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Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 870, 5 October 1871, Page 2

The Suez mail was due in Melbourne on Thursday last, and would be forwarded to this colony by the s.s. Tararua, leaving Melbourne for Hokitika on Friday or Saturday. Unless detained by unfavorable weather, the arrival of the above steamer on the coast may be looked for to-day. Dwan v. Broad, in which the defendant, who is Resident Magistrate and Warden at Charleston, was charged with illegally selling a coal mining lease by auction, not being duly licensed, was heard before J. Giles, Esq., and C. Whitefoord, Esq., Resident Magistrates, at Charleston, on Monday last. Mr Shapter appeared for the informant, and Mr Pitt defended. After a lengthened hearing, the Court decided that the informatipn must be dismissed. Mr Pitt applied for counsel's costs, which were fixed at £5 ss.

The monthly meeting of the Hospital Committee did not take place on Tuesday evening, there not being a sufficient number of members in attendance to form a quorum. The condition of the Orawaiti Bridge is causing serious apprehension. The planked roadway is rotting away, leaving holes tw° and three feet square, and there being no lights on the bridge, there is every risk of some serious or fatal accident taking place after nightfall. A gang of prisoners have been recently employed at Dunedin levelling the cricket ground. Prison labour could be most advantageously employed in Westport in forming footpaths, metalling the roadways, repairing broken culverts, &c. Deep holes in the business thoroughfares render them highly dangerous after nightfall. After a heavy fall of rain the drains are filled to overflowing, caused by the obstructions which block the free passage of the water.

In reply to Mr Richardson, Mr Vogel promised to give instructions to enforce the law preventing steamers from carrying deck cargo. Owing to the inclemency of the weather the opening performance announced by Mr' Towers was postponed on Tuesday until the following evening, when a very attractive programme was submitted to a delighted audience. The late hour at which the entertainment, closed does not admit of any lengthened notice of the performance ; which we may state, however, passed off very satisfactorily. The company play in Charleston on Saturday evening, and, we believe, will give one additional entertainment in Westport on their return from that district, and prior to their departure for Hokitika and Greymouth.

The steamer Charles Edward, at present up south will not leave Westport for Nelson earlier than Saturday. We learn that the weather at Hokitika has been very rough, and there is a terribly heavy sea breaking in the roadstead.

A portion of the quartz crushing machinery for erection at Reelton left Westport on Tuesday morning. Two boats, apparently farrving about 11 tons, left Westport, each being towed by a horse. We are not aware whethor the bad weather which set in on Tuesday afternoon has had the effect of delaying the boats, but the fresh in the river dots not appear to have been sufficiently large to interfore with operations.

The funeral of the late Mr John Grady took place yesterday afternoon. At two o'clock the procession, numbering nearly two hundred, and consisting of the deceased's friends and fellow-citizens, left the Emerald Isle Hotel, and proceeded to the Catholic Chapel, and thenco to the cemetery at the Orawaiti, where the funeral service prescribed by the Church was read by the Rev. Father Walsh. Largo numbers arrived during the day from Addison's and other districts around Westport, as also from Charleston, to attend the funeral. The Addison's and Charleston branches of the Hibernian Society, of which order the deceased was a member, were represented on the occasion.

The Jewish New Year, 5632, commenced on the evening of the 14th September. The following extract from the report of the Government Annuities Commissioner presents in a concise form a statement of the success which has attended the Government Assurance Scheme since its inauguration last year. The report says that the progress which has been made is satisfactory, and shows that not only those in easy circumstances invest in comparatively larpe policies but that persons of less means apply their savings to securing a safo though small provision for the future. An increasing number of small policies indicates the wider spread of prudent and economical habits, the more powerful moans of lessening destitution and crime, and the better prospect of fulfilling the object of the Legislature, which has provided in the Government Insurance System as in tfie Post Office Savings Banks, an unimpeachable security (for the Colony itself is the security) for provident investment in the hope that such provision may be to the greatest and most general public advantage. The Insurance system was practically brought into operation in New Zealand on Ist March, If 70, and from that date up to 30th June last, 667 proposals for Assurances, amounting to have been received (more than half of this number were received during the last quarter), at which 448 have been accepted and taken up, and policies issued amounting to £205,374, at an annual premium of .£SBIO 4s Bd. The number declined out of the 667 proposals is 75 for Assurances, amounting to £3 1,300; this may be taken to show that great care is exorcised in the selection of lives. The number of propusals not taken up on 30th June was 30, and 114 were under consideration on that date ; the large proportion of the latter cla s is attributable to the fact that many of the proposals where then of quite recent date. There had then also been received 15 Endowment proposals, of which 10 were completed, and 7 Annuity proposals, of which 4 were granted."