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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 560, 28 September 1869, Page 2

The diminution of crime, the temporary cessation of the spirit of litigation, the more permanent and secure tenure of property, and the settled character which the community of Westport has lately and. generally acquired(P) are social advantages which are unfortunately accompanied by some disadvantages. While the community is thusattaining a Paradisiacal condition, two of the first laborers in the field are, by that circumstance, " driven out of the garden." Mr Pitt and Mr Tyler, solicitors, are about to leave for fresh bars and clients new. Both theso gentlemen have resolved to shake the golden dust of the Buller district from off their feet—to quit its " peaceful shores " —and to betake themselves to some community whose comparatively disorganised social condition justifies, more than Westport, the ameliorating presence of men of their profession. Both gentlemen, wo believe, are to leave very shortly, and one, at least for Shortland. After they have left, it will best become the reporter of local occurrences to record how much local society will have lost. Another gentleman whose departui e will be a loss to the community of a member of the learned professions is Mr Phillips, who lately resigned his charge of the Government school. The departure of these gentlemen puts some property in the market. Mr Pitt's house and furniture have been sold ; Mr Phillips's house and furniture are to be sold to-morrow ; and Mr Tyler's furniture on Friday. The adventures of the cutter Pearl, which was carried out to sea during a recent fresh in the Buller, have ended in her becoming a total wreck near Hocks Point. The last information which was published with regard to her was that she had been safely beached in that ueighborhood without much apparent damage. After she got ashore it appears that two diggers were fortunate or ingenious enoxigh to get her afloat, and they made the chain fast to a rock a little distance from the shore, while they proceeded to the Karamea for " tucker," the ; r intention beiug to sail her to Nelson or the Buller. They got the " ticker," and returned, but returned to find their supplies unnecessary. In the interval the Pearl had broken adrift again, a':d had gone ashore at a place where the beach was less favorable to her preservation. They found her very materially bilged, and the mast overboard, so they naturally abandoned the project of sailing her, and, no doubt, with their •'tucker," are now pursuing some enterprise more certain than that of salvage. A majority of those who recently left this neighborhood for the reported rush in the neighborhood of West Wanganui have either returned to the district, or are now prospecting in the vicinity of Mokihinui or the Karamea. On the Karamea beaches there are only one or two parties at work, although all who have visited them speak favorably of the constant and payable employment to be got there, each storm renewing the supply of auriferous sand.

In the Warden's Court/on Saturday, there was beard a complaint by Moore and paity,of the Caledonian Terrace, against A. Stewart and party. The complaint was that the defendants " had interfered with the claim of the complainants by driving- a tunnel through, their claim," and the complainants asked "that the defendants should be adjudged to secure the ground as they drove through it, and that they should not interfere with the working of the complainants in any way, and to return into the complainants' washing-boxes all the wash-dirt taken out by the defendants from any tunnel or drive they make through the complainants' claim." After hearing the evidence on both sides, the Wardengave judgment for the complainants, with costs.

Mr C. D. Berry, who has been indefatigable in his exertions as member and manager of the Westport Amateur Dramatic Club, and who, with Mrs Berry, has contributed much to the entertainment of the inhabitants of Westport, was the guest of hi 3 fellow amateur dramatists at the Prince of Wales Hotel, on Saturday evening. The occasion of the meeting was the anticipated departure of Mr Berry from Westport, and the desire of the members of the Club to express their thanks to Mm for his services, and their regret at the loss of these services. In the name of the members of the Club, Mr Bishop presented Mr Berry with a handsome meerschaum pipe and an address neatly engrossed on vellum by Mr Curie. The address was to this effect:—" We, the undersigned, members of the Westport Amateur Dramatic Club, beg to present to you this small testimonial of our esteem, and while we deeply regret your departure from us, we sincerely hope that good fortune may attend you wherever you go. We desire also that you will accept the accompanying memento as a slight token of our appreciation of your valuable services as manager of the Club." The address was signed by Messrs Purnell, Notman, Courtney, Stitt, Bishop, Arenas, White, and Atkinson. From Eochfort Terrace we learn that Johnston and party have struck the lead that was recently opened on that terrace, and have obtained payable prospects. They are 1200 feet from the face. In consequence of the scarcity of water, the construction and extension of water-races are contemplated.

Several complaints have reached us from miners invaiious districts as to the action of the Banks in discontinuing to retort gold before purchase. Westport and Charleston are the only places where this course is announced as having been adopted. The inconvenience which such action on the part of the

Banks will cause to miners must be considerable, and it is probable that the attempt to carry it out will be the shortest and surest way of illustrating its impropriety and its impracticability. We hope to be able to make further comment on the subject in an early issue.

A letter has been received from the Central Board of Education authorising the Local Committee of Education to rent a suitable place as a schoolhouse, until more permanent arrangements can be made. The first meeting of the Central Board takes place in Nelson on the 7th proximo, when the matter will be taken into consideration. Bachelder's tableaux of Paradise Lost will be exhibited at the Masonic Hall this evening, and on Wednesday. This exhibition is of a novel description, being a series of illustrations of Milton's poem of Paradise Lost. These extraordinary pictures have been viewed by large numbers of admirers in all the principal towns in the Australian Colonies and in America. Gifts will be distributed among the patrons of the entertainment on each of the evenings, and "carriages may be. ordered at a quarter past 10." At least so states the programme. The Westland County Council have agreed to validate the contracts, amounting to over .£2OOO, enteredinto by Mr Hoos without authority. A motion was carried to dispense with the services of two Wardens, after the Ist of January, 1870. The Council refused to request the General Governmen to take over the control of the Westland Police Force. The report of the Committee appointed to enquire into the working of the County Engineer's Department has been laid on the table; and it gives abundant reasons for its final recommendation that the services of Mr Rochfort be dispensed with.

A case was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Cobden, on Wednesday last, which ought to act as a caution to a class of miners who, when they leave a district, are in the habit of forgetting the existence of a certain little bill at the storekeeper's. A party named Maloney, Clark, James, and O'Loughlin, who lately worked out a claim on Try-Again Terrace, Nelson Creek, left suddenly, and were followed to town by Messrs Scanlon and Drennan, storekeepers, who required payment for sundry stores and butcher's meat supplied to the party. A summons was obtained, and the men were brought before the Magistrate at Cobden, when they admitted the debt, and pleaded their inability to pay the whole or any of the debt at present, stating that they werehard-up men. The Magistrate said that it was very hard for poor men, but that if they would come to no arrangement about paying the aznount for which he gave judgment, he would have to commit them to prison for one month, explaining to them that they would still be held in law liable for the amount, and they were accordingly handed over to the jailer. On being searched, money to the amount of nearly £IOO was found in their possession. The amount for which judgment had been given was deducted, and the men were liberated.

The prisoner " German Charlie " who escaped last week from Hokicika gaol has not been captured. There are nine constables out in search of him, includiug Sergeantmajor Ilickson. Though still at large, the police have traced him into thick bush at the top of a high terrace near the Kawhaka Toll-gate. He is represented to be in a most miserable plight—half-naked and famished—and ho must either die of starvation soon, give himself up, or possibly be killed in being captured.

Another fatal accident to a miner is thus mentioned by the W. C. Times :— " A man named John Cowan, who has recently been working in the Standard claim, at Donoghue's, started at three o'clock in the morning to ride in for medicine for a sick horse, but by some means, when reaching ClearWater Creek,|betweenDonogliue's and Ross, he was thrown, and killed on the spot." The discovery of quartz reefs in the Grey District is having its eifect in llokitika, for we learn by a local paper that a number of prospecting parties will be equipped during the week who are to proceed to the foot of the ranges, for the purpose of ascertaining whether any quartz reel's exist in that direction.

The Grand Jury at llokitika, in their presentment to Judge Richmond, pointed out the total inefficiency of the law as it at present stands with regard to insolvents. The law as at present administered enables the bankrupt after the simple form of declaring his insolvency to carry on his business as though nothing had interrupted its course, and the Grand Jury suggested that immediately ou a bankrupt filing a declaration of insolvency the official assignee be empowered to take possession of the estate and effects of the bankrupt. This will protect creditors from unscrupulous bankrupts making away with their estate They recommended that a statement of the costs incurred by the official assignee in every estate be published by advertisement. They also pointed out the enormous charges which have to be met in the Resident Magistrate's Court in endeavoring to recover small sums of money. These charges they consider utterly out of proportion to that of any other Court of Justice that they had ever known. By a private letter from Pakawau, the Colonist learns that a very serious, and it is feared fatal accident occurred at the coal workings at West Wanganui. On the 18th August, while three of the party of Job Flowers, his son, and J. W. Prussing, his son-in-law, engaged in working the coal there, wc-e about to fix a prop for shoring up the face of the working, a large quantity came down. Job Flowers was buried in the mass up to the small of the back ; his son was caught by a large stone which came on his foot. Prussing got out he cannot tell how. He had hardly done so when a larger quantity came down, entirely covering the old man, and inflicting serious internal injuries. Young Flowers' foot was released, the heel of his boot having saved the foot from being crushed; and efforts were made to get out the old man as quickly as possible. It was found that the lower part of the person was paralysed. He suffered very acute pain for several days, and dropsy set in, and by latest accounts of 9th September, he was gradually sinking, and no hope was entertained of his recovery. The Okarito Gold Mining Company washed out 92ozs last week, and their success has created a stir amongst the miners at the Five Mile. At that place there are no less than three ten acre claims, and some half-dozen smaller ones being surveyed by Mr Browne, mining surveyor, at. the present time. A correspondent of the W. C. Times says :—"There is still good luck in store for this place." Mr Curtis, in his speech at Nelson, made the following reference to the subject of the proposed railway:—Another Act which he was unable to pass through the House was the Nelson and Cobden Railway Act, which did not affect former Acts on the same subject, but merely extended the boundaries within whuh the choice of land by the company could be made. It added to the territory for selection, a track of land between the Buller and Mokihinui, but made no other alteration. Another Act was to enable the Superintendent to grant 5000 acres of land to pay for preliminary expenses of the

company. The gentlemen in England who had taken special interest in the railway, had intended to issue a prospectus at once, before hearing from the Government respecting their application for a grant to meet preliminary expenses, but a change in the money market occurred which prevented them from acting. A Committee has been appointed in Dunedin to collect subscriptions for the purpose of recouping Mr Henningham the expenses he has been put to in the late libel prosecution instituted by Mr Driver. Mr Lloyd, of Green Island, has been appointed treasurer.

The Provincial Council of Napier have elected Mr Ormond as Superintendent, instead of Mr M'Lean, resigned. O'Connor, an alleged Penian at the Thames, has determined to take legal proceedings against the newspapers for designating him a Fenian. Within two days last week Otago's population was increased considerably by the arrival of two home vessels and one steamer from Melbourne. The Asterope and William Davie brought seventeen and one hundred and fifty-five souls respectively; and the ltangitoto brought two hundred and forty souls, including two hundred and twenty-nine Chinese; making a total of four hundred and two.

Mr Gillies, a member of the Otago Provincial Government, in a valuable report of a tour over the goldfields, suggests that the Warden of a goldfield should be looked upon in a higher degree than hitherto, as the responsible representative of the Government in all matters pertaining to the district over which he has charge—in fact an officer through whom the people could submit their claims to the Government; and on the other hand a person to whom the Government could attach responsibility in case of complaints being made from the districts. A destructive fire has occurred on the farm of Mr George Prain, East Taieri, Otago. It appears that Mr Prain was chaff-cutting, and that the fire was caused by a spark from the engine. Barns, sheds, stacks, 50 bags of grain, and one horse were destroyed.