The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 2 1874

Evening Star, Issue 3597, 2 September 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 2 1874

The session of Parliament is over, and with it much of the excitement caused by the sudden turn of events, caused by apparently trivial circumstances. But there are lessons to be drawn from them that should not be forgotten. It will be well to remember, for instance, the action taken by the Legislative Council towards this Province in two very important respects : first, in dealing with the deterred payment clauses of our Waste Land Bill, and secondly, in their opposition to the sale of railways to the General Government. It is quite conceivable that many soundthinking men are unable to perceive the advantage of selling land on deferred payments. They consider, with good show of reason, that if the Province parts with its property, it should be on a well-grounded expectation of reaping so much immediate benefit, as will compensate for giving up those prospective advantages that may almost certainly be expected to accrue from the increased value it would acquire if held a few years. It is, no doubt, true, that the settlement of people on the soil should more than compensate for the probable advance in price ; as, by their labor, they should be adding more to the general increase in wealth than would be gained by witholding the land from useful occupation. But this immediate benefit is saddled with the drawback that the purchase money is paid in driblets, while the public works depending upon its being received must be paid for in the lump ; that the system presents temptations to men without sufficient means, to enter upon cultivation of the soil in the hope of realising the proceeds of a few crops off unexhausted land; that the annual payments amount only to a very small rent, and the State having parted with the power of enforcing an efficient system of tillage, it will be cheaper to abandon the exhausted ground, and to repeat the process on another block, than to be at the cost of renewing the fertility of the first. These are objections to the deferred payment system that have been experienced wherever it has been adopted. Nor is it counterbalanced by the retention of the land of a country in the hands of small proprietors. Small farms are not suited to the Colonies. They are expensive to cultivate compared with moderate sized or large areas, and are speedily boughtj up by capitalists: as is now being found in all the Australian Colonies. There is therefore much to be said against the system of deferred payments ; which may be pronounced to be a plan of letting a man try his hand at faming for

a few years at a nominal rent, and then giviiighim the land for nothing—which, by the way, may be the full value of the exhausted farm at the date of the last payment. If,' therefore, the Legislative Council had confined their opposition to restricting the area of land saleable on deferred payments, and had given sound and sufficient reasons for their adverse action, they might have been credited at least with sincerity, if not with wisdom. But they were not content with this : they carried their opposition to the extent of cramping the efforts of the Province to develop its railway system, and in this respect they have laid themselves open to the gravest condemnation. Session after session they have done this, in utter disregard of consequences. In accordance with the practice in regard to road construction, one important part of the General Government’s plan has been to construct main lines of road, and to leave the districts to form the branches as they are wanted. Nothing can be more equitable than this. The main lines are for general benefit, the district line's for special. Without the main lines the property through which they pass would be comparatively valueless, but it is for those who would be immediately benefited to say whether it is worth their while to tax themselves a trifle .per cent, on the cost of the work to enrich themselves by multiplying the value of their own property. But nothing can induce the Legislative Council, who are mainly large landed proprietors, to pass any Act likely to lead to a small tax on property for the special benefit of the proprietors. The Ministry proposed one year to give facilities for railway construction on a district guaranteeing interest on the outlay. This was a most reasonable proposition. It left the matter entirely in the hands of the people interested; they must know their own wants, and are not likely to go into heavy expenditure without due consideration. But this did not suit the landocracy in the Upper House, It left them to do something to improve their own estates, and they - wanted them to grow in value 'by work done by the public : so they rejected that measure. Last year, with a similar object in view, the Government proposed to allow public works’ construction on specific securities of blocks of land. This also was too local a plan to suit the landocracy. They still saw looming a tax upon their acres—possibly not onefiftieth of their improved value, but that mattered not: the tax—which, by the way, might never be needed—they could see: the multiplication of capital they could not; so they rejected that plan also. This year the Government let them alone ; but Otago had made arrangements for some of its own branch lines, in full dependence upon experiencing no difficulty in the matter. The General Government had a surplus revenue, all the railways in operation were paying handsomely, and the projected lines are all needed for the development of the country. Naturally, those who are willing to help themselves loot to be supported fin their efforts; and Otago had a special claim to consideration through its enormous contributions to the general revenue. But this session even the General Government sympathised so little with our efforts, as to propose to squander the surplus revenue in bolstering up helpless Provinces. This was bad enough. Like protection, it is always a national loss to force into existence industries that have no vitality in themselves. But, bad as that was, it was far worse on the part of the Legislative Council to refuse its sanction to the purchase by the Government of the Southland lines. It has laid the landocracy open to the charge of endeavoring to force large sales of land at low prices, in order to enable the Province, through its land sales, to meet its engagements. A coloring has been given to this notion by the proposition to sell the squatting I’uns to their occupants at ten shillings an acre, which was made a short time prior to the meeting of Parliament. Those who look with envy on the lands of Otago are not confined the North Island, but may be found in numbers amongst ourselves.

We regret to hear Mr David Hunter, contractor lor the Waitaki Bridge, was drowned at the works this morning. His body has since been recovered. Mr Hunter was contractor for the First Chuivh, and was well known throughout the Province. The ‘ Tuapeka Times’ reports that the Molyneux bad risen rapidly last week, owing to the open weather and warm winds, and says there is very little prospect of its going down again for some time to come, as there is an immense (quantity ~of snow on the ranges. From a private telegram we learn that the Star of the Fast Quartz Mining Company, Garrick Range, has declared a dividend of six shillings per share. The battery was started again yesterday, and the yield from the stone is expected to average even better than the last crushing. This morning a number of immigrants were conveyed from Dunedin to Port Chalmers for the purpose of commencing a section of the Northern line, close to the Port. The immigrants will be housed for the present in the new workshops at the dock, and in the hulk, which has been fitted up by the Government. An accident occurred in Princes street this morning to a trap in which were Mrs Frank Fulton and a lad, the latter driving. The bolted down the stveet from the Cutting, and on reaching the cabstand it ran into a cab, upsetting and damaging both vehicles, Mrs Fulton was thrown out, but was fortunately unhurt. Ihere was a rather stormy meeting of the Vaste Laud Board to-day, as will be seen by our report of its proce-dings. Mr Harris had a warm discussion with the Chief Comover the accuracy of the previous week s minutes ; be also complained of the Gommisioner s conduct in entering a minute without knowing that it* contents were true,

The quarterly meeting of the Otago Licensed Victuallers’ Association was held last evening in the Fire Brigade rooms ; the president, Mr Carroll, in the chair. The quarterly report of the committee was unanimously adopted, and a large number of new members were admitted. A number of accounts were examined and passed, and a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings. Entries for the Dunedin Canary and Poultry Association were closed last night, with the following result Poultry, 180; canaries, 110 ; pigeons, 85 ; idairy produce, 50 ; rabbits, 3. Besides the foregoing, which are set down for competition, the committee expect that over 100 entries will be made for exhibition only. The show is fixed to take place on Friday and Saturday, the 11th and 12th inst., in the Octagon Drill-shed. Delays are almost invariably occasioned at inquests owing to the difficulty iu getting the whole of the jurors together at the appointed hour. At an inquest held at the Hospital to-day the coroner (Mr T. M. Heckeni expressed bis determination to fine for the future all absentees when the jury list was called over. He said that during the last few inquiries there were repeated delays in getting the jury together, and that not only was his time wasted but also that of witnesses and others. At this morning’s sitting of the Supreme Court iu banco, in the caie of Wallace v. Dewar, Mr Stout moved for a nonsuit or new trial on the grounds that the previous verdict was against the weight of evidence, and that the learned Judge should have directed the jury to find that there was uo reasonable or probable cause. A rule nisi was granted. Mr Macassey being unwell, the cases in which he ia engaged were adjourned till to-morrow, and the argument in Macassey v. Bell was adjourned for a week. Constables Conn and Devine, after dragging for some hours yesterday, recovered the body of the laborer Charles Burgess, who was drowned on Monday evening at Anderson’s Bay. It was found about 160 yards from the bridge, and an inquest was held at the Hospital to-day, before Mr Hocken, Coroner. Joseph Burgess, brother of deceased, William Hooper, commission agent, and John Wilkes, cabinet-maker, gave evidence as to seeing deceased under the influence of drink shortly beiore he was missed, and the jury returned a verdict of “ accidentally drowned.”

A good deal of speculation has taken place as to the richness of the Blue Spur tailings. We (‘ Tuapeka Times ’) are informed that the Gabriels Gully Quartz Mining Company are putting through their battery fifty tons of the tailings taken from close proximity to Morrison and Co.’s and the Perseverance Company’s tailraces. While the result will be anxiously looked for, we do not for a moment consider it will be anything like a satisfactory test of the auriferous character of a large portion of the tailings, as it is generally admitted by all parties that the quantity of gold that escaped in the tailings in the early days of Blue Spur sluicing was far larger than it has been for the last few years. A good story has been going the rounds of the Empire City, A member of the Lower Chamber received an invitation to dine at Government House; and on a certain evening presented himself, in full evening costume, to the astonishment of his Excel” lency’s household. r i here was nothing for it but to show the hon. member for Someplace into the dining-room, where were only seated the members of his Excellency’s family. Ultimately the truth flashed aero s the hon, gentleman’s mind that there must bo a mistake, and a glance at his card showed bin* that he came the wrong evening. His feelings may be imagined ; and there are some people spiteful enough to say that he was never before, known to have so completely lost his appetite. The quarterly meeting of the Presbytery of Dunedin was held in the First Church Ibis morning. The Rev. Dr Stuart was appointed Moderator for the next six months, and took the chair. The call from North Taierl in favor of the Rev, J. M. Sutherland was sustain'd, and was accepted by Mr Suthc-r land. A meeting of the Presbytery was appointed to hear Mr Sutherland’s trials at rJabt Taieii on Tuesday, the 15th inst., aud his ordiuatdon was fixed for Wednesday, loth inst , at two o’clock, at North Taieri! It was resolved that the te y recommend the Synod to appoint two tutors for the I heological College. It was also resolved that stops be taken for the presentation of the ■ call from the First Church to the Rev. Lindsay Mackie, of Victoria. Oaversham was made a sanc-ioned charge, Mr J. P. Armstrong delivered a lecture last night at the Masonic Hall in aid of the funds of the Sailors’-Home, The chair was occupied by his Worship the Mayor, and the subject of the lecture was “ An Irish Pilgrims Progress through America and Australia.” Mr Armstrong explained that the lecture was a narrative of his own personal experience during a sojourn in America, between the years 1848 aud 1850, together with adventures iu Australia, commencing a year or so later. The lecture was interesting, and was rendered very amusing by the humor of the lecturer. At the conclusion Mr H. S. Fish, jun., proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Armstrong, saying he regretted the attendance was not larger, and expressing a hope that it would be re-de-livered on some future occa ion under more favorable circumstances. The motion was seconded by Mr Stout, and carried unanimously.

Ihe annual meeting of the Dunedin Golf Club was held last night, at Wain’s Hotel ; Mr 0. It. Howden, captain of the Club, in the chair. The balance sheet for the past year was read and adopted. The following were the winners during the past year : Bruntsfield medal, Mr J. Thompson ; St Andrew’s Cross, Mr D. Hood; the cup, Mr P. Adair ; Club medal, Mr ii. Todd, sen. • cup presented by Messrs Ritchie and Davie’ Messrs G. Todd, jun., and T. Andrew, jun! The following gentlemen were elected officebearers for the ensuing year ;—Captain, Professor Shand; honorary secretary and treasurer, Mr Parks ; committee, Messrs Baxter, Hood, and Holmes; handicappers, Messrs Shand, Munson, and Hood. Mr Howden offered a prize of L 5, to be competed for on the same day as the BruntsHeld medal, and Mr Telfer intimated his intention of giving a medal, to be played for on Hew Year’s day. Mr T. Andrew, jun., also signified his intention of presenting a medal to the Club for competition during the ensuing year, in place of that presented by Mr Davie, and of which he was the winner. There was but % slight change in the programme at the Princess’ Theatre last evening, when Smith’s Combination Troupe gave their second performance. The dress-circle was largely patronised, but the pit and stalls were literally crammed The programme of the preceding evening, with one or two minor exceptions, was repeated. The duet by Mdlie. Montebello and Mr St. Vincent was received with applause, and, upon being encored, the latter favored the audience with a song of his own composition. Young England and Alberto, on tbe double ropes, surpassed themselves, aud when their respective ages are taken into consideration, their performances are truly wonderful. Professor Saunders’s airs ou the Welsh harp were skilfully executed, and were worthy of him. Val Vose, who is an entertainment in himself, again held converse with Mrs Brown I

and Johnny Trotter, and created immense laughter by the comical expressions he caused to issue apparently from the mouth of Mr Trotter. The first part concluded with the De Castro Family on the afirial rings. After the interval, Airec appeared on the swinging trapeze, and the ease and confidence with which he balanced himself upon the bar without having recourse to the use of his bands, struck the audience with mingled astonishment and admiration. Mr St. Vincent then sang two original songs, and was greeted with approbation, JThe performance concluded with the Dc Castro Family, whose clever tumbling, combined with the laughable antics of the younger members, secured for them the largest share of applause bestowed upon any portion of the entertainment. 'J he management are entitled to praise for the promptitude with which the programme is gone through, one item succeeding another with merely one minute’s inttrmusion ; and therefore, as a natural consequence, the interest in the performance is sustained from beginning to end. The usual meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society will be held this evening at 6 o’clock. An entertainment in aid of Jthe Waikari school funds will be held in the schoolhouse tomorrow evening. Members of the Lodge of Dunedin will meet at the Masonic Hall, this evening, at 7.30, to attend the installation of the officers of the District Grand Lodge.