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Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 648, 21 April 1870, Page 2

In consequence of pressure on our columns tlio report of the vestry meeting and other items of local intelligence arc held over. The Westport C. C, as stated in our last issue, entertained their Charleston visitors at the Prince of Wales Hotel, on Mondayevening. Mr Clarke occupied the chair, and Mr Bishop the vice-chair. After having partaken of the refection, the Chairman proposed the customary loyal toasts, after which the healths, of the Charleston a.ud Westport Clubs were proposed and responded to. Toast and song then followed each other in quick succession, and about 1 a.m. the company wound-up with " Auld Lang Syne," Highland fashion. The West port eleven purpose meeting the Charleston team in friendly rivalry at Charleston on the Queen's birthday.

Our attention is called to on error in the report of our Charleston contemporary with respect to the finding of the assessors in the case of Wilson and party v. Dreunan and party. Three of the assessors wished to give judgment for plaintiffs for .£SO, and the fourth throughout desired a verdict for the defendants.

The Friendly Societies' Fete a.t. Greymouth, on Easter Monday, was a great success. The total amount realised was over .£250.

The sale of the township of Gisborne, Poverty Bay, came off on the 13th and 14th instant, when £3OOO worth of allotments were taken up. Messrs Beaumont & Wharton of Nelson, have purchased at auction tho Starborough Run, Marlborough, for ,£10,350. A Greyruouth man, Mr Carter, has carried off the Chairman's Cup at the prize firing at Hokitika on Saturday last. Mr Forsyth (Hokitika) and Messrs Carter and Eevell (Greymouth) tied at 44 points. In firing oft' the result was Carter 1, Forsyth 2, Eevell 3.

The prospectus of a new bank has been issued at Buncdin, under the title of the Bunedin and Provincial Banking Company, Limited. The promoters propose to give special accommodation to farmers, miners, and squatters. The shares are fixed at £lO.

An incendiary fire has taken place at Onehunga in a house belonging to a Mrs Pilkington, of Auckland. The house had been empty three weeks, and two previous attempts had been made to bum it. The building was insured in the Eoyal for ,£4OO. The Otago gold escort for the week ended April 9th, amounted to 58350zs Sdwts. Queenstown contributed ITSlozs 17dwts.

Tho following are the results of Monday's racing at tho Hokitika Easter Meeting:— Trial Stakes, 25 sovs, 1-| miles : Economy, 1. Hurdle.. Eace, 40 sovs, 2 miles: Blink Bonny, 1. Hokitika Handicap, 50 sovs, 2 miles: Backbiter, 1; Economy, 2. Selling Eace, 20 sovs, lj miles: Saucy Bick, I. Maori Eace, 5 sovs, 1 mile heats, Cuckoo, 1. Back Eace, 10 sovs, 1J miles: Ellesmere, 1.

A correspondent of the Lake Wakatip Matt, writing upon tho price of gold and the substantial difference in the price obtained in Victoria and Otago for gold of equal quality, says:—There is one circumstance to be considered which greatly regulates the price of gold in Victoria, viz. —the assay offices, both the public one in connection with the Colonial Treasury, as well as many private one 3, where you can have your gold smelted and assayed, and its value ascertained at a moderate charge. Here in Otago-we have nothing of tho sort; tho miners must take whatever price the banks think fit to give them for their gold; and its Government considers itself constituted for the sole purpose of collecting taxes and distributing the revenue at plei° sure, without any regard as to what is fair and just; and forgetting its duty oven so far as to be careless to a degree of tho interests of a pnrt of the community that contributes no small amount to the revenue. By neglecting to follow, in this instance, the example of Victoria, our Government

has> created a monopoly which tho banks have seized with avidity, and without any opposition in tho gold-buying branch of their business, have brought and kept down to its present low standard the price of gold.