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Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 299, 16 July 1868, Page 2

The Rev. C. L. Maclean, late head master of the Nelson College has changed his profession altogether, for he is appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court at Nelson, in lieu of Mr Sharp, who succeeds Mr Poynter as Resident Magistrate. Whether Mr Maclean has had any experience in the law we do not know, but the appointment under any circumstances is a singular one. Surely some of those holding offices ' under the Supreme Court would have ibeen suitable persons, but in Nelson imore than any p'ace we know of, kis>np: does indeed go by favor. In the midst of rushes to, and rumors of rich finds of gold in Auckland, Queensland, and elsewhere, it is pleasing as well as consoling to find that there are still " patches " of luck to reward the miner in this locality. We have always pointed to the wealth awaiting the explorer, who Avill stick to the River Buller aud its tributaries, and although it is true that no defined lead, like the Caledonian or Addison's, has been found, many a good rise has been made in the neighborhood, and one can hardly fail to get some reward for labor. An instance has come under our notice to-day. We have iton the best authority, and as it is apropos of the forecoing remarks we give it, to show our readers that " they may go farther and fare worse." One man, now in Westport, after a five months sojourn a short distance beyond the Lyell, has netted £3OO, and intends going back to the same neighborhood, where he knows some ground that will turn out quite as good. The wretched and apparently interminable weather has had a very depressing effect on Westport trade, though the most cheering accounts are being received from the gold-fields. Property in consequence is dull of sale, and cash buvers are scarce. The store of Solomon and Co., at the corner of Molesworth and Gladstone streets, on Tnesday last fetched £2OO, and the Adelphi hotel yesterday only realised £155. The latter was sold compulsorily under a warrant from the Resident Magistrates Court. In both cases Mr J. Munro was the auctioneer. Tho continuous bad weather has rendered some of the back streets almost impassable, and people really can scarcely get to or from their own 'house in consequence of the condition the swamp in which they live has arrived at. It is too bad that a large annual revenue should be raised by the Government in the shape of business licenses from these very places, and yet that not one shilling towards their improvement should be laid out. Several streets though occupied from end to to end, and yielding £5 per annum for each section, have neither footway, cartway, nor even a stump removed, whilst in s-ome places the swamp is literally two feet deep in the centre of them. A large amount was voted for street improvements, and these parts have a perfect right to a share of that money, as must be admitted by every one. We trust that the authorities will see to the matter, and render speedily what is really only an act of justice in this direction. The European mails, via Suez, leaving Southampton on May 16th and London, via Marseilles, on May, 22nd, were due in Melbourne on the 9th instant. Latterly the P. and 0. Company have been most punctual, and their arrangements are such as to induce every belief that they will not be behind time on this occasion. Today is the 16th, so if the Melbourne boat has a fair run of five days to the Bluff, we may expect the news by the first boats that arrive.

In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday there was no business of any description. The escort arrived to-day from Charleston with, we believe, about 4000 ozs. of gold. As we have repeatedly stated we cannot give the exact amount, as the banks decline to furnish it. On the occasion of the previous escort arriving a gentleman who should be an excellent authority, wrote to state that we greatly exaggerated the actual amount conveyed. We have only indirect means of gaining information under present circumstances, and any error that is made can thus be accounted for.

The London Times of May 1, says: —" Sir Charles Darling, late Governor of the colony of Victoria, has presented to Parliament a petition ex-

pressing his desire that his whole conduct in the administration of the Government of Victoria, and all its proceedings in respect to the proposed grant of £20,000 to Lady Darling, should bo subjected to the fullest investigation. He submits that the whole question of the grant, the very principles upon winch it proceeds, and the motives on which it originated are so intimately connected with his conduct in the administration of Victoria, and with the circumstances which led to and are consequent upon his recall therefrom, that it would be at variance with that spirit of justice in which the House of Commons is accustomed to act to arrive at a decision, upon the motion of which notice has been given, without much more full and accurate information upon his conduct." In the Gazette, of the 22nd of June, appear the appointments of .T. Bohar, Esq., of Hokitika, and W. H. Nurse, Esq., of Southland, to seat in the Legislative Council. It has been currently reported in Wellington that tbe Solicitor- General ship will be jjiyento Mr. Russell, of Auckland, with a seat in the Legislative Council. It is also stated that Mr Grillies, of Auckland, will be a seat, with the reversion of the solicitorship, if Mr. Russell declines.

The Bay of Islands' correspondent of the So'ttJiern Cross gives the following account of the circumstances that led to the healing of the quarrel between the Ngapuhi and Barawa tribes in the North :—" Mr Commissioner Mackay has, as usual, behaved pluckily and well, but he has been much asssisted by circumstances. Ngapuhi were mustering stronger and stronger —as many as GOOhad gathered ; Barawa were still divided, and likely to remain so. Most fortunately a siory got up, and spread like wild five, that the Grovernment had enlisted 300 Arawas on the East Coast, and bad already sent a large quantity of arms and ammunition to the Bay. The Barawas came to the conclusion that the G-overriment was in earnest (as indeed I hope they really are), took a panic, and gave in. The former surrender is now known to have been entirely a sham. A hundred men were posted in ambush at Nimmo's. where the J.P.'s were to have had a hammering, which they only escaped by what now turns out to have been a lucky chance. I am not quite sure that Commissioner Mackay himself has not been nearer a broken head than he knows of. The question of fight or no fight was for some time trembling in the balance, until the story about the arms turned the scale."

A Melbourne paper relates the following siory : —" A rather amusing incident took place a few days ago at a farmhouse only a short distance from Kilmore. Twoyoungladiesresidingnear the spot referred to, finding the husband was away from home, determined to have a lark at the expense of two young men employed on the farm. For this purpose they dressed themselves in male attire, and having previously made themselves known to the mistress of the house, they presently swaggered in and demanded supper, pretending to be bushrangers. The two young men began to get frightened, and after the soi - disant bushrangers had related some of their doings on the other side of the border, they compelled the young men to declare he was a Fenian. The other managed to get out, and ran to a neighboring farmhouse, the inmates of which were in bed. He quickly told them how that two bushrangers had possession of the house, and the whole of them, armed with sticks, ropes, &c, rushed back with him to secure and tie up the bushrangers. About the same time the husband arrived home, and hearing how matters stood, he ran for his gun. He then headed the attacking party, and demanded the surrender of the desperadoes. Things began to look serious ; he aimed his gun at the head of one of the girls, and in another moment would have undoubtedly shot them, but they threw off their disguise, and the sell was discovered."