The Evening Star. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3661, 16 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1874.

Mr Steward, at Oamaru, thew out a speculative idea respecting making the land fund of the Colony common property when he said : ( That were the whole landed revenue of the Colony thrown into one common fund, and, after deuucting the Colonial charges, divided P''?, accol 'ding to the population, the Middle Island constituencies would, in the lonorun, benefit, as with the dying out of Native opposition to the opening of the roads and railwaj's in the North Island an enormous area, of valuable land would come into the marketi

Possibly Mr Steward may be correct as to the actual amount that might ultimately fall to the share of Otago and Canterbury, as those two Provinces undoubtedly contain the largest populations of the Colony ; but there are two uncertainties which render the consideration of such a proposition impossible. In the first place there is no certainty that the “ enormous area of valuable land ” will be purchasable at prices likely to render it profitable as a Colonial speculation ; and, secondly, the time when it will be in the market is so indefinite, that although the landless Provinces would reap immediate advantage from sharing in the laud revenue of Canterbury and Otago, the reciprocating benefit might be so long delayed as to render it worthless. MiSteward, as a member of Parliament, we believe to be conscientious and anxious that his duty to the Colony shall not be sacrificed to local prejudices. 1 raiseworthy as this is, it is apt to generate divided, and consequently weak convictions of duty in minds in which clear views of policy do not subsist. Unfortunately there are too many members of this class in Otago, and to this has been owing those divisions of opinion that have so frequently neutralised the influence the feoutli suould have exerted on Colonial politics. The idea seems to be entertained that because the country has been divided into Provinces in which certain settlements have been formed each of those settlements should be mused Golonially, and the weak nourished at the expense of the strong. That must be the natural result of the creation of a general land fund. No doubt it is a very charitable notion ; we may even go farther, and call it chivalric, although we should perhaps be nearer the mark if we used the burlesque term “ quixotic.” What claim have those landless Provinces upon the rest of the Colony 1 If it be replied that they are under the same General Government, and therefore equally entitled to participate in its benefits with richer the Provinces, we quite admit the inhabitants have an equal right to the protection of the law and to all that is included in the terms of their settlement; but on asking to share in the proceeds of southern lands they seek to obtain more than that. They knew the terms on which they purchased what property they hold ; by investing their money on those conditions they entered into u contract with the Colony ; it was not forced upon them, but was a voluntary act on their parts, and they have, therefore, not the slightest right whatever to say that because Otago and Canterbury have prospered more than they, part of the revenue of those Provinces shall be devoted to raising them to an artificially prosperous position. In most cases in llio North Island laud was obtained at merely nominal prices compared with those paid in this island, and therefore will bear a local tax for the improvement of its value by the construction of public

works; aiid it should be left to the landowners, if they want roads or bridges or other means of development, to . ni; dce them at their own expense, with the certainty that by so doing they are adopting means to enrich themselves. Whenever questions of this class are mooted, thev alwavs appear to ns to be only looked at on one side. Mr Steward and many others see tliat money spent on the North Island may improve the value of everv estate affected by the outlay ; but they never consider that, to a like extent, the power of development in the Provinces from which the revenue was taken would be weakened. It is a levelling process, something like the dreams that used to delight old communists, who, in their equalising theories, proposed to divide the property and wealth of a country equally .amongst all men in it. By such a plan superior skill, energy, intellect, and industry would be of no avail; the strong and weak, the wise and foolish, the provident and improvident, would share alike. The colonization of New Zealand, more than any modern Colony, bears an analogy to the division of labor in society. Different Provinces offered diverse inducements to settlers: the whole land was before them, and some were attracted by one prospect, some by another. In the first instance the bouth was the least promising, but has yielded the best results. In the North already the colonists have received more than they contracted for—they have been helped in danger and diiliculty by Southern revenues ; their estates have had a positive value given to them that they would not otherwise have had, and there is no greater reason why they should be raised to an artificial prosperity by weakening their richer neighbors, than there is for taking from the superior wages of a good workman to place an interior artizan on a social equality with him. Mr Steward’s idea, however specious, is too chimerical to be practical, apart from the circumstance that to adopt such a plan would be to give way a certainty for an uncertainty. We have a land revenue now, but are we certain we should have one from profit on the purchase of Native lands'!

le Jones contemplates removing from Clyde to Queenstown. Xt is stated that IVXr * liver has resigned his seat as M.P.C. for Mount Ida

Mr R. IX. Leary has been appointed Provisional Trustee 'under the provisions of tbe Bankruptcy Act of list session.

Workmen are now bu lly engaged in putting in the foundations for t - e 'engine shed at Oamaru, and platelaying has been c mmencecl close to tbe railway sTation.

At a meeting of the Press Chib ou Saturday evening, Mr Justice Chapman w-.s elected a life member, and Mr G.'*K, Butm au honorary. A vote of thanks was awarded to the president, (Mr Belli for his donation ot L 5 towards tbe library fuud “ Elizabeth ” was repeated at the Xhincess' on Saturday evenin’ to a very nmnerms amheuec. which testified it; approval of Mr Bat s’a vigorous acting bv repeatedly cdling her before the curtain. “ Rosedale *' wi Ibe played this evening.

. to some alterations br-ing effected in th Provincial Council Ball, which is situated directly above the Resident Magistrate’s Court, the business of the latter will be carried on in the Supreme Court till th • repairs are completed.

On Saturday evening, Mr A. H. Slmry, has been promoted to the agency of the Union Bank at Ashburton. Canterb iry Frovmce, was 'ntertained at Wain’s Hotel by his fellow officers and some personal friends, and presented with an address and purse of sovereigns as a slight recognition of his uniform courtesy and obliging manner as an officer of the Union Bank during the past fourteen years. * Two runs were submitted for sale on Tuesday. at Queenstown. One applied for by Mr Kirkpatrick was purchased at the upset price of one-half-penny per acre. Tim run‘is of the extent of 40,000 acres, asses-ed as capable of carrying 2.500 sheep. The price is. therefore LS3 6s 8d This run is between the Haast and the Head of the Lake The other is at the head of the Waoaka Lake, G 200 acres in extent, and capible of carrying 600 sheep. The price obtained was Ll4O, or (ive-ponce half-penny per acre, the purchaser being the applicant, Mr D. Cameron. ( ! n the goldfields, more especially in the “good old time?,” reports of rich finds were of daily occurrence ; but of late such reports are fiw and far between—like angels’ visits. Howevo , remarks the ‘ Duuatau Times, there is now current a report that Lindsay, Anderson, and party, who are working on the Clyde Commonag- at the rear of the town, have struck a remarkably rmh deposit of golden dirt, from which there is every reasonable hope they will be well repaid for the labor and cost in constructing thtir water-race and the opening of ther claim. °

The deputation appointed at the meetnig a. Mofigiol on the 9 hj instant, was introdneed to the superintendent this morning by i i J). Keul, M. P.C., and submitted reasons for the construction of the Outram branch line being taken by way of Mosgiol. His Honor, after hearing the deputation, promised that a surrey of the line should be n i a .l u ’ ™ lth . a X le , w to ashing the concurrence of the Provincial Council at its next session to its construction. His Honor also observed to at the set tiers should be prepared to give free the laud along which the line would have to be earned.

It will be remembered that at the close of * nnmg v. Mai tin—the Comet case—application was made by the plaintiff on behalf of those who took out their passages in Christchurch for a warrant for the arrest of M Uroy, for having, as they alleged, obtauicd money under false pretences. A wan-ant for Ins arrest was afterwards issued, and M Hroy was arrested ; hut being unabe to find bail was taken in custody on board the Maori, to bo transferred to Dunedin. 7die case wu be heard before Mr Bathgate at two o clock, to-uinrnnv. Mr E. Cook prosecutes for Martin J'inn, the informant.

Yet again do wc hear from Hobart down •iu !• V° '/ capture of a real salmon ho lisn tuat has now boon caught in the Bower Derwent is claimed to bo the smolt ot a true salmon on its first journey seaward, and a very lino specimen, weighing nearly one pound. The • Mercury ’ says that it is almost a counferparG of the fish scut to Dr Gunther, in the early part of 1870, and w-ich ne pronounced to present all the usual charaetetast cj by which th© trfi© ©almoh

(.sir/mo salm-)is distinguished from the nearest iiliies. The ncurreuce each spring of specimens of smolt on their downward journey proves that the parent fi.h must have visited the upper waters and oop idled ova year after year, and nothing lui patience is wanting to demonstrate the fuecc-ss of the experiment ; and; nothing should bo better calculated to induce that patience than the recurrence, if even at long intervals, of such specimens as that just added to the evidences of successful acclimatisation. What is evidently a clear case of inesdiar'sm is now being investigated by the police, and to-morrow or next day will f ~rm the subject of inquiry by the Cor ner. On the left-hand side of Dowling street, and nearly opposite the bell Power, is a large, and old wooden building, now occupied as a boardia ■'•house and registry c fficc by a Mrs Dick, who rents it from Mrs Clayton, a former occupant. At nine o’c’ock on Wednesday evening. Mrs Diek went out of the house, leaving in it h«r husband, Mrs Clayton, and two lolg-rs, one of the latter being confined to his bed. cm her return, aft.r anout an. hoar’s absence, she smelt lire, and saw smoke in the kitchen, and a search led to the discovery of ti;e betw cn the walls of the kitchen and passage, hut having obtained wry sight ho d it was e-’-sily extinguished. Between the walls was found a quantity of burnt ashes, wood, and charcoal, which coaid only have been pi iced there by an inmate of the hnise. the furniture in the hou e belongs to Mrs l lapton, and is injure I in the Loudon and Lancashire office for b‘2so

W we are spending thousmds of pounds in bringing immigrates into the country, we set our faces, a> the member for Uruce is apt to say. against the natural means the Colony' possesses of populating the country. The case of Cmisoable Joyce, of the Armed Constabulary, will enable M" Murrey to point a moral. Joyce served in the onomal force tor twelve years, during the wade of which time he bore an unblemished character. Being dc-irous of tutoring the maniage state, he applied for the u-mal permission, which, in a case of this kind, is a mere nutter of form. While waiting for the reply from Wellington, he made all preparations, and his in ten led had come to Upotiki, when his application was returned, he having inadvertently omitted to euclo.eacertilioate of character. Heim mediately repaired the omission ; but, everyth ng being in readiness, oil nob delay the marriage. Kesnlc : disgraceful and instant di missal for “ disobedience to the rubs of the service.” 'I be usual course in such cases has been t.) iutbet a trilling tine of one guinea, and administer a caution ; but this will not n>w sttisfy the outraged proprieties of an overgrown officialism.

Tne usual monthly meeting of the Union Permanent Building Society will bo held this evening.

The days on which the targets will be available for the various volunteer companies will be seen in our advertising columns, A general meeting of the I. 0.0. XL will be held in the Oriental Hotel to-morrow evening, at 8 o’clock, when it is intended to present a testimonial to tbe retiring 0. Al. 13ro. Mdchie, The first of Madame Goddard’s concerts takes [dace at the Queen's Theatre on Friday evening, when the world-renowned pianists will perform twice, and be assisted by Mrs Smythe, Messrs Raiuford and Manner, and by Mr Harcourt Lee as accompanyist. Madame Goddard having announced her concert for Friday, it has been thought inadvisable on the part of the Dunedin Choral Society to give their concert that evening. The date when the latter will be given will be stated in a future issue.