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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 696, 11 August 1870, Page 2

It is pleasing to learn that we understated the number of shares already applied for in the Excelsior Quartz Mining Co.npany, in alluding to the subject in our last issue. During the past week considerable enquiry has been made for shares in this company, there having been no less than thirty additional shares allotted to parties residing in the immediate locality of the reefs, making a total of upwards of two hundred shares, upon which tlie required deposits have been paid. In addition to the name of Mr M'lntosh, of Nelson, to whom there have been several applications for shares made, we may mention that Mr G. Moss, of Groymouth, and Mr Thomas Dwan, of Charleston, have also been appointed brokers in their respective districts. During this month it is confidently expected that the balance of the shares will be taken up, when negotiations will be entered into for the necessary machinery, and we hope to hear before the expiration of the present year that the reef, under this company, will have had a fait trial. In the face of the many disappointments through reckless speculation in quartz mining in Auckland and elsewhere, it is somewhat difficult to induce foreign or even local capital to be invested in such undertakings on this coast, however promising they may be, but we feel assured it only requires the proper development of one reef in the district to be shown, to procure ample capital for the opening up of the others in the Lyell and other districts, at present dormant, in our immediate neighborhood. The Warden has, we understand, recommended the granting of the lease to the Excelsior Quartz Mining Company, which will doubtless be gazetted by the Superintendent in a few days. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday last, Mrs Fry appeared on remand, charged with drunkenness and using obscene language. The evidence produced by the accused chiefly corroborated the charge brought by the police; one witness, M'Garrall, knew nothing about the affair; Maguire stated that the charge brought by the police had relieved him of the trouble and responsibility of himself laying the information, and the testimony of a Mrs Mead only had reference to Mrs Fry's condition several hours previous to her "arrest. The prisoner was fined £3 or in default one month's imprisonment with hard labor. The reports from Addison's Flat continue of a highly favorable character. The population in that locality is increasing, and a number of gold mining areas, applied for as leases, have been granted, and are now being profitably worked. Ground-sluicing is found to be the most advantageous method of working, and for this purpose some very heavy tail-races have been cut in addition to considerable labor in bringing in headraces and constructing dams for the purpose of water supply. Berne and party, who hold a ground-sluicing claim on Dirty Mary's Flat, Waite's Pakihi, have recently had a washing-up, after five weeks' work and the result was a parcel of 120ozs of gold. The party consists of ten shareholders and the above return is scarcely equal to the average, in consequence of four of the party having been employed in constructing a dam and race. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Maria Jennings, charged with assault, was brought up on remand, and committed for trial at the ensuing sitting of the District Court at Westport. Ann Connolly was charged with being drunk and incapable; the prisoner had not been many days discharged from gaol where she had undergone a term of three months' imprisonment. Constable Williams gave evidence of arrest, stating he found the prisoner incapably drunk in Molesworth street on Tuesday last. She was fined ten shillings, or in default twelve hours' imprisonment. A former resident of Westport, in a private letter alluding to the dulness of business all over the Australian Colonies, says: " I have been travelling all over New South Wales and Queensland during the past few months, and business everywhere is wretchedly dull. The Victorian districts are no better, indeed, worse Ballarat is pretty nearly cooked and nothing like the business doing anywhere that there was a few years ago. New Zealand, with all its present dulness, is much more healthy and active in a commercial point of view, than any of the colonies here, where nearly every trade is overdone and prices fearfully cut." Professor De Loree gave a second performance on Tuesday evening at the Masonic Hall. The various tricks of ledgerdemain were cleverly executed, and those present signified their approval of the entertainment Mr De Loree intends visiting Charleston for the purpose of giving a seriesof entertainments where he will, doubtless, meet with a fair measure of success. An unoccupied freehold section, in Pa.merston-street, was sold last week for £l5O. This shows the increasing value put upon allotments in that neighborhood, many of which, a few months ago were tenantless and unsaleable. Hunter v. Haines, an appeal case, was tried before Mr Justice Ward, on Tuesday last, at Charleston. The matter in dispute is with respect to the right to take water from the Deep Creek. Appellant holds a prior right, and the respondent has a dam constructed in the creek, the right to same entitling him to store all storm water, over and above a given quantity flowing in the creek. Appellant contends that he had failed to pass water do wn in conformity with

the conditions under which the right had been granted. His Honor said that under the statute he was only empowered to order a re-hearing, which was granted, Baid rehearing to take place at the next sitting of the Court. The postponement was par tially in consequence of the importance his Honor attached to the case, and a desire to have produced the evidence of experts with respect to the guage of water. In the matter of the insolvency of Myrick Jones, miner, Charleston, Mr Pitt applied for order of discharge. Mr Strike opposed, and examined bankrupt, who stated that he could not remember whether he sold a house to Mr Perrett the same day as filing for JBSO. Mr Liddle gave evidence of a conversation with the bankrupt, from which it appeared that the latter held a share in a dam worth £SO. He had transferred the share to one John Mulholland on the understanding that the share would be re-trans-ferred after passing through the Court. Edwin Perrett proved the purchase of a house from Jones, immediately prior to his insolvency, for i 350, thirty of which he paid witness on account of a debt. His Honor said that this was a very flagrant case, the certificate would be suspended and protection withdrawn for twelve months. James Edwin Gillespie and Walter Phelan obtained order of discharge. A banquet was given by the members of the Charleston Kilwinning Lodge of Freemasons, on Tuesday evening last, to Bro. G. W. Harvey, Provincial Grand Steward, who was on a visit to that locality. The usual weekly meeting of the Charleston Literary Institute was held on Monday evening, his Honor Judge Ward presiding. The entertainment was as usual highly successful.

Dr Featherston is expected out in November. Mr Dillon Bell will probably continue his stay in England for some time longer. It is probable, says the W. C. Times, that a committee will be appointed to thoroughly sift the charges against Judge Clarke, and as witnesses will no doubt be required to give evidence before the committee at Wellington, this inquiry from first to last is likely to cost the country some £I2OO. There is, we understand, a feeling in favor of a more economical method of conducting the business of the District Court; the idea is that the Crown Prosecutors in Westland and Nelson be invested with power to act as Judges in bankruptcy, the civil and criminal business to be remitted to the Supreme Court. The following fatal accidents in Canterbury are from late papers:—Mr James Rolls, farmer, Lincoln, has been found dead in a ditch. It is supposed he fell into the ditch while in a fit.—On the same date, and in the same district, Mr George Hawkins fell into the fire whil.* in a fit, and was burnt so severely that death ensued in hulf-an-hour afterwards.—A son of Mr W. H. Ferryman, farmer, stumbled into a basin of water, and was so severely scalded that he died t e same evening. The writer of " Passing Events" in the Tuapeka Times says:—"Marriage is becoming deservedly popular in Tuapeka. I have been led into this train of thought by the general rush made upon the Chinamen lately by some of the female children of this town. Tiny tilings from twelve to fourteen, almost before they had reached the age of puberty, are going cr;izy about getting married. There was one the other day who went to the Registrar, and a*kfcd him to marry her to one ot the Chinamen at the camp. The Registrar wisely refused to do any such thing, and bade her go about her business, but she declared she would go and live with the Chinaman if he would not marry them. True to her word, she went to the Chinese camp, but was followed by Constable Titchener, who arrested her under some Act or another—the Vagrancy Act I suppose—and lodged her in the camp on the top of he hill. The only place fitted for headstrong youngsters like these is the Industrial School, where I hope this baby aspirant to matrimony will be secured for two or three years, to cool her youthful ardour. It is only a short time ago since a child of twelve or thirteen was married to one of our Mongolian brothers on Tuapeka Flat, and it will be well to try the experiment first before allowing any other similar sacrifice to take place on the hymeneal altar. We do well as a district to protest against these unseemlv marriages." The correspondent of the Southland Times, in writing upon the condition of the Wakatip district, Otago, says:—As an urban centre, Queenstown is decidedly looking up. The blocks of dilapidated buildings which followed the rush of 1862, have once more been taken up and occupied, and, within the last few weeks many other new buildings have been put up, plainly showing that the resident population is gradually on the increase. The corporation is keeping pace with the times, and a fine new road along the margin of the Lake, in the direction of the One-mile creek, is just now in course of being formed. Other evidences of progress can be detected, so that the district as a whole is in a highly promising condition. The shipping interest has of late become something considerable. Two steamers and two or three sailing crafts are not unfrequently to be seen discharging in the bay at the one time. All this is evidence of the importance of the place. The Blue Cliffs Station, near the Otaio, belonging to Mr J. Hayhurst, has been purchased by Mr C. Meyer for £ 11,750. The station comprises 25,000 acres of good country with 16,000 sheep.