The Westport Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1869.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 565, 9 October 1869, Page 2

The Westport Times. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1869.

It is an old proverb with regard to affairs of the heart that "if you want to catch a bird don't frighten her." The Westport police scum to have acted upon that principle in the capture of a man bearing the classical name of Broggey who committed a serious assault a few nights ago upon two brothers named O'Neil. There seemed to be a chance of his escaping altogether, but the police, though silent, were not slumbering. It was known or suspected that Broggey was concealed in the vicinity of Addison's Flat, and all outlets therefrom were well watched. At half-past two o'clock on Thursday morning a force of four constables left Westport for Addison's Flat, with the intention of "unearthing" Broggey. By five o'clock they got as far as a digger's hut on the south side of tho Totara, and from that hut, as they approached, they saw several men running away towards the bush. They " spotted " Broggey, and the Brighton constable, O'Mara, who is rather a leviathan in athletic exercises, started in pursuit, of him, followed by the other constables who are less nimble or long-winded, and very soon seized him. He was" brought to town, and has been remanded for eight days, pending Peter O'Neil's recovery. The Bon. Secretary to the Huspital Committee states, with reference to a paragraph in Thursday's paper, that all (?) the members of that Committee were present at the last meeting except the Treasurer ; that the Treasurer knew of the meeting ; that he (the Treasurer) is the proprietor of this paper; and that, because he knew of the meeting, the " reporting staff" should have known of it also. The "staff" says it has nothing to do with him whether the'"proprietor" or the " devil" knew of the meeting. lie knows that half the meetings of the Committee lapse in consequence of the non-attend-ance of members ; that that non-atteiulmee is due to "excusable ignorance or forgetfulness" on the part of members ; and that in no other place has he known of Hospital Committee meetings or any other meetings happening in the same hap-hazard way as they do in Westport. He knows also that, the Secretary is a sensible man, capable of appreciating sensible suggestions. At German Terrace a meeting touching tracks is to be held on Tuesday evening.

We expect to be able to publish, on Tuesday or Thursday next, a supplementary sheet containing a full report of the nominal ion speeches of the candidates for the Superintendency. We are advised from Nelson that the report occupies six columns of the Colonist. As if people -were not sufficiently frightened by Saxby. a paragraph in the European Mail contains the alarming information that, according to the "calculations" of a German astronomer, we are soon to have a second moon, and that it will be nearer the earth than the present Luna. Another paragraph speaks of earthquakes occurring, and lunar influences, in October and November. Fortunately they tire to be restricted to "equatorial countries." Touching the European Mail we may state, os an advertisement which has not been paid for, that it is an excellent paper the best monthly summary of Home news published—and that it may be had, monthly, at Munson's. Since the 3rd inst. the tides here have continued to be observably high. On the Gtli (hero was a vertical rise of twelve feet on the Bui lor bar.

An inquiry as to the circumstances urfder which the wreck of the cutter Harry Bluff occurred at Charleston was commenced yesterday at the WestportCustom-House by the Collector, Mr Munday. The witnesses examined wi>re Messrs Craddock, Jackson, and Hay. To-day the inquiry will be resumed, when, we understand, the evidence of Capt. Beveridge, Mr Dick, Mr George Hughes, and Mr Robert Hughes, will betnkeri. We must reserve aijy repoil of the evidence until our next number" An elector -who disguises himself under the name of " The Coming Man " publishes as an advertisement in another column some •' shocking bad" rhyme on the subject of the Superintendency. Tlie rhyme proves one thing —the rhymster deserves to be disfranchised. Dr Giles, R.M., left Westport yesterday for Nelson, where he is expected to deliver a lecture next week. No doubt Dr Giles will also make his visit to Nelson advantageous to the West Coast by bringing under the notice of the Government some of its necessities. By the John Penn, yesterday, Mr ami Mrs 1 Tyler, and Mr., Mrs., and Miss Phillips were passengers to Auckland. Those who have been Westport Volunteers are requested to deliver immediately, at the Police Camp, their arms and accoutrements. By a telegram from Mr Gibbs, of Nelson, who is one of the candidates for the Superintendency, we learn that he is to visit the West Coast. He intimates that he will address tiie electors at Westport at the " earliest opportunity." He will probably arrive by the steamer Charles Edward on Tuesday next. Mr Akersten, another candidate, has already promised to visit Westport, and, should he do so, he will probably arrive at the same time. By the steamer Charles Edward 1440 ounces of gold were yesterday forwarded by the Union Bank to Nelson. By the Waipara the Bank of New Zealand shipped 2395 ounces to Greymouth. Tho passengers on board the John Penn played the Greymouth Cricket Club a match, on Thursday, while that vessel was lying in that port. The match resulted in the success of the Penn's passengers. We understand that a match at Nelson is also contemplated. The John Penn's team, among whom is Mr Pocock, a cricketer of some repute, telegraphed to some of the Nelson cricketers that, if time permitted, they were prepared to meet them in the field.

A novel feature of Oddfellowship will shortly tale place in Ballarat, Some months ago, the Ancient Order of Oddfellows in Victoria affiliated with the Independent Order of Oddfellows in America, the latter of whom number 250,000 members, and many of whom occupy high positions in the social and political world. In the new ritual introduced by the American Order, there is whai is termed the " Degree of Rebekah," conferred only on the wives of members who

are afterwards entitled " Daughters of Kebekah." A lodge in connection with this degree has recently been formed in Ballarat, and will be opened on the third week of this month, for the purpose of initiating the wives of members into the mysteries thereof ; and as this is the first occasion on which ladies have been privileged tobecome practically acquainted with Oddfellowship, it is expected that a very large number will avail themselves of the opportunity.

Dr (?) Guthrie Carr has, it seems, been getting himself into trouble at Wanganui. He was sued in the Resident Magistrate's Court there, on the 21st inst., by Mr John Anderson, for breach of contract, having undertaken to cure the plaintiff in one week of the disease of sciatica, winch he had utterly failed to do. The claim was for ,£ll ss, fees paid to the doctor, and £8 15s for loss of time. It appeared from the plaintiff's evidence that defendant had put a seton in plaintiff's back, and performed two operations, which put him to great pain, and kept him from his work for three weeks, without doing him any good. Dr Carr, in defence, said he was a surgeon, and a M.R.C.S., though not registered under the New Zealand Act. He denied baying made an agreement with the plaintiff to cure him in a specific time, but contended that his treatment was proper, and that plaintiff had derived benefit from it, as he had confessed to several parties. The Bench, after retiring for a short time, gave judgment for plaintiff for £ll ss, with £3 6s costs. His Honor Mr Justice Richmond, in his charge to the Grand Jury at Hokitika said ; " I put it to you to consider the fate of a woman condemned to a life-long handing of glasses to half-drunken men, and what must bo the effect on her mind." The Greymouth Star says : —lf his Honor referred to what passes on the West Coist, and there is no doubt he did, we cannot help thinking that he unwittingly took a somewhat exaggerated view of " barmaid life " in our communities. A respectable female is unquestionably a great preventative to gross impropriety of behavior or language at the bar of an hotel, and were a man to attempt either to be grossly offensive in language or manner he would, as a rule, discover himself going out of the bar door much more expeditiously than he entered it. The occupation, is, ho doubt, a sufficiently weary one, but it certainly docs not consist in a life-long handing of glasses of grog to halfdrunken men. Many very respectable educated women follow the occupation more from necessity than choice. They feel themselves to be above or unfit for the duties of domestic service, ami in places like ours there is no choice of employment, more especially where men usurp women's functions by serving behind drapers' counters as shopmen, and perform other duties which should belong to the opposite sex. Three Chinese females have arrived in Otago from Melbourne to join their husbands at Tuapeka.