By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 232, 15 August 1873, Page 5

By Electric Telegraph

(brom hup '.iwn I'oi'resnondeut^ Dunedin, Thursday Evening. In the House on Tuesday, Mr. Vogel announced that the Government withdrew the Electoral .Bills. .Next session they intend to bring in others, abolishing the miner's right qualification, and substituting manhood suffrage, wifch registration, and education qualification.

With regard to the tariif, Mr. Vogol stated that the Government did nofc wish increased revenue, and proposed, instead of the rates already annoaneeu, to substitute a uniform rate of ten per cone, with some exceptions. In reply to Mr Mervyn, the Premier stated that it-was not the intention of the Government to recommend the construction' of branch railways from .Lawrence to Roxburgh and from Paimerston to. Waikemo.

Mr. Vogel, in moving the' second reading of the Tariff Bill, under the new tariff, said he .believed there would be additional revenue to the amount of £-3.), 000. A misconception existed throughout the country regarding the' effect of the new tariff, more especially with reference to hardware. The Government, however, did not propose to interfere with sheet iron They asked the lion's 3to sanction an uniform ad valorem tariff of ten percent. The Government, however, proposed to exempt certain articles which affected local industries, such as lead, copper, brass, iron in pig and bars, sheet iron, and writing paper—that is, less than demy. It was proposed to tax boiled sugar and candy 2d. per pound; and other sorts of confectionery at ten per cent'.

Messrs. T. B. Gillies, Stafford, and Wood opposed the Bill, and spoke strongly against the Commissioner 'of Customs. Mr. Stafford charged him with 'throwing all hi 3 -work on his-overweighted colleagues; and Mr. Wood accused him of being completely ignorant of the tariff.

Mr. Reynolds ■would answer the accusations in Committee. He said the amended tariff would only produce between £IO,OOO and £12,000 in excess of the old tariff. ' Mr. Hunter suggested that there should be discriminating duties of five and ten per cent, on certain classes of goods. Messrs. T. L. Shepherd and Bucklahd supported the tariff. .—■--- The debate was adjourned. - -■ " Dr. Menzies, for not attending to a call- of the Council, was adjudged" guilty of contempt, and ordered to be censured by the Speaker. A special telegram to the ' O-uardian' says:—The Goldfieids Bill, after fifteen-meet-ings, passed through Committee with few alterations, and those principally having been suggested by Mining Associations: The West Coast members gave the Bill good support; but the Otago Ooldiieids members were opposing it secretly. ' ■Mr. L'itzherberb is expected to attack' the proposed Provincial Borrowing Scheme. It is believed-that Vogel's proposals as to .'Provincial borrowing are conditional upon the Provinces being reduced to the status of Municipal Corporations, and that they are to be empowered to borrow for specific works, but only hpon specific security, such as rates, tolls, or rentals of land to be appropriated for that purpose—the creditor to have no power to seize the land, but merely to receive the income.

Mr. Macandrew presented a petition from the residents of Dunedin, drawing attention to the want of communication between- the East and West Coasts of the Middle Island.

The second reading of the Tariff Bill took place last night, an 1 carried without a division.

The ' Star's ' special telegrams to-day >s.»y that the Reporting Dubites Committee intend bringing befcrc the Uouse the question of the Speaker snppvessj.ng in t'.e House a portion of a letter from ilie l Po:«t' t-_> Vun.

In the Upper House tu-diy tlie question was mooted to consider h >w Stevenson, a<*ent ot' the Auckland Improvement Bill, shoul 1 be punished for threatening editor of the Auckland ' lOveniug Star,' if he failed to support the Bill The G-oldfit-lds BiL was considered bv the Goldficlds Committee. On clause 30, re two he ids water being allowed to run down cret-k for general purposes, a divisionwas taken :—■ Ayes—Steward, Macmdrew, Brown, White, Bradshavp, M"erv\ a ; noes —Shepherd, Tribe, O'Xeii', O'Conaoi*. Bradahaw :unl Shepherd nearly came .o blows on the ques:um. Alexandra, Dunstaa, and Arrow p spars, not presented to the Udmmitlee untd 'afc-pz the Bill was agreed upon. The Bill will be reported this day with more alterations than is generally thought. "Rumor says that negotiations have taken place between the (Juiterburv and Otago members as to a severance of the owo islands and the removal of the -=eat uf Grovermnent. WELLINGTON. A rainfall, which extended over thirty-tvro hours, amounted to four and a half inches. Three inches fell during the last twelve hours. It is the heaviest flood that has been known in Wellington for many years. The damage is serious. ■« GREY MOUTH. One hundred men are still on strike, and refuse to accept less than lis. BLENHEIM. Heavy floods took place here on Tuesday, the water rising four inches higher than last flood. The storm blew down the railway viaduct. " -v. The Wellington/from Pieton, reports that the Kangitbto's wreck is still uninjured, save the loss of the funnel. She is exj>ecte"d to b"e afloat in a few days. - *