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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 224, 20 April 1868, Page 2

The following notices of bankruptcy appeared in the Gazette of the 11th instant:—T. W. Melville, hotelkeeper, Westport; William Nahr, hotelkeeper, Charleston; Henry Lamb Kennedy, hotelkeeper, Charleston. In the same issue notice is given that a sitting of the Supreme Court will be held on the Ist of May, for the purpose of hearing appeals under "The Appeals from Sentences Act, 1867."

The Kennedy has brought a further instalment of rifles, enough, we hear, to arm all the Volunteers at present attending drill. This fact will, no doubt, stimulate many to increased exertions, and in a great measure be the means of putting an end to some degree of discontent that is reported to exist amongst some of the members. We beg to direct attention to the produce sale of the cargo, ex Queen of the Isles, by Mr Jno. Munro, this day at 2 o'clock.

The bellman on Friday and Saturdaylast announced the pleasing intelligence that first-class mutton and beef was to be obtained at sixpence a pound. As may be supposed the cheap butcher soon obtained a large amount of business, and on Saturday night had nearly

cleared out all his stock. We do not know whether this reasonable price will continue, but should hardly imagine it will be maintained. At the same time it is quite certain that our butchers, as well as bakers, have hitherto made the public pay a very high price for the necessaries they vend. We cannot for the life' of us imagine why meat should be retailed in Nelson and Wanganui, from which places most of our supplies are derived, at about half the price it is sold here. Even after allowing for freight and charges on stock brought to the Buller, the cost has been greatly dispropor tionate in the different places. The alarm created amongst the insolvents, through his Honor coinciding in Mr Tyler's objections to the jurisdiction of the Court on Friday iast, was somewhat allayed on Saturday, by protection being extended to those who had filed. Their position is, however, a very peculiar one, and some have already filed afresh so as to be on the safe side.

As will be seen by an advertisement in another column, a new day school has been opened in Wharf streeet, under the superintendance of Mrs Kellett.

A meeting of the West port School Committee was held on Saturday last. It was determined that the school-house should be built in the style of that at Cobden, but on an enlarged scale Plans and specifications are already prepared, and tenders will be shortly called for the erection of the building. The site selected is in Palmerston-street, between the sea and Mr Williams's, chemist's shop. As soon as the schoolroom is built the school will be opened, and as little delay as possible will take place. The business at the Resident-Magis-trate's Court, on Saturday last, was light. Thomas Tasker, a butcher in Gladstone-street, was fined os and costs, for throwing bones and other rubbish into the street. It was intimated at the same time that the police would proceed against others offending in a similar manner, and the law in this respect will be strictly enforced in future. Tenders will shortly be called for the erection of a gaol fence. This has been greatly required for some time, and it is strange that the authorities have allowed the gaol to remain unenclosed so long. The tramway across Gladstone-street, to which a correspondent recently drew attention has been taken up, and traffic is once more unimpeded. By this means, a detached portion of train line is left extending to the Court-house, and as this is neither use nor ornament, surely it would be well if it followed suit, and disappeared from the face of the street.

The prospects of the Darkie's, or as it was more recently christened, Caro-lina-terrace, are improving rapidly. One crushing-machine with four 701b. stampers is already at work, and two more are in course of erection and will be at work within a few days. Culliford and party, the proprietors of the machine now in operation, obtained 200 ounces of amalgam for three weeks work. Their machine is driven by water-power, and the others now erecting will be worked by overshot wheels. The ground is about six miles up the Buller river. The track between here and the Lyell was completed all but about a couple of miles er so when the work was stopped. A party have recently arrived in Westport who cut the track at the Baton, and it is likely they will be employed to finish the incomplete portion of the Lyell route. The chief obstacle, we hear, is" a high sandstone bluff at a place known as "Whirlpool Pall, but this can be easily blasted, so as to afford a secure road. When this is finished a first-class packing track will be up the length of the Buller, and a large area of auriferous ground be worked that is now lying idle. G-REYMOUTH.—The Grey Miver Argus of the 16th has the following " We are glad to be able to state that the new petition for the formation of the town of Greymouth into a Municipality, rendered necessary by the informality of the first one, has been signed by 160 householders, and will be forwarded to the Hon. John Hall by Cobb's Coach to Christchurch this morning." Medical Practitioner's Act.— The following notice has been published by order of the Medical Board of New Zealand, for general information:— The attention of the medical profession is drawn to the terms of the Medical Practitioners Act, 1867, which provides that on and after the 10th April no person except those registered under the Imperial Medical Act, or under the New Zealand Medical Practitioners Act, 1867, can legally practice medicine or surgery in New Zealand. Medical practitioners formerly registered under Provincial Begistration Acts are exempt frompayment of regis-

tration fees, but are obliged to register under the Medical Practitioners Act, 1867. Iu order that the official register may constitute a complete list of medical practitioners iu New Zealand, it is desirable that practitioners registered under the Imperial Act should have their names also placed on the New Zealand Eegister. The New York Tribune says—" Those who heard Mr Dickens in Boston, say that after the first night the people acted on him more and more like a wetter and wetter blanket, and that, though he struggled manfully against the tide, nothing but a vigorous dash for New York at the end of the week saved him from being utterly drowned and lost to us for ever. The audiences in Boston were irreproachable in decorum. They came with meek punctuality, the ladies with their knitting and German grammars, gentlemen with the ' North American Keview,' and the children with ' Our Young Folks;' they sternly frowned down applause, and, if any ill-bred person laughed, he wa3 very properly insulted, and held up to public ridicule in the evening paper next day ; they grew stiller and stiller with each successive reading, until on the last evening the loveliest and most embarrassing silence reigned in Tremont Temple for the whole two hours. The audience was perfect in discipline, perfect in decorum, but like perfect people in general, it was disagreeable to know. When Mr Dickens was pathetic the Bostonians became critical, and counted their tears ; when he was funny they hesitated to laugh until they saw whether the best people were laughing too ; and, in fine, not only were all the seats reserved, but the people who sat in them were fifty times as reserved as the seats. The reason why Mr Dickens reads so much better here than in Boston is simply that his audience is thoroughly sympathetic with him."