WELLINGTON.

Dunstan Times, Issue 493, 29 September 1871, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(from our correspondent,) September 9th. Another Parliamentary week has passed since last I wrote to you, and 1 will endeavor (as in duty bound) to give you some idea of what has been done by our wise legislators during that time in the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, (the first day of the Par'iamontary week), the Chairman of the Committee brought up a report, from which it appeared that the Committee were inclined to view favorably the reduction of duty on gold, but, that the subject ought to be dealt with by the House. The report ou Major Croker’s petition was also brought up. The Committee stated that, as the matter had been dealt with by the Provincial Executive with a knowledge of the facts, they had no recommendation to make upon the matter. Some considerable interest was created in the House by Mr. Ingles, who asked the Commissioner of Telegraphs, whether the telegraph wires were used without payment by Mr. Macaudrew, during his late election for the Superintendency ; also during the election of Members of the House of Representatives in the Province of Otago. Mr. Vogel replied that Mr, Macandrcw had never received authority from the General Government to use, the wires without payment; except m cases when he had to reply to questions asked him by the Government. Mr. Macandrcw also stated that he had never used the wires on private business without payment, but he believed no man in the Colony used the wires more than he did in Provincial business, but then j the Province paid for it in the usual manner —monthly. There was a short debate upon the second reading of the Otago Special Settlements Bill. Mr. Macandrcw in moving the second rea ing stated that the object of the bill was to enable the Provincial Government to form settlements at Gatlins river, and other places similar to the one at Martin s Bay. Mr Harrison complained of the way the Government of Otago had treated the settlers at Martin's Bay, and stated that if the Government of Westland had not seat them provisions they would have starved. Mr. Reid then spoke strongly in favor of the bill and pointed out that Sir. Hamsun ! had very much exaggerated the state of the : settlers ae Martin’s Kay, and that when the Westland Government did tend a ! steamer to their aid, the Otago Government paid for it. The Rill was read a second time. Mr. Reid’s sentiments with regnal to special settlements seems to have altered very much since he was canvassing for the Superiutendency, as then, he ridiculed Mucandrew’s plan very severely. Mr. T L. Shepherd’s strong opposition to the “ Justices Protection Act Amendment Bill ” has prevailed with the Government, and the Bill is now altered so as to compel the Justices to give security (as well as the Plaintiff) to the extent of 95/., before they can put in a defence. He certainly deserves the thanks of his constituents for not permitting this Bill to pass in the very one sided shape in which it was first brought up. The J. IV in the House ai e very indignant, and some of them go so far as to threaten (quite regardles- of the fearful calamity such a proceeding would entail on the colony) to resign their commissions. Mr. Macandrew’s motion as t. the c nfederatiou of the Provinces in the Middie Island is adjourned. There is a probability that the Government will bring down a comprehensive measure to do away with Provincial institutions all over the Colony—such a measure would I believe, receive the support of a large majority in the House. Some of the members fr in the Northern part of the Provi ice of Auckland complain very bitterly, with great show of justice, that they have not had, and do no seem likely to have their share of the loaves and fishes that have been, or have promised to be distributed so lavishly. Our of the Maori members made a capital speech on the subject. The matter is adjourned. On Thursday last Mr. Shepherd asked the Government, —“ Whether with a view to establish Local Self Government within the Colony, they intend to bring in a Bill during the present Session to provide f. r the establishment of Shire Councils? ” “ Whether the Government will take steps to provide for the better administration of Justice in the Province of Ota o, bycausing the erection of a Court House and Gaol, and a periodical Sitting of the Supreme Court in the Dunsfan District? ” Mr. Fox answered the first in the negative. In speaking to the second question, Mr. Shepherd represented what had been done, and what had not been done in the matter. The Colonial Secretary said, that the Colonial .Government would not do anything in the matter until after the erection of a Court House ami gaol by the Provincial Govern" ment of Otago. The Provincial Government did not seem inclined to do this, and the Colonial Government certainly should not put a sum ou the estimates for that purpose. Mr. Steward Los brought forward bia

motion for the abolishment of grand juries in the Colony. Nine members spoke in favor of the motion, and six against. It is very doubtful which way the House will decide. A Vaccination Bill is being passed through the House, which provides for the establishmcnt of public vaccinators to bo paid by the Government, and who are not to charge private people, whoso children they may operate upon. Every child attending a public school is to be vaccinated. The Government are to provide a supply of pure lymph, so this will dispose of the arguments of those who aver that children are often infested with disease, by the introduction of bad matter. The Education Bill has caused a great amount of interest and discussion, and if • left in its present shape repeals all the Pro- \ vincial Ordinances on the subject throughout the Colony, and provides that the the Government may appoint a Minister of Education, secretary to such minister and inspectors. The Provinces are constituted divisions of the Colony, for the purposes of the Act. For each division there shall be a Board consisting of the Superintendent and six persons appointed by him for the first Board, who shall hold office until the end of next session of the Provincial Council. Then the Superintendent or person appointed by him with the advice of his Executive Councils and five other persons, resident in the Province, to ho elected by the Provincial Council, shall be the Board. The Board shall form School Districts. The occupiers of land and house holders in the district shall elect a School Committee, subject to supervision of Minister and Board Committee to have entire management of local matters and shallfix salary of teachers. It compels all parents to send their children to some school, unless they, (the parents) can show that the children are in ill health and are being s ilssfactorily taught in some other wayq ami have arrived at a certain state of perfection, that the schoo’s are too far off, or that the roads to the schools are not safe for the children to travel. The “ Holy Scriptures" are to be read daily in the public schools, but parents and guardiai a objecting to this may withdraw their children during such reading. Private schools schools may bo added by grants of money from the School Board, provided they submit to the principal regulations in the Bill. A thorough s'-stem of inspection is provided for. If the money voted or likely to be voted by the Provincial Legislatures, or re • ceived or likely to be received from reserves See., is thought by the Board in the month of January in every year, to bo insufficient for the purposes of education, then the Board may make up the deficiency by a rate on land, or on every house of the clear annua! value of 51. m but such rates not to amount in the aggregate to more than 1/. for each house. The debale on the second reading closed yesterday. September 15. It is indeed time that we had railways ! More than a fortnight has passed since tho last Mail left for Otago, and there is only a a possibility that one will go to day, bu: on account of that possibility I will give you a short digest of some of the principal events that have happened since th'e 9th—A Bill has been brought in and read a second time having for its object the improve ment of the present system of High-way Boards, as however there is great probability that the Bill will bo considerably altered in Con • mittee before this reaches you, I will wait un'il it has passed finally, ami then give you its principal contents, as it is a very important measure. As the Telegraph has a'ready informed you of the chief items in the financial st dement, I will merely add that fi-om observations th t have been made in the House since the delivery of it by the Provincial Treasurer—many Members that were before Utterly opposed to the Government, seem now to have been quite converted, and are willing to ass : st to their utmost in the carrying out of the policy enunciated by Mr. Voge’—Notably so, Mr, Rolleston, the Superintendent of Canterbury, who is a host in himself. If the Government can only get over tlie Telegraph difficulty, I think they will be quite safe until next session, notwithstanding the deficiency of 110,000/. Mr. Fox stated yesterday that when tho money they were now borrow ing was spent, there would ; euo difficulty in borrowing 10,000,000/. more on tho sc- m curity of the works that will be then carried <mt, and so on apparently ad in/'ni turn —l trust he will prove a true prophet, Tho debate upon Mr. O’Neil’s motion for the re I notion of tie gold duty lies been carried on with great spirit. Mr. T. I/. Shepherd in supporting the motion said, that the number of miners in i lie Colony were about seventy thousand, and being such a large proportion of tho po; illation, their wants ought certainly to be a tended to by tho Hou e. He had lived among miners for years in all parts of the Colony, and never knew one miner that did not wish for a reduction of the gold duty. When tlie gold-fields were first opened, gold was much more plentiful, and the duty was nt verely felt as at present. In Victoria the duty had been abolished for years, and as we followed Victorian leg'slalinn in a great* many matters, why did we not do so in thi?^ In some cases where workings do not pay now, they would pay if the duly was remove 1. Ho p late I out how the squatters benefited by the discoveries that had been made by the Illinois, and urged them (the squatters) not to use their great power in the House in a cowardly and unjust manner. It was altogether against political economy to place a burden on the backs of those who contributed so largely to tho increase of the colonial wealth by their industry. The miners did not however wish to get the duty abolished at once, butwnuld consent to have it gradually done away with. Ho then moved an amendment to tho effect that, the duty be decreased six-pence an "V----ounce every ycaruntil abolished. Ho thought ' ho should thus meet the objections of tho Auckland and West Coast Members. Mr,

Vogel then rose and in a short speech objected very st ongly to the duty being now reduce ! as there was such an immense falling off in the revenue, and urged that the resolution should be withdrawn as the Government would certainly oppose it. Mr. Harrison then made an extraordinary statement to the effect that miners did not wish for a reduction of the duty, and Mr. Curtis agreed with him. Mr. White supported Mr Shepherd’s amendment, and pointed out that Mr. Harrison was not retained by the miners, but hy the shopkeepers, et hoc yenus omne. Mr. Haughtnn spoke very strongly in favor of the reduction of the duty, and said that the miner did object very strongly to the duty, and that they had to pay n.uch heavier taxes pro rata, than any other class in the colony. In America every encouragement was given to mining, but here it was quite the reverse— Squatters ought to be made to pay much more than at present, and that the population was not confined to the Wellington beach and the Club at Christchurch. The Colonial Secretary strongly opposed the re. duction, hut agreed that all the revenue collected from the gold-fields ought to he spent in the district where it was collected. Mr. Reid strongly supported the amendment. Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Murray appeared to think that the gold fields had done more harm than good to the country on account of the washing away of the ground and filling up of the rivers. Several other members spoke, and proposed amendments, hut eventually all the amendments and the motion itself were negatived by a large majority. A Bill to abolish primo-geniture has passed the second reading, an 1 is likely to become law. Mr. Steward’s motion for the abolishment of Grand Juries has been negatived by a majority of Ton, so we shallbesaddled with this precious incubus for at least another year. At last Mr. Macandrew has succeeded in bringing on his resolutions with regard to to the federation of the Provinces, in the South or rather the middle Island. He moved them yesterday after a very welldigested speech, in which he urged that the forty-five members who represented the middle Island in the House of Representatives with an administrative head might very easily do everything that is now done by the five Provincial Legislatures in the Middle Island. Then instead of one hundred and thirty eight legislators they would have only forty six. 2237 41. was the present cost of the Provincial Governments in that Island, and he thought that under the system proposed, the cost would he only about 3000/. or 4000/. There would therefore be a saving of nearly 30,000/. which would pay interest on 500,000/. This latter sum might he expended in the formation of a | railway and steam communication between i Lake Wakatip and Cobden. There would be about two hundred and thirty five miles of railway, and fifty miles of water. The route should he from Lake Wakatip by Cromwell, thence, by Lake Wanaka and on . to Cobden. If this scheme was carried out i there would be insular separation, without impairing the unity of the colony. The first Council he thought ought to meet at Christchurch and be peripatetic. He thought Cromwell ought to he the seat of the Executive Government. He was willing to make a very great sacrihce personally for the good of the Colony. If the resolutions were carried he was politically cutting his own throat, for he was abolishing the honorable position of Superiutendency of the largest Province in the Colony which he now had the honor to fill. Mr. Fox stated that the Government could not support th ■ resolutions as they clashed with the policy contained in the financial statement. He thought also that the now proposed system would cost as much as the present one. The railways, &c., could.be made more conveniently by the Colonial Government than by the proposed new one. Mr. T. L. Shepherd sp»ke strongly in favor of the resolutions, and after several other members had spoken, the long hj in I of the clock stopped Mr. Bathgate in his remarks, by pointing to 5.30, and the speaker left the chair. The resolutions will evidently be negatived by a large majority. Mr Fox informed the House last night (as he promised), of the amendments that the Government would consent to in the Education Bill—The Supcrin undents, Pro. vincal Treasurers, and from five to ten persons elected by the Committees, should form the Boards. The compulsion clauses to he in ipsra ivo, unless the Boards think fit to bring them into force. The household rale he thought would bo best as in Nelson. In other respects ho adhered to the Bill. ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE [We do not identify ourselves with the opinions that may be expressed by our correspondents.] A CHEEKY CUSTOMER. (td the editor, of the ddsstan times.) Sir, —I recently had occasion to remind a certain young gentleman, not long since resident at Clyde ; that settlement of an outstanding account would be advisable. In reply, I received the following characteristic epistle, which I publish as a fair specimen of the treatment confiding traders too often receive at the hands of reckless customers. 1 am, &c., PRO BONO PUBLICO. Lawrence, Sept. 19, 1871. My dear Sir, —I received your missive to day, and while regretting you did not adopt some less, expensive mode of conveying it to me, I must thank you for not forgetting mo. I give you credit for the get up of tho bill—it is really well done, I have a dim recollection that when I paid you 41. on account, tho bill was 51. 7 s. 6d. or a similar amount, and seeing (according to year dates)

, ! that I hare only stuck up about fifteen ■ shillings since, it does seem warm. Permit ,’ ! me to remind you that yon are in error as , 1 to the date of the 225. 6d., it is earlier j than you have it- But these are trifling matters, and your hooks are more reliable than my memory. Par parenthese, I may remark, that I was not surprised at being summoned—in fact I was waiting with some —not anxiety—but curiosity to see who would open the ball. Well, I’ll make you an offer—if you withdraw tho summons, I’ll give you a prommisory note at two months for the amount, and meet it when t is du J Should you decline to entertain the offer, 1 will be compelled to seek sanctuary in the Bankruptcy Court provided by a wise paternal Government. I don’t want to do this, as the amount of my debts scarcely makes it worth my while to do it. Nevertheless, if lam pushed I will. Many better men have done so, and the process of whitewashing would agreeably diversify the monotony of living in a gold-fields’ township. I am trying to pay the debts I contracted in Clyde, and working a dead horse is not a pleasant occupation—it lam let alone I will clear off everything—if rushed, the money I would otherwise have paid my creditors will he given to a lawyer to whitewash me. I may remark that should Igo through the mill, my assets wouldgive a dividend of nix in the £, they consisting of a superannuated hoot-jack, and a pair of boots, which I was about to throw away, but on receipt of your summons resolved to keep lest I might he accused of making away with my estate. I will repeat my offer—take a bill at two months and withdraw the summons, or force me into the Court of Bankruptcy—l will conclude hy repeating the sublime philosophical remarks of R. Swive'ler, Esq., “No man knocks himself down—if his destiny knocks Liindowuit must pick him up again. If my destiny- in the shape of knocks me down, my- destiny ,in the shape of the Bankruptcy Court must pick me up again. You will oblige me greatly by telegraphing your answer on Thursday—if I do not receive a message by two o’clock I shall consider you decline to accept my offer and will act accordingly—so as to get the proof of bankruptcy to Clyde in time. I may as well inform you that 1 am acting under legal advice in this matter, and that in this economical village I can do tho trick for 15/. Believe me to he, Yours Insolvently