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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 344, 7 September 1868, Page 2

"We understand that the residents on Addison's Flat, are about to apply to the Board of Education for some assistance in the maintenance of a school in that locality. Their request is most reasonable, and we should think there would be no hesitation whatever in. it being granted, aa the pyople there are quite willing to comply with all the usual conditions required under such circumstances. The population there is large, and a number of children through the absence of the assistance asked for, are growing up totally uneducated and neglected. On this being properly represented, we have no doubt the application will be successful.

We have received a letter from a debtor now confined in the Westport gaol which, discloses one of the strangest anomalies, that even the existing laws in relation to Debtors and Creditors could be considered capable of. The facts are as follows, and we have taken steps to ascertain their accuracy beyond doubt. A debtor was arrested at the suit of a business man in Westport, and lodged in gaol. What the amount of the debt was, we do not exactly know, but believe it to be about £IOO. That however has litto do with the question. On Saturday last the creditor sent in a written order for the debtor's release, without any condition whatever attached, but the authorities refused to discharge him till £lO odd poundage fees were paid. What poundage fees are we do not know, but whatever they are the debtor could not pay them, and was and is now detained in consequence. The creditor has signed the order of release, has intimated his intention of paying no more maintenance money, and the debtor is now positively incarcerated at the suit of the Government for these mysterious poundage fees. He writes to ask our advice. We confess we are at an utter loss how to advise, but we state the case in order to attract public attention to the matter. A debtor, in short, is detained against the will of the judgment creditor, and becomes under these circumstances actually a state prisoner. Will our legal friends inform us if this is law ? We know it is not justice. On Saturday last Dr Giles and Mr Lowe, district engineer, paid a visit to Giles' Terrace, and carefully examined the claims of and party, Luke and party, and Perry, Nicholls and party, in order to allow the Warden to arrive at a more satisfactory conclusion, before deciding in reference to the injunction applied for by Luke and party to restrain Perry and party from working. What the result of their inspection was, is of course at present unknown. They afterwards visited Deadman's Creek terrace, and made themselves thoroughly acquainted with that locality before returning.

On Saturday, Mr Charles Bull was brought down from the Caledonian to the Hospital, and ia receiving all the care and attention possible, and that his condition requires. He is perfectly conscious, but suffers great pain where the head was injured. Dr Thorpe reports him to be no worse, at ail events, and there are still hopes of recovery. A correspondent of the Colonist writing from Blenheim, on August 17th states :—" We have been visited with a worse plague than the floods, I allude to the diptheria ; it has been, and indeed, is still making sad havoc here ; and not a few families have suffered greatly. One of the worst cases is that of Mr Bagge, the Postmaster, who has buried four children, and whose wife was ill at the same time with the complaint; but lam glad to be able to state that she is progressing favorably. Mr Bagge is at present in a very low state of health, from fretting. There was one very sad feature in this case, the parents buried one child first, then two others died shortly after, both on the same day, and while the afflicted father was at the cemetery, putting these two little ones under ground, news was brought him that another of his children had departed from this world of sorrow. If this was not sufficient to prostrate a man's energies, Ido not know what is." Besides

this sad case mentioned by our correspondent there is another, still more heartrending, seeing that a lady has been left to mourn over the deaths of her husband and three children ; we allude to the demise of Mr H. G-odfrey, of Woodburne, Wairau Plain. Within the short space of about three weeks, the father, two daughters, and a son died of diptheria; and sad to relate, the father and son both died on the same day. "We mingle our sympathies with those of the community for the bereaved ones, and pray that the terrible disease may soon disappear from their midst, and be swept off the face of our adopted land." The Melbourne Argus of a recent date says: —" A correspondent informs us of a case in which the use of sulphurous acid was of service in the treatment of diptheria. On the evening of the 12th ult. attention was directed to a boy, (a member of our correspondent's family), who was suffering from sore throat and difficulty in swallowing. He was examined, and found to have a patch of false membrane on each side of the throat, with a large tending forward on the roof of the mouth, and a peculiar smelling breath. Another boy (a brother), who had been complaining in the morning, was also examined, and was found to have a bad throat and foul breath, but the growths were situated at the back of the uvula. The parts were at once painted with sulphurous acid, a gargle of the acid applied, and sulphur burnt in their room, and throughout the house. Six to eight drops of acid were also given internally, and about every two hours a small dose of carbonate of ammonia (say six grains) administered. This treatment was continued up to two o'clock on Monday morning, when the disease appeared to be greatly checked; but at half past six o'clock on the same morning it was ascertained that the false membrane had increased much more than when first noticed. Constant application of the sulphurous acid was then resorted to, and a small piece of sponge was firmly secured to the end of a strong quill, and the throat well spunged with the acid. By unremitting attention to this process, the boys were recovered on the following Tuesday evening, and the false membrane was removed with a handkerchief put over a dry camel's hair brush. During the same week other children, aged between three and twelve years, were attacked with similar symptoms, but by prompt application of the above-mentioned remedies they recovered."