DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 916, 4 July 1871, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

[from our own correspondent.] June 24. The business done in the Provincial Council during the week has been rather important, or rather it has an important tendency, for actual legislation on th-j various matters discussed has yet to take place. The Government Land Resolutions were passed by a large majority, but they have yet to undergo the ordeal of being made into a Bill, when they will -n all likelihood have to be considerably altered and amended in various places. On their Land Policy the Government seem more than half-inclined to meet the views of the Opposition on several important points, which will give the Bill, when passed here, a much better chance of being acceptable to the General Assembly, through which body it must pass before it can become law. Ido not know what our councillors would do without the J annual discussion on the Land Laws, they are made quite a stalking-horse of by some of them. An attempt was made to sway the Council into giving an opinion iv favor of the County system during the week. Dr Menzies (Mataura) introduced the subject in a pretty able speech, and a few members followed in support. But the opinion of the Council was evidently in favor of the support of the Provincial system, at least for a few years longer, though a motion "to prepare a Bill " on the subject was carried. Considerable alteration was proposed in the present system of managing the Road Boards of the Province, all in the way of giving the Boards considerably more power, and freeing them from the domination of the General Board, which body it is proposed to do away with altogether, as it has been - felt to be more of a clog than a check upon the action of the District Boards. How the County system and the new Roads system will work together will be a rather difficult problem to solve. The recent stoppage of the train on Sundays on the Bluff railway led to a long discussion on Thursday, on a motion to the effect that one train at least should be run ou that day. Most of the members expressed their opinion for or against, and. on a division the motion was affirmed by a fair majority. The Education question has been remitted to a committee for consia~ — J.l-U, -vu-pvutiivju-'frum various "bodies of Roman Catholics in the province, complaining of the system at present in vogue. These long discussions do not .help forward the bnsiness of the Council very much, and there is yet a great deal to do. The Financial statement is expected to be brought forward on Monday, when we shall have an opportunity of seeing how the new Treasurer (Mr Bradshaw) shapes in his endeavors to make both ends meet, and at the same time satisfy the many craving wants that are sure to be crowded on him from both town and country. The inquest on the late fire in Princes street was concluded on Monday night, when the jury gave a verdict to the effect that the fire was accidentally caused. This verdict is far from satisfying the police or the public, so many queer circumstances attending the case, so Reichelt was detained in custody, and has since been examined before the magistrates and remanded, bail being allowed. He is very much burned, and under medical treatment. What makes the matter worse as against him is a fact since discovered — that a large quantity of goods which belonged to him has been discovered in a house tenanted by a carpenter named Goldammer, who has been arrested as an accessory before the fact, and remanded till Monday, when both he and Reichelt will be further examined. In the meantime the premises remain in charge of the police, and present a curious contrast to the other houses in the street. Some singular cases came before Mr Strode, R.M., yesterday, About a week ago, Lumb, revenue officer, made a raid upon some bottle license holders in dif* ferent parts of the town, and seized sundry barrels of ale, which he alleged were exposed for sale in contravention of the clause of the Act referring thereto. Lumb was rather peremptory in giving, his orders in the matter, and when the cases came before the Court he lost them and had to pay costs. Yesterday he was summoned for t he loss of the beer and for special damages resulting from the affair — one party claiming LSO. After hearing, the Magistrate decided against Lumb, and awarded, in four cases, damages to the amount of L3l los, as well as costs in each case. If bottlers are to exist at all they must have ale to put in theii bottles, and this ale they get from the brewers in larger or smaller casks and seem to bottle as they want it. The cases will likely be heard of again in the Appeal Court. The longrlooked for ship Wild Deer, from Glasgow, with the Professors for the new University on board, arrived on Wednesday, all well. She had about 150 passengers, all classes. A meeting of the ' University Council takes place to day, for \ the purpose of introducing the Professors, , arranging for the day of opening, and other matters. The alterations on the * University building, which have been • going on for some weeks, are now nearly ', completed. ; The English pedestrians, Harris and ' i Hewitt, haye been here for the past week ■ or two, and arrangements were. ' made for j holding an afternoon's sport in the usual ! f place, the North Recreation Ground. On ! applying to the City Council for the requisite permission, however, the peds were • rather curtly refused. On representation * being made to the Council of the nature i of the proposed sports, a special meeting I was called and permission granted, but on the express understanding that no charge c was to be made, fpr admittance. This v was contrary to all former custom, as c similar affairs had come off on the ground ? frequently, at which the usual charge was t made, so the Committee in charge of the

sports (which included some of the medfc bers of the Caledonian Society) advertised their programme, with the addition that the charge for admission would be Is. There was some tall talk at the meeting of the City Council on Wednesday about the a.Tar, duiing which motives and personalities were freely indulged va. The Committee withdrew the charge from the advertisement, and intimated that a subscription to defray expense would be made. The Council * c stands on' its dignity," and advertises that all charges are illegal. Meanwhile, there appears a lot of angry correspondence on the matter, and the sports come off this afternoon. The whole matter is very simple. The North ground is the only place where such sports can be held. The ground is enclosed with a high fence for the very purpose of enabling charges to be made for admission ; the Caledonian Socie'ty have erected a spacious stand to enable ladies and children to see and enjoy without mixing in the crowd below ; and it is very little frequented by the public on other occasions. If we are to have the visits of such distinguished runners as these, it is but right they should have some encouragement, and one of the most obvious and easy ways of so encouraging them is that they should have the gate money, in order to defray their expenses, and enable them to pay their way. These men have been very well received in the other Provinces, and this is a very ungracious style of treatment they are receiving from our authorities. A very pretty schooner was launched at Pelichet Bay last Saturday. She was named Janet Ramsay, as she slid off the wsys, is to be employed in the coasting trade, measures about 50 tons, will have a high class, and is expected to sail fast. The weather has been very, mild all week ; though the streets and roads have dried up fairly, there have been a few showers. Now that the shortest day is past, it is likely the weather will get a little more severe.