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Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1066, 25 April 1873, Page 2

At the sitting of the District Court yesterday, the only case disposed of was the final examination of E. A. Duffy, an insolvent, to whom a discharge was granted. The Court -will sit again to-day, for hearing of the bankruptcy cases re Pell and Atkinson, Crowall and Jacobsen, and "William Morris. There is no criminal business set down for hearing. Some good and important intelligence has been received from the Terrace diggings. At Giles' gold is said to have been found in the lower level near Christies lease, and a similar discovery is also reported to have been made in Barclay and party's tunnel claim at Rochfort. Heretofore all the gold found on the terraces has been on the upper levels, and if the discovery now reported is confirmed, a speedy revival of mining industry must follow, and the long dormant glories of the terrace rush may be again soon, resuscitated. The prospecting party at the Bald Hill, back of Caledonian Terrace, are also said to have struck good good ground, but definite particulars are yet wanting. Tfee news received from Andersons yesterday is most encouraging. Six weeks crushing, about 600 tons, having yielded 91-3 ounces of melted gold, which will be semi as usual to Greymouth. The reef too has -widened out to seven feet or more, and the stone, good in quality, and ample in quantity, will keep the stampers going as long as the Directors choose. The rumor industriously circulated a day or two since by one or more individuals that the reef ■was thinning and the plates showing little sign of gold, was a weak invention of the enemy, one of those very silly dodges whereby knaves attempt to catch flats and are themselves deluded.

At the Excelsior claim, Lyell, a sufficient qaantity of stone is now ready for another crushing, which may be commenced before tike end of the current month. The manager, Mr Dickinson, is now employed putting in an uprise from the middle to the upper level, and a few days ago he struck a good body of quartz of reddish appearance about 3ft. thick, which leads down to very clear white quartz in the floor which contains some very good gold. There is every iwason to believe that this is the main n?ef.

It is satisfactory to business men to see tfiat the Insolvency business in the District Court at Westport is reduced to small proportions. The only cases to be bvought before the Court, with one exception, having been partly heard at the previous sitting in February. A good proof of the sound commercial status of the district.

A party of sealers went down a few days since, in a cargo boat, to the Steeples, and were successful in capturing several young seals, one of which was brought alive to Westport. Prom indications it appears a numerous school of seals locate themselves on the Steeple rocks, and valuable captures might be made there during favorable weather.

A meeting of the Westport Volunteer Fire Brigade was held on Tuesday evening last for practice, and thereafter for general business. It was decided amongst other matters to obtain a heavier and more powerful bell than the one now in use, the new one to be 3£ cwt., to sink additional wells, and to remove the engine-house to a more central position, probably somewhere in Palmerston street, provided the necessary funds can be obtained from the public. At the Supreme Court held at Nelson on Tuesday, Mary Woodman, committed from Westport, was charged with manslaughter of Catherine M'Carthy, and convicted. Sentence was deferred, pending the decision of a case for the Appeal court, as prisoner has already been sentenced to two years, for the assult which resulted in the death of her victim.

The long expected parcel of books from England, for the Westport Athencßum, arrived yesterday per p.s. Charles Edward.

The extreme mildness of the season is shown by the second flowering of frnit trees in Mr John Draghicavich's gardens at the South Spit. He has there an apple tree in full healthy blossom.

It is rumored in Otago that a probability exists of Mr Macandrew, the Superintendent of Otago, being appointed AgentGeneral.

A young lady named Miss Bernard, accompanied by Mr E. Handyside, was crossing the ford a little below Ribet's, last week, when her horse stumbled and threw her into the water. Her escort was successful in speedily rescuing her from her perilous position. The representation of Nelson suburban district is not to be decided without a struggle, Mr Charles Elliott, Mr Kelling, and Mr A. J. Richmond having offered themselves as candidates. AH three of them declare their approval of the Public Works policy.

The foundation stone of a new Masonic Hall was laid a few days since at Timaru, and as usual there was deposited in the cavity, vessels containing copies of papers, written documents, and also coins of the realm. Some beggarly blackguard at midnight prised the foundation stone out of its position and pilfered the money. ' A suspect" has since been taken into custody.

With regard to the recent discovery in the Energetic Claim, the Inangahua Herald of Wednesday says:—"ln the shaft lately sunk towards the boundary in the Energetic, the continuation of the gold-bearing reef in the Wealth of Nations was struck at a depth of 72ft with very good prospects and a large body of stone. They expect

having to sink as much as 30ft before passing through the reef. The find has exercised a most cheering influence upon all connected with the claim, and ill fact everyone in the district, as water for crushing is now only required to enable the company to pay dividends almost immediately. The rainy season is now approaching, when for some months the batteries wili foe kept uninterruptedly employed."

The Bazaar &t Ilokitika has been a great success. The 'Staj: says it is likely to add, after all expenses>are paid, something like .£3OO nett to the Hospital funds. A trial crushing of stone from West and parties claim KokOtahi district, has been made at the Bank of New Zealand, Hokitika, and the yield was at the rate of 3oz 4dwts to the ton. less a few grains. The return is considered by Hokitika speculators to be highly satisfactory. Mr Shaw, formerly proprietor of the West Coast Times, Hokitika, is now proprietor of the Hollister Advance, a Californian up-country paper. A correspondent from the Ahaura, writing to the Greymoua'th Star, says.—The frost during the last five days has been intense, particularly so on the highlands, where all the dams and water races are frozen over for a great part of the day. This new foe to mining is likely 'to be for a little time as miscbievous almost as the drought, for those who have had plenty of water throughout the dry season now find their supply for the first time diminishing. A cattle dealer named Archibald M'Laren living on Multhen's Plain, Grey district, fell from his horse and fractured his skull last week. He is not yet out of danger. The current price for coal in Wellington has fallen to £2 and .£2 2s per ton, owing to the large quantities to hand from Newcastle. At other ports a reduction in price has also taken place. The Lyell Argus says:—After Monday next the mail will close at Lyell every Monday and Thursday, in order to catch the Reef ton and Westport mailmen, who leave Christy's Tuesday and Friday. Mr Fennell has also received instructions to forward all letters for Australia and southern ports to Reefton en route for Greymouth, from which port they will have quicker despatch. Mr Charles Elliot, of the Nelson Examiner Company, has issued an address to the electors of the Suburbs, offering himself as a candidate for that seat in the Assembly. The following applications for goldmining leases at the Lyell were heard by Mr Warden Broad, at the last sitting of the Court: —Christian Rasmussen, 16£ acres, Irishman's Creek; recommended. John Carrol, 10 acres, 1 rood, 25 perches, Eightmile Creek; adjourned to May 7. Samuel Marston, 15 acres, Alpine Range; adjourned in order to arrange for the reservation of a crrek included within the boundaries of the proposed lease. Harry Gard, 7 acres, 2 roods, (Prenez Garde Company), east of the Union lease ; adjourned to May 7. Godfrey Hofer, 16 acres, 32 perches, Eight-mile Creek; adjourned to May 7. Plans &c, were also produced to the Court of a special claim which the Superintendent purposes giving to the Alpine Company, in consideration of their putting in a tunnel of 2000 ft at a level 1200 ft below the present workings. The proposed area in 16 acres s 1 rood 25 perches. A correspondent of a Nelson contemporary has made a discovery which he thus describes:—" I wonder if any of your readers are aware that a great mistake, was made in keeping last Sunday as Easter Day. It may have been Easter Sunday in England, but it certainly was not so here. The Church of England Prayer Book, which I suppose, may be considered an authority upon such matters, says:—'Easter Day is always the first Sunday after the full moon which happens upon or next after the twenty-first day of March; and if the full moon happens upon a Sunday, Easter Day is the Sunday after.' It is true that in London it was full moon at 9.51 on Saturday night, but in New Zealand this did not happen until 9.30 on Sunday morning, consequently next Sunday (the 20th instant) will be the veritable Easter Day in this part of the world."

At Naseby, the most recently declared Municipality in Otago, at the first regular meeting of the Council, held on the Bth instant, seven applications were received for the office of town clerk. The salary pertaining to the office is £SO per annum with ten per cent upon all rates collected. A payment somewhat in excess of the average salaries paid to town clerks in up-country municipalities throughout Otago, excepting at one or two of the more important townships. Commenting on the failure of the San Francisco mail service, the Auckland evening Star says:—" We may as well accept it as a fated thing that our participation in the future San Francisco mail service will be by boat connecting at Fiji. It may be hard to step dowil from the high ground hitherto occupied, but the failure reflects neither on New Zealand nor her Government. She has dono her part, and she has been sold—sold like a bullock." The following clip will be read with interest by those who own or cultivate sandy land: —There is at present growing in the Government Domain, at Christchurch a specimen of a valuable grass—the Cynodon Dactylon, commonly called the " dool " or " doal" grass, which was accidentaly brought from Sydney along with some other plantSj and which should prove valuable to those settlers who possess loose or sandy lands. The grass, it is stated, grows luxuriously on this description of soil, is very nutritious, and has the valuable property of remaining perfectly green in the driest weather, and of spreading with extraordinary rapidity.