SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1102, 8 June 1883, Page 3

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

(From our own Correspondent. ) Dunedin, Juno 7th, 7.59. p.m. At a special meeting of Land Board today to consider late sales of land a t Strath Taieri, James Smith and other leading gentlemen summoned as witnesses, but did not attend, and reso'u'ios were parsed authorising the Chief Commissioner to issue summonses against them to recover fine for non-attendance. Evidence, however, was given hy other parties which certainly gives colour to the suspicion of dumtnyism. The Board has adjourned for a week. Harrington has backed out of sculling match with Hearn The Wellington people are very indignant. U is propose ito build a large wharf at B ufffor ocean going steamers. Returns of licensing committee generally all over the colony have a decided tendency to limit the hours of keeping open till 11, and in many instances the Dunedin publicans are all up in arms over the matter. A young man named John Holden dropped dead yest°rday at Christchurch, whilst washing himself. The retrenchment reports submitted to City Council yesterday, and were all referred back to various Committees. A man named Pair ok o’Kee f e, of Masterton, was drowned in Wellington Harbour last night. Messrs Kliutc andJStreet, Licensing Committee men, write to the paper, saying they believe elective Committees have made a great mistake, and the sooner the o d system is renewed the better for all. The r*ee,nt proceedings at So uh Dunedin will he investigated in the City Police Court shortly. VINCENT (iuUNTY’ COUNCIL. The adjourned meeting of the above Council was held on Monday, 4th inst., at noon, all the Councillors being present. Mr Evans, County Clerk, occupying the chair. Duiing the wholeot the afternoon nothing was done, excepting motions being propo ed, hut with one result—lost. ' Br On p suming at 7.30, * Cr. M‘Phail proposed, and Cr. Cnlclough seconded, that Cr. Jolly occupy the chair for the meeting. Or. Welsford proposed, and Cr. Macgionis seconded, that Cr. Stronach occupy the chair. Both the motions resulted in a tie. Cr. Macginnis proposed, and Cr. Pitches seconded, that. G. Stronach be elected acting Chairman ot the meeting, and in the course of Cr. Macoinnis’s remarks he referred to the impartiality of Cr. Stronach, and had treat pleasure in nominating him. and hoped the Council would see their way to elect, him. Cr. Pitches also spoke in eulogistic terms of Mr Stronacti, and thought it was high time that ihey should proceed to business. Cr. Welsford felt satisfied with the nomination Cr. Jolly said it would be better if the Councillors tendered their resignations, j . stead of haranguing and proposing motions. Cr. Colclough said that every overture had emanated from the northern members, and suggest, d that they should elect a northern man to the chair for six months, ■with the distinct understanding that he should resign at. the end of the term. 0 1 . MackeUar asked it the northern members had not given every concession to the south Tev had taken uo the stand, and it was the rare)layers they had to . cal with. They never had the chance of. elec’ing a 'northern man to the chair. It was but a quibble to say that Vincent, Pyke was a northern man. I, was but a leasdnahle thing to ask them to elect a northern man to the chair for six months, and then call upon him to resign. The chair should be occupied by the rand capable man. The nal posh ion of the affair was this—That if a nor the n man came down from heaven the southerners would not elect him In c neluding his remarks, he add all the responsibility res’ed on the sou hern members, and referred to the resignation of members. The n.o'ion was then pot and declared lost on the voices. It was th n moved by Cr. Colclough. and seconded b\ Cr. Jolly, that they form themte ves into a committee of the whole for the purpose of electing a chairman.—Lost. Cr. Welsford moved, and Cr. Macginnis seconded, that the meeting adjourn till 9.30. Lost. Cr. Macginnis was in favour of the Councillors resigning. He felt satisfied if it had been done before, the difficulty would have been solved. Cr. Colclough could not agree with Cr. Macginnis, and he, for one, would not resign, as he failed to see what I enefit it would have. Cr, Stronach was in favour of all resigning, Where wee the concessions spoken of by the northern members. A general election would give the ratepayers an opportunity of expressing an opinion on their representatives’ action. He would now propose that no more travelling expenses be taken by the Councillors until the question of Chairman be settled.—App'ause. Cr. Macketlar wished to know if it was a cheap way of finding out whether the Councillors had done their duty to their constituents ; becnise if that was the intention they would find it to be a very expensive one. Cr. Welsford supported tbe resignation of members, because as at present constituted, the Council cmild not carry on the business in an amicable way. Cr. Pitches, in a lengthy and well-con sidered speech, referred to the remarks that fell from several members re separation. He failed to see what benefit would come out of the members resigning, an I was in favour of addressing his constituents first, and if then it was their desire that he should resign, he would do so, but he would not now tender his resianatfon. The Council then adjourned for the phrpose of letting the northern members have a few minutes private conversation. On resuming, a general conversation ensued among members re separation, and after some time had elapsed, the proceedings being of no interest, another adjournment was made. The Council resumed at 1 a.m. Remarks were now plentiful, and Councillors eventually agreeing to adjourn till a convenient date after the Criminal Sessions, the Clerk to affix the date thereafter, g'r. Pitches alone dissenting. The resignation of members, with the exception of Cr. Pitches, were then handed to the Clerk. Af'er an unanimous vote of thanks to Mr Evans for the manner in which he had conducted the business, the Council rose at 2 p.m.