West Coast Times. AND WESTLAND OBSERVES. MONDAY, APRIL 5, 1869.

West Coast Times, Issue 1103, 5 April 1869, Page 2

West Coast Times. AND WESTLAND OBSERVES. MON DAY, APRIL 5, 1869.

When it pleases the political Providence of New Zealand, iv the persons of Mr Stafford and his executive, to call the colonial Parliament together, there is ample work cut out for them in a host of ways, exclusive of tho great Maori question, both in amending past tmd instituting future legislation. West-

land, of course, can contribute her share of employment to members, but ac present we will merely refer to two subiects recently brought prominently under notice. The first has cropped out of fche anti-Town Hall agitation and has reference to the present legal occupation of the reserves of this town generally, but that at present, held by rlie Fire Brigade more particularly. The opponents of the Town Hall allege in fact that the Borough Council have no legal possession of or right to the reserve at present in their occupation, on a portion of which the Fire Brigade Hall is built. As is general^ well known the Brigade, after prolonged discussions, agreed to accept an area of increased size on a different part of the Reserve, and to allow the Council to remove their present hall in use in order to allow the erection of a Town Hall and Literary Institute. So as to strengthen their case, the Committee have communicated with Mr Sale, and that gentleman has expressed his opinion in eifect, that as the Brigade held their site for a special purpose, and as that site had been granted by the Provincial Legislature of Canterbury, they had no right to alienate or fcrausfer ifc to any other body, or under any existing circumstances. Further, it is stilted by others, that tho Borough Council have no legal title or interest to any portion of the reserve in question, and that they havo no more right to grant a different site than the Brigade have to yield up their own. At the first blush this reasoning would seem pound, inasmuch as the reserve was originally gazetted for Government and Police purposes, but since then tho authorities of the coast have found another i-estihg place, aud the small army of blues are very comfortably lodged elsewhere. The land therefore was waste, with the exception of the blocks bought by banks, and the Borough, or rather its predecessor the Municipal, Council, came into possession of it on being established as a Municipal reserve. What precise tifcle they hold it under we confess we are unable to clearly define, but it is certain that they have possession to begin with, and that some much more powerful body than the Canterbury Provincial Council would have to be appealed to to eject them, or even to question i heir right of occupation. We do not ourselves misunderstand Mr Sale to ■nean by his letter, th :.t he considers it necessary to refer to the Canterbury Provincial Council in connection with the transfer, nor could any reasonable person imagine for one moment that that body, after the severance of Westlnnd, had anything to do with the County or its lands ; but there are some who either are under that impression or would wish to convey it to others. When Wcsfcland cut the bond that joined the eastern and western sides of the range, she took upon herself all the public liabilities, pecuniary or otherwise, that had been fairly incurred on her behalf, and with them she also assumed all the rights and privileges ihat Canterbury previously held. Amongst other?, presumedly at least, were permissive rights of reserves, no matter of what kind or how granted, and here we will admit there is a difficulty. The County Council has no power to absolutely hand over any reserves to public bodies or religious denominations, excepting under authority delegated to the Chairman by the Colonial Executive, and it may be thafc a. Haw iv title may arise from this cause. Were it private property in question, no doubt in the event of litigation tho point might assume a serious aspect, but under present circumstances all irregularities, if such exist, can readily be smoothed, and all question of title validated by a short special Act of the Assembly. On the circumstances being properly represented there is not the slightest grpun4 to quppqsa thafc the Assembly

would not readily pass a measure of the kind, and possibly the very fact of public attention being drawn to the matter, may be productive of good by compelling not only the Borough Council, but other bodies to place their title beyond all dispute, through the legislation of the Parliament of New ZealandGranting, therefore, that there may be something in the point raised, it is one that can be readily removed by simple reference to the Assembly. If so pleased the Fire Brigade may, we feel assured, with safety shift their quarters, and the Borough Council take I ossession of their vacated site.

Tho other matter we recently referred to, and it is unnecessary to enter into it at length. It is the preposterous charges that are made in the Resident Magistrate's Court here, and, we therefore presume, in other places, in the shape of fees. Wo showed, when on this subject before, that to get judgment and carry it out, process to the fullest extent, even in an undefended action for £100, presuming the defendant to reside at tho Greenstone and tho plaintiff in Hokitika, would cost over £20, whilst the debtor could, after this expense had been gone to, slip himself free of all trouble by simply filing a declaration of insolvency. But in addition to this the rates to suitors or applicants of any description recently have been Vastly increased, and as the scale seems to keep exact time with General Government necessities, it would be well to make inquiries-, in order to ascertain on whose authority these changes are effected. A day or two ago an application was made, on the termination of the ordinary business., to two honorary justices who formed the Bench, by a barrister of this town, Mr Rees, as to the disposal of certain monies then in court, and for this, a fee, either six or nine shillings — the latter, we believe — was demanded. No doubt the Clerk of the Court merely extracted what his instructions justified him in doing, imt it is qui^e certain that the whole fees at present so profusely oiling' the mechanism of justice wants great revision and vnsfc redaction. This subject the Assembly will do well to investigate, and prevent future extortion from those seeking their own in Courts of Law.

At a meeting of the Westland Jockey ! Clnb, held on Saturday evening, at Dyson's \ British Empire Hotel, amongst other business it was decided to disqualify Eeay. the jockey of Flying Jib, from riding on any course the property of the Westlaud Jockey Club for two years. No doubt this procedure will meet with the approbation of tho public. At tho Resident. Magistrate's Court on Saturday, tho Mayor, Evaa Prosser, Esq., J.P., presided, but owing to the inability to procure a second Justice of the Peace, the cases were adjourned till this day. There were only two cases for adjudication, oue in which, three seamen, oa board tho Elizabeth Curie, were charged under the Mcrchaufc Seavnons Act with wilful disobedience of orders, ami tho other a civil case' Tho three seamen were held to bail to appear this day each in his own recognisance of ,£l'O. A special general meeting of the Literary Society, will be held in the Beading Room, this afternoon, no two o'clock sharp. All membora are requested to be in attendance, as business of importance will be submitted for their consideration. There was a first-class display of meat in the various butcher's shops in town on Saturday last, but there were two sheep exhibited in the shop of Mr Price, Revellstreet, the respective weights of which were 126 lbs and 96 lbs. The show of beef, veal, pork, &c, was also very fine. The following ig the return of prisoners confined in the ■County Gaol of Hokitika, for the week ending the 3rd April. For trial, 3 males and 2 females ; penal servitude, 10 males ; hard labor, 20 males, 6 females; simple imprisonment, 1 male; for default of fine, 1 male ; default of bail, 2 males ; debtor, 1 male : total, 33 males, 8 females ; received during the week, 2 males ; discharged during the week, I male. Cobb and Co.'s conveyance from Christ, church arrived at the booking-office on Saturday evening, at half-past 5, with Messrs M'Callum and Kennedy as through passengers, and two waysides. The Greymouth coach left town on Satur, day morning at 8 a.m., with Mrs Ashton and Mr Graham for the Teremakau. The down coach came into town at half-past twelve with Inspector Broham, from Greymouth. Some persons, probably thinking that the hoarding round the Dobson Memorial had' been an eyesore long enough, pulled it down on Saturday night, about half-past eleven It is to be hoped that the hoarding will be replaced b}' a neat iron fence. We were shown on Saturday a really magnificent basket of dahlias and f uschias, of all colors and varieties, grown by Mr Barker, who has a garden off the Christchurch road about three miles from the Arahura station' Without the least exaggeration, we believe that such a splendid sample of the horticulture capabilities of the West Coast could not have been exceeded in auy part of New Zealand, for the flowers were faultless, their hues were perfect, and many might have successfully competed in the best flower shows of the Colony. When will Hokitika inaugurate a Horticultural Society. There is ample scope for such already, and every day acids to the cultivation that has been commenced. We are given to understand from those who should be judges, that the Hokitika wharf is in anything but a secure condition, and in several places there is a possibitity of the piles being washed' out. If such is the case, a few bags of eand in time may be tho means of averting such disaster ; and a3 " a atjich in tim» naym m'ue," so way $h« outlay

of a few pounds at present prevent tke necessity for an expenditure of a hundred or two. tt is to be hoped that the municipal authorities will investigate the matter, and ascertain if there is any cause of alarm, with a view to immediate remedy should there be any danger.

As will be seen by our telegram published in another column, Mr Fisher, of Greyraouth, has tied for third in the long range shooting at Dunedin. It appears, too, that the weather was very bad, and utterly unfit for shooting in, and the crack shots failed to make the requisite number of points ; we presume, therefore, that the match will be shot over again when the weather is more auspicious.

The members of the Hokitika brass band met on Saturday night last, to consider a letter received from the Volunteers. The letter stated that the band would ba found with a uniform, and the services of a bandmaster paid for eight weeks. We believe that the latter portion of the letter gave great dissatisfaction to the members of the band, as they complain — not without some show of reason — that the time is not sufficiently long for them to experience, the | benefit derivable from a bandmaster. They require a guarantee for aix months, which is not out of the way, many of the members having no previous knowledge of music. Several new members have joined, and we are informed it is intended to send to Melbourne for more instruments, to render the j band more effective— so that it would be a pity to lose their services through any slight misunderstanding. j A rush took place at the Big Paddock on ! Friday last. Two shafts have been put | down, and a prospect of three grains to the ! dish obtained. A continuation of the once famous Duke of Edinburgh Lead is supposed to have been found. The Westland Light Horse meet for mounted drill on Wednesday afternoon, at the usual parade 'ground, at three o'clock. Th'S escort for the Greenstone leaves town to-day. In consequence of the police being required elsewhere during the holidays, a period of about three weeks has elapsed since the last escort came down.

Two men named Tholeson and Ross, em" ployed as lumpers for the discharge of the Elizabeth Curie, Avere arrested on Saturday^ charged with broaching the cargo of that vessel. The former of them has only recently been released from gaol, after being sentenced to two years, and serviug eighteen months' imprisonment. They will be brought before the Bench to-day.

A Chinaman, name unknown, was brought down yesterday by a number of his countrymen, and taken to the hospital. He was suffering from acute inflammation o* the liver. We believe this is the first Mongolian patient that the Hokitika hospital has had the honor of receiving within its walls.

The Wellington Independent says-. — The Ngatiporous who arrived here on Friday by the St. Kilda, after having been duly equipped, wero re-embarked, and the vessel hauled from the wharf. She s teamed for Wanganui the same cveniug. Sixty-three was the number she brought, exclusive of officers, but we believe she took away uightysix all told. Tli'ey 'Weirb a clean, healthylooking lot of feeu, mostly young, a few of them very intelligent looking, and one in particular, who, when you looked at hi? Tuscan-lookiug nose and well-chiselled face, ornamented by a brownish beard, it was hard to believe he was a Maori.* None of the young were tatooed— the result, we snpposo, of the influence of the whito race; but when they arrived here wenotifced thatruauy of them had their faces daubed with blue devices, while on their departure spots of red ochre had replaced them. The last generation of Maoris tatooed, tins one appears to paint, perhaps tho next one may wash.

A General Government Gazette of the 27th contains the following notice of prorogation: — " Whereas on the twenty-sixth day of February last I thought fit to prorogue the 'Jeneral Assembly of New Zealand to the fourteenth day of April next, at -which tim.e you were hold and constrained ' to appear : Now know ye, that for divers cau?efc and considerations I have thought fit to relieve you, and each of you, of your attendance at the time aforesaid, hereb}* convoking, and by these presents enjoining you, and each of you, that on Thursday, the sixth day of May next, you meet in Parliament, at the city of Wellington, there to take into consideration the state and welfare of the said colony of New Zealand, and therein to do as may seem necessary."

In view of the fact that the small-pox is slowly, but surely spreading in Melbourne, and that there is a possibility of the infection being conveyed to this Colony, it will be well for parents to attend to the requirements of the following sections of the Vaccination Act: — The parent of every unvacciuated child born in New Zealand after the first day of March, 1869, shall, within six calendar months after the birth of such child, take, or cause to be taken, the said child to a medical practitioner, or the medical officer appointed for the town within which the said child is resident, for the purpose of being vaccinated; and the said medical officer so appointed shall thereupon, or as soon after as it may properly be done, vaccinate the said child. Upon the eighth day following the day on which any child has been vaccinated, as aforesaid, the parent of tho child shall again take, or cause to be taken, the said child to the medical officer by whom the said operation was performed, in order that such medical practitioner or medical officer may ascertain by inspection tke result of such operations.

Three hundred glasses of brandy were consumed during the month of February by six patients in the' Kilruore Hospital, Victoria, besides a quantity of wine and sixty pints of. ale or porter. A committee has been appointed to enquire into the matter.

The following telegram from Hamilton, Waikato, dated the 21st instant, was received in Auckland previous to the departure of the Rangatira. A number of influential Ngatiraxikawa chiefs are now at Mr Buckland's house. They say that they and their friends have warned Kereopa that, if he makes a move towards Waikato, he shall be immediately killed. That in consequence of these threats Hukaraia and Kereopa leave Te Papa on Tuesday night with sixty fighting men to join Te Kooti. They go by way of Tauranga, and will do what harm they can m tho wiry,