FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1876.

Dunstan Times, Issue 738, 9 June 1876, Page 2

FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1876.

The Provincial party never appear to understand when they are beaten, and notwithstanding that Sir Julius Vogel’s letters have completely annihilated the whole of their arguments, the advocates off Provincialism would fain lead us to believe that the Premier was getting the worst of it. To make Otago a separate Colony is about the most absurd thing we ever heard about, and we can only forgive the originators of the idea for their folly, inasmuch as it is their last resource, everything else has failed them, and as a drowning man catches at a straw; the Provincialists finding that there is no hope left to them, seize upon this chimerical idea as the remnant of all that remains to them, and at which they can grasp, notwithstanding that it can availthemnothing in their dire extremity. How Sir Julius Vogel could have carried on such a long correspondence with Mr Macandrew, and so patiently answered all his queries we are at a loss to learn, more especially when he must have known that the game was his, and we can only pardon Sir Ju lius tor inflicting upon the reading public such a long newspaper controversy, because of his evident desire to place the merits of his case plainly and fairly before them. But, all that he can write will avail him nothing against prejudiced people, prepared to hold on to their favorite theories, when common sense should dictate that they are lost to them for ever, and who will scarcely believe their senses when Abolition shall be accomplished. Carefully perusing the various journals published in the Province, how few are there out of Dunedin at issue with the Provincial party, and when we ask ourselves why such is the case, there comes the pertinent answer—One section of the community has all to gain, the othei all to lose. The interests of Dunedin and its surrounding are one; those of the interiar another. Under Provincial rule, the Town has always been swallowing up the Country, and the unsatisfied monster finding it looming in the distance, that he will no longer be permitted to fatten upon other peoples’ industry, but must remain content with his own share of the public revenue, goads himself to desperation and wildly bemoans his impending fate. The frantic efforts or the Dunedin party can avail them nothing, and do what they may, the up-country districts will be enabled to assert their independence. So far as the gold fields are concerned, they have nothing to lose by any change, and whatever form of government they may be placed under, it is very clear they must be the gainers. It is all very well for the Daily Times and the Guardian to prate about the enormous progress which Otago has made, hut excepting the enlargement and beautification of Dunedin and its surroundings, we fail to see it. The goldfields have not improved their position for years past, in fact, the reverse has been the case, whilo ever since Abolition has been on the board, they have been steadily neglected—in fact, they have been positively robbed of their revenues for expenditure elsewhere. Looking at the matter fairly in the face, what has been the great prosperity of Otago lately 1 ! Has it not been the large expenditure of borrowed money, and now that it is well nigh expended, like any other artificial aids, things are finding their own level again. Ever since the Public Works’ Scheme haS been in operation the industrial centres in the interior have been gradually going to the bad ; there has been nothing done to develop them, while the population has been gradually growing less and less, enticed away by the great, so called, prosperity of the seaboard. The old normal condition of affairs is now as serting itself again, but we cannot come back to where we started from so very readilv, for the reasons tha«. during this long season of depression at home and prosperity abroad, we have been developing nothing, consequently what we possessed, has gradually been exhausting, and there is this difficulty staring us in the face that, to employ our return labor, new discoveries will require to be made. For this unsatisfactory state of affairs, we have to thank Provincial mis-rule, which has studiously neglected the gold-raining interests, and while to delude us into the belief that some thing was intended to be done, mocked us with appointing a Goldfields’ Secretary. What this gentle man has done beyond drawing his salary and travelling expenses, no one can say, nor can anybody point out that he caused one single half-ounce of gold to be discovered, the onlyachievement which can be shown is that Mr Mackellar has developed into a carpenter, builder, timber-merchant, and coffin maker, and that he has started business on his own hook at Cromwell, while all we can see is that, it is justly to be hoped he has sufficient stout planks left to safely enclose Provincialism when it shall be finally buried.

The Licensing Commissioners for the Alexandra District sit on Monday next, at the Court House, Alexandra. We are glad to see that our friends at Bannockburn are about to give a Concert in aid of the Cromwell and Dunston Hospitals. This arrangement will give general satisfaction, and we wish the venture will be crowned with success. The Concert takes place to-night at 8 o’clock. It is some time since the inhabitants of Clyde had the pleasure of listening to a Cot ■ cert, and no doubt they they will muster in strong force on Wednesday next, the 14th inst., when a musical entertainment for the benefit of the District School is to be given. The liberal programme provided deserves a bumper house. We have received a telegram from Dunedin, informing us that Mr Jules la Fontaine, to whom we referred in a late issue as having obtained a patent for a Golddredging apparatus, has purchased a twelve horse Steam Engine, and that ho may be expected with it in Clyde in about a week.

We are informed that Circulars have been issued convening a Meeting of Members of the Dunstan District Political League to be held at Clyde on Wednesday afternoon next the 15th instant, at2, p.m., to discuss the political situation, and to form a basis of action for future meetings. As an united whole, the League will be a power, and a great assistance to the District Member during the coming Session—disunited, however, it will be but a laughing stock ; we therefore hope each District will send in its representative, and that an oneness of opinion will prevail at the meeting. We are requested by the Treasurer of the Dunstan District Hospital to acknowledge the receipt of various sums of money —from Drybread, per Mr W. Greenbank ; Blacks, from Mr Sinclair ; West bank of Molyneux, from Mr J. M. M^innis; Hawksbum Station, per Mr 11. Stewart. But as they were all received since the last meeting of Committee, the names of the donors cannot be published till after the next Monthly Meeting, to be held on July the 3d.

From a perusal of the report of the proceedings of the last meeting of the Clyde Council published in another column, it will be seen that the opening of the Clyde Bridge may be looked for in the course of a few weeks. The event will be one long to be remembered throughout the district, and as it will be worthy of being recorded as one of the red letter days in the annals of Clyde, we hope the Town Council, who per-force will have the management of the demonstration—whatever form it may take—to celebrate the occasion, will do the thing in no niggard spirit, and provide a something acceptable to one and all who may be expected to be present. The season of the year will preclude a long programme of out-door pastimes—that, however, we think can be got over by a real good jollification in the Town Hall in the evening, either in the shape of a Concertor Ball, or l oth combined. However, whatever may be done, let it be done well, and let due notice be given of it.

Holloway’s Ointment and Pills.— Chest and Stomach Complaints.—The source and centre of almost every ailment is impurity of the blood; dislodge this poison, and disease departs. Holloway’s Pills exercise the inestimable power of thoroughly cleansing each component of the blood and rendering that fluid fit to perform its important functions. They cope most successfully with chest disease, stomach complaints, liver disorders, and many other maladies, which are at certain seasons the besetting dangers of mankind in town and country. The directions for use enable every one to regulate the operation of these Pills -with the greatest nicety. Chronic invalids, nervous sufferers, and all whom other treatment has failed to relieve, are respectfully invited to try Holloway’s celebrated medicine, which will strengthen and cure them. Mr Paohe desires us to draw attention to the sales by auction advertised under his name in another column. Gentlemen seeking first-class furniture will do well to attend the deal ing out sale of Mr Hazlett’s on the 27th and 2Sth instants. The advertisements speak for themselves. A party of men who have been for the past few weeks prospecting for coal on the west bank of the Molyneux, somewhere in the neighborhood of Conroy's and Blackman’s gullies, we understand, have been so far successful as to strike a seam, but we are unabie to say as yet whether it is likely to be of a permanent character. The sample of the coal shewed us is intensely black and shiny, and we imagine is a good burning coal.

The price of mutton in Oamaru, delivered in any part of the tow n for cash is—fore quarter, Is Gd ; bind quarter, 2s 6d. Mr John Nugent Wood has been gazetted as a Resident Magistrate for the Southland district, with extended jurisdiction to LIOO. Regulations as passed by the Municipal Co'-pomtion of Cromwell are published in the General Government Gazette of the 18th of May, 1876. It is stated that the losses of the squatters of the three colonies for the past quarter has been over L 10,000,000.

The Illustrated New Zealand Herald for the month of May, the receipt of which we beg to acknowledge, is fully equal to any previous number, either in its engravings or letter press. The Commissioner of Police says there would be asavingof LlOOOayearbythebanks escorting their own gold, the Government only to afford the necessary police protection.

A paragraph has been going the rounds of the Provincial press that—“ The proprietors of the Guardian feeling aggrieved at a letter that appeared in the Bruce Herald of Tuesday last, from its Dunedin correspondent, are said to have placed the matter in their lawyer’s hands, with the view of initiating legal proceeding if the statements in the letter will support an action.” The Herald characterises it as amusing.

According to our Tuapoka contemporary, of the seven claimant Work on the Blue Spur, three are reducing the dirt by crushing, a fourth is having a battery erected, whilst the other three are still sluicing. The prospects in all are reported as being first class. The Mount Ida Chronicle white thanking us for our local in last week's issue in reference to the discovery of gold by the construction of the sludge channel says :—The sentence of the channel being] paved with gold is incorrectly attributed to the local member. Mr Do Latour merely attested to the exposure of an extensive goldfield, and expressed a hope that the Public Works Management, which has been so long in abeyance, might be speedily decided. The channel stripped bare a rich wash dirt, giving excellent prospects everywhere. At the same time not an inch of the ground can be worked until the channel, and probably the head race, is completed. We clip the following from a report of the last meeting of the Otago Educational Board :—The Queenstown School Committee asked that the Board should pay a portion of the travelling expenses of Mr and Mrs Nichols, who had been engaged in Victoria as teachers of the Queenstown school. The Board resolved that it would not pay any portion of the expenses referred to. A letter was received from Messrs Maoassey and Kettle, in reference to an alleged unfavorable report of Mr Rice’s school, Alexandra, and which was published in the Dunstan Times. Accompanying the letter was a copy of a report of the school made by Mr Rees, of Galloway Station, and which was stated to be very favorable to Mr Rice. The Board was asked to have the case specially investigated, otherwise Mr Rice would be compelled to make Mr Petrie justify in a court of law the strictures which he made in regard to the state of the school which had been laid to his (Mr Rice’s) charge. A letter on the same subject was read from the Justice Committee at Alexandra.—The Board adhered to its former decision, and resolved that the writer of the letters referred to should be informed that it never authorised the publication of Mr Petrie’s report. Someone wants a private tutor badly if a writer in a contemporary does not exaggerate. He says:—“ There is a lady in this province blessed with affluence who puts her dictionary about properly. She expatiates to strangers on her beautiful ‘ revenue’ of trees. In the evening during the vesper meal, she has been heard to ask her guest to partake of ‘ reserved salmon,’ as being most ‘ malicious,’ and on one occasion this lady, having occasion to obtain the aid of the force to eject some offensive personages, asked the policeman if he would have the ‘ obligation’ to turn these men out as they were using most ‘ kerosine’ language. Mrs Malaprop could not beat the above, and the best of the story is, that it’s all true. - ’

The telegraph runners in the principal towns of the Colony are to be provided with an uniform hat and waterproof cape or coat. The Wellington Argus says the hat is very neat, with a rod band round the top, which gives it official distinction.