By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 271, 16 May 1874, Page 3

By Electric Telegraph

(From our own correspondent.)

Dunedin, Thursday Evening.

At the caucus the members largely attended, aud agreed to form an Opposition to test the strength of the Government Accordingly Bastings gave notice that he would move—"-That the composition of the present Executive, and the land policy enunciated by itj do not command the confidence of the ■ Council/'

i Kumoj says there will be a majority of three airaiust the Government.

Dr. Honeywell will be released from gaol on " The prisoner's counsel lias petitioned the Governor, forwarding the opinions of Drs % Hulme, Hocken, and Bake.weU, r which controverted the evidence for the Prosecution. "Thfe Superintendent has recomroendM the.

establishment of a Lunatic Asylum and Inebriates' Home between Tokomairiro and Lawrence. In answer to questions, the Government said it did not see its way'to taking steps to defend the Maerewhenua miners, but would use its best endeavors to get both parties' to agree to having a case stated by their solicitors, and at once sent to the Court of Appeal, so that there should be no litigation here; and the Government would bear the expense of preparing the case. If the parties "agreed to the proposal, the Government would do its best to induce the Court of Appeal to give a final decision early. On May 6th the- City of Adelaide was chartered for the Californian service, owing to the'large number of passengers offering. The Mongol encountered a fearful hurricane after leaving ELandavu. VICXOIUAN. A detective has been despatched to arrest the defaulter O'b'arrell at JNouinea. Hereturned without him. The proposed liberation of Gardiner, the bushranger, is causing great excitement H.M S. Challenger leaves in a fortnight to sound the .New Zealand cable route. The "Victorian Parliament meets on the 19th. A cablegram from Bombay, date I May 4th, states that serious rioting took place at Snangh:ii. In the French" settlement' several persons were stsned.. Houses were burnt and sacked Several lioters were-shot. ' A number of sailors landed, and volunteers were called out to quell the ftisiinbai.ee. All is now q..iet. The riot was caused in consequence of an ii.terf.Tertce with some JS'ingapo graves by the French when constructing ii road. In reply to Russell Derby s lid that loukir g to the embittered feelings between Fr.mcf and Germany, .grounds for apprehending a disturbance might' exist, but there 'was no inimediiitp danger. In the Supreme Court to-day" it was intimated that Macassey did not press the order for the inspection ct telegrams, and a rale rt)!<(:bi.i'uiiiir the order, Mitrr-h 13, was made absolute: The Judge- said he w.is convi 'oe ■ the order was 100 hastily granteri, and should not h.-ive beeu so large. . Ha'ggilt opplied for rule nisi to be argued for a new trial in the case of Macassey v. Bell, and intimated that he intended to carry it "to t. e Appeal Court if necessary. •'"..>*' . It, is proposed to start a paper manufactory by accompany, wit ha capital.of £15,000. Mercer deeiinra._£p contest the Mayoralty. A motion, for of a Aiming Engineer, though', opposed by the Government, was carried ou the voices. , - ATCKLASD. The Macgregor wai^to' leave for Karidavau the dny after the Mongol.- Fears were entertained that she lias encountered a heavy gale. The Tartar, on the first outward voyage, grounded ou a coral reef at. Zj.is.iy.i3, but" was got over safely. DUXEDIN LxVTJSST: ; At,3.30 p.m. Bastings moved the no confidence motion. He said he was prepared to take, the responsibility if it were carried; and if not earned, he would not be a party to a factious Opposition. He had not. been fairlyused by his colleagues, whom he had served faithfully and loyally. He'had been charged with favoring the Goldfields in his administration of the Public Works department. This he emphatically denied. The fact was, until he took office the Goldfields had not received their fair share of the revenue. He took issue with the Government particularly on the land question: He agreed in extending the deferred payment blocks to 3;jo or 450 acres, but was averse to selling.the blocks between the deferred payment blocks at 40s per acre. The Province must religiously guard-all agricultural land for bouaJUle settlement, and 300,000 acres in Southland would be sufficient for some time. He would wait until the leases of the runs fell in, and then cut them up into 1,000 or, 2,000 acres, as with the Wakatip.runs. • He was utterly opposed to selling land in blocks. Air Snmptet- seconded the motion. Eeid then followed, taunting Bastings with making a homily, and riot giving'any indication of his policy. Selling the pureiy.-pasto-ral land, as a last resort, for revenue purposes, was'forced ou the Government by the action of Bastings in accepting the burden of £140,000 of railways without appropriations. He saw that petty jealousies had to do with .the Opposition, and twitted Bastings and Fish with changing opinions. The Govern-' ment had no desire to keep their seats. If even a large minority were against them they would retire.

de Lautour and Clarke supporting the motion were the next speakers, and the Council then adjourned till seven.