The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 1868.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 343, 5 September 1868, Page 4

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 1868.

The latesb news from Wellington seems to indicate that the second decisive battle of the session is about to be fought, and it appears at present most probable" that Mr Stafford will win another victory. On the last occasion he was the assailed, in the coming struggle he will be the assailant and if he secures a triumph, the real aim of his ministry the destruction of provincialism, as at present existing will be the result. Erom the latest telegrams to hand, it appears that a meeting of representatives of outlying districts has been held, and the result of their delibeaations was, their agreemena to resolutions that the provinces should bedeprived of legislative powers that their debts should be paid out of the consolidated revenue, and that counties should be formed wherever required. We further learn that the ministry have adopted these resolutions, so that though in fact they do not themselves make the attack, they render weighty assistance to the party that does. Now with regard to the first resolution, as to depriving the provinces of legislative power, surely it is high time that; the waste of time, and the expense incurred by caricature legislatures in the shape of Provincial Councils, should be put an end to. Let any one look back at the last sitting of the Nelson Provincial Couucil, which extended over some nine or ten weeks, and which was so much time all but wasted. The fruits of this sitting were nearly valueless to the country, and the expense in the payment of members, and other things was at least £2O per day. The same work should have been easily done in one week that the council took nine to get through with. It is true that a a few forty horse power chatterers who love to hear their own voices, irrespective of the feelings of other people, caused much of the delay, but men of this class will dreep into such. bodies, and there is not the same check upon their garrulity there, that would be in a more important and intelligent Assembly. The Nelson Council is by no means exceptional in this respect, the Otago Couucil, is if possible worse, and throughout the colony more or less, the same complaint may be made. There are without doubt some members who fully appreciate the £1 per diam, that they receive as honorarium, and would be perfectly content to sit all the year round on the aame terms, it is quite time that the snug nests for needy legislators alForded by the Provincial Councils should be rooted out.

As far as this portion of the province is j concerned, we may safely say that the abolition of Provincial Councils would be regarded with the greatest satisfaction as they are considered expensive and useless luxuries, in addition to being perfect burlesques on the higher Legislatures. The second proposition that the debt of all the provinces should be paid out of the Consolidated revenue or in other words the general fund of the whole colony, we do however, most strongly demur to, for by that means all the proviuces would have their liabilities wiped off, and the colonists would have the total debt shared between them. It is very certain that this would not be fair to those provinces that have so well administered their affairs as to have escaped debt at all, or to but a small amount, whilst it would be a glorious start for those who are now so heavily burdened, that their indebtedness at the present time bows them down. A partnership so one sidedwecannotat all see the advantage of, and there would be clearly injustice doneto the lightlyencumberedprovinces in saddlingthein with liabilities that they did not contract, and could not prevent. In common justice this should not be done, and we can hardly think it would be pressed by the framers of the resolutions, As yet we have the bare telegrams to gather information on, when we get full particulars possibly this proposition may assume a somewhat different aspect. It has been fashonable amongst those anxious to preserve Provincialism intact, to harp on the destruction of all powers of local self government that must ensue, if legislative power was wielded only by the general Legislature of the colony. If any curtailmpnt of selfgovernment was contemplated, or if sweeping away a lot of little coteries of corruption would have such an effect there would be reason in the cry, but the Government on the other hand propose doing the very opposite, and to put local power into more purely local hands, in a far greater degree should such a change be made. Road Boards would be formed, municipalities can be had for the asking, • andthe resolutions now referred to speccially provide that counties shall-be formed whenever requested. Warned by the rocks on which the county of YVestland struck, Councils could be so constitutor! as tu give a far greater ■ amount of real power, and still carry out the idea of the present Government, as far as concentrating legislative power, what with counties, municipalities, and road boards, In those counties the public would have irii finitely greater local control than they could possibly have under present pro- ■ vincial institutions. They would carry out their own public works, would spend their own money, and in many local matters would have ample powers of legislation. We certainly hope that the resolutions may take some tangible shape, and be passed without difficulty, with the exception we have previously referred'to. The chances of their success are great, and the public will wait with considerable impatience to learn the ' exact propositions that will arise out of them. It really does seem as if Provincialism was actually doomed at last though it will die hardly, and its decease will be attended with a large amount of genuine regret by a considerable army of pensioners on its skirts.

In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, there was only one case on the sheet, that of Caroline Randall, charged with having stolen a little dog the property of Constable Doris. The prisoner appeared on remand, and the circumstances of the case were as follows. It appeared that the prisoner, with another woman, was going over to White's gardens from the South Spit, when the puppy followed thein down to the boat, and was taken in by prisoner. Doris missed the animal, followed in a boat directly, and arrested prisoner on a charge of stealing it. It was proved that prisoner was coming back again the same way, and from other circumstances it was obvious that there was no felonious intent. The Magistrate dismissed the charge, and in reply to an enquiry from the accused said, that as far as that charge went, she left the Court without auy staiu upon her character. The Eev. Father Walsh will celebrate mass at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning in Westport. We are informed by Davis and party of Griles' Terrace, that they have purchased Luke and party's tunnel, which is at present in their own ground. Luke and party struck gold in this tunnel a fortnight ago, and of the same class as that struck in the claim of Perry and party, about which proceedings are at present pending. We learn from Addisou's that the late rains have considerably damaged the claims on the Shamrock Load, in

many instances the sides of shafts have caved in. Several parties will have to sink new shafts, which will occupy the space of a few weeks, before they can again wash. The Nelson papers record the death of J. Poyntor, Esq , late and for many years Resident Magistrate in Nelson, iu the GSth year of his age. The deceased gentleman died on Sunday morning last at his residence, Haven Road. He leaves a widow and four children to lament his loss.

Tenders were received by the District Engineer for fencing in the Gaol, from the following persons :—■ D. M-Leod, £218; George Somner, £195 ; Mawson and Davis, £195 ; S. Turner, £194; Bull aud Bond, £l6O. The last named tender, that of Bull aud Bond, was yesterday accepted, and the work will be at once commenced. We are glad to say that Dr Thorpe's report on the condition of Mr Charles Bull who met with so serious an acident at the Caledonian, was rather more favourable yesterday. The sufferer was slightly better, and if no change for the worse takes place he will be brought down to the hospital to-day A stretchersuitable for the purpose has been prepared, and any number of volunteers are ready at a moment's notice to carry him down with the greatest care. At the same time, though thus slightly improved, he is by no means out of danger, but a few hours probably will decide thequestion, and we sincerely trust in favour of recovery. Yesterday the telegraph line to Westport was opened to the public, communication having been perfected at half-past twelve o'clock. Mr Wakefield immediately transmitted the intelligence to Wellington, and received a reply directing him to throw the line open for public use. This was at once done, and in a very short time, when the fact became generally known, a large number of business men availed themselves of it in order to make their correspondents at a distance acquainted with the fact. Last night telegrams were received from Greymouth and Hokitika, but the news was unimportant. We have made arrangements with reliable correspondents in all the chief places to which the line is extended, and shall in future supply our readers with a full telegram of all news of importance. The Suez mail was due in Melbourne on the 3rd and should be at the Bluff by the Bth, that is Tuesday next; we shall receive it on the day of its arrival there. We may say that the arrangements of the office are are most complete and convenient, and that the gentleman in charge, Mr Wakefield, has so far earned golden opinions by his courtesy and attention. The charges fixed are as follows per word: —From Westport to Charleston, per word ; Brighton Christchurch, 4£d ; Nelson, Wellington, Dunedin, Picton, Blenheim, 7d per word ; Napier, the Bluff, and Invercargill, 7jd per word. As may readily be imagined, the opening of the line, has given the greatest satisfaction to the whole community, business men and others.

A correspondent enquires whether the lottery for Mr Stafford's stud advertised to come off on the 28 th ult. at Nelson, has been disposed of. We cannot say whether it has or not, but if it has, no mention is made of it in either of the subsequent files to hand. The advertisement appeared in the Examiner of the 27th, and was not published on the 29th We should therefore imagiua that the distribution has either been postponed or withdrawn. What with the attack on Provincialism, and other things, we may shortly expect some interesting news from the Assembly. It was expected that a very sharp debate would arise on Mr Hall's financial statement, which was to be delivered last Tuesday. The " Colonist " of the Ist says in reference to it:—"lt is understood that the Budget will be founded on an entirely new basis. Accounts will be adjusted between the General and Provincial Governments, the former beinc responsible for the public securities of the Colony, and the Provinces to provide for the interest on their own debts."

The following singular recovery of a losb article is vouched for by the Daylesford JExjjress : —" Four years ago, Mr. H. S. Hilton, foreman of this office, but then connected with mining, was one day digging in his garden, when he lost a massive Californian gold ring, weighing about 9 dwt. Knowing the spot whereabout he droppod the trinket, he looked for it carefully, and finally passed the surface mould through a sieve. Failing, after •the operation, to recover the ring, he gave up the search, and the matter was at length forgotten. Judge his surprise, however, when his bqypre-

sented him with the missing ring. On inquiry it appeared that the lad was preparing the soil for some peas, and while chopping the lumps of earth with a hoe, the long buried circlet of gold flew upand nearly entered his mouth." A correspondent of the Melbourne Leader writes : —" A natural curiosity is to be seen at Mr. Somerville's butcher, Riddeil's Creek, in the form of two lambs, half goat and half sheep; the bleat is that of a goat, the head, legs and feet are of a goat, also the half of the tail, and the body is marked in various places as on a goat. Mr. Somerville will make them a present to any one who feels interested iu the above."

The case of a man named John Mooney, who is at present an inmate of the Melbourne Hospital, presents a remarkable instance of reverse of fortuue, consequent on habits of improvidence. Not many years ago Mooney was the possessor of great wealth, owned a large amount of station property in the Colony, besides hotels and houses in Melbourne. He is said to have given £IO,OOO to a daughter as a marriage dower. An insolvency which occurred several years ago, and then attracted considerable notice, caused him a loss to the extent, it is said, of some £IO,OOO ; but redder dissipation injured him far more. He and his wife have in recent years brought their mutual complaints before the notice of the magistrates on several occasions. Some months ago Mooney broke his arm, and had to go to the hospital for a time. A little while ago he and his wife wore found in a wretched place in Little Bourke-street west, Melbourne, and the police seeing that the man was in a state of extreme destitution and ill-health, took him to the hospital. An other distinguished visitor (says the Sydney Morning Herald, of a recent date) has favoured some of our fellow citizens with his confidence. He arrived here a few months ago, and was introduced at one of the leading clubs as a foreign count, (bearing the name of Count Yon Atten,) allowed one of the foreign consuls (from whom he obtained £600) the honor of making him acquainted with his friends, and his appearance at the opera usually caused quite a stir amongst the occupants of the dress circle. Unfortunately by some mishap his remittances did not arrive with the punctuality that might have been expected, but his advices showed that he had only to draw on his home bankers for any amount he might require. This he seems to have done pretty freely and succeeded in borrowing mon y and negotiating bills to a large amount. Since then he has proceeded on his tour, and from advices received by the mail steamer it is pretty certain that there was not an atom, of truth in his financial statements. Afterwards he proceeded to Queensland and from a telegram dated August 18th, we learn that the Queensland Government has despatched troopers to Townsville to arrest the Count Von Atten if his yacht touches there. His yacht is named Hamlet's Ghost, and her cabin is splendidly fitted up. The panellings are of grained maple mounted with gold mountings and a large pier glass fills up one end Of the cabin. She is about 12 tons burden, draws four feet of water, and not counting the young, Count, she is manned by a ca|)taiu, a chief officer, three sailors, and has on board a cook, steward, and servant. She carries three swivel guns on deck and there are are also 11 rifles of the Snider, Minie, and Chassepot makes respectively, probably pepper castors for any attacking force of natives. The Ghost rose from the manes of the whaling vessel Prince of Denmark, wrecked on one of the islands in the Polynesian Group. The Thames Advertiser, of the ISth, ult says . —•' Mr Schafer. the German traveller, who is making a tour of New Zealand on foot, arrived overland from Tauranga this morning, after a ten day's journey. Mr Schafer speaks in the highest terms of the courtesy extendedtowards him by the Hau-haus, through whose country he has just come, and among whom he passed several days to travel. The heavy rains served to retard his progress by flooding the rivers, and the passes necessary to insure his safe convoy among the tribes detained thetraveller, otherwise he speaks of the journey in the highest terms, and is anxious to pay the district anotherjvisit in order to renew his acquaintance with the Hauhau tribes. He was the bearer of a letter to Mr. Commissioner Mackay from the latter, in which the traveller is very highly spoken of. Mr. Schafer proceeds to Auckland from this place, aud afterwards returns to the interior to continue his travels."

Mr James O'Niell was plainly charged by the " Independent" with having

had his vole, on a late occasion, influenced by pecuniary reasons, in connection with his appointment as one of the members of the Graol Enquiry Commission. On that he drew the attention of the House to the paragraph and the statement was ruled to be a breach of privilege, but went no further. Something or other that we are unaware of has again turned up, for we find in the " Independent " the followiug,—"We regret Mr. J. O'JSTiell should make it necessary for us to renow the mention of a l'ather unpleasant subject. He is certainly very dissatisfied with the Press in Wellington, and said if the Press people dared to speak in other [daces as it does here, they would have ' to pack up their traps ' and be of. This certainly should not be the language of a Graol Commissioner. When Mr. O'Niell says he never took a shilling of public money, except for travelling expenses, we would again refer him to the Treasury account, where, opposite Mr J. O'Niell's name is set down the handsome sum of £272 ; and the travelling expenses (£106) of the Commissioners come under another head.