The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 786, 9 March 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1871.

The European Mail via San Francisco is due in Auckland to-morrow, and in the event of the mail steamer arriving to time, the telegraphic news via Tauranga should be received here on Saturday. The Suez Mail is due in Melbourne on the 16th instant. The following is the Medical Officer's report of the Westport Hospital for the past month. On February Ist there were seven patients remaining in the Hospital; nine patients were admitted, and nine were discharged during the month, leaving seven inmates on the Ist inst. There were sixteen cases under treatment during the month, in addition to six out-door patients. Messrs Patrick and Co., to whom we referred some time back as working the blacksand on the beach between Westport and Orawaiti, have been unfortunately compelled, for a time, to abandon the undertaking, in consequence of their ground having been, so to speak, "jumped" by an erratic mass of shingle, which has possession of nearly all the beach for two miles north of the Buller river. However gratifying the prospect of so much stone on the beach may be to those holding properties in the vicinity, which have been endangered by sea encroachment, its appearance to Patrick and party must be the reverse of satisfactory. The usual monthly meeting of the Buller District Hospital Committee took place on Tuesday evening at the Court House, Westport. There were present Messrs Powell, Whyte, Humphrey, Munson, and W. Pitt (chairma.n). The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, the question of appointing an honorary secretary was raised. Finally, Mr Humphrey consented to act in that, capacity during the remainder of the financial year. Correspondence was read in respect to the offer of the proprietor of the " Westport Times and Charleston Argus" to charge for the copies supplied to the Institution, and to supplement his annual subscription by such amount. A letter from Dr Giles in reference to the same subject was also read, stating that, on behalf of the committee, he had already accepted Mr O'Conor's offer. It was carried that the action taken by Dr Giles be endorsed by the Committee. A discussion arose as to the condition of the Institution, and Mr Munson suggested that those who had derived benefits as inmates of the hospital, and who had not paid any maintenance money, though able to do so, should be sued. The Committee considered that action was necessary, but decided to postpone the- farther consideration of the subject until there was a fuller meeting. The following new members were appointed to the recent vacancies :—Messrs Rowlands, Simpson, Graves, J. Hughes, and Fisher. The reports of the Medical Officer and the Visiting Committee were satisfactory; and Messrs Bailie, Rowlands, and Fisher were appointed a Visiting Committee for the ensuing month. Mr Graves was appointed to act as • auditor in lieu of Mr Fleming, and the meeting adjourned. In the Warden's Court, Charleston, on Friday last, Gregory and party applied for the right to construct a tail-race atDarkie's Creek, The application was objected to by Carroll and party, Kyne and partv, Cornelius Cronin, and Michael Stanton. Carroll and party produced certificate of a water-race supplied from the creek, and stated that the effect of the applicant's tail race would be to lower the water in the creek thereby depriving th m of water. Kyne and party's objection was that the race would run through their lease, thereby impeding the working of their ground, and, in case of floods, it would carry away the wash dirt. Cronin objected on the ground that the race would cut off some of the water he was entitled to under his certificate, and would interfere with his registered dam. Stanton stated that the applicants would discharge tailings upon his claim and impede hia working. 21, Gregory, one of tho

applicants, stated that he thought the tailrace would not injure any of the objectors with the exception of Oronin, and he would endeavor to prevent his being injured or interfered with. The Warden, having heard the statements of the applicants and objectors, remarked that it was a case requiring consideration. It was his duty not to promote but to prevent litigation, and this particular portion of the district had been the scene of more than ordinary litigation owing to the manner in which the rights had been first granted. He would consider the protection of prior rights, but would throw no obstacle in the way of the applicants if to grant their application would cause no serious injury to the objectors, and that public benefits would be derived from it. The Warden reserved his decision until Monday when the application was granted, subject to all present and future right holders using the tail-race as a sludge channel. In the case of Walker v. Ilellison which had been adjourned until Monday, the Warden gave judgment for defendant with costs. Letters addressed to the following persons have been detained at the Westport office, in consequence of insufficient postage: —E. G. Neale, Charleston, (2); George Winter, Nelson; William Davie, Lyell; Thomas Mullen, Addison's Flat; John Gidley, Charleston; Steward, Stafford Town; Owen, Stafford Town. At the Meeting of the Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade on Monday evening, it was decided that the Financial Committee should use every endeavor to obtain a small weekly subscription from the business people and tradesmen for the purpose of naintaining a night watchman and enginekeeper, the duties having hitherto been performed by Mr Fagg. There was no otuei business of public interest. The two shares in the Karamea Waterrace, mentioned in our last issue as haying recently changed hands, were sold for ,£IOO each. This sum, we understand, falls considerable short of their actual value. A warrant has been issued for the apprehension of Ed ward Harris, who is charged with stealing a cheque of the value of £S—drawn by Mr John Coir, in favor of a miner named Logan, who is working a claim at the reefs. It appears that Mr M'Farlane, hotelkeeper, Gladstone-steet, entrusted to Harris a letter for Logan, at the same time informing him, as an additional guarantee of its safe delivery, what were its contents. Instead of proceeding to the Inangahua Harris remained in town, and, it is believed, opened the letter and cashed the cheque with Mr Hughes, chemist, Gladstone-street. Up to the hour of going to press Harris, who is supposed to have proceeded south, had not been arrested. Two civil actions for the recovery of small .claims were the only business before the E..M. Court on Tuesday last. In the case of Brown v. Camfield the plaintiff obtained judgment for the amount claimed and costs, and in Patterson v. Evans the defendant was adjudged to pay the amount of the claim sued for before June Ist or to be imprisoned for fourteen days. Eeference has been often made to the condition of Wharf street, caused by the gradual washing away of the bank of the river, in the hope that such repairs would b j immediately put in hand as would suffice to stay further encroachment, until some mode could have been devised of permanently dealing with the difficulty. As the matter now remains, the slightest southerly swell undermines the bank a few feet from . the surface, and the ordinary wear and tear of the traffij breaks it down in large blocks, injuring the thoroughfare and rendering it highly insecure. Wharf street, between Wallabi and Kennedy streets, is already impassable except for foot passengers, and unless something is done speedily, other portions of the street will be closed to dray traffic. The ensuing visit of Mr Greenfield will, we trust, result in Mr Dobson being authorised to adopt the necessary steps to remedy the evil.

We have to apologise for the omission of several items of interest, which have given place to the correspondence on church matters. Let us hope that the matter thus supplied may prove sufficiently interesting, if not edifying, to console our readers; if not, wo must fall back for j notification upon the seasonableness of the subject, suggestive as it is both of church and penance. The upper groin, consisting of four thousand tons of stone, appears to be settling down to its permanent level. At its point it seems to be several feet lower than when first constructed, but whether the depression is due to the spreading of the structure, to its becoming more deeply embedded in the clay upon which the structure rests, or the loose stones of which the work is composed having become consolidated, must remain a matter for speculation. The Government schooner Mary has been once more under way, though still under water. Yesterday, several men acting under the instructions of the harbor-master, succeeded, at half tide, in securing one of the punts to the submerged vessel. At high water she was clear of the bottom, and was towed to the hard opposite the town. To the curious in such matters, her future treatment may prove of interest, as illustrating on a petty scale, the system generally adopted in raising sunken vessels. A large dam, belonging to Robinson and pany, situate on the Buller track, near Addison's Plat, broke away early yesterday morning, carrying away a portion of the road. The owners hastened to the spot, and yesterday forenoon restored the track to a passable condition. The dam referred to is the largest in the Buller district, and was scarcely completed when the mishap occurred. The work having baen newly constructed, and the short but heavy rain, after the lengthened term of dry weather, may be assigned as the causes of the structure giving way. A list of subscriptions in aid of the sufferers by the war in France, published in another column, shows a total of £9O 10s 6d already subscribed The amount collected and the number of subscribers are equally creditable to the industry of the committee and the benevolence of the Westport people. A. dray, belonging to John Conley, was capsized on the Addison's track near Packer's Point, on Tuesday last. The giving way of a culvert was the cause of the accident. Although loaded, there was, fortunately, no material damage sustained. Joseph Conn, an old resident at the South Spit, Hokitika, was drowned while cro3aing that river on Sunday evening. He was carried over the bar and drowned. The application of Mr R. G. Neale, late proprietor of the "Charleston Herald " to have that paper declared a gazette under the Bankruptcy Acts for Charleston and Brighton has been acceded to. The following advertisement appears in 1 he Auckland evening papers:—"The pro prietoi of a small retail butchering establishment requires the services of a gentlemanly young man, where an uncomfortable homo would be sufficient remuneration for his services. Must be a firsh-class shopman ; slow at accounts; good collector

indispensable. Also, look after shipping; act as waterman, &c. Must not object to carrying small parcels of luxuries when boarding vessels. Must be staunch in harness, as he will occasionally be yoked in the hand-cart. Not to object to pettiooatgovornment. Must not understand foreign languages.—Address, enclosing testimonial to Alberta, 24, Post-office. A Gazette, issued a short time ago, gave the list of registered medical practitioners in New Zealand. They foot up to the tidy number of 191. Of these there are only 41 who hold the degree of M.D. or M.8., and there are no fewer than 58 who apparently have undergone no medical examination whatever. A late French paper states that a mitrailleur, capable of discharging 420 shots in a minute, is manufactured in France at a cost of 150 francs (£6), and that they are of such construction as to be both light and easily handled. A few of these weapons in the hands of the Colonial forces would prove of material advantage should another Maori outbreak occur. The Auckland " Herald," generally a strong supporter of the Government, says, in reference to the civil service expenditure: —" Although generally approving the polie* of the present Colonial Government, we cannot be blind to its faults, and it seems to us that in the present financial position of the Colony, due attention to economy has not bsen practised in regard to certain recent appointments. It is but by the last mail that Mr Vogel, the Colonial Treasurer, left the Colony for England, for the purpose of floating the proposed loan and entering into certain arrangements for the carrying out of public works in the different parts of the Colony, should he be successful with the loan. Almost at the same time we read of the appointment of Dr Featherston as Agent-General for the Colony at home. We should have thought the employment at one and the same time of two such high officials was unnecessary. As we have over and over again pointed out, it is the civil service of the Colony which is dragging it down, and is at the root of the present condition of depression that affects all parts of it. Money, which year by year might have been profitably expended on reproductive works, has been required, under the system which prevails, for the payment of officials, and so our roads remain unmade, our harbors are without docks, our workmen lack regular and profitable employment, and, as a consequence, trade is restricted and dull, and in turn, the revenue still further suffers." Bir 1, the English pedestrian has arrived at Au ;kland from Sydney. Mr Thos. Mason, of Port Chalmers, writes alettir to the Melbourne "Leader," the object of which is to advocate the institution of a universal or federation postage stamp, to be used in Great Britain or any of her colonies. " They would be enclosed," he says, " for return postage, or for remittance of small sums, say up to five shillings. The utility of such stamps for enquiries relating to business and other purposes is obvious, besides the great boon it would be to the poor, many of ,whom have relatives in the old country too poor to pay sixpence for a return letter, and thus their correspondence, and the postal revenue would be largely augmented." Every one can see the advantage of this proposal, and it has no disadvantages. Frequently people wish some little thing from England, Victoria, or elsewhere. It is too trifling to come save by post, its price will not warrant a post-office order, and it is given up. An enclosure of postage stamps would get over the difficulty, but N.Z. stamps are at present of no use out of the colony.