The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 729, 27 October 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1870.

During tho past session of the Provincial Council it was decided that a ropprt upon the navigability of the Buller River should be supplied by the Harbor Department at Wesfcport, but, so far as we can learn, no instructions have been furnished either to the Engineer's Department or to Captain Leech, authorising the necessary information to be gathered and a faithful report compiled. As with many other matters immediately connected with the interests of this portion of the Province, we fear that the Government feel little or no interest in procuring a complete and reliable report, and,unless the matter were urged upon their notice, it is almost certain that the expressed wish of the Council would run the risk of being altogether ignored. It would appear an almost impossible task to remove,the prejudice, evidently existing in the miuds of the Nelson people and the administration of this Province, with respect to the capabilities and probable future of South-West Nelson. The idea seems to be too deeply rooted to admit of erasure, that these goldfiekls are in no way permanent, that the country will not admit of settlement; and that any effort at colonization, ns the term is understood in other portions of New Zealand, " is wasteful and ridiculous excess." Regarding our occupation as but of a temporary character, the very course is pursued best calculated to alienate a population—the most necessary works are delayed or altogether neglected, and when under extraordinary pressure an assent is grudgingly yielded, the favorable opportunity is often permitted to pass,.for the fullest advantage to be derived. We trust that, if the Provincial form of Government continue, tho Nelson Government will abandon their past policy, which has resulted in a complete repudiation of the best interests of the goldfiekls, or, at least,regardingthemonlyas a secondary consideration ;. and cease to apply our resources and revenue to the exe- • cution of public works and the development of schemes calculated to benefit only the older settlements. The inattention with respect to this report is another instance of nedeci: on the part ot the truvciumcm., n,„„n, of investigations may prove that the Buller is comparatively valueless for up-river steam navigation, but we think it at least duo to the community that the vote of the Council should receive proper attention at the hands of tho Government. At the present moment especially,a reliable report would be received with considerable interest by all parties concerned in the future of the Buller District. The subject, at any rate, is one of much importance as affecting the permanent prosperity of Westport. It is of the utmost consequence, in order that the valuable agricultural lands of the Inaugahua and Upper Buller valleys should be profitably occupied, that we should ascertain to what extent the Buller River could be rendered capable of being navigated by powerful steamers of very light draught. The facilities and cheapness, presented by a good system of water-carriage, are so manifest, and it is so inseparably connected with the advancement and prosperity of young and sparsely populated communities, that any delay on the part of the Government in obtaining the fullest information must be deemed highly culpable. In this as .in almost every other matter affecting the prosperity of the proviuce, whether in tho development of its agricultural and mineral resources or in affording the means for the settlement of a population throughout the different portions of the country, we certainly find Otago presents to other provinces a most valuable example of what may be accomplished. Already much has been effected in rendering the Clutha River navigable in that Province, and large tracts of country previously almost valueless now support a considerable population eraployed in agriculture, the facilities offered by tho stream being rendered navigable having sufficed tolocate a largo and thriving population.

A somewhat important case came before the Resident Magist rate on Tuesday, in which tiie plaintiff, Reuben Frank, a blacksmith, at the Northern Terraces, sued a miner named Peter Armstrong, for the recovery of £3, for labor performed. The defendant admitted that the work might have been performed, but pleaded not indebted. He proved that a portion of the -work had been performed as far back as fifteen months, when he formed one of a party of sis or seven shareholders. He produced an account for £3 made out to O'Brien, one of his mates, but who had since sold out of the claim, being the same items as those sued for. When that account was received O'Brien vrasj a shareholder, but was working another claim at Caledo dan Terrace. Ho saw the plaintiff and suggested that as they had not got the money and O'Brien was in payable ground in the other claim, to give him an order on O'Brien for th<? £3. Frank accepted the order, and about a month subsequently, on being .asked if the order hadbeenpaid, informed the defendant thntit was all right. Some time afterwards there was a settling up by the shareholders in the claim and among other accounts ono from fcbo plaintiff for .£1 13s 6d was paid for work performed since the account for £3 had been rendered aud paid. At the time of payment nothing was said by Frank with

respect to the old account. The defendant contended that ho was not indebted, as the plaintiff exonerated him from liability when he accepted tho order; that the account was made out originally to O'Brien, who was looked to for the money; that the plaintiff subsequently admitted that the order had been settled, or that he no longer looked to the plaintiff for its paymont; that no mention was made of the order or tho account when the subsequent account was rendered ; that an unnecessarily long space of timo had been allowed to lapse since the order was given and a second claim advanced, during which interval O'Brien had left tho district j and that tho plaintiff, in not producing the order, had placed it beyond his power to recover. His Worship held tho objections valid, and entered a non-suit.

Complaints continue to reach us in respect to the unfavorable condition of the track from Westport to the Murray and Lyell reefs. Between Christy's, at the junction of the Buller and Inangahua rivers and the reef, the entire line of track is in very bad condition, while on this side of Christy's the three miles of road, leading to tho Junction, is also in very bad condition. We trust that Mr Dobson, who proceeded to Nelson by the steamer Murray yesterday, will succeed in obtaining authority to expend the necessary funds for the construction of a good means of communication with these important districts.

A meeting of the Eduction Committee took place at the Court House, yesterday, when the following members were present: Rev. W. D. 8,. Lewis, Messrs Whyte, Sheahan, and Field. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, a letter was read from Mr Inspector Hodgson, stating that £8 had been placed to the credit of the Committee for incidental expenses ; and that the Central Board had declined to lease section No. 99, as it might possibly be required as a site for the future school. It was resolved that a copy of the correspondence touching a reduction in the rent of the school premises be forwarded to the Central Board, together with the resolution of the Committee passed on Sept. 2, authorising the meeting to take action. It was also resolved that Mr Sheahan be requested to act as hon. secretary to the Committee for tho ensuing year. The Visiting Committee for the last month reported favorably as to the state of the school; and Messrs Field and Fleming were appointed a Visiting Committee for the ensuing month. The Suez September mail is duo in Melbourne to-day. The news furnished through Indian sources will place us in possession of war intelligence to about October 3rd, or some three weeks' later items than were received via San Franckco.

It is notified by the Government that' on and after the Ist of November, double the existing rates will be charged upon money orders to the United Kingdom. Among the witnesses subpoenaed to attend at the ensuing session of the Supreme Court, at Nelson on the 15th proximo we notice the names of several Westport and Charleston residents, who are to give evidence for the prosecution against the late Sub Treasurer Mr Harris. Mr Dobson District Engineer, and Messrs Powell, Forder, and Bull, proceeded to Nelson by the steamer Murray yesterday with that nViipnfc.

Mr W Lightfoot has been annointed as Superintendent of Public Works lor the Province of Nelson.

The plant of a new paper about to be started at Napier arrived from Melbourne per Tararua. The Daily Telegraph is to be the title of this prospective journal. Well known as is the Germans' deep love of Fatherland, people are hardly prepared to learn of the magnificent sum that is being subscribed by Germans all over the world towards the national war fund ; but they may form some idea of it when we tell them that the Germans in the United States have subscribed towards that object the unprecedented sum of £10,000,000, or fifty mdlion dollars. After this, all other subscriptions are scarcely worth mentioning.

_ The Independent states that the preliminary survey of the Great Northern Railway has been commenced, under Mr Engineer Blackett, from Nelson. The survey party passed over the Eemutuka by Captain Smith's line, on Friday last, and was expected to reach the Tauherenikau by Saturday evening. The Ministry deserve credit for the early action they havo taken in this important matter, and tho general desire is that the work may bo thoroughly done in order that the best route may be determined on.

Word comes from Wanganui that a man named Daniel M'Kibbin, a tailor at Patea, has been missing for some days. He had been drinking lately, and went out on horseback. Tue horse has since been found tethered, but the man is nou est as yet.

A dividend of MSO per full share was declared as tho result of a crushing of 2001bs. of specimens from the Little Wonder claim, Coromandel, on the 12th inst. The yield of gold was three hundred and sixty-three ounces.

The Evening Post states that in the event of any disturbances occurring on the West Coast, tho Government havo offered to Major Turner tho command of the Militia and Volunteers in Wanganui and Bangitikei districts.

The appointment of the Hon. W. Gisbomo as ad interim Minister of Public Works for the Colony is confirmed by proclamation in a Gazette.

_ Mi- Raymonds, United States Commissioner of Mining Statistics, lias made his report. Ho estimates the total production of bullion for the year 18C9 at 03,500,000 dollars (£13,230,000). This includes California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.

The publicans of Otago apparently look with little favor on the temperance movement which is said to be gaining ground rapidly in that province. A Tokomairiro Boniface, mine host of the Great Britain, publishes the following advertisement in the Bruce Herald: Notice.—All Teetotallers indebted to me are respectfully requested to pay their accounts at once, otherwise I shall publish their names, and tho amount due, in the next week's issue."

A correspondent of the Taranaki Herald, signing himself B. Wells, writes:—" Worthy of extensive publication is tho fact that the supplejack of our forest is a sarsaparilla; and a decoction of its roots is a valuable medicine. Upwards of 130,0001b. of sarsaparilla is annually imported into England." We have intelligence from the Fijis to September 24. A correspondent to tho Fiji Times, writing from Vuna Point, says • "Local Government on Taviuni has at length assumed a practical shape; in fa-t it is already accomplished. It came about in this way:—While tho Vunivalu was lately staying at Vuna, he expressed a wish to befriend the planters by supplying

them with occasional labor, and as he appeared anxious to unburden his mind on the subject, a meeting of the settlers was convened. After a good deal of enthusiastic oratory, the meeting pledged itself to support Thakombau through thick and thin. The news of this resolution created a stir at Wairiki, and next day Tui Cakau and Maafu despatched canoes to Vuna Point requesting the planters to come up and explain their grievances. The upshot of the whole affair is that Maafu denied that he was Tui Cakau's adviser; that Tui Cakau has become a teetotaller for six months, and promised to expunge that horrible word *malua,' from his dictionary j that Ross, the secretary, has been dismissed, and Theodore Hoyt elected in his stead. It was also arranged that six white men and six minor chiefs should constitute a local government at Taviuni. On Saturday the election of three magistrates for the Vuna end of the island came off at the Vuna Hotel. There were about seventy white men present, and the greatest interest was manifested in the result. Messrs Logan, Armstrong, and Holmes were duly elected. Last Tuesday the magistrates were called upon to adjudicate in a complaint laid against a Cakandrovi native, for insulting the wife of Mr J. J. Coates, the surveyor. The culprit acknowledged his guilt, and received twenty lashes on the spot. The Raman, who was reported to have been shot dead by Captain Armstrong, on Mr Parson's plantation, is still alive and kicking l . The native only received two slight abrasions on the head and arm.