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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 207, 30 March 1868, Page 2

In consequence of the pressure of late Telegraphic news, we are compelled to hold over Charleston news received, and a letter signed by " An Elector of Addison's." Our Contemporary.—Our diminutive local contemporary, the Star (so named, we presume, on the ut lucus a non lucendo principle) has, as we anticipated, replied to our remarks of Saturday, iu terms of consummate impudence. If equivocation, prevarication, coarseness of language, and tergiversation, are the only weapons whose u-e is familiar to our contemporary in carrying on a controversy, we must, for reasons of self-respect, withdraw ourselves from a contest in which we cannot hope to be acknowledged victors, as from its veiy nature, it only promises a triumph to that side which sha 1 lend itself to the most unscrupulous and reckless statements. On the other hand, our rabid contemporary can well afford to submit to an occasional castigation at our hands, as by our simple recognkion of him (whether by frown or smile) he enjoys a reflected importance, and is raised for a time, from that comparative insignificance, which is the normal condition of an evening publication, while we, as the leading organ of public opinion on the South West Coast of Nelson, by in any way recognising our contemporary, give him by implication, a certain standing, and in inverse ratio, compromise our own dignity. The present controversy originated, as no doubt many of our readers will recollect, in our exposing, as we felt in duty bound to do, a few months since, a most pernicious act of plunder by our contemporary from the leading columns of a Victorian journal, whereby an article of some power, and containing pertinent reflections, on a subject, just then of local interest, was altered so as to give it a " starry" smack, (perhaps we should say astral flavor) without impairing its force, and then forthwith published as the legitimate offspring of the Kennedy-street editor. This, as far as we know, is the "Alpha and Omega" of our offence, and no doubt, had we allowed the piracy to pass unnoticed, or failed to reprobate a practice so detestable, we might, for ought we know to the contrary, be now enjoying the good will, instead of the impotent hostility of our contemporary. Caledonian.—The ball and supper at Macfarlane's was a great success, and was well attended, nearly the whole population of Caledonian Terrace patronised the affair, and the sun was

shining through the windows before the guests separated. The track is still in a bad state, and requires careful picking to enable the unfortuate pedestrian to wade in safety to his destination. Poverty Terrace is looking up, and a payable hole was bottomed on Saturday. Volunteer Coups.—We particularly beg to call the attention of all,intending volunteers, that a meeting for drill and general, business, will be held in the Assembly Eooms. "We hope the enthusiastic way in which it was begun will not die out, and that a good muster may assemble. Nelson Government Gazette.— The firm of Hennelly and Millen of this town, are gazetted insolvent in the Gazette just received, of the 25th March.

Track to Addisons.—We beg to call special notice to the bad state of the track to these diggings. We are informed, that in some places, boles waist deep make the track positively unsafe for horsemen, and eminently disagreeable for pedestrians. As the prospects from this field are encouraging, we do hope to see some repairs immediately taken in hand by Government.

Rowing Match. The following account of a rowing match in Victoria, between Greorge Belcher, so well known as a waterman in "Westport, is thus spoken of by tbe Victorian papers : —The rowing match between M'Laren and Belcher, on the Upper Yarra, came off yesterday afternoon 10th inst., for stakes of £2O a side. There were on the banks on either side a large number of persons who usually take an interest in acquatic sports, and there was a very lively show of both amateurs and professionals on the waters of the some time (and the some not) sluggish Yarra. But the affair was a great disappointment to the spectators, for at about half a mile from home, and after some difficulty had seemed likely to arise in consequence of the manner in which M'Laren was choosing his road he lost his seat in the boat and went into the river. Belcher then went at his own easy selected pace, and passed the winning post by himself, M'Laren following as soon as he recovered himself, without seeing his opponent any more until after the race. There did not appear to have been any betting on the event, otherwise it is probable that some illnatured remarks would have been made.