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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 687, 21 July 1870, Page 2

The mails via San Francisco will be despatched from Nelson on the 4th of next month. Correspondence for the above route will bt' forwarded to Nelson by every opportunity previous to the departure of the contract steamer on the 4th prox. The Bank of New Zealand, Westport, shipped per Kennedy for Hokitika, on Tuesday last, 2895 ozs. 6 dwt. 1 gr. gold, the duty upon which amounted to ,£361 IBs 3d. His Lordship the Bishop of Nelson, attended by the Rev. W. Letvis, visited Giles Terrace yesterday, when a hearty reception w;is accorded him on all sides by the miners. Divine service was hel 1 in the evening at Mr Harrison's store, the miners attending in goodly numbers. The offertory at the close of the service, in aid of the St John's Church Building Fund, amounted to £8 5s 6d. His Lordship leaves Westport this morning for Charleston and Greymouth. The Bishop of Nelson officiated last night at St John's, Westport. There was a large attendance. The inconvenience that may arise from carelessness in framing an Act of the Assembly is shown by the operation of the Escheat Act of 1868. It is provided by this Act that an inquisition of Escheat must be held by the Sheritf of the district in which the lands are situate, but that it must be held at the chief town of the Province. Consequently if lands situate in. the Grey district become the subject of escheat, the inquisition, instead of being held near the lands themselves, must he held at Nelson, and to crown the absurdity, the Sheriff of Westland North must go to Nelson to hold it. This is not a hypothetical case, but one that has actually occurred. The Resident Magistrate of Westport, who is also Sheriff of Westland North, has to hold an inquisition of escheat at Nelson on lands situate at the Grey. The case in questi. n has been pending for some months waiting for a convenient opportunity of holdthe inqui-ition, which, had it. been lawful to hold it in this district, could easily have been disposed of before last Christmas. The word " district" instead of " Province" in the Act would have mado everything right. On Tuesday night, as also last night, the Christy's played to crowded houses. As a whole the performances were a most complete success, the audience signifying their approval by loud and frequent applause ; sometimes with more zeal than consideration, although prompted no doubt by the fullest sympathy. There are occasions when an encore, however, enthusiastically demanded, cannot be responded to, and Mr Carroll, though lo idly called for to repeat the ("log Dance, very sensibly reserved himself for another occasion. Mr Rainford received merited applause for his artistic rendering of the songs "T e Old Sexton" and " The Four Jolly {Smiths j" the pieces had been admirably selected as offering Mr Bninford an opportunity, which he turned to the very b=?s>t account, of proving his magnificent vocal

powers. Messrs Bent and Carroll, who ap- 1 peared in character, and gave "Oh Susy Brown," were loudly encored. Their get-up was admirable, and was altogether a refinement upon the usual rendering of the cha- ( meters, Mr Carroll making a most pleasing and singularly effective personation of Susy Brown. Mr Bent was also most irresistibly droll in his comic sketch of " The Return of the Veteran" and in his rendering of " Jakes" in the very laughable farce of " Les Miserables, or Old Times Roeks." The Christy's proceed to Charleston this morning, where they give three entertainments, and will then return to Westport en route for Greymouth and Hokitika. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday, before J. Giles, Esq., R.M., James Moore, miner, Caledonia Terrace, was charged with having committed an assault upon Hermann London, storekeeper, Caledonia Terrace, on Friday last. His Worship considered the evidence bore out the information, and fined Moore t'4, and c sts of Court and witnesses JBS Is, or in default fourteen days' imprisonment. The defendant elected to go to gaol. There was only one civil case disposed of. An assault of a serious nature was committed on Tuesday night by a woman, imnmd Maria Jennings, upon another of her sex, named Elizabeth Fry, one of the weapons used being an American axe. The prisoner was brought before the Resident Magistrate yesterday morning, and remanded till to-day on the application of the police, the prosecutrix not having been in a condition to attend. The fraeus occurred in the dwelling of a bellman named Mac, resident in Bright street. We are indebted to Mr Winstanley, Post master, for the following postal and savings bank's returns :—The total number of letters and newspapers received at and despatched from the Post Office, Westport, fiir the quarter ended June 30, 1870, was—letters, ■ 22,391 ; newspapers, 18,055 ; against 21,721 . and 12,302 for the corresponding quarter in 1569, showing an increase of 670 letter.-, and 5753 newspapers. The number of registered letters was 107. Money orders were issued to the number of 191 for £923 13s and 50 r paid for £209 12s 3d. The number of savj ings bank deposits lor the quarter was 135, representing £2967 15s, against 90 withdrawals, 5 for £1856 19s 10d ; only 10 being closed in ! that period againsi 35 newly opened accounts. ' The payment of common jurors is to be brought under the notice of the Legislature, f Mr Hall was to move on the 14th instant for . leave to introduce a bill on the subject. • Mrs Darrell, better known to the theatre-

going public as Mrs Robert lleir, is still suffering from severe indisposition at Dunedin. Robert Graham, Esq., of Auckland, was brought up on the 4th hist, at the Police Court, Auckland, charged with having married his niece. The case, which hud been brought by Mr Lundon, was dismissed. We see from our Northern files that the Carandinis are meeting with success in Auckland, and the Gourlays have also done well. Thatcher, the inimitable, has left for Honolulu. The Dunedin Evening Star announces the first number of a new periodical which is intended to supply what the Editor deems a want —the opportunity of discussing " some of the grandest problems which the age feels culled upon to solve." The present number, it says is devoted to the consideration of Spiritualism, and as the journal has assumed tlie title of the Day Star its rising will in all probability relieve the daily journals of the burden of that speculative subject. Bernard Mendelsson, the levanting creditor from Hokitiki, was captured on the 28th ult. on board the ship Crusader, bound for England sixteen miles down Hobson's Bay. The Bishop of Christchurch has arrived at Uokitika. During the month of March a quarter of million of bushels of grain passed over the Christchurch Railway for shipment to England. We remind the public that to-day is the last opportunity of making selections from Mr Salomon's choice and varied stock of jewelry, as he leaves for Nelson upon the arrival of the Kennedy. To show the state of matters at I'addy"s Gully, the Grey Valley Times states that a large building, either suitable for store or hotel, with the shinjde roof, sold for the sum of eight pounds, on Friday last. The amount realised would not pay for the labor much less the timber used in the construction of the fabric. The amount of Customs duties collected in Dunedin during the month of June, was £14,105 IGs lid. Mr John Black, one of the oldest settlers in the Tokotnairiro plains, died on the 27th ult., at his residence, Waitahuna, at the advanced age of 84. A rumor is afloat that Mr Reynolds has entered for the office of Immigration Agent, under the scheme proposed to be carried out by the General Government. The Committee appointed to report on Walter Trieker's case do not recommend a free pardon.