West Coast Times. MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1878.

West Coast Times, Issue 2801, 25 March 1878, Page 2

West Coast Times. MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1878.

The cuMaitipbafe'fiatflly tii'opp'ed"on the farce, iv which 'Mr-'Jcrn'es, df 'Oamaru, journalist, 'was^the'^principal figure. Jones has acquitte'd tli ii3nTse l lf respectably, .and sh,otvfß vpfomiuently on account of the 'iml/ecility of .'the other actors. It is impossible to look upon Joues as a i martyr. - It is better lo regard .i,hoßO who prbsecufcbd 1 him, as rash and iuconsiderato persons. The •gist of tbe alleged lib'elj'for which Jones was brought before the 'bar of the House,-- and \: subsequently proceeded against, was, that the then Attoruey1 General, Mr WhitakST, had been guilty of certain ' 'khafly"' proceedings with regard 4p qative , lan.d proceedings. Of course,' Mr 'Whitak'er denied phis, and the Atkinson, Goviernmentj.in a fit of virtuou&indignationv <impeadhed Jones, and decided to' spend 'the money of the country f! inv^i;dsS,ctitlh'g 'him. 1 Jones has been pi^elSuietl/the lniibey has been spent, with ,the result that Jones has been declared by a jury of his countrymen not guilty of tbe offence. But the subject matter of the dispute between Mr Whitaker and Mr Joues remains oxactly as it was. It was not discussed at '.tlie trial at all. Tho precedent set /by the Assembly of ordering fee' 5 "prosecution of a journalist far^rtu' Mleg'ed libel on a memhdr of- l <the» House is a bad one, and not 1 likely ( to be followed. The iury 'rightly ' dnougli, 'gave no weight [to the' faclriHafc the proceedings had beeVinstitu/9&;J)y,tb.e House, but treated, the oase, as^'he judge directed them to do, exactly! as- it were a private prosecution. The. .truth or otherwise of the i a!leged [! libel,wa;B not discussed in Court for the simple reason that the proper proceedings to allow this to be done had not 1 been' taken. Those, therefore, who anticipated the luxury of hearing .an' -'exi-member of the Government badgered- in tlie witnessbox by a political' 'opponent, were disappointed; 'The'lproceedings were tame to a degree. Not the slightest , iota of evidence against 'Mr Whitaker's conduct was divulged, but at the same time 'the jury did not believe that Mr ' Whitaker had been defamed to an extent winch warranted the imprisonment' of "'the outspoken Jones; ! Judge '■' Williams during his summing' up pointed' out the duty of the jury very clearly, aud the following portion of hiS'remarks 'deserve quotation. 'He said :— "I' need hardly point out perhaps to. you the delicate nature of enquiries of this 1 'kifrtl. You have on tho one hand to protect the liberty of the Press, 'beda'u'se in every trial of this kind where the limits of free discussion come ic.to question .the liberty of the Press' lp 'in some tjegree involved. You have to- consider that on one hand, and on the other hand you have to consider ''th^> sabredhess of private character, arid:jroii 'have to adjust the I boundary ' between' tlie' two. You have to so regulaleyybuij ilepision that the liberty of the Press may not be checked, and at the same time reckless imputations on i, private character shall not be allowed to go unpunished." His .6', I

Honor further observed that public men had occasionally to endure a little "journalistic horseplay.'* Jones perhaps .was rather severe on Mr Whitaker, yet on tlie other hand Mr Whitakor's skin inu'st be fur too thin for a public man. And now, aftor all this hubbub, there is, iv the words of a contemporary, but one remark to make which is simply this — Exit Jones.

The outward mails, via San Francisco, will close at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday (to-morrow), iintt will lie despatched by the steamer Kennedy.

l)r Giles, iI.M., was a passenger by the steamer Charks Edward from Nelson to WcslporL He intends making the journey from WWtporl overland to Hokitika.

•T,i>e< Easter llaucs Committee met at the Royal Mail Hotel on Friday night, and Aflopleu 'the ' programme which appears iv the first, page of this issue. It will be seen thai/ atakqs are offered to the amount of £265, and -the committee have determined upon making the meeting attractive and successful. - The secretary reported that subscriptions had been received amounting to £61 18s 6d, and several sums further were expected. It was resolved that the admission to the grand stand be made 2s 6d, and the gates the usual price of Is. The right to three booths, fruit stall, and cards of the races will be sold by auction on the 13th of April.

"We were afforded another opportunity on the invitation of Mr Stringer of the Telegraph Department yesterday, of judging of the powers of the telephone as applied between here and Greymouth. At four o'clock in the afternoon we were granted the use of tho double instrument, one to speak by, and the other to hear through, which rendered riiuch greater facility for conversation than on the first occasion the opportunity was afforded us in tho same oifice with the one instrument. On enquiring who was present iv the Greymouth oflice we were informed that Mr Greenwood was there. We first exchanged the compliments ot the day with that gentleman, and theu asked him for a song. He excused himself on the ground that he iiad a cold, but upon being pressed, ho sang " Happy Moments," every word of which wo heard distinctly. Several songs and recitations were then given afc each end to, the entire satis! action of tlie pariicb listening. We wure theu informed that Mr Arnott of tbe Grey lfiver Argus hud entered the office at the Grey. That gentleman asked us for the news of the day. After informing him that the steamer Albion had reached the roadstead, and the Charles Edward had entered the port, thafc Grey had beaten Hokitika iv the cricket match, and other scraps of local iuterest, we informed him that Father Hennebery wished to speak to him. Mr Aruott replied that he was quite prepared. He was then informed that the reverend gentleman would probably use another medium than tbe telephone — possibly the shillela. Mr Ai'nott again assured us, willi^a laugh, that he was quite ready, even for- that method of communication. He did not req'in're any one to keep the coffee hot. More b'ouga and conversation followed for nearly half an hour, and thu voices which came from Greymouth sounded most clear anil distinct, apparently us if iv the next room. -Truly this instrument is :i marvel of the age.

Applications' have boon made Lv the Warden at Kiuiieri for three gold mining leases. The applicants arc — Craig and party, (Hill and party, aud Bath uiid party. Particulars of the applications may be seen in another column.

Tlie election of a member of the Okarilo Riding of the County Council, has resulted in the return of Mr Kiug.

As a cab was passing along tho roadway by the wharf yesterday, one of the wheels sank -suddenly about four feet into the ground. The actibn of the river underneath the wharf has evidently penetrated under the roadway. The Corporation should look to this ma'ttcr at once.

There will be a meeting of the Hospital Committee at 8 o'clock this evening. Among other business Mr Meyer is to inovo for a committee to reduce the expenses ol" mnuagcmcut; and Mr Milburn also desires to take measures to amalgamate the offices o[ surgeon to the Gaol, Lunatic ABylum, aud Hospital.

The burgess list for the borough of Hokitika will bu compiled on the :Jlst inst., and no person's uame will be inserted in the same whose rates are in arrear at that date.

Messrs Campbell, C.E., mid 11. li. Rac, returned yesterday evening from a visit to tlie newly discovered reefs between Butcher's Gully and the right hand branch of the Kariieri river. The journey is up the Kanieri lake track, as far as the small settlement at Butcher's Gully, and this distance can be easily travelled on horseback. The reefs are about a mile and a half beyond these huts, up the side of a precipitous and difficult range — in fact, without a guide, it would be quite impossible to reach the desired destination. The outcrop of the reef was first met with on the edge of a small gully about 500 ft up the range, aud about 500 ft below the main body, aad here the stone appeared of a pinkish hue and apparently of a friable nature. The reef, at the highest point, is a solid stone, lying enclosed between well denned walls of slate and sandstone. Measurement shows it to be 10ft Sin wide, from wall to wall. A shot of dynamite displaced a ton or two of the stone, and sent it hundreds of feet down the declivity. The quartz ia very heavy, full of veins, in color darkish ; contains a large quantity of iron pyrites ; no gold has ycfc been observed in auy specimen, although the stone is a most favorable one to look at and quite devoid of the " hungry" appearance so characteristic of nou-auriferous quartz. Although, however, the btoue does uot at present show gold, it bus been proved to be gold bearing. On the return lo Butcher's Gully, a few ounces of the quartz, taken at haphazard from a number of pieces lying at the hut of the prospectors, were pounded with a small hammer on a boulder and crushed with the same instrument to powder. About an ounce of this powder was washed on three several occasions— an ounce or so each time — and on each, from seventy to a hundred colors were seen iv the dish', besides several good specks, and in one instance :i rough piece of gold wa foiunl, the size of a flattened piu's head. On miming tlie magnet through the crushed

quartz it was covered with particles of iron, on removal, and in these too, gold was seen. Nothing indeed could be more satisfactory than the rough and slight trial above referred to, but, of course, until some hundreds weight of the Btoue arc crushed, no fair idea of its gold bearing average, or of its payable nature or otherwise, can be formed. Should it give even a few uwts — seven or eight — per ton, it will be highly remuuerative^for it can be crushed al a very small cost, and there iB stone enough to keep several powerful batteries going for the next twenty years, the reef having been traced for an immense distance, and it always — wherever discovered — presents tho appearance of a very large body of stone. It is quite likely that the finding of this reef may be the commencement of v new era of prosperity for Ilokitika.

The annual meeting of the Distiict Grand Lodge of Masons takes place at the Masonic Hall this evening, commencing at, 7.30.

Sealed tenders are invited by the Secretary of the Eriu-go-Rragh Water Race Company, for construction of various sections of the above race. Full particulars of which can be seen in another column.

Tenders for supplies to the Ilokitika Hospital close to-day, at 4 p.m.

The Hawaiian Gazette learns from Waialua that at about midnight on Sunday, the 20th January, there was a sudden and violent irruption there of the ocean, amount ing to a tidal wave, which, from the description of the damage done, must have been some 10 or more feet in, height. At Governor Dominis's couutry residence the sea reached inland 150 yards beyond highwater mark, and with sufficient force to overthrow a atone wall. In other places the ancient sand beach has disappeared, aud in its place are bare rocks and cobble stones. We hear also that a field of cane belonging to a native was overflowed, aud some damage done to the crop. A house was carried away entirely in one place near the beach. At the same hour when the wave occurred at Waialua. people at Honolulu who happened to be awake noticed a sudden increase in the noise of tho surf on thu reef, and fishermuu report that the tide came in very rapidly, and unusually high, but nothing like what occurred at Waialua.

A correspondent of the Press writes :—: — In one passenger carriage ou the Northern Railway a few days ago, out of exactly a score of persons, were one man with one leg, another ou crutches, another blind iv an eye a fourth who squinted, a fifth deaf and dumb, aud a sixth so near sighted us lo pronounce a race horse standing si ill a very liuc bull, ll'ot tbe information of outsiders it may be as well to btatc that the carriage load was not v fair sample of Canterbury settlers.

In noticing the exhibits forwarded from this dibtrict to the Ballarat Exhibition, wo mentioned, among others, an india rubber stamp bent by Mr Pozzi. We have since beeu informed thai the stamp in question was the sole handiwork of Mr Pozzi's sou, a young lad of fourteen years of age. The stamp contained the words, " Australian Juvenile Industrial Exhibition, Ballarat February 1878," and was forwarded to the exhibition, as were the other articles from this district, to show what the youths of this part of New Zealand are capable of executing. We understand there wure a number of other exhibits aent, from the Coast, and we wait a fulller report from the Secretary, which we hope shortly to receive.

The Oamaru papers record the death of Mr G. T. Fen wick, an old resident, at the ago of sixty-three.

During 1877 the sum of £25,892 was lodged iv the Duncilin Savings Bank, and £27,767 was withdrawn. There was at the end of the year a balauco iv hand of £6223 against £4654 for the previous year.

The following students at Christ's College have passed the matriculation examination to the New Zealand University: — F. GWestenra, and L. A. Ilawkes.

A man named Francis Cassidy has been drowned while bathing iv the \\ aimakariii. The police have been unsuccessful in their search for the body, and as there was a strong current, it ia supposed the body must have beeu carried down the river.

Cooper and Bailej 's International Menagerie and Circus is being largely patronised in Duncdiu, 6000 persons having visited it one day .

A correspondent of the Duuedin Herald, writing from Palmerston, says :— lt may not be generally known that one of the best — if not the best — coal mine in the province is on fire. I allude to the Shag Point Mine, which has been on fire for months. The fire was caused through gross carelessness, aud, as far as I can learn, no Bteps are being taken to put it out ; it seems such a waste of public property. There is nothing to prevent it burning out the whole seam, consuming hundreds of thousands of tons of valuable coal.

Another insurance company baa commenced business iv Wellington, the United, a Sydney oflice, incorporated by Act of the New South Wales Parliament, and with unlimited liability of a huge colonial proprietary.

We understand (says tho Poßfc) that a considerable time probably will elapse butore the will of tho late Hon. W.B. llhodesis proved. The wildest conjectures are still afloat as to its contents, and as to the extent and value of the property with which it deals. It is rumored, and apparently with souio foundation, that the probate duty will reach the very large amount of £20,000. A very agreeable windfall for the Government just now. We understand that :i probate duty stamp will be struck specially to represent this large sum.

A serious accident occurred at the Christchurch railway station last wee* to a young man named Edward Quart«rman. He was sitting over a pit cleaning an engine when another locomotive was shunted into the shed. This struck the engine upon which he was occupied, causing it to move sufficiently to run over Quarterman's legs, both of which were broken, the bones protruding through the flesh. He was immediately carried on a stretcher to the Hospital, and several doctors were quickly in attendance.

Telegraphing from Wellington, the Southland Times' correspondent says:—" There can be no doubt that Wellington just now is the most prosperous town in the Coionv. The -wharf is loiiUcfi with mrr-

chandisc. There is activity and bustle in the streets, indicating briskness of trade. Good business freeholds command high prices, £116 to £125 per foot is asked and paid readily. There is so little laud arailablo for business purposes that people are forced to go up on the hills for sites. I went this afternoon to a place called Vogeltown. It is rugged, broken ground, and must stand at an attitude of BCoft above sea level. It was sold some time ago in quarter-aoro sections, and realised £130 per acre. I also visited a place called Kilburne, which iios iv another direction, and not quite so near the skies. It fetched from £400 to £800 per acre. The land adjoining Vogeltown is expected to realise £500 to £800 an acre now. Land speculation is the mania of the place. The people seem to have got over the earthquake scare, as several large buildings have been recently erected in brick, notwithstanding the fact that money-lending im.wciations have declined to make advances upon such shaky security."

The New Zealand University have conferred the following adettndem degrees: — A. D. Brantou, Cambridge University; F. Rutherford Waddell, Queeu's University M.A.; A. Sutter, Cambridge, M.A.; J. M'lntosb, Aberdeen, M.A. The Chancellor will impress on the Government the desirability of an uniform matriculation examination throughout New Zealand,

The Dunedin Star says :—": — " Legal proceedings have been commenced against Miss Hose Stella, late a member of the Soldene Opera Troupe, by Mr Chizzola, in consequence of her late defection and alleged breach, of an agreement which bound her to remain with them during their Australian and New Zealand tour. It will be remembered that Miss Stella departed very suddenly from Melbourne, and subsequently appeared at the Theatre lloya', Sydney, having accepted an engagement there. Ou Bth March (says the Age) Bhe was seated in the dress circle at the Opera House, and during the evening was served with a writ for £1000 damages for breach of agreement. The case cannot come off until the next civil sittings of the Supreme Court* which will commence in May. It is understood to have been Miss Stella's intention to have proceeded to Englaud shortly."

" The lig-lit of other days is faded," for the glories of science o£ the in-cscnt age of marvels Ikivc eclipsed the barbarous usages of the past, and poor suffering humanity no longer remains the victim of gross maltreatment from unskilled and blundering quacks. The triumphs achieved iv the world o£ physics have led to tkc production of thohC marvellous medicines known aa " Ghollaii's Gkeat Indian Cuiißs," by whose instrumentality the most astounding cures have beeu effected, and innumerable valuable lives saved.