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Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1128, 28 November 1873, Page 2

Mr George Donne has at Charleston spoken honestly and fairly to the electors. He said that he sought no support from the electors on the ground of being a supporte r of any particular candidate for the Superintency. He had no intention of sailing under false colors and wished it to be distinctly understood that he was not a supporter of Mr O'Conor, but would give his vote for Mr Curtis. Whereupon Mr Donne was applauded. The Empire is rising—The most prominent structure in Westport will be the new Empire Hotel now being built in Palmerston street by Mr John Hughes. The lofty frame-work of the building, as now erected, gives the outlines of an imposing building, and the plans of the structure show that the new Empire Hotel will be one of the largest andmost commodious establishments on the Coast. Even now it is a landmark from afar off, a substantial testimony of faith in the present and future prosperity of Westport. Some sample bags of coal brought down from the newly opened seams at the Mokihinui are attracting attention. A trial of the coal has been made during the present week in the cooking range at the Empire Hotel, and the has given most excellent results. The coal burns with a brilliant blaze, throws out an intense keat, and leaves very little ash, and appears to be an excellent coal for gas or steam purposes. Mr John Scaton has some of the coal in his possession, taken from a seven feet seam about two miies from the bank of the Mokihinui river, and will be glad to show it to any one interested. Samples have been sent to the Nelson exhibition and also to Hokitika.

The Lyell Argus reports that a very important discovery was made in the Just* in-Time mine, on Thursday, when the Fiery Cross lode was found exposed on the surface fifty feet to the eastward of the run of stone which is at present being worked. The Argus says that the information is thorougly reliable, and must tend to greatly inerpase the value of the Just>in*Tinio company's property. Mining news from the Lyell :—-Blair and O' Brien are still blocking out. The Monte Christo averages about 13 tons per week; quartz remarkably rich. The Maruia stone is now being crushed at Carroll and Cairn's battery. The battery works well. Shares in the Break-o'-Day aro qnoted at 10s but are held for an advance, the leader getting thicker. Some excellent specimens of golden quartz, from Reefton and the Lyell, h.ivo been forwarded to the Nelson and Hokitika exhibitions. Races will be held at Doughboy Flat, Upper Buller, on Boxing Day. Prizes amounting to £?<> are offered, with extra subscriptions fur Caledonian games.

Messrs Grove and Sloan have withdrawn from contesting the election for the Central Puller District, Messrs Donald Macgregor and R. C. A. L. Maclean are the two rival candidates.

The Lyell and Zala town people are anxious that a branch bank should bo established at Lyell. They have applied to the Bank of New Zealand, and, in the event of that Bunk declining, will make overtures to the new National Bunk.

At the Ahaura there will be two days horse racing on the 26th and 27th December, and one days athletic sports. The West Coast Times says:—" We are informed that Mr E. O'Conor intends shortly starting a second paper at Westport, for the purpose of better publishing his own extremely peculiar views as to the duties of a colonial public man." Forty-nine horses have been entered for tho Dunedin Cup, 1874. Fifteen of them are Master Rowe's pro luce.

The Amuri separation permanent Committee have declared in favor of Mr Curtis, and are working zealously on his behalf, believing that if elected he will use his utmost influence to secure for the District a proportion of revenue for local administration.

Mr Martin Kennedy, of Gi-eymouth, is a candidate for the Westland Superintend dency. At Mr Curtis's meeting at No Town a miner named Sharkey suggest that an inestimable favor would be conferred on the miners if the Superintendent would d>-vise some plan of suppressing the " breed of noxious whiskey dealers that infested the goldfields and poisoned the diggers." This_ evening at 8 p.m. precisely, at the Masonic Hall, the curtain will once more rise to an expectant audience, and the Westport Musical Society will make its clebal before the public. The concert to be given iu aid of the District Hospital funds should be a success, if care and skill and unwearying practice are essentials thereto. In consequence of the Hospital concert commencing at 8 p.m. this eveniug, the Race Committee meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Gentlemen nominated on the Committee are requested to attend at that hour.

Iu our issue of the 25th instant appeared a notice of meeting of Albion Coal Company shareholders, and the resolutions then passed, prefaced by a short resume of the previous discussion. Some discrepancies therein have been pointed out by the resident Directors, tending, in their opinion, to place them, as also the Manager, in a false position if not explained. We very willingly find room for the explanation, in deference to their wishes. The paragraph says:—l. It was shown that the Coomerang had been pui chased against protest of the "directors" (read —shareholders and one director). 2. The directors said the Coomerang had been employed in the cattle trade because fit for nothing else (for " directors " read shareholders). 3: The directors gave working expenses of Coomerang at £4OO per month (omission : When her coal cost 35s per ton). 4. The directors stated Mr Beetham had acted in Wellington entirely on his own responsibility and without the concurrence of the Board. (The directors now say they explained that Mr Beetham went to Wcllingron under instructions to obtain loan of * 15,000 or £20,000, for river works at Ngakawhau, but he was not instructed to interfere in the matter of the Westport railway). 5. That Mr Beetham had caused it to be telegraphed through the colony that the Coomerang had brought out about 100 tons of coal (statement by person present and not by 6. Nelson shareholders invited to visit mine and judge as to reliability of Mr Beetham's statements (read —-judge as to general state of the Company's afFaivs and physical condition of the river, mine, &c.^ Mr George Donne was re-elected as member of the Provincial Council for

Charleston, on Wednesday, by a majority of twenty-three votes over his opponent Mr T. Dwan. The successful candidate honestly avowed himself a supporter of Mr Curtis and won the contest. Had his opponent been less vacillating, and boldly expressed himself also as a Curtis man. the contest would have been exceedingly close.