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Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 833, 4 July 1871, Page 2

Tho annual meeting of subscribers to the Westport District Hospital will be held at the Court House to-morrow at throe o'clock p.m. Tho quarterly election of officers of the Loyal Westport Lodge, Mantchester Unity, took place at tho hall on Thursday ovening last, when the following brothers were elected and installed . —Bro. Alex. Kino-, N.G.j Bro. ,Geo. Clarke, V.G.; Bro. Eobinson, E.S. A considerable number of men in the Kaitangata district are reported to be out of work, owing to the flax hullb having stopped for the winter.

The Suez mail is duo in Melbourne on Thursday the 6th instant The following letter has been received in acknowledgment of a draft for .£122 ss. 9d. being the amount of subscriptions collected in this district in behalf of the sufferers in Prance :—Mr Charles Mirfin.—Sir, I beg to acknowledge with thanks on behalf of the French Patriotic Association, the receipt of a draft on the Oriental Bank, Melbourne, for £122 ss. 9d. This amount will be forwarded with other moneys by the first opportunity, to the Central Committee in Paris, An acknowledgment will appear in the "Argus" of the amount received from you. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant. S. Denis, Treasurer.

The horse track leading from German Terrace to Giles's is reported to be in a deplorable conditiou. We trust that the authorities will put in hand the necessary repairs to meet the requirements of the traffic in that locality. Mr Seymour, assisted by Mr Hillsden and Mr Braham, gave a very effective and pleasing entertainment at the Masonic Hall on yesterday evening. Owing to the excessively inclement weather on Saturday as also yesterday evening they had only thin houses. ' The company will proceed to Charleston, playing at Westport on their return on Saturday evening next. There were 65 boys and 65 girls on the Westport school roll for the past quarter, against 119 of both sexes, for the quarter ended March 31st, The average daily attendance during the past three months was 78.}, against 85 for the .previous quarter. The cold wet weather at this season togetherwith the reported presence of scarlet fever, will account for the decrease in the daily attendance of the school children.

On Friday last at Charleston the Warden gave his decision in the case of M'Grath and party v. Ward and party. After hearing Mr Shapter, who argued that forfeiture should be decreed, Mr Broad stated that he had determined to recognise the recommendation of the assessors that a monetary penalty be inflicted. Mr Shapter and Mr Pitt then agued as to the amount of the penalty to be inflicted, after which the Warden decided that the defendants be fined £2l, to be paid in three days, or forfeiture decreed.

A meeting was held at the Institute, Charleston, yesterday evening for the purpose of introducing to the public the new water scheme from the Four-mile.

A Committee of the Otago Council has reported on the petition of William Fox, wherein he claimed to be the discoverer of the Arrow goldfields. The report states shortly that he was not the discoverer of those goldfields, that no reward was promised to the discoverer, and that he has no claim to any reward. Inconsequence of the "wreck of the s.s* Auckland, there will be no connecting steamer at Auckland to meet the City of Adelaide on her arrival at Fiji. The Auckland papers state that the Earl of Belmore, Governor of New South Wales, accompanied by the Countess of Belmore, will shortly visit Sir George Bowen at Auckland.

The Canterbury Government chartered the schooner Canterbury, for the purpose of conveying back to Western Australia, the conditional pnrdon men who recently arrived at Lyttelton from that colony.

The late agitation in Southland respecting the running of trains on the Bluff railway on Sundays, has resulted in a motion in the Otago Proviucial Council, that, at least one train per day, when required to forward Her Majesty's mails, shall run on all railways under the contract of the Government, on Sundays. The Rev. J. Cash, Wesleyan minister, in a sermon lately delivered by him at Auck. land, stated that there were persons who borrowed money and neglected or delayed paying tbeir tradesmen's bills in order to speculate in scrip. Such persons, the reverend gentleman declared to be " little better than common thieves." According to the " Press," no Hansard will be published during the coming session of the General Assemby. If, says the " Otago Baily Times," this proves to be correct, the matter of the telegraphic summaries of Parliamentary debates, of which we spoke the other day, will acquire increased importance, inasmuch as there will be no official check on the Ministerial censorship exercised over the summaries sent 'by Greville and Co. The statement is one of such importance that, if untrue, it ought to be officially contradicted without delay. The first pile for the Port Chalmers Rail-, way jetty was driven on the 17th alt. Its position is about 275 yards from the beach in a direct line with the Port Chalmers Hotel and Otago Heads.

A few days ago a party of men engaged in clearing flax and grass from a swamp near Waikouatiti Mill, set fire to the grass, the burning of which revealed a human skeleton, A portion of an old pipe and 4s 6d in money were found beneath it, but no articles that could assist in its identification, beyond a pair of old watertight boots, heavily nailed, and partly burned. The skull was perfect and free from any perceptible injuries. From general appearances the skeleton had lain there for many years.