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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 977, 7 June 1872, Page 2

The English news via Suez, anticipated on the arrival of the Albion at the Bluff yesterday, has not come to hand. The only explanation we can obtain, is that Greville's agents were unable to obtain sufficient itCms of news to complete the usual summary. That ' distant hills are aye the greenest,' is a familiar saying, and its truth is verified in nothing so much as in mining matters While the public are waiting and watchingwith long enduring patience for th» opening up of the ' reefs,' other fields for speculation and enterprise are apt to be overlooked or altogether unheeded. For years past the * cement' claims, as they are termed, at Addisoiw Flat and surrounding localities have given intermittent work with tolerably fab: returns, to a considerable number

of miners, but the modes of operation adopted have been but primitive, and the appliances for saving gold but of makeshift character. Neither has any comprehensive plan been initiated to test and work the wido extent of ground as yet barely touched or evon prospected by the miner. We had recently oocasion to visit a locality not far distant from Thicles store, where after some stiff work in struggling through bush and brake, we came on certain prospecting shafts, which gave evidence of payable ground, that would richly reward any enterprising mining company. At a dopth of eighteen or twenty inches from the surface a strata of compact sandy cemont or conglomerate is found, varying in depth from sir to twelve feet, from any portion of which good prospects may bo obtained. Small lumps of cement taken indiscriminately from a heap, and tested in a shovel, invariably showing very plain indications of gold in tho form of fine, almost impalpable, powdor. In many places the cement cropped out on tho surface, and a long continuing line has been traced running due north and south. To work such ground effectually, requires, as a mattor of course, the investment of a moderate amount of capital, and also the prior obtaining of extended privileges under mining regulations, which being granted, by lease or otherwise, to any promoters of a company on a joint stock or limited liability basis ; water could be then obtained and machinery erected at a moderate cost that would soon permit of a' steady return to investors. Isolated parties taking up ordinary claims would in all probability only waste time in attempting to work such ground, but a company working by systematic method could scarcely go wrong. The cement is easily blasted out from a face in tons weight, and from its soft and easily workable nature, nvuia not require either powerful or expensive machinery for crushing. The primitive little crushing mills, in size like sausage machines, and of half a Chinaman power, in use in the district, yield good returns to the owners, and more approved appliances with increased water supply would yield them tenfold. Cement working as at present carried on is evidently but in its infancy. It is eminently satisfactory to know that some chance at last exists for the more careful guardianship of the Westport Cemotry. Following some recent remarks on the aubject appearing in these columns, the Rev. Mr Soutar placed himself in communication with Mr O'Oonor at Nelson, and has received from him a reply to the effect that the present condition of the Cemetry has been brought prominently before Government and Council, and that the Government promise that immediate steps will be taken to secure the burial ground from present desecration and that the Superintendent will with convenient speed vest the cemetry in a Board of Trustees, no special Act being necessary for the purpose besides that already in existence referring to the management of Cemetries. In the case Harold v. Eurickseri, heard in the Warden's Court on Monday last, and in which judgment was deferred until the following morning, a nonsuit was recorded, neither of the parties being in attendance at the opening of tho Court at 10 a.m. We beg to remind parties interested in School matters, that to-morrow the statutory election takes place, of members to supply vacancies, if any, in the School Board at Westport. The Westport Brass Band, having secured the exclusive use of a room in Lyttelton street, now hold regular meetings and go in for steady systematic practice. The members have been to some expense, individually and collectively, in procuring instruments and music, but they still lack indispensable requirements, to bring the band up to its full effective complement. They intend therefore making an appeal to the public for subscriptions to a small fund to be expended in procuring some brass instruments. As the public will reap the greater share of the benefit of the gratuitous services of the Westport Brass Band, very few will probably demur from contributing to so legitimate a purpose.

The sea is still making steady encroachment on the west side of Gladstone street. The cottages at the rear of M'Farlane's hotel are being removed, and Mr M'Farlane is also pulling down his billiard room in anticipation of being shortly compelled to remove the entire building. The body of the missing man Charles Osterl.ind, or German Charlie, was found on Wednesday last, about 4 p.m. on a mud bank in the Orawaiti river about 150 yards above the bridge, by Samuel Anderson, the body having evidently floated, and been washed up the stream by the tide. When found it presented a sorry spectacle. The clothing still remained on the body, but in the front it had been torn away, and the face, chest, and abdomen of the deceased, gnawed most pitiably by crabs. The police removed some seventy or eighty of these creatures of the sea from the body, and the features are so disfigured as to be barely recognisable. On searching the body little else was found but some miners rights and certificates, and no marks of violence are discernable except as above indicated. The supposition is that the unfortunate man had, while under the influence of liquor, laid down among the flax to sleep, and that on awaking some hours after, he had attempted to cross the bridge in the dark, • to reach Atkinson's Hotel, to obtain a reviver. In crossing the bridge he must have fallen through the broken planking, or what is perhaps equally probable, trusting to the loosened side rail as a guide, suddenly missed hid hold and toppled over into the river. The inquest will be held this day at 2 p.m.by Dr. Thorpe, in the event of Dr. Giles not returning from Charleston in time. The following is a description of the deceased obtained from Mr, Maguire, which may be interesting'to parties residing at a distance, who recognizing the name may seek to identify the deceased as a friend or acquaintance. A Prussian German, age 53, height sft 5 J- inches, dark brown hair, grey eyes, large forehead, crooked nose (having a. cast to the left side), wore yankee beard only. He was well known as a miner in this Colony, though by profession he was a sailor, and in the first week of December 1854, sailed in the ship "Hastings," from Liverpool to Melbourne as an A,B. The road works in the Eeefton district are satisfactorily progressing. Two hundred and fifty men are employed on the road between Eeefton and Squaretown, the telegraph line is also cleared and the contractor has commenced erecting the poles between Squaretown and Devery's Terrace, leading to the Little Grey Junction. Messrs Pell and Atkinson expect to have their section, of the Inangahua road ■ completed this week. There are some complaints current that, tiresome and vexatious delays occur in the payment of moneys by the Government and that men are getting very dissatisfied in consequence. Should the Ne'son Towns Improvement Act ever come into active operation, any zealous policeman may, under one of its clauses, contrive with little difficulty to present a respectable array of "cases" before his Worship, in addition to the ordinary "drunks" and "disorderlies." Smokers

while innocently lighting up for a pleasant whiff will have to watch warily that the man in blue does not pounce upon them and unceremoniously bail thorn up. The clause runs as follows:—"If any person light a fire, or throw any lighted match or other substance in any street or road, such person shall for every such offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding forty shillings." In tho Nelson Provincial Council, on tho motion of Mr Donne, it has been resolved "That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to invite jfcho attention of the General Government'td the adviflability of taking immediate action for providing a cheap and a«»pi° supply of water in tho Charleston district whereby a large amount of comparatively poor auriferous ground will be worked to advantage, and Furnish renumerative employment to a considerable number of miners for many years." In the Provincial Council on the 3rd inst the following amended resolution, referring to the granting of agricultural leases, was adopted on the motion of MrKynnersley—"That in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that the price at which agricultural leaseholders, under the provisions of the Goldfields Act, 1866, and the Goldflelds Act Amendment Act, 1870, are entitled to purchase their leaseholds, should be fixed when the lease is granted." The following resolutions have been moved in the Otago Provincial Council, and at the date of our latest exchanges was then under discussion. "That in view of the radical changes about to bo effected in the administration of the affairs of the Province, by the introduction of such measures as the Counties and Road Districts Ordinance, thi3 Council is of opinion, 1. the present system of responsible government be abolished, as cumbersome, and calculated to retard business. 2. That for the future the Government of the Province be carried on by a Board, to consist of - the Superintendent, and members of this Council (to be nominated for that purpose by the Council), such Board to meet two days in the week (or of tener if necessary), that the Superintendent act as chairman of such Board, or in his absenoe a chairman to be elected as hereafter provided. 3. The proceedings of the Board to be duly minuted and signed by the Superiatendent, or in his absence by the Chairman to be elected as provided by the following resolution. 4. In the absence of the Superintendent, the members present to elect their chauman from their number for that sitting. 5. That at all meetings, members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, and at all meetings the chairman for the time being shall have a deliberative and a casting vote. 6. That all money payments shall be made under tho authority of the superintendent, and countersigned by two members of the Board. 7. That all business connected with the Goldfields, or otherwise, delegated to the Superintendent, shall be submitted to the consideration of the Board as aforesaid. .8. That the members so appointed by the Council as aforesaid, be remunerated by apaymentof each for eaeh and every regular attendance. Resolved that the Government be requested to take this subject into consideration during the recess, and prepare such a measure as may accord with the views hereby expressed by this Council. The Loafer in the Street writes in the ' Press' as follows :—" The North Islanders are a fine race. Some of them employ thentime quietly enough. They plant potatoes, kill a white man or two, and burn some farms. They dig up their potatoes, and return to the whites. They say they bear no ill-will to the pakeha—far from it. They get forgiven and go back and eat their potatoes. I never met any of them, but the above facts I glean from North Island journals. The Southern Maori is very noble. His strong point is selling eels. He may have othor characteristics, perhaps equally interesting, but I'm not aware of them. As an eelist he is unequalled. I heard Maoris trying to sell eels to my landlady yesterday. The first said his were quite fresh, they were killed yesterday. The second said his were fresher; they were caught to-day. The third said his were freshest; they were caught to-morrow. Beautiful system of commerce, the above. What a happy thought that our commercial morality should be so closely imitated by the intelligent Maori." The following motion was carried at a recent sitting of the Otago Provincial Council:—"That in the event of the Land Resolutions passed by this Council failing from any couse to become law during the ensuing Session of tho Assembly, the Government aro hereby authorised to reduce the rental paid by agricultural leaseholders on the Goldfields from 2s 6d to Is 6d, in accordance with the powers conferred on them under clause thirty-niue of Goldfields Act, 1866, such reduction to come into operation on and after Ist January, 1873." A refractory bullock, ex Wallabi, recently caused some serious trouble to certain Westport residents. Another from the same boat has been amusing the people of Greymouth by his playful eccentricities. The ' Grey Argus,' of the 25th ult., says : An amusing Bcene occurred this morning on the cattle from the Wallabi being landed. A fine beast, who evidently was full of wrath at the unceremonious manner in which he had been landed in the water, refused to make for terra firma, and stood a short distance from the bank, as though cogitating a revenge. An injudicious youth in a boat came up and attempted to drive him to shore, when the bullock charged the boat, and its occupant veiy hastily scrambled over the side, and the water being shallow, ran on to the land, with the bullock in hot pursuit. The biped was more active than the quadruped, gained the level ground first, and forthwith clambered on to a low roof that was fortunately close, where, he was speedily joined by a man standing near, who very wisely considered discretion the better part of valor, all things considered. The four-footed enemy finding himself foiled by this retreat, butted tho wall of the building two or three times, and made extraordinary efforts to get at his prey. Whether owing to these shocks or what we cannot say, but all of a sudden the elder of the besieged bipeds disappeared through the roof of safety, the bullock still in waiting, but fortunately clutched the edge of the gap in the fall, and regained his perch. After some time, a stockman came along and endeavored to relieve the gamson and drive the brute away, but he also' suffered equal defeat, for the latter charged him and horse, and they had to fly, with the bullock in full chase. Subsequently it cleared off in the direction of the bridge, but was eventually got in and yarded. Invercargill," according to the ." Southland Times,' •* can now boast of an accomplished burglar as an additional variety of local talent."

The Provincial Council of Canterbury hafto passed a resolution to the effect that it is desirable that, with a view of rendering the administration of the affairs of the province of a more simple and efficient character, the Superintendent should be elected by a majority of the Provincial Council; from the members thereof, or from outside the Council; that he shall be a member of the Council ex officio, and re-

movable by the vote of a majority; that tho present powers of voting ordinances should be vested in the Governor j that there should, be an Executive Council of four members, exclusive of the Superintendent, who should be chairman; that tho Executive should be appointed or removed bv the Provincial Council; and that the General Government bo uukocl to bring' in a bill in the next session of the General Assembly to authorise these alterations.

Mr Brogden, according to the Wellington 'lndependent' entirely repudiates the reports published in tho ' Wakatip Mail,' as being a faithful representation of what he said at Queenstown, on the subject of Government railways, He says the reports were not only highly incorrect with regard to what he did say, but contained a groat deal that he never uttered. A worthy settlers wife resident in Auckland, married but five short years and already the happy mother of four fine children, has made the following proposition.' That the Government should pay a certain premium for every child in a family after the sixth; such premium to be of the minimium amount of £5 for every boy, and £lO for every girl, the female element being comparatively scarce in New Zealand. Sho urges that as the Government are spending money to get people from foreign countries, they ought equally to spend it " for population that comes in a natural andlegitimate manner." For the same cause she suggests that the money should come out of the fund set apart for immigration purposes; and she adds that, in order to to guard in some measure against the expenditure being fruitless in consequence of the death of the infants, the premium should not be paid until they have reached the age of three or four years. Finally, she hopes that the matter will receive " the serious attention of our legislators.

The name of Dr Rutherford Ryley is familiar to many on the West Coast. The unfortunate little man has lately come to grief at Levuka. His lot has evidently not fallen among pleasant places. The ' Figi Gazette' of the 13 April says:—" On the evening of Friday, the sth inst., after the man Craig had been carried to the lock-up on a litter, a cowardly outrage was perpetrated upon Dr Ryley, who had given evidence in court that morning as to Craig's state of health, and his fitness to undergo the sentence of fourteen days' imprisonment for contempt of court. He was accosted by two persons, who invited him to accompany them to Keyse's Hotel, where his professional services were said to be required. Unsuspectingly, he did so, but there was no patient to be seen; and on the doctor leaving, and reaching a dark corner from the hotel, he was suddenly pounced upon by a lot of fellows, thrown down, and his face, head, hands and dress smeared with tar. Having thus satiated their vengenace, the crowd released him. On Monday, it having come to the ears of his assailants that the doctor intended to offer a reward for their identification, which it was expected would be supplemented by the Government, the following epistle reached him. To Dr Ryley. *I am instructed by the Vigilance Committee of Levuka to inform you that in case you attempt any more of your damned racally tricks in this place, such as threatening honester men than yourself with death, giving wicked and cruel medical statements in a court—in fact, anything against any members of this community— i.e.. the inhabitants of Levuka, anialso if you dare to offer any reward for " , @lb late most commendable action, thereby again attempting to insult honest men when your own conscience, if you had one, ought to have caused you to hide your head with shame. I say again that if you repeat any of the above offences, you shall have the destroying angels upon you again, and this time they will not spare, it is sworn, so take heed, and fail not at your peril. Yours to command. Signed, Hell fire Jack. Sec. Vig. Com., &c.

A ludicrous misplacement of -words, occurs in a recent newspaper notice of his Honor Justice Johnson's Shakesperian Readings at Wanganui. Referring to the prison scene from King John.between Hubert and Prince Arthur, it says, the beautiful passages in which the pleading of the youth to have a London agent and full cargoes and the gradual melting of Hubert were faithfully aud.touchingly delivered.

We notice that Mr G. H. Tribe has ceased to have any interest in the ' Ross News." The Masonic Ball at Gilmer's Hotel Greymouth on Friday week last was a great success, nearly one hundred and fifty persons being present, including nearly all the leading people of Greymouth. The Argus says, it has been a universal rule amongst Masons, to do all things well, for ages past. Whether they have always succeeded in this aim is impossible to say, but we can vouch" for the fact that last night the Masons of Greymouth gave one of the most enjoyable entertainmeuts, despite inclement weather, flooded rivers, and all kinds of elemental difficulties. Well merited praise is given to host Gilmer for his attention and couitesy, and to all others concerned in contributing to the perfect success of the celebration. The people of Hokitika are making another struggle to establish in their midst a second newspaper proprietary. A prospectus has been issued for a "Westland Free Press Newspaper Company, Limited," with a capital of J3IOOO, in 1000 shares. It is intended for the present only to call up £SOO, which is considered adequate to commence operations upon. It is submitted that as the ' West Coast Times' and' Evening Star* are owned by the same proprietor, there is an opening for another newspaper to be of service during the coming County, Road Board, and Borough Council elections, and in fairly discussing questions which, at present, are alleged to be treated only for and by the one party. The promoters do not offer the prospect of any large dividend from the new company, but submit that the indirect advantages are very great. We have no wish to damp their energies, but if in their simplicity they imagine .£SOO, or even £IOOO, will suffice to firmly establish an opposition paper, they will find ere long that " it is better to cleave to evils that we have than fly to others that we know not of."

At a caucus meeting of the Goldfields' members of the Otago Provincial Council it was determined to insist upon a reconstruction of the Government. Mr Brannigan has been deprived of the use of his right side, through a paralytic stroke. The Christchurch races on the Queen's Birthday, were a great success. The following are the results:—The Handicap Hurdle Race: Mr P. Campbell's Tambourini, 1 j Mr M'Kay's Medora, 2. The Butcher's Purse: Bismarck, 1; Young King, 2. The Victoria Handicap: Mr P. Campbells Tambourini, 1; Mr Walter's Slander, 2. A "Washington telegram of the 20th of April says that the Postal Committee have reported on the Postal Appropriation Bill, and have added an amendment doubling subsidies to the China and Brazil steamship services. F

Information has been received that the Immigration and Colonists Aid Society has ratified Colonel Fielding's purchase of 100,000 acres in the Province of Wellington. The enquiry re complaints of the compositors in the Government Printing Office was to take place on the 27th ult.