some of the sciences—particularly phrenology. Life on shipboard or a hermit residence at Charles--ton Heads are not the most favorable sphere or situation for such a study, but Captain Beveridge has, notwithstanding,

long applied himself to the acquirement of a theoretical acquaintance with the science, and even in Charleston he finds a field for its practical study and illustration. "We have seen a number of phrenological " charts " sketched by Captain Beveridge, and, in the delineation of individual character, they exhibit an accuracy of observation and description superior to any statements of character that we have seen emanate from recognised phrenological " Professors." By pursuing the study, and with the taste for it which he possesses, the captain may attain eminence in other respects than as the Charleston HarborMaster and Constant Bay Humane Society. Two serious, but fortunately not fatal, accidtnts occurred this week to the coaches between Greymouth, Hokitika, and Christchurch. The Greymouth and Hokitika coach, in crossing Waimea creek, was carried out to the surf. One of the horses was drowned, and Smith, the driver, was only saved in a state of insensibility after being twenty minutes in the water. He owed his life to the exertions of a Mr Cullen and Mr TV. CTDonnell. Mr M'Crao, Mr Nancarrow, and a young man named Browne, of the telegraph department, were saved by partly stripping themselves and by being dragged from the coach by ropes. The mails were saved. The other accident occurred in the Arahura. The coach upset; the body of the coach floated away; and one horse was drowned. The driver, Mr Stobie, and the two passengers, Mr Lee, the Revising Officer, and Mr Collins, formerly of the Auld Reekie Hotel, were carried down the river, but fortunately reached the banks, Mr Stobie in an exhausted state and much hurt. The mails were thoroughly saturated, but were saved.

The Rev. Thos. Walsh will officiate in the Roman Catholic Church to-morrow morning at nine o'clock, and on Thursday at nine a.m. and eleven a.m.

The arrangements for the delivery of the English mail are being improved. The Weatport portion of the Eangitoto's mail was received here by the Murray on Thursday, direct from Hokitika, instead of being transmitted, as was formerly the case, to Nelson.

Mr Hoos and Mr Lahman have returned to Hokitika. They have learned that the Bank circular recently issued by the Government, as to loans to Provinces, does not apidy to Westland, and it is believed that the Bank of New Zealand will give a loao, and enable the proposed public works to be proceeded with.

Wo quoted from one of the Greymouth papers lately a paragraph as to evideuce being taken there with regard to a charge against a person in Australia, formerly a clerk in Messrs N. Edwards and Co.'s Greymouth office. The person referred to was not a clerk in the company of tlie firm, but a storeman.

There was an alarm of fire at Greymouth on Wednesday evening. The Piro Brigade turned out, but the fire was confined to a small hut, which was burnt.

We regret to know that Mr Bright, lately connected with the Hokitika Press, and who was some months ago incapacitated for any mental exertion, has not recovered his health since his departure for Melbourne. Claims, &c, are protected in this district both on Monday and Tuesday next, which are expected to be generally observed as holidays.

A man who was lately brought down from Addison's Flat, in an iusano state, was forwarded by the Murray on Thursday evening to the Nelson Lunatic Asylum, in charge of a special const ible, the number of the police being so reduced that no regular member of the force could be sent. "We notice that complaints are general throughout the Colony as to the excessive fees charged in connection with proceedings in the Resident Magistrates' Courts. The name of Mr F. P. Atkinson was, by an oversight, omitted from the list of races, as published by us on Thursday. Mr W. 11. Harrison, M.H.R., was a passenger by the Murray, on Thursday, on his way to Wellington, where the Assembly meets on the Ist of Juno. A man recently found in a creek at Kennedy's Bay, Auckland, a stone about three pounds in weight. It contains more gold than quartz, and is valued at J265. A new Government has boon formed in Otago, with Donald Eeid as leader and Secretary for Land and Works; George M'Lean as Treasurer, J. L. Gillies and G. Duncan without portfolios.

The following amounts appear among the " miscellaneous items " of expenditure by the Nelson Government:—Contribution towards the Duke of Edinburgh Plate, .£IOO. ditto Queen's Birthday fete, £3O; ditto regatta, £10; ditto Foresters' fete, £25; Duke of Edinburgh's Eeception Committee (on account), £SOO ; small accounts, £543 18s 7d. "What do the Westport regatta and race committees think of this ? Late news from Fiji staces that at Eiga, Toki Eiver, many settlers have been driven away, so also at Naran river. On the Eewa, at a place not ten miles from Bau Messrs "Waterson and Chapman, with their wives and children, have been most severely beaten, and Mr Murray residing with them is much injured. The new Government house at Wellington is now in course of erection. One of the most extraordinary yields of gold yet got from a claim at the Thames is the result obtained from 3501bs of stone, taken from the Long Drive claim. The result was 1185 ounces of gold, or at the rate of nearly three and a half ounces of gold to the pound weight of stone. News has reached Auckland that Te Kooti has committed another most barbarous murder. It appears that a woman, who was the paramour of one of his men, refused to remain with his followers, and

left them. The poor woman was far advanced in pregnancy. She was pursued, and when she was captured To Kooti ordered her to be ripped open, and herself and her child to be cut in pieces, which was done.

A fire took place at Wanganui on May 5, when the premises lately used as Mr Vincent's butchery were burnt.

The nomination of a successor to Mr Bonar, in the Westlaud County Council, took place on Wednesday. Twelve persons were proposed, including the town bell-man, and the following was the result of the show of hinds : —J. J. Breeze, 15 ; John White, 78 ; C. E. Button, 88 ; John Hall, 51 ; Geo. Findlay, 27 ; W. Woodside, 14; J. B. Clarke 19 ; h'red. Doek, 4 ; J. Cross, 12 ; J. Linton, 22 ; J. Cosgrave, 47 ; J. Lazar, 21. A poll was demanded on behalf of Mr Cosgrave, but we are informed by a correspondent that it is doubtful if he or Mr Button will stand, and, if they do not, Mr John White is almost sure to be returned.

Two unusual charges have been made in the police court, Dunedin. Mr Grourlay, who had been giving entertainments in the Masonic Hall, was charged with doing so without a license. The information was dismis-ed. A hotel-keeper named Jones was charged with allowing "Yankee grab" to be played at his counter, but the charge was withdrawn. There was quite a snow storm in Dunedin on the Bth inst. The weather has broken three weeks sooner than last year.

At Timavu the Gladstone Board of Works have determined to memorialise the Assemblv to form their district into a County.

A new central market is being erected in the Octagon, Dunedin.

Sir Harrild, late manager of the Hokitika branch of the Union Bank, sailed thence for Melbourne in the [Tararua.

Bishop Jenner has lately been preachin" and lecturing in different parts of Otago. A subscription is being made to defray his expenses from and to England. It is rumored, that there is every probability of the Greymoutli Borough Loan of £SO 00 being negotiated in Christchurch. Telegraphic communication has been interrupted for the past two days on the line between Ilokitika and Christchurch, some breakage having apparently occurred on the Christchurch side of the Bealey station. The line was rc-opencd yesterday afternoon, when we received a telegram despatched from Nelson on Wednesday.

11l the Provincial Council, on Tuesday last, Mr M'Dowell was to move:—" That the sum of £SO sterling be placed on the Supplementary Estimates, for the purpose of assisting in buying a fire-engine for Westport." Wo understand that there was a probability of the motion being carried. Peka, one of Major Biggs' murderers, has been captured. He has boen transferred to Napier gtiol, and will be carried to Wellington for trial. Dr Willis, late of Opawa, died at Christchurch a few days ago, from injuries sustained by a fall from his horse.