DUNEDIN.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 14, 16 February 1870, Page 5

DUNEDIN.

f From our own Oorre-ipondent.) February 12, 1870. Wo have been favoured with a spell of fine wentbar during tho past week. Dust lias put in an appearance in tho place of mud, aud wo begin to feel that summer has not yet taken its departure from these

coasts. In the commercial -world matters aro no brighter. More of the retail liouacs aro evincing their shakiness by calling meetings of creditors, and there is a general rush for money in all quarters. Largo establishments are a great.mistake now-a days. In the old digging times Dunedin might have been able to support them, but those days are gone, we fear never to return ; and now the larger the store the greater the doubts entertained as to the stability of its occupants. The gas question is at the present time under consideration. The tenders have been opened, and Mr A. K. Smith’s is the lowest. I understand however, that ha has neglected to lodge the £SOO dept ub required ; and there are certain little items omitted from his tender. One of our leading barristers lias be< t bringing an action for trespass against tl i Corporation officers. It appears that it is the custom of these functionaries, when they collect the rates, to go armed with distress warrants, to ensure speedy payment, although the rates may not Lava been previously applied for. Mr Macassey, who had been treated in this way, was so forcibly struck with the novelty and courteousness of the proceeding, that he resolved to test its legality. The verdict, however, was given against him ; hut his Honour Mr Justice Ward took the opportunity of censuring the Corporation for their mode of action. One would almost be led to surmise, from the prevalence of this practice, that it not only private individuals and firms who are “ hard up ” at the present time. The Gold-fields Wardens’ Conference has made some important alterations iu and additions to the hitherto existing regulations for the Otago Gold-fields. Considerable advantages are secured to the discoverers of new lodes ; the water regulations are placed on a better footing ; and discretionary power is now given to the Wardens on several important points. The Warrior Queen has arrived, after a passage of 95 days from anchorage to anchorage, or 83 clays from land to land. Besides her human freight, she brought a consignment of passengers of another class for the Acclimatisation Society—consisting of between 300 and 400 English birds, and one hare. I hear that hares are now beginning to increase and multiply in this country, much to the disgust of farmers, who are praying for the time when powder and shot will be allowed to work havoc amongst them. Some rather peculiar works are about to bo started at Kakauul Harbour, near Oamaru, iu order to supersede the use of surf-boats in the loading of vessels. The plan is novel and ingenious;—a fair trial will alone prove whether it is practicable. Two wire ropes are proposed to bo stretched from a considerable elevation on a neighbouring cliff to an anchorage in the hay, beyond the reach of the surf. Beneath those ropes will be placed a pair of shearlegs, which will be held in position by the ropes and anchor; and beneath the apex of these shear-legs, and attached to them, a loading-stage is to bo erected. To the wire rope a system of pulleys and travellers is to be connected. The grain, or other cargo, being swung to one of these pulleys, will be carried down to the stage by its own weight, and at the same time draw back the unloaded traveller. The vessel to be loaded is moored near to the stage, and when the grain x-eaches the stage it is to be placed iu a telescope 11 shoot,” through which it will slide down on to the deck of the craft. The importance of this invention, should it prove as sound in practice as it appears to bo in theory, cannot well be over-estimated. The Dunedin papers have been warmly discussing Mr Hulke’s proposal to effect a separation from the mother country. It Is justly censured on all sides. For my own part, I can only look on his draft memorial as being a kind of political curiosity which should bo carefully preserved for the edification of politicians yet unborn. The memorial runs, “ That whereas the Imperial Government having thought fit to withdraw its troops from this Colony, the memorialists are of opinion that in future the Governor’s salary ought to be defrayed out of the Imperial instead of the Colonial Exchequer, and that therefore the Legislature should refuse to pass the item of the. Governor’s salary or, in other words, tho sapient memorialists want to have nothing to do with either the British Government! or a British Governor. At this point we presume that the opinions of those worthy savans diverge, and, as regards future Government, point in etery direction between despotic monarchy and anarchy itself. It is some comfort to know that the still loyal-hearted people of Lew Zealand arc likely to treat the originator of this scheme, the memorial itself, and the memorialists, with some portion of that contempt which they so justly axieivo.