WEST COAST GOLDFIELDS.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 744, 18 March 1865, Page 3

WEST COAST GOLDFIELDS.

News reached Christchurcli overland from the West Coast yesterday by a man who returned from the diggings. Food was plentiful, all the steamers having got over the bar. Oats, however, are reported at 20s a bushel, there being no natural horse-feed. The Gold Escort was met on the lower Teramakau, and expected to get to the Okitiki on Monday night. The men were much knocked up, and the Commissioner was of opinion that to return by that route with gold was impossible. The yield of gold is described as good, but the difficulty in prospecting fresh country, owing to the density of the bush, was very great. The following extracts from a letter received on "Wednesday by a resident in Christehurch from a friend who left sometime ago for the West Coast have been handed to us for publication. It was written from the Six Mile Creek, Okitiki:— I am now down for a wage man; lam going to give him £7 a-week, wet or dry. J. and I are now mates: he is making from £10 to £15 a week, and I am making from £10 to £20. J. is working six miles off from the rush in a gully on the sly with three others, they are all hatters. So you see if was here, he could either work with mc or with J., and make good wages. J. sent mc in 2>\ oz. last week for three days' work, one piece weighing 7 J dwte. My average is li oz. to 2 oz. per day, so a wage man will pay us welL We are pttting by a nice little sum; and hope to leave the Coast in five months'time with £200 apiece. In a postcript to the letter the writer says:— I expect to take £150 out of the claim I am working in six weeks. Pbujcbss' Theateb. —Bulwer's beautiful play of the Lady of Lyons, with Mr. Dillon as Claude Melnotte, Mrs. Dillon as Pauline, and Mr. Fawcett as the old General Damas, failed to attract a very full house even for Mr. Fawcettfs benefit. Mrs. Dillon was unusually successful, but the part of Claude appears to us less suited to Mr. Dillon than several other characters in which we have seen him. The part is one, in many passages, almost impossible to act. No one for example that we have ever yet heard can carry the interest of the audience through that long and beautiful speech in which Claude tells the tale of his love. It is a very beautiful passage, full of poetry. But it is not natural, and therefore nature hardly suggests the mode of delivery—we have never heard it delivered successfully. The "Serious Family," announced for the afterpiece, was changed for " Used Up," owing to the illness of Mr. South, a change which would have been every way for the better bad the company known a little more of their parts. That il a fault which will we hope be corrected tiiis evening. It is a roost capital comedy, and Fawcetfs Sir Charles Coldstream is a thing that ought really to be seen. To-night it is to be repeated, after ** Richard the Third," a part in which we should imagine Mr. Dillon will appear to singular advantage.

Simsres nr Banco.—His Houor Mr. Justice Gresson -will sit in Banco on Tuesday next. His Honor, to-day, in reply to Mr, Garriek, stated the practice to be that all rales for naw trials or the like, must be moved at the first sittings in Banco, after the termination of the Circuit Court. Pcbuc Lectures. —A series of three lectures will be delivered in the new Town Hall, by the Bey. William Taylor, late of California, commencing on Thursday next. The subjects will be Beminiscences of Palestine, and St. Paul and Bos Times. Tea Mbetikg.—The annual" tea meeting of the pariah of Heathcote with Sumner was held on Thursday evening in the stores of Messrs. Aikman and Knight, Ferry road. Tie tables were plentifully supplied, and presided over by the ladies resident in the parish. The attendance was numerous, and must hare numbered over 200. After the tea had been removed Mr. Ensor gave a statement of the finances of the parish, from which it appeared that the debt was only £1, and that the parsonage had been considerably repaired and enlarged. The Eevs. C. J. Cholmondeley, J. Wilson, and other gentlemen addressed the meeting, and during the evening the choir sang several song 3 and choruses. Sittings in Chambers. — The following cases were heard to-day in Chambers, at the Town Hall, before his Honor Mr. Justice Greeson : —Bishop v. Webber—Mr. G-arrick obtained a decree to rectify a mistake in the deed with costs. Halston v. Beswick —Mr. G-arrick asked leave to enter up judgment for solicitor's bill of costs. The Court required an affidavit that the client had had a copy supplied for a month before. In re Charles Oswald, a debtor—An application was made from the receiver to sell certain property. Mr. Slater, for the debtor, produced an affidavit showing that there was a probability of an arrangement being made with his creditors. The Court under these circumstances refused the order. Hγ. Garrick, for other creditors, asked that notice of the proposed deed should be given to him before being submitted, which the Court allowed. Iα re Halston v. Turton, and Halston v Taylor, similar orders were made as in Halston v. Beswiok. Hiffe v. Prins —Ordered to stand over until after the demurrer ; Mr Slater, for the defendant, undertaking to do nothing in the meantime in violation of the agreement set out in the declaration. Iliffe v. Prins (No. 2) —Dr. Foster obtained leave to amend declaration on payment of costs. In re John M'Cosker, a debtor—An application by Mr. Moorhouae was ordered to stand over until Tuesday. Bailey v. Thomas—Mr. Joynt asked leave to substitute service or to post notice. The Court directed that another attempt be made to serve, and the case to stand over to Tuesday. In re John Lavery, a minor—The Court appointed a guardian of the estate, and postponed the appointment of others. In re William Murphy, a debtor—The Court, on the application of Mr. Joynt, made the usual orders of hearing, sequestration and protection. Turnbullv. Thomeon —Mr. Joynt obtained leave to enter up costs. Willis v. Thomson —The Court made a similar order, reserving the order as to rent. In re Thomas Kent, a debtor —Mr. Louis obtained the usual orders of hearing sequestration and protection. An application respecting the estate of G. W. Wood, deceased, was ordered to stand over unto Tueeday. In re — Goodacre, a debtor — j The order nisi was made absolute on the petition of Messrs. Nathan, creditors. Burley v. Travers—Mr. Travers appeared in person and obtained a rule to show cause, returnable on Tuesday, May 2. In re — Mitchell, deceased—Mr. Garriok obtained probate for the widow, the sole executrix. In re — Hughes, deceased —This was an application on behalf of Mr. Colman to prove the will of the deceased, but the affidavit not being ready, the case was postponed unto Tuesday. King v. Dalgety—After considerable discussion the Court gave Mr. Louis leave to move for a rule nisi on Tuesday. The Court then adjourned.