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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 919, 27 January 1872, Page 2

The telegram received from Port Chal. mors on Thursday, and which was published in our second edition, is not reliable,, a3 the barque Glencoe, which brought the intelligence, left Hobart Town on the 13th, while the Alhambra left Melbourne on the 16th without intelligence of tho Suez mail.

The s.s. Alhambra left Melbourne on the 16th, and arrived at fee Bluff on "Wednesday morning. The following are the most X>rominent items:—The Nebraska would leave Sydney for Auckland on the 20th. King, the explorer, is dead. The late Mr Moffitt's racing stud realised £IO,BOO. Tim Whiffler fetched 810 guineas. The Zavistowski sisters will visit New Zealand. At Cross's reef, Stawell, fourteen hundred tons of quartz yielded at the rate of 2ozs. to the ton. Latest telegrams state that all hope of the Prince of Wales's recovery is abandoned. A fracas occurred in the Queensland Assembly. The Hon Mr Pring seized Mr Clarke's beard, and invited him "to come outside." The Speaker interfered, and ordered them into the custody of the Ser-geant-at-Arms. Mr Pring then resigned his seat.

The premises recently occupied by Mr Sheldon, tinsmith, in Kennedy street, were sold at auction on Thursday and realized the very low figure of £SO. Mr Fra&er was the purchaser. Mr Sheldon is about to commence business in Reefton.

In the Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday, Jane Lockyer was charged by the police with wilfully and maliciously wounding a goat, the property of Mrs M'Connell. The damage was laid at 20s. The evidence disclosed that the defendant had seized the goat and inflicted upon it numerous wounds with an American axe. The defendant stated that the goat had got into her garden and caused considerable damage. His Worship ordered the defendant to pay 20s compensation, or in default 24 hours' imprisonment, and for the offence fined her £2 and costs, with the alternative of 14 days' imprisonment. Yesterday one civil came before the Court, Rafferty v. Howden ) wlaioh iron indefinitely adjourned pending arrival of the depositions of the defendant to be taken in Dunedin.

In the Warden's Court, yesterday, a few unimportant mining applications were granted.

The name of the township of Rangitikci, Province of Wellington, has been officially changed to BuUs. The inhabitants are rightfully indignant that the euphonious native name should have been exchanged for one so excessively commonplace. Electors desirous of being placed upon the new roll for the Provincial Council and the House of Representatives should lodge their claims at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Westport, Charleston, Brighton and Reefton. Tho attention of residents in the last named district is specially invited to the necessity of qualifying themselves to vote for the election of a member of the Provincial Council or House of Representatives.

Mr Blaydon's Sterling and Colonel Brace's Harry Bassett, the latter an American thorough-bred, have been matched to run a mile and a-half, each carrying 7st 121b, for £IO,OOO a-side. Mr Blaydon offered to lay £IO,OOO to £BOOO if the match were run in England. Tho race is to take place in America.

We have had occasion lately to congratulate our follow townsmen upon the restoration of the beach, and the general security of property consequent upon it. We would remind our readers that the permanence of this improved state of things depends very materially upon the natural processes of formation being uninterfercd with. Dr Hector, we believe, during his recent visit expressed himself very decidedly upon this subject; and further stated that when here in the earlier days of Westport, he warned those then in authority of the consequence of permitting the removal of timber asd other material, which was then and for a long time after allowed. We trust that the inhabitants and propertyowners of Westport will both support and promote the action of the authorities in preventing the removal of drift-wood and other material from any part of the existing beach to the furthest encroachment mark of last -winter, otherwise next winter the town may be placed in a similar or possibly worse position. Captain Baldwin, the lecturer and travelling sub-commissioner of tho Government Life Insurance Department, arrived in Westport yesterday by the Charles Edward. He intends lecturing hero on Tuesday evening, and remaining a week or ten days. His lectures have been very popular and largely attended in every part of the colony where he has appeared, and through his efforts hundreds of persons have insured their lives with tho Government. Captain Baldwin is well known to many of our residents, no doubt, as the first Guldfields' Commissioner in the esrly days of Otago, afterwards as a member of the General Assembly, Ho has lately ro-

turned from America, where ho spont some lime, and bis reports upon th<) water supply "ii tho Califomian goldflclds, and tho silkgrowing iu that Stato wovo laid on tho table of the Assembly and favorably commented on by the mombcra and tho press. Mr Djbson, Provincial Engineer, has received instructions from the Colonial Government lo forward tho plana tor approval of a di'jy road from tho crossing, six miles above Christy's, to Larry's Creek, a distance of six miles, so that tenders will shortly bo called for tho const-uctlon of that portion of the road. At the same time, the horse track between Christy's and tho Six Mile will bo improved. The Grey line from the Junction to Fern Flat, a distance of about 30 miles, is also to bo set out. We understand that the proposed route between tho Blackwater and the Inangahna Landing is not so favourable for a road as bad beeu at first supposed, though the country has only boon partially explored, and may bo yet found to present features admitting of a good road being easily practicable. The lowest altitude of tho range such a road would have to surmount is at present believed to be 1000 feet. Such a route, if practicable, would bring Reefton within 40 miles of Westport in place of 55 miles by the present route and 60 miles via Greymouth. Mr Dobsou's estimate for a dray road between Christy's and Reefton is .£10,500, and from the Six Mile crossiug to Reefton about £7OOO. The Provincial Engineer has declared the Addison's Road open for vehicles with wheel tires not less than six inches in diameter.

Notice was served yesterday upon the legal manager of the Excelsior Co., Lyell that the company's lease had been taken up for mining purposes, and that application would be made at the Warden's Court at Christy's for the lease to be declared forfeited on the plea of abandonment. The want of waggons to convey the goods now fast accumulating at the Landing, Inangahua, thence to Reefton is severely felt, and serious delay is experienced by tradespeople in Reefton. Loading at Westport i? also accumulating, two of Pell's boat? loaded yesterday, and several tons of goods had to be held over.

The honorarium paid for the General Assembly session of 1866 was £7346 ; in 1867, £6141 j in 1868, £7339; and in 1869, £6949The return of 1870 has not been made public, but the cos-t of the past session, each member receiving £lO5, will be £12,915. We loam with regret that the Australasian Steam Navigation Company have given up, for the present, the idea of re-opening steam communication between Sydney and the Southern Ports of New Zealand. The company desire to enter upon this trade, and will do so the moment a reasonable amount of encouragement offers j but at present the inducement is insufficient to justify the company in incurring tho large expense involved in placing one of their first-class steamers on the line.

At the District Court, Auckland, on the 16th instant, an order was made for winding up thu Cuck-a-doodle Gold Mining Company. Tho judge blamed the directors for getting so much into debt. Counsel said there had been much crowing by tho " Uock-a-doodle," but there was no money forthcoming. The General Government have arranged to take over the land and plant of tho Auckland and Drury Railway for tho sum of £26,000, or a little more than one half the original cost, which was £50,000.

The first Lodge of Freemasons in the Polynesian Archipelago was opened in due form on December 28. The Lodgo was opened by permission of (he King, aud Brother H. O. Puton was installed W.M.