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Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 763, 14 January 1871, Page 2

The announcement by wire on Thursday evening that a steamer was in sight off Tauranga, possibly the bearer of the European mail, via San Francisco, gave rise to considerable excitement in Westport as to the probable nature of the war news. After a bvief interval it was announced that the mail had not yet arrived, and public curiosity, as has often been the case in connection with the Californian mail service, was again doomed to incur disappointment. Up to the hour of going to pre 33 there was no sign of the mail. The launch and christening of a fine boat, built for Mr John Pasco, and intended for the up-river traffic, took place at Westport on Thursday. The boat had been constructed by Mr Etevenaux, and is built on the diagonal principle; her dimensions are:—Length, 48 feet, beam6ft4inches,and her carrying capacity is four tons on a draught of 13 inches. The advantages of the diagonal principle are now so manifest that this class of boat is entirely superseding those previously in use, being found to combine the qualities of strength, large carrying capacity and light draught of water. As much as 4J- tons of cargo has been taken up the Bailer on one occasion, wliich is double the quantity that could be conveyed by the style of boat previously in U3e. The cost of the boat, all complete, is about .£IOO. A fifth boat, similar in all respects to the one just completed, is now in course of construction by the same builder. The boat launched on Thursday was christened the Inangahua. Packet. As notified in another column the annual meeting of subscribers to the Westport port Athenaeum will be held at the Court House on Monday the 16th inst., when a committee will be elected for the current year.

Another line of reef containing very payable stone has been discovered at the Inangahua near to the reefs already exposed. The case of Eoberta v. Kelly, in which the complainant sought to establish a claim to a full share in the reef known as No 1, North, Shields's, has been tried at the Inangahua Junction, and resulted in a non-suit. A previous action had been brought hy the complainant against a miner, holding an interest, named Burn, in which case Roberts was also non-suited, as the defendant's name did not appear on the certificate of registration. The reef in dispute is spoken very highly of, and is said to he as rich as any in the district. The Warden is expected to return to Westport from Inangahua on Sunday,

We "believe it is the intention of the Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade to hold a ball very shortly for the purpose of augmenting the funds. A dissipated looking woman, named Martha Horton, was brought before the Bench on Thursday, charged with being drunk and on Wednesday last, in .Gladstone-street. The prisoner was further charged, under Sec. 2 Clause'!} 6f the Vagrant Act, 18(50, with being an habitual drunkard. Four previous convictions for drunkenness, were' proved against the prisoner within twelve, months, and the Bench sentenced her to three months' imprisonment, with hard labor, in Nelson gaoi. A resident of the South

Spit was brought up, tlio samo day, charged with lunacy, aud remanded uiitil Monday uext, for farther medical examination.

Repairs are very necessary to the footpath at tho corner of Molesworth and Bright-streets. Some of the slabs supporting the gravel have given way, exposing several holes of a positively dangerous character. Any stranger passing the locality after nightfall can scarcely escape from this.mantrap, as the holes extend almost across the entire footpath.

About one half of the stone for the second protective work on the Buller bank ha 3 been deposited, and the contract, should the present weather continue, will be completed in a fortnight. A small quantity of stone has also been lodged near the crate groin at the foot of Gladstcnj-street to arrest the progress of the current, which was found to be rapidly undermining the structure.

A party, just returned from the Inangahua, informs us that the'stone, forwarded from Kelly's reef to Melbourne for a trial crushing, was not takaa from a promising portion of the reef. The stone was taken from the butt end of tho reef, and though containing gold, cannot be accepted as a fair standard of its value. The resnlt of tho crushing in Melbourne has not yet been received.

The Murray Gold Mining Co. are at present engaged crushing stone for claim No. 3, South, at Murray's. The stone has been taken from a leader, and, according to the appearance of tho plates, is estimated to run about two ounces to the ton.

A colored man, named Jackson, who was forwarded trom Charleston a few days back, chargjd with being of unsound mind, was despatched yesterday, by the steamer Charles Edward, to the Lunatic Asylum, at Nelson.

Tha continued dry weather is causing great 1 0 js and inconvenience to the mining community, and this is more especially noticeable among those working on the beaches. The majority of the dams throughout the diatricfc are dry. The Captain of the Charleston Volunteer Fire Brigade has been sued f xe svoik an i labor performed in connection with some water tanks, constructed for the purposes of the Brigade. The County Council met at Hokitika at noon <m Wednestay. All the members were present and the first business was the election of a Chairman. Before going into Council the Councillors retired to a private room to agree about the mode of t fection. After half an hour's debate no result was arrived at, and the attempt was abandoned. Upon returning to the Council Chamber, Mr Button proposed Mr Bonar, which was seconded by Eobinson, four members voting in favor of Mr Bonar. Mr Bonar then proposed Mr Button, but no seconder could be found. A motion of adjournment was then proposed, which was opposed by Messr? Bonar, Robinson and Button. The latter gentleman, hi a good speech, remarked that only two members of the Council were fit to fill the C.iair, Mr Bonar and himself; but, as they did not possess the confidence of the Council, he should propose the next best, Mr Lahman, in order to bring matters to a close. On the question being put, the adjournment was carried. The Council met again on Thursday when Mr Lahman was elected Chairman.

An inquest was held at Christchurch on Wednesday on the body of Margaret Burke, who was murdered byCedeno. The Jury returned a verdict; of wilful murder against Cedeno. The " West Coast Times," commenting upon the recent murder at Noble's, and the pernicious system of granting- publicans' licenses to single women on the goldrields, makes the following remarks: —" It would be a serious reflection on our social condition, if, in the circumstances surrounding them in any situation, women should find inciting causes to the committal of crime under the plausible plea of defence of their honor, or of protection from outrage and insult. There cannot be a doubt, however, that, by permitting young and unprotected females to place themselves in positions of temptation either to themselves or others, and especially by permitting them to have the sole charge and management of such drinking saloons as are generally to be found on the diggings, incidents may and do arise which are calculated to lead to the commission of offences either by them or against them, and it is highly desirable, by some intervention of the law, to limit, as far as possible, the chances of such incidents occurring." The subj-ct is one that has been repeatedly brought before the various Goldfields' Wardens, and we trust it will receive the earnest consideration of the Nelson Provincial Council.