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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 959, 5 April 1872, Page 2

The San Francisco mail, now long overdue, was not telegrahed up to the time of going to press. Mr Greenfield, Provincial Secretary, arrived in town by the steamer Charles Edward yesterday, and left last evening for Nelson. Mr John Munro holds an auction sale this day, at 11 o'clock, of the large store recently occupied by Mr Pell as receiving store, and the building adjoining known as Tibby's hotel; and at two o'clock, he will dispose of 220 bags of oats, and 25 bags of wheat, ex schooner Dunedin. Driving cattle from Westport to Christy's is no playful undertaking with the present condition of roads. Mr James Suisted, in company with two others, started last week with a mob of bullocks, among which was one of the ferocious kind, which took a favorable opportunity on a narrow part of the road of testing the strength of horns against human ribs and shoulder blades. Not content with favoring Mr Suisted to a gentle " rise " from the saddle which caused him to kiss mother earth, the animal disposed of one of the canine race by making him perform a serious of somersaults in view of his master, and afterwards introduced itself from behind to an inoffensive digger who was sauntering home with his week's provisions. Tea, sugar and flour were indiscriminately supplied to the piscatorial frequenters of the Buller river while the owner was heard thanking the presence of mud in place of quartz for having saved him from hospital board for the next month. The naturally enraged miner, when finding his equilibrium, sought revenge in his gun, but the animal had more respect for the auctioneer than to allow himself to be "knocked down" in that manner, while "Schneider" by this time got steering a course for the Westport butchery direct. Ultimately the bullock was penned, and so is the narrative of his journey. The number of children on the roll of the Westport School for the quarter ending March 31st is 67 boys and 45 girls, making a total of 112. The daily average attendance during that time was 79. We have been shown a view of the main street of the town of Eeefton brought down by Mr Walter Bishop for the purpose of having the same photographed. The sketch was taken by Mr Pownall there, who is at present engaged completing a view of Broadway, along with views of several mining claims in that district. The view shown us reflects credit on the sketcher; and leaves a favorable impression as to the situation and increasing importance of the town. We may expect a visit in Westport at an early date from Mr Brogden, the railway contractor. That gentleman was a passenger by the Alhambra from Wellington on his way to Hokitika, whence he will proceed to the Grey Valley, and inspect the Brunner mine and line of railway; thence to Westport, and back to Hokitika on his way to Christchurch overland. News reached town yesterday of the discovery of a leader or reef about five miles behind Mount Rochfort, at a distance of twenty miles from Westport. A party of five have started from German Terrace for the locality with the intention of further testing the ground before making any application for protection. The specimens sunt in to Mr David Barrie at German Terrace, and forwarded by him to this office bespeak the unmistakable discovery of gold-bearing quartz. The specimens are small, but gold is visibly distributed throughout the stone. A day or two, it is hoped, will further develop the outcrop, when, if satisfactory, the prospectors will take the necessary steps to secure the desired quantity of ground. All that is reported as being discernible at present is a thin leader, from which the three small specimens were taken. The Warden requests that the particulars of any applications for allotments of ground for cattle or slaughter yards on the Reserve at the South Spit, be sent in to the Warden's office without delay. Messrs E. De Carle & Co, have notified that they have commenced business in Westport and Reefton, as auctioneers, customs, general, and forwarding agents, and sharebrokers and general mining agents. The following tenders were accepted for supplies to the Westport gaol for the year ending March 31st next, viz., Messrs Stitt Brothers for groceries, Messrs Suisted Brothers for butcher's meat, and Mr Felix West for bread.

A yacht club has been recently formed in Auckland. Te Moananni has written to Dr Pollen, as representing the Government, thanking them for having "kindly taken care of Tarsia*.' while he was alive. Gas extension is being vigorously proceeded with in Dunedin. We notice that the use of gas is becoming more general in VV ellington. A meeting has been held in Christchurch for the purpose of making arrangements for the establishment of a German Protestant Church. Mr Richardson, of Queenstown, correspondent of the ' Cromwell Argus,' laid an information recently against Mr T. Shepherd, M.H,E., for using abusive language towards him, by calling him a blackguard and a scoundrel. The case was dismissed with costs. The road steamer belonging to the Provincial Government of Canterbury has been submitted to public auction, It was bought in for the Government at £375. The 'New Zealand Herald * states that Mr Bedlington, who baa for some time past been engaged in boring for coal at Wangarei, has reached a depth of 200 feet, and that the indications promise a discovery of coal -within a fortnight. The Wellington correspondent of the 'Hawke'B Bay Herald' writes:—l saw a good cartoon the other day. It represented a barouche, with Yogel doing postillion on the near leader, and Mr M'Lean acting in a similar part on the near wheeler. Pox was asleep on the box, Orraond and Reeves were both endeavoring to get into the carriage first, Gisborne was doing lackey in the rumble, while Haughton and Bunny were seated on the box behind. I hope it was not disrespectful, and that I am not as bad for mentioning it. At the meeting of the Auckland Alliance for tho Suppression of the Liquor Traffic, Mr George Staines again distinguished himself. He said he would support measures to suppress the importation of grog or its distillation in the colony; but he looked upon the Permissive Bill as adopting only half measures, and calculated to deprive the " poor man of his beer," while the rich man was enabled to obtain all he wanted from the merchants. Let them close all the

publichouses—every box-and-dice of them. It was all very well for a magistrate who received something like .£BOO a year to say that drunkards ought to be whitewashed. Why, but for the drunkards, perhaps the magistrate might have to get whitewashed himself. _ Mr Staines proposed " That this meeting is of opinion that it is not desirable to admit of any intoxicating liquors into the port of Auckland." A writer in the Wellington ' Post' says, that by the Nebraska we learnt that smallpox was raging in New York. Have the Government taken precautions against its introduction by our thousand-a-week mailservice, and instructed the Health Officer in Auckland to prohibit communication with the mailboats until he has ascertained that they can produce a clean bill of health ? Such a small matter as this may have escaped their attention, occupied as their minds must be with vast schemes for developing the vast resources of the colony. Cyrus Haley, who was recently committed for trial at Auckland on charges of arson and st ooting with intent, has applied to have the venue removed to Wellington, on the ground that a prejudice has been created against him in Auckland. An incident occurred recently before the Judge in Auckland, in chambers, which illustrates the advantages of friendly societies. Upon inquiry de lunatieo being taken, it transpired that Henry Cowan had bean in the Lunatic Asylum for seven years and a half, and during the whole of that period his wife received a weekly allowance, amounting to 18s a week, and subject only to an annual reduction, according to a fixed scale. Moreover the lodge have undertaken to look after the poor man, whose discharge they have obtained. The ' Wanganui Herald ' does not entertain a very exalted opinion of its readers, and says in a late issue:—A solicitor in this town has received the following communication from a gentleman in Dunedin—"A friend of mine here is desirous of obtaining a donkey for his children, and is informed they are plentiful in your part, or Napier. Could you kindly let me know if such is the case, and the price delivered in Dunedin ?" The sagacious applicant seemed to have hit upon the most likely parts of the colony, and could hardly have selected a better agent than a Wanganui solicitor. Applications are to be made through the postoffice, and too many are not to speak at the same time. In Dunedin 4669 persons have pledged themselves by signature not to shop after one o'clock on Saturdays. The Thames chief Taraia, described as "the last of the cannibals," is dead. The body has been placed.in a coffin with a glass lid. A great gathering is expected at the tangi. A rumor, says the Wellington 'Post' of the 15th instant, has gained ground to-day, to the effect that Ministers intend to advise his Excellency to dissolve Parliament, in order that the opinion of the people may be fully expressed on more than one important topic of the day. We merely give the rumor as such, and as a contingent event that is the subject of conversation in well-informed circles.

It is denied by the Government organs that the Executive had any intention of introducing Chinese labor into the col ny, or permitting it to be introduced and employed by contractors for public works. The circular addressed by the Minister for Public Works to the several Superintendents, was intended solely to elicit their opinions on a subject which had been brought before tho attention of the Government. If any bias in favor of the employment of Chinese labor is thought to pervade the circular, it is altogether unintentional and contrary to the wish and opinions of the Government. The Christchurch Gas Company paid a dividend of 16 per cent, per annum last week.

The coach between Christchurch and Timaru capsized on Tuesday last, and E. Garron, a x>assenger and a well-known Timaru settler, was severely injured. Owing to the large crop of apples grown in Canterbury this year, cider-presses |are being fitted up. Mr G. B. Barton has brought an action against the ' Otago Daily Times' Company for £IOOO expenses in the telegram libel case. There is a new style of wedding-rino-just come into vogue. It consists of two hoops of gold, flat and fitting perfectly together. On the inner surface the names and initials of the happy pair, the date of the marriage, and sometimes a motto or posy as the old writers have it.~ Thus you may carry yotu-marriage-certificate always on your finger. Residents in country districts are often at a loss to know the correct time. Clocks run down, watches are left unwound, and occasionally a stoppage occurs from some accidental cause. In such cases the time becomes very uncertain till some one brings it from town. The following rule will enable all persons hereabout to correct their time at noon on any sunshiny day. Lay a compass on the ground, and note carefully the exact direction of the magnetic north. Then mark off a line permanently with rods or pegs, running northwards in a direction fifteen degrees to the westward of the magnetic north. This will be the true meridian, and every day when the sun is exactly over this line it will be 12 o'clock solar time. Four candidates presented themselves last month at Auckland for the final examinations requisite to qualify themselves for practising at the New Zealand bar. Four candidates for legal honors also placed themselves for first examinations. The Wellington 'Post' says there is the clearest evidence that Mr Batman Smith, the Manawatu Coroner, was drunk when he held the inquest into the death by drowning of the son of the Eev Mr Moir, of Wellington. Mr Batman Smith will probably hold no more inquests. There is to be an exhibition of works of art held in Auckland next spring, under the auspices of the Society of Artists. During the hearing of a case in the Auckland police-court recently, Mr Joy called the attention of the Court to the dilapidated state of the Bible with which oaths were administered. The book is reported to have seen service, for it was without covers, and one or two of the outside leaves were beinc rapidly kissed away. One thing especially noticeable about it when held up for inspection, was that the wear it had undergone was entirely confined to the outside, for the inside appeared new and unthumbed —at once freeing the clerk of the court, the police, and others who take charge of the hall of justice, from any susjjicion of beguiling the tedious hours by reading the volume which they so often hand up to the witness to kiss. Large quantities of preserved meat are being shipped for England at Lyttelton. A fashionable preacher in a suburb near Melburnehaa recently sold the goodwill of his business for .£7OO. Greville'a Telegram Company sent a special representative to the Colonial prize firing at Christchurch.

The "Post" condemns the Government proposal to resume a supply of Press telegrams, and challenges Mr Vogel to prove that he had authority from the Press. The defence Bet up in the breach of promiso case of Maunsell v. Cassius of Hokitika, heard in Melhourne last month, was that after the defendant made the promise he had become bo ill that he could not carry out the contract. Medical evidence was given in support of this view, but they said the illness was only a temporary one, and would Boon be cured. The Chief Justice left it to the jury to say whether the defendant; had really broken off the match, or o:dy asked for time. The jury, after a deliberation of two hours, found a verdict for plaintiff for £'3so. An amusing story is told by a Victorian paper._ It runs thus : —A Chinaman called at . a station not a thousand miles from the Mitta upon a Sunday, an I negotiated for the purchase of a pig. The squatter wanted £G 10s for the animal) John protested that £6 was the outside value. While the transaction was going on, the Bquatter suddenly espied a person who was to hold a service at the station that day approaching in a buggy, and incontinently bolted, to put on his Sunday clothes. John was rather astonished at the sudden disappearance, and asked the men in an adjoining shed, who had heard the conversation, " Why he run away so fast ? who that man ?" They, not being in a proper frame of mind, informed the Celestial querist, that the newcomer was an auctioneer, who was about to sell the pig John coveted. The business proceeded. All the available people on the station were assembled, and the minister from an improvised pulpit began the service; but no sooner had the fir £ word issued from his lips than the Chinaman determined not to lose his bargain, cried out, "My pig; my pig. £6 10s; £6 10s." The beneficial effects of that religious service we are not able to record. The Fiji " Times " delivers itself as follows on the subject of deputations :—" A deputation is a glorious institution. It brings the members of it into such a prominent position before their fellows, and invests them with an amount of sacredness fearful to contemplate. Sometimes for the reporter it is a blessed thing when news is scarce and he is not * on' to manufacture any, but it is to him a most refreshing season when the gentlemen honored with the visit 'shouts' iced claret, or offers P.B. all round. Otherwise it is a remarkably dry arrangement, and scarcely worth the paper on which it is recorded." A fatal accident occurred on tho Bth March to the Rev. T. Booker, who was killed in falling a large rimu tree. In its fall the tree took an unexpected direction, and came down upon Mr Booker with such force as to produce concussion of the brain, at the same time breaking an arm and leg. Death must have been instantaneous. The Eev. gentleman was a Nonconformist minister, residing at Kaipara. "Call-Boy," writing in the Australasian on English theatrical news, says:— Miss Carry Nelson has just concluded a very profitable tour of the Provinces. A private letter from London states that this " pet of the publie *' has entered the marriage state, having reemtly been married to Mr Fargeon, the well-known and talented author of "Joshua Marvel" and 'Griff" The immense business of the English railways is illustrated by a single Tittle paragraph of statistics just published. There are sixteen railway companies which own 8400 locomotives, One company, the Northeastern has 935 engines, the Great Western has 925, the Midland 850, and the Northwestern 591. A man named Thomas John Tester, who left Nelson recently in the Coorong, abandoning his wife, was captured on the arrival of the steamer in Wellington. He was brought before the President Magistrate, who fined him £1 and costs, and ordered him to pay 45s a week for the support of his family. Wellington people are highly delighted at the announcement that Parliament is to meet there as usual. They were gettinorather frightened about it. 'those who ought to know say the session will commence early in June; and the probability of a dissolution and appeal to the country on a great question of constitutional change is considered by no means a very remote one.

The Balclutha correspondent of the 'Bruce Herald 1 writes:—ln the spring of the present year I announced in your columns that a quantity of tobacco seed had been left with me for distribution among parties willing to try the experiment of growing tobacco in Otago. I have only seen the result of one trial, which can be seen by anyone who wishes to see the healthy tobacco plants grown in the open air without any artificial aid whatever. Mr Charles Norman, cooper, of this town, is the grower, and I am convinced that a si<*ht of his success will induce others to follow his example. A Waterford paper announces the arrival there of a lady who had just buried her sixth husband. She is still under 40, rich and childless. The Southland Meat Preserving Company are about to commence operations. The hop season has commenced in Adelaide, and about 200 persons, of all ages and sexes, have left Hobartown to seek picking in the New Norfolk hop district. The 'Lancet' has ascertained that during the last five years 71 separate donations of £IOOO each have been made to London charities. Very rich specimens of quartz from the Bismarck claim Coromandel, were exhibited at Mr Mowbray's office at Auckland. They were inspected by many interested and curious persons. We learn from Canterbury that Messrs Halls run at Lake Tekapo, consisting of 60,000 acres, with 2000 sheep, was sold to Mr A. Cox for £13,500. Dunedin boasts of a "Tomahawk" Mutual Improvement Association. VVe learn from the 'Lyttelton Times* that it is in contemplation to hold a grand Volunteer ball on the occasion of the Volunteers from other provinces visiting Christchurch to compete for the prizes offered by the General Government for the best rifle shooting. The Mayor of Dunedin, Mr Fish, the other day, in reply to a testimonial, said— I will never rest until the waterworks are in the hands ofthe Corporation. I ray they should be in the hands of the Corporation, and as long as God gives me health and strength, and I remain a member either as mayor or councillor—l do not care which— I will not rest until they are under corporation control. The Rugged Ridges station, situated in the Waitaki district, Otago, 60,000 acres, with 26,438 sheep, has been Sold for £l6 500 to Charles Nichols, Esq.; also, the Stotfold station, situated in the Oamara district 26,000 acres leasehold, and 2740 acres freehold, with 18,000 sheep, has been sold for £12,100 to Philip Oakden, Esq.