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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 358, 23 September 1868, Page 2

The Lioness has left our port, for the Grey, where she purposes coaling, and then will proceed to Melbourne iu charge of Captain Kirkpatrick. Our list of vessels in port, will now be often without a single steamer A man came down from Addison's yesterday with a broken jaw, to the hospital, and strange to say, he does not know how he met with the accident; it is not improbable that he came in contact with somebody's hand at the ball on Monday

We are happy to say that Mr Bull, who is at present a patient in the hospital, suffering from the effects of an accident at the Caledonian, is so much improved in health as to be able to sit up and recognise his friends. The late arrangements of the Panama mail has shortened the route by two days, and at any moment we may expect to have a telegram of its news. The mails were due at Wellington yesterday. We learn that the new ground opened at Brighton, is not turning out so well as was at first anticipated. We hope to have our correspondents report tomorrow, and will be able to furnish onr readers with correct information.

The Athenffium Committee meeting, which was to have been held on Saturday evening, did not take place owing to a sufficient number not being present to form a quorum. It appears that Mr Hall is about introducing a Bill to relieve newspaper exchanges from postage. Though of course we have no reason to quarrel with this step, we cannot but consider it would have been much more to the public advantage if Mr Vogel's motion for the entire abolishment of postage on newspapers had been adopted. Some time since the cemetery was enclosed by a fence for the purpose of keeping horses and pigs from wandering over the graves. At present an entrance to the ground is effected by letting down slip rails, but we regret to say that some parties who visit this place, are so negligent as to omit replacing the rails when leaving, the consequence is that horses, «6c, which are constantly loose about that quarter avail themselves of the opportunity afforded. People should be more careful, and show greater respect for God's Acre.

The " Grey River Argus " of 17th says.—The Kynnersley Testimonial Fnod, is being rapidly agumented by the subscriptions which are pouring in frouTall the mining districts on the Nelson South-west Goldjlelds. We are glad to announce that a local committee has been formed in Greymonth, consisting of Messrs, D. Maclean, Gilbert King, Daniel Sheedy, G. W. Gilmer, and J. Hamilton, Cobden, to whom subscriptions can be forwarded, as well as to the Bank of New South Wales, Greymouth. It is not intended to collect subscriptions in the town, but only in the districts on the Nelson side, wbich were under the charge of Mr. Commissioner Kynnersley. We have no doubt, from the high estimation in which that gentleman has always been held by the miners in the Grey

district, that their subscriptions to his testimonial will compare moat favorably with those from .any otfcaf colony. The "Colonist" of the 18th inst. says : —" By way of Taraaaki, we had rumors, yesterday morning, that Colonel Whitmore had been appointed to the command of the Colonial Forces, in room of Colonel M'Donnell, who, it was stated, had resigned. Our latest telegrams, received last night from Wellington, do not confirm this rumor but nevertheless render its confirmation a probable occurrence. Colonel Whithas been appointed to succeed Major Von Tempsky ; and it is believed probable that Colonel Haultain will give him the command. If so, we do not think it likely that the country will be satisfied with the arrangement. His management of the worse than foolish campaign against the escaped Hauhaus from Chatham Islands, and the

disastrous result of that ilLjudged, and, we believe, unauthorised movement, do not seem to be certificates of merit warranting appointments to such an a 1-importaut post, for which no mere martinet, or smart, or even eloquent despatch writer, is likely to be a fitting occupant. the escaped prisoners, and the circumstances connected with that occurrence, aud the responsibility of Ministers for that and subsequent disasters, exception has been taken to our remarks. We shall have something to say on that point on an early occasion." * The following sharp passage of arms is reported in the " Otago Daily Times" as having taken place in the Supreme Court, Dunedin, during the hearing of the case Jones v. Orbell, in which the defendant was ejected from his farm : —" Mr Smythies : Prom the first of this case, I have had every possible obstacle thrown in my way by your honor. I don't know whether it is because Mr Jones is a rich man. The Judge: Mr Smythies, if you are guilty of impertinence to me, I will commit you. I have sat upon the bench now for 16 years, and I never had to resort to the power of committal ; but I would not submit to impertinence. After the conclusion of the case, the Judge (who, on the return of the jury, had directed Mr. Smythies not to leave the Court) said : I did not take sufficient notice of the gross insult offered to me by you to-day, because I desired not to do anything that conld tend to prejudice the case of your client. I now think it incumbent upon me to notice that insult, and to give you an opportunity of retracting it. Tou accused ine of thwarting you, because I favored the rich as against the poor. I That is a most unjust accusation 1 and I now give you an opportunity of apoogising, and of making reparation for the insult; and if you do not do so I shall take very serious notice of it Mr. Symthies was understood to say that he had no intention to say anything disrespectful to the Court, in the heat of the moment he no doubt did say something about the rich and the poor; but—The Judge : It amounted to the accusation which I have stated. "What you say of me outside this Court I shall treat with silent contempt. Of what you say in this Court, I am bound to take notice. Mr Smythies was understood to say that he was very sorry if he said anything which bore the interpretation stated by his Honor; for he had very great respect for his Honor's position and character. He certainly did not wish or intend to say anything such as was attributed to him ; and whatever he did say, dropped from him in the heat of the moment, and without any intention of its being disrespectful. The Judge : I suppose that that is intended as sn apology; and I accept it as such."

The Postmaster-G-eneral has authorised the publication of a Postal G-uide for New Zealand, containing a list of the various Post Offices, Tariff of Telegraph Charges, Bates of Postage on letters and newspapers, regulations for transmission of letters, books, and patterns, and usual details.