The Westport Times TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1881.

Westport Times, Volume XV, Issue 1927, 23 August 1881, Page 2

The Westport Times TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1881.

The death occurred, at Nelson on Saturday afternoon last, of Mrs. J. H. Cock, wife of one of the proprietors of the Anchor Line steamers. Inflammation of the bowels was the cause of death. The decased lady was but 35 years of age, and she had been ailing for a long time past. As a mark of respect, the flags of the steamer Kennedy have been flown halfmast high. The report of the Waste Lands Committee on ihe petition of Westport Colliery Preserve leaseholders has been presented to the Bouse, and is published in anoiher column. The Committee report in unmistakable terms against the petiiioneis. As the Government are now in possession of all the facts in connection with the Reserve they must recognise that the Crown leaseholders of Westport are suffering under great and exceptional disadvantages, a.id it is to be hoped that, notwithstanding the report of the Waste Lands Committee, the Government will yet see their way clear to make some concession to their tenants.

Mr. Wm. Fagg has just imported a large quantity of new season's seeds. The selection includes all the required kinds, aod they are new and good. Mr. FiU'g also ofi'ei-.s some new lines in confectionery, and some le.nons and other fruits.

We hear that the local Colliery Reserve Committee held a meeting on Friday evening. As no intimation of the meeting was seut to this office, a reporter was not present, aad, consequently, we cannot state what business was done. As a rule the executive officers of public bodies in Westport forget that it is their duty to inform the representatives of the public Press as to tie dates of meetings and other details of interest to the community. In other towns, where things in this respect are a*3 they should be, newspaper reporters are treated by secretaries and clerks of committees, councds, &c, in the same manner as members of these bodies are, and there is not the slightest reason why the rule should not hold good here.

Members of the Odd-Fellows arid Foresters' societies have lately been consulting witli the intention of holding an anniversary public ball, but the idea, we understand, has been abandoned. The Foresters now intend to arrange for a piivate social gathering of members of the Order and their friends, to take place at the Temperance Hall, next month.

The Rov. Father McGuinncss, whom we recently referred to as having been under orders to remove from Wa'.pawa to Greymou hj, is now in Wescpori, en route, and conducted ser/ices at St. Can'ce's Church on Sunday. At a late meeling, the Secretary of the Reefton branch of the Irish Land League reported £42 7s in hand, and this amount having been supplemented by special donations to £SO, it was decided to remit the sum of £SO by first mail. We have to acknowledge the receipt of Mr Seddon's speech on the No confidence motion. It is reprinted fvoni Hansard, in pamphlet form, and is entitled, " Local industries, Local Government, and No-confideuce in the Hall M : uisory."

We learn from Wellington that it is proposed for the futuie that the Post Office shall collect the whole of the Property Tax, as well as other items of revenue, it being found that in this way a large expense in collecting can be saved. Beer duty stamps will be sold at nearly all the post offices, and various license fees will bo collected by postmasters, who also in certain cases will bo authorised to issue miners' rights, and forms of application for mining leases. It is intended further to utilise the post office machinery for the collection of revenue.

Wo regret to announce the sudden deatli of Miss Ellen Quinn, Assistant-Teacher of the Charleston Boys' Schoo 1 The deceased was only taken ill on Tuesday last, (when she complained of a pain in the head,) and she died, without pain, on Thursday. Miss Quinn was eighteen years of age, and resided continuously at Charleston for fourteen years, with the exception of a few weeks which she spent in Westport at the commencement of the current year. Her death has caused sincere sorrow to every resident of Charleston, and to many elsewhere who were acquainted with her. A correspondent enquires the nationality of Colonels Roberts and Wolsely. Can any of our readers supply the information (

We have to thank Mr. Thos. Dollman, editor of the Charleston Herald, for advance slips of his report of' Wednesday's County Comic ; 1 business. Whitebait has already made its appearance in the Grey river, and the fish have also been seen in the Buller.

During a debate in the House of Representatives, Mr Sheehau told an amusing story of how he and his party came into office in Auckland on the cry of "Retrenchment" and "Reform," remained in office on that ciy for four years, and only took £2O off the pay of a policeman which they put on again before they went out.

We understand that a new weekly paper, in the interests of the licensed victuallers and the trade generally, will be published in Christchurch at the beginning of next month. The celebrated horse Mata came over to New Zealand in the last trip of the Te Anau from Australia. It is rumored that he will take part in the next race meeting in Canterbury. Lawrence boasts of an " old identity" who turns the scale at 27st 31b. The first instalment, consisting of 120 tons of rails for the local tramways, has ai rived at Invercargill. The American Eagle has been flapping iiis wings and screaming about the victory

of Iroquois, in the race for the English Derby. A Yankee paper, in an article containing a large amount of blow, wants to know if there is anything that the Britishers think they can do well. The Kumara Times of the 17th instant says : —ln the District Court civil jurisdiction yesterday, a startling incident occurred. When the first case set down for hearing was called—Baird v. Ward—Mr., South, for the defendant, applied for an adjournment of the hearing, on the ground of the defendant being unable to be present, owing to the state of the weather and badness of the roads between Hokitika and Paringa, a distance of 140 miles, and also applied that the costs of the adjournment be made costs in the cause. Mr. Purkiss, for the plaintiff, was speaking against the adjournment, when a telegram was placed in Mr. Souths hands conveying the news that the defendant had been drowned in the Omeroa creek, four miles south of Waiho river, on Friday, while on his way to Hokitika to defend the action. Mr. South handed the telegram to Mr. Purkiss, who read it aloud, when his Honor the Judge immediately stayed the proceedings. A singular coincidence may here be related. His Honor Judge Broad dreamt the night previously that Ward, whom he neither knew nor heard of before, was drowned on his way up ; and was just on the eve of saying to Mr. Purkiss in Court, when speaking against the adjournment, " The manmightbedrowned!" His Honor, therefore, was less astounded than most persons in Court who heard the announcement. Ward was a married man with seven children ; and had a small farm at Paringa. His life was insured for £SOO.

The following story is told in a country newspaper :—" On one of his recent official tours Dr. Moorhouse, thq Anglican Bishop of Melbourne, had the exquisite pleasure of occupyiug the next seat at the dinner table to Mr Joseph Thompson, the ' Leviathan' bookmaker. In front of his Lordship stood a gorgeous pie, of such inviting appearance as to attract inquiries from all parts of the table as to its contents. ' I'll see,' quoth the Bishop, as he deftly inserted the blade of the carver into the crisp pastry ; but before lie could raise the crust, the bejewelled hand of his neighbor on his coat sleeve restrained him, while a high-pitched voice with slight nasal twang was heard to exclaim, ' Hold hard, my Lord, I'll lay five to one no one names it.' " —Tableau !

Cold though the mornings are, those who can admire a really beautiful sight will be amply repaid by a glance out of a window facing the east for the discomfort of turning out of a warm bed about six o'clock in the morning. Almost in the due east Venus is to be seen looking like a miniature moon, and shining so brightly as to cast a distinct shadow. Somewhat to the north of her is the " giant planet" Jupiter, only second to her in brilliancy. A little further to the northward are Mars and Saturn in close proximity to one another, and bright enough to attract ihe attention of any observer, were it not that their brillance is to some extent eclipsed by the beauty of their grander neighbors. Such an assemblage of planetaiy celebrities is rarely to be witnessed and the sight is one that is well worth seeing even at the cost of a little discomfort and inconvenience.—Nelson Mail.

There is now in Auckland, a member of the well-known firm of Messrs John Gosnell and Co., perfumers, of London, namely, Mr C. A. Gosnell, who, in the interest of his own and other firms, is making a tour of the world, for business purposes.

The salary of our Agent-General, Sir F. D. Bell, is L 1250 per annum. The term of office is limited to four years, and the present occupant was allowed Lsoofor the expose of removing himself and his family to England. The Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times says that Sir George Grey has been speaking of late wivli more nerve and spirit than lie displayed upon any occasion for many sessions past.

The Deaf and Dumb Itslitution at Sumner (Canterbury) costs annually L 1245.

Mr R. J. Thomas, a farmer at' View Hill, Oxford, who went Home in the Waimea on her last trip, took a keg of butter, 801bs., (made by Mr McGrath, of Oxford), with a view of testing how it would carry without being in any way specially prepared. Mr Thomas, writing from London on May 27th, says the butter arrived in good condition, and competent judges highly approved of the quality.

The ship Hydrabad, ashore at Otaki, with all gear, etc., was purchased by Mr Joseph Birchley, for L 5. It is said that the Natives of Awapuni are getting improved off the earth at a rapid rate. One died, another was going to bury him, he w;is killed by a tree, three more dead since, and a half-a-dozen are sick. So the story goes.—Manawatu Standard.

A runaway horse got into a confectioner's shop at Wellington the other day, and did seventy pounds worth of damage in breaking glass, cases, etc. The proposal that the Colony of New South Wales should take over H.M.S. Wolverine for the naval defences of that Colony, is received with great favor by the Naval Brigade. The manufacture of cigarettes is a new industry at Christchurch. A Wellington correspondent to a contemporary states that Mr Wakefield has promised Mr Weston a Canterbury constituency, as he stands no chance of reelection on the Coast.

The death is reported of Dr. Hewsou, of Otaki, who came out to New Zealand 30 years ago in the same ship as Sir William Fox.

It is stated that James Gordon Bennett, the proprietor of the New York Herald, is about to marry a daughter of Pierre Bonaparte. The yield of oranges this season in the northern districts of Auckland is said to be exceedingly prolific. The Liberals in the Old Country with Mr Gladstone at their head, are now termed by advanced politicians the Aristoliberals.

A young lady named Miss Affleck was burned to death at Waikoua ; ti last week. While lifting a kettle of boiling water from off the fire her apron became ignited, arid ihe flames spread so rapidly that her brother, a boy of 14, who was the only one present, was unable to extinguish them. The unfortunate woman's screams attracted the attention of some neighbors, but they arrived too late to save her life.