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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 694, 6 August 1870, Page 2

Mr Justice Ward was a passenger per John : enn, from Hokitika. Mr Georpe Foreman has sold his interest in the Maori Chief claim, Back Lead, Durkio'a Terrace, for the sum of JJSOO, Mr O'i >ea being the purchaser. A scraping up shortly before the sale, after five weeks' crushing, resulted in a net dividend of i.105 to each shareholder. An appeal case, Hunter v. Haines, and the application by three insoWents, James Edwin Gillespie, Kichard Dollman, and Myrick Jones, for order of discharge, comprise the business before the District Court sitting, to be held at Charleston on Tuesday next. The total amount of duties collected in the Colony of New Zealand for the year 1869 upon Brandy, Cordials, Geneva, Gin, Rum, Whisky, and Wme was "three hundred and thirty-three thousand four hundred and

sixty-five pounds and eleven pence." The duties for the same period upon Al •, Beer, and Cider, in bulk and bofiie, was "twenty-one thcusand one hundred aHtt fifty seven pounds." T e two amounts equal nearly the amounts collected for all othei dutiable articles in tne Colony. The Greymouth Star says that Mr W. H. Harrison, in advocating the annexation of that portion of the County of Westland, lying north of the Teremakau to Nelson, has incurred the wrath of llokitika, the consequence of which is he is no longer Educational Inspector, his salary having been omitted from the Cou- ty estimates. An old favorite, Professor De Loree, announces an entertainment at. the Masonic Hall, Westport, this evening. The programme comprises furious clever sword feats and tricks of ledgerdemain, and the first appearance of (i 1 uly vocalist is also notified. A second entertainment will take place on Monday evening. I formation was received at the Campf* llokitika, on the Ist hist., that a woman named Cleary had b:'en very shockingly burned, at Stafford Town, on Saturday afternoon. The woman was living by herself, and was rather of intemperate habits. It is not known how the accident occurred, but when some neighbors, alarmed at her shrieks, ent. red the place they found her clothes in flames, and the upper part of I er body frightfully burned. When the report left 'Staffor I Town yesterday the woman was not out of danger. In the Resident Magistrate's Court, llokitika, on Tuesday, Mr Button renewed his application for bail in t e case of Leopold Beit, and said that there was every reason to believe that the incarceration of the defendant would be attended with very serious results, and that Dr Dennott was present to give evience to that effect His Worship said he would admit defendant to bail—himself in the sum of £IOO, and two sureties of £soeach. The bill to pass into law the capitation allowance scheme was introduced by the Government into the House of Representatives on Friday, and it was proposed to consider the clauses in committee on the next sitting-day. It is probable that the bill will pass through all its stages in a week. A monster indignation meeting, says th W. C. Times, was held at Stafford Town on Tuesday last. The County Chairman occupied the chair. The speakers were—Mr J. Clarke, M.C.C.; Messrs Hannan, Owens, Waite, and Dr Matthews. The gentlemen who addressed the meeting used very forcible language in reference to the proposed capitation grant, and the whole of the resolutions were carried unanimously. A similar meeting wa- held at the Waimea tiie same night, which was also largely attended, and all were unanimous against the proposed grant. There has been, it appears, a complete misunderstanding about the so-called appointment of Mr Justice Ward to the District Judgeship of llokitika. The Wellington Independent of July 23, apparently on authority, says :—The fact is that Mr Ward is not now appointed District Judge, nor is the office vacant; but Mr Clarke, the present Judge, having been accused by the Westland County Council of certain misconduct, a preliminary enquiry has taken place, and he is suspended until the further enquiry under the Civil Service Act shall be made; and, until the charge is adjudicated on, Mr Ward has been sent down by the Government as locum tenens.

We see by the Marlborough Express that an ingenious resident of Blenheim, named Mr James Gorrie, baa constructed a spring wheel and loom, with the intention of manufacturing matting, bagging, and other fabrics of a light description, from native flax. Justice appears to be administered with severity by the Auckland Justices of the I J eaee. At the l'olice Court, on the 16th July, William Pell was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, with hard labor, for breaking a branch off a cypress tree, to make, as he alleged, a walking-stick. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a new journal, entitled the Day Star, published in Dunedin, a wakly. paper devoted to politics, religion, and science. The articles are well written, and are worthy of perusal. The Carandinis recently gave a concert in aid of the Auckland Athenaum. Lady Bowen attended the entertainment, which was an immense success. The Christy Minstrels purpose giving an entertainment at llokitika iu aid of the District Hospital. The Otago Benevolent Asylum recently received a contribution of £2O, the profits of a week's sale from Messrs A. and T. Inglis, and a further donation of .£2O from the same firm in aid of the funds of the charity. The sitting of the Supreme Court was coneluded at Invcrcargill on the 27th ult. Mary Ann M'Coy, charged with an attempt to poison, was acquitted. Greorgo Meredith, for uttering forged cheques, was sentenced to two yeai s' hard labor. In bankruptcy, W. J. Edwards's final order was suspended for twelve months. A movement is on foot in Southland to organise a volunteer cavalry corps. A telegram, says the Star, has been received in Dunedin stating that H. S. Fish, Jim., Esq., the Mayor elect, will be gazetted Resident Magi trate in the next Ken r Zealand Gazette. The following is the extract from Dr Featherston'a letter, read by Mr Vogel in the course of his closing speech on the Government financial policy ; jubilant. Our credit stands higher —far higher—than it lias ever done. I shall be deceived if our securities do not leap up to an extraordinary extent. Now you may raise any amou.it you please at a low rate. Capitalists feel that the Imperial guarantee for a fresh million is ample security for them for any loan put upon the market on the colony's own credit. There is no longer any occasion to hawk our treasury bills through the Australian colonies. You have simply to ask and receive ; but you must have no change of Ministry. Capitalists tell me that they are now ready to assist the colony in any enterprise ac all "feasible. All believe now in New Zealand's future." Mr T. S. Pratt has been elected to the Mayoralty of Wafkouaiti. The additional particular* to hand respectting the robbery from the lock-up at Clyde are that the Bank of New Zealand are also losers to the amount of £4500. The thieves took away 21R2 oz. of gold, and left 1858 oz. of gold, besides two parcels of notes. A reward of .£SOO will be offered by the Government for the conviction of the offenders. The Greymouth Star s>iys that Mr Theodore Horton, late of the Bank of New South Wales at Greyniouth, has been a] p >inted Gold Receiver and Warden's Clerk at the Kanieri. New notes, which are really excellent specimens of artistic skill, are about to be issued by the Bank of Now Zealand. On the left hand side are two engravings within circular borders, the one representing Mount Egmont in the distance, with two Maoris clothtd in miits in the foreground ; the other being the Bank, and a thoroughly New Zealand see e, with a volcano in eruption, in the background. In the centre of the £1 notes are the words •' One Pound " on a green ground, the colors

being different in each description of n"te, the fives being bull', the tens light brown, and the twenties lavender. The visit of Lyster's Opera Compnnv to Sydney was a succession of triumphs, but of the whole company Miss Lucy Chambers would appear to have specially attracted favorable notice. At her benefit she had presented to her a basket containing a colonial gold bouquet-holder; another basket containing a handsome fan, a Honiton handkerchief and necktie, a pair of Indian earrings, a gold cross and purse; yet another basket, formed of choicest artificial flowers, gold wreath with inscription, a bouquet with a pair of gold earrings attached, another bouquet with purse containing a J220 note, and a bouquet with a handsome ring, besides wreaths of flowers without number," requiring three men to carry them off. The Duke of Edinburgh officially landed at the Mauritius on the 25th May,"and was received by the Governor and other officials. He held a levee on the same day. Fifty prisoners were re'eased in honor of the Prince's visit. He attended the municipal banquet next day, and the Governor's ballon the 27th. tie was present at the races on the 30th May, and would leave for the Cape on the 3rd of June to meet Commodore Stirling. The Press states that it has been shown a sample of New Zealand flax which has just arrived, and been manufactured in the south of France. The seed was got from New Zealand twenty years ago, and it has been cultivated ever since. It is stated in the letter that they are weaving it for linen, and have sent out some pocket - handkerchiefs made from New Zealand flax, which has caused a great deal of attention to be given to thi3 new industry. The sample is well dressed, and seems as if it was manufactured from young leaves. The sudden death of Mr Basire, Postmaster at Port Chalmers, is recorded. The cause of decease was the bursting of a blood-vessel. The following particulars of a fatal accident we take from the Dunedin Star: —On Tuesday, two men in the employ of Mr 1). Hutcheson, of Coal Point, were drowned by the upsetting of a boat in which they had attempted to board the cutter Hope, off Moeraki. The c-.ew consisted of John Cook, Enoch Wickstrain, and William Green. The two former clung to Ihe keel of the boat, and the latter supported himself with an oar. Cook, who was a good swimmer, left the boat and attempted to reach the shore, but after swimming 200 yards, sank. Wickstrain held on a few minutes longer, but the boat drifting close to a rock, he also tried to swim. A rope was thrown to him, which he unfortunately missed, and clung awhile to some kelp ; but before assistance could be rendered he sank. Green, who was no swimmer, clung to the oar, and drifted towards the rock, but suddenly sank, and would have shared the same fate as the others but for the gallant conduct of a mm named Smith, who swam through the breakers and fastened a rope round him, by means of which Mr Hutcheson, aided by a man named Cruiokshank, dragged him on shore. Ho was conveyed to Mr Hutcheson*B residence, and although exhausted, was brought round by the kind and efficient treatment he received. The bodies of the drowned men have not been recovered. Cook was a Scotchman, about 28 years of ago, and has left a widow and child. Wickstrain was a Swede, a single man, about 24 years of age. The Sydney papers express it to be their belief, that the shocks of earthquake, recentlyfelt in New South Wales, were connected with the simultaneous eruption of Tongariro.