CHARLESTON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 355, 19 September 1868, Page 4

CHARLESTON.

The usually quarterly meeting of the members of the Methodist Free Church was held on "Wednesday evenins, and the new committee for the forthcoming quarter were elected, the election was partly made from the members of the outgoing body, and from other members of the church. The fact of a large supply of books and especially the hymn books published by the Metodist body in Europe being

ordered from Melbourne elicito 1 some marked satisfaction. It is the intention of t..e committee, and also Mr White to hold service during the summer at the out stations in the district.

The usual weekly meeting of the Church of England committee was held on Thursday evening at the Melbourne Hotel. " There were present Messrs G-asnuoino (in chair,) Jones, Kennedy, M'Coy, and Allen. _ The treasurer having read his financial report, it was moved by Mr Jones, and seconded by Mr Kennedy, that the front of the church be lined, which was carried. After somo discussion relative to the financial question, the meeting adjourned till Monday evening, when a special meeting of the committee will be held. A meeting of the Hospital Committee was held, on Thurs lav evening at the Melbourne Hotel, MrM'Carthy in the chair. The memb >rs present were Messrs Bowman, M'Coy, Masters, Kennedy, and Connolly. The visiting committee submitted their report, by which it appeared that five patients were in the hospital, three discharged, and one received since the period of last visit. It was also elicited that the fittings in the drug-room were not proceeded with. Messrs M'Carthy and Connolly having reported relative to their success in canvassing the portion of the town allotted to them, and in which they collected the sum of £ls ss. The committee then adjourned. The weather is again fine —too fine for our mining population, and there is very little appearance of an early change. The Southern Cross, Darkie's Terrace, has in consequence, stopped work.

Mace and Co's steam engine is to be moved from the Nile Road to Victoria Terrace, Candlelight. A little excitement was caused on Thursday evening, by the report that the Bank of New Zealand was on fire. It fortunately turned out however, that it was only the Bank chimney that had -ignited; the flames were speedily extinguished. The probable appointment of a certain gentleman in this town to the Commission of the Peace, is looked forward to with some interest. Apart from the respect in which he is universally held, it is thought, and of it there can be little doubt, that he will make an excellent dispenser of that article called "justice." It is only to be hoped that an appointment so pleasing, and yet so much required by the public, will be speedily effected, and. our worthv townsman elevated to a position which he can fill, not only with credit to himself, but with advantage to the community. A dramatic entertainment in aid of funds for the purchase of a wardrobe and library, was given by the Histrionic Club," in the Casino de Venise, on Thursday evening. The performance commenced with Kenny's comic drama, in two acts, " Matrimony." Owing to the fact of some of the members being cursed with treacherous memories, the characters for the drama were not sustained in the creditable manner expected. The characters however, in the farce of " Lend me Five Shillings" were tolerably supported, and it need scarcely be added, that this second attempt of the amateurs was a greater success. There was a musical interlude between the two performances, and some excellent songs by Mr "West, who kindly offered his services on the occasion ; and some negro pccentricities by Messrs Burgess and Leathwood. A fair audience attended on the occasion, to give encouragement to the scheme. A meeting was held on Wednesday evening at Slattery's Hotel, Brighton, Mr Donne M.P.C. in the chair, for the purpose of considering the fact of the new road to the rush being laid from Woodpecker Bay instead of from the town of Brighton. The arguments used by the speakers on the occasion, went to show that as the new gold field was discovered through the instrumentality of the business people of the town, on this account alone, were any benefit to accrue, they were the first entitled thereto. The deputation subsequently waited on Mr Broad relative to the subject, and that gentleman promised to give it his earliest attention.