THE MONTH.

West Coast Times, Issue 97, 9 January 1866, Page 3

THE MONTH.

(From Deoember 7th to January Bth.) ' t The new Supreme Court has been opened during the past month, and occupied by tho Resident Magistrate during that time. It is a great improvement on the late den, in which justice was dispensed, but its acoustic properties are sadly deficient. The first sittings of the Supieme Court will be held on the 15th instant, and his Honor Judge Gresson arrived on Saturday last, The two new members for the West Coast, or asjthedistiict is now named, Westland, took their scats ou tho recent opening of the Provincial Council. A warden has been appointed at Oknrita, and Mr Price now exercises authority as such. - The Ilonmn Catholics have been zealous in providing places of worship, two new churches, one in Grey mouth and the other in Hokitika, having been opened during the past month. ThY Wesleyans, also have built a handsome church for their worship, and a tea meeting was v held on tho sth ult.', in celebration. It was f then staled that the expenditure had been L 389 4s j and L 320 4s 8d had been then contributed. Since then fresh subscriptions have been got in, and the building is neiuly free from debt. A punt is being placed on the Teremukau, 50 feet long by 14 feet in width. rThe Westland district has been proclaimed a quarantine ground ; a roundabout way of opening the port for the free importation of cattle. T.he Improvement Committee have been sitting during the past month, but havo been sadly crippled for want of funds. Their term of ofh'co has now expired, and a public meeting is to bo held this week, when they will give an account of their stewardship. Mr Carkeok, the Inspector of Customs, has paid us an official visit, and the mercantile community availed themselves of the opportunity to lay some of their grievances before him, and these, as far as lay in his power, ho promised to remedy. Tho Escort, so long talked of, has at length made one trip, and returned empty-handed, as might havo been expected. In order to save tho troopers the mortification of not either handling or seeing Hokitika gold, some public-spirited' individual got up a subscription, and purchased six pennyweights of gold, — one pennyweight for each man. No one ever expected any other result, excepting the Christchurch people, who cannot be persuaded out of the belief that all the West Coast gold will find its way across the range, and eventually 1)3 shipped at Lyttelton. After* this unsatisfactory beginning tho escort service was discontinued. Mr Robert Abbott has beeu appointed Registrar of tho Supreme Court for the judicial district of Westland. - Four gentlemen of this town had a narrow escape from drowning, on the 10th of last month, through the boat in which they were, capsizing in tho river. Their names wero, Messrs Mader, Davis, Wilkinson, and Christie. A contract for a bi. weekly mail service between here and the Grey has been accepted, and Rowley and Co. are the successful tenderers. Coaohes now run regularly between the two places. - An accident by which two lives were nearly Jost occurred in tho river on tho 12th nit., a b\mt having capsized over the same warp that occasioned the casualty above alluded to. Two men named Henderson were iv the boat, and one was nearly carried out to sea before he could be rescued.

The weatlier during tlio past month, with J--one or two > exceptions, has been exceedingly in fact, quite "Queen's weather ;" it lias, however, been productive of a considerable amount of fever and dysentery in the low-lying parts of the town. Divino service according to the ritOal of the Church of Eugltmd has been held during the past month in the new Court House. The Episcopalians have also subscribed, and sent home f money for the passage and expences of a clergy.man of their denomination, .who will bo permanently located in the Hokitika district. During the past month we have had Professor Parker and Miss Annie Beaumont at the Corinthian Hall ; and Miss Edith Palmerston, Mr Alex* adder and others at the Shakespere. The old, time-honored pantomimes have been kept up here, both places of amusement putting a pantomime with "local hits" on the stage. Christmas sports have boon held in North and South Rovoll-strccfc and on tho South Spit. All were well attended j tho public canio forward liberally with subscriptions, and with tho oxception of a little rowdyism on Now Year's eve, everything passed off peaceably. •Amongst other amusoments, if it can bo proporly clusßed under that head, wo liftvo had ti sword and bayonot match, betweon Messrs. Parker and Do Loreo. Tho rosult, howovor, was by no moans satisfactory, a squnbblo having arisen between tho champions on tho stago, and tho conscquonco was that no dotinito result was arrived at. A sample of sand taken from Iho, beach about fourteen miles south of Hokitika has been subjected to a rough analysis, which Showed 45 per cent, iron, 25 per cent, tin, 15 * ' per cent, gold, and 15 por cont. refuse ->" A jury list hai boon compiled numbering J no less than flvo hundred and eighty-eight • names. Tho first duties of thoso summoned for theso sossions will commenco on Monday * next. A man namod Tweed was drowned in tho Grey whilst attempting to cross in a dray and , foeing under tho influence of liquor. s Gold has been found near Lake Brunner, the prospect being from one grain to six grains to tho dish. A prospecting claim has been applied for and granted. A man named John Stamp was found on the 18th ult. wandering about in tho bush, and on tho very verge of starvation. Ho was tftkon ovory euro of, and hus, wo are happy to say recovered. It scorns that ho was loßt, ana for fourteen days managed to support iifo. At leugth, whon found, ho was in tho last ■ stage of weakness, and had fnllon into a creok . whilst attempting to drink. > f : i£- 6ft< * accideufc happened on the 18th ult. to VWiUiain Henry Williams, tho engineer of tho " •steam tug Yarro, by which tho unfortunato • " 'man lost his lifo. It scorns that he in company • '•$*• with Captain Nieol wero out shooting, whon V .<>" |jy gomo moaus whon crossing a log, Williams' •/^•••CiW oxploded, and lodged tho wholo charge in /**• hj g breast. Medical aid was at onco called in, ) -but to no purpose, the sufforcr breathing his last shortly after boiug takon to tho hospital. ' Au inquest was, of pourso, held, and tho jury ' "f" f j-oturnod v verdict of " accidental doath." A * Ulin nftme d Edwin Friend, residing *in f ' Tlevell-stroet, was found dead in his bed on V tho 20th ultinio, aud it was shown, on a post mortem examination being mado, that doath wai occtwionod through apoplexy caused through wwwivo drinW»g.

It it not ofton that Hiiovoß chooso police quarters to oxeroiso thoir light-flngorod functions iv, but during tho last month tho police camp at tlia Kainori has boon robbed and ono of tho constables stationed thcro lost some £70 in notes, as woll as aomo deposit receipts for considerable amounts, and v lor of papord. Soitio irion wero arrcstod on suspicion, and aro committed for trial at tho approaching sessions. Tho population that flocked to Bruco Bny has almost as suddenly inoltcd away, nnd betakon tliomaolvos to Qkarita, which is now iho favorito aouthom rendezvous.

Tho boaoh diggings aro prospering greatly, ropqatod and numerous instances of succoss constantly coining under our notice Tho most forlunato digger wo know of during tho past month, got £900 for his eharo of tho sandy spoil. Tho wharf oxtousion contract from tho corner of Wharf-stroot to tho old wharf has boon completed by Mr Edgor, and lie has mndo an oxcollont job of it. Tho whavf, as finishod, has been handed over to th 6 harbor mnstor, Crpfaiu Turnbull. A caso of mild Lynch law oceurrod recently on the Arnold. A man wns detected in the aotof robbing a storo, but instead of handing him ovor to tho polico, tho nggriovod porsons dipped all tho hair off his hoad and tuvnocl him adrift.

Christmas Day was worthily kept by tho dwoUer» on the West Coast, though tho weather proved moefc inclement, and tho rivor roso to a most clangorous height. Gibson's Quay, Sewoll, Tancred, and Weld-strcota wore completely submerged in tho flood, nnd in tho former, boats wero plying in ordor to porntit communication. A groat deal of danutgo was done, particularly to tho rivor bank bolovr tho wharf. A largo por I ion of this was oarriod bodily away, and Throokmorton's largo storo wns in danger of boing swept off, tho end noar tho rivor being complotoly uiulorminod. Tho consoquenco has boon that it is noceasary to removo it, which is boing clone at tho prosent timo. Fortunately no livod wero lost, but property to a' largo amount was dostrojod. A complimentary testimonial and purso of £100 was presented to Mr. T. W. Rees, agontof the branch Hank of Now Zealand in this town, on the occasion of his loaviug to take ohargo of tho Grey River branch of tho same bank. Ou the Ist of January, tlid bank agency of tho Bank of Now Zealand was closed, and tho establishment was made a branch bank under local direction.

During the late severe weather a large portion of the newly constructed -Christchurch road was utterly washed away, some fifteen miles in extont in fact. As may ho supposed this materially interfered with tho mailuuiu's journoyiDg. though he managed to keep his time iv the face of great diflicultics. Sergeant Heatty had a narrow escapo from drowning in tho Bealoy a week or so ago. It seems, that he was trying to cross, but (ho current carried him down, and ho escaped with great difficulty, and was, severely bruised before ho effected a landing. Ou new years' night a band of noisy individuals paraded tho streets, and compelled tho different bonifaces to open their doors nnd distribute gratuitous drinks. Fiom frequency of refreshment or some other reason, the crowd got bsyond all bounds at last, and smashed doors, windows, &c, committing grout damage. At lost it was necessary for tho police to interfere, and oito man was arrested and taken to tho lock-up. Unfortunately, however, the re"volver of constable Oarr, went off in tho scuffle, and tho hall passed through his leg. Luckily it did not wound any ailery, and ho is now going on well.

A man was recently drowned in the Hokitika, namo at that time, unknown, who is now supposed to have been Matthew Lee. A subscription was got up, nnd £90 collected for his widow and orphans. The body of a woman named Stewart, was recently found on the beach near tho Montezuma, and the husband is now in custody, pending the verdict of the Coroner's jury ou suspicion of having murdered her. A new Theatre to accommodate no less than 1200 persons is about being built by Messrs. Ikrtlett and Moon. It will bo lit with gas, and contain every modern improvement.

The first Grand Jury in Hokitika, will meet on Monday next. Tho calendar is by no means a heavy ono as far us the nature of the offences go, but thero will bo about thirty prisqners for trial. To-morrow his Honor Judge Gresson, will sit in cbambci'n in the new Court House.