DUNEDIN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1201, 4 June 1872, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

(FROM OUlt OWK CORRESPONDENT.) ■''" '■■■'■•''■■■' - May 2s. -■: 1 This has been a very lively week wtyh the Provincial Council. The members have gone into the business heartUy, and^f^w the debates have at times been'characterised by a good deal of vivacity, 1 very ;? different from the dull tameness of those of the previous * eeks. The r Estimateshave been nearly all passed, and with but * very little alteration, members being generally satisfied with the amount placed * opposite the various items by the Tretsurer, though here and therey -as usual, the old fight between.tqwn and country regarding some of the local appropriations took place, and pretty sharply too. 'Over | /■ the Supplemental y Estimates there will * f : be more fighting, as the Government have '^ ■allowed fully for everything for which * ;t there is money expected, and intimate that if more items are voted, it will only, be at' the cost of something f or which :■■■■ there is quite as much need. Among other 'business that of , Education has „. cropped up again, and sundry discussions... >.; have taken place on various points. A Bill has been introduced to alter the .' existing Ordinance so far as regards Bible M reading, which is now compulsory, but i' which it is proposed to make optional, "of ■ri rather to dp. left to the discretion of the .Committee, and to be read without com- \ ment. The new Roads Ordinance and the Counties- and Shires Bill have met , ! with considerable favor ; but both are " rather complicated, arid will require simplifying ere they can be easily worked* "■'_■ It is proposed that a number of/cp^erv' :- minous Road Districts, with an average ?! aggregate income of L2OOO per annum, should unite or" amalgamate to form a ; ; county,. of which the districts would form ridings. In this "way it is expected that the energies of the various Board 3 will 1}&, concentrated, and the expenses of manager ment considerably lessened. The newly-,- .. n elected member for the Peninsula introduced a string of resolutions having for, •„ ? their object, the better government of ithe Province, entailing a complete reyoluaon ..„•> of the existing state of .matters. „;The first " two resolutions were the most important, V; and rau as follows :— *' That inview of ,, >' the radical changes about to be effected^ in the administration of the affairs of the Province by the introduction of such measures as the Counties and Roads Districts Ordinances^ this Council is of opinion— lst. That the present system 0f . «,, responsible, Government should- be abofc' | ished as cumbersome, and calculated to retard business. 2. That for the future the Government of the Province, should r be carried on by a. Board, to consist; of the, 5 Superintendent and members of this Council, (to be nominated for that purpose, . by the Council) ; such Board to meet two - days in the week (or oftener, if necessary); that the Superintendent act as chairman of such Board, or in his absence a chairman to be "elected as hereafter provided." ; On these resolutions an amendment was moved by Mr Macassey, even more revc^- " lutionary still :— " Ist. That this Council = shall consist of not more than 19 mem- ,- bers, who shall be elected for, and returned by, the electoral districts created . by the Representation Act, 1870, and Amendment Act, 1871. '2. That the : Executive Council shall consist of not more than two members of this Council, 1 ' in addition, to his Honor the Superintendent." A rather interesting discussion took place on these motions, but it was evident, from the tone of members, that the Council is not ripe enough for the - adoption of either. Indeed, it will take a year or two's agitation out of the Council . to render it possible for the constituencies generally to appreciate or even understand x, the bearings of the alteration. Perhaps a i^modification of the second series is the best, for it is admitted that the number. „ of Councillors is too great, arid a rer" ', duction necessary, one result of which : would be. that better men would /be re- .';. turned. . ; . „ Seeing the brilliant success which has ' attended the establishment of the Mosgiel '.', .... tweed factory, it has been proposed that : r a similar bonus should be offered for the establishment in the Province of a paper .mill, the sum offered being LI6OO, on - terras somewhat ; si»nilar to •: the : cloih factory. . j The Queen's Birthday in D.unedin ,ia , generally a wet one, but ye3ter lay proved S . a glorious exception to the rule, being * fine, mild, and bright, with a brisk puffy breeze from nor' -west. The consequence ,* was that nearly everybody turned out on -pleasure bent. Loyalty, of course, was i the order of the day, and there was a liberal supply of bunting, both afloat and ashore. First iii.point of time was the parade of the Volunteers, but there .was, ;. from some cau se or . other, a great falling * r * off in the muster, the turn-out being very small indeed, most of tho companies being | . represented by a mere skeleton. The usual fe\trde-joie and salute were fired ; at noon' " the Naval Brigade assembled and fired' a salute from their Howitzers. The i m6st important event of the day was the Tradesmen's Races, which came off on the Forbury course. They comprised the folio wing races, for which good prizes were offered) and a fair field started:— Hurdler Race, won by Pritchard's Don Pedro j\^ Maiden Platej won by- SmitWsißJay Queen; .Birthday Handicap, won by.. Reany's Little Nell ; Trotting Race, won ' by McDonald's Jeanie Deans;' Tradesmen 3,^, Handicap, woriby Gonrley's Bobbyßurns f > , Butchers' Handicap, won by Gardners German Louis; Hack Race, won by - Paddy. The course was. in fair order, and ? the competition spirited for vthe various 1 prizes. There was a large attendance of the public, though the sober habits of the' community would hardly make the speculation of those who rented the refreshment booth a paying one. With the exception of one trifling accident, all went well. The sports were over by half-past four, and every one would be safely home : before a smart shower of rain came on just at the darkening of the evening; In the £ evening there were several soirees, and* one or two balls. Professor Haselmayer opened again in the Masonic Hall after an up-country tour for the last three nights of the weekj and has good houses. The Theatre has also been very well patronised ; last night; in;* particular, the lessees were rewarded^ with a bumper house. Murray's World Circus was to have opened last night, but in cqnsequeric^ of the^ building not being com-^ pleted, they open, to-night instead. -** j On Saturday last considerable excitement w,as pecasipned by the .arrival of the - si. s. Rihgaiira from Auckland with eight " long-sentenced' prisoners for^ confinement in our, gaol. Among them was the noto. rious Haley, the fiw»i»iser, -he,.^wlio

created ao much excitement ia Auckland a little time ago. A large crowd gathered on the jetty to see the prisoners debark and march along in pars to the gaol. They have since been employed in outdoor labor at the clearing away of the debris from Bell Hill, at a short distance from the prison walls. Opinions here are pretty eqtially divided as to the policy of such a Btep; but a» the Province ig recouped for their keep, &c, and will be benefited by their labor, the arguments are in favor of keeping them here and making the most of them.