By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 273, 29 May 1874, Page 3

By Electric Telegraph

(From our own correspondent.)

r Dunedin, Thursday Evening., - _ Stead's case was brought up in the Provincial Council. Stout explained to the .'effect that the action was vexatious, aud that Stead himself is to blame.'..■ .-.'.■;. .V;-; :■■-;; ■■Vv/ifT^^v

A meefi-.g of citizpn* wa* held' last night.,when it wa= resolved to tike steps to. obtain Stead's release, and to provide funds to enable h'm to prosecute the action. Tlr* single me" ex the James" Nichol Fleming have been engaged at £C2 to £55.. One hundred and sixteen wove forwarded to Oamaru, and 31 to Tnvercargill". lii th? Council on Tuesday Ireland's motion for reading Bible in the schools be left to the discretion of the committees was negatived by 20 against 16.

Fish's motion for the abolition of the High School was ne.-atwed by 25 against 12. ■ . On "Wednesday message No. 14 sent down recommending the following Hundreds -. Pukeruu, 8000, acres, including 800U on deferred payments on M'lntyre's ; "Waikaka—--I't.lOO acre?, and 6800 deferred payments on M'Nab find M'Tnfyre's-; - Waikoikoi acres, and TfiOO deferred payments n n Cogan's; Waikaia—fiuOO acres, and 2'JOO deferred pay--neuts on Fielding's ; Spotlis— 6SoO acres, and 25C!) deferred payments on G-lnssford's ; Dart —7'lon anves, and 2500 deferred payments on JButem^nr's.

_ At the Chvistoh urch Agricultural Society's dinner, Holloway, in responding to the toast of the " Strangers" rel'ei-cd to Otago and said he must say thai he was very favorably impressed indeed with that Province, and had sent Home n very good description of Otago as a suitable p ace for any of our sober industrious working men who wish to be!tor their positions. He also referred 'to Can'erbury, which be said possessed far more land than Otago for agricultural settlement, and presented a fine field for immigration Arrived at Port Chalmers the Buckinghamshire. 81 days from London,; all well. The Janet Court, from Glasgow, is at the Heads with immigrants. These vessels bring close on 800 pnssprgers None of the bodies of the men drowned on Monday have been recovered. The Estimates will be sent down to-morrow, and the statement will be made in the evening.

The Sunday train question led to an animated debate. Amendment after amendment was moved and negatived, and after midnight the House, by nineteen to seventeen, agreed to Oliver's resolution, that the trains should run as now.

The ' Star' says attention was called in the Council ihis afternoon to the circumstance of some person whose special aversion to certain members of the Q-overnvmmt found the means of circulating among the members of the Council a squib diroei.ed against those gentlemen—the chief i-haraor.crist.ics of the effusion being want of point and intense scurrility. The Speaker strongly censured the course pursued. There was a sharp passage at arms in the' Magistrate's Court this afternoon between Bathgate- and Haggitt.' The latter reflected on the course the Court had been pursuing. When Bathgate said he would allow no imputations Haggitt retorted, " I shall use such language as I think proper. I have practiced in Court, twelve years,, long before your Worship, and know how to conduct a case, whatever youv Worship may think to the contrary. Will neither allow you nor :iny other man io browbeat nie, or to do injustice to my client. Now I'vo. spoken, and leave your Worship to t:;ke whatever action you may think fit."

At the Waste Lands Board to-day the Award Arbitrators appointed to assess the compensation to be paid to Holmes for the the declaration of, the Traquair Hundred, approved fixing it at 2s. an acre and 9s. Gd. per chain for fencing. With reference to the Moke Creek copper mining lease, Howorth aAd Bradshaw wrote that they had not received instructions, that the business was removed out of the hands of the Provincial Solicitor, and objected to the hearing by the Board of ex parte statements from other sources. An animated discussion ensued, during which it came out that applicants '' hung up " matters for nine years. Mr. Strode thought they had received plenty of leniency. Mr. Bastings said that the business of the Board was a farce if it could be set in defiance in this way. It was decided that a new lease should be issued, and, if not signed within fourteen days, the land to be declared open.

In the Council this afternoon the Government replied to questions:—Were not aware that an alteration of the levels of the Naseby Sludge Channel, as agreed to by the late Government, was to be immediately determined, upon before the works proceed further, but were aware that such an alteration had been requested by the inhabitants. The Government had obtained estimates of the probable .cost of deepening'the channel, and ascertained that the deepening would be of no avail unless payable gold was found at a greater depth than it was proposed to go. Before incurring; such a cost, they had requested "Warden Stratford to sink trial shafts, in order to ascertain to what extent they would be justified in incurring such additional cost. It was the desire of the Government to have these works constructed as soon as practicable. The motion concerning recommendations in Message No. 14 was agreed to. On.Sampler's moiio't re adulterated food and liquor, heid sial •■•([ that the Government intended to appoint officer:! WI-.LLIXGL'OX. Immense numb its of immigrants have LiU'ly arrived. All the single girls by the Wemington found c-m.Dloymc.it immediately. AUCKLAND. The Provincial J roaburer made the Financial Statement \ eater-lav.' • .' he estimate.! revenue is £132,075, chie'Jv made up from sales of land, and includes advances of £40,0(J0 from the Colonial Government, to be paid in quarterly instalments, nul £6OOO secured on land funds The appropriation i'.vhuL-a £17,800 f r Provincial public works. H )ICtJI£A. I-i the I'rovim-ial Council resolutions affirming the necessity of appointing a Provincial Executive was carried by a large majority.