West Coast Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1868.

West Coast Times, Issue 909, 21 August 1868, Page 2

West Coast Times. FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1868.

PKESdunu of matter on our space compels U3 to withhold our usual leading article

A meeting of the inhabitants and Ilanipdon street was held last o\cning at M'Guiro'a Globe Hotel, lor the piu-poso of considering tho recent action of tlio Aliuiieij pal Council, on tho motion of Cr Prossi'i* with ivfcreiice to forming this street- Mr Slapletou occupied the chair, aud stated that the Council had, on Sir ll > rosjCi >> 3 suggestion, unjustly refused to carry into effect a resolution for the making of tho street, which had been previously agreed to. Mr Zohrab having explained tho nature of tho previous meeting, and the memorial which had been presented lo the Council, Mr M'G uirc moved — "That this meeting views with much regret tiio 'action taken by the Municip.il Council, in reference to tho formation of llampdcu street, consequent upon Mr Councillor l'rossor's motion ' That until two-thirds oi tho rates bo collected from tho inhabitants in (he locality, no stops shall Lo taken towards tho formation of tho road,' tho Council having previously agreed to nccclo to the memorial already presented by tho inhabitants, and that a deputation bo appointed to wait upon tho Council, urging upoiv them lo reconsider their decision,/ bo that this now important thoroughfare fchould be immediately attended to, according to tiio prayer of tho momoriil already presented." Mr Parka seconded flic motion, which was agreed to ncm con. MrJS'cil remarked that he was murii surpfiscd that a;:y councillor should object to tho formation of tho road in llampdon sliest, as through its non existence every storekeeper in that locality, as well as other people, had to pay heavily for tho carj riage of yooJa on tho tiamway, which would not be tho ease if there was a good road. Ho would move — '• That in consequents of tho position taken by Mr Councillor Prossor, in reference to tho immodiate formation of Ilampclcn street, thereby endeavoring by his resolution to deprive tlio residents and pro-perly-holders of this district the just rights claimed for the formation of tho road, thi3 meeting docs not believo he is worthy of their future confidenco as an.ember of the Municipal Council, and plodges itself to withold all support in his favor at tho forthcoming elections, whether as Mayor or Councillor." Mr M'Guire seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. On tho motion of Mr D. M'Donald, it wr.s resolved — "That the following gentlemen be uppoiuled to w.ait upou tho Municipal Council, in order to carry out the foregoing resolution — namely, Messrs. Dovore, Hawkins, llolmc3, Ilnwcrfch, and M'Guire." Voles of thanks to tho chairman and Mr Zohrab having Iseon passed, the meeting separated. "" ~"

Wo have to acknowledge Iho receipt of a pamphlet on " Oyster Culture," by tho Sur-veyor-General of Tasmania, J. E. Caldcr, Esq., printed by order of tho Tasmaniau Government.

The weather lias at last changod, after tho longest unbroken spell of clear skies and sunshiuo thai has been experienced this year. For the s:ilco of convenience and comfort its continuance wao something to bo devoutly wished for, but — the best interest of town aud country demanding ruin — wo nro prepared to welcome as best wo may tho downpour that commenced at about five o'clock yesterday moruing, and was* maintained with only slight intermissions until sunset. Not that thero was then any indication? of a cldlu-ing up, for tho sky was oveivast and sombre, aud tho tendency of that faithful indicator tho weatherglass wns downwards, downward- 1 , whilst every gust of wind Lh.it swept through the streets was surcharged with moisture— a sure sign of an abundances of rain behind. Tho atmosphere was intensely cold throughout tho d.iy, indeed once or twice tlu pressure of sleet in the showers was unmistakably appaient, so niui.li so lint we thought snow was at hand. Eut as tho afternoon waned, the temperature raised a lit lie, and at sun down was three degrees higher than at noon, and hence that form of rain which, on account of its rarity on the sea line of the West Coast, might bo almost classed amongst phenomena, was confined to tho higher lamb, where it must have been deposited in immense quantities, othcrwiso a Hood would have resulted from the heavy rainfall' of yeslcrd.l3'. When the clouds that now obscure them clear away, the mountains clofhed with snow from summits to baso will pi-csrent a gorgeous epeetaelo. An advertisement olsowhoro notifies that t!io usual monthly inspection of Volunteers will bo held to-morrow aijernoon, by GV.utaiu Carey acting as District SjJjuUnt. Tlio foligwing are tho hours mid places of muster for the various corps : — Liglit llorso, 2.30 p.ui , Jones' SV.lo Yard; N\>a. 1 and 2 Rifles, 3.30 p.m., Old Cacip Reserve. 'Die return coac'i fro-n Grcymoulh arrno 1 in town ut a quarter to sovon. Passoiigei-s — Messrs Iviigour, lumriofc,' and three Maoris. Jfr Youiifr, iho driver, lv'porh tho road fo ho ii oxroHi'iii con.liiioii, r.ii'l tho riifr* and rivoks ti> ii.svo siyhtiy iiicfva3o i in vo!m:ji.\ Tim i-oiivoy.uieo for Greu-.nmiii left, I.mvh y«*slrrd.:y at iv.o ti'cloci; p.i:i , en. : vc\ iu^, a.< p.is-eii^frs, Mrs Rnirtiii, Misj Os^ome, and ilcfsi's Q.irsidu and Pollock. The. ltev. W. .T. liabeus, U.A., Mi-ii.-kr of ihu Congregiilsyu.il Church, Mj.i>o!:i!(slorM.i,yt, Chri.sichurch, is d-.-livi ring a series ofSun.!::y aftcrnojn Lii-l'ires in thy Thc.itre' iii^.il of that fify. Thobo Lectures are blalo.l to be Wl-'I iilicntled. Tli.' nomination of iraiidiJat-'p for the ofiieo of CWiu-illois for t lie l'or'ougli of Ch-iyinoiitli under the su w Htiinicip.il A. t t(-ok place on T;io.«.!ti\. Tueiily-tno gculh'mcu wore nomin.i'.cil, ii.d tlio noil will lake place on Wednesday, llif 2Gth inst. ' With regni'.l to Ihe oirLliijii.iko w.ivo on Salurd iv lasl, the Wi'slporl "Evening Slar" says: -"Tliat tsevei'.il of the phenomena wlii-Oi usually ne^ompnny covthqnnUca, wore

observed here on Sat.irday, an I it wag at the tinio stated by tho Harbor-master and others by whom thoy wcVo observed, that news of an earthquako in some, part of New Zealand would soon be received. Their speculations provo to havo been correct. At West port, about tho time, of low water, several " bores" or \vave3 of uiui3ual size piwsentol the-niselves in tho river, running rapidly in from tha sea, and towards high water the tide made with unußii.il rapidity. Usually tho tido rises in the Bullet* without any observablo inward currout, brt on Saturday it ran in at considerable speed ; and, oven at tho highest wharf in tho river, there was at ono time a current of at least two knots per ho-u- up tho river. Tho largest and heaviest " bor^" occurred between u'vo aud sis o'clock in the evening. It was from four to fivo feet in height, and, oj. it pressed up tho river with considerable velocity, it led to the John Perm breukiug her moorings at St-uiley wharf. Similar phenomena were observed along tHo coast. By those who were travelling by Cobb's coach, Iho sea was seen to recede for a considerable distance, and unusually large waves then broke upon tho shore, and advanced considerable distances up the beach. This morning, according to the testimony of a number of Ihe inhabitants, a shock of earthquake was distinctly folfc at Weslport. Time- is not very uecm-aleiy kept in this town, but tho shock or shaking seoms to have been felt about ton or a quarter-past ten o'clock. Several persona who were at tho time writing at counters, desks, or tables, statethat they felt the trembling motion very dis" tinclly, aud iv one instaucc the table was both seen and felt to move, while, there wts a visible vibration of othor articles of furnituro .in tho room. At tho Caledonian Towaeo similar observations wore maclo." Wo ,lake tho following from lbo"Timaru Herald " of tho 15th instant :— " On Wednesday inorniug last, at about fivo o'clock, Mr Driller, landlord of the Otipua House, Saltwater Creek, was awoko l>y a sense of suiibcalion produced by smoJio whi-'h pervaded his room. On going into iho a.ljoining room, tho sitting room, to discover the canse, ho found tho lloor of that, room on ilro. Water buin^ at hand, ho succeeded, a.3 ho thought, ia extinguishing tho lire, and retired to resL again. About half an hour aftor, IVlr Driller wn 5 called by his servant girl, who said Iho house was on fire. On his going into the sitting room, ho found, the floor aud mantelpiece in a fierce- blaze, wlm-h resistor! all efforts ub extinguishing, and ' in half au hour's time tho whole iuu was burnt down. Moors, roof, walla, &c, aro completely destroyed, the only portion of tho premises saved being the bowling alley and tho stables. Such was tho rapidity of tho fire that Mi- Driller was ablo to save only a very small "portion" of tho furniture, tho rest being consumed. From enquiries into tho cause of tho fire wo loam that the inmates of tho honso retired to rest at tho usual hour the previous night, leaving, a3 was customary, a Binall fire- burning in tho sitring-room. It is supposed that fire from tho grate falling on tho hearth, which was slightly br&Kcn in places, rolled through one of tho crevices of the brickwork, and so underneath the floor, where in all probability was an accumulation of shavings aud rubbish, tho fittost food for firo. Tho Otipua Inn was nearly a now building, all tho lower portion o^ tho houso having boon rebuilt by Stc Driller after tho flood in February. Tho lower portion was originally cob, but standing as it does on low ground, it suffered so sovci-cly in that heavy flood that it was necessary to rebuild ifc, which was douo in wood. Mr Driller is therefore a heavy lo3cr, for tho premises | were valued at something liko £300, and tho only insurance effected on them i 3 in the Loni don and Lancashire for £1 50." Tho Wellington, correspondent of tho Chriatchurch "Press" thus analyses Iho division list on Mr Fox's motion : —

From a return just published ife appears that during tho past year a total of 195,973 emigrants have departed from Iho Unitcvl Kingdom to v.irious destinations. An analysis of this total nuinbor shows that 15,593 went to tho Nor ih American colonies, 159,275 lo tho United Slates, 11,-160 to the Australian colonies and New Zealand, and 6709 to other places. As compared with 1860, thero is an increase in the departures for tho North American colonies and other places, except tho United States, tho Australian colonies, and New Zealand, as to which a decrease, is observable. A retrospect of emigration statistics during tho past fourLeon years shows that tho largest emigration to tho North American colonies occurred, in 183 I, to tlio United SUies in 1553, to the Australian colonies and New Zealand in 1831, and to all other places in ISS'J.

We lake tho following fro:n lust evening's " Despatch" :—: —

Tho Eight Rev. Dr. Harper, Bishop of Christ church, will bo warmly welcomod by the people of that city on his loturn to his dioeoso. It has been arranged th-ifc an illumimitcd addregs shall bo prescnleil to tbo Bishop, aud thai a large le«i-m<vting shall bo held in the Town Hall, to cek-bralo his arrival. A committco has been formed to make the necesssii'v arrangoiucnts, \\!:i.«h, ju l^i-! j of Hi;> lone ni the ir.ed.injj at which the i'um:>iillco w.ib-upi'olnled, np'.e.ir likely Lo be ivorlhy of the oi-LMbion.

An mvi lent oceurre.l ye-.tnr.lny lo tho i-u.ieh fi-oin Ciii-i-lohure'i, which drlnye.l 113 arrival in I{..k:i»k.i unlil this morning ;it 7.30, when It drjvo up In C ibb and Ci».'s oiliee with Messrs Rciberhs a'i>l D.u-laid, tiniitwo M > ay<?i(le.», na pa-vmit^irs, an.l 15 ewl. of tho ICnglisii i:::s ; l via £Jue<. Oil f!:e iU'i-i-.al of tlio iv.u-h, ye^fs'.lny^alU'i'iio 1 )!!, at M"(.'l.n»oik's, nboul. fifu en miles from Hokitika, Mr ohep.-ml, iho driver, knotting iho couch to be heavily loaded, v. "uli th.il careful pruiienec whivh iiistiiigtii^ies him, made an examination of she vehi.-le, and iliscoteinl Iliat the a.\le \va"* cracke 1 ncv.i- one of the v.hi-eis. Heat oncedetermined net (o omo on, iir^'ic considcrod it unsafe lo [jvoceed on ihe j uirney, but he came into tj-.vn on liorst-b.iL-k, mid having procured anoil'cr coach, weiit back last night to M'Olintock'a, and early this morning ho

again started for Hokitika, whore he arrived safely at the lime abovo etatcd.

The "1-Tcw Zealand Gazette" of tho 6th instant, contains an order from the Governor making certain reserves of land in tlio County of Wcsiland fur iho u=e of the Colonial Government, and for other public purposes in the town of Okarita, and also along the mail road to Canterbury. Tin Court of Appeal will sit at Wellington on the 22nJ October next. Tho "Gazette" of tho 7th instant contains proclamations re-defining the Registration Districts of Iho .Duller, Brighton, Charleston and Cobdon under tho " Marriago Act Amendment Act, 1858." and (ho " Registration Act, 1835." Letters of Naturalisation, dated Gth August, 18G8, have been issued to Edward Andrew Author, of Greymouth, sailmakcr.

From Auckland... Wellington Hawlcps Bay Tai'itnuki Nulson M.-n'lborough Westtoud... Canterbury Otago Southland M:iovi Members Ministers' own votos For Mini3lcrs. a 2 2 1 2 1 3 9 1 2 4 Against. 0 G 0 1 3 0 0 V G 2 0 0