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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 994, 9 August 1872, Page 2

Quoting from the columns of ' Hansard,' under date July 18, in the matter of Mr O'Conor's land purchase, the exact words of of the motion moved by Mr Steward are as follows : —" That a select Committee be appointed to enquire into all matters connected with the petition of certain residents of tho Bullor District, relative to certain land purchased by Eugene Joseph O'Conor, Esq., M.H.E., with power to call for persons and papers, and to examine 'witnesses upon oath; to report this day three weeks." Perhaps when the report is made public it may convey some reasonable excuse for the Committee foregoing the right to call for persons, and adopting the ridiculous resolution expressing merely a willingness to hear persons interested, either personally or by council—ac their own option and expense of attendance. A tintinnabulary agitation of the fire bell on Tuesday evening last, caused many wayfarers in the streets to suddenly step out at the double, and make tracks for tho engine house; lured thither more by the sound of tho bell than any outward and visible sign of impending conflagration. Arriving there they found that the alarm arose from one of the floes of the Star Hotel having caught fire, bat also that, with kind regard for the public peace of mind,the|performer on the alarum had kindly refrained from distinguishing himself as the hero of the moment, by allowing the rusty clapper of the bell to rest in peace, until the fire had been extinguished. All the machinery for the Anderson's Company, at Inangahua, with tho exception of one piece, has been landed at the machine site, Black's Point. The batteries &c, will be erected in a few weeks, and in the claim all will bo prepared to commence crushing in two months. The work of baling out the shaft has been commenced, and progress has been made with the shoot and paddock. The tramway to the machine site will prove a rather heavy work; and little er nothing ha 3 a3 yet been done towards its completion. A fair subject for enquiry on the part of our local M.RC's, will be the source from whence the money comes to be disbursed to canvassers obtaining -signatures to the Anti-Separationist Petition. Our respected townsman to whom the work is deputed here, can hardly be expected to disclose anything he knows of his employers secrets ; but it is a significant fact that a subcollector of signatures has received the promise of one shilling each for every signature he obtains. Cheap at the price no doubt; but the next official returns of authorised and unauthorised expenditure, will be worthy of careful scrutiny. Mr Haselmayer, who was expected by the Wallabi yesterday, did not arrive, the good people of Wanganui, both in country and in town, being loth to part with the wonderful magico-artistic professor. The Wanganui press teems with laudatory comments on his incomprehensible performances, and if he excites the astonishment here that he has in his present place of sojourn, Westporfcians will have a stock topic of conversation for months to come. Mr Haselmayer has appeared at Turakina, Marton, and Rangitikei, and, besides several performances at Wanganui, has given a highly successful benefit for the Ladies Benevolent Society. Unless the Wanganuites adopt the Indian method of persuasion, and keep the Professor in honorable bondage as chief mystery man of the province, he may be expected at Westport on the next trip of the Wallabi. The * Grey Argus' says :— *' It was stated in one of Greville's telegrams that it was generally believed in Wellington that the Government were paying Mr O'Conor's expenses in connection with the enquiry by a Select Committee into his conduct and the conduct of the Nelson Provincial Council. On the appearance of the telegram, one of the West Coast members of the Nelson Council communicated with the Colonial Treasurer, and he is assured by Mr Vogel that there is not a word of truth in the statement. Mr To Id's auction-room, Hokitika, says the ' West Coast Times,' was filled on Monday Toy a large crowd of persons anxious—or, perhaps, only curious—to learn the result of the sale of mining interests in the Inangahua district. The following lots were knocked down to bidders: —Gs scrip, Caledonian Prospecting claim, at. 17s each ; 20 scrip. Wealth of Nations, 30s each; 30 scrip, Westland Quartz Mining Company (Hody Byan,s), 13s each. The remainder were withdrawn. Amateur gardeners, with limited practice far cultivation, might take a hint from the following:—" We (' Tuapeka Times ') have heard of a remarkable experiment in potato culture, which we commend to the attention not oniy of those who live by agriculture

but of every householder in the community, Mr M'Murray, of the Shamrock Hotel, last season planted a potato in a cask (an ordinary quarter-cask we believe), placing just enough earth above it to cover it. When the plant givw a few inches out of . the ground, another layer of earth was put put on so as again to cover it, and the operation was repeated till the cask was filled. On Thursday last the cask was broken open, and was found to contain W large potatoes, packed together more closely than one could have conceived would have been possible. They are on view at the Shamrock Hotel. The designation for potatoes thus grown is, we understand, •' Lancashire flukes.'' This mode of culture is common in China, where every ounce of earth is turned to account. If it is found that other experiments of the same kind meet with success similar to that which attended the one above detailed, no one who possesses so much as one square yard of land need ever find it necessary to buy potatoes either in wet seasons or in dry. Every one with a little -care and attention would be able to produce an abundant supply for himself. Late telegrams from Christclrarch state that Hunt, the mate of the schooner Blackwall, had also a very narrow escape from suffocntion at the same time peor Balston, the skipper, met with his death, but that he has now recovered. The firo which was made for the purpose of fumigating the vessel, was of Greymouth coal, not charcoal. We imagine mercury must have been placed therein. A meeting of members of the Presbyterian church was held at Ramsay, Edwards and Company's store, Black's Point, near Reef ton, on Wednesday last, to appoint a building committee for the p\'.rpose of erecting a place of worship in connection with that body. The site chosen is south of Murray Creek, near to the terrace, and covers four ordinary town sections. A sum exceeding one hundred pounds has been already collected towards defraying the cost of a building. The ' Post' says Mr Vbgol will doubtless be hard put to invent fresh taxes. Willing to give him a helping hand, we offer the following suggestions:—An import duty of 5s per ton on coal, 3s per ton on sailing ships, 4a per ton on steamships, inhabited house duty on houses under .£2O rental, and a tax on steam engines at the rate of 5s per horse power. These are quite as feasible imposts as two-penny cheques and receipt stamps. We beg to acknowledge the receipt of two copies ot ' Hansard,' Nos. I and 111, and a number of Parliamentary papers, from Mr Didsbury, Government Printer, Wellington. Wo hear that the Nelson Lodge of Oddfellows has made arrangements for the vaccination of the whole of its member*, if desired, at the expense of the lodge. The Mount Ida Trade Association advertise a list of nearly sixty names of defaulters owing money to members, and solicit information as to their whereabouts. The Sabbatarian petition now in course of signature in Otago, is characterised by the ' Wellington Independent' as " unreasonable and bigoted." We hail with no ordinary satisfaction the growth of the women's rights movemont. We note in the ' Lake Wakatip Mail' that the candidates for the Mayoralty in reply to requisitions begin their reply thus—- " Ladies and Gentlemen." When will our candidates for public suffrages go and do likewise? How bild do the terms, " Fellowcitizens and Gentlemen," appear in comparison with " Ladies and Gentlemen "! All honor to the Queenstown candidates! May the ladies give tbem their aid.