The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2307, 28 September 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1870.

It has boon currently reported that, notwithstanding the acknowledged advantages to the Province of the establishment of a New Zealand University in Otago, there is a hitch somewhere, and that, like the postal terminus at Port Chalmers, it may never become v.n fait, accompli But there is this wide difference between the two desiderata : the University may be ours, if we choose —the postal terminus is not yet within our grasp. The real question to be determined is, the terms on which it can bo located in Dunedin. We need say nothing of the educational advantages that will result from its being established here. They have been so frequently and so fully set forth in the Provincial Council, in the General Assembly, and by the Press, and are so manifestly desirable that argument in support of them would be altogether superfluous. it was intended by the Provincial Council to have secured these educational benefits to Otago, irrespective of the Colony, and an endowment was provided alike

creditable to the liberality and judgment of the members. So long as it remained a local institution, it was right it should be under local control, and had it remained local, probably the objections likely to be urged would never have been heard concerning it. The Council was agreed upon and appointed —the arrangements were made. Perhaps, had not Otago taken the initiative, the Now Zealand University might have been deferred for years, but the beginning was made, and in a Colony with a population of less than a quarter of a million, it is plainly more than is needed to have more than one' University. Mr REYNOLDS told us last night how nearly, through an absurd feeling of nationality, the Bill enabling the' Colonial University to merge into that of Otago was being thrown out. He pointed out that, in consequence of the enstomarv systematic blackening of Provincial arrangements by our contemporary, there "had been a danger of the Colonial University being established elsewhere than in Dunedin, and ho gave a graphic description of his interview with a member of the Select Committee on the Bill, in which he pointed out how impossible it was for the damaging insinuations of the Dad;/ Times to he realised in the appointment of Scotch Professors only, when on the Council were five members of the Church of England, five of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, one Independent, and one Baptist; and of those seven were Englishmen and live Scotchmen, At any rate, the objection was ignored, and the Bill passed. One would have thought that the lesson would have been sufficient, and that the escape it had had from having been lost through narrow prejudice, would have been a warning for the future exercise of greater liberality in estimating the national and educational tendencies of members of the Otago University Council. Now it must he plain if the Otago University be merged into a New Zealand institution, the ideas of the Province must be subordinated to Colonial feelings. It cannot be expected that Canterbury, Nelson, Wellington, and Auckland will entertain the same veneration as Otago does for its leading men. It is perfectly true that Otago has endowed the College with 100,000 acres of land, hut it is equally true that the Colony has set apart for its use 100,000 acres more in other parts of theColonj', and .£3,000 annually in money. It follows that, having become a Colonial institution, we in Otago must be content only to take our share in the management of it. Unfortunately it is rumored that this national University, after having escaped annihilation through the parade of the fear of nationalism, is likely to come to grief in consequence of Provincial jealousy. It seems that the Government in the appointment of the Council hold different views from the people of Otago, and have only retained the names of two of the Otago members formerly on the Council. In the first place, they have struck off the names of all clergymen indiscriminately; and this, though a wise measure, does not please. Then the name of Mr Justice Chapman is very properly substituted for that of Judge Ward, In fact, of the old Council, only the names of the Speaker of the Legislative Council, Major Richardson, and the Speaker of the Provincial Council, Mr Reynolds, are retained. Four others only were needed, and four whoso equal fitness to those superseded none will doubt, are added-—the Superintendent, the Hon. Mr Miller, M.L.C. ; Capt. Fraser, and, as we said before, Judge Chapman. We certainly are at,a loss to know why Wellington has five memliers, while Auckland lias only four, Nelson two, and Hawke’s Bay one. But when the large stake that Otago has in the University is considered ; | when it is considered ajso that the j revenue thus contributed eannojt he expended elsewhere than in Dunedin ;; and when it is the manifest interest of i Auckland to work with Dunedin, even should Wellington and Nelson work together—apart from the common interest of all to make the institution as effective as possible—we cannot bring ourselves to believe that any member of the Council in Dunedin will allow personal, local, or Provincial feelings to stand in the way of realising so great a good. To do so would only he justifying the suspicions Mr Reynolds took such pains to dissipate. At any rate, it behoves every one whose feelings might load him to oppose the Colonial institution, and to cramp its ; usefulness by making it Provincial, to weigh well the question whether the grounds on which lie is disposed to throw the University overboard, are not as dust in the balance when set against the good that must result from its establishment here. We may add that in arranging the conditions of union, it will be competent to the Otago Council to make its own terms, and no ; doubt those will he such as to prevent the Otago endowment being expended elsewhere than in Dunedin.

New District ludgsiiip. The General Government have decided to establish a District Court at Timaru, and the appointment of a judge is likely to be determined in the course of a week or two. The Timaru, Herald believes the judge will reside at Timaru, and will also hold a Court periodically at Oamaru. He will be entrusted with full criminal and bankruptcy jurisdiction. The Gage.—James Wilson, seaman, sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment with hard labor, tor that he was guilty on the •JGth instant, at Tort Chaim.rs, of wilful disobedience of orders by refusnsing to go aloft and scrape down tin- masts of the ship Delhi when ordered to do so by Captain Nicholls, was received into the gaol this afternoon.

Masonic Hall.— -The programme of the vocal and instrumental concert to be given by Mr and Mrs T, White at the Masonic Hall, to-morrow evening, is pi luted in another column. It comprises choice and varied selections, and should have the effect of drawing together all lover of high class music. Both Mr and Mrs White arc wellknown in Dunedin as professors of music, and as having done good service on many occasions on behalf oi our charitable institutions. We have no doubt the public will bear this in remembrance, and accord to them liberal support.

Happy Ignorance. The Sydney Erenhuj Xeivs of the sth inst. says Early yesterday morning the signal staff at Fort Phillip indicated tire approach to the Heads of one of H.T.M. war vessels, and at the same time a merchant barque of the North German Confederation was signalled. The French vessel proved to be the GnichdSgfrom New Caledonia, and the barque the from Manilla ; and it transpired that the two had been in company for some two or three days, and during that nine exchanged the customary national salutes. Had they been as wise as they are now, their meeting would not have been of quite so friendly a nature. Supreme Court.—ln the course of to-day’s proceedings Mr Macassey’s drew attention to the statement wc made yesterday that the case of Johnston v. M‘Millan had been postponed. He explained that, in Chambers, yesterday, it was thought it would be more convenient to the mercantile classes to postpone it to the 4th October, hut afterwards counsel came to the conclusion that it would he a greater inconvenience to the large number of witnesses summoned, consequently' it had been resolved that the case should come ou in due course to-morrow. For our own justification we may s iy the information of the postponement was supplied to ns by the officers of the Court, ami that they were in ignorance of the dcfcerininat'on of counsel is evidenced by the fact that oven this morning a notice was posted outside the Court door that jurors’ attendance would not be required until Tuesday. Mr Macassey seemed to be under the impression that the information had been received trom an unrcli iblc source : wc hope he will bo now couvl ced that it was not.

Oamaru Dock Trust.—A special meeting of this body was held at the Council Hall on Saturday, the 24th inst. Present— The Hon. J. H. Miller (in the chair), the Hon. J. Holmes, Me srs France, 1 ilclmst; Hassell, Lemon, ami the engineer, Mr M‘Gregor. The minutes of the previous meeting Averc read and confirmed Mr M‘Gregor stated that four tenders had been iccci.’ed, and he placed them ou the table. Mr Holmes thought that before the tenders avitc opened it should lie knoAvn Avhat action the Trust Avas prepared to take in the event of the tenders being within the limit of the Engineer’s estimate. He Avonld 1e no paity to opening Tenders unless the Trust Avas prepared to recommend the acceptance of one of them if it Avas Avithin the limit Mr Franco thought it Avould lie premature to open the tenders, as he believed that other tenders AA'ere on their Avay from Melbourne. He would suggest an adjournment for a fortnight. Mr Holmes objected on principle to other tenders being received after the advertised time. It Avould bo unfair to the contractors ; he Avould like to know the conditions of the contract, Avhat Avas the responsibility of the contractor in the event of work being destroyed in the course of construction. A long and desultory conversation took place, during Avhich Mr M‘Gregor explained the terms and conditions ou Avhich the tenders had been called for, and pointed out that as each of the tenders contained a deposit, the tenderers might object to delay. Mr Hassell, in order to bring the discussion to a point, proposed—-“ That the tenders be opeael,” This Avas seconded by Mr France and carried. It Avas at this stage of the proceedings submitted by the Engineer that the amounts should not ho made public.—The representatives of the Press Avcro politely requested to retire, ami Averc gracefully bowed out of the room. What, av,;is dope afterwards avc know not. —It has, hoAvevcr, been rumored that three out of the four tenders Averc for the Avhole of the proposed works, and greatly in excess of the Engineer’s estimate. The fourth Avas for the soa-Avall (running out Avhcrc the Jetty' uoav stands), for L2l),000, and that the Government Avas to he solicited to permit the Trust to accept this tender.— Herald.

Nejjt Industry. —There cannot be a more certain indication of future pro-purity than the introduction of pew industries. It is only about three months since Mr Charles Dickie, King street, arrived in Dunedin, but during Unit time he has arranged simple hut effective machinery for wire working on a scale capable of being indefinitely extended. It was with much pleasure that to-day we saw (lie appliances contrived for utilising wood of New Zealand growth. The blue gum has not been long naturalised here and probably few have thought of turning its (qualities to a practical pso. Mr Dickie has however applied it successfully to the manufacture of nests of sieves of any diameter or guage, and we believe we arc light in stating that ho can supply them cheaper than they can he imported. Then he showed us specimens of netting which he intends weaving, for a number of uses, pastoral, agricultural, and ornamental. We really had no idea tn how many uses wire could bo applied, nor of the beautiful forms into which it can he woven, twisted, and turned until we saw some of Mr Dickie’s work. The brewer, the miller, the maltster, the baker, the cook, the farmer, the squatter, the ornamental girdener, the naturalist, can he all supplied with appliances suitable to straining, baking, fencing, rid fling and sifting. Ladies can have luxuriously comfortable verandah or garden chains ip elegant forms at very moderate prices. Flower stands, frealises for training plants or fruit trees, aviaries, can aty }je produced at marvellously moderate rates, JEvgty

churches, music or lecture halls or Sunday schools could be supplied with elegant and comfortable seats quite as cheaply, perhaps even more cheaply, and certainly of more durable and strong material than in woodwork. Wc arc glad to learn that Mr Dickie has already received orders and has executed works satisfactorily that would otherwise have necessitated importations from (treat Britain or America, and from the strong and substantial work shown to us, wo should imagine that ho is laying the foundation of a manufacture that in time to come is likely to employ a vast number of hands. A meeting of the directors of the Caledonian Society wili take place at "Wains Hotel, to-morrow (Thursday) evening, at S o’clock.