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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 640, 2 April 1870, Page 2

The Postmaster-General, Mr Vognl, since his return from Australia, has been in quite a revolutionary spirit. He follows the reduction of telegraph charges by a reduction of postage. Postage for the Australian Colonies, excepting Western Australia, is now —not exceeding half an ounce, 3d., an ounce, 6d., an ounce and a half, 9d., and so on, increasing 3d. for every half-ounce. The progressive rates of postage on letters posted in New Zealand for delivery in the Colonies or Great Britain, or British colonies or possessions, are—not exceeding half an ounce, one rate; exceeding half an ounce, but not exceeding one ounce, two rates; exceeding one ounce, and not exceeding an ounce and a half, three rates 5 and so on for every ad-

ditional half-ounce, or fraction of half-ounce, one rate. The telegram containing this information is, no doubt, clear to the Postmaster, but, though we publish it, we must confess we do not understand it. "Wo hope next to hear of a reduction of interprovincial postage. It is ridiculous for letters to be charged 2d. between Nelson and Cobden, and 3d. between Cobden and Greymouth, for the sake, apparently, of preserving, and rendering obnoxious, Provincial distinctions.

An address of welcome is to be presented to Mr Kynnersley at a social assembly of as many of the inhabitants of the Buller district as choose to attend this evening at the Masonic Hall.

A new jury list f«r Westport has been made out, and was revised yesterday. The list numbers over three hundred, comprising business men and miners. In no case have the names of more than two miners been taken from one claim.

The average number of children in the Westport school, for the quarter ending the 31st March, was 70. There are 102 children on the roll, comprising 60 boys and 42 girls.

In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, there was a civil case in which the plaintiff was P. M. Butler and the defendant Jonah Levi—a judgment summons for £1 19s. The defendant pleaded inability to pay, and the fact of his having filed a declaration of insolvency. The Magistrate gave an order for the payment of the amount, giving the defendant three days to take any further steps in connection with his insolvency, and, in the event of his not doing so, he should have to undergo imprisonment for fourteen days. The reduced telegraph tariff has, even on the first day, vastly increased the business of the Department. Yesterday, seventyfive messages were despatched and received by Mr Wakefield of the Westport office, and we understand that at Hokitika and Dunedin the offices had an enormous amount of work to overcome.

It is well that the public should know that declarations of insolvency cannot be filed unless attested by a solicitor. Tins requisite is imposed by section 45 of the Bankruptcy Act, 1867. The penalty involved in case of irregularity is .£2O, with the possible alternative of three months' imprisonment.

The Loyal Charleston Lodge of OddFellows held their usual quarterly meeting on Wednesday evening last. There was a numerous attendance. The election of officers for the ensuing quarter took plaee with the following results :—J. Edwards, N.G.; J. Mordaunt, V.G.; W. Ballam' G.M.; E. Flynn, .C.S.,- W. G. Collings, Per. Sec. and Lecture Master.

Our Charleston correspondent's report of the Library and Hospital meetings is held over.

The American Glassblowers are expected to exhibit in the Masonic Hall on Monday evening.

We regret to hear of the very sudden death of Mr Eobert Louttit, one of three brothers of that name who have been well known to mining communities on this coast, in Otago, and in Victoria. By the Auckland papers it appears that, on the 6th inst., Mr Louttit pany with a lady, on a seat about halfway down the wharf, about seven o'clock, when suddenly he fell forward and lay motionless. The young lady who was with him immediately gave the alarm, which brought four men to her assistance. They removed the +~ tko Terminus Hotel, and Dr Philson, who was sent for, shortly arrived, but on examination pronounced life to be extinct. Mr Louttit, who was about 28 years of age, was a son of Mr James Louttit, Provost of the bur<rh of Wick, in tbe North of Scotland. His only relative in the Colony, Mr Kenneth Louttit, is now residing in the Grey district, his elder brother, Mr Andrew Louttit, formerly of the firm of Louttit, Reid, and Co., Hokitika, having retm-ned some time ago to his native place. The latest novelty on the Northern Terraces is at Giles Town, where, of a Sunday morning, can be seen an enterprising shoeblack " most religiously " engaged in his profession.

There is now some probability of a punt being placed on the Buller for the accommodation of traffic. The Provincial Engineer gave the matter his attention when he was here, and the existence of a population on Bradshaw's Terrace will be a considerable encouragement to the work, either with or without the assistance of the Government. The wire rope required for the purpose will have to be stretched at a point of the river so that it will not interfere with the navigation, and that is above the upper wharf, or even above the situation of the upper groin which it is proposed to construct. It would be satisfactory to learn of the work being undertaken. It would be a great accommodation to the public, and would not necessarily or materially interfere with the interests of the watermen.

The Legal Manager of the Moonlight Quartz Mining Company announces that a final call of £4 per share is now due.

John Dempster, a miner at work at Nelson creek, Grey district, has fractured his legs in two places by falling down a shaft fifty-six feet deep. Coming into the fresh air from the foul air of the drive, he became insensible, and missed his hold of the rope.

Mr Stafford, the ex-Premier, is at present on a visit to the Province of Canterbury.

With regard to the case recently reported from Camptown, Grey Valley, in which a constable was charged with drunkenness, the Grey Eiver Argus is requested by Mr Inspector Franklyn to state that the reason why the constable was kept so long under arrest was that the matter was reported to Mr Inspector Shalcrass at Nelson, and for nearly a month he took no notice whatever of it.

A road from Lake Wakatip to Martin's Bay is being surveyed. When the Flying Squadron visitors took stock of Melbourne and its architectural characteristics, they remarked that the principal private edifices were either banks or soft-goods warehouses. Money-dealers and milliners appeared to be the most uniformly successful among commercial men. Their deduction was that if the business of money-lending, and the importation of ladies' finery, were the most profitable occupation in "Victoria, its inhabitants must be regarded as a very unthrifty community. A fire occurred at the farm of Mr M'Niel, near Balclutha, Otago, by which grain to the value of £IOOO or £I2OO was destroyed. Telegrams of ten words for a shilling, from Victoria to Tasmania, is the latest proposal in cheap telegraphy. Alluvial and quartz gold has been recently discovered on Mr Humflray's run at Strath Taieri, Otago. Gold is visible in the quartz. A rush has set in. Mr Young, jeweller, Dunedin, has on view in his window some gold obtained from the Suisgill Burn, Kildonan, Suther-

lanasmre. une is aßinal nugget, weigmng nearly an ounce, and resembles Australian gold. Its discoverer, rfio had been at the diggings in Otago previously, says that only three nuggets, orwhich this is the second largest, have bem found at the Kildonan diggings.