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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 715, 24 September 1870, Page 2

A meeting of shareholders and others interested in the formation of the Excelsior Quartz Company, Lyell, convened by Mr Munro, whs held at the Masonic Hall yesterday evening. Mr Pitt having- been voted to the chair, Mr Munro addressed the meeting. He explained the position of the Company, stating that 200 shares had been already taken up. He had arranged with the original shareholders to take in place of .£1,200 cash, £4OO in paid-up scrip, and .£BOO in monthly instalments of i wenty percent., which would reduce the a mount of capital required. He had also estimated the amount of capital required for carrying out the works, and he had taken can i that the estimate should be a very libera I one. It was as follows : S head stampers, £4OO ; boating to Lyell, £150; erection, half-mile tramway, .£400; driving lower tunnel, .£100; water-race, .£450 ; bonus to original shareholders, J2SOO, making Si, total of £2600, or in round numbers £2500. He referred to the low rate at which labot could be obtained, and that men would be piepared to undertake the work on ha!f the payment being made in scrip. He te.aisti d that the remaining capital required would be forthcoming and the work commence d. Mr D. Leslie proposed, and Mr Bailie secoMded : " That from the report brought by the brokers it is the opinion of this meeting of shareholders that the Excelsior Quartz Mining Company, Lyell, be started as soon as possible, and that the necessary steps be taken to have it registered under the Mining Companies Limited Liability Act, lSt!5, and Amendment Act, ISGS." Carried. It was then proposed by Mr Hughes, seconded by Mr Powell, and carried unaui - mously, "That in order to give effect to the foregoing resoluions a Provisional Directory be appointed, consisting of Messrs Whyte, Sheahan, Bailio, D. Leslie, Hughes, Rowlands, Munro, "Watson, and Powell, with power to register the Company as required, to make all necessary enquiries as to the mode of beginning operations, and securing the services of an efficient working manager. Such Provisional Directors to report progi-ess at a meeting to be convened at their earliest convenience." It was then decided to adjourn the meeting until such time as the Provisional Directors might appoint; aud a vote of thanks to the chair terminated the proceedings. A number of shares were taken up at the close of the meeting.

In the Warden's Court yesterday, a few applications were disposed of, and "the dispute with respect to the rights of the various shareholders in claim No. 3 South, Lyell, was finally settled. In the case tried yesterday, Andrew M'Shane sued seven shareholders, two of whom represented each a twelfth share, for the recovery of £l3 2s Cd, which he claimed to be entitled to as one of four working shareholders, being a fourth share of the sum paid into the claim by the paying-in shareholders since he had held an interest. Mr Milne, who represented the defendants, urged that in the first instance it would be desirable to determine who held shares in the claim. The only question that had been definitely settled was that M'Shane held a sixth share, and the remaining- five shares were in dispute, as they were to be distributed among six claimants. After a good deal of discussion, it was finally decided to determine whose share had been forfeited to M'Shane, and the result of the investigation was that Greenfield's name was expunged from the certificate. M'Shane then obtained judgment against the remaining shareholders, subject to any deductions for plant, implements, or other mining materials.

The construction of a bridge over the Buller River, in the vicinity of Westport, is described by competent judges to be a work of no extreme difficulty, and a work which, with encouragement "from the Government, might be very soon and safely undertaken. Indeed, we believe that Messrs Maeleod and Atkinson, who have so successfully erected wharves at this port, have completed plans for the construction of such a bridge, and are prepared to £o on with the work if there be offered to them anything like adequate inducement, by grants of land or otherwise. It happens that in this Province there is an Act by which land is giveu as a reward for the construction of public works, and under that Act considerable areas of land are held by parties who have made roads or built bridges more for their own convenience than for the general public benefit. In this case, any bridge which might bo erected would, upon the largest river in the Province, complete the connection between the two towus of Charleston and Westport, and render more accessible to their proper market the diggings of an extensive district. While we hear so much of the efforts of other Governments to bridge, such rivers as the Eakaia. the Waitaki, and theClutha, it would be satisfactory to hear of the Nelson Government giving its attention to the bridging of the Buller, and we may naturally hope that if Messrs Maeleod and Atkinson make either a definite request or proposal to the Government on the subject, it will receive both early and favorable consideration.

Judging by the attendance at the Jockey Club meeting on Saturday last, and at the adjourned meeting on Thursday evening, it would appear that the Westport public are not much interested in the question as to whether the annual races are to be held this year or not. It is true there is yet ample time, but there are many preliminaries which may require the three months' attention which the experience of former years has shown to be necessary. We understand that another meeting will be convened on the return of the Treasurer (Mr Freeth), when it is to be hoped a sufficient number will be present to justify the Club in taking steps to hold races, without which the Christmas week will not pass so pleasantly as in former years. A rush is reported by the Qrey River Argus to have taken place during last wejk to Black Jack's Gully, about halfway between the Twelve-mile Landing and No Town. The prospecting claim is situated on a terrace, and there are now three claims on gold. A new rush has also set in to the Teviot Creek, in Duffer Gully district. The prospects are said to be very good.

A meeting of the Athenoeum Committee was held at the Court-house on Thursday afternoon; present Messrs Giles, Pitt, Sutton, Whvte, Powell, and Keid. Mr J. E. Denniston was elected a member of the Committee, and Secretary to the Institution in place of Mr Bowman. Mr Sutton remarked that one of the library books, ** Hochstetter's New Zealand," had not been seen by the Librarian for some months, and no note of its having been out to a subscriber had been recorded. Dr Giles mentioned that the periodicals and magazines from home, a3 ordered, might be ex-

pected in a month or two, and, as the Institution would shortly be requiring an increase to its funds, he suggested that something in the way of cheap readings might be inaugurated. A sub-committee, consisting of Messrs Pitt, Denniston, and Sutton were appointed, -with a view of carrying out this object.

The committee' appointed at the public meeting lately held at Addison's Flat, to secure to the district some of tho benefits of the General Government scheme for the water supply of goldfields, have been most assiduous in the discharge of their duties, and, among other steps taken, they have prepared a suitable memorial for presentation to his Honor the Superintendent; the probability being that any expenditure undertaken will be under Provincial direction, or with the consent of tho Provincial authorities. Tho committee are to report progress to a public meeting to be held at Addison's, at eight o'clock this evening, and, in view of the importance of the question in connection with local and district interests, it is to be hoped that there will be a large attendance and a ready signature of the memorial which has been prepared.

Warden Giles intends visiting the Lyoll and the Inangahua mining districts next week.

Bradshaw's Ten-ace, on the south side of the Buller, is now approachable by a bridge crossing the creek between Packers' Point and Bradshaw's homestead. The bridge, which has been erected by Bradshaw, will be a considerable convenience both to himself, and to the diggers at work on the Terrace, of whom there aro still about thirty, making fair wages. In the discussion on the Railways Bill, in the House of Representatives, some amendments were made in the clauses relating to the Nelson and West Coast Railway. In clause nine, the town of Westport was included in the Nelson and Cobdon railway on the motion of Mr Curtis. To clause ten Mr Vogel moved an amendment which had the effect of confining the guarantee to twenty-four miles from Nelson; also, a proviso that tho Government pay the cost of construction out of Middle Island Railway Fund belonging to Nelson, as well as by land in lieu of guarantee, which were agreed to. Mete Kingi, M.H.R., and his wife were passengers last week by the steamer Wangauui from Wellington to Wan<;anui. Before landing, James Litt Cleary, of the Steam Company, seized 17 half-pound tins of powder, 1750 caps, and 401bs of shot, concealed on tho person of the woman, while trying to land. The powder was taken by the officer to H.M. Custom-llouse. Mete Kingi said he had no permit, but had got the powder from Donald M'Loan, Defence Minister. He has sinco produced a letter from the Under Secretary, authorising him to have the powder. The challenge of Young Austin, the champion of Australia, to run any person in New Zealand one mile, giving 100 yards sta.ct, is taken up by William Penticoat, of Rangiora, Auckland. The race was to have come off about the 20th inst.

Cobb and Co.'s line of mail coaches in Otaj;o has changed hands. Mr Chaplin has retired from the business, and Mr F. P. Man sfield, formerly manager, has become prop rietor.

Hi's Honor Judge Ward has intimated that w hen in Hokitika he will hold District Court sittings every Monday morning.

A miner named Melville fell down a shaft by th e side of tho truck at the Eight Mile, Hokiitika, on Friday evening last, and remaim id there without able to make his ciies heard till Wednesday morning, when, fortunately, he was rescued and conveyed to the hospital. It was found that he had dislocated one shoulder and broken one of his legs, between the knee and the anl le. It is almost a miracle that he was not killed.

M'Mswter's and Perry's partie3, who were for some time industriously euora<*ed in sinking shafts on the pakihi near Giles Terrace, have meantime abandoned them, the quantity of water being excessive, while t'.he run of gold was not sufficient to justify expensive working. Some members of the parties have since betaken themselves oiorthward on a prospecting tour. If they cannot command success, they are at any rate the man to deserve it. A private letter received by the last mail from Ireland states that Mr Bracken, who was long resident, in Otago, and more recently in Westland, has not yet recovered from the effects of an accident t.iat befel him about twelve months ago, when he received a severe fa 11 from a gig. The United States steamer Resaca has arrived at Auckland from Fiji. She reports the death of the missionary in charge of Eromanga, New Hebrides, and also another massacre of 2GO Fijians, by the same heathen tribes. This time they fell on the Corobalavu people, occupying the mountains of Upper Kewa Awer, being offended at Corobalavu wishing to turn Christian. The Levuka settlers liare formed a municipality, and asked Cakobau to allow them permission to administer the laws in his name.