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Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 370, 7 October 1868, Page 2

Under the heading Westland Naturalists and Acclimatiation Society, the West Coast Times of the 3rd, gives a report of the monthly meeting of the Committee, from which it appears the Society is in a fair way of becoming a success. Jl number of new members hare been enrolled, and Dr Mueller, of Victoria, has written expressing his willingness to co-operate with, and assist the Society. The museum and garden belonging to the Society are now completed for the reception of plants and specimens, and an arrangement has been made with an experienced collector to obtain specimens of plants, birds, and minerals from all parts of Westland. In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, a man named Macpherson, was sentenced to pay a fine of £5, in addition to the ordinary passage money or in default one month's imprisonment with hard labor, for travelling in the steamer John Penn, from G-reymouth to Westport, with intent todefraud|fche owners of the passage money The ! only excuse the man offered was that he had recently left Nelson Creek with a pile of gold, but having on his way to Q-reymouth been knocked down and robbed, he had no money left to take him to Auckland, the place he wished to go to, and so endeavoured to get carried there for nothing. He certainly appeared to have been knocked about the head a good deal, but that might have happened anyhow. A case of drunkenness, and one or two undefended small debt cases constituted the only other busiuess before the Court. The John Penn had but very few passengers on board from Hokitika and Grreymouth, and took away still fewer from this place. Amongst the number of her Grreymouth passengers, we remarked Mr aud Mrs Newton, Mr John Black, and other theatricals, on their way to star it on the Auckland goldfields, intending however, we believe, to play in Nelson for a week.

Fighting may be a pleasureable pastimeto some persons, as others may find enjoyment in looking on, but we can understand a tradesman failing to perceive any fun in it when the ring is pitched immediately in front of his plate glass window. During a bit of a fight which took place in Gladstone street yesterday, an enthusiastic bystander, himself a pugilist of some note, carried away apparently by an exuberance of spirits, jumped backwards against the shop front of Mr Schuloff, the tobacconist, and smashed the glass. Early on the same day a wrestling match was to have taken place on the beach, between two well known townsmen, to decide which was the best man, and a bet made by the backer of one of them, of £lO to £5. The affair however did not come off.

Yesterday afternoon, we received intelligence of the arrival of the s.s. Omeo, at the Bluff, from Melbourne, with the European and Indian Mails via Suez. As we stated a few days

ago, the Government for some mysterious and unaccountable reason have ordered the discontinuance of the plan hitherto pursued, of telegraphing a summary of the Suez mail to all the other telegraph stations of the colony, and up to the time of closing the Telegraph office yesterday evening, we received no private telegrams from our correspondents, the line being apparently monopolised by telegraphers on the other side of the island.

It will be seen by our Charleston correspondent's letter that the Church of England, there built by the aid of public subscriptions, is now conpleted, and will bo formally opened by the Rev. Mr Harvey on Sunday first. The honors and emoluments attaching to the position of a Road Board in "Westland, were says the Grey River Argus of Saturday, very forcibly illustrated yesterday. Before the proceedings of the Grey Road Board had commenced, a bailiff entered the room with a very suspicious look about him, and bearing in his hand a bundle of those unwelcome documents known # as summonses. These he distributed, with a smile and a few words of comfort, to Messrs Leach, Barnhill, and Whall (who happened to be present), and when the chairman, Mr Fox, arrived, and took his seat, a similar process was served on him. Thinking it best, perhaps, to put a bold face on the affair, Mr Fox only deigned to bestow a slight glance at the document and enquired " Any more, Gourlay ?" " Not at present, sir," was the bland reply, and the unwelcome visitor vanished. When examined these documents appeared to be summonses, served on the members of the Road Board as formerly constituted, at the suit of Mr Rae, for timber supplied and used in the protective works. These cases come off on Thursday next, and will settle the question of individual responsibility of the members of the Board for its debts. Pending the decision of the Court, we withhold comment.