The Westport Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1873.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1046, 14 February 1873, Page 2

The Westport Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1873.

The New Zealand'G-azette,of the 23rd ultimo, contains new " Regulations for the Civil Service," which, if resulting in no other public good, will at least tend to cause every government servant of high or low degree to give, as far as his natural or assumed abilities will permit, an honest day's work for an honest day's pay; a quid pro quo heretofore, in not unfrequent cases, rather honored in the breach than in •observance. The code of regulations "is comprehensive and strict to the very letter, and has already caused consternation to many in the host of civil servants, who, no small magnates in

their our esteem, now find themselves brought under strict unswerving super* vision. The various public offices are to he open from ten o'clock a.m. to four o'clock p.m., except on Saturdays, when they will be closed at two o'clock. Offices are expected to be in attendance in ample time to permit of the offices being in full working order when open to the public, and the permanent head, or chief clerk of each department, will be charge 1 with the duty of enforcing the regulations

and checking by time-book the arrivals and departures of every official under his control. Officers will be required to attend at their offices utter business hours ibr the completion of arrears of world and no payment for overtime will be allowed, except in special cases. During business hours all officers will be compelled to devote themselves exclusively to their public duties, aud they will not be permitted to leave offices during business hours except ou official duty or by the express permission of their chief officer ; nor will they' be allowod during office hours to receive private visitors. No fee orfeward, beyond his salary, shall be received and kept for his own use by any officer, and all fees received under subpoena or order shall be paid into the General Revenue. No officer will for the future be permitted to hold any paid office in connection with any banking, insurance,ormining company, or any similar body whatsoever, and no professional officer will bo allowed to engage or continue in private practice, without the express permission, in writing, of the responsible Minister, nor will any officer be allowed to accept or continue to hold the offices of mayor, president, chairman, or member of the council or board of any province, county, city, town, borough, shire, or road district. .No address or testimonial must be accepted without the sanction in writing of a responsible Minister. The regulations for leave of absence are more stringent than heretofore, and the duties of an absent officer must be performed by his brother officers without additional salary or remuneration. Intercourse with the public, beyond the mechanical performance of the daily routine of duty is almost absolutely prohibited. " JNo information out of the strict course of official duty shall be given directly or indirectly, by any officer, without express direction or permission of a responsible minister," and furthermore, " no officer shall make any communication, directly or indirectly to the Press, upon any matter affecting the department in which he serves or relating to the public service or upon any political subject or question connected with New Zealand, without the express permission or Minister of a responsible." Probably the press of JNow Zealand will survive this prohibition ! Equally stringent also is the. regulation in connection with political matters. It provides that "in order that officers of all ranks may be enabled to render loyal, and efficient service to the Grovernment, it is necessary, and they are expressly required and enjoined, not to take any part in political affairs otherwise than by recording their votes at elections, and every violation of this regulation will be forthwith visited with such penalty as the circumstances of the case shall appear to demand." Officers exciting parliamentary action with the object of increasing their salaries, will be liable to summary dismissal from the service. Charges against Civil ser-

vants are to be heard by a Board of Enquiry and the report of such Board will be forwarded to the Governor in Council with the opinion of the Board on the case, and such remarks as " they may think fit to make as to any matters conuected with, the inquiry." All punishment for misconduct, whether the penalty be dismissal from the service or reduction to a lower rank, will be notified in the Government Gazette. By this regulation, the most useful in the entire code, many an uncivil and overbearing official will be brought to a proper sense of his position with regard to the public. Another regulation also enforces that all appointments of more than £2OO annual value must be made by the Governor, and thus the patronage before entrusted to " heads of departments," and too often abused beyond all reason has been wisely curbed. Appointments to offices of less salary than £2OO per annum are, except when otherwise required by law, to be made in the name of the Governor by Ministerial Heads of Departments.

Valentine's Day has come and well-irigh gone with only the remotest symptoms of a flutter among Cupid's expectant candidates. A profoundly sad sensation was experienced on Wednesday evening last, by the sudden death of James Cusack, who had been for some time in the employ of the Telegraph Department at Charleston. Tke deceased had obtained leave of and after spending a day or two in Westport had, hfeoat a week since, gone up to the Landing to visit his mother, who lives at Dank's Hotel. On leaving Westport he wa3 apparently in perfect health, and so far as yet known had not suffered in any way except from apparently trivial illnc s i while at the Landing. He left on Wednesday morning, and came down river in a cargo boat with other passengers, and beyond sickness and vomiting, which at the time was supposed to be caused by the motion of the boat, he showed no tions of a serious illness. . Ho enversed freely with the other passengers, and even when as near town as the Ferry, above Rintoul-stioet, he made a remark about the punt. On getting in shore it was found that he was too weak to stand, and some of the boatmon or passengers carried him into Martin's Hotel, where after a very short interval he died. A pout morion examination has been made, and the inquest on his remains will be held at 2 p.m. to-day. The deceased was well known and respected in Charleston for his uniform respectful behaviour and attention to his duties, and no j tho less for the filial duty shown to his mother. He was a member of the Charleston Foresters Court, and representatives of tli at order will attend the funeral this afternoon. A new organ has been obtained by the Churchwarden's of St John's in place of tho harmonium that has done duty for quite a sufficient time, and the new instrument will be u?ed for tho first time on Sundiy next. It s of. American construction and comprises all the latest improvements.

The sub-Post-office at Christio's has been closed, aud letters for that neighborhood will be sent either to Cronaduu or the Landing. The reason for closing the-office id stated to be tho unwillingness of any resident there to accept the offieo of SubPostmastir, except at a higher rate of pay than that generally granted to Bmali country offices ; merely Jts per annum. At the last general meeting of the Wealth of Nations Quartz Mining Company, the following new directory was elected:— Messrs Gulliane, Wuolley, Stevenson, Maxwell, and Watson.

_ A new fortnightly paper is to be published m Christchurch, and is to be devoted exclusively to trade, shipping and agriculture. It is to be entitled tho ' New Zealand Commercial and Agricultural Journal/ and the first number will be issued .in the present month. The trade in timber from Hokitika seems increasing. The Zephyr took a cargo of logs some few days since to Adelaide, and the Maty King is now loading similarly for the same destination.

A woman named Honaria Boyle died at Nelson Creek, on Tuesday, 4th instant, at the advanced age of one hundred and one years (101). The deceased was a native of Arranmore, County Donegal, Ireland. She has been nearly twenty years in the coloDies, and she has for the last two years resided with her daughter and two sons at Nelson Creek. The old lady retained her faculties to within a few days of her death. The funeral, which took place in Greymouth, was numerously attended. The directors of the Otago Daily Times Company contemplate establishing a new evening paper inDunedin.

The Grey Valley Times reports that a rush which is causing considerable stir in Half Ounce, has taken place to Anderson's Gully, at the rear of Mutton Town. The prospects obtained have been very good. It may interest our Masonic readers to know that it is intended te open the Greymouth Boyal Arch Chapter, under the Scotch Constitation, in the course of next week. We understand that the necessary charter has arrived in Dunedin, and that Comp. Caldwell, M.E.Z. of the Otago Kilwinning Chapter, S.C., has left by the Alhambra in order to perform the ceremony of consecration and installation. The West Coast Times says :—" Messrs. Parsons and West the prospectors of the Quartz Eeef, on the Hokitika river, report that at the depth of ten feet, the reef is four feet thick, and is promising stone, having gold visible in it. They have brought some 2cwt. down with them, which will be crushed this day we believe. The result will therefore be speedily known. The Eight Eev. Dr. Moran, Roman Catholic Bishop of'Otago and Administrator of the Diocese of Wellington, arrived in Hokitika, from Christchurch, last Saturday evening. He was met at the Ahaura by the Eev. Father Martin and a large number of the members of the' Catholic Church. On the Christchurch couch -coming up the assemblage greeted the Bishop with three hearty cheers. His Lordship was then conducted by Father Martin to the carriage that was in waiting, and in "which the remainder of the journey was performed. At the tollgate a halt was made, and the children of St. Mary's school, who were there waiting the arrival of the Bishop sang a hymn and then preceded the procession into town. A very large cavalcade followed the Bishop's carriage, amongst whom, consoicuous by their scarfs, &c, were the members of the Hibernian Society. Shortly alter the Bishop's arrival at the Presbytery, he was waited upon bytwo deputations, and addresses were presented to him ; the first being read by Mr Cornelius O'Driscoll, and the second by Mr John Driscoll. The deputation proceeded to the Church, which was crowded in every part allotted to the congregation ; and the Bishop delivered a long address in answer to the addresses which had been presented. The following particulars respecting the rush at Belfast Terrace, Hau-Han, are from an authentic source:—"The prospectors, Aitkin and party, have been prospecting fifteen months, and are getting two grains to half a pennyweight to the dish. Culwell and party, on the other side of the hill, are getting about the same prospects. The New Chum, and Curtis and party average three to four grains to the dish. The washdirt is from two to three feet deep. There are about 100 claimholders on the ground, but it is marked off to the head of Brennan's Creek, two and three claims wide. The West Coast Times is informed by a person who arrived a day or two since in Hokitika from the Haast that the stock of flour there when he left was not more than eight bags; that for the last ten weeks the inhabitants have been without beef, sugar, tea, and tobacco; and that .£1 has been offered for lib of sugar, and the same rate "for tea and tobacco. The informant also states that the population at tho Haast is eight men; at Big Bay, four men; at Bruce Bay, twenty-four men, women, and children. One party at the Haast are earning £4 per man per week, and the others about £2 10s each per week.