The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In. the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 804, 22 April 1871, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. In. the cause of Truth and Justice we strive. SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 1871.

A very timely letter, addressed to us for publication, warning the public of the presence of scarlet fever in the vicinity of Westport, and suggesting the mtan3 of preventing its extension, is unavoidably held over until Tesday's issue. Dr Giles, Warden, reached Westport, from the Inangahua, yesterday afternoon. His Honor Judge Ward held a sitting of the District Court, yesterday, at Charleston; there was only one case, being an appeal against the decision of the Warden in the matter of an application for an extended claim at Mount Pleasant. A verdict was given for the appellants. By a recent gazette we notice among the classifications for the Civil Service of New Zealand in the Customs Department, that the officers at Westport are rated as follows : —William Sydney Munday, Collector, 3rd class; James Robert Bertrand, Clerk and tide water, 4th class; Arthur Joseph Oldfield, clerk, sth class. We should explain that scarcely half a dozen names appear in the second class in a service which necessitates the employment of a great number of officers, whilst the first class is open only to the Inspector of Customs. His Excellency left Greymouth on Thursday morning, in the steamer Luna, direct for Wellington. It was reported that he purposed visiting Westport, and we understand that Captain Pitt, Aide-de-Camp to his Excellency, had mentioned the possibility of the Luna entering the Buller, on her way to Wellington. A telegram received on Thursday morning, placed it beyond doubt that Westport would not be honored with a visit from the Governor. The Luna passed the port shortly after sundown, steering northwards. A slight shock of earthquake, attended with a loud rumbling, was experienced in Westport about half-past one on the morning of Tuesday last. Mr J. Handbury has purchased a seventh share in Wall and party's claim, Addison's, for .£320.

Edith Palmerston has been playing in Charleston with great success. Her opening performance was given at the Institute, on Wednesday evening; but the subsequent entertainments have been held at the Theatre Royal. To-night will be her final appearance, for a time at least, in Charleston. On Monday evening, a farewell performance will be given at the Masonic Hall, Westport, affording the numerous admirers of her talents another opportunity of testifying their appreciation. The Directors of the Excelsior Quartz Mining Company have made a call of 20s. per share, payable at the Company's offices, on the Ist proximo. A supplementary list of subscribers to the French Patriotic Fund is published showing an additional sum of £ll 10s collected.

A contemporary, writing on the 11th instant, says : —" It was exactly this day, twenty years ago, that gold was first discovered at Ballarat, the date on which the first gold was dug out of the earth by Hiscock, being the 11th April, 1851, at a spot near Buninyong. Hiscock was afterwards rewarded by the Victorian Government by a money grant of £SOO, Then he set up as a storekeeper; made a large amount of money, the whole of which he lost by subsequent profitless speculations. The exodus from Geelong was so complete that only about three of the male adult population remained in it. In 1852, the gold brought down by escort from the Ballarat district averaged 49,000 ounces per week, a yield which before in California, or since in other parts of the auriferous districts of the world, has never yet been approached. Of all the miners, traders, and merchants who flourished in those prosperous times, not half a dozen escaped the reaction which took place in 1856, when the insolvencies in eleven months exceeded over twelve millions of money. Persons desirous of purchasing greenstone are cautioned by the '* Lyttelton Times " that green glass has been offered, and in one or two instances purchased as greenstone, the imitation being very good. It is stated, upon what appears to be credible authority, that a movement is on foot in the Caribbean for the establishment ef a West Indian confederation. Cuba is bent, it is alleged, upon obtaining its independence, by wearing out the repressive opposition of Spain; Hayti and San Domingo warmly approve of the scheme, because they dread annexation to the United States; France, it is believed, is in no position to prevent the secession of Martinique and Guadaloupe; England's policy is interpreted as not unfriendly to her West Indian possessions setting up in business for themselves ; and the agglomeration of the larger islands would necessitate, it is argued, the adhesion of those belonging to Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands respectively. The confederation would embrace an area of 79,462 square miles, with a population of 4,389,287, and a trade of £65,000,009 sterling. It is stated, but the statement appears to rest upon mere rumour, that Mr St. John, the British resident at Port au Prince, is urging on the scheme, and that if it should be carried into effect, the British and American Governments would join in a guarantee of protection for the confederation.

A visitor to Poverty Bay, writing to the "Southern Cross," says that Turanganui bears away the palm from all other outsettlcments in the province. It also possesses a most interesting feature in its natural curiosities. Within five hundred yards of where I am writing, impressions remain imbedded in sandstone of the extinct denizen of New Zealand—the Moa. Archdeacon "Williams has cut away a slab with some of the impressions, but about twelve or fourteen still remain, varying in size from that of tho father to that of the

youngster. Just acrosß the river, is a petrifying Bpring, from which a large mass of something like bones was taken out the other day by Dr Nesbitt, and which on examination, proved to be petrified flax, the actual fibre having, by the action of the mineral composition of the water, become stone, and the process from the first dip from the leaf to its petrification being distinctly traceable." The formation of the new Company of Rifle Volunteers at Invercargill progresses satisfactorily. Over GO members have already joined. Mr John Dalgliesh has been chosen captain. The " New York Herald," in alluding to the dangerous and overbearing power of the railway corporations in the United States, says:—" But what is the use of talking about state Governments cont rolling the management of railroads ? The railroad magnates can buy up almost any of the State Legislatures or governments. The railroads are really a power greater than the state itself. It is *a matter of doubt even whether they cannot control Congress or the Government at Washington as well. The time is coming, and not far off, when the Federal Government will be caded upon imperatively by the people to protect them from the exactions and tyranny of the railroad corporations, and to control those powerful institutions. A notification in the Otago Provincial " Gazette V states that the Government is prepared to receive applications from persons desirous of taking up land for the purpose of planting forest trees. Each applicant will be allowed to take up an area of land not exceeding 250 acres, to be selected in any part of the Province: provided that, if within goldfields the warden of the district will be required to report, and should the application be granted, it will be subject to the provisions of the Agricultural Lease Regulations, as to entry to mine or prospect for gold. Any person whose application is accepted will be required, during the first year, to fence in the whole of the area granted to him, and to plant with approved forest trees one-fifth of the area during each of the second, third, and fifth years. The remaining fifth may be used for cultivation at the option of the occupant. As soon as these conditions are fulfilled, the occupier will be entitled to receive a Crown grant free of cost.

Oue of our Russian visitors, by the Haydamack (says the "Age"), who was endeavouring to see as much of Melbourne life as he possibly could during the time he was here, got into trouble on Wednesday evening, March 29th, and was accommodated with a night's lodging in the watchhouse. He had been visiting several of the cafes and oyster saloons in Burke street, and in one of them he met a young middy named Frederick Reid, belonging to the ship Soukar, lying off Williamstown. They fraternised together, and partook of several drinks, but afterwards, unfortunately, a quarrel arose between them, in coarse of which the Russian hit his quondam friend with a walking-stick. The blow was ireturned with interest, and the pugnacious foreigner was walked off to the lock-up, adorned with a pair of blaek eyes. He was very indignant at this treatment, and vowed that he would declare war, against whom he did not mention, but probably against the whole English race, and middies in particular. He gave bis name as Valdemir Ivandorff, and stated in broken English that he was an officer on board the Haydamack. He was ordered to pay a fine of 20s, or in default three days' imprisonment. He could not uuderstand the justice of this sentence, and, being unable to pay the fine, might have been locked up, but that a good Samaritan came to his rescue, and by paying the amount released him. The " Pastoral Times " gives the following letter, sent to a settler near D'Tiniquin, describing'a meat preserving and sugar factory : —"As you expressed a wish to know how R, and I were getting on, I forward you a few particulars. I have been these five years in the employ of Messrs Tooth and 'Cran, the largest place iu Qu ensland, employing over 3(io people, white and coolie. We make Liebig's extract of beef, and manufacture sugar from the cane, and have als i commenced refining same ; they will have this season 350 acres cane under cultivation, which will yieM on an average two tons per acre, worth as raw sugar, £49 per ton. They have got the best improved machinery in the world, as, for instance, they nan cut the cane in the morning, and turn out by eight p.m. sugar worth £SO per ton, fit to send to market and I believe such a feat cannot be done elswhere in the world—and note, this is only our fourth year as sugar-growers. The cane is a most magnificent plant to grow in this climate. The machinery consists of three steam engines—two of sixteen horse-power ard one of fifty horse-power; two vacuum-pans and one immense evaporator on the same system as the vacuums, but improved by our Mr Toot; six centrifugals, and two sugar mills ; besides three pumps, engine and pumps combined, that throw 46,000 gallons watei per hour 250 ft., besides retorts and other machines too numerous to mention ; wht-n not crushing cane most of it is used in the extract department. I forgot to mention the boilers, which are four of 501b steam ; two patent American tube boilers which. I believe, are the only ones in the Colonies, but they are not at work yet, but I predict they will be a great snecess in saung of fuel and making plenty of steam. We kill 340 bullocks per week, and, when we have no bullocks, 5800 sher-p for extract and fat —the extract takes eight months of the year, and the sugar the remainder. I see you are getting good prices, and hope you will take a prize in Sydney for wool. There have been some fine cattle properties in the market here, one, for in tance, selling for 40s with 6000 —400 faf, and t e purchaser has already sent away 1500 stores at 60s ; but you ought to pay a visit to this part, and then you would be ablo to St e for yourself what a man with capital can do."