FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1876.

Dunstan Times, Issue 728, 31 March 1876, Page 2

FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1876.

The address of Sir Julius Vogel to his constituents at Wanganui is, without a doubt, one of the best political speeches ever made in New Zealand, ft is both elaborate and business-like ; although it must not be accepted as an overdue electioneering speech, but as a manifestation of the policy of rhe Government, and from it we may draw a pretty correct conclusion of what will be the future of the Colonv. Upon the subject of the Abolition of the Provinces, and a United New Zealand Sir Julius Vogel is clear and concise ; and, however unpalatable the matter may be, viewing Abolition from an Otago point of view, we cannot but admire the speaker for his candour and his clear concention of the difficulties to be encountered. The cause of Provincialism may now be said to be lost for ever, the Government having determined that this absurdity, in no shape whatever, shall be perpetuated any longer, and in this they will have the support of every right minded colonist capable of thinking for himself. The indebtedness of the Colony, and the successful carrying out of the Public Works’ scheme, as pointed out by Sir Julius, makes Provincialism impossible, and leaves no other course open but one Government and a United New Zealand. Divided, as we are by Provincialism there are nine interests pulling against each other, whi'e, as Sir Julius Vogel admirably puts it, the General Government has to stand the strain of the whole. Such a state of affairs cannot but act most detrimental to our interests as a body politic ; and to the pernicious teaching of Provincialism are we indebted for the narrow-minded jealousies and mean rivalries that are working so much mischief in almost every community and section of our population, and which doubtless sadly interferes with onr progress. Sir Julius Vogel, as we have always found him. is a staunch advocate for local self governm n nt, and we quite believe him when ho say* that this will be best secured by one central Government and the int eduction of the countv system. In this case the people will be able to manage their own affairs without being compelled to importune Provincial Governments and Superintendents for what is really their own, and compelled to remain content with a mere dole, while they stand idly by review ing the ba'ance of what is legally and rightfully thus expend d upon the chief seat and the favorite overlaying haunts of Provincialdnm. We respect the “ old identities ” who ventured so far from Scotland as the Taieri—and we admire them for their pluck and endurance in overcoming the many difficulties which nature in its moat rugged form presents! to them ; hut. early colonists elsewhere, in peopling the possessions of Great Britain did the same without saying so very much about it, and we really do believe.' that the “ old identities,” instead of being

deified for what they have accomplished, should remain content with having picked out the eyes of the land and purchased the fat, broad acres of the Taieri at a mere tithe of their value. Having accomplished this much they should rest content, and permit other portions of the community who have penetrated the remote interior, and the fruits of whoso enterprise and handiwork has so greatly enriched them, to enjoy the good things also, The time has gone by when Dunedin and the Taieri should bo permitted to enrich themselves and fatten upon the industry of the peop'cin the other portions of the Province, and who deserve equal merit for what they have accomplished, and who, after all, have really been the lions’ providers. It will, of course, bo a bitter pill for Otago to swallow that she will bo deprived of her rich land revenues and education reserves, and compelled to share them with other portions of the felonv. At first sight it appears manifestly unfair that such a course should bo pursued, but there really seems no help for it, and the carrying out of the policy of the Government 'eaves scarcely any option for us but that we must tbrrjw. all our eggs into one basket, and become one united people. Taking a common-sense view of things, this is the right course to pursue, and, connected as the whole Oo'ony wifi be bv telegraphs and railways. our common interests will be best advanced by their being assimilated and treated as a whole. The manacrement of the railways, as Sir Julius Vogel shows, cannot he dealt, with by the provinces ; there must exist one uniform rate of tariff, let alone the difficulty of keeping nine different accounts and apportioning them when one wi'l suffice. The fornmissicn which the General Government purpose sending through 'he provinces to report upon "he host,system of management, in time f nl . the next meetin" of Assemble, will not bp, loner in learning. boW'ver dismiised things mav be by the Provincial authorities—that the management of our affairs has been upon a most extravagant scale, while many depart men Is exist for which there is no real necessity, and whose onlv object can be the aggrandisement of friends and supporters. Sir Julius Vogel says that a person having been absent from New Zealand and again visiting it when provinces, superintendents, and provincial executives shall have passed awav, will not recognise the change. This is scarcely saying enough, and in this particular instance we beg to differ from him, as, should the returned colonist be an up-contry man he will observe a very marked change ; and we render the fancy picture this wise:—That he will see a very marked change ; he will find a contented people, with contentment marked upon their faces, and rejoicing in the satisfaction that they have the expenditure of their own monies, while they possess roads where none before existed, and the people not treated with injustice because their numbers are numerically small, but are prosperous and contented in the division of the revenue under Sir Julius Vogel’s system of a population and acreage basis ; and die stranger will also further observe that, where there were no roads, or exceedingly bad ones, travelling is easy of accomplishment almost everywhere ; while, where he was previously compelled iO ford rivers at the imminent risk of his life, bridges have been built. The goldfields’ interests will not be in a languishing condition from neglect, but the miners will he managing their own business, and respectedly accordingly, as the principal backbone, sinew, and wealth-giving portion of the community.

We received the following from our Cromwell Correspondent hy telegram yesterday afternoon . “Thomas Wilson, better known as Tommy the Dane was killed in his mining claim, at the Kawarau Gorge, at three this afternoon, by a fall of earth. He has been a resident at the Gorge for the past ten years, and was much respected." We, by request, direct attention to the advertisement notifying the appointment of Mr B. Naylor, of Cly le, as the agent for Wueeler and Wilson’s Sewing Machines. These machines have for a number of years occupied a very high poshion in the estimation of the public ; and we doubt not Mr Naylor will be able to place a good many among his nume.rons friends and constituents. On (lit. Humor has it that Mr Janus Hazlett is about to leave the Dunstan District for Dim -din, where he has purchased an interest in one of the leading wholesale houses Mr Haz'ett for the past twelve years has occupied a prominent position politically and otherwise in the management of Clyde, anl in wishing him, in his now location, a continuance of the good fortune that has attended him here we am assured we but express the feeling of the many friends and constituents he is leaving behind him. Reports from the two big sluicing parties on the Clyde commonage, Messrs M’Nally and party, and Messrs Anderson and party, are of a highly satisfactory nature—both of them have been running their sluices now for some months past, but as neither have as yet cleaned up, nothing positive can he sail of tho result of heir labors, hut we are informed th at from what can ho seen, the return will he considerably over ten pounds per week per man. The straggling parties of miners who arc spotted over the commonage arc also spoken of as doing very well. His Honor Judge Harvey passed through Clyde in tho beginning of the week en route to Queenstown, to attend to his duties in tho District Court. There was no business at cither Clyde or Cromwell.

It is notified in another column that after the Ist of April, all fees, fines, and duties hitherto payable to tho District Court in cash, must in future by paid by stamps impressed or adhesive, which can bo obtaino I from depositaries in places where sittings of tho District Court aro held. On Sunday afternoon Detective Bain arrested, at Temuka, a man named Hiohard Milford, alias Walford, who lias boon “ wanted” for some time to answer a charge of rape upon a girl eleven years old at Otepopo, on the 4th of January last. Tho prisoner escaped into Canterbury after the committal ot the offence, but his movements have since been quietly watched, and on Saturday his arrest was effected eight miles from Temuka. The cose will ho heard at Hampden. There is one horrible fact connected with the late murder at Tairua, of which wo had account by telegram. A native woman accompanied the men in the boat. She belonged to the Ngatiaru tribe, and was tho most urgent of all in pressing on the murder. After the poor fellow was struck down, this female fiend offered to drink the murdered man’s blood, which gushed warm from the newly-made wound. Her companions, however, restrained her. Mr W. J. Steward, the late member for Waitaki. was presented on Thursday with a silver salver and 250 sovs., as a recognition of the disinterested manner in which he bad served tho district in the late Parliament. Mr Gibbs m>de the presentation, and in tho course of his remarks alluded to Mr Macandrew as “ that wily old fox,” and to Mr Stout as his henchman. He expressed his unutterable astonishment at the way tho constituency had turned round and elected two Provincialists. Mr Steward, in reply, stated that it was only the vote of two Maori members in tho Tipper House which secured the passing of the North Otago Public Works Bill and the erection of the Oamaru Breakwater. The salver, which is valued at 25 guineas, bears the following inscription : “ This salver, together with 250 sovereigns, was presented to William Jukes Steward, Esq, in recognition of his services as member of the Legislative Assembly for Waitaki, N.Z, Session endin ' 1875.”

The usual monthly meeting of the Committee of Management of the Dunstau District Hospital will be held on Monday evening next, the 3rd. of April. As the bu mess is of importance, viz , the consideration of salary and status of the Resident Surgeon to fill the position vacated by Dr A. T. Thomson, we hope to see a full attendance of members. The South Canterbury Times in a late issue throws out the suggestion to the Timaru Borough Council that they should take advantage of the coming season and plant with trees every available portion ot the borough. Thesuggestion is sothoroughly sound and sensible wo avail ourselves of it and urge not only on the Council of Clyde, but also of Alexandra and Cromwell, to plant trees in every available spot. To our knowledge no excuse can be adduced why it should not be done, each town has an abundance of water to irrigate and plenty or laud, and we hold that it is a paramount duty, and the neglecting of it will be next kin to criminal. At the next meeting of the various councils we hope to hear that the subject has been dealt with. The Daily Times says:—“ The shocking accident at the Caversham tunnel on Saturday night last, whereby Constable Vernon was killed, was all but succeded by another of a similar character in the Blanket Bay Tunnel, on the Port Chalmers and Dunedin line. The last train from Port Chalmers was just entering the tunnel wdren the driver, by the merest chance, saw the form of a man some distance ahead. To shut off steam at once, and whistle down breaks, was his first act, and so the train was brought to a walking uace, but still ranrdly approached the man. The latter, perceivina his peril, lost presence of mind, and when the whistle sounde 1 , was observed to fall on Iris back between the mils. Recovering his feet, he ran from side to side of the funnel like one demented, then suddenly took to his heels, and ran to the other end of the tunnel, and as the train emerged into dayHrht he was observed rnmo distance aha,ad making into the bush as fast as his legs could carry him. Re must have receive/ an awful fright, and will no dnnht remembei the occurrence to the dav of his death. Hh escape from a fearful fate was of tin narrowest.” The young men, F. Fitzvcr.ald and 0 Pearson, charged on a warrant from Victori:

and who, it will he remembered, wem remanded hy the Clyde Bench to Dunedin, have since been further remanded for a month, bail being allowed in two sureties of Ls l each, and themselves in 1,100. Before the Waste Land Board, Dunedin, the followin'’ business of local imnor f au?e was transacted The District Land Officer at Clyde forwarded license No. 818. D wis stated that the executors in (load all’a estate were compelled to realise, and if thev were obliged to retain the deferred payment section the whole|es f ate won hi he swamped The Board were of opinion that they ha.' no power to grant an assignment—A rc-'ort was received from the District Land Officer, Clyde, with reference to a letter from James Grant objecting to land in Ettrick Township being illegally occupied hy certain ncrsons. It was resolved that warning should he given to the trespassers referred to. - The Warden at Clyde reported on an npnli cation hy Robert Patrick for section 5, block VI. (40 acres), and Robert M‘Leod fur section 4, Mock VI., Bcngcr District, (Co acres), and advised that the lan 1 lie not sold, but that license to occupy might be given, if it might not ho considere 1 a bad precedent. - After some discussion it was resolved that the Government be asked to survey tho land into lots of from one acre up to five acres, showing buildings with a view to sale hy auction or otherwise. What is that which a person likes to have and to get rid of as soon as possible ?—A good appetite.

The WostCoast Times adverting to the objections made by the last lot of Gorman immigrants to remain in Jackson’s Bay, says ! “ Carried free, toil, and fostered by the Government, theirs is an infinitely better p 'sition to that of thousands who wore cast islio-o on the sands at Hokitika, some years ago, who struggled through flood, forest and field, from the East to the West Coast, and who were satisfied with a diet of pig’s potatoes, on the road to the Dunstan, and amidst all their disadvantages, at their own expense, made this country what it is.” Our Arrowtown correspondent writes The news from the Maoetown Reefs could not ho bettor, ami things appear to improve ns the mines are opened up. The great drawback is the want of mads, and loud are the complaints of Provincial neglect. A petition to Sir Julius Vogel is talked about. The “ Homeward Bound Company ’’ made a trial crushing of two tons on Saturday ' last, when the result was lOoz. Ifidwt. sgr., * an ounce and a half of gold being left in 1 unwashed blanketings. The Company wib 1 run their mill for a fortnight, then they ' will p'Timt the -l All Nations ” and Mary- 1 , borough ’’ Companies to use it for a few 1

'' : flays to make trial crushing?- ' I Another breach nf promise case will in jI all probability shortly engage the attention a of tho Snorenie Court, the defendant being c 1 a well-known resident in this district.— ; l i Ilrnoe Herald. | An English paper advises no clerks to go 3 j out to New Zealand, but any number of p r masons, shoemakers, tailors, and the like ; tl and .all the domes io servants that could be ’ got in the country. They wanted 37,000 j girls alone. The E 'itnr of the South Canterbury Times, lias written in the form of a leading * 1] article ap. n and ink sketch of the literary u ;o career of his brother of the Timaru Herald, i; e ' and M. 11. I!, for Geraldine. This is about a i s ; the mil 'eat portion of the column and a 11 ■ half :—“ Ho is like a snake in tho grass, nn to hj ; one is safe whom he may perchance fall " n across, either m-i'e or female, it matters 11 is little to him. He hisses, and with head ex- d 3- , tended pounces upon his unlucky victim, g | with unerring precision, and his poisonous " j fan’-s take due off ot upon him, who smarts & l- l node - the poisonous satire unab’e to answer Cl J- i the villanous attack upon his actions.” * l ’ j Mr Anthony Trollope, writing from San ,s Francis-0 in - letter regarding tho wild herrowing s-hemes and financial position of P J 1 New Zealand says fbich a system may last the time, and may answer the purposes 0 |of this or that bold and speculative pnliti- g ' c ' l o : but wtb a country as with an indi- : e vidnal. the tim- will come when debts most ® be pai I n>- banknintey ensue. Ido not prediet bankniptov to New Zealand. The mo f h°r country would probably save so well . loved a co’onv bom that position. But if J she did so sh- wonbl demand to have the mmag m-nt of its finances fora time in her own Inn Is. Tt seems tn me to bo quite ! a " possfii'e that Sir Julius Vogel, if ho remain j ir long enough in power, may bring New Zea- | y land to th’S condition. n c The Mercury. Napier, referring to the at- ! t T temp's made by Sir Julius Vogel to gain I a over Mr FPzherbert to his party, and the | 8 utter hopelessness of any temporising he I q j nuv attemnt with Sir George Grey, con- j t tinnes : -Tt is rumoured now that the next v | conversion Sir Jii'ins contemplates is that of r Mr MacmJrew, and to that end he pro- ; c r ’ j poses to mak" a visit shortly to Dunedin, £ n So far as the Superintendent of Otago him- c “ r self is concerned, the Premier mi flit obtain q y a fairl v e-sy conquest, but Mr Maeandrew T II is not in a n-sition to ignore the results ot v s the last elections. It will take guarantees £ 6 of an extreme'y material character to con- t n ! vinee the neoole ot Otago that the primary pobev of the present Government is not the ' nnitv nf the colonial purse. One purse 18 means one land fund, and Otago is not going

tn rinrt with its revenue without a strugg l e. If in his missionary labors Sir Julius success in showing the people of Otago how much more independent and wealthy their province would be stripped of its land fund, then he possesses greater powers of persuasion than for which we give him credit. Tn a co tain court-house, not a hundred mil‘s from 'ho Invercargill Post Office (says the Southland Times of March 2.T), a case of a painfully criminal kind was brought up on remand for hearing on the 22nd of March, 1870. When the case was called, the Court was cleared of everybody except the officers of the law, conns Tlors engaged, the repov. tors, the pris per, and the first witness, who was the nrosecutrix. The prisoner was young, not had-looking, and apparently a verv decent fellow ; the prosecutrix, a girl of a’-ont. 10 o- 20, with a rather sweot "a”d intelligent fare, and dark captivating eyes. The evidence which she gave went to substantiate the charge against the prisoner. Tn cross-examination, she admitted that, although slm had only known him a short tim°, her impression was that their acquaintance would culminate in the young man’s making proposals of marriage. Since the commis=i n of the offence, some proposals, purporting to come from him, had been ma-'e to her, but she had rejected them and hnl laid the information, as she thought it right and just to do so. The case was adjourned atlnncheon time, and on the Court’s resuming, the learned counsel for the prosccution applied for a remand till a future day, as the evidence which he had to adduce would be, of a new nature. The remand was granted, and the prisoner was let nut on t-a' 1 in two sureties, winch were found with nt the least difficulty. The sme'y . aners had to bo made out in the office of tbe Registrar of Births, Marriages, and 1 'eatlis, and thither the two bondsmen and prisoner repaired. There the prosecutrix was found sitting with her married sister, and novel-writers, hide your diminished heads ! ■ in !e=s thanhalf an hour that prosecutrix an 1 that prisoner were, at their own request, united in the holy bonds of wedlock by tbe Registrar there present. Verily, tru hj is stranger than fiction, and lino is a romance in real life which will vie with the beat ever invented by novelist or poet.

By sub-marine telegraph MriDisintli has said that the Queen will not take tho title of Empress of England, and her children will not be colled Imperial Highnesses. AH tho amendments to tho Rill were rejected, and the measure passed through committee. The Melbourne correspondent of the Daily Times, in speaking of Mr M'Kean, one of tho members for Gippsland, says he is a loud, blustering, North of Ireland man. Ho is a gigantic, overgrown, loud-voiced, rough-bearded, hare-lipped follow, rude and uncouth in aspect, and equally so in manner. M'Kean is a man of most disorderly, bully, ing, over bearing disposition, to whom a “ row” every half hour is a vital necessity ot his evidence.—The same correspondent furthec says What kind of people they must be in North Gipj sland, who, out of a Victorian population nf 800, ttOO persons,

, sele.ted this ruffianly bully to represent i them, is an interesting problem. Indeed, i the Province of Gippsland, as a whole, , must cithir be peopled by strange folks, nr , be very unfortunate in its choice of representatives. While the Northern part rejoices , in its M ‘Kean, the Southern is represented by Mr Mason of “ weloher” notoriety, a so as you may remen,her a friend of Madame 1 Lucy Chambers, and altogether an individual whose personal characteristics have in many ; curious ways come before tho public. The Daily Times informs ns that tho Knox Church Bazaar has been a brilliant 1 success. The sum taken on Saturday was f L-165 6s, makiig altogether for the five days ■ tho very handsome total of L 2253 1 7s 7d.

CLYDE GAOL. The above building is now finished and is i solid substantial structure, it was erected mder the supervision of Mr Collins, of lyde, the contractors being Messrs Pow-11 ■nd Kidinghury. of Dunedin. These conractors have already given great satisfaoion in building the gaol at Arnvtown, vhich is from a similar design. The followng is a description of the building, and its limensions : Length, 34 feet by 31 feet in breadth ; vails, 11 feet in height (outside) and 10 eet (inside). The front is plastered with emeut in rustic quoins’ pattern, and the ides and back are nicely pointed and inished. There are two windows in the ront of plate glass, which open inwards, irotected by iron bars outside. The door n the centre of the front is mounted with jolts, and is secured by one of Chubb's paient locks. On entering there is a passage, i feet by 3 feet C inches. On the right l and dde of this passage is the mess-room, which s 12 feet C inches by 9 feet, the avails and leiling being plastered with cement; oppolite to the mess-room is the office, which s the same as the mess-room in dimension, vith the addition of a fire place. After' jassing through the passage there is the lorridor, which is 21 feet G inches by 8 feet ! inches, and is surmounte I by a fanlight,, rom which, light is derive 1 for the cells, two in number), which are plastered with lemont. These cells are on each side of he corridor nearest to the front passage,, mdaie 10 feet by B’feet, and secured with itrong doors, line 1 with thick iron plates, fhe second room on the right hand side of die corridor is the hath-ro mi, 10 feet by 8, .vith plastered ceiling and walls. The last ■oom, which is on the left hand side of the jnrridor, is the kitchen, the same size as ihe bath-room, and fitted with all appliances. The floors throughout are of concrete. I’here is a back yard for prisoners to promenado in. This yard is fitted up with wa er closets, &c., and surronn.lei with a fence of corrugated iron. The only entrance to the gaol is from the front door. FIRE AT MILTON. —o—(Evening Star.) A large fire occurred at Milton on Friday night last, the whole of the stables and outhouses at the roar of Atkinson’s Commercial Hotel, and Grin 1 ley and Son’s, butchers, being destroyed. The origin of the lire is not known The fire is supposed to have commenced in a loft used by Aikinson. There was a high wind at the time, and a bad supply of water, so that it was a. miracle that a thousand pounds’ worth of property was not dostroye I, The fire was discovered at a quarter to eight. Both church hells were run r, and the Milton Volunteer Fire Brigade turned out under Captain F. Bistings, an 1 di I gnnd service by pulling down the wooden building connecting the fire with the, adjoining property. But for these exertions the Commercial Hotel ; Pb'lp. Henderson and Go’s. Auctioneers ; Grindhy’s. butcher : Stewart’s large drapery establishment, .and Spotter and Gray’s big store must have been destroyed, Tbe fire was got under about eleven. The buildings destroyed, winch belong <o A. M'Laren, of Milton, were insured fnr L3floint.be Norwich Union, fir LIOO in tbe Victoria ; S'ewart’s, the draper, damage through removal is Idflflfl, covered by insurance in tbe New Zealand Company. M Atkinson loses L7O by the destruction of the store mom, but be is covered by insurance. Grindley loses 1180 by removal and destruction of goods by fire. Sontter and Gray’s big store had a small less by removal. An inquest will be probably held. This narrow escape of valuable property shows the urgent necessity for a better supply and the Insurance Companies having hen saved such heavy loss-s should contribute liberally to the funds of the Fire Brigade.