By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 386, 4 August 1876, Page 3

By Electric Telegraph

(From pur own correspondent.) *> : ■ i ■ . Dunedin, Thursday Evening. Arrived—City of Cashmere, ship, eightyfive days from London. The Hopeful Company, Seefton, from 1140 tons obtained 2313 ounces of gold. Ihe Mayoralty election took place to-day. Reeves polled 1533, and Woodland.l329—the largest number.ever polled in Dunedin. At Holritika, Luke Tyloore, schoolmaster, was convicted at the District Court on two charges of criminal assault on children under twelve years. He pleaded guilty to the 3rd charge, and was sentenced to two periods of imprisonment of six years each, and two floggings during the first six months. CABLEGRAMS. Melbourne, August .2. The body of a man was found on the Victoria Parade, lobbed, and with marks of violence, as if he had struggled. Four men are arretted on suspicion.

PARLIAMENTARY.' It is said that great reductions will be made in the Estimates, and that some 400 (four hundred) General and Provincial Government officers will lose thiir appointments, and- that probably the Volunteer vote for the South Island will be struck off. In the Assembly on Tuesday night Whitaker moved his resolutions for making the land fund Colonial Revenue. He travelled over the most salient points of the history of the Colony as regarded dealings with the waste lands of the Crown, to show that in this Colony, as was the case in all other Colonies and countries, the waste lands were always the property of the State. The hon. member argued that the "Compact " was a misnomer since 1553, That arrangement then made was merely temporary, and subject to the ratification of the Imperial Government, and the Lnperial Parliament washed it's hands of the matter by declining to allow the Provincial Governments to deal with the waste lands.

The Premier traversed the points of Whrtaker's speech, and argued that his proposals were inexpedient, impolitic, and unjust. That, call it/what they would, compact or arrangement, there had been a solemn agreement arrived at in 1856, and all legislation since then which had not affected the waste lands of the Crown, was baaed upon the financial aspect of the year. He attributed the threatening financial difficulties of the year partly to: the large sums already borrowed, and partly to the action of people at Home, who ought not to fun down the credit of the Colony. He spoke hopefully of tiding oyer the threatening danger. The Premier said that he looked upon these resolutions as only stages towards Separation, as hurtful to the public credit, and as calculated to retard all' proposed legislation for the benefit of the districts.

Grey, in a feVv remarks, intimated that "ho would move fbi?,,.lnsular Reparation,.with, the site of Government; for the .North- Island in Auckland, and for tho South in Canterbury. The seat of the Colonial Government is to remain at Wellington. ~,'•.' V ;.' ' '\~] Whitaier declining to reply was taken, and the resolution was lost by 54t021. Grey's resolutions will be moved to-night, the Government declining to proceed with' business in the -meantime. -, ' , Mr. Pyke'B Gold Duty Bill proposes to reduce the ex; ort duty from Jan. next to la., and from January Ist, 1878, to 3d. per ounce. In course of his speech to-night Grey will intimate that, under the circumstances, ; ho will take office. This is regarded as but a preliminary to the assumption of the leadership by Whitnkor. All the Auckland mem-' hers, except Head; CoXj Inglis, and Williams will support Grey. The Separation debate is expected to take ten days at least; ■ln the lobbies it is stab-d that "Whifcaker will second tie separation resolutions, and that Bolleston, Reynolds, Wnson und Fisher, will vote with the ayes, bringing the number up to 38 or 39.