DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 941, 2 August 1871, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

[prom odb own correspondent.] July 22. The session of the Provincial Council was brought to a close on Thursday, and not a bit too soon, for the proceedings were daily becoming more and more disgraceful, both to the members and the Province. After fighting over the Land Resolutions till they came near tearing each other's eyes out, the question of the honorarium cropped up again, and then ensued a series of the most disgraceful scenes, in which some of the country members, and one or two of the town members too, fairly revelled. The last Council was bad enough, but in some respects the present one is a great deal worse. If some improvement cannot be made in the sort of men we elect for representative legislators, the sooner Provincialism is altered the better. The session lasted from the 25th of May, and I have no hesitation in saying that all they have done could have been easily managed in three week. The Council consists of« too many members, and the work they have to do could be far better done were there only one-half the number —20 or 23, instead of 46. At the prorogation, on Thursday, the Superintendent, knowing, I suppose, his unpopularity with the majority of the Council, did not venture upon his usual criticisms of the doings of the Council during the session, bat simply announced what was the fate of the various measures passed, and then declared the Council prorogued. The case against F. W. Reichelt fox fire-raising, in connection with the late blaze in the Cutting, which has been occupying the time of the Mayor's Court for the last fortnight or so, was brought to a close on Monday, by the Bench finding there was a case for the accused to answer, and remitting him for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court. No sooner is one long case concluded than another is started up to take its place. On Thursday his Honor the Superintendent and the members of his Executive Council appeared in the Mayor's Court to answer a charge brought against them by the well-known squatter, Mathew Holmes, of causing an obstruction in the harbor, by depositing rubbish in the mouth of Anderson's Bay. The works in question form part of a road which has long been much wanted by the inhabitants of the harbor side of the Peninsula. This road crosses the mouth of Anderson's Bay partly on a bank of earth, and partly on pile-bridges, so as to allow of a free flow of the tidal water. Holmes lives in a house which stands on a little peninsula on the eastern shore of the bay, and his look-out would, perhaps, be varied by the passage of people and carriages to and fro, and so the ground of action, at least the harm that would be done to his property, would be nothing, as compared with the great convenience to both town and country residents. After some evidence had been taken the case was adjourned till Tuesday. The polling for the election of Mayor took place yesterday, and resulted in the return of Mr Fish, who has held the chair for the past year. There was a good deal of . ex citeme-nt .durins thA -afternoon, and a considerable crowd gathered round the usual place in Water street, previous to the declaration, and indulged in the usual chaff while waiting. Shortly after five o'clock the Town Clerk read out the numbers as follows :— -Fish, 762 ; Thoneman, 633 ; Birch, 179 ; thus giving a majority for Fish over Thoneman of 129. The candidates briefly addressed the meeting, and the proceedings terminated. Some of the Ward elections will be contested. The annual meeting of the Otago Institute took place on Monday evening, in the Library of the Provincial Council, kindly lent for the purpose. The report was read by the Secretary, and it showed a very flourishing state of affairs— all expenses paid, a liberal sum appropriated to form a library, and a small balance over to begin the year with. There are now 124 members en the roll. The retiring Vice-President, Mr J. S. Webb, read a short paper on the work of the past year ; and Captain Hutton, of the Colonial Survey, who was present, addressed the meeting on the ornithological collection in the Museum. Some new members were elected, and then the office-bearers for next year were balloted for. An interesting meeting took place yesterday, in the hall of the University, namely— the awarding of the three medals annually given by the Chamber of Commerce to the pupils of the High School, and also the silver pen given by Mr J. S. Webb. There was a large attendance of the friends of the pupils, Mr E. B. Cargill being in the chair. The gold medal was gained by Park, the first silver medal by Solomon, and the second silver medal by Harper. The silver pen was awarded to Morrison. The examination papers passed through the hands of Professor Shand, who expressed thorough satisfaction with the work done, and said that the examination-papers were " very Still. The weather during the past week has been very stormy, the wind blowing at different times from all the points of the compass. On Tuesday there was quite a hot wind blowing from the northwest, strong and puffy, which dried the roads and sent dust flying as if it had been summer. Last night and this morning a hard sou-wester has been blowing, with a good deal or bright lightning. With all the wind their has been very little rain the heaviest shower was last night, when it fell for about an hour without stopping