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North Otago Times, Volume I, Issue 10, 28 April 1864, Page 5

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We are desirous of affording Correspondent*! space for the leu i'lmatc discussion of all subjects of public importance; hut, at the same lime, we wish it to be understood that we do not hold oifselvct responsible f 01 opinions therein expressed. To the Editor of the Oamarp Times. Sm, — Will you kindly insert a few linos for mo m your valuable paper P A man named Hardy, of Moeraki, alleged he lost some money some time in January last ; a Mrs. Dunn was accused of the robberv, and was tried before the magistrate, and honorably acquitted of the charge. Hearing that Sergeant Bullen Mas charged by a man named Armstrong with intimidating Hardy, so that he should not giro his evidence in full, L went to I he Court to-day, and by what I could learn it appeared that it was t-imply trying Mrs. Dunn again by this man Armstrong. What he had to do w itli it I really cannot think. Do, if possible, Mr. Editor, use your valuable pen to throw light, on this subject. Being the husband of the person charged, 1 feel it my di'ty to protect her character from all unwarrantable attacks. Hoping jou will correct any grammatical errors I have made, — [ am. Sir, etc., Thojivs Dunn. Oamaru, 26th April, 18G I. [We have looked through the evidence in Mrs Dunn's case, and are fully persuaded of her innocence of the crime for which she was brought before the Resident Magistrate in January last. There is not the shadow of a ( haro<> against her —Ed. O. T.I

SERGE AXT O'BRTEN. To tlie Editor o(" the Out.utu Tim>a. SiH) — I was much astonished the other tiny upon looking over the Oamuiu Tima,, March the 3rd, to see a letter signed b\ " Vindicator," who, with tlio most barefaced impudence* through vour journal, puts forward a he in a indication of' one Sergeant O'Brien, conduct, 1 believe, well merited the remarks of the Coroner and jury. " Vindicator" states tliat it was through the steps taken by the above sergeant tluit Ltmgham and Robson were arrested, whereas the fact is that Sergeant O'Bricu and the constable who was at that time at Oainaru passed the two men on the road to Sehleutcr's public-house, and did not arrest them ; and the constable stated afterwards in my hearing that if it had not been for Sergeant O'Brien making him go to Schleuter's he would have arrested the men — lor Constable Smith said that he wus sure that the two men would endeavor to pass through the township that night. About the other portion of this letter I do not wish to make any remark, as I see that O'Brien's ghost — the McKay famih — is held up to the public. I ofi en woncW if Commissioner Branigan has heard of and believes in such people. It is always convenient for a sergeant to be able to say — " Oh ! that is a yarn got up by my friend So-and-so." — I am. Sir, etc., Anti-Hi'mboo

I EXHIBITION OF 1865 AT DUNEDI V. I To the Editor of the O vmabu Times. I Sir, — Can you inform me if the big-wigs in j the district of Oamaru, Gazetted somo time ago as the Local Committee for the Exhibition [ next year, have yet met, and if they have, what they have done. I have A\atched through the columns of your paper for some time now, but without gathering anything. — I am, &c, One wno would be an Exhibitor. [We believe that a meeting of the committee has been held, but little or no business was transacted at it. The members of the committee certainly ought not, wear the honor of office without discharging its duties. — ED. O.T.]

In the Provincial Council, on the 21st inst., the Speaker took the chair at two o'clock. After some unimportant business, Mr Reynolds, in reference to the Ministerial crisis, said that His Honor had sent for him, but he (Mr Reynolds) was not prepared to form an Executive. He had explained to the Superintendent that he (Mr Reynolds) considered the present Government possessed the confidence of the House, and with certain modification it might carry on the business. He (MiReynolds) had declined forming one of the Executive. Mr Paterson informed the House that lie also had been sent for with a view to forming an Executive, but that as he was quite unprepared to do so he declined the task. He had told His Honor that he (Mr Paterson) thought the position taken by the present Government untenable, as the House had no intention of making the Indemnity Bill a Ministerial question. It was, after some discussion, agreed to proceed with the second reading of the Indemnity Bill. After an opinion by the Provincial Solicitor had been read, on the question of whether the Indemnity Bill required a special message from the Superintendent in writing — which the Provincial Solicitor did not consider was necessary. Mr Vogel objected that the course pursued of proceeding with the second reading of the Indemnity Bill before the financial statement had been made, was contrary to the expressed opinion of the House. He considered the Government had placed the House in a humiliating position, and were guilty of coercion. After criticising the course pursued by the Government, he referred to many questions concerning which the Government evidently had desired to escape the discussion they would evoke. He attacked the Provincial Secretary, generally as to his political capacity, and referred particularly to the non-negotiation of the debentures as the result of his (the Provincial Secretary's) policy. He ( Mr Vogel ) was precluded from moving a further adjournment of the debate, because ' he was not in a position to accept office as would be expected if an adjournment was carried ; and if no proposal to that effect was made he should leave the House. After further discussion, in which Messrs. Cargill, Reynolds, Brodie, Rennie, and Paterson took part. The Superintendent's Indemnity Bill was read a second time, after which — The Provincial Treasurer moved the suspension of the Standing Orders, to enable him to lay before the House his Financial Statement. After adverting to the Superintendent's addres to the House, iu which His Honor alluded to the failure to negotiate the debentures, he proceeded to lay before the House a statement of the revenue and expenditure for the past > ear, and of the estimated revenue for the financial year 18G4-5. The total revenue received from the 1st April 1863 to the 31st March 1864, wa<?L360,324 4s 3d, being in excess of the estimated amount by nearly LI 0,000. The ordinary expenditure during the same period amounted to L31 8,784 14s lid, which after deducting some charges for interest, left to the credit of revenue account a sum of L3 7,801 4s 8d. Had the various loans been appiopriated to the purposes for which they were voted and the debentures negotiated, theie would have been the sum of L3.)3,154 2s 9d available for public works in addition to the surplus revenue. The position of the Province evinced a great advance in 1863 and 1864 when compared with the years 1861 and 1862. The honorable member then went into an estimate of revenue for the financial year, 1864-1 805, but owin°to the Government not having fully determined upon the expenditure to be recommended, he was not prepared to state what that was likely to be. The statement would be laid before the IIouso in a few days. The imports and exports of the Province showed a great increase in its prosperity as compared with the previous year. The imports of the first quarter of 1 802 were, in round numbers, L95,000 ; in the first quarter of 1863 they were Ll 43,084. The Customs Revenue for the past year had increased L23,000 on the previous year ; and the Gold Export duty Ll 3,000. The only decrease had been in the revenue derived from the sale of Crown lands, which was accounted for by the short time which had elapsed since the resumption of the land sales. In the years 1862-3, the value of imports into Dunedin amounted to L2,069,372, while for 1863 and 1864 it reached L3,41 3,356. The export trade was also satisfactory, when in 1862-3 its value was Ll, 745,947, in 1863-4 it reached L2, 569, 718, an increase of nearly one mil- j

lion in a single year. Thus, while the exports of Otago were half the imports, in t the most favored of the other provinces of 0 New Zealand, they did not reach one , quarter the value. He therefoie consi- - dered the condition of the Province highly 1 satisfactory. The estimate of revenue for s the year 1864-5 was L396.344 12b 8d. 3 The principal items were from Crown t lands, L100,000 ; customs, L90,000 ; gold t export duty, L60,000 ; licences on gold f fields, L3 8,250 ; auctioneers' licences, i LI 2,000; harbor and pilotage, L9000 ; r jetty dues, L4000; gaol labor, L10,000; ; rents of ferries, L3500 ; sheep assessment, L3000; dog tax, L1500; tolls on roads, ; Ll 5,000. The remaining amounts con- > sisted of repayment of loans, interest on 5 loans, and repayment of advances by hos- » pitals and assisted immigrants. In reply to Mr Cargill, The Provincial Secretary stated that . after lengthened negotiations with the . church trustees, the proposal to purchase the &ite on Bell Hill for the Government , buildings had fallen through on account of i the high price demanded. It was stated that the Exhibition building could be converted so as to afford the necessary accom1 modation for Government buildings. The , question, however, would be submitted to the House, A discussion took place concerning the filling up of the Southern Market Reserve, and the Provincial Treasurer stated that the subject was being investigated, and a report would be laid before the Council. Committees were appointed to inquire into the working of the Coal Reserves, and into the necessity for passing a Masters and Servants Act, after which the House adjourned.

Friday, April 22. The Speaker took the chair at 2 o'clock. The Cemetery Reserves Bill, the Educational Reserves Management and Leasing Bill, were read a first time and ordered to be printed. Mr Brodie moved a resolution that the Government should at once survey the various sources of water supply in the vicinity of each gold field, and ascertain the levels of the tract of country along which races could be cut, the information to be accessible to the public on payment of a small fee. The lion, member referred to the immense area of auriferous ground in the Province which could be worked by water power were such available. As mistakes were often made by miners in cutting- races at wrong levels, the survey proposed would be of immense advantage to the miners. Mr Hughes seconded the motion. The Provincial Secretary would not oppose the motion, the cost of the survey would be about £2000. Mr Adam objected to the outlay in the present state of the finances. Mr Vogel, while strongly in favor of giving assistance in the matter, considered the resolution, as at present worded, might be applied to cases which should properly be left entirely to private enterprise, lie suggested an alteration, to the effect that his Honer be asked to place a certain sum on the Estimates to be spent in developing the gold fields, the expenditure to be at the discretion of the gold fields' department Ho would, if the hon. member for the gold fields adhered to the reso- | lution, move that a sum of £5000 be put on the Estimates for developing the resources of the gold fields, including rewards to prospectors. The Provincial Treasurer upon the whole agreed with the member for Waikouaiti, but he was not prepared to say he would put the sum named on the Estimates. Mr Reynolds supported the resolution, which, after some further discussion, was adopted. The Provincial Secretaiy laid on the table copies of letters fiom the Home Agents. The Provincial Treasurer made a short statement of the position of the debentures in the home market in accordance with intelligence received that day, On the date of the departure of the mail Ll 5,200 of the debentures had bet>n sold from Lo Ok 6d premium down to pur. Tho Cantorbury debentures were placed at par, and only received very small offers, and in some cases private sales had been made at 1 per cent, discount. The debate on the Education Resolutions was adjourned till Monday. The House Avent into Committee of Supply on the Superintendent's Indemnity Bill. Various explanations were given. On the items, Fire in Stafford-street, L330 19s 3d, there was a long discussion. The Provincial Secretary explained the circumstances under which the Government engaged men, horses and caiis, &c,

on the morning 1 after the great fire commenced. They felt that they were bound absolutely to interfere under the circumstances ; but they felt that there was an important principle involved, and they desired to have a distinct understanding that this affair was not to be regarded as a precedent. They still thought the Town Board should have refunded the money ; but the Board refused, and the Government could only submit the item to the Council. The item was agreed to. Market Place (on account) £1855. This item caused another long discussion. It elicited from the Government the statement that the contract price of the building (Exhibition Building) was £12,950, but that this was about £2000 more than could have been contemplated when the matter was before the Council. It was found that the foundation would be bad unless extra work was done ; and the necessity for doing this work led to the suggestion that the part of the basement towards Cumberland-street should be strengthened by forming stores, &.c. Hence the increased cost. But not one penny had been spent, or proposed to be spent, consequent upon any idea of converting the building into the Government Buildings hereafter. The Government would recommend such a course when the time came ; but when the increased expenditure was authorised, such an idea had never been broached, and the negociations with the Church Trustees, for a site on Bell Hill, were proceeding. The item was agreed to. When the items relating to roads were reached, The Secretary for Public Works gave some general explanations ; and after a discussion, progress was reported, and leave obtained to sit again. The House adjourned at eleven o'clock, until two o'clock on Monday. — Daily Times.