By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 269, 1 May 1874, Page 3

By Electric Telegraph

(From our own correspondent.)

Dunedin, "Wednesday. The Provincial Council was opened to-day. The Government are to tender their resignation to-morrow.

Dunedin, Thursday Evening. , . M'Kenzie, one of the Deborah Bay tunnel contractors, has been severely injured by the explosion of a percussion cap. He is likely to lose the sight of an eye. Long's case was concluded last night, the jury returning a verdict of manslaughter; .He will be sentenced to -morrow.

.The Superintendent's speech recommends the proclamation of new Hundreds, together with 60,01)0 acres to be set apart on the deferred payment system. It also recommends application being again made to Parliament to allow 100,000 acres to be thrown open each year. An asylum for inebriates. The following additional light railways from the main line:—Up the Valley of the Waihemo; across :the Taieri Plain to Outram; Tokomairiro, and Kaitangata coalfield; through the Island at Inch Clutha to the Tapanui Nightcap coalfields. Instead of forcing land into the market to pay for: these lines, it proposed that power be applied for to the General Assembly to raise money upon the security of specified, blocks of land. With reference to the Dunstan line and the extension of the Lawrtnce line to Dunstan, he thinks it should be regarded as a main line. He asks for a provision for converting the Bluff line into narrow guage.

The principal portions of the address are: —I would strongly urge upon your consideration the expediency of raising the price of land. lam persuaded that such a step, while it would greatly curtail land speculation, would in no wise check bona fide settlement. With'main roads and railroads penetrating the country- in all directions, land frwas better worth £5 per acre now than ss. when inaccessible. Certainly, if the early settlers paid £2 an acre when there was not a road, that figure cannot fairly be considered too high now. If future immigrants into the country, and those who will be, from year to year, gradually emerging from the labor market, are to have an opportunity- of acquiring land we are in duty bound" .to husband the public estate by raising the price, as lias been partially done in Southland,- and so assimilate our terms to those of Canterbury. Another question of vital importance, was that of water rights /on the Goldfields. The Executive Government does not see that it would be_ justified in; allying itself with any one interest in the Province against another; I see no satisfactory solution, unless by mutual compromise and concession on the part of the various interests concerned, i An important problem to be solved at the present time is how best to deal with the auriferous lands of the Province. The question it behoves us seriously to consider is: How is gold to be extracted without destroying for ever the surface s.oil, and without the footstep of the alluvial miner leaving desolation behind it ? My own strong conviction is that the only practicable remedy against evil for the future is that the miner should possess the freehold of the land on which he is mining. In this case he would have a strong inducement to pieserve and re-: place the- surface soil. No doubt this suggestion is surrounded with many practical difficulties, which might be overcome, I feel assured. If the miners could see their: own interests they would unanimously petition the Legislature iii this direction. Were this suggestion given effect to, there would lie no necessity for the miner's right, the Goldfields' staff, or the gold duty. The Government intimated that they would propose no reply to the address. ; This afternoon Mr. Turnbull announced that the resignations of the Government had been placed in the Superintendent's hands last night. The main reason of the resignation was because his (Turnbull's) private affairs prevented him from devoting a proper attention to the duties of his office. The second reason was differences of opinion as to the administration of public affairs. The ! majority of the Government think the Goldi field Secretary and the Secretary for Lands i should be separate offices. Some months ago he wanted to resign, but, at the urgent solicitation of Messrs. Webster and Shand, he agreed to retain office till the Council met/ Seeing the House were at one as to the land question,, he hoped a strong coalition Government would be formed. The House adjourned till Monday. CHRISTCHURCH. ■■■. At the annual licensing meeting there was no organised opposition by the Good Templars. The Bench were very particular about the accommodation at all the houses, and set its face against granting licenses where only bars were kept.. The Court refused to grant bottle licenses. . Twelve merchants' applications for wholesale licenses were refused, being too late. nel'soh. At-:the races the Jockey Club Handicap, of 150 so vs., .was won by :Yatterina, Calumny second; Kakapo third. A magnificent race.AUCKLAND. . At the half-yearly meeting of the Bank of New Zealand the report stated that the nett profit to 31st March, after making allowance t'or bad debts, and depreciation, amounted to £41,820. The following was recommeuded : Dividend,; tun per cent.; bonus, two and ahalf per cent;;- and balance carried to profit and loss (new) account, £12,212. \ The report was adopted.