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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 678, 30 June 1870, Page 2

Mr Kynnersley has notified his intention to meet the electors at the Empire Hotel, to-morrow evening, at 8 o'clock. Mr John Munro sold at auction, yesterday, the house on the Orowaiti Road, the property of Mr M'Dowell, at present occupied by Mr Thos. Field, for the sum of £IOO, to Mr R. Rowlands. Afterwards a freehold section in Rapanga, Coromandel, Auckland Province, 33 x 100 yards, for which the Crown grant was produced, was sold for £5, the speculating purchaser being Mr Draghicavich.

John Curtayne, Cornelius O'Connor, and Michael Culhane, appeared at the R.M. Court, Charleston, on Monday last, charged with unlawfully assaulting and resisting the police in the execution of their duty, with intent to prevent the lawful apprehension of John Curtayne. Sergeant Lambert stated that on the 21st instant he proceeded to arrest John Curtayne, under a warrant, charging him with felony. O'Connor was present when the arrest was made. The arrest was made at the Warden's private room door. A crowd of people gathered round, and while he held the prisoner by the right arm, he said he would not be

locked up, and he pulled away towards the ! passage. O'Connor came up and demanded that Curtayne should bo released, and Constable Stevenson got hold of O'Connor. Culhane said " rush them into the street, boys." They were rushed out, the witness still holding on by Curtayne. The latter asked the withess if he had a warrant, and he replied in the affirmative. He had previously told the prisoner of the warrant, when asked by the latter about the arrest of Luke Morris. The witness did not see Culhane in the street, but O'Connor was there, and looked over the warrant, which witness read. Curtayne said he would not go into the lock-up, but would go into the Court and have it tried at once. He walked with him towards the Courthouse, when a man, named Gard, told him not to go. Mr Neale then came up, and induced him to go quietly in. He considered at the time that the first resistance was organised and an intended thing on the part of Culhane. Constables Hunter, Stevenson, Coulahan, and Irwin gave corroborative evidence, and the pi-isoners were committed for trial at the ensuing session of the Supreme Court, to be held at Nelson.

We regret to netice that Mr M'Dowell, so long known in Westport, has finally determined upon leaving the district. We understand he has purchased, by tender, the stock of the estate of Moeller Bros., of Wellington, to which place he proceeds by an early steamer. The several private dwelling-houses recently erected by that gentleman have been disposed of, and in a few days the balance of the stock in the estate of Mr Southern, along with the section and buildings will be submitted to auction. The section is oneof the most eligible in town, being well adapted for any business, in the principal thoroughfare, and at a sinall ground rent. The particulars will be given with the notice of sale in our next issue. We are indebted to the Collector of Customs, Mr Munday, for a list of articles comprised in the alterations in the tariff. The list is in a form which will prove useful to the commercial community, and will be published in an early issue. A private telegram states that Mr Justice Clarke is to be subjected to the annoyance of a second enquiry, A. C. Strode, Esq., Resident Magistrate of Dunedin, having been appointed to hold a further investigation.

The ketch Constant arrived off Charleston on Monday, but was unable to enter the bay. The rough weather has again necessitated her putting out to sea. Mr Kynnersley proceeded to Charleston yesterday, and was to address the electors of that district the same evening. The Flax Company who have lately erected machinery and commenced operations, about six miles north of the town, have, in consequence of the continued wet weather, stopped operations for a time. They brought in a race of several hundred yards, and have three to four tons of flax ready for scutching, but the weather during the past few weeks has prevented them getting the material sufficiently dried. In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday last, two inebriates were fined 10s, with the usual alternative of imprisonment. Cunningham v. Pollock, and Mills v. Driver, in both cases plaintiffs obtained judgment in amount claimed and costs. Roberts v. Munro, was an adjourned case, in which the plaintiff sought to recover the .......a. of .C 27, proceeds of the Kyeburn hotalMr Munro applied for a further adjournment for the presence of Mr Harris, the trustee in bankruptcy. After hearing evidence, judgment was reserved until yesterday, when it was given in favor of the plaintiff in amount claimed and costs. In the Warden's Court one application was disposed of, M'Merihan for a tunnel at Deadman's Creek, registration for which was granted. The prisoners committed for trial at the ensuing session of the Supreme Court, to be held at Nelson on July 18th, were escorted from Charleston, on Tuesday, by Sergeant Lambert and Constables Hunter and Williams. Their names are as follows: John Curtayne, Cornelius O'Connor, Luke Morris, and Robert Woolf. O'Connor and Curtayne stand charged with resisting the police and attempting to rescue a prisoner in legal custody. Curtayne is also charged with Morris and Woolf in being accessary to the blowing up of the Southern Cross engine and shed. M. Culhane, also charged with resisting the police, was admitted to bail.

Commercial affairs in Auckland are reported to be in a very depressed state. The warehouses are glutted with goods, and there is no prospect of increased sales. A movement is on foot in Invercargill to establish a public library and reading room in that town.

The Otago Provincial Government Gazette notifies the resignation of the Hon. Captain Fraser as Deputy-Superintendent of the Province, and announces the appointment of William Alexander Tolmie, Esq., to that office.

Mr Kynnersley addressed a meeting of the electors at Cobden on Wednesday the 22nd inst. He spoke for upwards of two hours upon Provincial matters and the past and present policy of the Curtis Government, declaiming strongly against the malacLninistration of various departments of the public service. At the conclusion of his address a vote of confidence in the candidate was carried.

Mr Warden Whitefoord, in a case heard at the Ahaura on Thursday last, ruled that registration of a quartz claim was absolutely necessary to avert forfeiture. The Grey Argus states that the rush to the recently discovered quartz reefs, at Murray Creek, Inangahua, is assuming very large proportions. A Dunedin contemporary says :—" A large amount of gold and silver coin, deficient in weight, and which has apparently seen long service is at present in circulation in Dunedin. Many of these coins have, we are informed, been refused at the banking establishments here, and similar coins have been refused at the Melbourne banks. It is suspected that these old coins have been bought at a rate below their current value, by a certain class of speculators, and transmitted to their agents here, by whom they have been put into circulation. It is not improbable that gold coins passing through their hands undergo a process of * sweating.' The public should be on their guard against taking coins of the kind indicated." The Wellington correspondent of an Otago contemporary thua describes a new flax-dressing machine: — " A Wellington resident, Mr Isaac Plimmer, has applied for a patent for a new flax-dressing machine, regarding which the most hopeful anticipations are entertained. Its principle is, I believe, that of receiving the leaves lengthways, instead of endways, as in all the present machines. The rollers, also are plain instead of fluted. It is said that cleaning the fibre and pressing it lengthways instead of endways is much more effective, and that the pressure of the rollers absolutely presses out all the juice in such a way that washing in fresh water carries it away and

leaves a perfectly clean fibre. It is said that the machine has been invented in consequence of mioroscopic examination of the structure of the flax leaf and fibre. The trial of Margaret Patterson and Emily Jane Williams, charged with arson, took place at Christchurch, before Mr Justice Gresson, on Monday the 13th inst. and two following days. The prisoners were chargod with setting fire to a house in Cashel-street with intent to defraud the insurers. The trial resulted in a verdict of acquittal.

George Davidson, late master of the schooner Bonnie Lass, was found drowned, in Lyttelton harbor, on the 14th inst. Notes and silver, amounting to .£24 15s 6d., were found on deceased's person. The promoters of the Nelson Annexation League are zealously canvassing for signatures. At a meeting held on Friday last, at Greymouth, the Committee confidently stated that the most influential memorial that had ever left the West Coast would be ready in a week or ten days for transmission to Wellington. The General Government has settled the claims of the Wanganui Natives for pay. They claimed £15,000, but accepted £12,500. The greater portion of the money has been paid to Majors Kemp and Topia, the balance being retained to meet orders on the Treasury given by them to tradesmen.

The General Government has given instructions for the prosecution of a half-caste named Hamilton, for perjury in evidence given against Walter Tricker six years ago. The Ballot Bill has nearly passed through committee.

The Government do not intend to send representatives to the Colonial Conference, to be held at Melbourne next month.

Amongst other petitions presented to the House of Representatives are two from the Auckland Chamber of Commerce; one asking for a Reciprocity Treaty with the Australian Colonies, and the other curtailing the time within which bills of sale may be registered. Mr Richmond has introduced a bill in the Assembly to protect the property of married women. It is proposed to place them on the same footing, as regards the control of property, as if unmarried.

Rumors have been current in Invercargill, during the last few days, that payable gold, has been struck at Hokanui. It is said the prospectors are negotiating for a lease of the ground. Frederick Lange, rate collector to the municipal corporation of Lawrence, Otago, has been committed for trial for embezzling some £B, moneys belonging to the Corporation.

Coal has been obtained on the farm of Mr Sutor, Flax Swamp, Otago. Samples have been exhibited in Waikouaiti, and judged to be very good. The Queen of the Netherlands has been on a visit at Windsor Castle. The object is said to have been a matrimonial alliance between a youthful scion of the House of Orange and one of the Princesses of Great Britain, but which has fallen through. An establishment, says the local journal, has been started in the Ahaura for the manufacture of cigars, and the first fruits of this novel industry have been placed in the local market for public patronage. The samples exhibited are, in appearance, fully equal to the finest Figaros, whilst for their delicacy of flavor they have been pronounced unsurpassed by the imported article. The manufacturer, Mr Charles Harvell, was for many years connected with some of the leading cigar factories of America and the Continent, and the experience thus acquired has enabled him to produce an article in every way worthy of the attention of consumers, and we trust his enterprise will meet with the encouragement it deserves. The census of Tasmania, taken on the 7th of February last, shows the population of that island to have been 99,328 on the day named. Of these, 52,853 were males, and 46,475 females. Ross v. Chaplin, an action to recover damages sustained by plaintiff consequent on the loss of his daughter by drowning, through the alleged carelessness of James Duncan, one of the defendant's servants,

was brought before Mr Justice Chapman and a special jury, on the 17th inst. De ceased was 21 years old, and in receipt of a Balary as school teacher of £45 to £SO a year, and at the time of her death, on Dec. 15th, 1869, was proceeding to Oamaru to spend her holidays with her sister, who resided there. In crossing the Kakauni river, the coach was upset, and deceased was drowned, it was contended, through the negligence of the driver in crossing the river after heavy rain. After hearing a great deal of evidence, the jury gave a verdict for the defendant. One often hears of plaited hair, but last week saucered hair came under the notice of the Auckland folk, and in this wise:—A lady proceeding down Queen street was observed to come to grief suddenly in the matter of a very elaborate chignon. This artistic arrangement suddenly collapsed, ana at the same moment a saucer, which had formed the basis of the superstructure of the fair one's tresses, fell on the pavement with a crash, and was shivered. The consternation of the owner at the unexpected revelation of the intimate relation between locks and crocks was only equalled in intensity by the amusement of the observers of the incident. A woman named Prielause, 30 years of age, was found dead in her own house in Auckland a few days ago. Three empty bottles, "smelling strongly of ardent spirits," were found at the head of the bed on which she was lying, so that it is presumed that she drank herself to death, her habits being very intemperate. Mr W. H. Reynolds, M.H.R., in the position of candidate for the Mayoralty, addressed the citizens of Dunedin at the Princess Theatre, on the evening of the 10th. Mr Reynolds is already Speaker of the Provincial Council and a representative of Dunedin in the General Assembly. After being subjected to considerable questioning, some of it being of a humorous character, the following resolution was put and carried amid applause :—" That this meeting considers that Mr W. H. Reynolds has no claim upon the ratepayers, and that the Mayor ought to be chosen from amongst the Councillors." Mr Reynolds, however, announced his intention to go to the poll, even if he had but one vote.