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West Coast Times, Issue 237, 26 June 1866, Page 2

Tho following is tho comploto list of gentletlomon who havo thus far announced thornsolvos as can^'datos Tor tho Munioipal Council of Ilokitika:— Mr Shaw, Mr Eicko, Mr Bartlott, Mr Findlay, Mr Bonar, Mr South, Mr Harry Kennody, Mr Robinson, Mr Prossor, and Mr Moynoll. Mr Mark Sprot has issued an address dcolining thp requisition presented to him.

Tho porformancos of tho Stevens', family continue to draw good houses at tho Thoatro Royal. For this ovoning, anothor chango of progrnmmo is announced, and young Stovons will for tho first timo povform tho daring foat of tho flying trapozo. Profossor Stovons takes his bonofit to-morrow night.

A publio mooting is to bo hold at tho Firo Brigado building this ovoning, to rcooivo tho roport and resignation of tho Improvement Committee

Wo call attention to an advertisement from tho, Oollootor of Customs, intimating that a communication has boon rccoivod from tho Collector of Customs at Molbourne, to tho effect that no gold, tho produco of Now Zealand, will bo allowed to bo exported from Viotoria duty froo, unless it is regularly ontorod on tho ship's manifest as " duty paid " at Ilokitika.

Tolographio communication with Christchuroh, was re-oponod yesterday. Wo aro, howovor, without our usual telegrams.

Tho performances at tho Princo of Wales Opora Houso to-night aro for the benefit of a very dosorving adov, Mr Clifford, and they are announced to bo undor tho patronage of tho Independent Order of Oddfellows, who will appoar in lull rogalia' on tho occasion. Tho bill includes Dumas' sonsation drcma of " Tho Foinalo Dotoctivo, or Plot and Passion," tho farco of " Tho Widow's Viotim," aud inoidontal dancos and songs.

Cobb's G-royinouth. coaoh arrivod in town last night, with soven passengers. Tho driver roports tho lino of road to be in good condition, and tho various rivers oasily forded.

On Friday last tho Toromakau was unusually high, which, combined with tho hoary surf rolling in, rendered it quite impassable. Tho hardiest boatmon on tho river objeotod to risk their lives upon it, refusing tho high faro of LI from eoveral individuals who woro anxious to cross.

Compared with tho ono procoding it, thove is a marked inceaso in last weok's criminal calondar, 18 sontoncos haying bcon inflicted by tho Resident Magistrate, 1 debtor confined, and 1 prisoner committed for trial. In "the same period, 4 hard-labor men, and 1 debtor were discharged. The number and classification of criminals in tho old gaol, on Saturday, Juno 23, is as follows :— Committed for trial' malos, 1 ; females, 2. Sonjioncod to hard labor, males, 21 j fomales, 1. On roinand, 2. Debtors, 10.— Total, 87. In tho now gaol— Committed for trial, 36. Total mnubor of confineos in both gaols, 73.

Although unwilling to rovorfc to bo sad a subjoot, wo canuofc help wondoring that the soa should havo so long rotained tho body of tho unfortunate Mr Dalton, and somolimcß feel induced to imagine that it must have boon cast up, plundered of tho valuables which woro known to bo upon it, and thon buriod, that all suspicion of such an ooouvronco might bo romoved. At tho same timo,, such a procoduvo would bo most unlikely j bo wo must o'on supposo that it has been washed a long way to tho North, and perhaps cast upon ■feonio of thoso beaches botwoon tho Groy and Bullor, which aro bo seldom traversod by tho foot of man. Two othov bodios of parties who woro known to havo been drowned in tho rivor and s"urf, aro still unaccounted for 5 tho first being that of tho niato of tho Porsovoro, whilst tho othor bolonged to a lad who boiuo twenty months ago ontorod into tho eurf, and was carried out to sea and drownod. Thoso, wo daro say, havo likowiso drifted' northward, although it seems strange tho bonos should havo novor boon discovered, when we consider that siuco thon so many partios havo traversod tho whole distance between tho Bullor and Groy mouth, by beach. Porhaps some of the rooky points inaccessiblo to man hold tho roraains.

Oobb'B Ohristohurch coaoh arrived in town on Saturday night, and, notwithstanding tlio unfavorable weather o( tho past two days, was well up to timo. This punctuality spoaks loudly in iavoi* of tho road, whioh must bo iv oxcollent condition. Indeed, ono of tho passengers doolavod ho novor travolled ovor a bottor ono, as from ond to oud it is kopfc in thorough repair j and now that tho bridgo is completed aoross tho Typo, no delay noed bo ■approliondod for tho futuro, unless eoino extraordinary llood should wobli tho stmoturo away. Tho following goutlemon woro bookod aoroßs : — Messrs Martin, Andorsou, Philips, Wood, and Casher. Wo tiro glad to boo that anothoi* of tho JRovoU street residents is improving his frontage, and rendering tho roadway passable, by laying clown a fow loads of shinglo. Mr Osborno, of tho Ernpiro Hotel, is thus following tho worthy oxainplo sot him by his right hand neighbors, and wo sinceroly trust that thoso on tho othor sido will in turn follow tho oxamplo, until tho prcsonfc disgraceful state of tho strcot is romediod. Wo aro astonished thai tho largo drapory establishments, which dopoiul so groatly upon tho patronage of tUo

fair box, should bo amongst the last to improvo their approaches ; and wo imaglno that their trade, in consoquonco, must havo very materially fullon off lately, as no lady could possibly vonturo across suoh a " Slough of Despond." Indeed, awoll-dvossed female would hardly vonturo to walk tho sido paths, as sho would bo almost cortain to receive a bospattoriug of mud from passing horses and vehicles. Wo hope that Rovoll stroot householders will aofc with unanimity, ns tho cost wouUl thon bo trifling, and a good road the rosult.

So many conflicting accounts have reached

s lately from tho Bnllnrat rush in tho Waiinoa district, concerning its yiold and tho genoral condition of tho minors thoro, that wo felt sonaowhat perplexed what valuo to attach to it, and undecided whothor to class it amongst the highly producing fields, or moroly regard it as ono of thoso patohos so ofton mot with in Westland. Yesterday, howovor, our roportor stumblod aorosa an old digging chum of days gono byo, when the pick&nd shovel was wiolded undor less unfavourable oivcumstancos thanfcho so whioh tho West Coast diggors have to con. tond with, and ho— after a mutual in torch ange of civilities— in reply to a quory, stated that for some thno past ho had been looatod at tho Ballavafc rush, whioh ho pronounced as boing a really good diggings, whioh would yofc turn out a largo quantity of gold. So far tho Ballarat load has boon traced about two miles in tlio direction of tho Han Hau, through spurs and aoross tho intervening gullies j but through a largo flat haviug infcorsootod its courso in whioh tho sinking was wot and the ground difficult to koop up, but littlo progress wns mndo in following it. Thoro ia, howevor every" probability that it will bo trnood through this flat into tho adjoining rangos, and a union ultimately effeotod with tho Ilau Hou lead. In tho direction of tho Waimoa, the Ballavatt load has boon tracod into tho old Six Milo orcok, out of which it has ovidontly proceeded, Tho returns from tho different claims aro exceedingly good, somo paying as high as LSO per man, por wcok, whilst good wages, say from L 7 to L2O per man, for tho wook's work is common, and as on all other of tho * Coast diggings' tho shallow ground is the richest. Tho wash dirt in tho best olaims oonsists of black cement and gravel, which has to bo burnt and orushod that the gold may bo oxtraotod ; but as this is a hand process it is only reasonable to suppose that a largo peiv contago is thoroby lost. Tho dopth of sinking varios from fifteen to seventy feet, and thore can bo no doubt but this lead is a sootion only ofa run of deep ground which extends from ono end of tho coast to the othor, a nearly similar formation boing found in tho Totara district, and tho samo " lay " of country northwards of tho Waimea.

The galo" of last Thursday night was felt with unusual eovevity in tho Q-roy district, and, wo are sorry to Bay, wasattonded by fatal consoquencos. On tho night in question, two workmen connected with the coal pit, retired to l'Cßt as usual — novor again to rise in life ; for towards morning a violent gust of wind uprooted a largo tree, and throw it "right across tho tont, killing both men on tho spot, Thoir bodies wero conveyed to Gboyinouth for interment.