BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

West Coast Times, Issue 280, 16 August 1866, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

(from our own correspondents.) Bluff. Wednesday, 2.40 p.m. Sailed -The William . Miskin, for Hokitika. Miss Julia Mathews is amongst the passengers. Chbistchurch. Wednesday, 3.40 p.m. August 14.— Arrived : The Albion, from Wellington. Sailed: The Alhambra, for Melbourne ; the Spray, for Hokitika. Fresh in the Waimakiriri, owing to the melting of the snow on the hills. August 15. — Arrived : The Airedale and Wellington, from Dunedin; the Camille, from Newcastle. Sailed : the Albion, for the South, and the Airedale, for the North. The Colonial Treasurer has made his financial statement in the General Assembly. It is regarded as very unsatis- ! factory, and was received with marks of i disapprobation. The estimated expenditure for the year amounts to £1,007,885, including a surplus of £33,000 on account of the expenditure of last year. The estimated income for the year is put down at £1 ,056,000, including the proceeds of a stamp duty which is to be enforced. The surplus remaining over for the provinces is £48,115, giving them only one-eighth of th© Customs Revenue, instead of three-eighths, as at present. The debate upju the Budget h&s not yet taken place, but free expression has

been given to adverse opinions. The proposed absorption of seven-eighths of the Provincial Customs Revenue for General Govern ment purposes is expected to lead to a combined opposition to the financial scheme. No other business of importance in the Assembly. The second attempt to Jay the telegraph cable across Coak's Straits is to be made on the first fine day.

Cobb & Co.'s Chrißtcliurch conveyance ar« rived punctually to time 'last night. Two 1 minors Were the bnly passengers whb liooked by it: By tin Jane Lockhart we have Sydney papers to the Ist inst., bufc their contents have been anticipated by telegrams in the Melbourne journals. The Tararua, from Mel. bourne, may now be hourly looked for, and she will probably bring us the English news brought by the June mail. Quiet — we may almost say deserted— as the Tucker Flat diggings hate been for many weeks past, there is yet important work in hand there, which, if it is attended b> successful results, will re-populate the place, and cause it to assume status more in accordance with the bustling period when it wa» first rushed. Two months ago the system of mm. ing leases in old ground wa» introduced there, two acres being granted by the Warden to a party of miners who styled themselves tha "(JrPdl' Extended Gold-mining Company." Since then these men have been striving to reach tlie main bottom, which lies some sixty feet below tHe level first Worked ; but tho nrsfe ground being very difficult to keep up, they lost phaffc after shaft, and never succeeded in sinking to a greater depth than fifty feet. This deep ground, w ojf no great width, as the reef can be found oil either side at a moderate depth ; and as the attempts hitherto made to Bink in the centre of the gutter have failed, the, company have decided to take a shaft down through tha high reef, to a depth of elghty-fLy^, feet) $& •there Ojien Out and drive for it. This work if not being proceeded with on mere spec, as a ihaft was sunk months ago on the edge of the reef, which was followed down, and washdirt struck yielding £ dwt. to tho bucket. Tilts lower drift, hoWever, con'taifled tnuch Water, atid Was considered to> poor to worl at the deptk arid with such a disadvaiu tage to contend against. It was accordingly left as duffer ground, and the,." Great Extended" afterwards formed to give it a further trial, as it was believed that good payable gold racist life <at the 1 bottoijj Of the guttiir; Subsequently, the.HauHaU lead was traced to within a short distance of the Flat and then lost ; but many believe that the gold has only jumped, and continues through the Extended Company's ground. Vigorous efforts are being made to solve the question, and another company named the lt fiXcslsioi"' is lately formed, ftfld obtaine-d a grant of three acres adjoining the former. It was only on yesterday that the grant was accorded by the Wardem and we believe Itjiat 4 contract will be immediately, lst for sinking 0, sHaft dn the s'itp'posfea line of deep ground. A meeting of the Building Committee, appointed at.the late congregational meeting -of the Presbyterian Church to colleot subscriptions for the erection of a place of worship, was held on Tuesday night, when office-bearers were chosen and collectors appointed. The Grey " Argus," of Saturday, reports :«* '! Eaijiy oji Sunday morning a heavy thunder storm burst;oy.er this district; accoiripanieS by very vivid lightning. The rain fell in torrents, mixed with hail of great size, some of the hail-stones being as large as a pigeon's egg. When daylight appeared, the swollen state of the river showed that the copious fall of rain experienced in Grey mouth- haOeen general up the country. During the greater part of Saturday and Sunday the rain continued to pour down, as usual, converting some portions of the streets into canals. Yesterday the river reached a very high level, almost equal in height to the last fl^ " " '* •" ~'vu; xortunateiy, however, the waier.kept within bounds, in which it was much asgistetl by the~ f ecentjy Constructed ehlbankment, the Utility ! of which was satisfactorily established. The heavy fi'esft has had a most beneficial" effect on the bar, it having opened up the south channel} and much improved the northern one; " -We may reasonably expect that there wiilnow be aB good a Channel, with as mush depth Tjjf water, as at any previous time. We have not heard of any accidents or damage up the river,"

The pursuit of Charles Worthingtoa, the late Goldfields Warden at Wait-ahuna, Ot«go, has proved unsuccessful. The "Daily Times" reports that Sergeant Quin, who wu sent to Victoria, with a warrant for the appro? hension of the absconder, on a charge of em: bezzletnent, has returned, satisfied, from enquiries at Newcastle, N.S.W., that Worthmgton aailed thence, for San Francisco, in the ship Warrior.