West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 1867.

West Coast Times, Issue 614, 12 September 1867, Page 2

West Coast Times. THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 1867.

The Resignation of the office of Post-master-Geueral, by the Hon. John Hall, is greatly to be regretted. Mr Hall was one of the ablest of Mr Stafford's colleagues, and during his comparatively brief tenure of office, Jftas shown himself a man of admirable business capacity, of great industry — in fact of almost restless official activity — and of strong reforming tendencies. As a Provincial politician, Mr Hall has perhaps little claim upon the favor of Westland. We are mainly indebted to him for the overland road, and for the costly attempt to establish an escort service. The wisdom of the former he has always steadily advocated—justifying the conduct of the Government of which he was a member, by reference to the public opinion of the time. The Escort scheme he, of course, in common with all its other promoters, is obliged to acknowledge to have been a mistake, occasioned by an utter ignorance of facts. Mr Hall was guilty of another practical blunder, from which, however, it luckily happened that no ill consequences followed. We mean his proposal to offer .the whole of the auriferous lands of the West Coast, for sale, indiscriminately, under the Waste Land Regulations. But Mr Hall's sins .against this district, died with -his retirement from office as a member of the Provincial Government. During the last two sessions of Council, he has uniformly discussed Westlaud questions in a spirit of fairness and frankness, and displayed none of the animus against the district with which he was accredited. He has proved himself a gentleman of altogether different calibre to Mr Jollie, hia quondam colleague. The Westland members found in no quarter of 'the House a man more courteous and candid, more attentive to their representations, or more disposed to give consideration to the point of view from which they addressed themselves to these questions. Mr Hall never concealed his strong conviction that the interests of both sides of the Province would be best served by a separation between the two, although it must be said in fairness to him that he refrained from advocating the formation of a new province. It is, however less with Mr Hall as a Provincial politician that we have to do on this occasion, than U3 a man who

has taken a leading position in the general legislature of the Colony, and displayed a remarkable aptitude both for official work and for parliamentary discussion. Heis beyond all question the most effective debater in the Provincial Council, bringing to bear a vast fund of knowledge on every question he touches ; always well up in details, and reliable as to facts ; never disclosing a weak point to an enemy, nor provoking attack by substituting sophistry for argument. Mr Hall appears to have carried these qualities with him into the House of Representatives, and it was impossible for him not at once to take a foremost place in a Chamber where there are so maivy men of mark. His style is one eminently calculated to inspire confidence alike in his knowledge, his ability, and his honesty — and when thjit can be said with truth of a politician, he must be a powerful acquisition to any party he joins, and an invaluable colleague. We have spoken of Mr Hall's active habits. In this respect he is a pattern to all heads of departments, to say nothing of subordinate officials. Punctual to a proverb in his engagements ; most exact as a correspondent ; searching in his investigations into every branch of the department over which he presides ; no man could be more fitted for the administration of the postal system of the Colony— a work of business detail rather than of policy-. We know not what sort of Finance Minister or of Defence Minister Mr Hall would make, although it cannot be doubted that the qualities we have referred to would serve him well in any department he undertook. But for the office of Post-master-General, he has displayed a more than ordinary aptitude. During no corresponding period have practical reforms of the saoae magnitude and value been effected, and it will, we fear, prove a misforture that the charge of this department has fallen into other and less competent hands. It is not disrespectful to Major Richardson to say that he is likely to prove a much le^s efficient head of the post-office than Mr John Hall. With perhaps „an equal amount of activity, it is activity of a different and more mercurial kind. The lion, and gallant member is infinitely less fitted for the practical details of an office which requires above all things a close business application. It is, however, an advantage conferred upon the public by the even temporary occupation of office by an unusually able man, that the circumstance raises the standard of official requirement. A man of moderate ability may distinguish himself in an office which has been previously filled by men of inferior parts. But the successor of a man of sterling capacity, must himself be of equal mark if he is to escape discredit. In no colony, as a rule, has ministerial office been held by public men of more distinguished ability thau in New Zealand. Mr John Hall has in this respect fully sustained the reputation of the colony: Whatever are the causes that induce him now to retire from office, he must continue to take a leading part in our public affairs.

Whatever may be the result of the experiment suggested,, by the Town Survoyor and earned out by the Town Council with a view of checking the encroachment of the surf, we must say that the construction of the work is being pushed forward with a rapidity infinitely creditable to the contractor, Mr Kellock. The work itself is very simple, consisting merely of a row of piles driven along the beach at high water mark, and connected by stout stringers of unhewn timber , securely bolted to the piles, between which and at right angles to the beach are placed fascines of brushwood, their stump ends being buried in the sand, leaving the brush expose:!. Wo are not prepared to hazard an opinion upon the probable success, or non-success of the undertaking, which is purely experimental, but at the same time consider that Mr Frew's plan is not deficient in ingenuity, besides being inexpensive and easily carried out. The Council decided to construct six chains of this piling, three at the end of Moffat's right-of-way, and three at the end of the Empire right-of-way. One section was finished yesterday, and the Empire protection will be commenced this morning. We sincerely hope that the work will prove effective. On Tuesday night thtt'-fire-bella pealed out an alarm, iiud almost 'instantaneously the* streets were thronged with thousands of people, all anxiously enquiring " where is the lire !•"' Most fortunately tliere was no cause for alarm, as it turned out that there really was no fire, but that the bells had been rung for the purpose of putting the members of the Fire Brigade on the gui vive and summoning them to practice. The alarm, at all events, answered this purpose, for the members of the brigade turned out with commendable alacrity, and mustered in considerable numbers at the station.

Messrs Cobb and Co., coach proprietors, have purchased the new stables lately erected in Tailored street by Mr Rich, and are making very considerable additions thereto, including coach-houses, as well as increased accommodation for horses. When finished this establishment \yill be one of the most complete in Hokitika.

The Christchurch coach arrived yesterday at 4 p.m. with the following passengers : — Messrs Reeves, Davis, De Mourisland, all through j Messrs ffelton and Adams, wayside passengers. The road is in splendid condition, and the rivers are very low.

In his fortnightly report, dated 7th inst., and addressed to the Government, Mr Warden Keogh, writing upon the Wuimea district, says :—": — " No satisfactory intelligence of the Teremakau rush has yet come to hand. The rush to Red Jack's Gully is likely to employ a limited population, the great difficulty to contend with there being the small quantity of water available. The gold is coarse, and the stripping so far light. The diggings at Piper's continue to extend slowly but surely. During the fortnight twentythree cases have heen disposed of in .court, and seven in the field. The population of the district may bo estimated at 5000."

There was no criminal business before the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. A few undefended civil cases, for small debts, were disposed of,

We understand that a deputation will wait upon the Goldfields Secretary tiiis morning, to request permission to occupy a portion of the Cattle-reserve, which is situated just beyond the Islay Hotel, as a Cricket ground. A large purt of this has already been cleared, and last year was sown with English grass, so that with a little trouble there is little doubt that it might be made a first-rate ground for the m-jLiily and English game of cricket.

A meeting of the Westlaud Board of Education will be held on Friday evening, in the Court-house, Hokitika.

The steamers Otago and Phoebe are now diie, the first from Melbourne, the Phoebe from Nelson and Northern Ports. They will bo despatched respectively to Nelson and Bluff Harbor upon the first tide after arrival.

At tho meeting of the Kilwinning Lodge held last evening, there was a large attendance of the members of the Masonic craft, and we understand that several members of this lodge were raised to the " Sublime degree of Master Mason."

Mr D. Davis, M.P.C. for the town of T.yttelton, was amtngst the passengers by coach from Christchurch yesterday. Mr Davis is one of the few Eastland members who look with a favorable eye upon this district. He very frequently supported the Westland members during the last session by going into the same lobby with them.

The beach, is again making, and weare hopeful that its advance seawards will rather be accelerated than checked by the approaching high tides, a wide bank of sand that promises to break the force of the surf, having collected below low water mark, from the end of the spit to as far north as Moffatt's right-of-way. This bank is inclined to work home, and being fairly submerged at low tide, the surf in passing over it gathers up large quantities of sand and fine gravel, which is deposited between high and low water mark, and thus has raised the beach nearly threefeet. . We notice that the Government workmen are still engaged upon the "Groin" below Spence's right-of-way. They have completed the parallelogram of piles, but will have to postpone the planking until the beach wastes, for so rapidly has the sand accumulated that the piles are well nigh buried, those nearest the sea being scarcely visible. It is a pity that a less expensive experiment had not been adopted.

We learn that the Provincial Council is ' likely to be called together for tho despatch of business immediately after the close of the present session of the General Assembly. By way of Christuhurcli we have two day's later news from Melbourne. It will be seen that the Ministerial crisis in Victoria still con-; tiuues.

The City Theatre was well filled last night, on the occasion of Mr Hyde's benefit. The performances concluded at a late hour. The pieces announced for to-night are "My Poll and my Partner Joe," and a farce.

• It will be seen- that the name of Mr Kennedy, late Governor of Vancouver's Island, is mentioned as the probable successor of Sir George Grey.

Mr Souths lecture on " Geology," in aid of the Library Fund of the' Literary Society, will be delivered this evening. In connection with a course of " Winter Evening Lectures" given in Invercargill some two or three years ago, which was opened by Mr Justice Chapman. Mr South gave a very comprehensive and graphic outline of the main facts and discoveries of geological science. If Mr Soutli travels this evening over the same ground, and does it with the same felicity, his audience will have a real intellectual enjoyment. We are very glad to see the Literary Society's lectures assume so high a character as they are doing.

The country in the neighborhood of Mokihinui river is described by the " Grey River Argus" as consisting of a series of terraces similar to those which, further south, have proved so rich in gold. The ground is densely covered with bush, but otherwise presents no special physical difficulties. Thero is said to be a large extent of country resembling that were the first discovery of gold has been made, and as the port is a good and accessible one, it is probable an important township may spring up there. There is no bar to the harbor, the entrance being between high bluffs, and is sometimes fordable at low water. At high tide there is from seven to ten feet of water in the harbor, and the anchorage is sheltered. Coal of good quality exists in abundance a short distance up the river, attempts to work which have been made by Batty and Co., but owing to the expensive works required in the shape of roads and bridges, they ware compelled to give up the undertakiug.