The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 749, 13 December 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1870.

The returns, showing the gold export df the Colony for the quarter ended September 30. and the customs revenue collected at the several ports, are to hand. The amount of gold exported from New Zealand, during the period referred to, was 124,0470z5, valued at £492,697. The amount for the corresponding quarter in 1869 was 140,326 ozs, valued at £552,600. The following table shows the export from each Province for the quarters just named: —

! It will thus be seen that three of the great gold producing districts of the Colony exhibit a decrease : —Auckland, 46370z5, or 23 per cent.; Westland, 63670z5, or 16 per cent.; Nelson, 39050z5, or 10 per cent.; Otago, 15G2 ozs, or 4 per cent. It may be explained that the very serious decrease in the quantity of gold exported from Aucklaud as compared with the corresponding quarter in 1869, may be partially accounted for by some of the Banks having allowed their gold to accumulate, in expectation of the passing of the new Gold Duty Act. The Nelson returns are all but entirely furnished by the ports of Westport and Greymouth, the gold export from the port of Nelson bearing but a very trifling percentage of the total amount shipped. The quantify of gold shipped from Westport during the quarter ended September 30, 1870, was--16.81 Oozs, as against 20,4120zs for the corresponding quarter of 1869, exhibiting a decrease of 36000z5, or 17 per cent. The decrease or increase, however, upon any particular quarter ■may not be accepted as finally conclusive either of the decline or enlarged productiveness of a gold district, since the returns are chiefly governed by the water facilities afforded the miner. These vary considerably according to the rainfall of any particular period, and must continue to do so until some comprehensive and permanent system of water supply is provided for the goldfields of the Colony. In proof of what is now alleged we fiud that, while the shipments from Westport for the September quarter, 1869, were 20,4120zs ; for the December quarter, during which term the water supply was deficient, the returns fell to 15 : 9190zs ; and again for the March quarter, when no scarcity prevailed of the necessary element, the shipments expanded to 22,0840z5. In dealing, however, with the gold export of the entire province for the quarter ended Sept. 30th, 1870, which exhibits a decrease as compared with the corresponding quarter of 1869 amounting to nearly 4000oz, it will be seen that the falling off has been chiefly at this port which, which shows a decrease, as previously stated, of 36000z.

The Customs Eevenue collected at the several ports of the colony, for the quarter ended Sept. 30th, amounted to £191,499, while for the corresponding quarter of 1869 the figures were £205,100 The annexed table exhibits the amount for each province for the quarter specified, and the corresponding quarter in 1869: —

The provinces showing a decrease are—Auckland, £12,593; Westland, £il22; 0tag0,£3571; Nelson, £678; Marlborough, £274 j Taranaki, £l5B. The following provinces exhibit an increase of revenue: —Canterbury, £3315; Wellington, £2287 ; Hawke"'s 33ay,£822; Southland, £793, and the Chatham lalands fromwhich no returns havo been previously received £3O. The total decrease for the September quarter is £14,600.

The Westport annual race 3 bid fair this year to bo an unqualified success. Already seven horses have arrived in the district, three of which—Mr Taylor's Gamester and Mr Martin's Mistletoe and Quicksilver —are exorcising daily at Westport. Mr Behan's Eohler and Mr Maloney's Why Not are also preparing at Charleston. - Warden Giles, accompanied by Mr W. Pitt, proceeded to the lnangahua yesterday morning, and is expected to return to Westport on Saturday. Sergeant Kiely left for the same locality on Sunday morning: A communication from his Lordship the Bishop of Nelson, addressed to the Churchwardens and Vestry of St. John's, Westport, advises the arrival shortly of the Rev. Alexander Chalmers Soutar who will be located at Westport. After referring to the difficulty in obtaining the services of clergymen, and congratulating the members of the church on his having been so fortunate as to fill the vacancy at so short a notice, his Lordship concludes: —"I purpose to recommend to the Standing Committee that the portion of the grant hitherto made to Westport, .£9O, should be continued for the next year, and consider that the clergyman's stipend ought, on the West Coast Goldfield?, to be not less than .£3OO per annum: I do not think there ought to be any difficulty in raising tais, now the church and parsonage are completed ; and if it can be easily done at Charleston and Greymouth, where there are several other denominational places of worship, it can be done at Westport. I trust, that on the occasion of the Rev Mr Boutar's coming amongst you, the church may progress, and that there may be a reunion of its members."

Mr George Donne, Goldfields' Representative, proceeded to Nelson on Saturday. In another column he notifies the electors of his intention to come forward as a candidate for the representation of Westland North in the Ueneial Assembly.

Owing to a breakage in the wire between Hokitika and Christchurc'a last night telegraphic communication with Nelson was suspended. The line was expected to be in working order this morning, when the European mail will probably be reported.

Mr W. H. Forder arrived overland from Nelson Sunday with a mob of superior hacks and coach horses. As previously stated, he was the successful tenderer for the mail contract between Westport and Charleston for the ensuing year. The coaches for performing the contract and the conveyance of passengers will ai'rive at Christmas.

The Fire Brigade had a practice yesterday evening, but owing to the tide being out, and the consequent difficulty in maintaining a supply of water, Captain Hughes, after a short practice, ordered the engiue to be housed. The trial, however, was satisfactory as showing that even at a low state of the river the engine, when fully manned, is capable of delivering a large body of water.

It having been suggested by Mr Dobson that the proposed site for the Fire Engina House might be required for possible extensions of the present Court House, the vacant piece of ground beteen the Government offices and the Police Barracks has been selected, upon which a suitable building will be immediately constructed. The only case set down for hearing in the R. M. Court, to-day, is one of assault, in which a woman named Annie O'Dea is the complainant, and a miner named Ande:so.i is the defendant.

A man, named Dunlop, in the employ of Mr White, gardener, at the South Spit, had a narrow escape from drowning on Saturday last. It appears that he crossed from the South Spit in a boat alone, and on nearing the Stanley wharf thrjw the painter to the • storeman in the employ of Mr Munro. In so doing he overbalanced himself and fell head foremost into deep water, but after a few plunges succeeded in obtaining a hold of the boat. The We3tport and Orawaiti Tramway was completed throughout on Saturday, when the line was formally opened. Mr Courtney invited some friends for a trip, and a few bottles of the cub'tomary baptismal wine were disposed of, his visitors wishing Mr Courtney every success i;> his new undertaking. On Sunday the line was extensively patronised, and there appears every likelihood that the tramway will be largely made use of. It affords the only pleasant outlet to Westport, and an hour may be very agreeably spent viewing the suburbs of Westport, the picturesque banks of the Orawaiti, and the race course. The following telegram was received from Mr Lowther Broad yesterday : —" Please contradict the statement that I am on an electioneering mission. My present visit is on public service only."

Mr M'Leod has received orders to effect the repairs to the Orowaiti bridge, to render it secure for horse and passenger traffic during the coming holidays. We understand that Mr Dobson is preparing estimates to forward to the Government, showing the outlay required to place the structure in an efficient state of repair. The latest information from the Inangahua represents the district as increasing steadily in population, numbers continuing to arrive from the Grey district. A new rush is reported, about seven miles beyond Murray's up the Inangahua river, to alluvial workings, but at the time our informant visited the locality numbers had deserted it on account of bad weather; a nice sample of alluvial gold had, however, been obtained by one party, and this portion of the district is certain to attract a small population. There is, nothing important going forward at the Lyell, and the workings are almost at a standstill; and higher up the Buller mining matters are also very quiet. Considerable damage has been caused by the late flood, and a number of sluice boxes as also several canoes have been carried away. Stewart and party have just completed a race about three miles up the Maruia, one of the largest tributaries of the Buller, and, having now got every thing into a state of preparedness for working their ground, they anticipate making good wages.

We understand that the Committee, appointed to get up an amateur performance and readings in aid of the Hospital fund, have decided to give an entertainment on Boxing Night, at the Masonic Hall. The programme will be published shortly. A snag about sixty feet long, brought down by the late flood and which obstructed the channel opposite the Lagoon, was removed under the superintendence of the Harbor Master yesterday, and deposited on the South Spit. A party of two miners are working the surface sand on the beach between Westport and the Orawaiti with remarkably good results. According to their own statement they are making excellent wages, averaging fully £1 a day. Payable prospects have been obtained from other portions of the beach at present lying unoccupied. We commend this facilo mode of obtaining a comfortable livelihood to the unemployed of Nelson and other provincial capitals.- •

The elections throughout the County of Westlaud for the seats in the County Council took place on Thursday. The results, with the exception of the Okarito district, are as follows: —Hokitika. two members, Reid, 221; Bonar, 210; Hoos, 188; South, 81. Arahura, one member; Barff, 26-1; Hannon, 141; Seddon, 87. Paroa, one member; O'Connor, 248 ; Carreras, 187. Mr Button was returned for Ross,, and Mr Robinson for the Kauieri. For Greymouth. Messrs Guinness and Lahman were returned, the defeated candidates being Messrs Kilgour and Pain. So far the new Council i 3 constituted as follows: —Messrs Reid, Bonar, Guinness, Lahman, O'Connor, Barff, Robinson and Button. Speculation is rife as to the result of the election for the chairmanship; either Mr Button or Mr Bonar is generally considered " the coming man." Over £3OO has been collected at Tuapeka for the widow of the late George Robertson, who was killed while engaged in mining at i-the'Hlue Spur.

The following, having reference to the Government financial scheme, is extracted from a letter received in Canterbury, and dated London, Sept, 9th : —'* With respect to your £10,000,000 loan, I don't think there is much chance of its floating just now, and this is the opinion of one of the " press gang." I mentioned it, too, the other day, to Fruhling andGosohen, who are quite firstclass people in matters of this kind, but I fancy their hands will be too full of Continental matters to undertake any new business at present. My impression is that if brought out a million at a time, and not exceeding a total of five millions, it would be taken, as so many holders of foreign securities would avail themselves of it, there not being the chance of such terrific fluctuations in your Colonial securities as occur in Our stock exchanges in Europe when anything goes wrong in politics, or overtrading." Under the head " Latest War News," the "Sydney News" says:—"We are informed that news has been received by the French Consul which speaks of the fearful bombardment of Paris, and of the town being in ruins. The surrounding forts are still holding out." The Wainui has been subsidised by the Otago Government for a year to run to the MolyneuTt, Catlin's, Waikara, Toi-Tois, Bluff, and Riverton fortnightly; to Martin's Bay thrice a year. The usual Christmas sports in Greymouth will be held on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, tire 26th, 27th, and 2Sth December, and the regatta on Saturdav, the 31st December. The prizes offered amount to a total of nearly £3OO. The right to the booths on the ground will be sold by public auction on Thursday next by D. Maclean and Co. As it is now over five weeks since Mr Twohili, of Greymouth, challenged any person in the Colony to run him for a certain sum of money and the championship of New Zealand, he now claims the honor of being the fleetest runner in the Colony.

The Ross German Association intend holding a Fete at Christmas, in aid of the wounded Prussian soldiers.

The present rate of carriage from Hokitika to Arahura is 20s per 2UOO lbs., and to Staffordtown 403.

On Thursday evening, says the " Grey Mr W. H. Harrison, M.H.E., who ii seeking re-election to the General Assembly, addressed a crowded meeting of miners and others at the Greenstone township. In a speech of nearly two hours' duration he explained the course he had hitherto pursued in the House of llepresentatives, and his opinions upon the leading political questions of the day. His views upon Goldtields' administration elicited frequent evidences of approval, and at the close of his speech Mr Harrison was loudly cheered. A resolution in supjjort of his candidature was unanimously carried. A telegram in the " Grey Eiver Argus," dated Napier, December 9, scatse that Wheunnuiu and Eaerau, two Urewa chiefs, with 34 followers from Waikaremoana Lake, arrived here by the Wairoa. A dozen of them have died, they say from fever. Mr Ormond has placed them under the surveillance of Chief Tareha. Tins is the last remnant of the Urewera who had not surrendered.

The Lancashire Bell-ringers are drawing crowded houses at Napier. A deputation of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce waited upon the PostmasterG eueral, urging the necessity of subsidising the Australian steamers for bringing over the Suez mail. The Postmaster-General replied that the subsidy of .5250 would be continued to the next mail steamer, but that they would not subsidise it again. The " Otago Daily Times" asserts that Mr Vogel's explanation of the telegram question is equivalent to a proof of the charge, and publishes correspondence contradicting his statement that the " Independent's" telegrams were obtained from the manager of the " Ai-gus." •» The " Argus " states that the nugget which was represented as having been found in some alluvial workings in the Inangahua district, weighed lOozs, and was found up the right-hand branch of Murray Creek, by a butcher from Napoleon. According to the latest accounts there would appear very little likelihood of the .£SOO being forthcoming from the public for the purpose of subsidising the formation of the road over the Grey Saddle to the Inansrahua reefs. The residents up the river do not think that, as a line of traffic, it could compete successfully with the Inangahua route. The steamer Gothenburg, for Melbourne, took from Greymouth 5188ozs 2dwts 6grs gold. The County of Westland has been proclaimed a district, within the meaning of " The Execution of Criminals Act, 1858," and the public gaol, situated on Reserve 441, in the town of Hokitika, has been appointed the place for the execution of criminals under the said Act.

Tho Hofcitika "Independent" gives the following report of the scene after the poll was made known:—"lt need hardly be said, that as is usual on election occasions, many extravagancies were committed by all parties, but nothing that called for the interference of the guardians of the law, and the evening passed off most peaceably, all things considered. Amongst other matters, we may say that a procession of carriages with the victorious colors passed through the streets, halting at the " West Coast Times " office to give vent to three groans, and at tho " Independent " office to give three cheers, followed by three groans for the "Times." Those, of course, are merely the usual election amenities, meaning nothing, but a little exuberance of triumph on a victory.

QUALIFICATION oj? ELEOTOKS

The following is a summary of the qualification of Electors' Act, which passed during the last session of the Assembly:—Persons duly qualified and registered as electors in any district shall bo qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives for any district. If a member of the House of Representatives cease to possess the necessary qualification, he shall not be deemed incapable of holding his seat, but shall continue to hold the" same until he cease to be a member from some other cause, according to the law for the time being in force. Neither trustees nor mortgagpes to be deemed to be qualified to vote, unless in the actual receipt and possession of rents and profits of estates ; but the cestue que trust or mortgager in possession of receipt, shall be deemed to be qualified in respect to the same estate, uotwithsfanding such4,rust or mortgager. Holders of miners' rights and business licenses for six months, to be qualified to vote in any district within the province in which such right and licenses have been issued. Returning officer or his deputy to mark such rights or licenses when used for voting purposes, and six months thereafter the holders of such rights or licenses to vote only in that district. Persons possessing more qualifications than one in a district, to have only such number of votesasifpossessingone qualification in that district. Persous holding miners' rights and business licenses qualified to be elected.

1870. 1869. Otago 36,238 37,800 Westland 36,128 42,495 Nelson 83,990 37,895 Auckland 16,106 20,743 Southland 1,152 893 Marlborough ... 433 500

1870 1869 Otago .£49,864 .£53,435 Auckland ... 44,116 56,709 Westland ... 24,116 28,238 Canterbury 24,058 20,743 Wellington 20,442 18,155 Nelson 12,269 12,947 Hawke's Bay 7,303 6,481 Southland... 6,031 5,238 Marlborough 1,755 . 1,481 Taranaki ... 1,615 1,673 Chat hams... 30