The Westport Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 719, 4 October 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1870.

_Dr Giles arrived in Westport from his visit to the Inaagahua district yesterday evening, and will hold a sitting of the R.M: and Warden's Courts to-day at the usual hour.

Mr G. Donne, M.P.C., proceeded to Nelson by the steamer Murray to confer with his Honor, in respect to the seat offered him as Goldlields' Representative in the-Execu-tive.

The local agents for the California New Zealand and Australian mail line of Steamers (Keid and C 0.,) booked nine passengers this week for San Francisco by the steamer Wonga Wonga, which leaves Auckland on the 7th inst.

Tire only case brought before the Bench of Justices yesterday was that of an inebriate, who was fined 10s with the usual alternative.

The letters and newspapers by the Suez mail will be brought on by the s.s. Tararua, which is duo at Hokitika from Melbourne at the close of the current week.

A very perceptible shock of earthquake was felt in Westport yesterday at 2 14 p.m., the vibrations continuing over a space of nearly three quarters of a minute. The shock, though tolerably severe, did not result in any serious damage—so far as we have ascertained. A window-pane was broken in a cottage, recently occupied by Mr Pirie, and a few trifling breakages occurred in some of the hotels. A second but slight shock took place about two minutes afterwards. The direction of the wave appeared to be South-east to North-west. The shock was similarly felt on the Northern Terraces.

On Saturday Mr J. Munro sold at auction ex Rambler from West Wanganui, eighty tons coal, realising 24s 6d per ton, being the entire cargo. The lot was purchased by Mr T. Watson. We are indebted to Mr Fraserfortho following return of the Weßtport school, for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The total number of pupils on the roll was 98, being 52 boys and 46 girls; the total attendance during sixty schooldays in the quarter was 3801, giving an average daily attendance of 55. The low average attendance may be partially due to the inclemency of the season, and the disadvantage many families have been placed under, consequent upon their removal from the beach to localities, in which the streets are scarcely formed and almost impassable. Mr Smythe, tho agent of Mr Heller, arrived in Westport by the s.s. Murray, on Sunday, having visited the coast for the purpose of learning whether the inducements were sufficient to justify a visit from this famed musician and illusionist. The result of Mr Smythe'e visit is satisfactory, and!Mr Heller will appear in Westport in about ten days. The tricks performed by Mr Heller are said to be remarkably clevor and in addition to this he is a highly accomplished musician. His performances have been most favorably received in Dunedin and Christchurch, and as the gentleman, who is at present in Nelson, will shortly visit Westport, the following notice of his musical skill, from a Lyttelton paper may interest our readers: —" All who know arything of the pianoforte music of Mendelssohn will agree with us when we say that it ranks amongst the most delightful as it is certainly the most trying in execution of any that has been written for the instrument. It not only requires a facile finger, but a ready comprehension in the la-gest sense of the word, and a mind of tne utmost refinement. We have been accustomed to regard these exquisite sketches known—and how rightly—by the name of ' songs without words' so jealously, that we waited with some anxiety for Mr Heller's interpretation of their beauties. We have before this honestly stated our opinion of Mr Heller as a pianist; we have paid him the tribute of our genuine admiration of his masterly execution and complete control of his instrument. We have never said that he is perfect; we do not say so now ; but we affirm that in his rendering of the programme yesterday evening, he far surpassed his previous performances in Christchurch, showing us not mote of the executant, for that were hardly possible, but more of the real musician." A gas company is proposed at Nelson, and a meeting for its promotion was to have been held at the Masonic Hall yesterday evening.

A Provincial Gazette announces the appointment of Joseph Shephard, David Rough, and George Williams, Esqrs., as commissioners to inquire into and report on the best means of furthering the industrial interests of the province.

The Christy's arrived in Nelson from Westport on Friday morning, and gave a performance at the Oddfellows' Hall the same evening, but owing to the counter attraction of an entertainment by Mr George Cotterell assisted by amateurs, the attendance was somewhat limited.

I An inquest was held on the 26th ult. upon I the remains of Eugene Casset, who committed suicide at the Thames on the 22nd J instant. The first witness examined was i Francis Forceau, the partner of the deceased, who deposed that Casset went to Auckland on the 16th, and on his return had complained that a creditor had insulted him, calling him a rogue, and said that they had taken £IOOO out of the firm. Deceased was in bed in a back room of the store, when the occurrence took place. A clerk named A. G. Grant, who had been sent from Auckland to examine the accounts of the firm, gave similar evidence as to the despondent state of mind of the deceased, who had informed the witness that he had been accused of abstracting £IOOO from his business. It appears that when the deceased was discovered, life was not quite extinct. Mr Campbell, solicitor, was waiting to see the deceased as to his affairs, and having called for the third time, Mr Grant then went to the door, and looking through a hole in the woodwork, could see deceased's head hanging over the bed. The three then broke open the door, which was fastened on the inside, and found Mr Casset lying over the bed, with blood dropping from his mouth. He was moaning faintly, and so continued till Dr Kilgour came. There was, however, no hope of life, and, in a very few minutes after he was found, he died. In answer to a juryman, Mr Grant stated that from his examination of the books, he did not believe that anything had been abstracted from the business. After about half-an-hour's deliberation, the jury returned a verdict "That deceased committed suicide while labouring under depression of mind consequent upon mercantile losses."

The Clutha has now got a Municipality, and a weekly paper is promised in a month. There are eleven weeklies, a biweekly, and two dailies in Otago, besides the Evangelist, and last, but not least, Mr J. G. S. Grant's Delphic Oracle. A recent Provincial Gazette contains a circular from the Secretary for Stamps, directing attention to the Stamp Duties Act, 1870—clause I. II.; which provide that henceforth stamp duties may be denoted by adhesive stamps in all cases appertaining to mining property. It is provided also that the transferor shall so sign his name that part of the signature shall be on each side of the stamp, and part on the stamp itself, the signature being written continuously.

At a recent meeting of the Hokitika Hospital Committee, the following resolution, moved by Mr Harvey and seconded by Mr Bonar, was unanimously carried:— " That all deaths occurring in the hospital should be notified to the West Coast Times, with a request that they be published." Wiremu Horitoni Taipari has declared himself insolvent, with liabilities said to be nearly .£20,000. He owned land at the Thames, and when the goldfields broke out was joined by Mr Mackay, who resigned an excellent appointment (Native Commissioner) for the purpose. By leasing his land, he established the town of Shortland, from which he drew ground rents at the rate of seven thousand a year. He had a splendid establishment, exercised a wide hospitality, and speculated largely in scrip. Owing to the growth of Gralmmstown Taipari's rents fell, while his calls on scrip were presented with relentless regularity, and a declaration of insolvency became inevitable. Among his creditors one of the Banks figures for JJ9OOO, lent on security of rents, and a private individual for £3OOO on the same security. He offers a composition of 15s in the pound. Prom our contemporaries we learn that the Germans, both of Christchurch and Dunedin, have held meetings for the purpose of aiding their countrymen in Europe. In Christchurch it -was resolved to establish an association to carry out the objects of the meeting. Dr Haast was elected pres:*den t, and H Cohn, secretary and treasurer:

committee, Messrs Euddenklau, Schmidt, Vogel, Hofmeister, Heyder, Uausinann, Bourgeois, Zinckgraf, and Ziem. The sum of .£2O was subscribed in the room and a concert in aid of the fund was determined upon. Recently also in Dunedin about fifty Germans responded to the appeal of the North German Consul, and met at the European Hotel to devise measures to raise funds. A committee was appointed, of the following gentlemen:—" Messrs Houghton, (chairman), Hayman, Brebner, Eggers, Hamaan, Levien, Meyer, Hirsch, Ziele, Luhning, Eeicheldt, Steinmetz, and Dr Beaver, with power to add to their number." Mr L. Hayman was chosen treasurer, and Mr Hamaan secretary to the committee. About ±"100 was subscribed in the room. The whitebait season has come round again and this fish is now being caught in abundance in the Buller and other rivers on the coast. The local price is one shilling per pint.