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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 989, 23 July 1872, Page 2

After " resting on their oars" for a time, the Social Entertainment Committee have again bestirred themselves, anil now present a programme for performance, which in itself gives sufficient proof of a treat in store. Highly favorable news has come to hand from the Lyoll district. Affairs in the Little Wonder and Excelsior claims are progressing most satisfactorily. A report is current that in Zala's claim, twenty pounds weight of nearly pure gold has been We do not vouch for the perfect accuracy of the statement, but wo have good reason for believing the report substantially correct. We have seen a specimen recently taken from the claim, which contains in reality, as much gold as atone,

being what Victorian miners wore woat to term ' plum duff' quartz. The patches of bright glittering gold, beiDg as large as plums in a Christmas pudding, and a,thickly packed. Soino exceedingly good specimens have been also brought iu from Clark's Just in Time claim, which should gladden the hearts of present or prospective shareholders. An accident occurred last night on the river, which will result in some loss to the parties concerned. The cargo boat belonging to Croale and Jacobsen, with upwards of six tons of goods on board, consisting mostly of flour, horse feed and passengers luggage, suddenly sank at her moorings close to the Cobden street wharf, in about four feet of water. The alarm was instantly raised, and with all possible speed the freight was got out and passed ashore, but all more or loss damaged. The cause of the accident is not clear. Some men standing on the wharf noticed, in the dusk, that the boat seemed sinking, but before any action could be taken she had gone down. Fortunately it happened at low tide, and the damage from fresh water may not prove so much as at first anticipated. The goods were mostly shipped by Messrs. Corr, Evans, and Bailie and Humphrey. We call attention to the advertised auction sale of valuable mining property, in the estate of Charles Osterland deceased, as boing specially worthy the attention of all parties interested in mining ventures. Wo call attention to important auction sales, advertised by Mr Jno Munro, of live stock and produce, ex. Wallabi, which is expected to arrive this afternoon from Wanganui direct. Also of hotel property in Gladstone street, and a useful cargo boat. The House of Representatives has appointed a committee of thirteen to enquire into the case of O'Conor. MrLuckie seconded the motiou, and said that with others he was anxiousfor a thorough enquiry. Mr Reynolds suggested that the evidence should be taken by declaration instead of bringing witnesses to Wellington at great expense. The Committee to enquire into the case consists of Messrs. Pearee, Gillies, Kenny, Murray, Swanson, Sir I). Munro, O'liorke, Rolleston, Studholme, White, Bryce, Carrington, and Stewart. The Government are going to introduce a bill to form the West Coast Goldfields into a province, with elective Superintendent.

The heavy rains prevailing last week on the Bullor were equally continuous at the Grey and Hokitika. The lower part of Greymouth wa3 inundated with surface water; and, on the 16th instant, the river rose so rapidly that another flood seemed inevitable. Several persons were greatly alarmed at the probability of such a disaster, and sat up till morning in order to bo prepared for a second inundation. Happily, their fears were groundless. The business of the "Warden's Court at Mindermann's is increasing. The number of applications for hearing at the last sitting there, necessitated the Court being kept open until an unusually late hour. The late rains have made the Reefton road frightfully hard to travel. For three miles from Christy's it is almost impassable for man or beast, and it is hardly probable the down mail will reach here until a day or two after it» «au<a «.«»« The amateur concert at Reefton in aid ot the funds of the local hospital, resulted in a great success, the receipts from concert and sale of refreshments realising Ll3O. Mr Warden Broad occupied the Chair, and after making a few well chosen commonts upon the laudable purpose of the entertainment, delivered an appropriate poetical prologue, which was received with rapturous applause. A long programme of songs, choruses, recitations, stump orations, negro delineations, and localisms were performed, the most notable feature being a well written local song by Mr Cox, which excelled in many respects the average proproductions of local poets. The boatmen on the river were actively employed yesterday in taking in freight for Reefton. No less than ten boats were loading; and the agregate freight, could not have been less than sixty tons. We published in our last issue a digest of the Goldfields Licensing Act, extracted from the columns of a contemporary. There is however a slight mistake therein which we now rectify. The exact words of the clauses of the Act, referring to fees payable, read as follows : " The fees payable for Ordinary and Bottle Licenses shall be for Yearly Licenses, L3O, and for Half-yearly Licenses, LI7. All Licenses issued for a less period than a year shall, except as is herein otherwise provided, pay a fee at the same rate per annum a3 yearly licenses." The proviso referred to, makes it lawful for the Resident Magistrate of any district, if he thinks it necessary for the public convenience; to issue a temporary licence for the sale of spirituous and malt liqnors, for three calendar months, on payment of a fee of LlO, without requiring the usual seven days notice of application. In the ' Nelson Evening Mail," of the •JOth instant. The following telegram from Wellington appears " Mr O'Conor has purchased the ' Advertiser ' plant. It is not known where it is going to start." Eeferring to the recent demise of the Wellington 'Telegraph,' the 'Post* says:— Yesterday expired, and for the seventh time, an off shoot of the newspaper press, which, under various appellations, and in the hands of numerous real or nominal proprietors, has been known to the public of Wellington for many years. The latest cognomen under which it was issued was the ' Evening Telegraph'—a dirty, ill-written and worse printed little sheet—but aforetime it has flaunted in the eyes of the public in all the glory of "double demy" and "double crown," as the ' Advertiser,' the ' Times' the * Daily Advertiser' and ' Register,' &c, claiming the status and privileges of a " leading journal." In its early days it was respectable in its language, position, and connections, and could boast at times of a literary reputation of a high order (this being peculiarly noticeable when Parliament was in session, and the Opposition wanted an organ). But its maturity failed to develope the fair promise of its' youth. It appears to have been c institutionally depraved, and took to evil courses with a natural aptitude and zest which shocke I and disgusted its best friends. As it grew old, it unfortunately waxed worse, and in the two latter phases of its existence it proved simply reprobate. In the last stage of ail, it became to utterly losi to all sense of propriety and decorum, that the few " bowing" acquaintances it hid left, gave it the " cut," and declined to rec >gnise its existence, and it now again sinks into the tomb of the vanished past, " uawept, unhonored," and unregretted. But it is far from likely that we have seen the last of this lively periodical. There is something in the idea of the Metempsychosis altar all—and the restless spirit of the old Advertiser will not, perhaps, remain long satisfied with prowling round the deserted ruins of Farish street, but assume a corporeal form again as the Morning Miarepreaanter or the Evening

Slanderer, or somctliing of that nature. However, to judge from its latest incarnation, that spirit has not yet been purified in the course of its nitration through so many bodies, and it is much to be feared that before that process is effected sufficiently to ensure it a permanent ex'st nz<i, the typo and plant will be worn out. Dr Philson, Provincial Surgeon of Auckland, who, in his zealous efforts to " stamp out" small pox, would allow no one to attend on his patients save himself, and afterwards with his own hands washed and swept the floors and walls of the rooms wherein they had lain, has since bestirred' himself to prove that the dire disease was undoubtedly introduced by the Nebraska. In the Auckland ' Evening Star' he publishes the following statement, which he says ho took down from Thomson's own lips at his bed side: —" I shipped on board the Nebraska as forecastle steward, at Auckland on the 22nd May. I was then in perfect health, I reached Wellington on the 26th, but I did not land. I was then in perfect health. I reached Wellington on tho 26th, but I did not land. I went thence to Lyttelton, and lastly to Dunedin, where I arrived on the 21st. I remained there eleven days, and did not land. I was in good health and spirits. I left Port Chalmers or the 7th June, and arrived at Wellington on Sunday, the 9th. I did not land. I now first began to feel unwell, being chilly and feverish by turns. I reached Auckland on the 13th, and on arrival I was confined to bed. I landed, and took up my lodgings at Gardiner's boarding-house. When I was on board tho Nebraska I heard that one of the crew had the small-pox, and was laid up in the forecastle, where he was attended by the doctor. I also heard that another case occurred between Honolulu and Auckland. Both these men are now on board the Nebraska, and ono slept in the next berth to me."

A well known iEsculapius has been " getting it hot" at Fiji. Recently the tale was current that! he had been tarred and feathered. The Fiji ' Gazette' now says . "Not being satisfied with tarring, the doctor must needs challenge a member of Parliament to mortal combat. This challenge was given verbally, in the presence of witnesses, by the doughty chirurgeon, which the M.L\ accepted manfully in a written communication. However the doctor had not pluck enough to go on with the case—he threw up the sponge. The M.P., however, was not, satisfied ; he was not to be insulted publicly without obtaining redress. Communications in writing were exchanged between the would-be or would-not-be combatants, in one of which jEsculapius was good enough to reiterate many obnoxious charges against his adversary, interlarded with much personal abuse. This brought matters to a crisis, and on the morning of Wednesday, April 24, at 11 o'clock, the doctor was publicly horsewhipped in the streets, numbers of persons standing by and enjoying to see him receive a severe flagellation. This was administered by the courageous M.P., who had asserted previously to his friends that lie would '• make the doctor eat his last insulting letter," and he did so. For, beyond administering to hitn a sound thrashing, in which his garments were torn in ribbons, the M.P. stood over him, and, thrusting the letter, rolled up in a ball, into his mouth, forcibly pushed it down the doctor's throat."