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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 287, 2 July 1868, Page 2

The Westporfc Public School will ho opened on Monday next, free of charge to parents, and the hours are fixed at from 9 to 12 in the morning, and 1 to 3 in the afternoon. We are happy to afford this information gratuitously, but the readers of our evening contemporary will see it advertised. The resolution of the committee was that notices should he published in both local papers, but the committee have not, yet thought fit to send any official .announcement to this office. '

The escort from Charleston came up yesterday, and brought about 45000z of gold. We have not full particulars because, for some strange reason or other the banks choose to be very reticent on the matter. What possible objection the can have to giving information of this kind, is one of the banking mysteries in which banking representatives in small places delight to envelope themselves. The above is an approximate estimate, and very nearly correct. It is at all times a most ungracious task to take exception to free service of any kind, and it is especially so under certain circumstances. We have received a letter from a volunteer which we decline publishing, but at the same time for the benefit of the Corps, it is well that it should be knoAvn there is some amount of discontent amongst its members. We hear that the commanding officer has rather disappointed the expectations of the members, and it is said that the ensign has by no means been as dilligent in attendance as he was prior to the rank being secured. Lieutenant Harrison, we may say, is not only exempted from criticism, but the whole body of members pav him the highest tribute of praise for his unremitting exertions. It turns out too, that the uniforms will have to be paid for by the members, and this alone is a tax that but a small proportion can well afford. Whv this outraeeous unfairness to our local corps should be permitted we are at a loss to imagine. The Westport Volunteers have been the only volunteers in the province of Nelson ever called on for active service, and are the only ones likely to be. The Nelson corps on the other hand delight their mothers, wives and sisters, and are clothed at the public expense, for that purpose alone apparently. The West Coast volunteers lwe to find their own uniform. What wonder then if under a multitude of circumstances the muster roll diminishes daily. Last night the Union "Bank and the adjoining block of buildings had a narrow escape from fire. It appears that by some means the iron chimney in the bank sitting-room became so heated as to set fire to the ceiling, and the danger would soon have extended had there not been a good supply of water and an abundance of buckets in the tanks of the bank and the store of Smyth and Co., next door. Thanks to these repressing causes and prompt assistance, the fire was got under without much damage, buc the occurrence should be a warning to the public to be more careful with the dangerous fire spouts that are used as chimneys. We are surprised that a bank should have such fire-places, and should have supposed that they would have preferred the increased safety of a, brick chimney. The Murray brings no later news from Nelson, her latest files to hand being those of the Evening Mail of the 27th inst. There is, we learn, nothing stirring in Nelson, the only excitement being the sittings of the Supreme Court, which were to commence yesterday. A ridiculous but obvious error was made in our yesterday's Caledonian correspondence. Smith and party, of Ballarat Terrace, were represented as making ,£SO per week per man, this should have been £lO per week per man. Our only regret is that the original statement was not correct. Wo have received a letter from Charleston, in reference to the excellence of Mace and Co.'s crushing plant, and a certain assayer's skill in retortins; gold ; but as both are neither more nor less than advertisements of the machinery and the man, we must decline inserting the " puffs direct" in any other form. We understand that the number of assents to stand the election for the hospital committee have by no means been numerous, and if the regulation is strictly insisted on, the number of candidates will be cut down to about a dozen, though thirteen are to be elected How this difficulty is to be got over we do not know. It is no use making rules if they are not to be acted oc, and if they are to be infringed a little, the question comes, how far that infringement shall extend. Possibly the committee have made arrangements to meet the trouble, but if they have not, it is time they should. We have received files of the Hokitika " Observer " per Kennedy, and one " Evening Star" but the " West Coast Times" are not, and have not been for some weeks to hand. The news from Hokitika is of a very scanty description, the chief topic being the results of the sittings of the County Council. A mortal feud seems to have arisen between the Corporation and the Council, and these two governing bodies seem to be anything but en accord as they should he.

We do not think it is generally known that the volunteers of Westport have had a soldier in every pense of the word allotted to them as a drill inspector. Sergeant Hugh Robertson, to whom we refer, has not only commenced his duties, but has already gained the goodwill of those under his tuition. He was formerly sergeant major of the 50th and is the holder of clasps for Inkerman, Alma, and other Crimean battle fields. He also held a high Turkish honour, and in addition is an excellent drill. It will be a thousand pities if through any causes hinted at elsewhere the services of such an instructor should be rendered nugatory.