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Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 825, 15 June 1871, Page 2

Mr Blackett, Colonial Engineer, was a passenger by the steamer diaries Edward. He will leave this morning for Nelson, accompanied by Mr Dobson, Provincial Engineer. The Westport Fire Brigade had a practice yesterday evening, but there was only a thin muster of the members. The well opposite to Mr Falla's store was tested, and found to work very freely, but that opposite to Freeman-street had become choked with sand, and all effort to get a flow of water was unavailing. The obstruction, we understand, can be easily removed, and the well will probably be tried again this evening. We understand that Mr Blackett consulted with Mr Dobson and Captain Leach in respect to the sea encroachments and the state of the BuUer river immediately upon his arrival, and that he was engaged until a late hour. Mr Blackett purposes to renew his investigation at daylight in the morning, so as to avail himself to the utmost of the time at his disposal.

Dr Hector returned to Wellington in the Claud Hamilton on Thursday last. We are requested to state that Mr Salomon will leave for Charleston to-day, and will exhibit jewelry at the Melbourne Hotel for a few days prior to leaving for the North.

The probable appointment of Colonel Moule, R. M., the officer commanding in the Tauranga district, as Commissioner of Armed Constabulary, is contradicted by the " Wellington Independent." The "Westland Independent" has reduced its dimensions, and is now issued as a penny morning paper.

It is generally understood that Mr Stewart, a solicitor in Invtrcargill, has been appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court, Hokitika.

The recent visit of His Excellency the Governor has left a legacy of" disputed accounts which axe somewhat of a scandal to the authorities. Tae other day at Hokitika the County Chairman was summoned for the hire of a carriage ordered by him for the convenience of his Excellency. The plaintiff claimed .£ll 10s for two days'use of the vehicle and horses. Mr Lahman had offered one pound for the first and two pound ten shillings for the second day. The judgment of the Court was in favour of the plain tiff. An action is, we understand, also pending in this district, Mr James Johnstone, of the Melbourne Hotel, having so far been "left out in the cold" with respeot to payment for the dejeuner at the Coal Mine. Some misunderstanding appears to have arisen as to who should pay for the spread on the occasion of the Viceregal visit underground. Mr Warden Whitfoord issued his invitations; his Worship the Mayor of Greymouth issued his; the guests fared sumptuously, but mine host cannot get paid. The aid of Mr Justice Ward will be invoked on Monday to unravel this tangled skein, and fix the liability. (The matter, we learn by a Grey paper, has since been referred to arbi-

tration.) In respect to tho payment for the personal accommodation of his Excellency and suite, Mr Johnstone has fared no bettor. Certain arrangements were authorised by the County Chairman, and wero carried out to the complete satisfaction of the Governor, but in tho item of charge not to that of-the County Chairman. A discount of 40 per cent, was insisted upon by the custodian of the County purse, which we believe the proprietor of the Melbourne Hotel had to submit to rather than go to law. It is a pity these matters should not have been arranged so a3 to exclude all possibility of dispute.—"Grey Argus," June 10. A weekly paper has been started at Arrowtown, Otago. The total number of miles of railway open iu New >;outh Wales is 405 i, the coßt of construction of which was about .£6,350,000, Excluding the line from Sydney to Parramatta, 14 miles in length, and which cost about £85,000 a mile, the average cost of construction per mile was .£13,447. The average cost per mile of maintenance is £127, as compared with £264 lis 3d in England. The " Times," of April 7, in its city article reports as follows on the negotiation of the first instalment of the New Zealand loan: —New Zealand Government 5 per cent, Debentures for £1,200,000 were disposed of to-day at tho office of the Crown Agents for the Colonies by public tender. The total applied for reached £1,829,600, and tenders for £707,100 at and above 96, and £492,900 at and above £95 10s, the minimum price fixed, were accepted, the average rate obtained being about £94 16s Gd.

The " Dehats " publishes from a private letter some details respecting the funeral of M. Kuss, who was Maire of Strasburg during the siege, and who died suddenly at Bordeaux immediately after the announcement of the terms of peace. When the body arrived at the Strasburgh railway station it was received by nearly the entire population, all wearing some token of mourning. On the day of the interment an immense body of people accompanied the bier, and all the shops, breweries, and cafes were closed. The Prussian authorities wished to send an escort to pay military honors to the deceased, but the offer was declined. They, however, insisted that the funeral service and the hymns should be said and sung in the German language. The choral societies firmly refused to obey this command, which, after contention, was ultimately abandoned, and the service was performed, not in the Temple Neuf, the walls of which were too much damaged by tho bombardment, but in the Church of St Thomas.

The French peasant Farmers' Seed Fund, amounting, with the aid of £13,000 from the Lord Mayor's fund, to about £40,000, is being energetically administered. Seed corn, sufficient to sow 14,000 acres of spring wheat, 9,000 acres of barley, and 10,000 acres of oats, has been supplied, besides 600 tons of seed potatoes despatched to Boulogne and Honfleur. With this, and what is being got ready, and the donations of seed still coming in, the money subscribed by English agriculturists will have secured a crop of nearly 40,000 acres of laud to the poor French farmers who have been ruined by the war.