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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 577, 6 November 1869, Page 2

With reference to the prospect of a successor being found to the Rev. Mr Harvey, as minister of the Church of England in Westport, we learn that a telegram, has been received from the Bishop stating that, after the result of a second meeting held at Greymouth, the Rev. Mr Watkins has decided upon going there. We understand, however, that the Bishop has had advices from Sydney, and has invited a married clergyman to come to Westport—a gentleman who will probably comply with the invitation, as he had previously expressed a wish to be settled in this diocese.

Mr Cotterell, whose entertainments in Westport afforded so much pleasure to young and old. gentle and simple, proposes returning to Nelson for the present, instead of proceeding to Greymouth and Hokitika, as he intended. Greymouth and Hokitika have thus a treat yet to come. Mr Cotterell is a gentleman of delicate temperament and refined tastes, with a high sense of the ludicrous and burlesque. Thus qualified, he ought to be an apt scholar in comic drama, and, should he pursue its study, Nelson and Westport may have reason to remember themselves as his places of probation. The following circular has been sent by the Crown Lands Commissioners of the Province to the various purchasers of the Wangapeka land : —" lam directed l>y the Premier to inform you that it is the opinion of the At-torney-General that the precious metals (gold and silver) that may be found in or under the land in the Wangapeka purchased by you on the 14th inst. is the property of the Crown, and that a Crown Grant will not convey to ycu the right to such metals." There are some local improvements, notwithstanding quiet times. Mr Simpson, bootmaker, has pulled down his old premises, and is erecting a new building on the same site. The private houses removed from near the beach are being re-erected in the centre of tho town, and very probably the same will be done with Mr Tyler's houses, the removal of which, in consequence of further encroachments, has also been rendered necessary.

The Melbourne Cup was to be run for on Thursday, the 4th inst. There was a sweep on the event at the Empire Hotel on that evening, and considerable interest is taken in the result. At the Post Office Hotel, this evening, there are to be entries in a sweep on the Free Handicap, and the horses will be drawn foron Monday. The following is the latest Melbourne betting against the best horses entered for the Cup:—Circassian 7 to 2, Manuka 8 to 1, Traverton 8 to 1, Sheet Anchor 10 to 1, Warrior 14 to 1, Barbelle 16 tw 1, Strop 16 to 1, Salem Scudder 20 to 1, Freetrader 20 to 1, Australian 25 to 1, Norma 25 to 1, Sir John 25 to 1, Lapdog 25 to 1, Kestrel 33 to 1.

A reef has for some time been suspected, if not known, to exist some distance up the Lyell, the gold in which is of a character highly suggestive of the proximity of reefs, being rough and intermixed with quartz. Several parties have prospected for the reef, but not determinedly or long, the cost and conveyance of provisions being a drawback. One small party, we believe, is still in search of it, but the promises are such that it might well become the subject of some public interest. A party have started from Westport to prospect for a reef near the Cascades, situated about ten miles up the Buller, and from the neighborhood of which some quartz specimens were recently brought. The party puipose proceeding a mile inland from the Buller, to a creek where some gold has been found, and where, it is said, a reef was traced four years ago. Telegraphic communication with Wanganui is now established. The steamer John Penn is telegraphed as having sailed thence yesterday for Westport. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Wednesday, before Dr Giles, James Walsh was charged with baring stolen a pair of new grey blankets and various articles of wearing apparel, the property of James Lynch, Westport. The prisoner had been arrested at eight o'clock in the morning on the track to Addison's Flat, and the evidence, so far, went to show that he had offered the goods for sale on the previous evening in Westport. He was remanded until to-day. There was a civil case—Fleming and Murray v. Francis Patterson—in which judgment was given, by default, for the amount claimed, and, failing immediate payment or want of distress, the defendant was ordered to be imprisoned for two mouths. During the past two days Dr Giles has been holding a court at Charleston, in the absence of Mr Broad, who is at present at Wangapeka. We hear that the prospecting party on the Faii-down terrace, north of the Buller, have driven about fifty feet, and are now regularly at work. The drapers of Westport intimate that they are to close their places of business on Tuesday, the 9th inst., which is the birthday of the Prince of Wales. Probably other people will follow suit. A correspondent at Giles Terrace asks us to solve this question in billiards:—" When the two devils are knocked down, without any other pin, do they win the game ?" Perhaps some of our billiard-playing readers will oblige our correspondent with their opinion.

Const-able Gorman, of the Nelson Police, lias been seriously injured in the Grey district by his horse falling upon him. Mr Rochfort, late engineer of the Westland County, has been appointed chief engineer and surveyor for the Hawke's Bay Province.

A very severe duststorm was experienced in the city of Hobart Town on the 26th September, enveloping the town for several hours, and penetrating into houses, through every crevice and cranny. Shares in the Grey Coal Mining Company are being rapidly taken up in Christchurch. The nomination for the Auckland Superintendency took place on the 28th ult. Dr Pollen retired in favor of M. T. B. Gillies. Mr Ellis also retired. The show of hands was in favor of Mr Williamson. Mr Gillies demanded a poll. An American circus is one of the places of amusement in Nelson. At a public meeting held at Dunedin on October 22nd, Mr St. John Branigan was presented with an address, a handsome service of plate, an emu claret jug and emu inkstand by the public and police. No fewer than thirty flax machines have been sold in the Province of Otago within the last four months. Mr James Kilgour has been elected Mayor for the Borough of Greymouth, in the place of Mr Masters, resigned. The term for which Mr Kilgour holds office does not exceed six weeks. In the last election Mr Curtis had only a majority of 180 over Mr Barnicoat. The total number of votes recorded was 1198. A fire occurred on October 19th, at the farm of Mr Thomas Dale, Tokomairiro, when £IOOO worth of property was destroyed. A cricket match was to be played on Saturday the 23rd ult. at the Barracks, Auckland, between an eleven of Auckland and one of the West Coast. The West Coast was to be represented by Kees, Pocock, sen., Pocock, jun., Bowen, Fisher, Mace, Bennett, Leigh, Laishley, Jacomb, and Tyler. The Grey River Argus is informed that the announcement made last week of the refusal of the Bank of New Zealand to give any further advance to Westland was premature. The final answer with regard to the loan has not yet arrived from Auckland.

The reporter for the West Coast Times-, in his first letter from the Arahura, where there was said to be a fresh discovery, cautions miners not to proceed thither.

One of the large schemes of the Hokitika district—supplying Itoss with water from this Mikonui—is likely soon to be accomplished. The body of the Portuguese gardener, Manuel Ageredo, who was lately drowned at Hokitika, has since been found on the beach. James Gulliver, who had been arrested in Hokitika, as concerned in the death of Maggy M' Bride or Fitzgerald, has been discharged. The Coroner's jury, however, considered that his brutal conduct had hastened her death. Thatcher and Small, occompanied by Mr Salamon, and Mr Daniels, a baritone, are now giving entertainments in Wellington. The Reunion Commissioners have succeeded in arranging a basis of reunion between Otago and Southland. The representatives of ()tago appear to have been met rather more than half way by the representatives of Southland. Of Saxby's tidal wave, the "Peripatetic Philosopher " in the Australasian says:—" Of all the miserable failures I have ever seen (not excepting Grant's Land Bill) the tidal wave was the most miserable. Tidal wave ! Why, Mr O'Shanassy bathing off the Heads would have made a bigger one. I won't believe anythiug any more." There have been serious floods in many of the up-country districts of Victoria. A Chines contemporary was an especial sufferer about that time. The local Gazette of the 19th ult. says:—" Wo hardly think an apology is necessary for our small amount of reading matter this morning, considering that on Friday night we were turned out by fire, and on Saturday again by the flood, which was 3 feet 6 inches in depth all over the office, and which left behind it in our typo boxes, as well as all over the floor, a layer of yellow mud."