NELSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 904, 27 March 1869, Page 17

NELSON.

(prom oue own correspondent. )

"Wakamarina, which it was fondly hoped by " parties holding sections" adjacent, would again rise into the pre eminence of goldfield notoriety on the strength of the "pocket," which was duly chronicled in your columns, has once more sunk to its normal zero. Why its mercury ever arose above it cannot very fully be explained, because the newspapers here, with one unimportant exception, very dearly described the late reported find as an acknowledged solitary pocket, giving an indication of a "precarious" nature. Probably Picton and Blenheim telegrams to Wellington and elsewhere i attracted attention, and it became blazoned about Auckland streets and the hoardings of Shortland on the Thames ; steamers g^t traffic, and diggers were induced by tha pleasures of hope, and the dullness of the Thames, to come southwards to try Wakamarina. Last Saturday, nearly 200 Thames diggers landed in Nelson, on their way to Wakamarina ; but, on learning the truth, that the rush was a false rush, very few, probably not over a dozen, went there. Some did a little prospecting in our river — the Maitai — which is acknowledged to be a "likely" stream ; some went inland towards the Sherry river, the Matukitaki, and the Upper Buller, where alluvial diggings have for years been offering comfortable wages to about 150 to 200 men, Blattered over a pretty wide area. The bulk of the Thames men, however, went to the West Coast. The true story of this Wakamarina excitement, as told by a Marlborough man, is that one of the few men who have been doing a little working on the river, found some gold — only a few ounces — not so much as was reported, and it is questioned even if it was all found at once, He went to town, got refreshments perseveringly repeated, and somehow, the story, grew larger, and the telegraph, accomplished

the rest. The first news of the find was heard in Nelson, not from Marlborough, but by telegraph from Wellington ; and the story of the " sixteen ounces " was taken down from the lips of a Waka marina " storekeeper," and to do the newspapers justice, the source of information was duly chronicled. The thing is over now, but unhappily these Will o' the wisp reports tend to do injury to future realities.

Touching the diggers from Auckland, the majority of them are those who were warned off the Ohinemuri, on account of alleged disloyalty and treasonable proposals made by them to the llauh^ua. Some of them cannot be called prepossessing, and many seemed poor. A body of them tried a somewhat ancient and stale trick. They waited on the Superintendent, said they were "hard up," and had been improperly enticed here by false reports, wanted to know what the Government (unfortunately it is always " the Government,") was prepared to do for them ; and finally, after much talk, asked for payment of their passages to the West Coast. His Honour gravely in- 1 formed them that he had no funds applicable to such a purpose. One big fellow — who loomed liked a Goliath beside the little David, our Superintendent — remarked, with a look and tone suggestive of Donnybrook and shillel-ihs, " You know, sir, we might be troublesome to the town." "Ah," pleasantly replied His Honor, rising, and putting an end to the interview ; " Ah, so you might, but we'll see to that." Whereupon, exit deputation chop-fallen. They paid their passages themselves, like men, and were not .troublesome. It ought to be added here that fie opinion of the diggers is not very favourable- to Auckland gold fields. The diggings have been over- praised, as usual; there is a large number of diggers who have nothing to do and have not a penny; while very many others are said to be about to return southward while they can pay their way. Auckland is overdone, and no dou t both the West Coast and Otago will re-attract many now tired of Shortland and the Thames.

The movement for the separation of the West Coast/rom Nelson, and its formation into a county, has so far progressed that a 1 irge meeting \vas held at Westport last Tuesday evening, when a resolution in favour of separation was unanimously agreed to ; and also that an application be made to the General Assembly to abolish j the Provincial Council rule in the district from Greymoutli to Collingwood, and appoint a new form of Government. The speaker who moved this resolution was Mr E. K. Tyler, solictor, who alleged various reasons for separation. One was that as the West Coast goldfields had a population of over 10,000, while the eastern part of Nelson had 13,000, the representation of the West Coast by five members out of 26 in the Council was inadequate. A similar argument was applied, on the ground of the revenue derivable from the West Coast, which, it was said, entitled them to more than half the representation ! No one pointed out the shifting nature of the goldfield population, the brief .and easy tenure of the digger, nor, above all, the fact that even now there was a great difficulty in that port itself in finding a local resident to come forward to fill a vacancy in the Council ; and a requisition had actually been sent to Mr Luckie, of Nelson, who consented to stand as a sort of stop-gap if they failed to find a person in Westport. Some recent appointments of the Executive were condemned ; neglect of local wants was complained of ; and certain i remarks of the Superintendent, in an opening speech to the Council, were strongly censured. This was when, in 1867, He refused to concur in the proposition, "that the whole of the revenue derived, either directly or indirectly, from the industrial occupation by the mining community of the waste lands of the Crown, is necessarily and as a matter of right to be expended in the particular portion of the province whence that revenue is derived." The speaker maintained that the Superintendent should, in justice to the district, have reversed the opinion. Numerous figures, which the other side will doubtless dispute, were brought forward ; and the meeting appointed a large Committee to canvass the district for signatures to a petition "to the Assembly . This movement is intended to include Cobden district on the Grey River- and all the Nelson portion of the goldfield up that river; also Brighton and Charleston, and northward beyond the Buller a long distance as far as Colliogwood goldfields. But there is another scheme for either another county or the annexation to Westland of Cobden, and a large piece of auriferous country to the north as far as a mountain range called the Razor Back ; and it has also. been proposed to form still another county, which shall extend from Razor Back on the north, include Cobden and Greymouth and the up-river districts, and -terminate at -Teremakau River, between Greymouth and flokitika. There is thus

a large choice, and perhaps in such an emharms de rkhesses a decision may be difficult. If new counties are to be permitted to come into existence and run into debt a° Wes'land ia about to do by overdrawing L 20,000 from the Bank oj New Zealand, then multiplication is not likely to bo a perfectly unalloyed blessin**. A novel occurrence, aiid one which creditors at large would gladly see more frequent in bankruptcy cases, took plac* in the Bankruptcy Court yesterday. w '»• Akersten was finally examined and discharged ; the Trustee report in.- that threat ate would pay a dividend of ahmit Icm in the pound The Judge said this was he first bankrupt estate he had seen in New Zealand that paid such a large dividend. The point chiefly id be noticed is that by the 221 st section of the-Bankruptcy Act of 1867, provision is made for giving a bankrupt an allowance after discharge in proportion to dividend : provided it be not less then 10a in the pound. If the dividend is 10s, the bankrupt shall be allowed, and paid forthwith 5 per cent, on the produce of the estate ; if the dividend is 12s 6d, 7h per cent, ia allowed him ; and if 153, or upwards, he is allowed 10 per cent, up to a certain amount. The application for this allowance was made in this estate, and it was of course granted; but this question arose : Does this allowance come out of dividend of 103, 12a 6d, or 15s, or is it out of fund 3 remaining over and above such dividend \ As the Act says, "If the net produce of the estate will pay the creditors 103 in the pound," &c. , I fancy that such allowance ia intended to come off the dividend if it just reaches 10s. The Judge took time to consider the point, which in this case resolved itself into a question of whether the bankrupt should be allowed 7£ or 10 per cent. If he is allowed 10 per cent, he will start with something like L 240, as his scheduled liabilities were L 2,424. This, I suppose, is intended as an inducement for men in difficulties not to ruin their estate by carrying on business too long at a loss. We have had some further tidal phenomena on the coasts jf this province. At Nelson, on Sunday and Monday, 28th Feb. and Ist Mirch, especially on the former day, a higher tide was experienced than any in the recollection of the oldest settlers. Wharfs were overflowed, and old flood marks exceeded all round our large harbour and coasts on the bay, and the tide also continued to rise a considerable time after the proper time of high water. This was particularly noticeable on Sunday morning. At the West Coast, three days after, similar tidal excesses were o served ; ut there they partook of the character of sudden and repeated waves, which, at Westport, rose suddenly ahout two feet, retired, and 'again advanced ; the operation being repeated three or four times. Something similar was observed at Charleston and along the coast southwards. At Westport the appearances were like those which, in August last, foreran the announcement of the earthquake on the American Coast. In connection with this subject, I may mention wq had a shock of an earthquake last Tuesday evening, between seven and eight o'clock. It was not tremulous or vibratory, but consisted, as might be said, of one short, sharp, decisive, upward blow, more keenly felt in some localities than in others, which may perhaps account for its not being noticed by the newspapers I believe we have numerous slight shocks that are not generally observed, because of our being accustomed to the susceptibility to movement of wooden buildings. These shocks have occurred with considerable frequency since the heavy shock of October last. A small tremulous shock has occurred while I am writing these lines, at about 7.30 this (Saturday) morning ; it was quite perceptible, and come 3, a3 it were, in confirmation of my assertion. A person rejoicing in the name of Sir Frederick Alfred Chambre Foster, Bart., was brought before the Resident Magistrate the other day on a charge of obtaining money under false pretences. H*s had received from one Rvan, a publican, L 5 on a cheque for L2L 10s, drawn by the said baronet on a Mr Walsh, and bearing an endorsement also Bigned by Foster, making the cheque payable on a Mr EE. E. ( Nathan, an Israeliti«h pawnbroker, recently established in Nelson. At the first appearance Ryan narrated that the cheque proved to be worthless, and the baronet, evidently a well educated, lut dissipated looking person, trembling with excitement, obtained an adjournment. At thw next hearing, Ryan wa^ not to be found, the case was again adjourned, and a warrant to compel his attendance was placed in the hands of the police. But witness was not forthcoming, and on the next Court day the charge was dismissed, and prisoner discharged. I narrate this little incident because, as Judge Johnston said the other day, at Wellington, the passing of false and forged cheques may properly be termed " the crime of the ™lony." Business here continues dill, stocks

are plentiful ; financial confidence does not seem to be increasing, although there <s no lack of money seeking safe investment » and the general tone of trade is not improved by the darkening intelligence from the North. This is causing not a little gloom throughout tins place, bo h on account of the evil itself, and the serious financial embarrassments which it causes for the future of thd colony.