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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 742, 26 November 1870, Page 2

In the R. M. Court, yesterday, there was no civil business disposed of. Two informations, oue for assault, and a second for abusive language, preferred by Margaret Schwerer against Ann Phillips, were dealt with. Tht complainant and defendant both reside at Addison's Flat, and the cases were dismissed, his Worship regretting that in the absence of a cross summons he was unable to bind both parties over to keep the peace.

Owing to accidents to the line of telegraph, between Hokitika and Christchurch, and the latter place and Nelson, communication was suspended on Thursday and part of Friday between Westport and all the stations in the Colony excepting those on the West Coast. Communication was restored with Christchurch yesterday morning, and throughout the line in the afternoon. The Nelson Goldfields' Almanac for the year 1871, printed and published by Reid and Co., is now in course of distribution, at Is 6d per copy. It may be mentioned that a similar publication, piinted in Wellington, is issued at 2s 6d, while the price of the Christchurch Almanac is 2s; both, therefore, are published at a higner price than the local almanac. We regret to have to announce the sudden decease of an infant daughter of Mr Fleming, of Westport. Tho child was in perfect health on Wednesday, and was attacked the following morning with convulsions, expiring in a few hours. The remains were interred in the Orawaiti cemetery yesterday. Much sympathy is felt with Mr and Mrs Fleming under their bereavement; and to render the circumstances more distressing, Mr Fleming, who proceeded by the Kennedy on her last trip to Nelson, could not be communicated with, owing to a breakage of the telegraph wires, until yesterday afternoon. Mr Cooper proceeds to the Inangahua to-day, where he will perform the duties of Warden's Clerk. The office will be opened for the despatch of business on Monday. A miner named William Jennings was brought down yesterday in a canoe from Murray Oreek, suffering from fever. It appears that the sufferer had been engaged in Davis's claim, at the reef, and had to attend as a witness at the last sitting of the Warden's Court, at the Inangahua. On the way he got bushed,' and exposure during the heavy rains brought on the severe attack of illness from which he now suffers. Jennings experienced very kind treatment from some miners to whom he was a stranger, and who accompanied him to Westport, where he was at once conveyed to the district hospital.

A miner, named O'Brien, succeeded in unearthing a nugget, a few days back, near to the cement workings at Murray Creek, weighing Goz 6grs. A large quantity of goods have been passing up the Buller, en route for the Lyell, during yesterday and Thursday. A couple of boat loads of merchandise are at present awaiting transit.

Telegraphic communication between Europe and Australia is expected to be estabbshed by July 1, 1871. The ballot was brought into operation for the first time in the Province of Canterbury on the 19th instant, when Mr Higgins was returned to the Provincial Council for the Oxford district, by a majority of four votes over Mr W. B. Hart. A dreadful boat accident occurred at Napier, on Sunday night last, resulting in the loss of five lives. A party of six, Mr Martin, Mr M'Nulty and his son, Mr Robert Brcnton, architect, and his son, Mr Henry Holloways, and Mr Tates, printer, went out on a pleasure trip. They lost the rowlocks of the boat near Bangatira Bank, and a waterman, named Beakers, seeing the party in danger, went to their assistance. In the anxiety of the number to save themselves, both boats were capsized, and, although other boats went to the rescue, all were drowned except Holloway and Beukers, who were picked up exhausted, by the Challenger's boat, two miles from land. The three men drowned all leave widows and children. The weather at the ti'; e of the accident was beautifully calm. The stables of Mr Christopher Dalwood, Christchurch, were burnt down on the night of the 20th inst. The premises wore uninsured.--

A certificated Maori interpreter's fee has been fixed by Government at two guineas per diem. The local paper reports the sale of a lot of ewes, hoggets, and fat sheep, numbering about- 1000, at Wanganui, last week, in mixed lots, at from 4s 6d to 7s. The Memorandum of Association of " The Greymouth Gas Company, Limited," has been registered and gazetted.

James Alexander, Postmaster at Kaiapoi, has been arrested, charged with embezzling Government moneys: His defalcations aro stated to be over JIOO.

At Napier, on the 21st inst, four prisoners belonging to the hard labor gang, over-

powered the keepers, aiid escaped from custody, crossing the harbor. One of the number was in irons. The police have since recaptured Williams, imprisoned for horse-stealing and prison-breaking, and Hammond, recently convicted of rape. The others have not yet been found. On the occasion of Mr'Vogel addressing a meeting at Otahuhu, Mr William Buckland denounced the Government policy, and Mr Swan followed. A vote of thanks to Mr Vogel was carried. Hoterina, son of the late Maori King, William Thompson, has been fined for theft.

The " Independent" states that DiFeatherston is expected to arrive by the Suez mail steamer. It contradicts the report of his appointment as Agent-General, and animadverts severely on its Wellington contemporaries for prophesying the same appointment to Mr Vogel. A shepherd named James Mackay was dragged by his horse at Mount Somers station, Canterbury, on'the 20th instant and killed.

The crushings of quartz from the reefs in Conroy's gully, Otago, are turning out very favorably. The volunteers in Otago number very nearly eleven hundred men. The long prevailing drought in the vicinity of Auckland was broken by a copious rainfall on the 17th inst.

Three men, named James Friers, Irwin, and Armstrong, have been convicted of carrying on illicit distillation, in Auckland, and have each been fined ,£IOO.

The American correspondent of the ''Southern Cross" says that Webb's and the North Pacific Company's first steamers start in February, calling at Honolulu and Fiji, with a branch boat to Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers, the main line continuing to Moreton Island there transhipping the mails and telegrams for Sydney, the steamers thence continuing the voyage to Sydney and Melbourne. The passage to Auckland is expected to be accomplished in twenty-four days. The Chief Justice recently held a sitting of the Supreme Court in Auckland, when a very important question to justices of the peace was argued. The case was an appeal from the decision of bench of magistrates at Ngaruawahia in September last, when Mr R. O. Stewart was fined for a breach of the Licensing Act. The question, was whether magistrates can convict upon a Provincial Act without its having been formally tendered and received in evidence. After a lengthy argument, his Honor decided in favor of tho appellant, thus substantially affirming that all Provincial Acts must be formally tendered and received in evidence in any action under our Provincial Council legislation.