BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

West Coast Times, Issue 187, 25 April 1866, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

(from our own correspondent.) Chiustchurou, Tuesday. 4.10 p.m. The South Australian sails to-night for Ilokitika and Melbourne. Sailed— -The Favorite, for Dunedin. The lats Provincial Auditor was buried to-day, with great ceremony.

Ifc is satisfactory to noto that tho lato action taken by tho public, and tho roinonstraucea of this paper, in roferoneo to tlio wretched stato of tho old gaol, have had duo offect upon tho authorities, all tho committed mon— twontyIhrco iv number— having been romoved to tho now gaol in tho ceinotiy rosorvo. This is a movo in the right diroction, and is, wo trust, only tho commencement of a swooping reform in tho ponnl system of Ilokitika, which, during tho past nino months, has been a disgrace to fcho province, requiring a thorough remodelling. Over-crowding and its concomitant filth has boon tho greatost ovil complained of, but thoro aro others which shonld bo at once attended to and remedied. The want of proper accommodatioii for fomalo criminals is amongst the greatest of theso, and female wari dors ought to bo appointed to attend upon thorn. At present thero are three females in confinement, with ovory probability of an increase in tho number, and wo cortainly think that tho time has arrived when proper provision should bo mado for this class of prisoners. Like all ponderous bodies, howovor, tho vis inertia of tho Government is diraoult to overcomo 5 but when onco sot in motion, wo trust its momentum will bo proportionate to tho inactivity formerly displayod, and that ifc will not ceaso working until tho abuses luthorto to justly compluincd of have ceased to oxist. With a view to raifcigalo as much as possibio tho condition of the dobtors at prosont conflnod in tho gaol, the authorities yostorday placed tho old court house in tho rosorvo at thoir disposal, as a eleoping apartment, allowing thorn tho option, howovor, to ohooso one of tho largo colls, latoly occupiod by men undor committal instead. This offer was I thankfully accoptcd by tho unfortunate dobtors, who decidod upon usiug tho largo coll as proferablo, on tho sourco of warmth and comI fort, to tho other. During tho woek onding Saturday, April 21st, 12 prisoners wero added to thoso already confined in tho gaol. Of thoso, 2 males and 1 female wore committed for trial j 5 men wore sentenced to difforonfc terms of hard labor j 1 was imprisoned only; 3 dobtors woro imprisoned $ and 1 female lunatic placed undor restraint. As a sot off against theso, 2 prisoners on romand, 3 sontonced mon, and 1 fomalo dobtor wero discharged j also, 1 male and 1 fomalo, who had beon undor treatment for luuaoy, woro roloasod. Total, 8. The numbor and classification of tho inmates of tho gaol at tho abovo dato are as follows :— Committed for trial, 23 males and 2 females j sontonced to different terms of hard labor, 17 ; on remand, 4 ; imprisoned only, 2 ; dobtors, 9 ; lunatics, 1 fomalo. Total, 55 males and 3 fomalos. Excellent accounts from tho Ballarat Eush, noar tho Waimea Read, havo reachod us, and from thorn wo aro induced to believe that a most important goldfiold has boon oponed. We aro informed on good authority that tho prospectors can wash from 4dwts. to to Bdwts. to tho dish, and that tho bottom of their shaft yiolded 13ozs. of gold. At tho head of tho gully in which gold was just struok, is an extonsivo terrace that has been rushed and several holes bottomod at depths of from 30 to 60 feot, nil of which haro given good prospoots. This torraco oxtouds in tho direction of tho Waimoa township. Sovoral of tho terraces havo also beoa slaked off, but as in all of thorn tho sinking is deop, no shafts havo yet beon bottomod. TJio indications aro, howover, most encouraging. So far as it has beon tested, tho washdirt in this load-- for such we believe it to bo — runs from ono foot to threefeot iv thickness. Sororal stores havo beon oreotod, and sonio are going up, and although tho track is impassablo to horßes, provisions aro obtainable at modorato pricos. Tho prosont populotion is estimated at about 1000 souls,

Wo understand that the 2ith £uno noxt— St. John's iky—has been fixed for tho Masonic Ball, which will probably bo hold at thoPrinco of Wales Opera House ,Tho sonsation Adolphi drama of Tlu Groon Busies was produced at the Prince of Wales Thoatre last night, and in tho entirely new olass of character supplied by this pioco, Mr Bnrtlott's dramatic company aoquittod thoinsolvos as effectively as in any of 1 the parts they had previously sustained. Wo havo had the opportunity of zeoing thorn iv olassical comedy, broad comedy, and melodrama, and in all they avo equally oxcellont. Tho porforinanco of Tho Green Bushes last night was one of tho most offoctivo roprosontationa wo havo scon of a play full of intense interest. It ia ono of tho most popular dramas over produced in London, and there sustained a continuous run for upwards of twelvo months. Thoro can bo no greater proof of tbo stronger development of tho passions in the Irish charaottr than in that of any othor nation, than the faot that the most talented writors of dramas — and Buokstono ia ono of them — always seleofc Ireland as tho scono of thoir operations. Thero thoy can mix together, without any sense or foar of ridiculo, contrasts, that as regards other countries, would bo uttorly absurd. Tho Qroon Bushes is ono of this kind ; a story, tho recital of which rouses at ono moment tho deepest sympathy of our lovo, and at others, feelings of intense haired and horror $ in fact, throughout tho whole of tho scones, tho opposite emotions of joy and sorrow aro most unexpeotedly oxoitod— tears and laughter constantly changing places with each othor. Tho plot of tho pioco is full of intorost, although simple and natural, and was exceedingly woll illustrated by the dramatic company at this house. Willi a distinct recollection of Mdme Oelosto in .ho character of Miami— ono of her bost castes — wo can still truly say that Mrs Poolo's rendering of (hat character, although not equal to that of Oolosto, was truly oxcelleut, and on frequent occasions received tho most flattoring acknowledgments from tho audionoo. Mrs Crosby, as Nolly O'Neill, was also successful, aud by hor amusing brogue, with a very natural touch, of sontiinont, was highly offpctiyo. Miss Rosa Ooopov as Q-oral-dine, and Mr L. Harding as Lionel, porformod thoir parts unoxcoptionably j and, indeed, for a first representation, it affordod little room for any oritioisin. Tho comodj of His Last Logs concluded tho evening's programme, Mr Androws, as O'Oallaghan, succeeding in splitting tliG sides of the audionce. Wo must compliment tho manngomont, .too, upon tho tasto and talent displayed in tho scenic arrangements on tho stago. Somo of the sot scones woro especially offeotivo. Thero was a nuraorous audionco last night, and we notice that the same programme is to be ropoatod this oroning. Wo (Molbourno Avqui) understand that it is intended lo send tho whole of tho salmon ova expected by tho Lincolnshire to Tasmania. Tho Government havo promised to lend the •teamor Victoria for this purpose, and tho secretary to the Aoolimatisation Sooioty has intimated to tho authorities tho timo at which tho Lincolnshire may probably arrive, so that the vessel may be roady to receive her interesting freight. Ono portion of tho trout ova, to bo brought out by tho same ship, will be sent to Tasmania, and the other portion deposited in the Yarra. at Badger Oreok.