The Westport Times. THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 654, 5 May 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1870.

The length of the report of the overland trip of our special correspondent together Tvith the proceedings of the Provincial Council has excluded various matters of local interest, as also that portion of the letter having special reference to the Lyell Reef which will appear in our next issue. The deputation, consisting of Messrs Harris, Whyte, Field, and Eeid, appointed by the Hospital Committee, waited upon Mr Kynnersley yesterday afternoon, to whom they stated the object of their visit was to obtain a grant of ,£250. Mr Kynnersley requested the treasurer to furnish him with a copy of the balance sheet, and promised to bring the matter before the Executive. In the meantime the Government would advance any money that might be required, and he hoped the .£9OO placed on the estimates for the current financial year would prove sufficient to maintain the institution in addition to public subscriptions. A discussion took place as to the desirability of the Government assuming altogether the management as in former years. Mr Kynnersley expressed a desire that it should be managed by the public, as calculated to ensure more judicious management and comfort to the patients. If the Government were to take it over the institution would be managed on most rigidly economical principles, and many of the present comforts and advantages of the institution would be wanting. The deputation thanked Mr Kynnersley and withdrew.

We are informed that the PostmasterGeneral has approved of a branch postoffice being established at the Lyell. The contract is ] e t and a fortnightly mail will be rnn at r. n early date.

An inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of William Honeas, who died in the Westport Hospital on Friday evening, was held at the Court-house on Saturday. Dr Thorpe gave medical evidence, and two other witnesses were examined, who, however, failed to throw any light upon the cause of the accident. The inquest was adjourned till Tuesday, May 3rd, to enable the police to institute inquiries and procure further evidence. At the adjourned inquiry two witnesses named Daniel Bayliss and Alfred Adams, were examined, having been in deceased's company before the accident occmi'ed, and who were the first to find deceased after the occurrence. They stated that on the night of Monday, April 18th, the deceased, also a man named Faulkner and themselves, left the Caledonian in company and proceeded in the direction of Ballarat Creek. On the way they found a man, named "William Service, lying drunk in dangerous proximity to the edge of the terrace; they moved him to a more secure place among some tussocks. They then sat on a log near Ballarat Creek, and Faulkner and deceased had some words, but nothing approaching to a quarrel about Service, resulting in Faulkner calling deceased a loafer. Deceased thereupon jumped up saying, " If I am a loafer I am no company for you," and went away. Deceased had been drinHng, but was not the worse of liquor. Adams, Bayliss, and Faulkner remained on the log about twenty minutes, and then separated ; Bayliss and Adams following in the direction taken by deceased, while Faulkner took another track leading to his hut. On the two reaching the edge of the terrace at Ballarat Creek one exclaimed "there is some one below," and they were under the impression it was a pavty pilfering the boxes as some plush, Ac, had been recently

stolen. Bayliss went down the ladder and exclaimed, " Oh, it's Bill Pop (deceased had been a gingerbeer maker). Deceased, whose head was clotted with blood, said he had fall down the landslip and thought ho had broken his back. They conveyed him across the creek towards Adams's hut, but had to desist in consequence of deceased's sufferings, and they then made him up a bed on the spot. At daybreak he was conveyed to Adams's hut, and in the afternoon to his own hut, where he was tended by Adams and a man and his wife, named named Kodden, until Thursday last. He was then conveyed to the District Hospital, where he died on the 29th ult. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."

No definite plan has as yet been determined upon, so far as we can learn, in the matter of protecting the town from the further encroachment of the sea. The question of an economical and efficient method of preserving sea benches, and more especially when contiguous to rivers such as tho Buller, is held to be one of the most difficult engineering problems to solve. Mr Dobson has furnished the Government a special report on the subject, which we shall shortly be enabled to publish. The Star Dramatic Company gave their farewell entertainment in Westport on Tuesday evening to a moderate audience. The programme comprised the drama " Lady Audley's Secret," and the farces of "The Two Bonnycastles" and "Mr and Mrs White," and the performance, as on previous evenings, was highly creditable. The company is small, but is composed of members well suited to each other, and the various pieces presented have been well cast and well played. In no instance have they evidenced a want of rehearsal, and the actors play to each other, a very important element in the success of any dramatic performance. The company proceeded to Charleston yesterday, where, we feel assured their efforts to please will be liberally acknowledged. We trust that they will be induced to pay Westport another visit, and that they may be well patronised.

An alteration is announced in the departure of mails to Addison's Flat, the same being despatched on Tuesday and Saturday in each week in place of Monday and Thursday as heretofore. The sale by auction yesterday of dwellinghouse and household furniture, the property of Mr Alcorn, was well attended and the bidding animated. The dwelling house and two sections realising £74 were purchased by Mr Yardley. We are requested to notify the arrival of Mr J. W. Tatton, surgeon dentist, on a professional visit to Westport. At a meeting held at Wellington on Thursday, the provisional directors stated that all efforts to re-establish a local steam company had failed, not half the required capital being subscribed. Tho directors had reason to believe that £20,000 would have purchased the steamers and plant of the late company—but not having received the support from the general pxiblic which they looked for, tendered their resignation. A. resolution was moved and seconded to the effect that the directors should retain office, and make another effort, by issuing a prospectus. The resolution would have been carried had not the Chairman, W. B. Rhodes, Esq., stated his inability to act, as he was going to Australia. Another alarm of fire took place at Greymouth on Friday last, but it turned out to be a chimney in flames, caused by lighting a stove with kerosene. No danger ensued.

The Bank of Now Zealand lias declared its usual dividend of 15 per cent. It is intended to increase the capital £IOO,OOO. Application was made on Friday last at Hokitika by Mr W. Pitt on behalf of tho Southern Cross Gold Mining Co, to dissolve the injunction issued by the District Judge pending the hearing of the appeal ease, (Bank of New Zealand v. Southern Cross Gold Mining Co.) Counsel was heard on both sides and the matter was adjourned till Saturday when it was mutually agreed to dissolve the injunction subject to certain conditions.

The steamers of the New Zealand Steam Company will be sold by auction during the present month. A long article appears in the Indpendent of Saturday last showing the claims of Wellington to be made the New Zealand port of call for a line of steamers between San Francisco and Australia. The writer disposesof the South Island ports as beingnot only out of the direct line of communication, but that they present natural defects, rendering them unsuitable for the safe entrance and quick dispatch of large ocean steamers, and whilst admitting that Auckland is the only port in the colony that can enter into competition with Wellington in these respects, considers its geographical position unsuitable. The latter, on the other hand is so advantageously situated, Cook's Straits, in a commercial sense, rather uniting than separating the two islands, as it furnishes a safe and convenient highway between the ports on each side of the islands, that it possesses rare qualifications for being made the central depot of the colony. From no other port in the colony can the mails be so rapidly and equitably distributed or collected, and this fact is so patent, and the commercial importance of the port on account of its central position so well recognised, that it is, and has for many years past been the head-quarters of interprovincial steam communication.

The inquiry into certain matters in connection with the management of the District Court of Westland, closed at Hokitika on Thursday last, and his Honor Judge Gresson proceeded to Wellington on Friday. The investigation was held with closed doors and particulars will not transpire until his Honor has reported upon the matter to the General Government.

A requisition numerously signed, has been presented to the Deputy-Superintend-ent of Wellington, asking him to convene a public meeting to consider steps towards promoting the permanent establishment of a steam mail service between San Francisco and Melbourne, touching at Wellington.

A new rush is reported at Garden Creek, a tributary of Moonlight. The Argus adds several rushes have taken place to this gully, but it never yet turned out anything of consequence. A missing miner, named Muirhead, is supposed to have been drowned whilo crossing the Grey or Ahaura rivers. He is a native of County Monaghan, and has a brother named William Muirhead at the Gympie, Queensland. That portion of the road leading to the Caledonian between the Orawaiti and the Cemetery has suffered considerably from the late heavy rains and bad weather, causing much inconvenience to foot and horse traffic.

TliD Wellington Independent publishes the following extract from a letter from Messrs Armistead and Co', flax-spinners, to Messrs Levin and Co: —" Within the last three or four years this fibre has been brought under our notice at various intervals, and it has been experimented upon by, and occupied

the attention of several spinners. The result has shown that in the present state of preparation it is not adapted for either spinning or cordage purposes. If the flax could be divested of the gum whicli seems to adhere to it, wo believe the fibre would bo quite available for spinning into yarns, but in its present state the gum imparts si dryness and brittleness which completely deprive the fibre of any natural strength it would otherwise have. The gum could only be removed from tho fibre'during the process of preparation, as, after it has been allowed to dry, any attempt to remove it would only destroy the fibre." A petition addressed to his Excellency the Govenor, praying him to declare the city of Wellington a municipality is being extensively signed in that city. The report of Messrs Vicker"s Sons & Co. Sheffield upon the Taranaki sand, is unfavorable. They suggest that a larger sample should be forwarded in order to fairly test its value.