TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 628, 1 May 1874, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES.

o Dlnf.dik, Atril 29. The Provincial Council meet to dry. The Provincial Government tender their resignation to morrow. April 30. At the Nelson races, the Maiden Plate was won by Monaich. Handicap of lot) Suvs. Yatterina 1 Calumny 2 This was a magnificent race. The Ladies Piu'Be was won by Kakapo. Provincial scholarships. The District School—Boys, Milne awarded full scholarship. H ill school, —Boys, Stilling, do’ Girls,—lsabella Hislop. District School, —Girls, —Elizabeth Coxhead. No scholarship was awarded these three, the requisite number of marks not having boon obtained. Stilling and Hislop were recnlnmended scholarships. The members of the Executive tendered their resignation last night. Mr Turnbull said that the main reason was, his time was so tied up with hi r own private affairs that he was unable to perform in a proper and satisfactory manner his duty as Provincial Secretary and Treasurer. it is believed that Donald Held will be called on to form the Executive. The total amount of gold brought down by Escort for the year ending March 31 is 136,9150z. — Cromwell 23,811 02 Queenstown 15,3fi502 Mount Ida 14,1i8302 Blacks 10,00902 His Honor ,he Superintendent, in open, ing the Pre . mcial Council, referred to the progress of the Province, water-lights or gold-fields, and the gold returns, and re> commended an increase of the staff in the 1 Public Works department. He said, amonf ■ other things: “The concurrence of tin Council would be solicited towards the pro ■ clamation of a further hundred, tb< ■ hundred, together with some sixty thou ‘ sand ao res to he Opened on deferred pay : ments during the year. With this furthei 1 addition, the various agricultural leasi ! blocks throughout the Gold-fields will full; r meet the demands of settlement for tin i time being. P e proposed, during the nex s Session of tha General Asrembly.to renev r the application for an increase in the qnan ; tity of land to ho thrown open under th = deterred payment system to one hundrei > thousand acres, and to provide, wher more than one applicant, the selected sec

time be submitted to auction. Strongly urges the expediency of raising the price of laud. Eeels persuaded that such a stop, while it would very greatly curtail laud speculation, will in now iso check bonafide settlement. With main roads and railroads land is better worth 51. per acre, than it was live shillings, when the country was inaccessible. Early settlers paid 21. per acre, when there were no roads in the Province, that figure considered too high now. The Conned will be asked to sanction further important hranchlir.es of railroad this tiessh.n, among which will be one from the main line, up the valley of Waihcmo , one across the Taicri Plain to Outrani; one to the Tokomairiro and Kuitangata Coal-fields ; one through Island at Inch Clutha to Tapanni,J and one to the Nightcap coal-fields, and shall be glad +o know your opinion relative to the proposed extension of the Lawrence Line to the Dun dan, with the view to further action in *e matter* Our own opinion is that in .any respects the line should be regarded as a main trunk line, opening up the whole interior of the Province. Regarding the sale of auriferous lands, my own conviction is that, the only practical remedy against the evil for the future is that the miners should possess the freehold of the land in which he is mining < in this case he would have a strong inducement to preserve and replace the surface soil. No doubt this suggestion is surrounded with difficulties; difficulties which 1 venture to think might be overcome if the miners could see their own interests, and would unanimously petition the legislature in this direction. Were this suggestion given ellect to, there would he no necessity for miners’ rights, goldfields’staff, or gold duty.” In the Supreme Court to-day, Long, charged with wilful murder at Green Island, was found guilty of manslaughter. Ho will be brought up to-morrow (Friday) for sentence.

Mr. 11. P. Flsb, jtin., promises to announce, in the course of a couple of days whether or not he will contest the Mayoralty. He says it is unwise to agitate the question of the withdrawal of the Water Company’s compulsory powers. The city should try to prevent their extension, and endeavor to establish works of their own, promising to submit a scheme. In the Supreme Court, on the 27th ult., Mr. Haggict moved for a rule to aitaeii the Guardian newspaper and defendant ia the ease of “ Maeaasy v. Boll.” His Honor took time to consider.