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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 1001, 3 September 1872, Page 2

The residents in Lyttelton Street, are taking active measures to render that thoroughfare perfectly good for traffic. The drainage on the north side of the street having been completed, a subscription has now been raised for draining the other side, and a party of men commenced operations yesterday, and they will also level aud form the street from end to end. Lyttelton street will thus be made one of the best business thoroughfares, as the large buildings in course of erection on either side are all fast approaching completion. The people in Cobden street are blso at last bestirring themselves to follow so good an example, and arrangements are nearly complete for the formation of that thoroughfare. A proposal is also before the public to raise by subscription, a sufficient sum to form a wharf and embankment extending from the Customs shed, at the foot of Bright street, upwards, past Lyttelton street, to Cobden street. It is proposed to erect a staging on piles for the whole length, and about 26 feet in width, and to protect tho river bank by an inner row of piles cased on the outward side with planking, and backed up in the inside with stones and fascines, the planked wharf and roadway along the river bank to be on the same level. The estimated cost of the work will be £IOOO, of which ,£SOO has been already subscribed. Pioteeiion will be applied for with the right to levy wharfage dues, and thus to some extent the work may bo made reproductive, and in the event of a municipality being established here, the promoters of the scheme would hand over the wharf to the con'rol of the Council. The idea seems excellent, and if brought to a successful issue will most materially improve the township now beiig rapidly rebuilt in the area comprised within Bright, Palmerston, Cobden and Wharf streets; and the central thoroughfare of Lyttelton street. In fact a permanent wharf and embankment, built on the position indicated, would be of the greatest possible benefit and convenience to every resident, in Westport, and materially enhance the good repute of the Buller as a safe harbor.

This evening the long promised Soiree at the CT.M.F. Churchin Wailabi street will be held, and every preparation is being made to secure a successful gathering, and, if the weather proves fine, a very numerous attendance may be anticipated, The ladies of the congregation are working hard to ensure that there shall be no lack of creature comforts gracing the tables; the members of the choir may be expected to excel in their selections of sacred harmony ; and the heavier portion of the programme will be entrusted to gentlemen whose oratorical powers are well known and appreciated. The prisoner George Barton, alias Yorkey, under arrest on suspicion of complicity in the rumored murder of Costello, has been transferred to Reeftou, under escort of constables Meredith and O'Gorman. Many doubts are still entertained as to whether the suspicion of foul play is based on sufficient grounds, or whether the report is a mere canard, but the police authorities are leaving no stone unturned to clear up the mystery. Antonio the cattle dealer, who was reported as having seen Costello in the Grey Valley, denies the statement, and says that he last saw him in Reef ton about the time of his disappearance and that Costello then said he intended to clear out as he was being pushed for money. The Result has brought another cargo of coal from the Ngakawhao, for which there is, as usual, a brisk demand, the supply having previous to her arrival, run exceedingly bare. The owners of the mine have been busy of late removing snags obstructing the channel, and are now awaiting the arrival of an experienced mining engineer from Melbourne, who.inaddition'to viewing the mine and reporting fully as to its working capabilities, will superintend the removal of the rocks at the wharf; it being intended to blast them by means of dynamite.

It is reported that the Orawaiti Bridge which has been closed for some time past for horse and dray traffic, is to be again leased ; the lessees covenanting to put and keep the bridge in repair, in consideration of being authorised to collect tolls thereon. The new government track from Hughes' accommodation house is said to be preferable for foot traffic to the main road to Reef ton. The distance from Hughes' to Thompson's at the Inangahua landing is about six miles, and saves about seven miles distance on the journey from Westport to Reefton. A traveller who has just gone over the road from Square town to Reefton, says that the Reefton people have been in too great a hurry in getting it thrown open for traffic. The road has not had time to set and the wheel traffiu has already cut it up to such a degree that a few days rain will render it impassable, except perhaps for pack horses. The coating of gravel on the road averages about nine inches only, and the under layer of earth and fallen timber has little stability. The road is also so extremely narrow that in many places drays cannot pass each other, and the zig zags on the Saddle are so abrupt that it is impossible to work a team pulling more than about two tons. The road has been constructed at great cost, but is likely to prove of very little utility until several thousand pounds more are expended on it. It is proposed that a Jockey Club should ba formed in the Inangahua Disdrict, and that the first meet shall be at Fern Flat, during the ensuing Christmas holidays. The following local' sports' have been appointed to co-operate as a Provisional Committee to report as to tho suitablenets of the proposed course and other details : Messrs Mace, Kelly, Trennery, Shepherd, Oxley, F. Franklvh, R. Reues, Slattery, Barker. Fox, M'Hardie, Bentley, Promt, and Ivess.

Wj have received from tho Government Printer, another parcel of parliamentary papers, and copies of ' Hansard' up to the 27th ult.

A substantial railing and head board have been erected over the grave of the

lato Frederick Hodges, who it will be re- I memb?red perished at Burke s Crook while wandering in the bush during a late snow stoiiu. The cost or' the erection has been defrayed by his fellow compositors connected with the several newspapers on the Coast as a tribute of respect to the deceased gentleman's memory. The ' Herald 1 says that on Saturday last, as the men employed upon the Mia Mia and lieef'ton road were being paid oft', they were requested to affix their signatures to a blank sheet of paper, in addition to the usual pay sheets. This strango procedure naturally aroused the suspicion of many of the workmen, and upon the official being asked to explain this unusual course, he failed to give a satisfactory reply as to its purpose. This is generally supposed to be another subterfuge of the Nelson Government to obtain signatures to their anti-separation petition. We trust if the suspicion prove correct the matter will be fully exposed in the House when that precious memorial is presented. The same journal also says, Constable Chichester of the Matakitaki has been canvassing the Upper Buller and Lyell districts for signatures to the anti-separa-tion petition. He was touting at the -Lyell on Sunday week, and, in our reporter's hearing, informed the Warden that he had been instructed to proceed to the Lyell for that purpose. The' Argus' say 3: —The anti-separation agents of the Nelson Government employed in obtaining signatures to the petition, showing the blessings of Nelson rule, have met with a bad rime of it in the Keefton district, and if they are dependent on the shilling a head only, will find themselves little richer, owing to the said perquisites. The whole thing has been a fiasco —one of which the Executive in question has the smallest possible occasion to be proud. A telegram to the Nelson * Colonist' of the 29th August, upon the position of the Ministry and the Opposition, states the whips of the latter party are making strenuous efforts, but there is a growing feeling in the House against Mr Stafford's motion which creates a belief that it will be defeated by a larger majority than was at one time anticipated. The ' Argus' correspondent at the Ahaura, says: —The whole of the Grey Valley is now in a ferment about the proposed change of the governmant of these goldfieids. Meetings are being held and memorials signed in all directions, and if, after this almost unanimous expression of disgust and indignation at the actions of the Nelson Government, Mr Curtis ever again makes the statements that his Government has the confidence of the Goldfields community, his Honor's reputation for wild and reckless assertion will be fully confirmed, There were not six refusals throughout the valley to sign the memorial to the General Assembly praying for emancipation from Nelson control, and out of the half dozen the only reasonable excuse for refusal was given by an old buffer at Duffer Creek, who objected to affix his signature to the document, when it was presented to him, because he did not happen to have his spectacles with him. On being asked what his goggles had to do with the prayer of the petition, he explained that during Feargus O'Connor's time in England he was induced by a designing knave to sign what he thought was a Chartist petition to the House of Commons, but which eventually turned out, much to his disgust, to be an lOU, and he made a vow that on principle he would never put his name to paper again until he had personally perused the contents of the document lie was asked to sign.