The Westport Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 562, 2 October 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1869.

It is now apparent that there will be a contest for the Superintendency. Mr Donne has declined the honor of even standing for election, and Mr Dwauhas come to a similar determination. But in Nelson opposition to Mr Curtis has become Hydra-headed, represented by Gibbs, Akersten, and others, with oue Horn, and there is no knowing how many more to come. Mr Curtis's address, and that of Mr Gibbs, appear in other columns. Mr Akersten, of whom we know no more than tbat he is the " working-man's candidate," has communicated to his friends here that his .first meetings after the nomination will be held on tiie West Coast, beginning at Westport. Mr Akersten, we believe, is confident that in Nelson he will command a majority. The polling, it will be seen, is appointed for the Ist of November.

Mr N. Edwards, writing to an elector in Westport, in acknowledgment of the requisition sent to him, says : —" Whilst I sincerely thank you and the other gentlemen who have taken such an interest in the matter on my behalf, I feel very sorry that I am compelled, from many circumstances, to decline the honor intended me, and the one reason which more particularly weighs with me in my re fusal* is that I could not bind myself to remain in the Province for the next four years, which I ought to do if -elected its Superintendent Would you be good enough to express for me. to those gentlemen who assisted 3-011 in getting up the requisition, and to the electors who have signed it, my keen sense of the disappointment I hare unavoidably been the cause of occasioning them." Immediately after tho election of tho Superintendent, tho elections for tho Provincial Council will take place. In terms of the Act passed last session, tho City of Nelson will return four members instead of six ; Wairaeaeusf, two members instead of four ; Waimeasouth, two members instead of three ; Waimea-wcst and Upper Moutere. one member, instead of one member for Waimea-

west and one for Upper Moutere—Lower Moutere being - incorporated with Motueka. instead of two. There is no change in tlie number of West Coa-;t members. Are we to have a change in the men ? With all respect to Messrs Hennelly, Home, M'Doweil, and Reid, we hone so. Among the eases in the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, there was a claim of 17s 4d by Mrs Kennedy, "a washerwoman, from Nelly Adams. The defendant did not appear. The plaintiff explained that she had brought the claim into Court in consaqueneo of a charge affecting her honesty. The defendant's " partner" had said that there was a petticoat missing; that there were stockings -and a pocket-handerchief also unreturned from the washing ; and that their clothes had not been washed by any other laundress. The defendant was agreeable to pay the amount, but a person present when she was about to do so said "That was no way to como for washing money," and the defendant then would not pay. Judgment was given for the plaintiff, with costs. Mr G. Home, Barrister, proposes opening an office in Wcstport. on an early date. Mr Home will con tin lie his offiec in Charleston as usual, giving his attention, as busines may demand, to both places. Notwithstanding the number of candidates for the Stipcrintendency who are now in the field, a well-informed correspondent in Nelson writes to us:—"lt seems now that Mr Curtis has every probability of continuing in office from the sheer lack of an opponent likely to successfully compete with him. He is certainly very unpopular as a Superintendent, but I do not think sufficiently so in this part of the Province that a West Coast candidate would succeed in dividing the votes with him here." Among the 186 gentlemen who signed the requisition to Mr Donne, there were Alexander Sutherland, John Cannon, Micliaal Bohan, R. Latreaster, Patrick Tangey, William Cato, and R. Prater. Then- names were mis-printed in our last number.

Thomas Broggey, who so seriously assaulted Owen and Peter O'Ncil, has not vet, been arrested. Peter O'Neil is still in the Hospital, with his skull fractured, the bridge of his nose broken, and weak from loss of bfood. Fortunately no symptoms of brain affection have appeared. The Nelson Colonist, as a fact associated with " local industry," states that the Native Minister, Mr Donald Maclean, has ordered 2000 yards of Nelson cloth, for the use of the Colonial Constabulary forces. It has been notified in the Gazette, that Fredrick Bisire, post-master at Port Chalmers and George. H. Ilirris, clerk to the Post Office. Dunedin, have been dismissed from the public service. The local journal states that heavy shotty gold has been brought into Oamaru by a person who had been prospecting on the Little Awakino River, near Kurow. He is very sa iguine as to the ground being exceedingly rich. The gentleman who has been appointed by the General Government as Receiver of Gold Revenue for Westland, and who arrived in Hokitika the other day, is Mr H. W. Barbor, lately Postmaster at Lawrence, Otago. Mr. F. Guinness, lato Warden's Clerk at Greymouth, has not been installed in his new office of Chief Clerk and Secrr tary to the County Council. The other evening Mr Harrison asked a reason for this proceeding, when the Chairman explained that since the appointment had been made certain occurrences had taken place which had made him feel that he was not justified in installing that gentleman.

German Charlie, the prisoner who escaped from Hokitika gaol, has at last been re-cap-tured.

The Grey mouth Star mentions that Mr T. L. Bright, so long tho very able editor of the West Coast Times, has quite recovered from •his protracted sickness, and is now the editor of the Hobart Town Mercury. •Two of the Westland Wardens are to be dispensed with before the Ist January next. The Hokitika correspondent of the Qrey River Argus, referring to the change, says : It is proposed, I understand to remove Mr Price from Okarito to the Greenstone, appointing Mr Tizzard, the Collector of Customs at Okarito, a sub-warden at a small salary. The warden at the Waimea will probably be removed, and that district be administered by tho Greenstone Warden.