BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

West Coast Times, Issue 215, 28 May 1866, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

(prom our own correspondent.) (Tho followhig appeared in Saturday ovoning's Des2)a(ch.) Christohukch, Saturday, 4. p.m. The steamer Tarnnaki arrived from the North and sailed for Dunedin today at noon. It is expected that the General Assembly will meet about 20th June. Steamer Airedalo arrived from the South

From Ross tho news up to tho 23rd is quito uninteresting. From a roporfc of that date, wo aro informed that sovoral of tho old mining parties aro taking tip extended claims for tho purposo of working tho surface and terraces to moro advantage, whon thoy obtain a supply of water from tho races now being completed.

Mossrs Bain. Houghton, & Co. have rocoivod a tologram from Nolson, stating that tho South Australian was to loav'o that port for Ilokitika yesterday. Sho may, thoreforo, bo oxpeotod off tho harbor at daylight this morning. Mr 0. E." Button has joined tho bar in Hokitika. Mr. Button commoncod praotico, as iv member of tho logal profession in Now Zea* land, in Invoroargill, whoro ho obtained both success aud farao as an ablo advocate Two vessols woro in tho ofllng last ovoning at dark. It was supposod that ono was tho Falcon, tho other tho Maid of Erin or Aurora. Wo loam from Sydnoy papers that tho Star of tho Evening arrived at Molbourno on tho 10th. and was to sail for this port on tho 17th inst. It will bo scon from our report in auothor column, of tho Resident Magistrate^ Court hold on Saturday, that tho caso against Mr H. W. Braokon has assumed quito an altorod phase. Tho ohargo mado by Inspector Broham of assault with aggravating oirouuißtaucos was not sustained, consequently tho prisouor was discharged. Immediately on this taking place, ho was again brought up on a fresh information laid by Sorgouut Dyor, charging him with manslaughter, on which ho was romandod until to-day, bail being accepted for £1000—- himsolf in £500, aud two sureties of £250 each. Wo undorstand that on Saturday Mr. Johnstono, tho aolioilor, was retained by tho mates of tho deceased Patrick Connell to assist in tho prosooution, Tho piocos announced at tho Princo of Walos Thoatro for to-night aro tho tragody of " Mo" doa" and tho farco of " Tho Illustrious Stranger." The " Cantorbury Pross " says :— " Our roadora will romouiber that during tho last sossion of tho Provincial Council a vote of £200 was allotted towards securing tho servicos of M. Ohovalior, an artist of roputo in tho neighboring colonies, in tho dolincation of tho prominont landscapo featuros of our Province. Wo havo boon favorod with a viow of a very intovoatinp portfolio, tho result of that gontloinan's tour to tho West Coasb by way of tho Hurunui to Hokitika and Groymouth, returning by tho Otira and Porter pass. Tho colleotion consists of original skotohos, and aro unraistakoably very masterly productions. M. Chovttlior'a ponoil is admirublo for its fidolity, combined with that froodom whioh distinguishes a practised hand. Thoro are comprehensive viows of tho towns of Hokitika and Groynio'uth, where distinotivo dotail is rondorod without any saorifico of breadth. of offeot, placing beforo us vivid delineations of I thoso ominontly picturoßquo looalitios. Along tho inland route again his hand has boon busy at tho innumerable points of viow in wliioh our highland sconory is so rioh j and wo are onablod to enjoy with tho artist now his impressions of Alpine grandour, now tho sylvan avonuos of tho road through the bush, and now somo soquoßtorod crook ovorhung with its intorlacod roof of sorub. Two water colors afford a sample of what tho serios will bo when workod up. Ono, of Mr Thomas's station, on tho Hurunui, routo, is a bright, clear viow of a mountain vnlloy, whoro buildings and cultivation onhanoo tho foreground. Tho pictures to bo produced from thoso skotches aro to bo exhibited in tho Paris Exhibition, and aro to bo chromo-lithographod. Wo congratulato tho Provinoo on having obtainod so talouted and oomprohousivo a colloction of drawings > and tbo only exception wo fool disposod to ttyko

to tho arrangomont with M; Chevalior is, that theso interesting of Cantorbury scenery aro to bo first oxhibitod in Paris. Wo cannot but bo of opinion that that any advantage in the way of attracting attention to our Province rosulting from thoir exhibition in Europe, would bo attained far moro roadily by London boing selected for thoir show placo, whorovor it may bo afterwards docidod to havo thorn lithographed."

The Molbourno " Argus" has tho following gossip about grcenstono :—": — " Greenstone is tho namo of a stone found in Now Zoaland, whoro it has always boon highly valued by tho Maoris for its properties, as it takes an edge as keen as iron, and forms a good substitute for Btcol in the making of warliko instruments, as woll as of ornaments. The naturo of tho stouo has not boon satisfactorily dotormined, bo far as wo aro aware, and it is now only found in tho bods of streams, or iv tho drift containing gold deposits. It is scaly, semi-transparont in small flakes, exceedingly hoovy, so hard that it can scarcoly bo split with the largost hammer, and has a groasy surface, which does not admit of a high polish. For a day or two past an immense block of this stone, tho largest over found, has beon shown to tho curious by Mr Mitcholl (who has lately roturnod from Now Zoaland), at tho ofllcos of Mossrs Do Pass Brothers, Elizabeth street. It was found at tho Kanieri diggings, near Hokitika, in a golden claim, eight foot from tho surfaco | among tho bouldois. It is of remarkable smoothness to tho touch, froo from any black spots or other impurities, and is pronounced by many to bo tho finest and largest dotachod - piece over discovorod in tho Westland district of tho middle island of Now Zoaland. Tho mean thickness is over ono length 2 foot 2 inohos, and broadth noarly two foot. Although of such small size, its weight is not loss than 5121 b. Groat labor was expended in convoying this specimen from the wilds of tho bush in Now Zealand — for only manual labor could be omployod — and immense perseverance was shown in taking it half a niilo out of tho bush, through ondloss Impediments. It was obtained in a golden olaim, and up. wards of three ounces of gold woro taken off and around it. Thoro were groat expectations of finding anothor similar stono, but tho labor of sovorjil months, and muoh oxponso, only succeeded in extracting a fow small speoimons, weighing from two to threo ouncos. Tho Maoris, wo are informed, say that tho stono is a porfoot wonder, and thoy have ncithor po»n nor hoard of a pieco of such dimensions bo J iv.i from impurities."

Tho Molbourno " Argue/ of tho 12th inst., records tho doath of a much esteemed colonist, whoso namo will bo known by many settlors horo. We alludo to William Launcolot Kolly. Wo oxtraot tho following :— " Wo aro sorry to havo to announce tho death of Councillor W. L. Kolly, wliioh took placo yesterday ovoning, at his house in Simpson'sroad, after a short but sovero illness (boliovod to be rupturo of ono of tho valves of tho hoart), which from the boginning loft littlo hopo of a fuvouraWo issue. Tho docoasod was a nativo of Towkosbury, in Gloucestershire, whoro ho commoncod business oarly in lifo as a printer and atationor. Afterwards ho ostablishod a similar business in Nowport, Mon., which, he loft for Melbourne in 1852-3, attraoted by tho glowing reports whioh woro thon reaching England from tho goldfields of thiß colony. Always ontorprisiug, ho at onco commonccd business iv tho Arcade, which Uo made famous. Ho was subsequently for many yoars tho landlord of tho Argus Hotel, which, undor his genial supervision, bocamo a rendezvous for tho literary mon of Molbourno, and colobratod for its draught and chess tournaments, whioh woro of frequont ocourrence. Afterwards, having beon the first lessee of tho Melbourno markets, lio bocamo tho propriotor of "Molbourno Punoh," and rotirod from all other businoss, to enjoy in comparative retirement, the ease tho right to which he had earned. A fow months ago ho was olocted, without opposition, to roprosonl Latvobo Ward, in tho Corporation of Melbourno. Threo wooks Binco ho was soized in his ofiico with violet retching, during wliioh (in his medical attendant's belief), his hear was fatally injured. Tho deceased was a largo-mindod man, a warm, and gonorous friend , and thoro are none who knew him who will not sharo deeply in tho sorrow of his immediate relatives."

Wo tako tho following from tho Molbourno correspondence of tho "Otago Daily Times" : — " Mr. J. G. Beanoy, tho surgeon chargod with having caused tho doath of Mary Lewis, a barmaid, whom ho was called in to attend in his professional capaoity, has boon oommittod to tako his trial for wilful murder by tho City Polico Bonoh, bail boing takon for his appoaranco at tho Criminal Soßsions. Ho had proviously boon committed for trial for tho same offonco on tho Ooronor's warrant."