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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 658, 14 May 1870, Page 2

Yesterday the remains of the deceased W. H. Ratcliffe were committed to their final resting place in that portion of the Westport cemetery allotted to members of the Roman Catholic faith. The funeral cortege assembled at eleven a.m. at the premises of Mr Williams, chemist, where the body was lying, and comprised the members of the Masonic body, to which order the deceased belonged, a large number of townspeople, psrsonal friends of the deceased, as also a few friends from Charleston and the surrounding district of Westport. The funeral train accompanied the body to the Catholic Chapel, where_Father Walsh performed the burial service of the church and from thence to the cemetery. During the morning the stores and business premises in the more immediate vicinity of Mr Williams's shop were closed, flags were hoisted half-mast at the various hotels, and throughout the town there was abundant evidence of the high esteem in which deceased's memory was held.

The stampers and other machinery for the Alpine Quartz Mining Company, at Irishman's Creek, arrived by the steamship Kennedy. Owing to the number of colds and influenzas at present prevalent among the children in town, the attendance at the local school during the past woek has greatly diminished, and the School Committee has determined, after taking the necessary advice, to close the school for one week from this date.

Three applications were set down for hearing in the Warden's Court yesterday, the applicants being Morris Connor and party, -lames Olive, and David Leslie. None of the parties appeared and no other business was disposed of.

Last evening about six o'clock afire broke out in a small cottage situated near Pack-ington-street, Westport, during the temporary absence of the occupant. Luckily the fire was discovered at an early stage and by the timely intervention of Messrs M'Lachlan and Whalen the flames were at once subdued without any serious injury.

A seizure of earthenware and chinaware was made by the Customs, yesterday, ex Northern Light from Melbourne, entries having been passed for the shipment describing it as earthenware only. The latter is subject to a lower duty—the respective rates being 3s and Is per cubic foot. The proceedings in the E. M. Court on Thursday and Friday were limited to the disposal of one case of drunkenness on each day; the offender being William Newman, a seaman belonging to the Northern Light, now in port. He was fined 10s for each offence.

Mr Sub-Inspector James has been appointed Inspector of Police for Westland, in the place of Mr Broham, who has accepted an appointment under Mr Commissioner Branigan, at Auckland. SergeantMajor Hickley receives the appointment of Sub-Inspector. Mr Joseph Mackay, proprietor of the Bruce Herald has been horse-whipped in his office by a contractor named Hilgendorff who appears to have taken offence at a " local" in that paper with reference to Sabbath desecration, in which he was animadverted upon for conveying stone across the Waihola Lake on Sunday. The irate contractor was invited to meet the Magistrate who lined him £5 and costs with an alternative of fourteen days' imprisonment, remarking that the mode of treatment adopted towards plaintiff by defendant was, no doubt, a pleasant relief to the feelings of the party aggrieved, but that it could not be tolerated, as it was an outrage on all law and order.

An adjourned inquest on the late fire in Colombo-street, Christchurch, was resumed on the 3rd inst. Previous witnesses were re-examined, but no fresh evidence elicited, and the jury returned a verdict tbat there was no evidence to show how the fire had originated. The first Australian mail via San Francisco was due in London yesterday. Mr William Hunt was a passenger for California by the City of Melbourne, for the purpose of procuring machinery for a woollen mill to be erected in Auckland.

The Bank of New Zealand, Thames, shipped 2.986 oz gold for Auckland on the 3rd instant.

A Southland flax-dresser has stated to an Invercargill contemporary his conviction, founded upon experience, that the application of steam to the fibre will produce a softness and lustre and render it equal to Manilla hemp. The Canterbury pasturage rents for the year will amount to about £34,000 against a rental for the previous year of £32,388. At a meeting of the Irish citizens of Dunedin it was determined to inaugurate a benefit society, registered under the Friendly Societies' Act, similar to the St. Patrick's Society in Melbourne. The printers of the Tomahawk, at Hokitika, have been served with a writ of action for libel, at the instance of Mr Birt, one of the warders of the Hokitika gaol. The damages are laid at £SOO.

At a grand skating match, for the championship of the Pens, held on January 31st; the deciding race was won by Hills. The time of skating a mile and a half was three minutes six seconds.

Referring to thelate reported discovery of a gold-bearing reef at Havelock the Marlborough News says:—Considerable excitement existed in Havelock during the greater part of last week respecting the reported discovery of a rich quartz reef on the hill at the rear of the township. It appears that two men were sent out prospecting at the expense of a few of the inhabitants. On Sunday week they returned to town with some prospects which they had obtained, and showed them to the party by whom they were employed. Having a very fair appearance, a specimen of the stone was forwarded to Blenheim to be tested, and in a short tune telegrams were received, stating that it contained gold, an offer of £IOO for a share in the claim being made at the same time. On this news getting abroad in Havelock, the hill was rushed, and a number of claims pegged off; the prospectors' ground was surveyed, and an application made to the Superintendent to proclaim a goldfield. On Wednesday the .£IOO was paid for an eighth share in the prospectors' claim and shares continued to rise until they readied as high as £IOOO each, and not accepted. On Saturday morning it was discovered that there was no gold in the reef, mundic having been mistaken for the precious metal.

The West Coast Times states that a disgraceful row took place at the Greenstone on the Ist instant. It appears that a party of men were moving a house belonging to a storekeeper named Murphy, and having had some drink during the time of the work, a quarrel commenced as soon as it was finished. Amongst the parties present were two brothers named Cronin, a man named O'Brien, and two others named Flynn and Brick. O'Brien abused Brick, and as sides were instantly taken, a regular melee took place. During the scrimmage O'Brien assaulted Pat Cronin and knocked him down, falling on the top of him with Iris arms round his neck. While on the ground it is pretty certain that O'Brien bit Cronin on the lip, as when the parties were separated Cronin's upper lip was fearfully torn, so much so that it had to be sewn up. We understand that O'Brien is in custody, and that it is likely to go hard with him. The latest news from the North regarding the pursuit of Te Kooti comes from Napier, under date Bth inst: Watty's party returned to Muhaka, having scoured all the country between there and Waikaremoana. They pursued for two days the tracks of natives, who at last escaped by crossing the lake in a canoe. Hamlin's force came across tracks of the enemy near Ohira, about twenty miles on the Wairoa side of the Waikaremoana Lake. They followed them up and shot four of the enemy. No causualties on our side. They took a rifle, double-barrelled gun, some ammunition, and three hundred caps, also destroyed several canoes and some plantations. The force composing the expedition is not a X»aid one. Kopata with 440 Ngatiporous, left Poverty Bay on Wednesday for Waikaremoana.

The Wailcmiaiti Herald learns from a reliable source that coal, which premises to be of a very superior quality, has been discovered by Mr Glover at Shag Valley.

With reference to the case of the man who is now in custody in London, on a confession of murder committed in Victoria twelve years ago, the Argus remarks:—"lt is believed that something decisive will result from the investigations which the police are making with the view of ascertaining the truth of the confession made in London by the man Dyer, of the murder by him of his mate; George Wilson, at the Mai-mai Creek, Nowstead, in 1857.

On Monday, we learnt from the Mount Alexander Mail, Wilson's remains, which had been interred in the Campbell's Creek Cemetery, near Castleniaine, were exhumed by order of the coroner for the district. Dr Norman Gow, who held the post mortem examination on the murdered body, was present to identify the skull, whioh he said he could pick out from ten thousand. There was no difficulty in finding the grave. The records of the cemetery had told that on the 9th day of January, 1858, a body had been found in the Mai-mai Creek, parish of Tarrengower, and that on the 11th of the same month it was buried in compartment B, No. 242. The age was set down at 26, the name unknown; Newbound, undertaker, and Mr Leverington, sexton; the registered number of death 1387. At eleven o'clock the top of the coffin, which had partly rotted away, was removed by Bandall, and Dr Gow descended the grave, and carefully took up the skull. His first exclamation was, " That's it." After clearing away the earth adhering to it, two holes were perfectly distinct, as if made by the point of a pick. There were two depressions facturing the skull, as if made by the same instrument. "It is not positively, but generally understood," adds the Mail, "that, notwithstanding the lapse of twelve years, evidence will be forthcoming of so conclusive a character as to render the triumph of justice a matter of certainty."

The twenty-seventh session of the Provincial Council of Otago was opened on the 26th ult. His Honor in his address referred to the necessity of a re-adjustment of the representation, and stated that Ordinances had been prepared conferring larger powers on District Road Boards, and for the operation within the Province of the "Hawke's Bay and Marlborough Rivers Act, 1868." In the matter of immigration, the British agent, Mr Auld,. had been empowered to arrange for the granting of passages to two hundred adults per month at £5 a head, the Government to pay the difference, which would involve a vote of £ 17,000 a year. In the event of their succeeding in establishing a direct steam line from London, he thought it not unlikely that Canterbury might be induced to participate in the benefits and share in the expense. He suggested that instead of en deavoring to obtain the sanction of the Colonial Parliament for the Province to guarantee interest upon a sum not exceeding £IOO,OOO to be expended on water supply on the Goldfields, the power should extend to .£200,000. He thought that the quartz reefs alone, with an adequate supply of water, would afford profitable employment to thousands. He trusted the Council would subsidise a monthly steam service along the western coast of the Province, and referring to a bill introduced into the General Assembly to enable the Province to borrow £50,000 for important public works, but which was thrown out in the Legislative Council, he trusted that in the ensuing session a similar bill would meet with a better fate, and that they would be enabled to proceed with the Oamaru Dock, the Waitaki Bridge, and the other works to which it was intended to devote the loan. The gold escort returns showed an increase of nearly 10,000 ozs. as compared with the previous year; while the Customs revenue had increased about £6OOO.

An adjourned enquiry upon the late fire at Wellington was to have been held on Wednesday last. It was ascertained at the first enquiry that Light's house was insured in the Northern for £2OO, and in the New Zealand for ,£IOO. Both policies are supposed to be invalid, owing to neither company being informed of the existence of another policy. The entire circumstances are regarded suspiciously.