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Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 777, 16 February 1871, Page 2

His Honor Mr Justice Ward was a passenger by the steamer Kennedy from South. He will hold a sitting of the District. Court at Charleston on the 20th, and at We3tport on the 24th instant. At the Warden's Court, Inangahua, on Tuesday, there were fifty-seven applications disposed of. In the only case before the Court, Anderson v. Murphy, in which the plaintiff sued for £lB, judgment wa» obtained for 17s and costs.

Mr Dobson, District Engineer, proceedec to Colling wood per steamer Kennedy, to report upon the water-supply requirements oi that goldfield.

At Hatter's Terrace we learn that the lead has been picked up again to the North end of Rochford Terrace. The lead is about ten feet through and appears to sink perpendicularly to a great depth. It was found by Young and party in a tunnel not previously worked. A good many claims have been taken up in the vicinity, and prospecting is going on to strike the lead. Many of our readers will be glad to observe, by our advertising columns, that Mr W. N. Franklyn has established himself at Rosa Town, Inangahna, as a mining agent and sharebroker. Should the reefs turn out, as we all anticipate—a success, a sharebroker's business ought to be a pi-o-ritaolo one. And, as Mr Franklyn has still the good wishes of a large majority of this distinct, we are confident ha will receive what ever patronage his large circle of acquaintances here and elsewhere on the coast can give him. Mining operations in the Charleston district have been greatly impeded by the continuance of dry weather. Many claims both on the Beaches and Terraces have suspended operations, and some parties who are deriving their water from Haines's'

Great lteservoir, aro fearing that the supply will not bo.'eqpial to the demand. The depth of water in it at present does not exceed 3 ijeet, while the evaporation during this hot dry weather is enormous. Haines and party are taking every advantage of the fine weather to hasten on with their other race, and are repairing damages, strengthening races, &c, so as to bo fully prepared for a heavy rainfall. In the Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday, there were several civil cases called on. In

Byrne v. Fallahee, the plaintiff obtained judgment for £9 4s Gd and costs. Munson v. Turner, was adjourned for service of summons, and Johnstone v. Turner, in which the defendant had been summoned to show cause why he should not be im-pri-ioned, in consequence of the non-pay-ment of the amount due to plaintiff, a warrant was ordered to issue for the compulsory attendance of the defendant, who j had failed to appear. Another large snag is in course of removal from the river. It was lifted five feet yesterday, and will probably be got out to-day. According to the contract entered into by the Postmaster-general with Mr Neilson, next month, the first of Mr Webb'a steamers, the Nebraska, will reach New Zealand. If the contract entered into is carried out, she willlcaveSanFranoiseoon the 16th of the present month, and as the contract time to Auckland is twenty-four days, she will be due there on the 12th March. At three o'clock on Sunday morning a man, in a state of intoxication, was seen to jump off the wharf at Greymouth j into the river. Constable Muller, who fortunately happened to be near at the time, rushed to the spot, when he found the man holding on the breastwork by a crack in the boards. Assistance was rendered, and with some difficulty the man was brought to dry land, and placed in the watchhouse in sate custody. A story of canine sagacity and pluck is told by the " Lyttelton Times." A few days ago, a middle-sized black retriever bitch, belonging to Captain Swanson, of the s.s. Moa, was missed after the vessel had crossed the Kaiapoi bar, en route for Lyttelton. It had slipped overboard, and was no-where to be seen. However, " Fan " appears to have struck out boldly to follow i the wake of the vessel to Lyttelton, and when off Godley Heads, about noon, was picked up by the ketch Margaret. We learn from Otago that a few days i ago six Chinese miners, working opposite I tlie Nevis township, obtained in six hours lOoz of gold.

The "Gazette" of the 31st ultimo notifies that £2700 is available for division among' the Road Boards of Westlaud, according to a scheme proposed by the Chairman of the County Council. The Hon. Henry Sewell has been appointed Commissioner of Customs vice the Hon. Julius Vogel resigned. By a " General Government Gazette " we see that the next meeting of Parliament has been formally postponed till Saturday, the Bth April next. Recently a criminal information for libel was filed against Mr Dick, of the firm of Mills, Dick and Co., printers. Dunedin, for an alleged libel upon Mr Driver. Mr Dick has since apologised, and further proceedings have been stayed.

The latest news from the Waikato is more assuring. The Chief Whitiora, who, with a number of armed followers, had entered the district for the purpose of provoking a raid upon the settlers, has been so coolly received by the natives in that locality as to induce him to depart without accomplishing his object. The settlers were fully prepared had any mischief occurred.

A correspondent of an Auckland paper sa.ys that ho has learned, in the course of conversation with the natives of the Upper Waikato that there are many Europeans who make a profitable trade out of selling arms and ammunition to the natives—powder, 10s per lb ; caps, 5s per bos ; £2O for a double-barrel gun, and £G for a rifle. The correspondent affirms that the traffic is extensive, and well known to all the Maoris.

A wood-cutter, named William Day, says the "W. C. Times," was found acting strangely in the surf between Hokitika and the Totara on Friday, and was conveyed to Eoss by Mr J. Miller and another passer-by, who placed him on Cornish's dray. After medical investigation, he was committed to tiie asylum at. Hokitika.

Th<> two emus in the Chvistchurch domain recently escaped, and soon afterwards died, one having broken its leg. The colored man, Anthony Noble, has not yet been executed, the necessary warrant not having been received. The ghastly apparatus necessary for the fulfilment of tin- law has been already erected within the Hokitika gaol. The business of silvering glass has been set on foot in Melbourne within the last few months. It is new to these colonies, but has some promise of becoming well established.

An attempt is about being made at the Ahanra to fit out a small party to prospect the terraces and creeks in the immediate vicinity of»the town. A party of wellknown hard-working miners have offered their services on condition that they bo supplied with tools and provisions by the residents, and they offer to place themselves at the disposal of a committee composed of tw r o subscribers and one of themselves to select the ground to be prospected and direct the work.

Mr Jackson, the local telegraph master, had a very narrow escape uuring the late thunderstorm, says the " Colac Herald." He had just left the instrument when the lightning was conducted by the wire into the operating-room, smashing some of them to atoms, and a ball of fire fell to the floor, and exploded with the report of a cannon. The floor was slightly burned, aud the paper on the walls scorched. At Christchurch a little girl named Eliza Brown, has been killed by the kick of a hors>e tethered in the school play-ground. The jury very properly condemned the practice of putting horses in such enclosures.

Mr L. Or. Cole, before leaving Christchurch for America, forwarded £4O in aid of the poor of Chriatchurch to the Eesident Magistrate. Mr Eeader Wood, in a late speech, compared attendance at the session of the General Assembly in " the desert of Wellington" to three months* imprisonment, with hard labor.

The mail via Thames to Tauranga has been the subject of many telegrams. Arrangement ha 3 at last been made whereby the natives allow it to go through, but not from the Post-office or in the regular mailbags. They appear wonderfully sensitive as to anything 1 oking like the most faint recognition of the Queen's authority. From the first, this mail was only carried as a parcel in the pockets or saddle-bags of the (Carrier, the Post-office authorities being

forced to consult Maori prejudices in this respect. The only change now is that the Maoris suspected tho Post-office was connected with it, but have been talked into the belief that it contained nothing but private telegrams aud parcels. Such, says a correspondent, are the dodges necessary j£o carry tho Queen's mails through tribes living almost within gun-shot of 10,000 people at the Thames. From Auckland the messages are telegraphed to the Thames, and the time thenco to Tauranga is 1.2 to 15 hours. But as the Telegraphoffice closes at 4 p.m. in Auckland, and the mail does not leave Southland till five nest morning, it generally arrives at Tauranga after the office there is closed, and messages take nearly two days in transmission.

A highly attractive programme has been ' issued for a meeting at Greymouth on the 17th and 18th of March. The sport will open with the Trial Stakes, of 50 sovs, and will be followed by the Lottery Plate, of 25 sovs; the Town Plate, of 100 sovs; the District Purse, of 25 sovs; the Hurdle Eace, of 50 sovs; and a Hack Kace of 10 sovs. On the second day, the Westland Handicap Hurdle Eace, of 75 sovs; the Publican's Purse, of 25 sovs; the Jockey Club Handicap, of 250 sovs; the Selling Stakes, of 20 sovs; the Ladies' Purse, (welter weights), of 30 sovs ; and the Consolation Stakes, of 20 sovs. The Jockey Club Handicap is two and a half miles, and the Town Plate, two miles. The settlers in Waikato have held a meeting, and decided to memorialise the Government to establish an aukati, and authorise the shooting of any native trespassing within it.

The quartz brought down by Dr Bockstrow from Anderson's prospecting claim, Inaugahua, has been tested by Mr J. G. Weston, inciter of the Bank of New Zealand. The quantity of store operated upon weighed 3 lbs, which returned 15grs of fine gold, or at the rate of 23ozs 6dwts' 15gr to the ton. A branch of the Order of the Song of Temperance has been formed in Dunedin. This order has for its object total abstinence from intoxicants, and mutual aid in times of affliction. It is making rapid strides throughout the Australian colonies, while in Brita and America it can also boast of large nu bersof members.

The Airedale recently made an excursion trip from the Bluff to Stewart's Island. She left the Bluff with about fifty passengers, and encountered rather a rough sea in the Straits. She anchored in Half Moon Bay, where lunch was partaken of, and a few of the passengers, residents in the locality, wero landed. She then steamed round to Paterson's Inlet, the finest harbor in New Zealand, called at Port William, and left the Island at 4.30 p.m., reaching the Bluff at 6.30 p.m. The excursionists seemed thoroughly to enjoy the trip. At the Christchurch Police Court, recently. Denis Mubrine, charged with vagrancy, was remanded to the 11th instant, for in quiry into his antecedents, and the police were directed to communicate with the police authorities at Dunedin and Hokitika, in both of which places the accused said he had worked. Fran the behaviour of the defendant, whilst in Court, there is little doubt that he is not in his right mind. One of the handsomest buildings for its size in New Zealand has recently been erected for the Bank of Otago (Limited) at Oaniarn. All the principal parts of the masonry are built with stone from the Taipo Hill quarries. The building has been erected under the supervision of Mr Forrester, from designs by Mr R. A. Lawson, of Dunedin. A small nugget of gold, evidently in its natural state, was taken last Saturday from the gizzard of a duck thit was hatched in St. Asaph-street, Christ church, near the East Town belt. The nugget is flat and slaty, weighing fr.im eight to ten grains. The new road between Pigeon Bay and Akaroa is fast approaching completion, and, when finished, will form one of the finest drives in Canterbury. The population of Westland is estimated by the police at 15,600, but these figures are said to be considerably within the truth. The estimate in the Schedule to the Payments to Provinces Act, passed during last session of the General Assembly is 13,500.