The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 429, 15 December 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1868.

The Progress Committee have very wisely opposed the application made under the Agricultural Leases Act, for the grant of oue arid a half acres of ground adjoining the Hospital. An application for this grant was sent in to the Warden on the 30th ulfc., and yesterday was the last day allowed for receiving objections. The Progress Committee have opposed it on the grounds that the portion of land applied for is upon the intended Municipal Eeserve, that it may shortly be required for Municipal purposes, and that it is the only spot available as a thoroughfare from the bush, and will always be required as such for the bringing in of firewood and other timber. ""We understand one or two previous applications were made foe the leasing of the portion of ground now applied for, but none of the applications was received or recommended. Mr Dreyer and another, some monthsago. formal ly applied for it. The steps taken in the matter by the Progress Committee are highly commendable, as it would indeed be a pity to see good ground so near town leased to any private individual oq such easy terms as the Leasing Act allows; and especial credit is due to Mr O'Conor for bringing the matter under public notice. In terms of the writ issued by the Superintendent, and in his capacity as Eeturning Officer, Dr Giles has advertised the dates of nomination and polling for the return of a member for the Buller District in the Nelson Provincial Council. The nomination, it will be seen, is appointed to take place on Saturday the 9th of January, and the poll, if any be required, on "Wednesday the 13th. The polling places are the "Westport Court House, Mr John Braithwaite's store on the Caledonian Terrace, and at the Court House at Addison's Flit. We cannot at present quote the name of a single individual as at all likely to become a candidate, but there is little fear that, before the day of nomination, there will be more than one in the field.

Mr Greenfield, Provincial Secretary, with Mr Harris and Mr Lowe, maybe expected in town this evening on their return from a trip to the southern goldfields. Since Mr Greenfield left Westport, he has been waited upon by several deputations showing the various local requirements; and it ia to be hoped he will not be allowed to leave town without having pointed out to him, not only the necessity for immediate steps being taken for the wharf protection, but the importance of attention being directed to other matters which must be of greater importance than the minor matters in the southern townships. Mr Fraser has determined upon giving the children at his school a picnic on New Tear's Day. Already subscriptions from a few friends have been received, and the Sports Ground has been decided upon as the place for the children to enjoy themselves. Last year a meeting of a similar character was held, and was very successful; and we doubt not that, if the weather prove favorable on New Tear's Day, the young "Westportians will have sports and cake to their hearts' content.

"We are not yet informed of the result of tbe County Council elections at Hokitika, beyond the one fact that Mr Shaw was at the bottom of the poll.

During the past few days there have heen several horsemen trying the metal of their horses by giving them preliminary canters, and a few hurdle jumps, the latter being accompanied with an occasional " spill " or two, more to the amusement of the bystanders than the exercising owner or jockey. On Sunday last quite a host of " horsey " men might be seen on the North Beach, and if coming events do cast their shadows before them, we should say that the stewards of the forthcoming races will have little or no occasion to hope they will have to decide according to one of their restrictions, viz., that there shall be " three entries or no race." "We notice that Cobb and Co. intend running a coach every half hour' from the Empire Hotel to the racecourse, during the holidays.

Information was received in town yesterday of a robbery of gold from a party of miners working on the Shamrock Lead. M'Mehan and party are the parties from whom the gold is said to have been stolen, and the supposition is that it was abstracted from their hut during their absence. The gold stolen is said to have consisted of 300 ounces of amalgam. The heavy rain of yesterday caused a fresh in the river, and the watermen's ball was hoisted at the end of Gladstone Street, denoting that they were entitled to charge additional fare. The temporary protection works on the river bank do not .appear to have been injured, but if the river should ri»e above the battens, it is more than probable they will give way, as they have been placed more with the object of preventing the encroachment of the sui'f than to guard against freshets in the river. The steamer Wallabi is announced as having reached Wanganui on Saturdag evening, and as she would receive immediate despatch, she may be expected here this evening with a full cargo of stock and generalproduce.

The premises lately occupied by Mr Field, in Gladstone Street, were offered for sale yesterday by Mr Munro and knocked down to Mr H. M'Cole, Caledonian Terrace, for £136.

The amount of duty collected at the Custom House this week was £567 Bs, with £125 on lOOOozs. of gold, exported hy the Union Bank. Dp to Saturday last the Sports Committee in Hokitika had collected £IBO.

Captaiu Moore of the schooner "Waterman, which has arrived in Hokitika, reports a melancholy and fatal accident which occurred on board Lis vessel whilst lying in the roadstead during the gale of Tuesday morning, by which the second mate lost his life. Whi'st assisting to set the small jib the unfortunate man fell from the end of the bow-sprit into the water. The alarm was immediately given, but the gale was blowing too hard and the morning too dark, being at a quarter to one, to accomplish any good and, notwithstanding every exertion of the captain and crew nothing more was ever seen of the poor man. It is probable that in the fall the vessel struck and subsequently rode over him. The unfortunate man's name is John M'Donald; he is married and leaves a wife and family resident in Melbourne to mourn his loss.

During the passage of the s.s. Wanganui, from "Wanganui to "Wellington, the number of passengers under the care of the captain was increased by the advent of a little stranger, in the person of a fine boy ; Mrs Quick, wife of Mr Quick, solicitor, of Wanganui, being the mother. Fortunately Dr Earle, of Wanganui, was onboard, and paid the lady every attention. A vessel with a party of Nova Scotian settlers has arrived in the Colony, and they have selected Otago as their destination. Her name is the Emulous, Captain Cumminger, from Halifax, Nova Scotia. There are fiftythree passengers on boar'', and the vessel is owned by the captain and eleven others, all on board with their wives and famalies. They called off Wellington last week, and informed the pilot, who was detained on board three days by the strong N. W. gale 3, that when they left home they wece not bound to any particular port in New Zealand, and on the voyage decided in favor of Wellington; but, after lying so long at the Heads, they altered their minds, and sailed for Otago at 9 p.m. on Thursday. They bad a very fair passage of 103 days to Wellington Heads. Very likely, they will receive encouragement from the Otago Government to settle on the West Coast.

Theschooner Kate, Philip Jenkins, master, has been seized by the police at Manawatu, on suspicion of having a quantity of contraband spirits on board. The schooner and her cargo will be sent to "Wellington.

By the s.s. Jehn Penn,we have Auckland papers to the 9th inst. They contain nothing very special. A growing feeling of security is springing up in the Waikato, and anything like panic has subsided. The people of Auckland have had two meetings regarding the present state of native affairs. The proceedings were marked by a good deal of spirit, and some high words. To Wanganui, the John Penn brought about forty men for the Armed Constabulary. His Excellency the Governor has received a letter from Prince Alfred, stating that he will visit New Zealand in the Galatea, about December 6th 1869. The Prince has written to M. Chevalier, the artist, who is now in New Zealand, to meet him at Galle, and accompany him on his voyage to the China seas. A packer named John Grimes, about 60 years of age, in the employ of Messrs "Webb and Murdoch, was drowned on Thursday week, about six hundred yards below the Three-mile Beach, Greenstone Creek. He leaves a wife and family in Christchurch.