The Westport Times. SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 531, 17 July 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1869.

There was a meeting of the Separation Committee announced for Thursday evening, but that aiigust body, once so creditably punctual in it 3 meetings, and so enthusiastic in its disposition, is now doing its spiriting more gently— so gently that there was on this occasion no meeting. Of course, the work for which it was specially appointed has been so far accomplished, although the same cannot be said for the object for which that work and its expense were undertaken. Still it it would be well if the Committee met, if were only to audit the balance-sheet and —shall we say?—to disclaim any connivance with the Don Quixote who robbed Mr Lightband of Ms petition and of his peace of mind.

It is a paradox, but it is also a fact, that the Progress Committee is retrogarding. A gentleman who at one time really deserved the compliment which was paid him when he was designated " the indefatigable Mr O'Conor" very recently made a laudable effort to awake the Committee to a state of action and to a sense of its responsibility, but the exertions of the Committee seem to partake very much of the character of Mr O'Conor'smanufactures—they are extremely effervescent. (It may be proper to state that we do not make this allusion in the way of advertising the excellence of Mr O'Conor's wares, but simply because it appears to us to be rather a " happy comparison.") The Committee, at the instigation of Mr O*Conor, met, and vowed mighty vows of better behavior for the future; but at that point their repentance and their good resolutions ended. We should be sorry to think that the Westport Committee is to follow the example of that of Charleston—to go up like a rocket, and come down like a stick—and, if the Chairman would take what he is professionally so competent to give—advice—he would take, with thanks to us, a humble and gentle reminder that "office" has its duties as well as its honors.

We lately quoted from our Greymouth contemporary, the Argus, a complaint against the Nelson Government's parsimony in the treatment of the Harbor-Master at

that port, Capt. Allardyce. The was that a paltry reduction of £l2 had been made in his annual salary, although it was already invidiously small. We are informed that no such reduction has been made. As it appears on the Estimates the sum, as compared with that paid last year, is .£l2 less, but the Harbor-Master, we are told, continues to be paid the same amount as that which he formerly received. He receives, in fact, the same amount from the Nelson Government as that which is paid by the County Government of Westland. It must be said, however, in the spirit of letting the devil have his due, that the fact of his entire salary being so small, and so disproportionate to the duties, is attributed to the extreme meanness of the Government at Nelson, which to a certain class of officers can be very liberal, while to the working "bees" of the service, it dispenses little more than bread and salt.

We have been asked by the police to inform our country readers that the 12th section of the Dog Nuisance Act will be enforced on and after this date. The clause authorises the police to seize any dog without a ticket affixed to it found at large within the proclaimed district. In this neighbourhood, upwards of £250 has been collected on behalf of the Fenian prisoners liberated in Western Australia. A similar or larger amount has been collected in and around Charleston. As the Amnesty Committee in Dublin have con tributed £SOO to the same fund, and extensive subscriptions have been made in all parts of the Colonies, it seems to us to be rather a good thing to be a liberated Fenian prisoner.

There is now a daily mail between Westport and Charleston. Half the advantage of this additional facility in mail conveyance is lost through the absence of any regular delivery of letters in both places. Letters are only delivered to those who make special arrangements for the receipt of their letters.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Thursday, John Spellow was fined 40s for obstructing the police in the discharge of their duty. Three others were fined for having been drunk. Messrs Bull and Bond have very expeditiously carried out the contract of erecting the English church in Westport. The building is already roofed in, and the whole exterior part of the work has been com - ploted, with the exception of the porches and belfry. There was an alarm of fire in Westport on Thursday evening. There was an outburst of llame from some premises on the east side of Gladstone-street, followed by a considerable volume of smoke. It was found that a chimney on Mr Sheldon's premises, or its contents, had caught fire. Fortunately there was no difficulty in extinguishing the flames, and any alarm was soon at an end.

Several of the parties at theDeadman's Creek end of Giles Terrace are putting in fresh tunnels, having found, from the survey, that their original tunnels were considerably above the level of the lead. The contractors for the formation of the Rochfort Terrace track have already commenced work. At the junction of this track with that to the Caledonian two houses are now in course of erection.

The monotony of billiards and cribbago as sources of entertainment for "men of education and respectability" is to be interrupted for at least two evenings. Mr J. Neill, a gentleman of dramatic tastes, announces "readings" from Shakespeare and smaller authors, at the Masonic Hall, this evening, and on Monday. On each occasion, we believe, he is to have the assistance of some of our local dramatic or musical amateurs.

The small rush to a terrace near the Totara does not appear to be of very much account. The prospectors are said to have got some good ground, but others who have visited the neighborhood have since left—some, however, with rather favorable impressions as to the probability of the rush extending, after some more prospecting has been done.

The last Mokihinui rush has, fortunately, not been of advantage exclusively to the prospectors and local storekeepers. At least one party besides the prospectors have struck gold, and their claim promises to be a good one. The Warden's Court was occupied until a late hour yesterday with the hearing of mining disputes. They were only of party or personal interest. A dastardly and determined attempt at incendiarism has been discovered at Greymouth. By some unknown person a quantity of inflammable material was placed near Cook and Sampson's new furniture store, and was set on fire. Fortunately the fire was discovered and extinguished, otherwise another block of valuable buildings would have been destroyed. Steady progress is being made in the reerection of the block of buildings destroyed by the late fire at Greymouth. The Aryus states that the Melbourne Hotel is rapidly approaching completion, and is a fine, commodious, double-storey building. The contractors for the erection of the Bank of Australasia, the shops of Mr Badger, the stores of Messrs Morris Levy, Thompson, Smith, and Barkley, Forsyth and Masters, and the Bank Hotel, are proceeding vigorously with their work, and these buildings will soon be re-occupied. The only sites upon which no work has been done are those of Messrs N. Edwards and Co., the Union Bank, and the Bank of New South Wales.

Information reached the police camp at Greymonth on Wednesday evening last, that a man known by the name of German Harry was missing, and suspicion was entertained that he had committed suicide. We learn from the Stew that the miaaipg

man, who ia a baker in the employ of Mr Mouttray, baker, at the Stoney Lead, was last seen on Wednesday morning in a boat, on the Saltwater Lagoon, and that half-an-hour afterwards the boat was found tied up to a flax-bush, and his hat floating on the water. The lagoon has since been dragged by the police, but no trace has yet been discovered of the missing man. At Waikouaiti, in Otago, the police have had to resort to fire-arms—fortunately with blank cartridges—in a row in which Fred. Wain, hotelkeeper, Henry Francis, and Roderick Cameron were concerned. They have been committed for trial for assaulting the police. It is reported by the correspondents of several newspapers that Mr Vogel has only taken ofiice until the close of the session.

A man named Hickman, a carpenter, committed suicide in his own house in Stafford street, Dunedin, by passing a rope, fastened to the handle, over the door, and suspending himself from it. Two men working in the Koyal Standard Claim at Douoghue's, in the Hokitika district, were buried by the faU of a drive. One was extricated, and had only received a few scratches, but the other, named Cartreu, was killed. We have received the first numbers of The Echo, a new evening paper published by Mr Henningham, formerly proprietor of the Evening Star. The Star states that already an action for damages has been entered against The Echo, by that highly sensitive gentleman, Mr Henry Driver. The skeleton of the whale recently captured by the Maoris off Otago Heads has been purchased from them for the sum of ,£4O, and is to be exhibited to the public in the Polytechnic Hall. It will probably be ultimately secured for the Museum. The Hokitika Daily News gives currency to a report that Mr James Browne, late part proprietor of the Hokitika Evening Star, is about to commence an action against Mr J. P. Klein, proprietor of the West Coast Times, for libel. The damages are laid at £SOOO.

Arrangements have been made for the transfer of the Supreme Court offices in Dunediu to the new Post Office. The Court will occupy the central hall in that building 1 . The New Zealand flax is likely to be employed in the manufacture of hats similar to those made of straw. Some have been made in Auckland, and are said to be quite equal to Panama hats.

The General Government have agreed to continue Messrs M'Meckan and Blackwood's tender for the mail service for a further term of six months, ending with the present year, at the rate of .£II,OOO per annum. The original tender by the same firm was at the rate of ,£OOO per month, or .£7200 jDer annum. The increased subsidy is probably intended to provide for a direct service via the Bluff, in addition to the present service via Hokitika.

The Wellington correspondent of the Canterbury Press, alluding to Mr Curtis, M.H.8., says:—"At seven Mr Curtis took up the ' no-conndenee' debate, speaking in his bust style, and a very neat, clear style it is. Nothing very new, but most of it tolebrably true—he evidently felt that Ministers had no v.'icked designs on Nelson this year and was content." Mr Walter Montgomery's latest eccentricity is displayed in a telegram forwarded by him from Melbourne to a gentleman in Hobart Town. Ho says:—" Metropolitan multitudes maintain and have detained Montgomery. My missionary thou! my message thus recite unto Tasmania's bravery and matchless beauty." From this, the Mercury understands that Mr Montgomery may be expected in Hobart Town by an early steamer. Mr J. B. Gillies is in Wellington, and it is rumored that it is likely he will be called to the Upper House, and join the Ministry as Postmaster-General.

Te Kooti, or the Maori who is said to have assumed his name, is reported to be twenty miles from Kihikihi, and preparations have been for the protection of Poverty Bay. The contest for the 'Dunedin Mayoralty promises to be a lively one. Mr Birch intends to seek re-election, and he will be opposed, we believe, by Mr Fish, Mr Dods, Mr Wilkinson, and Mr Millar, F.S.A. Treacle has been made from the sugar beet by a Mr Grayling, of Mangorei, Taranaki. From one hundred pounds weight of beet, a little over sixteen and a half pounds of treacle was obtained. A smart shock of earthquake was felt at Okarito on the 21th ult., at 11 a.m. There was a light northerly wind at the time, and the shock lasted about twenty seconds, vibrating from east to west. A fire broke out, last week, on Lambton Quay, Wellington; it destroyed an empty house, and the premises of Lower, saddler, and White, seedsman. The stocks were saved, and the buildings were insured. The manufacture of the essence of meat has been begun at Wanganui, for the first time in New Zealand, by Mr H. B. Roberts. The Taranaki papers report that the culture of tobacco is assuming some importance in that province. Dr Alexander, in his report on the Dunedin Lunatic Asylum, says:—"Several of the patients admitted during the year were new arrivals, who had been in asylums previously. The only conclusion that can be drawn is, that they were sent out to the Colony to get rid of the burden of supporting them at home."