OTAGO.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 651, 2 February 1859, Page 3

OTAGO.

Prom this province we have papers by the Swan and Ashley to the 28th ult.

An explanation is given.of the causes which led to the recent disallowance of the proposed Debentures Ordinance, which was to authorise, a new loan of £25,0C0, . It seems by, a letter from the Colonial/Secretary that the rule of presenting, resolutions from the Council, praying for permission, had hot been complied with, but that the ordinance would be forwarded, and permission asked from the imperial authorities .to assent to it. On this question.the 'Colonist' has the following:— . '•" The Loan Ordinance 1858, passed by the Pro« vincial Cquncil of, the Province of Otago, having been laid before the Governor, his, Excellency has .been pleased to withhold;his/assents ; fromthe same." Such is; the f amount of information furnished by the Gazette with regard to a measure upon which our proposed operations for the ensuing: year were based, and upon.which bur progressive development and advance mainly depend.- It is scarcely to be supposed, however/that the Provincial Council or the public will rest satisfied without spirie fuller explanation of the grounds upon which the, rising .energies.',of,the prpyiiice/have thus been nipped in tlie.bud by.the.ruri-jpbbing Ministry of Auckland. The intimation willnot, perhaps, be a very startling one,to those who have given more than.a cursory glance to passing events • and the query by one of the members of the General Government during his recent visit," How can you expect the Bill to be allowed, when even your own Superintendent is opposed to it ?" furnishes a clue to the secret. With their longing desire to cripple the provinces by throwing every obstacle in the way of their independent action, however healthful and judicious that action may be, the present, ministry gladly avail themselves of any rotten peg on which to hang their malignant veto. It is a pity the.pompous gentleman with a " distinguished relative " did not accompany the notification of the disallowance of the ordinance with instructions as to which of our necessary and urgent operations should be suspended, which must be the fate of some one or more of them. The amount appropriated for the current year is nearly £95,000, while the estimated revenue is under £55,000; and although some £10,000 of the amount voted may possibly not be required this year, and the land fund may exceed the estimate (£25,000) by a few thousands, still a large deficiency in the total required for reproductive purposes is apparent. Are we to place the province in a still more ridiculous position at home by again countermanding the instructions for the resumption of immigration?—is road-making to be postponed to tht Greek Kalends p—the contractors for steam communication to be told they may whistle for their subsidy ?—or education to be left altogether unprovided for? Some of these must go to the wall if immediate action be not taken, and we will in a sentence or two indicate what we conceive should be done, and done promptly. "We give" our present Executive full credit for an honest desire to carry out the policy adopted by the Provincial Council during its last session. Have they been stultified by the Superintendent ? This is a question the public have a right to ask, and to have fairly answered, without any recourse being had to beating about the bush for a reply. In any case we think they are bound to call the Provincial Counoil together at the earliest possible period^ and reintroduce the, Bill, which should be transmitted to Auckland accompanied by more urgent representations in its favour, and perhaps it might be deemed advisable also to elicit a more general expression of public opinion in the matter. It is true this might also be ignored by the General Government,.but it is worth the trial, and the reapportionment of our expenditure is in the meantime a pressing necessity." The election of a member of the House of Representatives for the town of Dunedin for the seat vacant by the laches of Mr. Macandrew took place on the 12th instant. Mr. Macandrew < offered himself for re-election, and was successful in spite of the opposition of two other candidates. In the course of his address he asserted that his independence had cost him his seat.; if he had been the tool of a party, leave of absence would have been askedfor on his behalf and granted. He pledged himself however to attend next session at. Wellington. He had opposed the ballot, but would after this probably support it. His great aim in politics was to keep down the expenditure of the General Government. He favoured local self-govornment, but objected toprovincial legislatures, and _ would favour the establishment of municipalities as widely as possible. Mr. Macandrew was returned on a; poll by 44 votes out of 48. The land revenue for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 1858, was £20,209 lls.Sd., of which however about £13,600 were Deposits on applications', and £3291 was the balance from the preceding quarter.

Tiie'Departmental expenses (Crown lands and sur- ! veyH) for tlie quarter were £1,609. The revenue of! th8 t ,provinoe for the i quarter was —balance from1, previous quarter. £6491 15a. 4d.-—Crown Lands, £4,305 12s.—Customs, £1,192 16s. 4d.-—proceeds ofDebent4ire.«,£s623lss.—otheritems.£l7i Is. 2d. Total, £17,?84 tlta. KM. Expenditure, £10,710 45,-lid^ leaving « balance of £7,074 14s. lid. The only other item of interest in the papers is a 'hy 4be * Colonist^ of Mr. J. T. Thomson ;• who, by'the case which is put, appears to'be not only CKief Surveyor and Engineer, but thfc; prop Of an objectionable Waste Lands Board, arid even'the main-stay of the (to the 'Colonist') still more objectionable Government. Tho following paragraphs are cut from the •

Salk of Town Lands. —A sale of to.wn "lands took place on Wednesday, when 3.92 lots were disposed of. The attendance was so numerous that «n-adjournment to the outside of the Land Office • was found to be indispensable, The competition for some Of the sections was very animated, and two.lots fetched upwards of £40 each, the gross • sum realised was £3412, being an average of £17 15s. sd. per section. —Jan. 21. The Weathbe.—We were visited on Friday night and Saturday last with the heaviest fall of •rain witnessed 'for >many years. The dams of the .-Kaikorai and Dunedin mills were washed away, but we are glad to learn that the damage.generally has not been so serious as was at first reported.— IMd.

Harvkst.—-Wo understand that wheat harvesting operations have commenced in the West Taieri, Miv/Rennie having cut a field on the banks of the river on the 25th instant, the crop being above an average one. — Ibid. * Mr. Dyer sold yesterday the horses ex Cosmopolite, and' Gazelle. The former averaged £49, and the/latter £45 per head.—Jan. 28.