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Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 792, 23 March 1871, Page 2

Owing to a breakage in the wire, telegraph communication from Westport is stopped with all stations except Charleston and Brighton. The scene of the accident is supposod to be vt Razorback. The rain of the earlier part of the week has been severely felt at the Northern Terraces. All the dams arc overflowing, and the creeks are much flooded. A land slip of an extensive character took place at the top of German Creek on Monday abovitmid-day. Itbrokeaway above Webster and party's tunnel the entrance of which was completely blocked up . by several hundred tons of dirt. The party had been working in the tunnel during the forenoon, but were fortunately absent at dinner when the- occurrence took place. The work of clearing the debris and opening the tunnel afresh will occupy a considerable time. On Tuesday night, while a very heavy flood was rushing down German Creek, a dam recently built by Corr and party broke away; the immense rush of water doing considerable damage in its progress down the gully. The greater portion of Dickman and party's bosr:s and gear were carried away. Walker and Stocking's dams and plant were also injured; the plates en the boxe3 were broken in several places, and the creek is blocked for a considerable distance with huge logs and boulders. A large land slip took place the same day at Giles', but fortunately did not result in anv serious damage. We learn from the Lyell that the Alpine Quartz Mining Company, havo all their machinery erected with the exception of the water-wheel and the shoot. The party

havo been delayed for several weeks, waiting for a surveyor to mark the site of the shoot. In tho absence of the District Engineer they applied to Mr Handysido, of tho Matakitaki, That gentleman has not, howevor, yet visited tho loeality. Tho estimated population of Westport is 860, including children. . _ Tho rain and tho heavy fresh in the river have resulted in injury to tho river bank and the protective work at tho head of Gladstone-street. Tho latter is now almost totally submerged, while tho bank undermined by tho action of the tide has fallen in largo blocks, causing a total suspension of traffic between the Kennedy and Bright street wharves.

An empty box, about five feet long, supposed by some to have been a coffin, was found on tho beach near tho old Cemetery yesterday, having been exposed by tho action of the surf. When emptied the box was found to have contained lately nothing but sand.

The Charleston Social Institute held their usual weekly cntertainmeut on Monday evening last, In consermen.ee of the inclemency of the weather the attendance was not so numerous as usual. The Rev. Mr Flavell was in the chair, and presided with his customary good taste. The readings were good, and tho entertainment passed oif with its usual eclat.

A share in M'Grath and party's claim, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, changed hands on Tuesday last, Mr Bernard Gormley having purchased Mr Michael Condon's share for tho sum of ,£3OO. As this claim is said to be one of tho richest in the district, the share is supposed to have been disposed of at rather a low figure. As will bo seen by our advertising columns, Cullen, Bros, and Co., have opened their extensivo stock in Princesstreet, Charleston, next door to the European hotel. Tho premises have been entirely refitted, and the show of then- goods forms a pleasing change in that part of the town. The inducements that they offer, in the shape of cheap clothiug, will prove a gi eat boon to tho public. A letter from a correspondent, published in another column, criticises a recent decision of Mr Warden Broad's in respect to thes application of Messrs Parker and others and of Messrs Haines, Jackson and Co. to divert water from the Four-Mile. Tho Warden, in view of tiie proposed expenditure under the Public Works' Scheme, hesitated to grant a prior right to a company which would thus become possessed of the most valuable wator supply in tho district. And we think that he could not prudently have acted in any other manner. It is very certain that a government officer would lay himself open to tho gravest censure if ho alienated the chiof water rights of a large gold-mining district, well knowing that it was intended by the Government, at an early moment, to construct works for the purpose of goldfields water supply. It is quite true that the execution of these works by the Government is dependent upon the success of their financial scheme; and, as that admits of doubt, Charleston or any other mining district may for years to come be entirely dependent upon private enterprise for a water supply. Still, the Warden could not decide upon the Hkelihood or otherwise of the General.'Government being in a position to take tho work in hand, and he very properly decided to refer the application to the consideration of the Provincial authorities. Should the latter decide to grant cither application, the question of priority must then be considered. Without entering into the merits of the question, we are of opinion that applications for water rights by parties partially or wholly separate from mining, for tho purpose of letting the water to miners, should be granted only subject to a tariff fixing a moderate rate as the price per regulation head, A canvas shoe, a "stocking, and afoot, with shinbone attached by ligaments, were found eight miles from Napier, The shoe and stocking were recognised as having belonged to a man named M'Nalty, who was drowned on Nov. 19

A man named Baldwin has been killed by the fall of a tree in tho Seventy Milo Bush, Napier.

The Christchuroh Volunteer Lodge of Od'i fellows. M.U., purpose building a new hall.

The European mail via San Francisco will be despatched from Lyttelton on the 2nd ultimo, from Nelson on the 4 th, and from Auckland on the 7th.

By our last Sydney telegrams it would seem that Lorando Jones has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment and a fine of ,£IOO. The "Empiro" gives the following account of tho charge against him:—"Mr W. Lorando Jones was charged before the Paramatta Bench, upon the information of Senior-sergeant Kelly, with using blasphemous language in a discussion on the orthodoxy of the Scriptures with Mr Joseph Kingsbury, Mayor of Newtown, and Mr Melville, a well-known politician. The principal words complained of as being used by Mr Jones were those giving illustrations of the immorality of certain passages in the Bible. 1 ' A petition hag been numerously signed, requesting his Excellency to remit the sentence and the fine.

Referring to the new water supply proposition, the Dunodin correspondent of the " Grey River Argus," writing under date of March 4, says:—" I have had an opportunity since I last wrote to you of seeing the practical working of the machine for raising water described by Mr J. L.Thomson, at the last meeting of the Otago Institute. The trial took place in the Water of Leith, above the old Botanic Gardens. A small channel was made among the stones in order to concentrate the current, which is at present very light, and the machine was placed so that the water just covered the screws, whicli revolved with a good speed, pushing the water up to a height of six or seven feet with great force. The machine was quite a success, and should immediately come into use among the diggers." John Anderson, fell-monger, of Wellington, who was recently convicted of having omitted from his schedule of assets in bankruptcy a sum of £SO, was sentenced to eighteen months' hard labor. At an inciuest held in Nelson a few day 3 ago a juryman was fined ;fil,for being eight minutes lato in putting in an a]spearance. Half-a-crown a minute is a pretty stiff penalty, and tho example will, no doubt, have a salutary effect. To-day being the anniversary of the Province of Otago, Sunday hours will be observed at all the telegraph stations in that Province. A Mr Mark Gardner has tho credit, in Victoria, of inventing a safety gun cotton, or rather a method of using gun cotton, which will, it is said, do away with the accidents resulting from tamping. Tho fuse and mining primer are attached to the charge in the usual way. A cone of hard wood, one and a half inch in length, and of the same diameter at its larger end as

tho gun-cotton charge having a bole through the centro for the passago of fuse, is put on the top of tho charge ; and then being placed in tho bottom of tho holo, a handful of sand is poured on, which completes tho loading. The charge is then fired in tho common manner.

The arrival of persons by sea at Hokitika for tho month of Eeruary, wore 107 adults, and the departures during the same period, 73 adults. At Greymouth the arrivals for tho same montli wero 282, and tho departures 80—adults.

The assessment of Christchureh for the current year is estimated at £63,000, a slight increase on last year. A new medium for hand-bill advertising may bo daily seen in the streets of Christ'church. It consists of a framework about three feet high on wheels, and is drawn about tho principal thorougfares by a bo#.

The establishment of a gymnasium is projected in Christchureh.

Miss Plio3be Cozzcns, one of tho shrewdest and prettiest of tho woman suffrage advocates, undertakes to demonstrate that man's sphere biblically laid dotvn, is to do housework, and especially "to wash the dishes" by this Scriptural allusion (sec Kings, 21c, 31v)—" 1 will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish; wiping it and turning it upside down.'' "Liverpool Post."

If an offer is made or accepted by telegram ard there is an error in tho telegram, the loss must fall on one of the two parties—tho sender of the message or the receiver. In ■' Henkel v Pape" the Court of Exchequer has just decided, the Financier states, thai the loss is not to fll on the sender. The facts of the case were these .-—The defendant wrote to the plaintiff to send him a sample of Snider rifle, as he thought he could fix an order for fifty. He then sent a telegram to the plaintiff—" Send by mail three Snider rifles." The telegram, through mistake in transmission, reached the plaintiff, " send by mail tho Snider rifles" The piaintiff thereupon sent fifty rifles, but the defendant refused to accept aid pay for more than three, lbe plaintiff then brought his action : but the court held that the defendant could not be made liable for tho mistako of tho Post-office authorities in transmitting tho me=*age It was argued that the defendant ought to have had! he message repeated, and that by not doing so he was guilty of negligence. I his argument does not appear to have'influenced the court.