Important to Jurymen.—At the late criminal sittings of the Supreme Court in Nelson, his Honor Judge Richmond, upon receiviug two medical certificates of ill-health as reasons for the non-attendance of two Jurors who had been summoned, said that in future lie should not recogniso any such certificates unless they specified the particular disease under which the persons named in them were suffering. Jurors who may have occasion to make use of medical certificates, will therefore require to see that the above order is complied with.

Police Court.—After an adjournment from Friday morning till Saturday, -when by reason of the absence of the prosecutor, the' case was again adjourned until ye3terdav, the person styling himself Sir Frederick Alfred Chambre Foster, Baronet, was again brought before the Resident Magistrate on the

sworn information of John Ryan, publican. The information declared that prisoner had " unlawfully and knowingly by false pretence, obtained of and from the said John Ryan the sum of five pounds in money, the moneys of the said John Ryau." Although, as we are officially informed, a warrant to compel the attendance of the prosecutor wa,3 issued, yet Ryan was not to be found, and consequently the accused was discharged. At the bar, Poster said he wished to complain of a false and libellous report of the case which appoared in The Colonist, but the Magistrate said he had nothing whatever to do with what appeared in that or any other paper. There were one or two slight errors in the paragraph in our last. Foster wasnota lodgeratßyan's, and thecheque, which was for £21 10s., was not drawn on Mr. Nathan of the Mont de Piete, but drawn by the accused in favor of a Mr.- Walsh, and it also bore an endorsement also signed by the accused, consisting of an order to pay the amount to Mr. Nathan on three days' sight.

High Tides at Westport.—High tides, like those which were observed at Nelson on Sunday and Monday week, were experienced at Westport in a grpater degree of intensity, on Wednesday last. The Times of Thursday says:—"Some unusual tidal phenomena occurred yesterday, similar to what occurred here on the occasion oT the great earthquake in Peru. About the time of half-flood, a large wave broke along the ahoro, and there was a strong tidal current up the Buller to a distance beyond the usual tidal influence. According to marks on the banks, the water suddenly rose and fell a distance of two feet. The same phenomena presented themselves at other places along the coast. At Charleston, it is said, a vessel was driven up on the beach, and at Hokitika tbe harbor master's boat was washed away. The probability is that we shall hear of another earthquake, or of some:eruption in tho Pacific.

Tenders are invited for the carriage of a daily mail between Westport and Charleston, for fortnightly mails between Charleston and Cobden, and between Westport and Addisou's Fiat twice a week.

Mr. W. Hooker, a son of Dr. Hooker, the eminent botanist, is at present on a visit to .Wellington, where he is the guest of t)r. Hector.

Da. Harper, Primate of New Zealand, is atf present on a visit to WesHand.

A new bridge over the Kanieri, in the neighborhood of-Hokitika, was formally opeued for traffic on Monday, Ist March.

The Nkw Debt roa Westland County.— "We {Grey River Argus) are glad to learn that the County Chairman and Mr. Lalnnan have been sue-, cessful in negotiating a loan for the County of £20,000 from the Bank, of' New Zealand—£ls,ooo' down, and the balance when required. The public works'have now a chance of being immediately pu* in hand, and the Borough Council should lose no time in making application for the disbursement of the vote of £1500 for the protective works, as well as the other monies due to them from land sales and surplus revenue.for November and December.

Banqttkt at Hokitika.—A grand banquet in honor of St. D,avid, the patron .saint of Wales, took place at Hokitika, on March Ist, and1 was well attended, some having come from the; Grey and Buller to be present. The chief feature in the proceedings after the tables were cleared, was the presentation of a testimonial to Mr. Or. S. Sale. The testimonial consisted of an address, havjng ; upwards of- eighty signatures, accompanied with a gold watch, witli solid gold, brequet chain, bearing a pendant of greenstone set in gold, and a gold key set with bloodstone and onyx, "'The" following inscription was on the watch :—"Presented to George Samuel Sale, Esq., .Member of the County Council, by a few of his constituents in testimony of their recognition of the valuable serrioea he hasV rendered to' Westland."

Extensive Fire in CiruisTCiirjECH:.—A telegram states that an extensive fire occurred on the morning of the 3rd inst., in Christchurob. The fire brake out at an early hour in Baird's timber-yard, at the back of Cashel-street, and a large amount of property was destroyed."

QrOVQ its Stewart's Island.—The Southland papers state that the parties who, for a considerable time past, have been prospecting for gold in Stewart's Island, appear, at length to have hit upon a promising reef, from which they have extracted fourteen ounces of rough gold. Their success ha 3 induced a gentleman from Invercargill, accompanied by a party of practical miners, to.start for the island, with a view of properly testing the reef.

Jtogtc Johnston's Charge to tot? Grand Jimr at Wellington.—ln the charge made by his Honor Judge Johnston to the Grand Jury at the recent sittings of the Superintendent in that Province, he said it was usual for judges to allude on occasions like those to the state of the district in which they wore sitting, and it would be au affectaj tion on his part were ho to abstain from alluding to I the present circumstances of this Province and other parts of the Colony. It had pleased Providence to put us on our trial, but it was not for him to mate any observations which might by ingenuity be misinterpreted, so as to be considered to express any opinion on political matters. It would, however, be affectation in him not to express regret that we were not so prepared for our present trials as we might have been. He could not help alluding on this occasion to an event which all were looking forward to with interest and satisfaction, he referred to the approaching visit of the Duko of Edinburgh, who he had no doubt would be welcomed by the colonists generally in a most cordial manner. The calendar, except in one particulnr, was not a heavy one. It showed no particular crime to be rife except that which he might call the crime of the Colony, uttering false cheques. Trial foe Murder at Wellington.—The Maori who was charged with the murder of the pedlar, Korucrop, a Daiie, who was killed on the Okau river, h:is been tried. Konicrop lived a short time after the death blow was given, and was able to make a declaration giving the particulars of the atrack made upon him. The Maori also, it appears, admitted the murder to two witnesses. A Wellington telegram received here on Saturday states that the Maori was found guilty and sentenced to death ; and no doubt the sentence of the law will be cai'ried out.

Mr. Samuel Hunter, Stafford Town, has been killed by being thrown from his horse. He survived the fall several days, but became mad, and died of congestion pf the brain.

Gold from the Thames.— On February 27th, ISOO ounce of gold reached Auckland from the above gold-field, and on March 3rd, 5000 ounces came from tho same source.

Francis Cogan was drowned at Cambridge, in Auckland Province, a few evenings ago. Deceased, along with a man named M'Clare, had been drinking together on the east sine of the river until 9 p.m., after which they both came down to the ferry for the purpose of crossing the river to return to their houses, both being intoxicated. The ferryman being away at his tea the two^nen took the boat across themselves, M'Clare steering. It appears that they arrived safoly on the west side of the river, bur. us soon as tha boat was inshore, and before M'Clare hud time to make fast the tiller, the unfortunate deceased stepped out of the wrong side of the boat, and consequently fell in the rivpr in about seven feef; of water, and owing to the current in the river being so strong he was carried out of reach before assistance could bo rendered. Tho deceased left a wife and four children unprovided for; The Auckland papers state that the deceased had two brothers residing in Nelson.