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Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1122, 7 November 1873, Page 2

The first meeting of the District Road Board will be held to-morrow at 1 p.m. Persons having any suggestions to make on public matters would do well to send in particulars in writing. The Warden will be asked to permit the use of the Court House for the first meeting of the Board. The District Hospital return for the month ending 3ist October, is as follows : Number of patients in hospital on the Ist October, 4 ; admitted during the month, 5; discharged, 6; remaining on the books, 3; outpatients, 4. The business of the Resident Magistrate's Court and Warden's Court on Tuesday last was trifling. In the former, one case Lockwood v. Clark was heard. The plaintiff claiming £3 for wages, and obtaining a verdict for £ 1 12s 6d, which had been paid into Court. In the Warden's Court two or three applications for registration of mining rights were heard and disposed of. The new telegraph tariff of Id per word is not unlikely to lead to the diffusion and use of coppers in places whore at present their use is unknown, nearly every message now ontailing payment of odd pence. The Provincial Gazette of the 31st ult. notifies the appointment of Messrs James Powell and John Hughes as Fire Inspectors for the Borough of Westport, in terms of section 331 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867. The Electoral Roll of the Province bears the names of 1169 voters qualified to vote at the election of Superintendent. Copies of tho roll may be obtained at the Warden's offices.

The Now Zealand Gazette of the 29th nit. eontains a proclamation further proroguing the next meeting of the Colonial Parliament until Tuesday, the 10th February proximo. The gold exported from New Zealand for the quarter ending 30th September last amounted to 105,5460z5, valued at £433,450. The total quantity exported from Ist April, 1857 to 30th September, 1873, was 7,116,855 ounces, valued at £27,629,336, The quantities and values of the parcels of gold exported from the various provinces for the half-year ending 30th September were as follows:—Auckland, 34,2/lozs, £136,350: Marlborough, 108ozs, £432; Nelson, 24,5470z5, £98,188; Westland, 26,075, £104,300 ; Otago, 23,5450z5, £94,180. Doubts have been expressed that any Committee in attempting to provide the wherewithal for gift auctions or bazaars in aid of local charities would have some trouble in collecting in Westport sufficient donations of unconsidered trifles to make up a stock-in-trade, but collectors may take heart of grace and try their luck with perfect confidence as to achieving satisfactory results. Yesterday a townsman, when asked for a donation to the projected Art Union in aid of the St. Cannice's church funds, very liberally presented a whole hatful of watches, which had accumulated in his safe as unredeemed pledges for borrowed notes and unpai 1 accounts. The owners having died, skedaddled, or become hopelessly hard-up. No doubt very many others could present equally interesting relics. It says little for local enterprise when consumers of coal in Westport have to send to Grey mouth for their supplies, but the fact is for some time past coal has hardly been obtainable in Westport, and the little in the market has not been of a quality to satisfy consumers. The total eclipse of the moon occurring at 12,40 a.m. on Wednesday morning last was witnessed by very few persous in this locality. The atmosphere was clear, but the time was inopportune, most people just then enjoying their first sleep. According to calendar the first contact with the Penumbra was at 0.40 a.m., and the first contact with the Shadow at t.39 a.m.; the middle of the eclipse was reached at 3.23 a.m., the last contact with the Shadow took place at 5.8 a.m., and with the Penumbra at 6.6 a.m,

A tenth call of one pound per share has been made by the directors of the Nelson Examiner Company. Mr George Donne publicly notifies that he is again a candidate for election to the Provincial Council as member for the Charleston District, basing his claim to a renewal of confidence upon the length> faithfulness, and validity, of services rendered in a representative capacity* during a period of eight sessions. The Charleston Her dd says Mr James Edwin Gillespie and Mr Thomas Dwan have also expressed their inteution of becoming candidates. Among the exhibits to be displayed at the Nelson Exhibition will be some stage scenery now being painted by Mr H. H. Thornton for the Masonic Hall in Nelson. The recently declared dividend and bonus (at the rate of ten per cent and two and a half per cent per annum) to shareholders in the Bank of New Zealand has been payable at all offices since the 24th ultimo. Dr Carr has been preaching his lay" sermon, " Christ of Nazareth," in Nelson, on behalf of the Nelson Exhibition f and. Potatoes are selling at Nelson at five shillings per sack, the weight per sack being about one hundred-weight and threequarters. Mr G. Glenn has been elected Mayor of Greymouth, without contest, vice MiMasters. Mr Ray, schoolmaster of Cobden, has got into trouble. A refractory female pnpil named Dinan complained to her parents that she had be whipped, whereupon the male parent summoned the schoolmaster, and the magistrate inflicted a fine of 40s and costs. The local school Committee side with Mr Ray and have recommended the dismissal of the entire Dinan family from the school, and in this have received the implied sanction of the school inspector. A portion of the Greymouth press defends Mr Ray, and the other censures him. Mr Henry Adams, of Nelson, notifies that it is not his intention to come forward as a candidate at the ensuing Provincial Council election. There are three candidates in the field for the representation of the Grey Valley in the new Provincial Council of Nelson. Mr F. Guinness, sen., and J. D. Pinkerton. the sitting members, will offer themselves for re-election, and Mr Robert Gray, a miuer at No Town, has issued an address to tho electors. It is said that Mr D. J. M'Kenna, of Ahaura, and Mr Donovan, of No Town, will also be candidates.