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Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2676, 14 September 1871, Page 2

Ecclesiastical. —The Jewish New Year Festival, 5632 commences to-morrow evening, and in consequence all Jewish places of business will bo closed. Roslyn Election. —Tho official declaration of the poll was made to-day at noon by Mr Strode, the Returning Officer, who announced that on revision ihe number of votes obtained by each candidate was as follows M'Glashan, 209; Gotten, 145; Cargill, 51 ; Graham, 13 ; M'lndoe, 6. Mr M ‘Glasbau, who was the only candidate in attendance, addressed the electors present. Permissive Bill.—A petition to the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives, in favour of a Permissive Bill, is being very numerously signed in Dunedin; and we are informed that upwards of 1500 of the inhabitants have already affixed their names to it. '1 he prayer of the petition is as follows :—The principle which your petitioners desire to be passed into law affirms that the adult inhabitants, men and women, of any given district shall have the power by a majority of two thirds of prohibiting the issue of any license for the common sale of intoxicating drinks within such district, with a proviso preserving any rights or privileges conferred or enjoyed by virlue of any license current or in force at the passing of the Permissive Act during the currency of such license ; and also allowing the sale of methylated spirits for use in arts and manufactures, and the sale of alcoholic liquors for medicinal purposes ; such liquors to be sold only on the production of a certificate under the hand of a legally qualified medical practitioner of the Colony. Wo observe by advertisement that those who have not signed it will have an opportunity in the Arcade on Saturday.

Provincial Revenue. —The Ola;/o Provincial Gazette contains a statement of receipts aud expenditure of the Provincial Government for the quarter ending Junc 30. The revenue is set down at t.61,126 3s 2d, derived from the following sources : —Crown lands, 1/22,928 19s Od ; assessments on stock, Southland, L 7,708 13s 8d ; Hundreds assessment, LISB 4s ; gold export duty, L 5,999 9s lOd ; goldfields revenue, L 4,187 7s Id; General Government, L 9.733 Is 8d ; sale of Government land aud buildings, L 674 10s Id ; harbor dues, L 449 15s Id ; dog tax, L 1,744; goat tax, Lll 15; rents, L9O 12s 4d; repayments for immigration, <fec., L 521 Is odj education, for books and school fees, L77;> 9h 8d ; gaol for maintenance of debtors, prison labor, &0., LB9 Ss lOd ; tolls on roads and miscellaneous items, L 4.930 6s lOd; licenses, L 1,123 8s Sd, The expenditure is set down as follows:—Superintendent and Executive Council, L 904 8s lid; Provincial Council, L 270 0s 2d ; disbursed under direction of the Provincial Secretary, and Treasurer, and Secretary for Land, L 20,577 10s 2d ; Secretary for Goldfields and Roads and Works Department, L 2,691 14s Id; Provincial Secretary, and Secretary for Lands General, LI 9,560 15s 9d; Secretary for Goldfields and Roads and Works, L 13,436 19s 2d.

Introduction of Convict*. —Among the papers laid on the table of the House of Representatives is a memorandum by Ministers on the subject of convicts coming from the different penal settlements. Ministers suggest as a remedy to proven convicts introducing themselves on any free portion of the Empire, that the condition attached to the pardon of any convict sent to Western Australia should expressly require him to reside in the settlement, and that his Excellency Governor Weld should be instructed that in future he it is not to permit any conditionally pardoned convi ;t to leave the penal settlement there. It would also strengthen the defence of Free Colonies, if, by an Act of the Imperial Parliament, they could return stray convicts and charge the penal settlement with the expense. The Government had been informed that several hundred pounds have b cn subscribed by sympathisers with the Fenian prisoners, and handed to them. Government cannot help thinking an injury is inflicted on the Colony by such sympathies being evoked by the presence of such political offenders. To this is appended a report of the action taken by the Government in reshipping them to whence they came, or rather to Sydney, a course they express themselves averse to, as they would have preferred sending them to Western Australia. Mr Cisborne adds, that “in addition to the resentment which must naturally arise in a Colony turned against its will into what would practically be a convict Alsatia, with all the evils of congregated crime, and without the restraints necessarily imposed on it in a regular convict station, there are special circumstances affecting the Maori race in the country which would render such a course exceptionally disastrous.” The Education Bill. The Canterbury Education Association at a meeting on the 12th hist., adopted the following resolutions “ That it appears to this meeting that the compulsory clauses as they stand at present arc unduly severe and quite unworkable, and that the desired end would be more likely to he obtained by the adoption of a capitation rate and the abolition of school fees, in accordance with the system that has been long tried with great success in the P. evince of Nelson, and lately introduced into the new Education Ordinance of this Province.”—“That it appears to this meeting that tke proposed election of Provincial Boards of Education hy Provincial Councils is inexpedient, is likely to ho influenced by political considerations, and that the appointment of the members of such Boards by tbc Superintendent and the Executive Council of .each Province is preferable, provided that one or more persons to be elected by local committees and one or more to be elected by masters of the public schools of the Province should have seats on the Board.” The Jpjtt lion Times concludes a series of well-written articles by suggesting that the local management, inasmuch as it has to provide the whole of the funds for local purposes, should be as little fettered as possible by the interference of the central department. That the definition of schools is unnecessarily confined, and may be reduced to the simple distinction of elementary and superior schools. That the aided school clauses, which are obviously intended to meet the religious difficulty, are a most unsatisfactory compromise, and that the whole structure of finance is built upon a wrong basis. City Council.—Very little business of importance was transacted at last night’s

meeting of the Council. Amongst the correspondence read was a letter from the lessee of the Pelicbct Bay Baths, asking for a renewal of b's lease, which recpiest occasioned the observation by Mr Barnes that the baths were anything but properly kept ; and a letter from Wright, Stephenson, and Co., declining to make use of the Corporation cattle sale yards, in connexion with which the Mayor said, if the City stock salesmen did not use the yards, the best plan that could be adopted would bo to advertise them as being open for the sale of cattle. Large farmers and others would then use the yards, and, if they desired, without the intervention of an auctioneer. This would break down what seemed to him to be a kind of monopoly. — The report of the Works Committee was adopted. A discussion on day labor elicited from Mr Barnes the statement that it was possible to reduce this item and economise in the City Surveyor’s department. According to his idea there is not enough one inspector, while two arc employed, and the works in general cost one third more than they should. Mr Thoneman called attention to the fact that LSSO a-year was being paid as extias in the Surveyor’s office. A motion by Mr B.trues instructing the Works Committee to enquire into these matters with a view to retrenchment was carried, and it was understood that it would also receive the attention of the Finance Committee In reply to questions, the Mayor said he had received a telegram from Mr Bathgate, M. 11.11., st it'ng that he hj d giv< n notice to ask for leave to bring in a Bill giving the Corporation, if they choose to exercise the power, authority to borrow money for the purpose of purchase the Gas aud Water Works; and that Mr Macandrew had telegraphed that if ho was fortified by a resolution of a public meeting or by a petition there was a probability of the Northern Cemetery Bill being passed this session. It was resolved that the question of < ntering into negociations for acquiringtbe Water Works by purchase be remitted to the Water Works Committee. After some further business the Council adjourned. The Flax Exhibition.—Au excellent report of the colonial flax exhibition, from which we shall make extracts when opportunity occurs, appears in the L.i/tfeffon Times. We have only room for this extract; —ln one division, too, is a series of samples, classified according to the broker’s lists, in five classes, to show the different qualities into which brokers divide them. There are two samples in each class which graduate from the very best machine-dressed to the most inferior straw, that could only be fit for paper-making, They will be useful guides to manufacturers, showing what dealers at home are most likely to purchase ; and it would be well if similar samples could be placed ix all Museums or other public places in the chief towns in the colony, so that even one might have an opportunity of seeing for themselves a sample of the article most required : and how useless it is to send home only half e'eaned stuff. 'I bore is also shown the amount of exports of New Zealand flax, which shows how largely the trade has increased. In 1870, 5470 tons were exported, against 534 tons in 1868. The average price is also put down an I it is surprising to see that it was only L 23 for the 12 months ending 31st May, 1871, This could not have paid for the manufacture, and the loss must have fallen on some. It is to be attributed to the large amount that was sea damaged, and to the inferior qua!ity ? of a great quantity of stuff that people were mad enough to think would Hud a ready market iu England. The other sample is Rees and Gibson’s of Rangitikei, which is slightly inferior. It costs 33s per cwt, and the auction price of the same brand at the same date was £32 10s per ton. Alongside these is a collection sent from home of those fibres with which New Zealand flax has to compete in the English market. They are Manilla, Russian, Italian, Bombay, aud Sisal hemps, Egytian flax, and Aloe fibre. Against these are put full descriptions of the locality in which they grow, their botanic names, and their cost in London, together with the .auction prices at the date of their sale and the amount of imports into England. Of these Manilla is the one that is of most ii.terest to ns, as its price rules that of New Zea'and with which it is largely adult rated. It is prepared from. Abaca {Musa textUis) of the Philipine Islands, and at a glance it will be observed how very difficult it would be to detect New Zealand flax if mixed with it. Its average price in 1870 was L 54 16s, and aud the imports into England 6467 tons. The cause of the very high prices of New Zealand flax in 1869 is apparent from this table, which shows that the imports had fallen off from those of the present year by nearly onehalf—having been 8756 tons in 1868, aud in 1869 only 4632 tons.

The competition for the challenge belt of No 1 Company will take place at the Anderson’s Bay range on Saturday next, the IGth hist. The ranges, &c., appear in our advertising columns. A Concert in aid of the Widow and Orphan’s Fund of the Star of Otago Lodge, A.1.0.0.F., is to take place in the Masonic Hall to morrow evening. The lodge is the youngest in the order, and the ground on which it appeals to the public for aid, viz., in order that it may, like other friendly societies, assist in relieving distress, will, we feel sure, be liberally responded to. A capital programme is to be presented, aud from the exertions made by the committee, wc have every reason to believe that there will be a full attendance.