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Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1091, 22 July 1873, Page 2

The result of the nomination for the election anew of Municipal Councillors, resulted in bringing out three new candidates in addition to seven out of the nine who previously polled the highest numbers of votes. Owing to the accidental absence of Messrs Con- and Field from town, and the impossibility of getting their signatures to the nomination papers in time, it was considered necessary to nominate two more candidates in their stead, and Messrs Munro and Organ were so nominated. Mr Fraser also received a requisition to stand for election, and the supporters of Messrs Blacklock and Stitt were so sanguine that another polling would place their candidates among the winning numbers, although they lost at the last election, that they also consented to venture upon the issue of another polling. Thus for the nine offices twelve candidates were nominated, and the election will come off on the 31st instant. It will be noticed that Mr Fraser has retired from the candidature, and thus supposing the seven originally elected will again receive the votes of those who first supported them, the two vacancies caused by the displacement of Messrs Corr and Field will be filled by tho election of two out of tho four other candidates, namely, Messrs Munro, Organ, Stitt and Blacklock. Tho reason assigned by Mr Fraser for retiring, as stated in a letter to the Returning Officer, is that he considers a contested election, under existing circumstances, undesirable, injurious, uncalled for,and unjust, and that the two nominees standing next in order of polling below the names of those previously elected should be again nominated, and be entitled to election without contest. This is, however, a decision that must be now left to the electors. Thoy have two vacancies to fill, and four good men to choose from.

To-morrow, the 23rd, instant, at noon, a meeting of householders is convened at th c Courthouse for the purpose of electing six persons as a local Committee of Education for the »Vestport district. The plentiful scarcity of everything, as a Milesian would say, in the shape of small change has vanished. Tho Bank of New Zealand having imported some .£3OOO worth of silvor coin of tho realm for circulation by its various branches, and a boxful of bright new shillings and sixpences has found its way to Westport. Henceforth the battered and dingy pocket-pieces that kave dono duty so long as exchange mediums will show a sprinkling of brighter

bawbees, and the too customary phrase, "haven't got a sixpenco, take a cigar," or " I'll Yankee grab, shilling or nothing," need no longer prevail. There is a slight misgiving that the box may contain an assortment of threepenny and fourpenny pieces, alias "joeys," but it is to be fervently desired that these too diminutive portraits of her Majesty may be carefully stowed away as dead weight in the bank's coffers until desperately needed. For instance, until some wandering bagpiper ventures to visit Westport. Discreet presentation of a few might drive him incontinently back again. Better this, or anything, rather than hear the weu bits drop " promiscus like " into the collection plates on Sundays. Their inevitable and predestined destination if they once get circulated. The holders of sections 90, 103, 104, 110, 44, 59, 69, 84. 124, 139, 145 and 160, and also owners of buildings on freehold or maori sections destroyed or removed by reason of sea or river encroachment, are requested to attend at the "Warden's office on or befoi-e noon on Saturday next, as a further allotment of sites in respect of such sections will be made on the following Monday. As a healthy sign we may note that a Dunedin broker advertises, "Albion Coal Company shares wanted to purchase." A correspondent sends the following : An accident, which might have been fatal occurred at German Terrace on the night of Wednesday the 16th inst, to a man named Harry Williams, better known as German Harry. It appears that Williams having been to visit some of his friends in that locality, and returning rather late, the night being very dark, after the heavy rain, and having to cross a dam, belonging to Messrs Teasdale, he made a few steps in the wrong direction, and fell headlong off the bank, into the deepest part of the water. Mr Herman London, storekeeper, who happened to bo coming in the same direction, hearing the heavy splash, ran to the spot, and in a few moments saw the head of Williams, who was then coming up to the surface the second time. Mr London, with presence of mind, immediately grasped Williams by the shirt collar, and after great exertion, managed to bring the drowning man to dry land and thereby saved his life. Wo received by last mail a pamphlet issued from the Government printing office, being a guide to the Now Zealand Government Life Insurance and annuities. It contains a mass of information specially compiled to show the advantage of the Government scheme of Life Assurance. Copies of the tables may be seen and procured at the agency, which in the case of Westport is the Post-office, or they will be sent per post on application to the Commissioner.

Another batch of newlyarrived emigrants, sixteen in number, went southward by the Wallace yesterday for Grreymouth, having arrived at Wellington by the Halcione. The majority of them came out under the nominated system, and will find friends waiting their arrival. A peculiar on dit is going the rounds of the Press, stating that a member of the House of Representatives is a bigamist. This rumor has since been supplemented by a rumor that there is also a member who sits under a nom deplume, or what the police Ch.ll an alias, and moreover that he is a near relation of the reputed bigamist. The sooner enquiry is made as to the truth of these statements the better, because, if true, they constitute a reflective disgrace on the entire colonial Parliament. The Wellington Independent says:— " The Grey and the Mount Rochfort coalfields may be assumed to be the representative coalfields of the colony. In extent, facility of working, and quality, the seams of these fields will compare favorably, if not actually surpass, those of any other part of the world. The extent of coal already discovered at the Grey would of itself supply all the wants of the colony for a generation ; whilst the plateau of Mount Rochfort and its western spurs contain vast stores of the precious mineral. To make these resources available should be one of the first duties of the colony, and no petty considerations as to any special benefit to be conferred on this or the other particular place should be allowed to interfere with a grand scheme for utilising the colonial coalfields."

The crushing plant, buildings, and working material, &c, of the United Band of Hope Quartz-mining Company, on Shiel's line of reef, at Murray Creek, were sold by auction in one lot, at Reef ton, on the 12th July, for £3OO. The purchaser was Mr Morris Levy, of Greymouth, who made his bid by telegraph. It was rumored in Reefton that the fortunate purchaser had refused an advance of £IOOO on his bargain. Hans Hansen, a travelling tinker, was arrested in Hokitika lately for being illegally on Mr Hansen's premises. He has since demonstrated his ability to get out of premises rather more secure than the Post Office Hotel, aa it was discovered by Constable M'Donald on going to the lock-up that the prisoner had escaped. It appears, says the Register, that he had wrenched off the handle of a bucket which was left in his cell, by means of which he forced up a plank in the flooring. He then scooped out a hole large enough to admit of his crawling out. Of course active search was made for him, and he was arrested in Sewell street in the afternoon by Constable M'Donald. Asphalte footpaths have proved a success in Greymouth, as affording most comfortable walking. In time, under the benign influence of the new Municipal Council, Westport pedestrians may hope to promenade on a similarly level footing, Hokitika papers announce the death of Mr James Turner, late of the Oddfellows' Hotel, Revell street. He died in the Hospital from effusion on the brain. Wc acknowledge tho receipt from Mr John Henderson, C.E., the representative

of Messrs Brogden md Sons, of a pamphlet setting forth the woposal made last year by that firm, to tie Government; of New Zealand, but which the latter declined to entertain, to entruit to a company the construction and maiagement of the public railways in New Zealand. Tho proposal is now fully stated and explained by Mr Henderson, and the -gjaphlet is accompanied with a map the authorised and proposed the Colony. "We shall place a more extended notice of this proposal before the public at an early date. The Fiery Cross and Just-in-Time Companies have arranged to erect quartz-crush-ing machinery jointly, and from present indications it is anticipated that the yield of gold from either claim will average three ounces to the ton. Travellers to Okarito will be glad to learn that a track is now being constructed over the Wanganui Bluff. The traok will be from five to six miles in length. At a bazaar at Eoss, in aid of the Church of England, the nett proceeeds were about £IOO. The Nelson Examiner of the 18th instant says :—Mr Donne, M.P.C,, has caused the proprietors of the Nelson Evening Mail to bo served with a writ, claiming £SOO damages, for a libel on him contained in the telegraphic news published by our contemporary on the 10th instant. The paragraph complained of was accidentally admitted; it only appeared in the country edition of the Mail, and was suppressed as soon as seen by the Editor. Apology was also made the following day, but this does not satisfy Mr Donne's wounded feelings, who, unless he can get a "substantial" acknowledgment of error, appears determined to proceed. If he does, we think he will be badly advised. The nature of the libel is thus described in Wednesday's Evening Mail:—"We desire to express our great regret that there should have appeared in a telegram which was published in the country edition of the Evening Mail on Thursday last a slanderous charge reported to have been made by Mr Ivess, in addressing his constituents at Reefton, against Mr George Donne, M.P.C. * * # * * It is scarcely necessary for us to assert that we do not for one moment believe, or desire to endorse, the contained therein, nor to state that we have no reason whatever for suspecting the existence of the slightest grounds for its being made. On the contrary, we most sincerely regret that it should have appeared in our columns; we are exceedingly sorry that, owing to a pure accident, we should have been the means of wounding the feelings of the gentleman so unjustly, as we believe, accused; and we feel excessively annoyed that, through inadvertence, tho Evening Mail should have been converted into a medium for the circulation of such a slander."