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Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1109, 23 September 1873, Page 2

Residents on the terraces, along the beach, at Addisons, and in other out-lying districts, are reminded that the meeting for discussion on the " Goldfields Local Revenues Act" will be held at the Court House this evening at 8 o'clock p.m. The steamer Goahead is expected to arrive this evening or early on Wednesday morning, and will immediately discharge her freight of cattle on the South Spit. Mr John Munro advertises a sale of 40 head prime cattle, 100 fat sheep and some milch oows, and the dearth of meat in the market will no doubt attract many spirited buyers. It is only due to tho enterprise of the importers, Messrs Seaton and Davidson, to say that the regular supply of stock to this market has been interrupted by a series of accidents to the steamers chartered by them. Advices to hand inform us that the s.s St Kilda will very shortly be in commission again, when our local owners and importers will be able' to fully supply the demands of this market. It will be observed that tenders have been called for the erection of new premises in Wakefield street for the Bank of New Zealand. The plans, which have been prepared with considerable care and taste, are for a building that will be at once ornamental and commodious, and which will present a striking feature in the new township. The erection of the Bank in Wakefield street, and Messrs Bailie and Humphrey's new stores in Palmerston street, will tend grsatly to the improvement of the " corner " and no doubt induce the building of other premises in the immediate vicinity, A sudden death occurred on Friday, to a miner named Peter Johnston who had been a resident at German Terrace. Latterly he had been an inmate of the Hospital, and suffering from heart disease, but at his own request arrangements were made by his mates for his removal to Nelson, for change of air. On Thursday night he left the Hospital and slept at the Odd Fellows Hotel, awaiting the departure of the Nelson steamer. On Friday he started from the hotel in a spring cart for Wakefield street wharf, to go on board the Murray, and accompanying him was one of his mates. On going up Palmerston street and when nearly opposite Dupuis' shop, the deceased suddenly fell from his seat towards his companion and muttered some inarticulate words. It was seen that he was dyiug and all haste was made back to his lodgings but before reaching there the vital spark had fled. The funeral took place on Saturday, and notwithstanding the heavy rain falling, a strong muster of miners came in from the terraces to pay the last token of respect to his memory. The deceased was a native of Sweden, and about 34 years of age. He was esteemed by all who knew him as an honest, hardworking, respectable man. The news has been received here that Mr Weffg Home, Barrister, who had long been resident on the Coast, died a few days since at Nelson.

A public meeting has been convened by the Warden of the district to be held at Charleston, on Thursday evening next, for the purpose of giving preliminary consideration to the provisions of the " Goldfields Local Eevenues Act."

Our local fieshers are taking a holiday. The non-arrival of steamers trom Wanganui with cattle has caused the supply of fresh meat to be exhausted both at Westport and Charleston. On Saturday morning last our butchers got a small supply of fresh meat from Hokitika, and the next steamer, the Goahead, from Wanganui is expected this evening with a good supply of live stock. Meanwhile the shutters are up, and blocks bare, and salted meats are in demand ;

Affairs are progressing well in Larrys No. 2 South. The paddock is filled with rich quartz and some of the stone from the north end of the drive is well studded with gold. The shareholders, who do all the work themselves, are considering the advisability of putting up a small machine that will crush about 20 tons per week. The news has been received from Anderson's claim that exceedingly good stone has been struck, unsurpassed by any yet obtained in the mine or locality. One lot, weighing about a hundredweight, was estimated to contain five ounces of gold, and there are not wanting persons willing to wager that a not smaller result would be obtained from the stone if crushed by itself. The reef is thickening considerably, and this fact, together with its extraordinary richness, is rendering the prospects of shareholders satisfactory in the extreme. A cricket club is about to be established at Reef ton. Messrs Mathais, Thorpe, and Lucas are collecting subscriptions, and the idea is well entertained by the public, who at times find the need of something for idle hands to do.

Tlie Mayor of Auckland has telegraphed to his brother Mayors in the principal towns of the Colony, asking them to initiate subscriptions in aid of sufferers by the late fire.

The following paragraph from a contemporary is "going the rounds" of the New Zealand press:—There is a fine opening for an aspiring genius in Weatport just now, as applications are invited by the Borough Council from persons willing to fulfil the duties of " interim " Town Clerk, for the sum of £2 weekly ! A number of the friends of the late William Lyons, who was well known in Westport, attended his funeral on Saturday the

13th instant, at Greymouth. Deceased was well known on the Coast having been engaged in packing in the Buller district for soma years, and subsequently in reefing in the Inangahua district. Lately he had been in the employ of Mr P. B. Lloyd, coal merchant of Greymouth, but having been suffering from heart disease for some weeks back he was obliged to seek the shelter of the hospital walls, where he gradually sank and died.

The Greymouth Argus notifies that the system of publishing the contents of cargoes, with specific quantities and the names of consignees or shippers, having long been abandoned by the Melbourne papers and by the principal papers in the colony, the example will in future be followed by the Argus. There is obvious reason for this in the fact that consignees' bills of lading occupy considerable space, that they involve reporting work for which there is no justification in the general interest felt in the matter so reported, and that greater part of tke imports coastwise consist of small parcels of goods which are in the hands of consignees as soon as they are recorded at the Custom House. A summary of shipments inwards will, however, be given, as an index of the state of the local market j and consignees may have items of their imports inserted among the shipping intelligence, on payment of a special charge, such as is customary elsewhere. The Argus is perfectly justified in this for the reasons given. Readers of the Westport Times will observe that our notices of imports comprise only goods received by consignees who use outadvertising columns. The greatly increased cost of production of newspapers will no longer admit of gratuitous advertising. The Charleston Herald says:—Some very excellent gold has been struck in the neighborhood of Razorback, but from the nature of the country, it will be a matter of some difficulty to get water on to the lead, so as to work the ground in a systematic manner. The Tuapeka Times of the 3rd instant says : —Last evening Horace Bastings Esq. M.P.C., on behalf of a large number of friends, presented Mr Levi Buck, postmaster, who is leaving for Westport, a valuable gold watch and chain. The following address, beautifully illuminated, was also presented to Mr Buck: "To Mr Levi Buck, postmaster, Lawrence—We, the undersigned, on behalf of ourselves and residents of the Tuapeka district, hearing that you are about to leave us, beg to present you with the accompanying watch and chain as a token of the respect we entertain for you. While amongst us, we have always found you active and obliging in the discharge of your duties as postmaster, and telegraphist, and ready to lend a helping hand in every movement for the benefit of our local charities. Trusting that in your new sphere of labor yourself, wifo, and children may meet with all the kindly feeling you leave behind.—We are, &c." A meeting of the directors of the Invincible and Anderson's Creek Quartz Mining Companies will bo held at an early date, to consider the proposal of the latter company to drive a tunnel from the lower level of the Invincible into Anderson's mine. The Invincible tunnel is 160 feet below the low level tunnel of Anderson's, and it will be understood, therefore, that if any arrangement can be come to for carrying out the proposal, it will be the means of opening up an immense body of stone in Anderson's, and greatly facilitate the future working of the mine. The Nelson Examiner regrets to learn that his Excellency the Governor will not be able to visit Nelson in November, to open the proposed Industrial Pxhibition. Before Sir James Fergusson was communicated with, arrangements had been made by him for an extended visit to Otago and Canterbury, and he will be in one or other of those provinces at the period of the Nelson Exhibition Sea encroachment is still shown on the Hokitika beach. The Register of a recent date says :— Spring tides are causing the sea to encroach more on the beach than we have seen it at any time during the past four years. For the present, the vexed question of enclosing portions of ths beach is settled by the water rising almost to the top of the fences, to the vexation of those who have expended their money upon them.

This is the way the Dunedin Guardian writes on the question of the Seat of Government: —" One is fairly staggered at the amount of money that is squandered in Wellington, on the head of tinkering and adding to rickety old wooden buildings, which the Colonial Architect condemned as rotten. Tear by year this expenditure goes one, actively supported by the Cook's Straits members, in the hope that the colony, rather than abandon the large sum invested in land and buildings, would finally submit to the supremacy of Wellington. We are no advocates of change, and we readily acknowledge the argument in favor of Wellington, as being the principal central port of the colony; but we stop there. We think it would be far better for the colony to abandon all its assets in Wellington, and erect permanent buildings elsewhere, than to continue to be governed from the centre. There is no opinion at the Seat of Government, save an official mind. Its Press, excellent in other respects, does not represent the public feeling of the few colonists who still sojourn at Port Nicholson, and it is thereforo hopeless for any one to attempt to look behind the official screen, and see things a3 they really are." Under an amended Distillation Bill, introduced by Mr Collins. M.H.E., hotelkeepers were to be allowed to brew their own malt liquors whenever and wheresoever it may have pleased them. For once both sides of the House were unanimous. Even the exPremier, Mr Pox, did not lift his voice against so much latitude being allowed to

his enemy, the hotel-keeper. As for Mr T, L. Shepherd, he was quite charmed with the proposal, and in a speech highly commendatory of the measure, brought up with the following neat peroration:—" Many of the older members would recollect the excellent home brewed, nut-browned ale, supplied at the roadside tavern on the countryroads of dear old England. A. beer innocent of coculus indicus—a beer with the sweet flavor of the malt commingling with the delightful bitter of the hop—a beer which made glad the heart of man, and did not draw heavy on the purse. He hoped to live to taste of such brewing in the highlyfavored Colony in which they were then dwelling." Unfortunately these pleasant anticipations were doomed to disappointment. The Bill has been thrown out by the Upper House.

That eminent West Coast institution—the giand and free ball and supper—has reached the far interior of Nelson Province —Matakitaki. An indication of the scattered population who are expected to dance and sup is the statement that " stabling will be provided for all horses."

The Gold Mining Bill has met an early fate in the massacre of innocents, but in its last moments it evoked some lively discussion. Major Atkinson moved its discharge from the order paper, and MiVincent Pyke seconded the motion, as he considered the measure crude and needing remodelling. Mr T. L. Shepherd, the putative father of the bill, flared up at this, and said it had the approval of Mr Curtis, the Superintendent of a goldfields province of longest standing in the House. Mr Pyke, he said, was canvassing with the view of being appointed Minister of Mines, and the bill was not the monster of iniquity the new Pyke broom had painted it. Mr P>ke said that the Otago miners were afraid of the bill. The main reason was that Mr Shepherd had drafted it. Mr White of Hokitika, followed suit. He said he had been, alluded to by Mr Shepherd as a mere delegate. That hon. member regarded himself as the heavy father of the mining community. He had heard him referred to as the " Claimant." Mr Vogel submitted Mr White was out of order. Mr White thought Mr Shepherd might be properly referred to as the " Claimant," because he claimed to have a larger knowledge of goldfields matters than any other member. He saw that the bill made provision for the appointment of a mining registrar. He thought that was a suspicious feature of it. He knew that Mr Shepherd hsd devoted a large amount of time to the drafting of the measure during the recess. He wanted to know had he been paid for this. The bill met with no favor from any member of the House except from Mr Bathgate ; and the fact that it met with favor from him showed, he thought, that there was a vacancy in the upper regions of that hon. gentleman.