FRIDAY 10th MAY, 1867.

Dunstan Times, Issue 263, 10 May 1867, Page 2

FRIDAY 10th MAY, 1867.

The addro s of His Honor the. Superintendent upon the opening of the twenty third session of th« Provincial Couuoil must be looked upon as a manifestation of the policy to be pursued by the Government; it haves but very few subjects untouched, and appears more or less to include all interests, and judging from its tenor they arc likely to get a fair share of the revenue expended upon them. The most salient features in the address, is the question of Railways, and the management of the Goldr fields; the disallowance of the guarantee Ordinance by the Governor will not tend to advance thd interests of the former, or facilitate

Mr Carr Young's negotiations, but to meet the objections of the General Government, and to secure the public credit, the Council are asked to re-enaet the Ordinance of last session in a modified form, His Honor regrets that the Railway scheme has excited feelings-of jealousy in other parts of the Pro* vince,'who appear to look at the matter as a large expenditure incurred at the expence of the outlying districts, but from which they will receive no benefit. In this respect His Honor is perfectly right the Goldfields population cannot take any other view of tho case, while they remain almost absolutely without roads at all; this feeling however will die out when something practicable is douo to secure to them an expenditure of 'their due proportion of tho revenue and when the popular impression that the gold-fields are only used as a means of advancing tho more central parts of the Province will be removed. The action of tho General Government in declining to delegate the powers of administrating the affairs of tho gold-fields, and appointing an Agent instead is commented upon at some length, however we are glad to find that notwithstanding the probable loss that may thereby be occasioned the revenue, provision is to be made for the carrying on of public works on the gold-fields, this looks as if some consideration was due to us, and the matter will not be lost sight of by the persons interested. In all probability however the rupture between the General and Provincial Governments will not be productive of such serious J consequences as at first anticipated j some concessions must bo made, public opinion being too strongly j opposed to the action of the authorities at Wellington; Canterbury j and Nelson will support Ctago iu j this matter, and in all probability j several of the other provinces will | join issue, this, they will do in self deft nee, ns when least expected a similar arbitrary measure may bo extended to them. The opinion that His Excellency tho Governor did not disallow Mr Macandrew's election, he has no right to curtail the privileges of his office, will gain ground and almost become unanimous, and at the next meeting of the General Assembly, the powers may we expect be either delegated as heretofore \o the Superintendent or to a Commission composed of persons selected by the voice of the people. The Bill for testing public opinion on the subject by taking the vote of the people, and which his been hurried through its third reading, shews rather an expression of weakness on the part of the Executive than otherwise, had it taken iis stand upon the question of right, and depended upon the support ct the goldfields population, it would have been a more digniI fied proceeding. The taking of I the vote of the populace upon any j momentous question is quite an | un-English like proceeding, it has no precedent, and has never been called into practice, except on the continent of Kurope.it will be quite a new thing to the Colonies and may produce a certain amount of popular excitement, but its effect must be materially lessened from the difficulty of carrying out the measure; while it must ever be questionable, if it is r?n expression of public opinion after ail. Taking all the merits of the case dispassionately into consideration, there can be but one opinion arrived at, that the Government to

enjoy the confidence of the Count- j ry should be in a position to .assert ils rights and uphold its dignity, and if such is not the case, the men whom we have elected as our representatives are not capable of fulfilling the trustee posed in them.

Some months ago it was our fluty to record the opening of a lodge at Clyde in eoimcxion with the Ancient order of Foresters. We have now to notify that another lodge in connexion with the same body is to be opened on Saturday next, in the Kawarau district, to be styled " The Royal Oak of Kawarau.'' For the present the meetings will beheld at Richard's ~ Bannockburn Hotel. We sincerely wish the fraternity every success, as the'establishment of friendly societies on the goldfields tends greatly to promote a good feeling amongst all. We are requested to draw the attention of the Brethren of the Court Star of Duustan A. 0. F. to the advertisement which appears in a other coli ran, notifying the alti r ition of the lodge night from Monday to Friday. Iu the Provincial Conner 1 , on the 6th iust., Mr. Haugliton said that at the next sitting the would ask he Provincial Treasurer whether the Government have paid, 1 are paying, or have guaranteed to pay the expenses of three members of this Council now assuming to travel through the goldfields as Provincial Delegates, and if so, at what rate, and for what term. The following gentlemen are Gazetted Receivers of Go d Revenue in the province i of Otago, appointed by the Governor:— John R. Borton, Lawrence ; E. 11, Carew, Hamilton; B. P.. Baud, Mount Ida, A. D, Harvey, St Bat Lan's; R. E Field Clyde ; J. C Thomson, Alaxandra ; IT. ; Stratford, Cromwell ; J. N Worthington, : Qnccnstown; F G. Dugard, Maori Point : At a meeting of the inhabitants of , Cromwell, on Wednesday evening last, the following gentlemen were elected a local committee of the Dunstau District ' Hospital:—Messrs W. J Harry, Grumitt, Smitham, Stanley, Kidd, Wright, and ; i Booth, who were empowered to receive i subscriptions. The first meeting will be I held at Mr Kolley's hotel on 'iharaday I evening next the lGtli inst. The Tea Meeting and Bazaar :n aid of ' , the Alexandra School Funds bed on ' | Wednesday evening last was a perfect . ; success, £lll I's being van isod by tho Ba . i zaar and £ls by the sale of tickets. Du- ; ring the evening a presentation of a handsome Got! watch and chain valued £4O, 1 the gilt of the ladies of Alexandra was • made to Mr S. M Clarke the mister of . the Clyde School, for his sen-ices in oliici ating at the Alexandra Church- Mr Clarke in a touching and appropriate speech returned his sincere thanks for • tho handsome gift, i Tho Wellington correspondent of the " Daily Times" says :—"While, however, the Ministry is not considered o have acted wisely in the course it has taken, the more than ' tall ta k' of Otago is deprc- , eated as unwise also, a>d t«.ids tt create the opinion, which, however, is scarcely worth much at this distant date, that, when the Assembly m;;ots, it will prefer to ignore the whole question, bctvms", if it condemns the G >vernment, it will sanc--1 tton incipient rebellion—it supports a > compromise where the Cover ment ought to have acted o:ic way or other. The current apology for the line o-' policy td.cn by Otago is this: 'The Ministry i have practically admitted tl they have [' left the election undisal'owcd, because . feared the consequences of a contest, because of the uproar that won d be occa- . sioned by a scries of re-elections. If expediency is their guide in one ease, it is ' reasonable to suppose it will b> in the , other; so that, if Otago will only make _ ! row enough, the same reason which inJ duced Ministers to let Mr. Macandrcw I atone in the biiperintendciiey will m tune I induce them to give him the powers they i ! have withholden.' The Ministry arc rc- ; I garded as having held out. absolute induce* I incut to 0:ago to obtain what she wishes I by a determinate Resistance. It has been j stated—with what truth I cannot say—- ' ; that the General Government contenti j plates taking the police force under its , j control as soon as an opportunity presents | itself." A rather remarkable case, arising out j of the late locking up of the Court House. J Cromwel', was heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Clyde before IT. W Uobi'SonEsq P.M. and J. I). Pcraud Esq. J.P. A man named M'Gilvcy Bum. moned Mr W. J. Barry the Mayor of Cromwell, for an assault, there was no appearance of either the Complainant or j Defendant. MrW. L. Daily who con- ! dueled 'lis case for the pros', en ion. urged

that he believed the case had been eonipro raised purposely to defeat the ends of justice, and after citing authority, 'asked the Bench to'compel the parties to goon with thexase ; he called Sergeant John Cassells •who stated that he had served a summons on the defendant, and that complainant had told him Sergeant Cassells, that he intended to prosecute, he believed that the ckse had bee > compromised. Mr Henry Stratford B, M. at Com well, stated that he appeared before the Bench, knowi g th the was to be sumnaoned as a witness ; complainant was a man whtoiri lie had engaged to guard the Court House, hi- duty ■was to guard the doors and windows, aid rot'to leave unless forcibly removed, and upon :n.y oi:e doing So, he was to lay an inrormation. On the night ofthe Ist .May, Complainant laid an information before kirn Mr Stratford ad sworn to the same, that he had been assaulted by defendant, had doubts about M'Gilvey prosecuting ■from remarks made by him, told him he should cspect him to prosecute; considered the doing at the Court House on the night in question as turbulent and disgraceful, and if the'present'ease failed, sliou d Ifey it before their Worships in another form Mr Bailey again urged that the Bench should compel the parties to go on with the case. The Bench however decided to dismiss the case, believing that it had be ;n compromised to defeat the ends ot justice, and dircc ed the police to bring the parties to justice.