The Westport Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 710, 13 September 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1870.

On Saturday the collector of Customs at Westport received instructions that, in consequence of the Tariff Bill having been thrown out, duties would be levied according to the Customs Act, 1866. Refunds of duty collected under the increased tariff were to be made yesterday, from which we gather that the proposal of Mr Vogel, as notified in telegrams, to introduce a bill to enable him to retain the duties received was either not put to the House, or having been put, was negatived. Mails for Nelson, Wellington, and Auckland, close to-day per steamer Charles Edward, at 11 a.m.

The Bank of New South Wales shipped per steamer Murray yesterday for Hokitika 15410z lOdwfc 7gr gold, the duty upon which amounted to .£192 13s lOd. An accident, resulting in the death of a child two years old, the son of Mr Pickering, occurred yesterday morning. It appears that about nine o'clock the cMld was missed and, on search being made, was found in a water-hole, situated at the rear of a house between Bright and Lyttelton streets. The heavy rain of the previous night had filled the hole to a depth of about six feet and, the ground being also rendered slippery, it is presumed that the poor little fellow had been in the act of dabbling with the water when he fell in. The child was perfectly senseless when recovered, and, on medical assistance being called in, everyeffort was made to discover a faint spark of animation but without avail. An enquiry into the circumstances of the accident will be held by the District Coroner at ten o'clock this morning.

An error appeared in the list of officers elected at a meeting recently held in Charleston, in connection with the Independent Order of Oddfellows, M.U. Among the officers elected to serve in the newly created district for the ensuing twelve months the name of Bro. W. J. Moore, as Relieving Officer, was omitted and Bro. Duke Ballam in place of Relieving Officer, as reported, was appointed Provincial Warden.

Judge- Richmond proceeded from Nelson to Hokitika by the Gothenburg, to hold a sitting of the Supreme Court. A Caledonian Society, intended to be Provincial iu the application of its purposes, has been formed in Nelson. Mr J. Mcintosh, is the Secretary. A Committee of the General Assembly, to whom a petition from the original Wangapeka laud-buyers was referred, report that " they were unable to arrive at a satisfactory solution of the difficulty." A waggoner, named William Colgan, got stuck with a load of goods near Mount Ida. He asked assistance of a fellow waggoner, which was refused ; and, in despair, he hanged himself to the roof of his waggon.

Barbara Weldon, a notorious character, of extensive gaol experience in Uunedin, has attempted to drown herself in the surf at Hokitita.

Mr John Sutherland, farmer. East Taieri, Otago, for very many years was a severe sufferer from asthma, but has found that a little sulphur mixed with hi 3 tobacco in smo't ing has proved to him a most effectual cure.

The first number of the New Zealand Church News, a monthly religious paper, will appear in Christchurch on the 15th instant.

A recent work on California describes the Artesian well at Stockton, which is the deepest in the State, being 1,002 feet in depth, and discharging 250,000 gallons per minute, eleven feet above the plain, and nine feet abovo the city grade. The temperature of the water is 77 degs., although the surrounding atmosphere only averages 60 deg3. This well is "stated to have cost 10,000 dols. The San Francisco mail was due in Auckland yesterday, but owing to that port not having telegraphic communication with the Middle Island, the first announcement of the mail will be furnished us from Nelson, where the news is received within two days after the arrival of the mail steamer in Auckland. The present mail would leave San Francisco about the middle of August to which date we shall have European intelligence—about ten days later than via Suez.