Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 537, 26 December 1857, Page 4

Colonial.

OTAGO,

We have papers by the Bosworth reaching from the date of our last advices to the 18th instant.

The returns of Provincial revenue and expenditure for the year ending 30th September are published. The Customs receipts (threeeighths of gross, amounted to £2,936, and those from Waste Lands £13,628, which, with smaller items, make the provincial revenue for the year £18,982. The saving on the year's income amounted to nearly £4,000 over the expenditure. The budget adopted for next year shows a total expenditure of £48,670, of which £10,000 is for immigration, and £6,300 for education. The current revenue is estimated at about £16,000.

The Provincial Council, whose meeting we noted in our last advices, sat till November 16, having passed eight-* ordinances, of which five were reserved for the Governor's assent. One most unpleasant subject occu* pied the latest consideration of the Council. It appears that Mr. Proudfoot, late chief commissioner and treasurer of the Waste Lands Board, left his accounts in some confusion at his death. All monies received on the land account, it seems, ought to have been placed and kept in a strong box in his office. Mr. Proudfoot died on the 14th October, and from that day to the 6th Nov., Mr. McGlashan acted asinterim treasurer, but ,did not obtain the key of the chest or otherwise ascertain its contents. Mr. Cutten on being appointed chief commissioner and treasurer, ascertained that the balance in the treasurer's hands on the 14th October should have been £1,929 14s. sd. and applied for the key of the. chest to Mr. Macandrew, Mr. Proudfoot's executor. Mr. Macandrew demurred a while to delivering the key, but forwarded it on the 10th Nov. when the chest was opened and £705 only found therein. A large quantity of money was found in; MrZ-Proudfoot's house, but not quite sufficient to meet the deficiency. There were immediately available assets, but in consequence of money belonging to various persons being also in Mr. Proudfoot's hands his executors declined paying over the available cash to the Land Office chest. These irregularities were enquiied into by a special committee of the Council, and a strongly worded report presented on the subject, which proved the subject of a stormy debate. It will be sufficient to say that botli parties in the house and both newspapers endeavour to make political capital of the circumstance.

Mr. Cutten is the new Commissioner and Treasurer, and Mr. Macandrew is the Executor of Mr. Proudfoot; they are chiefs of the two opposing parties, and hence the storm rages between them without much reference to the late Mr. Proudfoot's share in the matter, except in the expression of a natural wish on both sides to shelter his character from odium withanother opportunity. The Boswoth.—An interesting meeting was held by the .first-class cabin passengers, in the cuddy of the Bosworth, on Thursday evening, the 26thNovember, for the purpose of expressing to Captain Turnbull their thanks for the manner in which he had conducted himself towards them during their passage. Mr. Robert A. Tariton, at the request of hi.? fellow-passen-gers, read an Address to the captain, signed by all the first-class cabin passengers. After several eulogistic remarks, Mr. Eobert Tariton presented Captain Turnbull with Thirteen Guineas, to be expended in a present for Mrs. Turnbull, as a small token of the esteem in which her husband was held by those who had committed themselves to his care. Mr. W. W. Waite, in an earnest manner, expressed the high esteem in which he held Captain Turnbull, both as a gentleman and a commander. Captain Turnbull's reply was full of kindly wishes for the prosperity of the passengers and of the Colony which they had selected for their future homes. Mr. P. Walker next spoke, and after referring in warmest terms of admiration to the captain, expressed to Dr. Nelson, who had acted as Burgeon during the voyage, his high estimate of the doctor's mental culture and medical skill. These remarks were cordially sustained by Mr. Pavitt, of Akaroa. In expressing his thanks for the feeling manifested towards, him, Dr. Nelson said that he trusted that wherever' his lot might be cast, it would always give h\in pleasure to be the means of promoting the health of those by whom he might be surrounded.—Colonist, Dec. 4th.