By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 260, 28 February 1874, Page 3

By Electric Telegraph

(Prom our own correspondent.) ' Dunedin, Thursday Evening. The Zealandia sailed for London -with 3G passengers. -No candidates will declare for the Council until it is known whether Cargill stands.' Redwood's horses Lurline, Calumny, Parawhenua, and Spritsail have arrived. Papapa does not come down.

Mr. Petrie has been appointed to enquire into the charges preferred against Mr. Hutcheson, the schoolmaster at the Arrow. The Schoolmaster's Associationhave called the attention of the Education Board to an article in the 'Times,' charging the" district schools with immorality. The Association say the charge is insulting to the schools, and is of so gross a nature as to demand a searching investigation. The Board recommended the Association to apply to the paper for specific information as to the charge. At a meeting of the members of the Bar to-day, resolutions were carried for-present-ing an address to Mr. Strode on his retirement, recommending him for- "high judicial and legislative preferment," and that his portrait should be placed in the Resident Magistrate's Court. It is stated that the Provincial Council meets in the first week in April. The immigrants by the Mongol have been admitted to pratique, and were brought to town this afternoon. Captain Wales is unable to attend the Napier firing. A Commission of Enquiry has been appointed to ascertain the cause of disease breaking out on board the Mongol, and whether people ill of fever were sent on board in England. A fatal accident occurred on the railway works near Oamaru yesterday; a young man named Wessex being killed by a fall of earth weighing thirty tons. AUCKLAND. The workmen in the iron" works have resolved to give one day's pay weekly towards the support of their fellow-craftsmen in Sydney. lIOKITIKA. The Provincial Council met yesterday. Mr. White was elected Speaker, . The Superintendent said that the finances for the past half year showed the surplus oil the, receipts from ordinary revenue to bo £l,4] 0. He felt justified in saying that the Province would commence her career free from debt, so far as ordinary accounts go. It would be idle to conceal the fact that Westland is not sharing in the general prosperitv,and has not yet received that fair measure of consideration to which she is entitled. Carrying out a; line of railway from or to the West Coast could, alone secure permanent prosperity to the Province, y '■•„"■■■ CHEISTCHDKCH. For the Interprovincial crews have yet been selected to represent Canterbury. It is doubtful- whether more than one really good crew can be obtained. Great influx of people from the Auckland .Province settling here. ; Cameron, who made the splendid'score'of' 99, . when competing for selection of representatives at Colonial prize firing, was disqualified because he did; not attend the proper number of parades last year. . . A four-oared crew has arrived from Hokitika, to,'train .for the Interprovincial regatta;- ' WELLING'IOfr. /The ' Daily Tribune' appeared this morning.

.... LYTTELTON. - A large meeting of seamen determined that the rate o^-wages sKall'^be—for Home ships, £lO ; fpr Intercolonial vessels, i'SpermQiith.

(J - All A USTI i\V X • wa- IjL'.ucputted at the Thames After roierring to local matters he said per-haps-it ,was expected that he should say something 011 the export duty on gold. He was not going to shrink from the question. He believed it was a-great mistake to reduce the export duty. Those who did it thought they were, doing their duty to their constituents. At the time the duty was going up there was more money being spent on Goldfields than accrued from such revenue." He did not regard it as a tax; but a fair levy for mining on Grown lands, and did not see why such charge should not be fair, especially as it .was expended on the Goldlield where raised. They had now come forward with a proposal to levy another five per cent, in . order to give a guarantee for money to prospectors, and he thought, if another Half-a-crown had been levied, in the early days of the Goldfields, it would have been a boon, as money would be at command for works of utility when gold was more difficult to get. He was not favorable to doing away, with the duty on gold, nor was he in favor of the rei duction made; but he would like to see a portion of the export duty on gold spent in assisting to open up our auriferous resources. He would refer to the establishment of a mint. ' Any subject affecting the Goldfields when cropping up in Wellington, was liable to,elicit a peculiar feeling. It appeared to be' thought that the representatives of the Goldfields were unlike other people. The establishment of a mint would possibly fi.t a standard price for'gold, which would be its only, advantage; while, on the other hand, it would be a continual annual loss. It would be &n advantage where locally situated.. Miners were possibly defrauded by combination, but the law of supply aud demand was the real remedy, and he did not consider that the Gov eiiiment, were warranted in procuring - such a costly necessity as a mint to - prevent such combination and its injurious, influence on the miners. It was not likely that the, ' Imperial Government would agree to the: es- '■ . tablishment of . another mint.-- He would like ! ~ to see a broader feeling established in com-, ; inunities. It was much wanted that the people should see that the wants of minora were the wants of otliers. One exceptional feature was the franchisee - The Government proposed to do away with the exceptional (miner's light) franchise, and substitute manhood suffrage—he wished he could say universal suffrage. This was his personal opinion—not as representing his colleagues. He did not see why women should not exercis.e ,a share in : the -selection of representa-. " tives.

A deputation, to urge'■ deep-sinking jand drainage for mines, waited on the Premier, ! , a WI l a id plans and i report .of tlie proposed "works before him. Vogel made-a lengthy reply, . the tenor of which was favorable; '- 'He thought such: an. application- should be made through the holder of delegatcd powers. A: measure to furnish, supplies for such works as ■ the Government might approve would have Government support. Parliament would be discreditably .in .allowing-the Thames 1 •to languish for want of assistance to develop the low levels. He was opposed to subsidies, in public works, and suggested the formation of reserve funds in dividend-paying mines to meet further contingencies. He recommended the; deputation to make their proposals as simple as possible, and to take the same before the Superintendent as a preliminary step. Any advance made would have to be on tlie'security of the mines benefitted. Their proposal to meet the interest on the loan by additional duty on the gold would be objectionable.