CHARLESTON NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 195, 16 March 1868, Page 2

CHARLESTON NEWS.

The Government have purchased from Mr Nees the house, or villa as it will be termed, eructed by him on a suitable spot near the Nile river. It will be used as a residence by Mr Warden Lightband, for which purpose it is very well adapted. The secretary of the hospital requests as to acknowledge with thanks the receipt by him of a donation of five guineas faoin Miss Marion Nathan. La chere petite Nathan's benefit on "Wodnesday was, in spite of the unfavorable weather, a great success, and our readers can form a pretty good idea of the number of " benefactors" in attendance when we mention the fact of there being £BO in the house. It was the favorite's first appearance as the famous Felix O'Callaghan, and the impersonation was certainly wonderfully good, eliciting continued and unbounded applause from the delighted audience, who seemed equally well pleased with her rendering of Mr Small's happy song of the " Unfortunate Man." After a well-played duet on cornets by the Masters Nathan, the performances concluded with the burlesque of " Codadad." And so ended the Nathans' engagement in Charleston, an engagement which has been successful alike to the enterprising proprietors of the theatre, and the Nathan family, having been signally well supported by the public throughout. There was, at one time, a talk of the troupe giving another farewell performance for the benefit of the hospital, to take place at the end of the week, Mr Nathan having expressed to the committee his great willingness to do so, and Messrs Foyn and Sturt having offered the free use of the theatre for the occasion, but circumstances prevented the affair coming off, at any rate just now, though it may take place at no distant period, there being a probability of our being again visited by the company previous to their finally leaving the Coast. It will be observed that Little Marion has given a donation of five guineas to the institution. The family took their departure per Cobb's coach early on Friday morning. Mr Bowen has been appointed Deputy Beturning Officer for Charleston for the election of a member to represent the Nelson South-west G-old-fields in the General Assembly. The nomination takes place at Westport on the 4th April, and should a poll be demanded, the election on the 9th. We do not know to which quarter to look for the " coming man," whether Mokihinui, Westport, Charleston, Brighton, or Cobden, but putting aside the extremes, our eyes involuntarily turn towards Brighton, as that place appears to have constituted itself in some measure the political centre of the district. St Patrick's Day is close at hand, but we have not seen any list of sports published yet. Amusements have been provided for the evening in the shape of a big ball at the Casino for the relief of the widows and orphans of the Irish" patriots. Mr Aaronson has chosen the same evening for the drawing of his art union, a lottery in which there are some fifty prizes of valuable jewellery to be drawn • in fact the prizes consist of Mr Aaronson's stock, that gentleman being about to relinquish business.