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Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1158, 13 March 1874, Page 2

For the appointment of Messenger aucl c ffiuc-keeper at the Proviuci il Government Buildings twenty-five applications woro i tide,

A meeting has boon convened, for Monday evening nex*-, of parties willing to join the formation ot a locallaiulding Bociety. This is a movement in the right direction, and should bo successful.

Ilis Honor the Superintendent will not meet his Executive at Westport as promised. Pressing business takes him to Wellington.

Messis Groenaeld, Pitt, and Shapter arrived from Charleston lust evening. After a short stay in Westport they will travel overland to Nelson.

Two tenders for cutting 40,000 sleepers for the NgQ.kawb.au railway have been accepted from Messrs Woitzel, and Currie, an<l Quaue. Tho prices being 2s id and 2s s£d per sleeper. The sale of the Excelsior Quartz Mining Company:.; property took place on Tuesday, at Mr Munro's auction mart. Lot 1, lease of claim, Ua 3r 12p, with tramway, paddock, blacksmiths shop and appurtenances realised £660, tho purchaser being Mr James Woods, on behalf of the Marnia Company. Lot 3, consisting of mining tools was knocked down for £5 to the same purchaser, Eot 2, a right under agreement with the Alpine Quartz Mining Company for use of the battery to crush 431 ton 3 of epiartz was not sold, the directors of the Alpine having raised a question at the sale as to the existence of such right. The Inspector of Nuisances has laid an information against an offender who, having been engaged to cleanse cess pools in Wallabi and LytteltoD Streets, carried out his peculiar idea of sanitary reform by transferring the contents of the receptacles to the open drains in the streets. 11. D. Jackson, Esq, Provincial Auditor, has been appointed auditor of the Accounts of the Goldlields District Roard, under tho 39th Section of the Goldlields Local Eevenues Act, 1873.

The Licensing Law Amendment Act, the Gold fields Local Revenues Act Amendment Act, and the Supplementary Appropriation Act passed in the last sitting of the Nelson Provincial Council have not been disallowed by the Governor.

The election of a District Board for the Lyell district, under the provisions of the Local Revenues Act will take place on .Monday the Gth April proximo. Two polling places are appointed. The Court House Lyell, and tke oHiee of the Alpine Company, Zala town. The half-yearly meeting of the North Westlaud District Board, M.U.1.0.0.F., was held at the Lodge Room, Palmerston street, on Tuesday. Present —P.C.S. Bro. W. Moore, P.G.M. Bro. Hartill, P.G.D.xM. Bro, P. M'Parland, P.G. Bro. W. Nicholson, P.G. Bro. T. Hayter, P.N.G. Bro. W. B. Gallaud, P.G. Bro. Pitcher, and V.G. Bro. 'J'. Sloans. A sum of iMOO has been placed on the estimates by the Westland Provincial Council as a grant to the Hokitika coal prospecting association, to be paid provided the association spend a further sum of .£2OO in prospecting, and provided further that the amount can bo spared from the Provincial finances. The trade of a bird fancier should flourish in Greymouth, The Mail states that at a sale in Boundary street a day or two ago, some singing - birds brought exceptionally good prices, one lark realising four pounds fifteen shillings, and a magpie three pounds five. Several others brought considerably over a pound each. The settling up of the Ah aura race affairs has not been satisfactory. The Mail says: Barneying was the order of the night. The owners of horses who entered in the races that fell through wanting their money refunded, and the stewards declining to hand over the same. These sums are kept back awaiting the decision of racing authorities. Iu the Hack Pace the protest against Butcher Boy was sustained, and the stakes handed oyer to the seqond horse. Two of Mr Carroll's protests were dismissed, and the third held over for throe weeks. The Committee are threatened with an action for damages from a pastrycook, who was induced by the Secretary's representations to take up a load of goods, and was then forbidden the course, and altogether the stewards seem likely to have a lively time of it now, to compensate them for the unqualified dullness of the meeting.

The Ross Guardian learns from Mr Julius Ahdersdn, who has recently returned from the Haasfc, that all hopes of that district turning out a goldfiold are vain. He was there three months, and with many others prospected the country well. It is too barren to yield gold, the bed rock being too near the surface. Mr Anderson and two others got eight ounces of gold for their three months' work, and were considered lucky, as many other parties got nothing at all.

Thus doploringly writes the Greymouth Mail:—No business in the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning;, Two successive mornings and nott ing to report ! Tennyson tolls us there is no joy like calm, hut really things are getting too cpuot iu Greymouth, for newspapers all events. If this state of affairs continue, we shall be compelled to obtain the services of some personal friend to commit a broach of the peace of some kind just to furnish materials for a paragraph,

The greater portion of the work on Stilt Brothers' road contract has been sub-let, and the men have set in steadily to work. About forty hands arc now employed, but many more are required. Among the passengers on board the Luna was Mr Burton, of the firm of Burton Bros., photqgrapliers, of Bunedin. He had taken a number of photographio views of the scenery at the different places along the West Coast where the p.s. Luna called in, and his collection will be of interest, as depicting the beauties of a portion of New Zealand as yet little known to tourists. A fire broke out on Friday evening last in a small cottage near the Greymouth gasworks. The cottage was detached from others, and uo great loss ensued, but an accident happened to one of the fire brigade; Mr Petrie, of the Mail office, resulting iu the fracture of the middle and third fingers of his right hand. The accident was caused by some of the eugino gear being out of order.

The boat at the Nino Mile ferry was carried away by tho Hood on Saturday, but another will be placed there promptly. The gale on Saturday blow down a great deal of timber on tho Tteefton road,"completely blockading all traffic, tho trees being piled live and sis deep in many places right across the road. Mr Thompson, of the junction, who holds a contract for keeping the track clear, worked hard all day ; ttnday to clear a space sufficien' to get horses through, but he has many days work before him to clear the entiro road. The down mail on Monday evening was several hours behind time, owing to tho obstructions on the road. On Saturday the river rose about twelve feet at tho junction, and it was impossible to cross at Christie's, tho rivor rantting bank high. Mr Warden I road, accompanied by Mr Pitt and Bailiff Temperloy, had been to the Lyell Court, and ■ n their way bavk found on arriving at tho

river bank that no ono would venture ncros3 with a boat, find thoy made tracks through wind and rain for the survey camp. There they obtained temporary shelter, ami afterwards made their way back (three miles) to Dalavadotii's accommodation house, where thoy passed the night. The Inangahua Herald says:—It is expected that the piirehaso of the Inangahua Suspension Bridge will be concluded immediately after the Executive moot in Nelson. Visitors from WesUand are very favourably impressed with the structure and institute comparisons between it and bridges in the neighbouring' Province very favourable to the local work.

Several miners have lately left the lieefton district, for the Palmer river, but the arrivals from other places outbalance the departures. Miss Aitkin, the celebrated elocutionist, purposes giving readings in the West Coast towns, now that her engagement at the Christchurch theatre has terminated. She makes her first appearance at Hokitika on Saturday next. An unprecedented craving for lucre is affecting many of the Charleston traders. Each one in his turn advertising that all accounts due and owing must be paid up promptly to save further trouble and expanse.

Telegraph communication with the Lycll is completed, but the wires are not yet at work, owing to the non-arrival of the bi)erator. Mr Bill Fox, the well-known prospector, has returned to Boss from the Haast river, and reports that the population of the Haast consists of ten miners, Sergeant Sngrue, Constable M'Kenna, one woman, and a storekeeper. Thoy have little hope of the Haast ever turning out anything, but expect to hear of gold being struck at Jackson's Bay. The great event of the week at Charleston has been the christening of tlio Homeward Bound Company's machinery on Monday last, and which attracted a large number of guests at the claim near the Buller river. Mr Tom. Divan officiated as sponsor, and broko the orthodox bottle of No. 2, and made a speech in his customary felicitous style, reviewing the history of the claim, and proposing the health and success of the firm, Messrs Thompson, Parker, and Sullivan. Various other speeches were made, toasts pledged, and universal good wishes expressed. On the machinery being put in motion it was evident from the splendid way it worked that its construction was faultless, and that everything was complete and properly fixed. The total cost of machine, construction, &c., amounts to £1320 • the battery is composed of five head of stampers, of live [and a half cwt each, (capable of being incroased to seven ewt. each); the eonper plate's surface of one hundred square feet, and a long run of tables on which clothes are used. The wheel is thirty feet in diameter three feet in breadth, and is driven by about forty inches of water.

Tho Eeefton Courier publishes a letter from tho mining manager of the Just-in-Tirae, reporting striking the proper course of the reef on tho eastern side of the drive, with six to eight inches gold-bearing stone.

The number of applications for agricultural leases in tho Grey Valley District is steadily increasing, while the revenue from publicans licenses is becoming smaller. The Grey River Argus remarks that the Road Boards by obtaining tho substitution of the revenues from the licenses for the land revenue, which they were entitled, have made an unprofitable "swap" of it. Tho fact is the Road Boards wore not committed in tho arrangement. The Provincial Executive appear to have decided on the alteration, acting probably on the advice of tlie Gbldfield members.

The Grey Argus says that the proprietor of a Chinese Fan Fan house at No Town was charged before the Resident Magistrate on the 2-ith inst, with a breach of the Licensing Regulations, by carrying on business without a license at that place. The " business" was the sale of opium, which was consumed by the purchasers on the promises. The place frequented by the customers of the defendant is a room built near a Chinise store, but not connected with the storokeeping business, and specially fitted up for the purpose with benches and mats on which the opium-smokers and eaters lie while under the influence of the drug._ The defendant said that the sale of opium for consumption on the premises was not a part of his regular business, and it was only done during the- festivities of the Chinese New Year, and not at any other time. The evidence offered by the police satisfied the Magistrate that the offence was habitually committed, and the defendant was fined £2, with costs. The list posted at the Court House of names of applicants for licenses, under the new Licensing Act, shows IS applicants for publican's licenses, 10 for wholesale, and IG for accommodation and bush licenses, making a total of 4i in this district alone. " Professor Bavan," as the American conjuror, notifies his first appearance at the Masonic Hall, Nelson.