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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 638, 29 March 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Provincial Council is summoned by his Honor the Superintendent to meet for the despatch of business on Tuesday, the 20th. of April. We have received from our Charleston correspondent a full report of the important Warden's Court case decided on Friday in connection with the Southern Cross claim, but on account of its length we are compelled to hold it over till Thursday. The s.s. Omeo, with the English mail, arrived at Port Chalmers yesterday morning. She will not reach Lyttelton until alter the departure of to-day's coach for Hokitika, but, except for the early receipt of some of the papers, this is of the less consequence to this district, as our mails are usually taken on to Nelson.

In each of this day's issue of the Westport Times is enclosed a copy of the form of application for registration on the Electoral Roll. Readers who do not require them, may know of others who are unregistered, and who should not remain so. The time for receiving applications closes on the 31st inst.

A supplementary mail for England was despatched on Sunday morning by the s.s. Murray, and the Postmaster announces another by the Wallabi to-day, should she sail in time to catch the mail at Nelson. The Charleston cricketers have arranged to play the representatives of " the noble game" in the Boiler district on Easter Monday. We hear no more of the rush north of Charleston than that good ground has not been found beyond the prospectors' claim. It is black-sand wash, not as yet proved to be very rich. A good many of the early visitors have left the ground.

In consequence of the unfavorable change in the weather, Messrs Greenfield and Blackett have resolved not to proceed overland to Nelson, but will take passage by the first steamer.

A painful accident happened yesterday near the Totara. A man named Frederick Phillips was at work in the bush falling trees, when a tree, in falling, caught one of his legs, and so broke and crushed it that the lower part of the limb was completely doubled up. He was brought to the hospital last evening by Mr Loring. In the Marlborough Provincial Council, nine have voted for Mr Seymour, and eight for Mr Eyes, as Superintendent. This does not settle the question, as an absolute majority must carry it, and there are twenty members.

Eleven separate contracts have been entered into for the formation of the Nelson and Wangapcka road. We hear nothing yet of a road being formed from the Lyell township to Irishman's Creek, where richer l-eefs than those of Wangapeka are known to exist.

At the American Glassblowers' entertainment, Nelson, prizes were given for the following best and worst conundrums: —(l.) " Why is Mr Woodroffe's glass steam engine like Te Kooti ?~Because, when exposed to fire, it runs." (2.) "Why ia Woodroffe's glass engine like M'Rae's sausage machine ? —Because it can't swim."

Mr Fox, the Premier, was expected at Nelson on Saturday, and was to be asked to deliver a lecture on total abstinence during his stay.

Home papers recently contained the account of a strange suicido. An unhappy shoemaker had ill-luck in life. Things wen,t against him. Ho was reflecting on his fate as ho fried a sausage. Tho sausage burst. This was tho climax. Heartbroken, lie cut his throat. A similar case has occurred near Auckland. A laborer in the employment of tho Eev. Mr Smailes suddonly remarked, " I have a most disagreeable taste in my mouth; it must end," and seizing a razor cut; his throat from ear to ear. Fortunately the carotid artery and jugular veins escaped severance, and he was at once given over to tho chargo of the police and conveyed to the hospital, where he is expected to recover. Mr E. P. Sealey and a party have started from Timaru to Mount Cook, to take a series of photographic views of its glaciers. Among other objects, they mean, if possible, to reach the summit of tho mountain. _ A flaxmill is being erected in tho Mataura river, upon two pontoons moored in the stream. The chief advantago claimed for this idea is that the mill can bo floated up or clown tho river to the flax growing upon its banks, thus saving the expense of the cartage of the raw material. The Melbourne list of new insolvents recently included tho name of a Mrs Jane Clarke, of Russell-street, widow. Tho schedule of assets and liabilities is remarkable in its way. Assets, a mantle, valued at £ls; wearing apparel, valued at ,£2O; total, ,£35. The liabilities consists of £ll Gs for medical attendance ; £l3 for the funeral expenses of a child; ,£l2l 103 for drapery ; £27 for carriage hire, and £2 15s for dressmaking. Low fevers among adults, and dysentery among children, are very prevalent in Greymouth. A quarter of a ton of stone lately sent to Melbourne, by the Nil Desperandum Company, Wellington, yielded 2dwts 21grs of gold. The gold is very poor. The Customs officers at Dunedin have recently burned about 8200 ozs of tobacco, lOOlbs of cigars, and 2 casks of currants, on which duty had not been jiaid. The tobacco had been in bond for years, and was of an inferior description. A young salmon has been found in a pool of water on Inch Clutha, Otago, after a flood in the Clutha river. Sergeant Mallard, in chargo of the police at Port Chalmers, has been fined £5 or 14 days' imprisonment, and Constable Sullivan 50s or seven days' imprisonment, for illusing a drunken prisoner. A public company is about to bo formed to bring in a large water-race from the Ahaura river to Nelson Creek, in the Grey district. Mr Rodders, porter-bottler, Antiguastreet, Christehurch, has been killed by being thrown from his waggon. The number of diggers in the Collingwood district is variously estimated from 350 to 500. The last arrivals are a party of diggers from Auckland. A few diggers (thirty or thereabouts) are said to be still at the Anatori (West Wanganui), doing well, but these diggings are not extending. Gold, says a correspondent of the Nelson Examiner, has been found within the last few days at Taupata, a creek a few miles this side of Cape Farewell, upwards of thirty specks of very thin but broad flaky gold having been got to the dish. Whether this will prove payable or not has yet to be learned. The lately reported massacre of women and children at Opape is false. Only two men were killed, and the enemy were not in force. Te Kooti is at the head of the Opotiki river. Kemp and Topia had been joined by some Arawas, and are now 500 strong. By lastaccounts they were marching against Te Kooti.

The Provincial Council of Canterbury has been prorogued. The Governor will declare a dissolution immediately. It is supposed that Air Rolleston will be re-elected Superintendent.

The printing plant which produced the Westport Star is now employed in the production of the Grey Valley Times, published at the Ahaura. Among local changes, the Times records that the head-quarters of the Warden are about to be removed from Cobden to the Ahaura. A Court-house and Warden'srosidcnce are also to be built there, and as soon as these are completed the contemplated change will take place. It has been resolved to complete the dray track from the township to Matthews', and a horse track from there to Napoleon. M'Laughlin's protection for the track from Noble's to Napoleon lias been cancelled, and the Government mil keep the track open. A horse track is to be made at once to No Town. The District Engineer, Mr Dobson, is now preparing specifications for these and other works.

A bridge over the Shotover is now nearly completed, and is expected to bo open for traffic in about a month. The Bank of New South Wales is to erect a new office on the old site in Greymouth. It is to be a handsome two-storey building, somewhat in the Italian style. The second storey will be the agent's house, of five rooms. The architect is Mr Armson of Hokitika, the contractor Mr Charles Holder of Greymouth, and the contract price a little under £llOO.

On March 12, the bodies of two young men named Thomas White and Henry Cleaver were found in the Wairau river, Marlborough. The two men left Mr William Ockley's, Wairau Valley, on the preceding evening, to go across to Mr Buckman's to get some blackberries, and it is believed they were trying to make a nearer way home, when Cleaver's horse became unmanageable and fell with its rider over the river bank into ten feet of water, and that White met his death in attempting to save Cleaver after his fall over the bank. When found they were clasped in each other's arms.

The driver of Cobb's coach between Greymouth and Hokitika last week captured a fine seal four feet six inches in length, and four feet from flipper to flipper. A fire took place at the Kanieri on Thursday night, which destroyed the shop and dwelling-house of Mr Barr, butcher. The petroleum shale discovered at Pine Hill, Dunedin, is on Government land. The extent of the formation is unknown, but the quality is good. Oil has been distilled from it.

At the last meeting of the Otago Institute, Dr Eccles read an extract from the English Mechanic, in which it is alleged that Arabic geographers of the 13th and 14th centuries were acquainted with the existence of New Zealand, and he invited the attention of members to the subject.

The California "Moderation Society" pledges its members to drink only wine, beer, and cider, except when they are discouraged, and then whisky is allowed.