RUMORED RESIGNATION OF MR. MOORHOUSE.

West Coast Times, Issue 636, 8 October 1867, Page 2

RUMORED RESIGNATION OF MR. MOORHOUSE.

<• Our evening contemporary of last night, publishes a telcgrain. to tho effect, that Mr Moorhouse had sent 11 letter to Mr Bonar, resigning his seat for Westland. Of course, Mr Bonar is not the gentleman to whom Mr Moorhouse's resignation'^vo\ild be addressed. It is intelligible, however, that the member for Westland may have intimated to the Goldfields Secretary his intention of resigning his seat for this district, in consequence of tho passing of the Bill separating Westland from. Canterbury. A telegram was received yesterday morning, by the President of the Separation League, from the Hon. Mr Stafford, requesting the transmission of the resolutions adopted at the meeting at the Prince of Wales on Thursday last. This message was dated, and should have been received, on Saturday last. The resolutions were at once forwarded ; but no reply was received last evening. We may add, the resolutions were forwarded to the Christchurch papers on Thursday night last, and no doubt Mr Moorhouse has received information of them from Christchurch. The truth of the rumor of Mr Moorhouse's resignation is supported by strong probabilities. It is to be sincerely hoped that it will be confirmed, and that Westland will have the opportunity accorded to it, of returning some member in his stead, who will have no divided allegiance ; no duty to discharge, but that of simple service to the district.

We arc informed that a meeting was held at the Prince of Wales Opera Houso yesterday 'afternoon, at which several of the Candidates for municipal honors made speeches. We regret that as no notification of the meoting was forwarded to us we are unablo to report the speeches delivered. We learn, however, that Mr Button proposed Mr Bnrtlott and that Mr Bartlctt proposed Mr Browne, aud that several other nominations took place, the show of hands being in favor of everybody. Cr Anderson, who is again before the public for re-election to the Municipal Council, addressed the North Eevell street electors last night, at Casey's Ballarat Hotel. The meeting was numerously attended, and characterised by a good deal of noisy good humor. A resolution of conttdeiico in the candidate was curried. Mr Taylor's mooting, that wns aunounoed for eight o'clock luat niglit, at the Exchange Hotel, R.evc>U street, va.B wnftYOid-

ably postponed until this evening, .anil will be held al 8 p.m., at the Oddfellow's Hotel. The following meetings in connection with Ihe Municipal elections are announced to come off this evening : — Mr Win. Robinson at the OJd Fellows' Hotel, at seven o'clock ; Mr Prosser at the same place at eight o'clock ; Mr Taylor at the same place at nine o'clock ; and Mr Anderson at the Bound Tower of Ireland and the "Q. C. E. Hotel. Extraordinary and most inclement weather prevailed at the Nelson goldfields last week, whirlwinds being amongst the visitations which occurred on the coast to the northward of Westport. One'of these phenomena swept across the newly established town of Mohikinui on Wednesday last, and according to the steamer Brace's report entirely destroyed it, not a solitary habitation, being left standing. Tents were lifted bodily, and carried miles away into the bush, and the heavier buildings of iron and timber torn piecemeal, and tho fragments blown aftout in "all directions. One heavy t>eam wa,3 -whirled from the town to the river, and fell on board the steamer Murray, staving her deck in. Several incidents occurred, and would have, been ludicrous but for the distressing ciroums'tances attending them. Of these we may mention tho case of a comfortable married couple* who> snugly ensconced in bed when the squall struck the town, were suddenly aroused by a tremendous crash, and next moment beheld the bare canopy of heaven above tliem, their store having been whisked away like a feather. Those who witnessed the efi'ects of this squall declare that nothing like it occurred on the , coast before. Tho Melbourne mail, which arrived per Egmont, was landed at Ctreymouth yesterday morning hy tlio steamer Tastnaniun Maid, and forwarded to Hokitika by C6bb'o eoacli. It reached town last niglit cA eight o'clock, and consisted ttf Several large boxes of letters and pipers, which were sorted and partly delivered before ton o'clock. Tho house of Mr 3". R. Andci-3on had a ' narrow escape from being burned down early i yesterday morning. j?rom what we can , gcthe'r, ie appears that a candle, wliich was burning in the children's room, fell against ! the wall, and ignited the paper and canvas. , Most fortunately tho fire was discovered by Mr Anderson before it had laid hold of the building, and being promptly extinguished, all futher danger was averted. By telegram received from Chrislchurch, we 1 learn that Cobb and Co.'s coach arrived in 1 ' that city on Sunday morning at eight o'clock, ' in time for the mail and passengers to p"roceod to Lyttelton, and go 'w. feoard the L steamer for Wellington, "t'6 join tho Panama 1 mail steamer-. Tlio late high tides and heavy freshets have 1 made great havoc along some portions of the road between Hokitika and G-reymouth, more : particularly between the Saltwater Creek and the G-rey. The Greymouth and Saltwater ' Tramway, wliich had previously been twice ■ [ shifted back owing to the encroachment of tho ' sea, has suffered severely, several hundred ? yards of the line near tho Saltwater township \ having been entirely destroyed. The^jftrobck to the bridge has been cut off, and'-yesterday--the coach was only able to get along by means I of an impromptu track cut through the bush, which was done in a short time by the labor of some dozen men. Thel'Teromakau was higher yesterday than if has been known to be for somo eighteen nionths, but was falling fast. The other cregks Jwnrc all swollen, but with the cessation the rain were subsiding* A gentleman, who arrived from G-roymouth yesterday, informs rus that the recent enL croacliments of the sea on tho beach have had ; the effect of< affording employment to a good i number of men who are now busily employed . in working the sand which has been thrown up or assorlcd by the return of the tide. From the extent of some of tho workings and ' the activity displayed by the men, it would ' appear that the labor is not unprofitable, i One or two parties stated that they were • making good wages, and as they can only ( Avork at certain times of the tide, and even then under great difficulties, the auriferous sand must bo of no ordinary richness. Wo never could understand why so largo a section of the Hokitika community adopted Christelmrch time, and thus were ever in ad- ' vance of two-thircb of their fellow-citizens by nearly half an hour. The practice led to endless confusion and inconvenience, and we are . glad indeed to hear of its discontinuance, as henceforth the Banks, Post Office, Custom House, and Supreme Court House clocks are to be set to Hokitika time as kopt by Mr Proctor, of Eevell street. This slop in tho right direction will, wo hope, be followed by the establishment of a timo ball at the obsor- ■ vatory or some other conspicuous position, so , that mean time may be given here as at other ports not half so important. On Saturday afternoon an inquest was held by Dr Beswick, at tho Soyal Hotel, Stafford Town, upon the body of Alexander Eiddle, who as we related in our last, was killed whilst falling a tree at the fourth Scandinavian terrace on Thursday. The evidence adduced t, clearly proved that death was the result of an accident, and a verdict in accordance was returned. Tho Loyal Waimea Lodgo of Oddfellowa held a very agreeable ball at Brother Owen's Sluicer's Avxas Hotel, Stafford Town, on the evening of Friday last when, notwithstaud- ; ing the unpropitiousness of the weather, a large company of ladies and gentlemen attended. The supper would havo been creditable in oven a metropolitan town, and ; was, so the guests said, the best given yet in tho Waimea district. The chair was taken by Mr Davin Bonjainin, the Noble Grand ; Master of the Lodge. Ho gave the first toast of the evening, that of " The Queen," after which several other appropriate toasts were proposed and responded to; that of tho "Loyal Waimea Lodge" finding a proposer in Mr Warden Keogh, Tho attendance of ladies waß agreeably large, and altogether both the ball and supper were entirely a success. Wo take the following from the Melbourne "Argus" of tho 19th instant :—" Considerable interest was manifested in a case which came before tho City Court yosterday, both on account of the seriousness of \ho * charge and tho position which the accused person has for some time occupied, in {,]« colony, Mvs

O'Neill, the info of Mr O'Neill, the Irish comedian, but formerly Miss Anna Maria Quinn, was placed in the dock on four charges of larceny in New Zealand. It is asserted that on the sth instant the prisoner, while staying at the Hibernian Hotel, Hokitika, stole L 270 belonging to the landlord, Mr Kelly, together witli a quantity of jewellery^ the properly of Miss Keilyt JTdr this a warrant was issued against her, together with another for stealing some articles from Mrs Marian Holland, an actress residing at Ross Town. Thero were four warrants obtained against Mrs O'Neill, the consequence being that within a week after her departure from New Zealand, which took place quite recently, she was followed to Melbourne by Detective Hams, who arl'ested her on Tuesday night, at the Exchange Hotel, where she was living. The officer having explained tlie nature of his biisiness and produced tlie warrants, Mrs O'Neill requested niin to search her boxes, in order to satisfy liimself that she had none of tho stolen property in her possession. He proceeded to do so, and after a while came upon a lace veil, wliich he retained, as an article of this description ,wa3 .mentioned as having been stolen from Mr 3 Holland. The detective elated in court yestsfctay that wlien he found the veil Mrs O'Neill acknowledged that it belonged to Mrs Holland, and afterwards confessed that she had taken it. Of tho various articles mentioned in the warrants this was the only one which was found in the prisoner's " possession. A remand to Hokitika was applied for by the detective ; but Mr Aspinall, who appeared for tlie defence, objected to his client being put to the expense and inconvenience which such a proceeding would occasion^ on t'Je bvidenco wHcli liad Been produced. He urged that it would be tho greatest cruelty to tear the lady away from her husband (who he said, was lying .dangerously ill) .to defend such a shallow case ; and pointed out to the Bench that they had tho right to inquire into the matter if tliey thought fit to do so. Mr Hackctt was, however, of opinion that the New Zealand magistrates would be in a better position to investigate the case than a Victorian bench. Ho therefore remanded the prisoner till Tuesday, on the afternoon of which day tho steamer will leave for New Zealand, and accepted bail, in two sureties of £100 each, for Mrs O'Noill's appearanco on that occasion. Two gentlemen shortly afterwards came forward, and entered, into the requisite recognisances. It is Stated that when the case 'ccmco Before the authorities in NewZealand other charges of larceny, in addition to those which have been already named, will be proceeded with. Mrs Harris, of Groymouth, has communicated with tho police concerning a dress alleged to havo been stolen from her ; and Miss Rosa Gooper, a member of the theatrical profession, has made complaints of a similar nature: