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Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 803, 18 April 1871, Page 2

Tho "Union Bauli of Australia., Woetpovt, shipped per Charles Edward, on Satrlrday, for Hokitika, 1793 ozs 5 dwts 20grs of gold, the export duty upon which amounted to .£224 15s 9d.

Dr Giles left town yesterday morning for the Inangahua. He will hold a Court at Barker and Anderson's store, Reefton, to-morrow, and at Christy's on Tuesday. Three hundred and thirty claims in the Bnller district, have been lodged with the Registration Officer, to be placed on the electoral roll of the Province.

The following leases are now ready at the Warden's Office, Westport, and await execution by the undermentioned applicants : —Gold Mining Leases—E. S. Lapham, Kirton and Bowman, Adam Smith, George Foreman, Peter Ewing, Robert Oxley, Robert Tennant. Agricultural Leases— Edward Gallop, Ryan, and Montgomery Andrew P. Anderson.

There were 202 criminal cases and 323 civil cases heard in the R.M. Court, West - port, during the year ended March 31,1871

Some of the streets of Westport are greatly in need of repairs. Nearly all the culverts have given way, the timber supporting the roadway having become rotten, and in the present condition of the streets they are positively unsafe either for passenger or dray traffic. Scarcely a fortnight ago, it was found necessary to dig a horse out which had become hopelessly entangled in one of these traps, and the utmost caution is necessary in traversing the streets after nightfall in consequence of the numerous holes. The prisoners might surely be spared to effect these repairs. The magistrates revised the Charleston Jury List on Friday last. There was no other business disposed of in the E.M. Court. We learn, on the authority of the " Grey Argus," that Mr Wilkie has decided not to resign Ins seat in the Nelson Provincial Council.

Who says that the Government is not retrenching ? The salary of the postmaster at Rochfort Terrace has been reduced from £lO to £5 per annum.

Edith Palinerston made her first appearance before a Westport audience on Saturday at the Masonic Hall, on -which occasion the house was crowded. The first part of the programme (consisted of a sparkling little comedy, entitled "Wild Oats," in which the majority of the characters were charmingly personated by Miss Palmerston. The scene is laid in Australia, and Charles Wyndhatu, a squatter from Wagga Wagga, is betrothed to Emily Greville. He proceeds on a trip to Melbourne, and is followed by Emily who is anxious to test his character and ascertain the true state of his feelings towards her. Miss Palnierston took the part of Miss Greville, as also that of Madame de la Barb, a French barberess, Molly Doolan, a decidedly Irish young lady, and Miss Snowdrop. In the personation of these various characters Emily has frequent, opportunities of meeting Mr Wyndham, and she finds him enjoying himself in a manner not altogether reconcilable with hia character as a bridegroom expectant. In this way the litttle drama develops itself, and the different personations afford the artiste an opportunity of amusing and delighting her audience. Her Molly Doolan from Tipperajry is an incomparable piece of acting, and as Miss Snowdrop her simpering and affected manner, was a most charming and finished delineation. Sam, a Lancashire lad, the faithful valet of Wyndham, was very naturally and humorously rendered by Mr Pownall. Mr Alexander enacted the part of Charles Wyndham in a pleasing and easy manner. In tho second part Mrs Alexander enacts the part admirably, of a maid-of-all-work in a London boarding-house, and also that of a doctor's boy. In both characters she is woll supported by Mr Pownall. The entire entertainment .is of a high-class character and

should recommend itsolf to the most fastidious. Of Mrs Alexander's histrionic abilty we cannot speak too highly. Sho is, withoiit doubt, a most pleasing and versatile actress. Yesterday evening there was a change of programme, and to-night, which will bo the last opportunity of witnessing Edith Palmerston in: Westport, a new piece, entitled "Is he Jealous?" is announced.

The escape and recapture of a prisoner named Charles Brown, under sentence of imprisonment in Westport Gaol, took place on Saturday evening last. Brown was received in the gaol on the 29th of March last, on a warrant of imprisonment in default of his finding sureties to keep the peace towards her Majesty's subjects, but more particularly towards a lady hotelkeeper in Charleston. Brown is represented to be a person much more fit for the Lunatic Asylum than the ordinary routine of prison discipline. He has since his arrival in Westport been repeatedly visited by the Medical Officer of the prison, who some days a<jo recommended his removal to Nelson, with the further view of having him transferred to the Lunatic Asylum. In the gaol here, he has been receiving special indulgencies, by order of the Medical Officer, in consequence of the state of his mind. Before his arrival in Westport, he had escaped from the Charleston prison, and since his arrival and previous to Saturday, he had made two very bold attempts to escape from Westport Gaol, but both attempts were frustrated by the senior warder, Mr John Kiernan. When this officer, who had sole charge of the prisoners in the labour yard, was for a moment engaged in giving instructions to another of the gang, Brown (with the cunning peculiar to persons of disordered intellect) escaped through the back gate. He was closely followed by the senior warder and two others—so closely as to necessitate his taking to the bush a little way up Palmerston street. He was pursued through the bush until he came out on the beach close to the Catholic Chapel, when he turned for Westport, with the intention of taking up his quarters at the Post Office Hotel, but was captured by Senior Constable Williams. This is the first escape of any prisoner from under Mr Maguire's charge. The following returns represent the various items of goldfields revenue collected at the Warden's Office, Westport, during the year ended March 31, 1871: —There were 1020 miners' rights and 446 business licenses issued, the figures for the previous year being 1241 miners' rights and 139 business licenses. There were 66 summonses issued relative to mining matters, and 1033 applications of various kinds were disposed of in Court. The amount of revenue from all sources for the year ended March 31, was £5596 16s Id, as against ,£5166 6s 9d, collected during the previous year, showing an increase of £430 9s 4d. There were 33 gold-mining leases recommended and granted; 18 were withdrawn and abandoned; and five remain under consideration; 39 agricultural leases were granted, and 19 remain in abeyance. By the courtesy of Mr Winstanley, Postmaster, we are enabled to furnish the following statistics relative to the Postal and Savings Bank departments. The returns for the quarter ended March 31, 1871, show that 15,630 letters and 13,217 newspapers were received at and despatched from the Westport office. During the same term, 1 79, money orders wore issued, representing a sum of ,£865 7s 3d; and the number paid was 56. for £179 18s 2d. There were 131 deposits made in the Savings Bank, amounting to £2,363 lis; and there were 31 new accounts opened. The number of withdrawals was 122, representing a total sum of £1983. The returns for the year ended December 31, 1870, were:— Letters, 90,390; newspapers, 68,616; money orders paid, 239, amounting to £996 9s 7d. Savings Bank deposits, 534, amounting to £10,042 lis ; and withdrawals, 392, amounting to £7280 12s Id. The sum of £9278 12s sd, including interest, remained to the credit of depositors on December 31, 1870.

The amalgamation of the prospectors' claim, Anderson's reef and the adjoining claim, No. I, north, took place on Saturday, the sum of .£9OO being paid, as a premium, to the sis prospectors. The sum of .£350 was offered, but not accepted, during the last week for a one-third share in the Excelsior Co., Back Lead, Charleston. The Maori Chief Co., Back Lead, Charleston, are afc present putting in a tunnel for a tramway to connect their machine site with an eight-acre gold-mining lease at Sardine Terrace. The extension is about half.a mile long, and will cost over £SOO. • The Nile Co., Charleston, are once more in payable ground, and good dividends, it is said, will shortly be declared. After many months of extraordinary success this claim ceased to pay dividends to the shareholders, and continued thus unremunerative for about twelve mont'is. We trust that a long term of prosperity is now in store for this company. The " Oamaru Times " publishes a rumor to the effect that Mr Vogel bas been accredited to the Washington Cabinet by the British Government. The same jonrnal announces that the General Assembly will meet for the despatch of business in the first or second week of July. The local paper undeistands that the population of Oamaru is, apparently, as per returns just made up, 1800, being an increase since lasb census of about 400.