Untitled

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 968, 7 May 1872, Page 2

His Excellency the Governor has by proclamation appointed Thursday, the 9th May, a day for public thanksgiving iu New Zealand for the restoration to health of his Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales. The banks and Government offices will be strictly closed here on that day, and special services will be held in St John's Church, and also by the United Free Methodist congregation. We remind our readers that the Social Entertainment comes off this evening at the Masonic Hall, and that the best way to encourage the acting committee to persevere in the effort to provide a series of rational evening amusements during the winter, is to muster in strong force on the first occasion, and testify by their presence that they approve of the movement. Every effort is being made to provide a first-class evening's amusement, and the comfort and convenience of every visitor will be duly cared for. Our correspondent at Reefton informs us that a poor Chinaman got smothered in a tunnel there on Thursday last. A set of timbers gave way, and the ground suddenly closed in on him. Every effort was made to release him, but it was not until 9 or 10 o'clock at night that the rescue party was successful. When found the hapless man was quite dead. An inquest was to be held on Friday. Captain Palmer's opinion as to the rame of the schooner seen floating bottom upwards at the Spit proves correct. The master of the Emerald reported at Picton seeing the schooner Ocean Bird, of Auckland, floating bottom upwards, ten miles west of Stevens Island, and no signs of the crew. The preliminary evidence in a case of some interest to horse dealers was heard at the R.M.'s Court yesterday, fo.' transmission to Nelson. In the cas>e Harley v Hughes a claim was made for £l7 the value of a horse alleged to have been purchased. Defendant pleaded that the horse was merely entrusted to him by the plaintiff at Nelson for sale at Westport with a verbal guarantee that it was a first rate animal, good for harness or saddle. Defendant afterwards agreeing to either go shares in the horse or give plaintiff .£2O for it. Plaintiff telegraphed that he would accept the .£2O; but meanwhile defendant had tried the horse and found it would not go at all, and at onco wrote that he would not have it at any price. Ultimately selling it at plaintff's risk to a person named Ashton, at the Grey, for .£l2 but incurring ex-

penses to the amount ot .£l3 8s Od for keep and transit of the animal. The defendant alleging that plaintiff had never made any demand for payment until he, defendant, had asked him for certain money won from him. Messrs Temperley, Simpson, and James Suisted gave evidence as to the horse being perfectly useless as a hack, addicted to " propping" and dangerous to any one but a good rider. Tho case will be decided by the Nelsox. Magistrate. The Nelson Government ' Gazette' contains a list, of eighteen applications for gold mining leases in the Inangahua District, which have been refused by the Superintendent. A liquor analyst is employed in Victoria, who visits all the public houses, notes the quality of their drink, and reports accordingly to tho Board of Health. We have an act in force of a similar effect ? Why let it remain a dead letter ? Unless, indeed, that peripatetic Ministers cost so much that there are no funds left with which to carry out the wishes of the Assembly.—' Post.' The following are the terms in which Messrs Brogden and Sons apply for a waterright license at Mikonui: —Name and addres of applicants—Messrs John Brogden and Sons (care of Mr Geo. H. Tribe, Boss). Style under which it is intended to conduct the business of this race—The Mikonui Water Company. Number of heads of water—Forty heads from source, together with all drainage and streams on the line, subject to existing rights. Length of race— Twenty-one miles. Capital proposed to be expended—£4o,ooo.. Term for which license is required—Fifty years. Precise locality— Commencing at Mikonui Eiver, above the second gorge, and cut along the Mikonui slope of the Greenland Range to crest of range at Sailor's Gully. Further conditions—We require a space of ten chains wide, being five chains on each side of the race, conveyed to us for the term of the lease, for the protection of the race and supply of timber; and a special claim, for mining purposes, five chains wide, the whole length of the race, along the lower side of the protected belt. The ' New Zealand Herald ' says :—His Worship the Resident Magistrate, in commenting upon a case heard at the Police Court recently, in which a person, lately a member of the Armed Constabulary, sought protection from his wife, Baid that if the person who was then seeking protection from the violence of his wife was a fair sample of the men composing the Armed Constabulary, the sooner that force was formed of women the better. The Wanganui * Herald' says that a movement is going on at Patea for the purpose o ; effecting the separation of that district from Taranaki. A petition of the settlers living between the Patea and Waingongoro rivers will shortly be taken round for signature, asking for separation from that province. The missionary schooner Day spring, which has now beeu in Melbourne for some time, has been made almost as good as new. Captain R. G. Rae, a master mariner, well known in these colonies, has succeeded Captain Fraser in the command of the schooner. Some six or seven missionaries, with their wives and families, proceed by the Dayspring to their sphere of operation in the South Pacific, and a valedictory service, previous to thoir leaving was held on board. The vessel was crowded, and the proceedings were conducted by the Rev. Dr Macdonald and other Presbyterian clergymen.

-A most extraordinary suicide was perpetrated at Waikaka a few days ago. The party, a miner, living in a hut alone, and before he hanged himself put on a complete suit of woman's apparel—stockings, boots, chemise, stays, petticoats, and over all a black silk gown; while to keep the rope from hurting him, or breaking the skin of his neck, he had folded the towel neatly, so as to come between the rope and his neck. He had been dead for some time when found. Verily the man must have been most methodically mad. Mr Carreras, it is stated, is a candidate for the representation of Okarito in the County Council. Arrangements are pending for establishing a Lodge of Mark Masonry in Auckland under the English Constitution. The dispensation will be applied for to the Grand Lodge of England, which, no doubt, will be forwarded out in duo course. The following regulations have been made by the Superintendent of Nelson regarding; the occupation of quartz claims, It came into force on the Ist May:—ln all quartz claims containing not less than four men's ground, it shall be lawful for the registered owners thereof to work, hold, and occupy the same for three months' from the. day on which such claim was first occupied by them, with half the number of men otherwise required to work, hold and occupy the same." It speaks little for the respect entertained, or confidence reposed in the powers that be when such paragraphs as the following find circulation. With reference to the enquiry regarding the ship Engand, the Wellington ' Post' says:—" There is a general impression abroad that the Government, or certain members of the Ministry, are now endeavouring to annoy Captain Harrington, in revenge for certain letters which that gentleman wrote on his last visit to this port, respecting the attempted appointment of a connection of a Minister to a position in the Marine Department. This impression is strengthened by the fact of this inquiry being a secret one. It is known that Captain Harrington demanded an investigation into the charges that have been made against him, and some against others attributed to him. The Saturday half-holiday movement in Dunedin is already languishing. Dissensions in the ranks, not a few defections even amongst the originators, and the many misgivings felt by employers that in closing their establishments they increase the trade of petty shopkeepers, who decline to close on any terms, all tend to lessen any enthusiasm in the matter. Mr David Stark, proprietor of the recently discontinued 'Bruce Standard,' has been entertained at a dinner on the occasion of his leaving Tokomairiro. His Worship the Mayor presided, and the esteem in which Mr Stark was held in the district was fully shown by the large number of the leading residents who met to do him honour. A reduction has been made in the rate of wages paid in '.the Cassius and Morning Star claims at Boss, from £3 10s to £3 for ten hour shifts. The redactions are stated to be in consequence of the heavy weekly payments for drainage. The Morning Star paying £63 per week. Much dissatisfaction has arisen among the hands, who recently relieved their, wounded feelings by burning the effigy of the offending manager of the Morning Star claim. A Wellington paper has tho following : "The quarterly district meeting of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was held last week. It was attended by the district officers and deputies from the several lodges. The returns and balance sheets were read by the Pro. C.S., P.G. E. Ban-

nister, from which it appeared that the sum of £BS had been paid for funeral donations, and .£l3l for sick pay and medical attendance ; there are upwards of 600 members on the books, and the total funds amount to about £5200. P.G: N. Valentino was nominated for the office of Grand Master, and P.G. R. E. Hewitt and P.G. Collett were nominated for the office of Deputy Grand Master for the ensuing year. H.M.S. Rosario has attracted considerable attention while lying at Port Chalmers, and has been visited by hundreds of people from Dunedin and neighborhood. Her armament, and especially the large guns she carries, attracting especial curiosity. Every facility has been afforded for the inspection of the vessel by visitors, and dancing has been permitted on board to the music of the ship's band. The officers of the vessel have been feted by the people of Dunedin, and the Rosario Christy Minstrels have taken part in musical entertainments given in the city. The band comprises two concertinas, a violin, cornet, flute, banjo, and triangle, and the vocalists are said to possess well-trained voices. We learn from a recently published return, that the total number of civil servants receiving Colonial Government pay on the Ist July last, was 1,667. This, however, does not include tho Harbor and Constabulary departments, the members of which, although in Government pay, are not recognised in the civil service. Many of the names given in the return are the holders of several offices—one of the most serious offenders in that respect was Dr Muller, of Blenheim, lately dispossessed of all his offices, after fourteen years' service, to make way for new men. Dr Muller, in addition to the Resident Magistracy, held six other appointments, at a total salary of £375. Another offender of the same class is Dr Turnell, Resident Magistrate and Warden, at Collingwood, who likewise holds six other appointments, at a yearly salary of £165. A Parliamentary return, lately published, gives the " Expense of management, maintenance, and control of prisoners, in the various gaols of the Colony, for the year ending 31st December, 1871, and of the value of work done by such prisoners during the same period, according to the estimate of the Engineer, Town Surveyor, or other professional officer under whose direction the work has been performed.'' According to this return the Provinces of Auckland, Nelson, and Westland, make a profit by labor—Auckland, £705; Nelson, £45; and Westland, £698; but the valuation of this class of labor is very differently estimated in different provinces. Thus we find in Auckland prison labor is set down as being worth 2s 6d, 3s, and 5s a day, which is rather a wide range. In Taranaki a prisoner is estimated to earn only 2s per day; in Hawke's Bay his labor is double the value it is at New Plymouth, and is set down at 4s a day. Wellington prison labor must be a rather worthless article, for it is estimnted only at 3s a day. In Nelson, it stands at ss; in Marlborough, 33 Gd; in Westland, 7s to 10s ; in Canterbury, 4s to 6s; and in Otago, 4s to 6s for Europeans, and 2s 6d per day for natives. It would be curious to learn whether the value of free labor in the different plaees, if rightly estimated, has a similar range in value. The total expenditure for the year was £22,495 ; and the value of the work done, ,£22,422.

It is officialy notified that a daily telegraph Mail Service, to and fro, between Opunake and New Plymouth, via Stony Biver, has been established, The mail leaving Opunake at noon each day, and arriving at Stony River about 4 p.m. From thence telegrams are dispatched first to New Plymouth and then Southward. Thus expediting the through transit of messages and English Mail news. The ' Independent' says that in the new San Francisco mail contract, the contractors undertake to reserve adequate berths and cargo accommodation for New Zealand. The Dacotah will soon be ready, and a fourth steamer will shortly be laid on, as the contract specifies. The contract also contains a stipulation that the contractors will usj their best influenco in inducing the Congress to relax the import duties on NewZealand wool and flax, as also on Australian wool. An article in the ' Wellington Post,' about a fortnight since, hinted at a political combination, which is to overthrow the present Government as soon as Parliament meets, set aside Mr Stafford, and enlist on its behalf " prominent men" from both sides of the House. The chiefs of this new party are supposed to be Mr Fitzherbert and Mr Bunny, these wily gentlemen having quarrelled with Ministers, through seeing, as we believe, little chance of getting the Wairarapa railway constructed. As the Ministers certainly cannot afford to lose the support of the Superintendent of Wellington, as well as that of their " whip," the difference will most likely be made up, and Wellington will get what it wants—or at leasta promise of it. The 'Grey Star' of the 29th says:— A man, named Michael Glancy, was received into the hospital, to-day, under the following circumstances. It seems that he was working on the Arnold road contract, and some differences arose between the people with whom he boarded on the question of payment. The wife freely stated that he was a defaulter, on hearing which he was greatly annoyed, and after settling the score, words between him and his host, if we may so call him, took place, which resulted in the hostess taking up a tomahawk, and striking Glancy with it on the temple, narrowly avoiding, if we are rightly informed, inflicting a fatal injury. The wound is so serious, however, that the sufferer is an inmate of the hospital, though whether the woman is in custody or not we have not heard. From Greymouth we learn that Mr P. Twohill has accepted Mr Drake's challenge to run him for the championship and .£IOO aside, and all preliminaries are pretty well arranged. The competitors are to run five races on two days, the 24th and 25th of May, the distances being 100 yards, 150 yards, 200 yards, 300 jards, and 440 yards. The partisans of both are very confident, and good racing is anticipated. The Wanganui people are getting excited over the discovery of some gold bearing quartz on the Waitotara. AMr Gibson has brought in two pieces of highly crystallised quartz, wh rein the precious metal is distinctly visible, taken from a reef which he has discovered cropping on the surface, at a locality about thirty miles distant from Wanganui. It is intended to obtain a larger quantity of the stone and forward the same to Dr Hector for chemical test and analysis. Meanwhile the Wanganuites are in a pleasant little flutter of anticipation. Tho " Herald " says :—" This discovery if buna fide is of more importance to this town than the reported find at Tuhua, as the entire trade of the field both ways must necessarily precolato through Wanganui." In reference to the death of the Chinaman, mentioned in another paragraph, we learn from Sergeant Kiely that a verdict of accidental death was recorded. The deceased's name was Ah Mee, and the accident occurred at Liverpool Daves Gully, on tho Saddle side of the Inangahua Biver, opposite Beef ton.