West Coast Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1868.

West Coast Times, Issue 758, 27 February 1868, Page 2

West Coast Times. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1868.

The first session of the County Council is expected to be brought to a close today. Some important matters yet remain to be disposed of. Amongst the notices on the paper for to-day are some involving very grave questions. Mr Keary is to ask whether Mr Warden Aylmer was authorised to hold a second election of members for the Totai a Road Board; whether the Attorney- General of the colony had been consulted on the matter ; whether the Chairman of the County Council will instruct the Warden not to call the Totura Road Boad together until the opinion of the Attorney-Gi neral had been received as to the iegali«,y of the first election ; and whether in the event of its being declared illegal, the members unduly elected would be compensated by the Government for any loss they might have sustained. A subject of far greater importance is the consideration of the report of the Select Committee appointed to report upon necessary amendments in the Westland County Act. The report itself, which we publish elsewhere, is extremely meagre and unsatisfactory, but when it is under discussion questions of great practical magnitude may be raised. The most objectionable clause in the report is.peihaps, the one recommending that the County Council shall still continue to consist of nine members only. We do not believe the public would endorse that view if they were appealed to. Mr Harrison is to move the appointment of a Select Committee to sit " during the recess" to report upon the present division of the Customs Revenue collected at Greytnouth, between the two Governments of Nelson and Westland. All this tends very much to assimilate the County Council in matters of form and modes of procedure to the Provincial Councils. Mr Hoos has given notice of the following resolution affecting the sale of town lands, which will be of considerable interest : — That this Council recommend to his Excellency's delegate that all lands within the reputed township of Hokitika, lawfully occupied, and having upon them buildings of the value of not less than L 25, shall be offered to the person in occupation of such land at a fixed price, and that his Excellency's delegate do fix the price at which such laud shall be offered for sale at LI per foot frontage, and 10s for every corner section, both frontages inclusive, for all the land within the block bounded on the east by FitzGevald and Fitzherbert streets, on the north by Hampden street, whore the depth does not exceed one chain, and LI 10s per foot frontage for all lands in such block tho depth of which &ba)l exceed one chain, and at 10s per foot frontage and 5s per foot corner sections, both ffontatjos inclusive, for all such land outside such block

The resolution passed on Monday for paying salaries to the members of the County Council was rescinded last night, and, on the motion of Mr Harrison, a much more wise and equitable arrangement was agreed to. It was determined that members of the Council should be paid a guinea a day during its sitting, and that country members should have travelling expenses allowed them Mr Hall stated that it was with the understanding that some such arrangement as this would be come to, that the Government had placed a conjectural sum for the purpose on the Estimates. He added that he had not anticipated that any resolution similar to that passed would be adopted, and he thought it would be a most uufortuuate circumstance if the settlement arrived at by the Council was allowed to stand.

The County Council meets to-day at two o'clock p.m. A special meeting of the Municipal Council was held yesterday at three o'clock. We are obliged to defer the report of the proceedings. The weather continues most inclement, and tho heavy rainfall gives all the apprehension of another fresh and flood. Killed whilst asleep ! such a fate, we regret to say, befel an unfortunate digger at the Waiinea yesterday morning, when an appalling accident occurred that not only deprived him of life, but also soriously injured one of his mates, a third escaping by a mere miracle. The injured man, whose name we wore unable to [ascertain, was brought into town yesterday afternoon, suffering from a broken thigh, and one of tho men who accoirpanied him supplied us with the following particulars of the sad occurrence : — At about four o'clock yesterday morning the diggers of the right-hand-branch of tho Waiinea, were aroused by an awful crash, followed by loud cries for help. A general rush wa3 made to the place from which they proceeded, and it was found that a lai-gc tree had given way at the roots, falling across a digger's tent,' and killing one of its inmates named Thomas Cm-ley, whilst another had his thigh broken by a smaller branch. The third man, named Alexander Brandt, was buried in the branches, but, wonderful to say, escaped with a few scratches. He who was injured, but not killed, was taken to tho County Hospital yesterday ; whilst the body of C'urley was taken to the nearest public house, whore an inquest will be held upon it to-day by the District Coroner. Wo wore eorry to see that there was not a fuller attendance at the Prince of Wiles Opera House last night, when Mrs Crosby took her farewell heneflt previous to leaving for Europe. The performances consistod of the drama, in five acts.entitlod "The Willow Copse,"in which Mrs Crosby ably sustained the part of Meg, and Miss Juno that of Sir Richard Vaughan, the other parts being also well played. Tho entertainment concluded with tho comedietta " Perfection." A tolerably correct idea may bo formed of the condition of tho North Island from t(ho

following pargraph, which wo have taken from tho "Hawko's Bay Times," February Bth: — "Tho station (freehold) and stock together realised tho sum of L 1619 4s. At tho sale of the run lately owned by Messrs. Stopford aud Gethin, Turiroa, Wairoa, held on Wednesday last at the mart of Mr Ed. Lyndon, tho following prices wero realised : — 1525 acres freehold land, L 700, -1700 ewes at 5s 6d ; 1440 lambs at 3s 6d ; 671 weathers at 4s ; 204 ewe hoggets at ss ; 30 rams at 10s. The sale realised in all, L 1619 43 ; Messrs. Waft Brothers, the mortgagees, were the purchasers." Telegraphic communication with N"lson has been suspended the last tvo days, and is not yet restored, and we therefore- imagine that serious, or rather extensive damage, has befallen tho line. The Chriatchurch line broke down jfor a short time yesterday morning, but was soon made good again.