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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 943, 13 March 1872, Page 2

Air, as a motive power, has been successfully applied at Brunswick, Maine. The air is compressed by a water-wheel, and connected through a tvvo-and-a-Kalf-inch pipe under ground three-quarters of a mile, and furnishes the motive agent for an engine at the railway station, used for sawing wood. The Burlington and Missouri Eoad sold in December last over 6000 acres of Nebraska land at an average of 30s per acre.

GENERAL NEWS. From Dunedin we learn that on the second day of the Tokomairira races the Publicans' Handicap was won by Lyndon, Catapult coining in second; Pretender won in the Hurdle Racein the Tokomairiro Handicap Yateriiu first, Catapult second ; and Catapult won the Consolation Stakes. Ross figures very prominently and unpleasantly in our last " Gazette," no fewer than six insolvents appearing thev having been brought to this stato by being partners id a co-operative claim which has proved a failure. Cyrus Haley, the Auckland incendiary, has been committed for trial on ten charges of arson. There is not a word of truth in the story that his hair had become grey. It has been intimated that his defence in the higher court will be (1) that the case is merely one of very strong Suspicion] (2) that at the time he was arrested he was under Some hallucination ; (3) the insufficiency of the identity of the letter received by Mr Russell. The drought in Norfolk Island ap: pears to have been eVeti greater than in New Zealand. A letter from that island dated Jan. lOth, and lately re; ceived in Auckland, states that no rain had fallen for three months and a halt

The Auckland papers arc fighting a battle on the question of protection. The " Southern Cross" is in favor of protection, and the " Herald" sup. ports free trade principles. A. man named James Gralbraith, | painter, in the employ of Messrs Pish and Son at Duriedin, fell down in the street as he was going to his Work on March 4. Before the poor fellow could be conveyed across the street he was a corpse, rupture of a bLodvessel being the cause of death.

A gang of Maori and European pri. soners have proceeded to Port dial; mers to erect beacons in the harbor; also to erect several small jetties on the north-east side of the harbor. A writer, who is no admirer of the late or present Chairman of the Westland County, says " that the cost of printing to the County under Mr Lah. man for the last year was about £6OO less than under an equal period under Mr Hoos. Thus We have had Mr Lahman's services for nothing, which we no nt/t thitrk mor& than his value."

The Auckland registration returm show the number of deaths this sum tner to be exactly double that df th< past winter. The Pebruary return! show that one child out of every three born, dies within two years. Lennox (Auckland) reports Cale donians at £l4 10s; Thames, £4l 6d; Tokaten, 40s; Nonparie!* 57s 6d

The ' Mount Ida Chronicle' is aevei on the Government Water Supp! Scheme. It speaks of it as the grea est sham and the greatest swindle! the numerous shams and swindli enacted by the Colonial Legislature! New Zealand.

At the quarterly meeting of 1 First Westland Rifles, at HokitiJ Ensign Forsyth was elected Lieu tpnant, vice Preshaw, resigned. Sergi Glasgow was elected Sub.-Lieutenani vice Forsyth, promoted. The Dunedin Half holiday Associa tion is meeting; with fair success. A a recent meeting of the members, i was stated that 920 persons liai pledged themselves not to make anj purchases after one o'clock on Satur days, and that their signatures wen irrespective of other lists which bad not been forwarded to the committet

A rush has taken place to the goli diggings near Hunter's, up the bha« River, Otago, owing to some verj good ground having been opened up in the bed of the river recently, whicl the long drought enabled several par ties to work. A number of Chinamei have been working there for some timi past, and those have been joined l)J quite an influx of their countrymen! His Excellency the Governor, wli was a passenger by the p.s. Loffl from Wellington, landed at the K» koras, and proceeded to the homesteai of the Hon W. Robinson, theneebli Excellency was to travel overlandt« Christchurch, after which he will ff by the Luna to Dunedin, accompaniffl by the Hon Donald M'Lean, for tt( purpose of liberating the Maori prr soners. Numbers of the Waitahuna mines are leaving for the diamond fields at the Cape of Good Hope. Mr Arthur M'Kellar Wix hasten appointed clerk to the Resident Magi? trate's Court at Blenheim. The " Dunstan Times " publishes the following cheering news from tl! Carrick : —Fresh reefs are being di* covered in all directions, and in soun of the established claims the veins ® stone are increasing in thickness aoo quality. Several crushings have taken place with most satisfactory result* One lot of about one hundred and tell toua from the Royal Standard, yielded

about forty ounces of retorted gold. A trial crushing from the Nil T)esperandum yielded an avera/nge of oue ounce and a quarter to the ton, and from the Scotch Bard, about an ounee t-'ia half.

The cry in Otago "is sfill they ! couie." The Whirlwind, which arrived from Hong Kong last week, added 350

[to the Chinese population, among [whom arrived from China Joseph (Small, the hurlesque actor and singer ; land it is reported that another vessel was loading at Hong Kong for Otago when she left. j A meeting was held in Christchurch 'lately for the purpose of making arrangements for the purpose of a German Protestant Church in Chr'st'church. Mr Kuddenklau occupied the jchair. It was proposed that the Eev Mr Meyer should be invited from •Kelson to undertake the pastorate of the church, and twenty members

guaranteed the sum of £lO each for the first year's stipend of the pastor A treasurer and committee were appointed to collect subscriptions, and generally further the interests of the church.

By telegram from Napier we learn that three prisoners of Te Kooti's band have been captured by'the constabulary under the command of Captain Ferris. Te Kooti is supposed to be in the direction of the back of •Poverty Bay.