The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1873.

Dunstan Times, Issue 600, 17 October 1873, Page 2

The Dunstan Times FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1873.

Beneath tiie Rule of Men entirely just the pex is motiTiEK than theswoi.D.

I’he Provincial Loans Bill, as might have been expected, lias met with an unhappy f.ite from the Legislative Council, by its unqualified rejection. This decision of the Councillors, although, perhaps, averse to those who hold no other ideas of public policy beyond that of borrowing and expending money, must be satisfactory to the country at large. We are pretty well saddled with Co ouial loans, which are on such a scale,that their i-demp tion will be scaicely possible during the present generation, that to increase our 1 abilities in the shape of Provincial loans is only increasing them beyond the means of redemption The Provincial Loam- Bill was the m st ridiculous mea-ure we ever heard of It was both M-judged and illtimed, and could only have been con cdved by reckless daring men, who, having an especial cv e to their own advantage, would not scruple to involve everyone el-e to attain that end. Had this precious Bill been passed, the burrowing powers of the Colony would have becneem, leteiyexhausted. Wiih the revenue and land hypothecated, the only security left to the public creditor would be the reproductiveness of the works for which our immense liabilities have been included ; and as in a great measure, this is doubtful, especially in the case of the proposed Provincial branch railways and the extravagmt expenditure connected therewith, our pos terity, who are to be made responsible for re-payment, as being the persons mostly to be benefited, might find it more convenient to chose some other home, rather than remain in New Zealand, chained to the soil, toiling weamlly to redeem their ancestors’ tody. With railways in course of construction simultaneously by the General and Provincial Governments, the competition for labor would be so excessive that no private person would be able to employ a laborer. This is almost the case at present, owing to lines mv in progress, and we are strongly of opinion that, unless something is done to relieve the labor market, the consequences to the up-country districts' will be very serious. To connect the chief ports of New Zealand by means of railways is as much as the Colony can require at present. There is no population in the interior that would pay the wear and tear of a branch line, let alone interest on the money expended, with something towards extinguishing the debt. It is useless trying to go a-head too fast when we have not the means. New Zealand is not like Australia or America. There is no vast interior to fall back upon, while there are so many natural harbors on the seaboard that no one town or city can be the entrepot of trade for the Colony, Another thing, a mountainous country is not favorable for the settlement of a vast population. All past experience of the world has proved this to be the case, and we feel assured the Antipodes will not be an exception. We are by no means enemies to pro-

gress, but tlie reckless extravagance of our Provincial legislators can only lead us into difficulties. As a rule, the public expenditure of the Province is moat wasteful. Look at the roads, for instance after twelve years of unequalled prosperity, brought about % the gold-fields. Trade is completely at a standstill every winter, through impassable roads, so completely worn out as to be little better than water channels or creeks of liquid mud, while the being waited upon them, in the shape of day labor, only adds to the evil ; and we only ask our readers what confidence they can have iu the Provincial management of a railway when easily constructed roads and tracks remain in such a deplorable condition. A railway line, once made, must be kept in proper repair. There' must be no tnake-slrfc work, or loss of human life mu-tfollow,aud we feel thoroughly assured that while Provincial management is so unfitted to deal with tne small matter of a common mad, a railway is completely beyond iis powers. We quite agree with the action of the Council in refusing to pass the Provincial Loans Bill. The borrowing powers of the Colony have already been pretty well exercised ; but were these powers permitted, to extend themselves fmtber to the Provinces, it would be impossible to say where the evil would stop - perhaps not even with municipalities and progress committees. ,

The carpenters are still engaged fitttng up the Pneumatic Dredge in readiness for the current wheels, which are being made in Dunedin. The Salamander steam dredge is lying up. the depth of water in the Molyueux being too great for her to successfully oo.u bat with it. In racing matters we have to report that nominations for the Cromwell Derby will close this evening, and the Alberton Races take place to-day an 1 tomorrow. We have to acknowledge the receipt from the publisher of the second i umber of Mr. Vincent Pyle’s new work, “ Wild Will Enderhy.” The Dunedin Star’s ” special correspondent says—Mr. Pyke vows when ho returns to Dunedin to cad a mass meeting, and enlighten the people of Otago on the Wellington mode of conducting poiilicap bat mess. There has been no increase of population on the Wai Keri Keri tenaces, but from what wd can learn all t v e pdd parties are still on the ground and working away xvith a steadiness and cheerfulness betokening contentment with the result of their laboro. The nomination of a Councillor of the town of Clyde, to fill the place of Mr M. Marshall, resigned, took prlaoe on Tuesday last at the Town Hall, There being but one nomination, that of Mr. Edward Aldridge, the Mayor, Mr. B. Naylor, who presided, declared Mr. E. Aldridge duly elected. During the past week there have been no less than three robberies reported—two from sluice-boxes, the other from a hen roost. Each one of the gold robberies is a particularly hard case, the victims being “hatters”—that is, working by themselves —and the gold taken being the result of the pas - eight weeks’ labor. No clucks been discovered to lead to the faintest hope of the contemptible thieves being discovered. It has been decided by the Government to sell leases of the whole of the gold-fields commonages. This, it is hoped, will extinguish all disputes between sheep and cattle owners. The sale of the leases of the Queenstown and Tuaprka commonages will be held in January next, and possession given in April. The laud will he offered in blocks of five thousand acres. M'Nally, Shepherd and Company are pushing ahead with the new Golden Gate water-rape ; they propose starting at the Wai Keri Keri"end of the race next week, thinking they may occasionally be in a position to make use of some of the surp'us water running to waste in many of the water-courses the race has to cross, and thus recoup them for some of their h.st time. In aid of Mr. Siuimonds. who on the occasion of the sad and fa'al accident at. Messrs. Theyers and Beck’s brewery, Alexandra, bad his thigh broken, the Alexandra Amateur-, (vocal and instrumental,) assisted by the Clyde Brass Ran 1, ami several gentlemen performers from Clyde notify their intention of giving, on the evening of Wednesday, November the sth, a grand concert, to be brought to a termination with a dance. As the object is for the relief of a suffering hn ther, we give this early notice in the hope that it may he instrumental in causing a bumper house. “In consequence of Mr. Fraer’s resignation of the Mayoral office, a fresh election has been appointment to take (if rendered necessary by t.he nomination of more than one candidate on Wednesday, the 22nd iust- Several citizens have been mentioned as likely candidates for the honor, but no one of them has yet definitely announced his intention of standing. Messrs. Dawkins, Goodyer, Taylor, and Jolly have each b .-eu named as possible candidates, though we rather fancy the list will bo smaller on Friday first, { this day), the nomination day.—Argus. A Chinese newspaper is soon to he estaWished at Eau F.aucisco.

We acknowledge with thanks the receipt of Hansard and a batch of Parliamentary papers. Intelligence from Port Darwin is anything but satisfactory, and many arc only I awaiting an opportunity of leaving the 1 district. Mr. Pyke appears to entertain but a very indifferent opinion of “ the Powers that he.” In the course of a speech lately delivered in the House of Representatives the hon. member for the Lakes compared the present (.'abinet to an over-done potato, dropping to pieces of itself. Not by any means flattering ! A miner, in a letter to a rtnnromnni.nrv suggests that if the banks have combined between themselves to reduce tire price of gold, thereby taking a mean advantage of the miners, that the latter should combine also, and not sell their gold unless at a fair an'd reasonable price, say about 31. 17s. per ounce. It is our painful duty to record the death of Mr A. W. Allauby, solicitor, of (Jrom well. Toe deceased gentleman, a few weeks since, was removed to the Duhstan Distiict Hospital, where he expired a out 2 o’clock on Tuesday morning. His remains were intcred in the Clyde Cemetery on Wednesday aftei noi.u last, a large concourse fol lowing, including a number of bis Cromwell friends and broth -r Masons The Bank of New Z aland, at Hokitika, was utterly destroyed by tire, on the 4 hj instant. Mr. Roberts (the manager) and his family hail little time to spare in order to spare their lives., Mo loses everything but the clothes ho Joud in. A Mi-s Brady was with difficult* rescued, I icing take), out of oue of the upper windows when the basement was on (ire. The Lyell corresi&udrht of the “ Orey River Argus” says hi would not be in the s'igbest degree astonished to hear of a new and extensive gold-field being discovered iu the unknown ranges lying between the Buller and Mokil.imii Rivers. A party of miners have ap died to the Survey Department for all the infoimation tha can be gathered regarding the nature and lay of the country, with the full intention of making good use of. it this summer. The “Ottgo Guardian” says —The Mnsgiel Woollen ’Factory C-inpany’s shates seem to be in very considerable demand. The prospectus was issued only' on Saturday' morning, and we are inf .none 1 that already a very large number of applications have been sent in. V. r e have been shown a telegram fiom Christchurch making application fur 100 I shares. This is another i .dication of the col -ny’s prosperity. In connection with'the ab .ve we may state that Mr. George Fache has been a ipmnted Agent for Clyde, iyho is prepared to receive applications for Shares. A number of tha 'fronds of the late CapI tain Rouse,. of the s.s. Gland Ha ail'ou ! whose melancholy death at sea was recent, ly reported, mot at the office of Messrs. : Reid and Co, to takqiuto consideration the best means of assisting Mrs. Rouse ami family', who are unfortunately left iu indifferent oircnmitaaces, A general fe.iing was expressed that a subscription list be opened to raise a fund to rear and educate the four fatherless children, a-ul au influ. eatial committee was formed to carry out the ohjeic in view. Scvera l subscriptions were promised, including one for ICOf. and another for 50“ Australasian ” It appears that Dr. Murray has lately arrived iu London and that he intends publishing a book The following i- from the “ European Mail:"— “The name of ’Will.enforce will of course be ever remembered iu connexion with those grand efforts which were made to suppress slavery at the commencement of the present c.ntnry. Tie bite prelate, in his anxiety to f Blow the footsteps of his illustrious predecessor, just previously to setting out on the journey on the 19th of July, which unhappily proved his last, wrote to Messrs. Bailliere, Tin !all, and Cox, the publishers of the forthcoming work “On the Puly ruesian and Fiji Slave Trade,” by Ur. J. P. Murray, of the Carl notoriety', expressing his desire to peruse the MS. previous to publication. The letter was received bypost a few hours after his dtath.” The New York “ Tribune, of June 24, says An important debate occurred iu fie Prussian House of Deputies recently on the subject of emigration to America. It was stated in the course of the debate that 31,545 persons had emigrate I from Prussia during 1871 ; that “ the desire to procure a greater enjoyment of life ” was the moving c nise of this i migration, together with a desire to avoid ihe onerous military dutyimposed on young men. The gold n promises of emigration agents'were also considered as largely opentive ; and although the law provided a tm-ra of two years’ imprisonment for conviction of makin : deceitful representations, yet it was claimed that these agents were not. particularly in dins I to observe the strictest truthfulness as reg inis their promises. “ Public meetings ” writes the “ Kynston Observer ” often do funny things; but a out the most extraordnaiy freak we have ever heard of was perpetrated lately. A meeting was called for the purpose of considering the operation of the present Lund Act, gind to suggestamendmen's that might be deemed desirable. Mr. Kenworthy proposed the fiist resolution, advising the Government to increase the area for selection, reduce the price, relax the residence and cultivation clauses, and give the power to appeal from the Minister. This resolution was carried. Another resolution was then proposed, the object of which was simply to direct the chairman to forward the resolution already carried to the Government. Mo r e discussion arose, ■ and an amendment was proposed to the I effect that the first resolution (carried) be not foi warded. The amendment was carried by a large majority. So the meeting i actually carried a resolution, and then re■s lived that nothing should, bo done with it.”

Private intel igenoe has reached us that good gold has been struck in the Caledonian Mine, at the Thames, specimens weighing one hundred pounds having been found. The pigeon match that was to have taken | place at Tuapeka on Wednesday last between five representatives of the Dunsian District, and five representatives of Dunedin, has fallen through. From what we can, understand the Duustan team hj is,been treated with but scant courtesy, and we think that a publig explanation should le given by the Dude lin team of their conduct. The gentlemen who comprised the Duustan team, have been put t > no slight inconvenience, some, L.iviiig in anticipation of the match being shot off, despatched their guns to Lawrence, and others travelled long distances in connection with it an I feel excessively indignant, and iu no measured terms express themselves. The match was arranged between Mr. J G. G. Glassford, of Matakanut, and Mr. S. G Smith, of Dunedin, and as an act of grace, vve think the latter gentleman should explain his reasons for declining at the eleventh hour to bring his men to the scratch. “Topokerand unlimdel 100, 2,00F ” This is an item from the diary of thi ha| - less homicide, R. W. Wardhill, representing only a year’s transactions. It points a in nal, and might well adorn the tale af a Dumas or a Balzac. Gambling bli.hte I m my a bright and promising young life e e it destroyed W-.rdill, and yet there are-few wo will take warning iu time. One., the thirst for gaming seizes a man properly it will hold him with a grasp more tenacious m I terrible than the grip of the devil fish. )n the voyage of a s'cannr from Mel li mine to Sydney lately a party of I ookuakers played poker and unlimited 100 upon a coffin containing a corpse. I have no loubt that they wou'd have done similarly had the coffin con ained the remains of their fathers and mothers. Their feelings were dead.— Diogenes in tue “ Grey River Argus. ” The “Tablet” says: —“The foundation stone of the new Catholic Church, Arrow, town, will be laid at 2 p.m on Sunday, the 9th of November next by the Most Rev. Dr. Moran, who will deliver an address on the occasion. Immediately after the address, a collection in aid of the building fund will be made. it is anticipated that a largo number of people will be pie sent, and we shall bo much surprised if the spirited people of the Arrow, who ha .e been hitherto remarkable for tbogeiieiosi y of th-ir contributions towards ah'good ohj cts, will not greatly out-do even their former efforts. The design of the Church is, wo understand, a very beautiful one, and the structure will Le of stone. Well done, we say ! The Arrow people are right iu raising up a substantial and permanent buildb.g. The age of stone has I commence i, and that of wood au i non I passed away, we trust for ever, j The “ Post ” considers that the law I should .step in to prevent betting on elec* j tions, and suggests that it would be we 1 i 1 1 add tnth; questions which can now be I a.-kodof an elector befo e he votes such an i ore as tins :—Have you made any bets I th.e.i will 03 le:-r.n.i;l ny thi result of j this election, or have you any p.-ci.n.aiy int r.-st in di; return of aly e i idi bi.e ; If n niblu to answer tins question s.iti .factor!ly, the vote should n >t be le.cived. A good deal of money is spent in Melbou, lie, and a good deal is saved (says the “Telegraph”) Moulders, theatres, concerts, tailors, milliners, and jew lie s take their share ; but saviu.s banks and building societies arc also busy- vkh Mr. Archer's “ accumulative ” statistics lor 1872. Mere are a few figures. In the Post-office Bank tbcie arc 30,123 deposiuus, wlo-so average account is 1 SI. Os "d, their total b dug 543,430 i.; in the General Savings Bank there are 22,i,21 depositors, whoso accounts average 3 il. 2s 51, or a total of 8 12,398.'. Tha enormous sum of 3,249,9261 was loaned out on mortgage last year Iu a iditiou to this, the Building Societies have 15,50 i mom’ieis. and their assets arestattd at 1,853,3751. Last and greatest conn- tie trading banks with dep isito.s not nearing interest 5,305,000b, and deposits bearin' interest C 992,000/, or a total of 12,290, 090 1. No other ciimmunity in the w.uld has so much money in proportion in its banks as tills, and it would bo a great deal better if wo lia 1 less-tbat is, if individuals saw their way to , .riv.Vo investment iu trades ami in lustries. Trade would be m ire brisk, and the country would be more prosperous. To the political economist, it bioksa- if we were ton mush driven to bury our tab.nt. No hing new lias been hear !of the proposed copper an 1 silver mint, Ministers hj iving evidently thought better of it ; but Mr. Vincent Pyke, who is evidently of the opinion that, if the mountain can’t go to Mahomet, Mahomet can bo taken to the mountain, proposes th it New Zen,and geld be allowed to be exported in bond to the Victorian Mint, there to bo coined and re turned, paying duty af Ur wards on its true ascertained value. This would, of course bo a severe blow to the Banks in their gold buying capacity, and will, doubtless, meet with strenuous opposition from their numerous supporters in the House; but it commends itself to the common sense of everyone, as the miner will be thereby' assured of getting full value for his dust, and the Colony' reap all the advantages of a mint without the ve-y heavy outlay necessary to establish and maintain such an institution- Mr. Vogel, for the present has declined to give a favorable answer, on I the ground that it would have the effect ot ! doing away with the gold duty, though we 1 do not see why it should, as the gold would be retaiited in the shape of coin, and would have the duty deducted before it \yas returned to its rightful owner ; lint doubtless the question will bear fruit be’ore lon/, and Mr. Pyke is entitled to the thanks of the raining community for his attempt.

It is reported that the Shotover Goldmining Company’s claim is inproving, and that the yield last.week amounted to about two hunhred and forty ounces. There is an old ada;e about going from | home to hear news. The ■* Wafcatip Mail” i tills us that Clyde is to have a new gaol. ' " e have heard that tenders v\ ill shortly be , cal ltd for the erection of a new Court-home here, and certainly not before one being urgently required. The Lake District Jockey Club bold tbdr first Spring Meeting on Friday last, and the members may be congratulated upon its proving a most unqualified success. The day wa s dnlhditfnl—neither dust nor heat ; the attendance good ; and although the the entries were not numerous, the rac ing was above the average The Judge, Stewards, and other officers performed their respective' duties in a manner that gave universal satisfaction. The following are the nam s of the successful competitors : Maiden Plate, S.ormy Petrel ; Frank tun Handicap, TaTrail ; Hack Selling Race, Fiying Cloud; Ladies’ Purse, Taffr.nl; Hack Selling Lace, Uobhy. After the programme had been gene through, the sum of \il. 10s. was collected for the Hospital Race, the honor of which fell to the lot of Mr. M’Moi an’champion hospital racer Roderick, lidcii, as a matter of course, fiy the wellknown Charley Holt.