DUNEDIN.

Dunstan Times, Issue 645, 28 August 1874, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

—o—(from our correspondent.) Dunedin, Aug. 26. The public mind has been pretty well occupied during the last few days with events of a rather stirring character both in politics and matters of domestic interest. The carrying of Mr Vogel’s resolutions for the abolition of the North Island Provinces, following so close upon the resolutions themselves took people rather by surprise, still, those who best understood the Premier fully believed that be would not permit any ordinary difficulty to stand in the way of accomplishing his purpose. Mr Vogel’s expressed determination to appeal to the country in the event of a defeat was accepted as an omen that the resolutions would be carried, yet so largo a majority as twenty-five in favor of the measure, together with the feble resistance offered, unmistakably demonstrated that Mr Vogel’s views were popular, and the opportu" nity for abolishing Provincialism in the North was only wanted, in the event of a dissolution and the strong opposition of Auckland to the scheme, many of Mr Vogel’s friends had decided to ask him to stand for Dunedin, in the event of which —and he may possibly do so yet—Mr Vogel is sure to be returned at the head of the Poll by a large majority. We have great cause here to be grateful to Mr Vogel, no man ever living has done so much for it, and its rise from a comparatively small fishing village is identified with his wonderful and successful career as a politician, It may appear strange, yet it is nevertheless true that, with every step made by Mr Vogel up the ladder of fame, it added proportionately to the wealth and commercial prosperity of Dunedin. The fire on Saturday at Messrs Guthrie and Larnaeh’s, was one of the greatest conflagrations ever witnessed in this city, the spread of the flames was something terrific and when the Spanish Restaurant was in full glow, the town was in great danger, had there been any wind it is impossible to say where the fire might have ended. The fire brigade behaved nobly, and to the immense exertions and the readiness with which they attacked every source of probable danger from a further spread of the devouring element, must, he attributed the salvation of the city. That, the accumulation of such a mass of highly inflammable material, or even the prosecution of siuh a-dangerous business as that of wood sawing, turning and planing was permitted in the very heart of a populous neighborhood by the City Council is a matter of surprise, in fact, it amounts almost, to a crime on the part of that body. Messrs Larnach’s loss may be a heavy one, still, tiie loss to the community at large is much greater, as not only a considerable number of persons bave been thrown out of employment, a very valuable industry intertupted, while numerous citizens and others have had property destroyed which they could ill afford to lose. The origin of the live is of course unknown ; the only solution of the evil, that 1 heard, was in tile light of a joke, at the expense of the City Council and the Piovinoial Government. It was this : That the City Council, only two days’ previous, had passed a resolution to widen this part of Princess street by thirtythree feet, ami were about to negotiate for tiie amount of compensation to he paid ; while, in the other case the Provincial Government have had so much trouble in ejecting newly-arrived immigrants from their comfortable barracks, and had even been compelled to call in the aid of the Resident Magistrate, had assayed to a more summary mode of procedure : for, although the Barracks were not burned the immigrants cleared out with wonderful alacrity. I often meet your old friend and Warden, Mr Vincent Pykc. Whatever may have been said respecting bis leaving Wellington ■on account of sickness, 1 can only say that when he landed at Port Cha mors from the steamer ho required to be assisted ashore. At the present time bis throat and mouth are very much swollen, and even had he remained at Wellington to finish out the SessiDn he could not have been so very effective, in the talking point of the bustness. The people of the Wakatip, however, appear to have been unfortunate in the selection of their representatives ; and judging from the experiences of the last three years, gentlemen representing the Lakes seem to have sacrificed their constituents without the slightest qualms of conscience whenever matters affecting their personal interest or convenience interfered between them and the duties they had professed to advocate, when seeking the suffrages of the electors.