West Coast Times

West Coast Times, Issue 115, 30 January 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times

TUESDAY, JANUAHY 30, 186 G.

Thk Provincial Council lias been prorogued, with n view to its immediate dissolution, in order to prevent tho ' prolonged nnd unnecessary excitement" that might be occasioned by tho extension of tlio election of Superintendent over s:veral months. In his parting address to tho Council Mr Bcnley said, " tho present Council would ceaso to exist by efflux of time, even if not previously dissolved by the Governor." His Honor expressed tho Uope, that tho measure increasing- tho number of "members of the House would have the effect of giving to the inhabitants of the outlying districts, a better opportunity of making known their wants than they had hitherto possessed," and added, — " I cannot refrain from expressing 1 my regret that you have been unable to concur in the measures proppsed by my Government for disposing of certain portions of thp Crown lands in iho district of WcKtlancl. Such, nionsuroa would, I Iwllovp, bnvo nfftmlrtl to lnrfso VOW Of l)\f mffllllff populntlW ftl)

opportunity of ucquiriti" 1 freeholds on urtvnntngoous tcvinf.-, nml liavo thus promoted the permanent settlement of the district referred to." Wo believe that the withdrawal of Mr Hall's scheme lor confiscating tho Westland lands, wus not anticipated as a consequence of their vote hy the majority of the members who supported Mr Prosner's amendment. The effect, however, is the samo ns regards the interests of the district. Tho Provincial Council Extension Bill has been reserved, according to usual custom, for His Excellency's assent. Prior to the prorogation of the Council, several matters of much importance to Westlnnd wcro discussed and disposed of. Mr Prosser asked on the 24th inst., for a statement of tho cost of tho Grey and Arnold ltoad, and the particulars of tbe contract, and Mr Hall said, in reply, that a sum of about £7800 had been expended, and that the vouchers had been duly signed by the proper officers. / Tho following important resolutions, with regard to the West Const Lands, were proposed by the Secretary for Public Works, and agreed to :—": — " That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that the towns of Greymouth. Kanieri, Goldsborough, Weid Town, Ross, and Okarita, should bo laid out for sale. That the size of tho town sections should average from one-eighth to one quarter of an aero each, except in the caso of sections of smaller area which have already been laid out and occupied as business sites. That in such cases tho sections may bo of any si/.o not less than two perches, nor more than one quarter of an acre in extent. Tlmt the upset price in all cases be at tho rate of .£-18 per acre." On the Kubjoct of llio West Coast expenditure, Mr Uawkes moved a resolution declaring it to bo impracticable- to form and keep in repair a dray road, or a road for stock from Chrislchurch lo llokitikn, without an expenditure totally beyond tho moans of the province, taking into consideration tho large sums spout on harbor improvements and other public works connected with tho Eastern side of the province, and recommending the construction of a tramway of moderate guago capable of being worked by either steam or hor.so power. Ono clause of Mr llawkos' resolution declared that " expeditions', safo, cas\, and regular communication between tlio eastern and western sides of Canterbury is absolutely necessary and essential to the prosperity of the province as a whole." It embraced the proposition that encouragement should bo given to privato capitalists to embark in tho work of tramway connection, by the guarantee of interest for a fixed number of years upon capital invested. In advocating this measure, Mr llawkos said, " that trade was now fearfully depresped, and it was the opinion of many persons that a tramway from the East to tho West Coast was tho most desirable thing which could be adopted for competing with sea b mio goods. Tho money spent upon the road to tho West Coast had seriously crippled tho resources of tho province." Tho cost of the proposed tramway was set down by Mr Ilawkes at about .-£45,000, nnd by its means he thought the West Coast might be supplied with "our own goods' (Christchurch being tho place whore the words were spoken) instead of being "dependent upon supplies from Melbourne." Mr Ilawkes' resolutions were opposed by several members of the House on various grounds. Mr Prosser, in the name of thu West Coast settlers, protested against any expenditure upon roads from Christchurch. Mr Ilaythurst solemnly said, " there wero many large works in Canterbury which ought to be finished before any works connected with the West Coast were undertaken." Mr Jlawke.s' resolutions wero withdrawn. Tho subject of public works in Wcslland in connection with Iho question of tenders and contracts, wan brought forward by Mr Prosser. Ho moved thnt all works undertaken in future should be thrown open to public competition. The" motion was negatived by nine votes to seven, after a discussion which appears to liavo occasioned considerable oxcitcment. We have given a brief resume of the matters affecting this district which appear to havo been brought under tho notice of tho Council. They afford abundant room forsubsequcnt comment. Wk take the following from tho Lyilclion Times, of tho 25 th instant :—": — " The last new piece of intelligence is that instructions have been sent to the representative of the Government on the West Coast to suspend all public works there which can be stopped ; and tho reason given for this peremptory order is that the Council has prevented ' the. laud on the West Coast from being sold just at present, and theroforo has deprived tho Government of a large expected rcvomte!" Thero is news from tlio Cope, in tho Adelaide papers, to tho 25th of November. Tlvo Unsulo war continues with unabnlort vigor. Bishop C'olpiißo has arrived at Natal. Ho vus well received by tho inhabitants, but. tho rlerpy cntorcd protests against, his preaching. An Inquest was held yesterday, before the Coroner, I)r Ueswick, ns to tho death of a man named G. Hastcdt, who came by bin death under oii'cunibtanccs detailed below. Ilonnan Meyers deposed— l am a publican and storekeeper at KapitiaQrcok. I knew the deceased in Otayo about two years ago. I saw him shortly after he arrived here, about thrco months ngo. He was a commission ngent. 110 came to my houso on Thuiidny night lust about eleven o'clock. Ho was then in good health, lie told mo that he would stay theio that night and proceed to tho Grey on business tho noxt day, Tho next day it ruined, so he said ho Mould slop thero that night. At that timo ho appeared in good hoilth and ppirits, but he was not talking muoh (iboub busino&u, On Friday night ho wont to bod, filiout. twolvo o'olook, nnd told wo nofc tn iito'iirtfliiin Imforo ton o'olooU vn\ wnvniHsr, I WM'Mfc ))Pi'} (!fc \¥ Wlflp tluii»i l>Ht- PftV pHilnß

particular about him. N itliing nemur-d during llio night, but the nex; morning I lookoil at deceased at about lmlf-pist siv ; he was then awake, and looked at me though he did not speak. I then left him, I looked at him again, between eight and nine o'clock to sco if he would want breakfast, but nt that time ho seemed to be fast asleep, snoring vory loud and lying upon his back. I left him aliout ten o'clock after I wont and roused him. At th it time he mumbled something, and turned over. There was anotlicv man then sleeping in the biuno place. I roused him and he got up shortly afterwards. At eleven o'clock tho other man and I had breakfast together, and I then heard deceased snoring. I said "ho Bleeps rather too long, wo milst wake him up." I found that the other man and deceased wore old fricnds.bufc they liad had somo disagreement. I went, again and roused Mm to get up, but he tinned round again. He muttered something and looked at me saying. " lob mo sleep," speaking very quietly. About half-past twelvo o'clock I heird him nnoring ; . I thought that (hero must bo something wrong, ns ho was snoring 100 loudly to bo in good health. I then railed Muller in, and said " let us gol him up and sco what is the matter with him.' 1 Wo tried to get him \i]i lo sco what was Iho matlor with him, bul. ho resisted, and wo then carried him out by ioveo. 1 1 bought ho was in a fit, and had Nvaler applied to his head undohcsl. After this, ho seemed to eomo round,, anil spoko, bul I could not undorsdmd him. About ono o'clock, wo brought him to bed again. When ho was conscious, I asked him if iio would liavo a doctor, and ho said ho would havo Dr Uemdt. Deceased went to sloop ; and on my going lo him, ho said, " lam nil right ; thoro is nothing tho matter with mo." Ho said ho did nofc want a tloelor, and theroforo I did not sond for one. T left him from two till iivo o'clock, no porson going noar him during thnt time. At live o'clock 1 ibund him n?loop, but capable of being roused. Ho then asked for brandy, which ] refused. Ho then asked what timo it. "\\ti3, and I said it was supper time, and ho then turned lound to bleep again. After his protr.u'tod sloop 1 discovoi'od thai sninothiii" was wrong, and, on searching, found a botllo under his bod containing a brown mixture which J suspect od to bo laudanum. J then applied warm water-, which appcnivil to give him relief. I then gave him iin onu'tie, which hud no ofib.ct, and I coiiUiuieil its application till tho timo of hi-i death, at (on o'clock. Ho appeared to bo in a sound slato of mind below this. l[o had some quinine and bitter.* boforo going lo bod. Ho told mo that ho had quarrelled with his main about money ull'airs. "William Scott, Frederick Al idler, and ])unbar M'Cubo, gave similar evidence. Dr llyloy staled that ho had uiado a past mortem examination, and ho described tho symptoms ho had found in the body. The wholo of tho organs wcro healthy, but the witness concluded by stating that ho had no hesitation in saying that the cause of death was a narcotic poison, probably opium. Tho bottlo produced contained opium, and tho quantity that had been taken from tho bottlo was quilo sufllciont to causo doath. Ho would havo ospoctod death to have taken, place in a fow hours. The wholo appearances led him to boliovo that deceased died from taking opium. A verdict that doccasod diod from tho ell'ccts of laudanum was returned, but thnt thoro was no ovidoneo to show what tho stale of mind of doceased w.ns at tho timo. Accounts from tho now rush down South reached us on Saturday, and as usual thoy wore unfavorable, tho Hold being pronounco'd a duffer, and tho prospectors a set of men who had deluded their brother diggers nud thoreforo deserved " lynching," &o. It is stated their claim is a payable ono, but Unit no ono elso could obtain gold, and thnt a gront many woro about to return as tho country was not at all according to thoir expectation.' Wo are uot at nil nururiscd v ut this intelligence, and quite expected it ; for it is a remnrkablo fact thai every rush in that direction that has since provod a really payablo flold was at first doscited as worthless, and it was not until tho ' second and in ono or two instances tho third rush hud eel in that its real value lyns discovered. Wo prophocy it will bo so in this case, and thoso few deiorminod ones wtio remain thoro lo leSt it will bo richly rewarded for their forosighl and pluck. A case, which promises to bo of in I ores!, ns it is brought forward by somo of our locnl celebrities, will bo hoard in tho Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday noxt. In legal parlance it will bo Alexander v Smith, and consists of an notion by tho former to recover damages of Iho lattor for breach of contract. A ilrst heaving of Iho case took plnco on Saturday last when Mr Alexander (Miss l'almeiutou's husband) inado a statement to tho effect (hat ho buliovod Mr .T. 1). Smith, of tho Theatre lloynl, was about leaving Ilokitikn, tin 1 obtained a summons for his iinm> dialo appearancii). On thoir appearing boforo tho Court, Mr Smith mado outh that ho had not tho slightest idea ol'loavitnr, and should bo found in nino casej out often that these husky jii'jpiurod to go into the case in n day or two. His Worship paid ho should uoL think of going into tho cas.o thut day, as tho proceeding would bo an unfair ono to tho defendant, nnil should not havo granted the summons hud it not been represented to him that tho caso was an urgent one. Jfo wiid ho was porfeotly hiil tailed Mr Smith would appear, and had summonses woro not needed. Ho should Ihoroforo appoint next, Thursday ns tho day of hearing. Tho Molbouruo LvmU-r says : — " How much lougor is tho present mail service lo bo oudured? At Iho timo wo writo nothing lias boon heard of tho steamer, ho thai sho must bo onco moro behind time. A communication from Iho company's secretary to tho imporinl Voit Odico authorities has boon published. Tho P. and 0. people actually luko'uuihragoat tho threat, of our Government to lerininntb tho contract. They complain of Iho discourteous tone of Mr M'Culloch's rcinniks, and have tho consummate impudence to tell us that (ho mail servico is particularly well done. The breaks down and delays of iho past six months of tho year were only known then, and avo nro assured that they arose from causes purely exceptional. First, tho Jioinbay broko hor shaft, then Iho Madras, then vhe vcrsu. But nothing is said of Iho Norlhnm's wornout boilers, tho Jcddo's unsuawoWhinoss, or the Ellora's incapacity to carry sullieiont coals. The (ruth is that during I8(5o only ono mail was punctually delivered, and lUGO'hns oponcd with no bettor prospects. Tho courso boforo Mr M'Oulloch is quito clear. 110 should lerminalo tho contract forthwith, whatever tho Imperial Glovernniont muy say on tho subject. Tho bronchos arc sufllciently scandalous to warrant an immediate roeibion. South Australia has lakon tho initiative. A \ory strong motion has boon curried in tho Legislature, and, if Victoria will agree, she is ready to break forth vith. Thero is nothing whatever lo prevent tho formation of a local company. Thoro uro in tho colonial Irndo three or lour blcnmcrs equal, if not superior, to the boi>l of tin? P. and 0. Company's. Their number can bo easily supplemented, and until tho arrangements could bo completed,, tho colonists would willingly submit to sonic inconvonience. When tho Parliament assembleo, Mr M'Oulloch will bo met by an eager demand for action, with whioh ho will, no doubt-, bo ready to comply. Wo notice that Queensland has established a servico of hor own, via Torres Straits to tho Dutch sottlemonts. Tho roulo will nofc bo ivvailnWo for tho Wostorn Caloiuos, pxcopt thnt wo shall bo put in posaossion of tolaffwwWo w\n in ftnlloipntion of |])o ujinn,! mm fa 1 Hw wonWity rnoiji"