The Westport Times. TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1870.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 653, 3 May 1870, Page 2

The Westport Times. TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1870.

A preliminary meeting of intending shareholders and parties interested in the formation of a company for the working of the Lyell reef was held at the Empire hotel on Saturday evening, Mr R. C. Reid occupied the chair. The manager, Mr Wylde repeated to those present a statement similar to what has already appeared in our recent issues and stated the terms upon which the present claimholders were willing to transfer the property to a company. The terms were £7OOO in 700 paid-up £lO shares, in addition to a bonus of .£2400. The present shareholders to be engaged at £4 10s per week, and the machinery to be completed within six months or the company to forfeit all interest. A prospectus, with further particulars, will be published. A Charleston resident, just returned from the south does not endorse the favorable opinions expressed with respect to Martin's Bay and Big Bay. He has seen nothing to justify the inducements that have been held out by the Otago Government to intending settlers, and thinks it unlikely that any population will make it their home ; he does not regard the gold discovery at the Gorge river as of sufficient importance to facilitate settlement. A break in the wires took place on Sun day between Charleston and Greymouth, the line was repaired and in working order yesterday. Mr Kynnersley is expected to arrive per steamer Charles Edward, which left Nelson at noon yesterday, and will arrive at Westport by this morning's tide. In alluding to the recent meeting of the two delegates, appointed for the purpose of furthering the objects of the Miners' League, the Grey River Argus says:—" It to be regretted that the committee recently appointed at Napoleon Hill did not send a delegate to the meeting, as many matters specially affecting the Grey District might there have been brought forward which were unknown to the miners who composed the conference. Whether this arose from a misunderstanding as to the time or place of meeting, or apathy in the cause, or was owing to the residents in the Grey Valley having been misled as to the objects aimed at by the promoters of the League we cannot say, but we are sure that the reason alleged to have been given to the delegates by Mr Franklyn, the representative of this district in the Provincial Council, namely-—that the residents here had given up all interest in the movement—io not the correct one.

The new flag staff on the North spic is now completed. The beacon on the snag at the entrance, after being only erected eight days, has been washed away during the heavy gale. Captain Leech has forwarded a communication to Nelson, urging the desirability of having the snag removed, but has, as yet, received no reply. The Star Dramatic Company gave their opening performance at the Masonic Hall on Saturday evening. The attendance was fair and but for the very inclement weather would have been much larger. On Monday night there was an entire change of programme and on both evenings the various pieces were presented in a highly creditable manner. To-night is the last appearance of the company in Westport, and, it is to be hoped that they will receive a suitable recognition of their endeavors to amuse the public. They proceed to Charleston to-morrow where tbey will give four entertainments at the Casino do Venice.

The powder lately taken from Te Kooti is said to be of a very fine description, and the appearanee of the casks bespeak their American origin. How it was landed and delivered to the rebels, without being detected, is deserving of immediate enquiry. It is hard to cast suspicion on whaling vessels that frequent and receive benefits from our ports to the north; but failing to advance a conjecture in that direction, it is still harder to conceive a method by which the rebels obtain regular supplies of ammunition. Before this last seizure the powder taken was of the coarsest quality, fit only for blasting purposes.—Evening News, Auckland.

The Wanganui Chronicle of a recent date says:—" We deeply regret to say that a fine little girl met with her death yesterday, under the following circumstances:—A daughter of Mr Jackson, about four years of age, was playing before her father's door in the swamp, on Tuesday morning, when a runaway horse came past at a furious rate, knocked over the child, and struck her on the back of the head with one of its hoofs. She was taken up insensible, and although medical aid was at once procured, the child never rallied, and death took place yesterday morning." The Seatoller left Auckland on April 22nd, for London, with a cargo valued at £32,191, includind 3607 ounces of gold, 803 bales of flax, and 234 tons kauri gum. The planet Venus is at present easily visible as a morning star; she was plainly seen at eleven o'clock the other morning. The Otago Daily Times states as a proof of the good effected by dredging the harbor at Dunedin, that the steamship Airedale, 286 tons register, and drawing 11 feet 6 in., steamed alongside the wharf on the 14th ult., and is the largest vessel that ever reached Dunedin.

The engine and battery of five stampers together with the site and water-right of the Fearnought Gold Mining Company, Wellington, have been sold by auction for .£l3O. The Westland County Chairman has requested Mr J. B. Browne, District Mining Surveyor, to tender his resignation.

There.is some talk in Bangitikei of establishing a New Zealand flax-spinning and weaving company there. I In compliance with a request Mr Fox addressed the public of Dunedin, on political matters affecting the Colony, in the Princess Theatre last week. The theatre was crowded to excess, there being over 3000 persons present.

From January Ist to April 12th, the Bank of New Zealand alone shipped from the Thames Goldfields 33,779 ounces of gold.

On the Ist of January, 1870, thoro were 17,000,000 sheep in New South Walos. Another sudden death is reported in Auckland. On the 18th instant, the body of a man was found lying on the ground near the Convent, who proved to be dead. No one saw him fall, but a post mortem examination showed that the deceased had ruptured his heart, which Dr Baynton thought might have been caused by his ascending College Hill, combined with the heat of the weather. The deceased was unknown, but he is believed to be a Portuguese known at the Thames some time ago by the name of Charley. A singular death is reported by the Burrow Advocate. A young girl named Eliza Eundall, residing at Jarrawa, left home to shepherd some sheep, and, not returning as usual, was found seated with mouth open and eyes distended, as if suffering from fright. She was a corpse, and, on removing the body a large snake was found coiled where she had been sitting. It is anticipated that the bridge over the Nile will be open for traffic in five weeks. At the Colonial Prize firing recently held at Dunedin the champion belt was won by Goldie; in the second match, firing at 300, 400 and 500 yards, victory fell to Wellington, in the person of Mr Hayard, who also carried off the third prize for firing while running round a pole 50 yards distant from the target. A newspaper runner, named William Rutherford has been convicted upon three charges of stealing waste paper from the West Coast Times office, Hokitika. For the first offence he was sentenced to six months imprisonment, and for the second and third two months each concurrently with the six months.

The Thames Advertiser states that the Government wire tramways have given a great impetus to mining operations in the localities where they have been erected. Mr John Avery, flax dresser, Nelson, has applied for letters patent for " An invention of an apparatus for the prevention of fire from spontaneous combustion taking place in ships, stores, warehouses, and other buildings btowed or stored with wool, flax, or other fibre."

During a cricket match played recently in New South Wales between the Tumut and Adelong clubs, a hit was made for which 10 runs were obtained. The distance from the wicket to where the ball first touched ground was measured, and found to be 165 yards.

For some time past, says the Castlemaine Representative, in a modest and unobtrusive way, a new industry has been prosecuted in our midst, and seems in a fair way to become a perfect success. A rope walk has been put up at Wattle Flat, and some excellent specimens of workmanship have been shown to us. Mr Griffiths, the manufacturer, has used considerable quantities of New Zealand flax, and can supply ropes of almost every size at prices lower than the current rates for Manilla hemp. The Auckland correspondent of the Hawke's Bag Times is responsible for the following remarkable statement:—" The supporters of Provincialism, as they term themselves, but more correctly, the superintendents and their tails, have often complained of the strictness of the Acts bearing on any illegal expenditure by Provincial Governments. Those Acts are a perfect farce ; lit e some other enactments, they might bo of gome use if tbey were carried out, which is never done. From a public document, printed by order of our Provincial Council, it appears that the Auditor for Auckland allowed and sanctioned the payment of several sums of money, not merely unappropriated for the purpose, but in distinct opposition to the votes of the Council—sums which that body had distin«tly refused to vote, being thus paid. The ex-Superintendent was thus able to pay some of his friends handsomely at the public cost. To one he gave .£SO more than his voted salary; to another £IOO more; to another, .£451 odd; to another he advanced £247 (out of Provincial funds) on his note of hand! One of his officials drew £95 from the treasury on the pretence of paying a certain bill, and neither paid the bill or refunded the money, until it was partly or wholly recouped by stopping his salary each month! Even more questionable transactions than these could be cited. I am not aware that either of the Auckland journals has commented on these facts, or indeed mentioned them; but having been absent from the city, and practically from her journals the greatest part of my time latterly, I cannot be positive on the subject. A bottle containing 655 diamonds has been deposited with the manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Mudgee, N.S.W.